Orcs
Orcish societies first appeared in the woodlands between the Wild Mountains and the coast of the Central Sea, now known as Úrún and Ytis. These tribes formed later than those of the elves, dwarves and humans, as as such had lesser impact on Adynía until relatively late in its history.
Before the fall of the Paþarían Empire, the only people who had significant contact with the orcs were rival tribes from Ytis to the east, Gráhúlysía to west, and explorers, pirates and merchants from Góalanis across the Central Sea to the south. The latter sometimes recruited orcish warriors as mercenaries in their wars against Paþaría or between rival góalanic kingdoms. When the Paþarían Empire fell due to a combination of losing much of its royal family at sea and invading human tribes from the north, many orcish tribes followed suit and invaded Góalanis, eventually conquering the land after two centuries of war.
Since then, the Góalanic Federation has been a major rival of both the Sikíron Empire (a successor state of Paþaría) to the west and the kingdoms of Gysikan to the south.
Before the fall of the Paþarían Empire, the only people who had significant contact with the orcs were rival tribes from Ytis to the east, Gráhúlysía to west, and explorers, pirates and merchants from Góalanis across the Central Sea to the south. The latter sometimes recruited orcish warriors as mercenaries in their wars against Paþaría or between rival góalanic kingdoms. When the Paþarían Empire fell due to a combination of losing much of its royal family at sea and invading human tribes from the north, many orcish tribes followed suit and invaded Góalanis, eventually conquering the land after two centuries of war.
Since then, the Góalanic Federation has been a major rival of both the Sikíron Empire (a successor state of Paþaría) to the west and the kingdoms of Gysikan to the south.
Basic Information
Anatomy
Orcs are on average taller and stronger than elves, dwarves and humans, but their most noticeable feature is their skin colour; grey or pale green, with tanned skin gaining a darker shade of green.
Additional Information
Facial characteristics
Eyes tend to be grey or light blue, hair is usually black or dark brown. Mustaches are often preferred to full beards, and warriors sometimes bleach their hair using lead or quicklime. Many tribes favor long hair, with men sometimes being tonsured and women shaving much of their hair, leaving a strip running from ear to ear.
Geographic Origin and Distribution
Significant populations are found in Úrún, western Ytis and Góalanis. Smaller populations of orcs and half-orcs exist on the island of Úrra and Narsía on the southwestern Meldon Plain.
Perception and Sensory Capabilities
Orcs have a noticeably higher resistance to magic attacks than other people in Adynía, a result of evolving in an environment with a relatively high level arcane energies and being surrounded by creatures that use magic to hunt or defend themselves.
Some orc warriors learn to boost this ability by achieving a state of frenzy, where their body uses its magical reserves to make the warrior invulnerable to whatever magic or weapons they are faced with for a short time.
The frenzy allows the orc to ignore the increasing fatigue and eventual pain from gradually emptying their magical reserves, until they collapse and lose consciousness for a while.
Some orc warriors learn to boost this ability by achieving a state of frenzy, where their body uses its magical reserves to make the warrior invulnerable to whatever magic or weapons they are faced with for a short time.
The frenzy allows the orc to ignore the increasing fatigue and eventual pain from gradually emptying their magical reserves, until they collapse and lose consciousness for a while.
Civilization and Culture
Common Customs, Traditions and Rituals
Carrying around a small mirror is common in many orcish cultures, used to commune with the ancestral spirits and to let the ancestors witness the wearers' bravery in battle.
Common Myths and Legends
In Úrún and especially Góalanis, a culture hero who slayed a boar in a cave to bring for spring is widely worshipped.
Human sacrifice is practiced to some extent in many orc societies.
Human sacrifice is practiced to some extent in many orc societies.
* Many orcish cultures have vaguely celtic feel to them
Body Tint, Colouring and Marking
Orcish skin tone is a varying shade of grey to pale green to dark green, with half-orcs often being olive green or ghostly pale.
Related Ethnicities
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