Orcs

Orcs are strong folk that value tradition over everything else. They were scourge to civilized people, when they were raiding and scavenging their settlements leaving destruction and death behind them. That changed after Godsdoom. Orcish tribes settled down and started to explore pleasures of stationary and peaceful lives. They focused on their traditions and culture, trying to keep it and preserve it in constantly changing world. Some of tribes had problem in stopping themselves from continuing raiding and they have destroyed two of Elven Miracles. That sparked eternal enmity of elves towards orcs, causing great war to happen between them, that led to death of many orcs and elfes. Even though the war has ended, enmity and memories stayed in hearts of those two races.

• After settling down and creating their first settlements, orcs started to form relationships with different races. They have even created an orcish nation of Guar'Adam, that later was conquered by Ouvuran Empire. Orcs have spread to two of three continents of Ferdlan, leaving Settan alone.

Basic Information

Biological Traits

Orcs are species that contains actually two separate species that unexpectedly were very similar to each other, even though they have evolved in two different continents:

Ice orcs - Orcs inhabiting Howleran. They vary from other orcs thanks to their white hair and grayish skin mixed with blue tones. They have eyes in shades of light blue. They have lived in surrounding of the Glacier which harsh and cold enviroment adjusted them to surviving in deep cold.

Fire orcs - Orcs ihabiting Nothsandan. They vary from other orcs thanks to their orangish skin with gray tones. Their eyes are orange and yellow like warm syn. Their ancestors inhabited hot grasslands of Nothsandan, which adjusted them to great heat of the sun and also to walking of great distances.

Additional Information

Social Structure

Orcs have their origins in tribes travelling through lands of Ferdlan hunting and raiding to survive. In those tribes they have developped a hierarchy consisting of 5 levels:

Graght'Aran - leader of the tribe. The strongest and wisest of the tribe with the power to lead it and decide about it. They could be challenged anytime to change the hierarchy. The challenge consisted of Duel of Arms and Duel of Minds.

Garhta'Aran - right hand of the leader. Chosen by the Graght'Aran to be responsible for matters that are connected to the outside of the tribe. Terrains to hunt, settlements to raid and relationships with outsiders.

Tuvrah'Arat - people of change. They were a group of maximum 20, that were responsible for coming up and discussing over decisions. With their decisions they would go to Graght'Aran for their acceptance.

Kraah'Arat - people of safety. They were strongest of Waavtk'Arat, that were responsible for ensuring safety of the tribe.

Waavtk'Arat - people of the tribe. Most usual folk in the tribe. Even though they were of least importance, they were never treated with inferiority.

Levels of this hierarchy were marked with special magical tatoos, that were applied by tribe shaman and could be erased by them too.
After abandoning tribal life orcs have scattered among other civilizations and adjusted to their norms, but if someone had a magical tatoo, that stayed in a family of the orc, they were always treated with respect.

Facial characteristics

Orcs have long, rectangular face with small eyes and noses and their lips placed low on their faces. They have small, thick, pointy ears, similar to elvish, but much shorter. They grow facial hair, but very slowly/

Geographic Origin and Distribution

Orcs inhabit all of Nothsandan and most of Howleran. In Nothsandan they are widespread and have their say in important political matters as one of the most populous inhabitants of it. In Holweran they are considered racial minority. It is not extremely rare to meet one on your way, but it is considered unlikely. They also have troubles in raising their voice enough to be of any importance in politics. Escpecially in Divine Countries, where they are treated with despisement and inferiority.

Average Intelligence

Orcs are commonly considered stupid and unintelligent. That is mostly wrong opinion, as orcs have very unusual ability to accumulate knowledge by practical use. Due to their tribal origins, they mostly acquired knowledge about fighting, hunt and surviving, but when they started to become part of civilization, they shocked other races with their open minds for music, craft and art.

Civilization and Culture

Naming Traditions

Naming tradition vary depending on the origin species they are from:

Fire orcs - Male names: Ninrak, Bokareart, Gribkat, Wourakret, Cakraban, Yrkanok, Lekratal, Darbakar. Female names: Ikara, Hakra, Wukarta, Filkarka, Quarala, Rueka, Nukva, Zuea.

Ice orcs - Male names: Urukbarth, Akrthan, Wubunhts, Rheaefrth, Bwarkvth, Qivnmthar, Fhtardt, Nurthm. Female names: Ghartey, Vimvrate, Kourehly, Gduafe, Kyhhve, Dhevakfhe, Tadehafse, Zkajdha.

Orcs tend to attach nicknames to their names, depending on their achievements or identifying quirks.

History

Orcs have never felt need to decribe their history and note important events of their race. It is only known that from their beginnings they were connecting into tribes, either smaller or greater, living like nomads, surviving on hunting and raiding settlements of others. First notes in history of them are in history of dwarves, reaching about -15,000 BG, when they were described as monsters filled with cruelty and bloodlust. Only after couple of thousands of centuries they were understood as people of unique and complex tradition rooted deep in their behaviour and way of living. Many tried to convert them to civilization, but only after the event of Godsdoom, something changed among orcs, because they started to leave their tribic homes and join great cities and settlements of Ferdlan, enriching it with their unique art.
For hundreds of centuries ice orcs and fire orcs were seperate spieces that had no knowledge about each other. They have developped unique and different cultures. One centered on sun and fire, second - on moon and ice. Some travellers told them about their supposed kin in other places, but none wanted to go to unknown land and leave home culture. They discovered each other around -12nd century, when twelve fire orc sailors crashed after a storm and found themselves in land of Howleran, where they could see the Great Glacier. These legendary team became first orcish adventurers named Brothers of the Sun. They were responsible for connection of fire orcs with their ice kin and establishing first trade route that connected warm lands of Nothsandan with cold terrains of Howleran.

Lifespan

Orcs live around 130 years, but they tend to die much earlier than that, due to their warlike character. They reach maturity in age of 16.

Average Height

Orcs mostly reach over 2 meters, different cases happen too, with a maximum height of about 2,3 meters.

Average Weight

Orcs weigh from 90 to 120 kg, due to their natural muscularity.

Average Physique

Orcs are mostly very muscular, thanks to their ancestors, that adapted to harsh way of living. They are known for their strong long arms and well-trained legs. Even when in old age they tend to keep most of their physical strength, just like mental one.

Body Tint, Colouring and Marking

Orcs body tint depend solely on their orc species. Fire orcs have orangish and ice orcs have their body tint grayish.

Geographic Distribution

• Howleran
• Nothsandan