"Half-Orcs, much like Half-Elves, fit into a strange place in our world. They weren't directly created by the gods, and thus have no concrete connection to them, but they are certainly just as real as me or you. In meeting some during my visit to an Orcish camp near Crotai, I found that they stuck together. There was an understanding between them, as though they belonged together rather than in any one place in this world. It was quite surreal to both respect their surety while pitying their circumstances." - An excerpt from "The Travels of Hafrick Moriarty"
Half-Orcs are the offspring of interracial relationships between Orcs and Humans or Elves. The Half-Orc population is overwhelmingly Half-Human, as Elves rarely mingle with Orcs. Unlike Half-Elves who look human enough to manipulate their way into comfort, Half-Orcs find themselves shunned or ignored outside of their Orcish clans or households. They have no solid connection to any deity, although many will adopt worship of Tassah during their travels with the nomadic Orcish clans.
Of Mixed Blood
Half-Orcs have predominantly Orcish features built into a Human or Elven frame. They are much smaller than their Orcish cousins, but their green-tinted skin and protruding tusks clearly show what blood flows in their veins. They generally stand between 5 and several inches over 6 feet tall and weight around 160-190 pounds. Their hair usually takes after the Orcs, although some have hairs of different browns rather than just black.
A Home In the Dancing
A large majority of Half-Orcs spend their time with Orcish clans, who readily accept them. The outside world largely sees them as unholy creations and will shun them, so the welcome arms of the clans are much preferred. Thus, many Half-Orcs learn a trade early in their lives and spend a great deal of time on the open ocean. There is a strong feeling of resentment that can build up in many Half-Orcs over time as they wonder why the world looks on them as it does.
Infamous Association
Because of how many Half-Orcs despise the broader society of Mytkora, there are some who turn to lives of crime or piracy. Often, these bands of cutthroats and thieves readily accept their skills, and a naive Half-Orc may devote herself to a dangerous lifestyle in the hunt for a place they belong. This does nothing to help the worldview of Half-Orcs, and the race has built a reputation for criminal activity.
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