Orcs
Strong, brutish, and imposing, the Orcs of T'sara are simultaneously one of the most important species, but also one of its most dreaded. Critical to the dawn of the Second and Third Age, they are now broiled in a seemingly eternal conflict with the humans of the Intransican Empire
Basic Information
Anatomy
Orcs, like most sentient beings, are bipedal creatures with two arms and two legs. They stand the tallest of sentient beings, with the average being over six feet tall. They are strong, muscular creatures with lean bodies. Skin colors are varying shades of green, though some have been For both males and females, the only hair that grows is on their face, and is usually black or brown.
Growth Rate & Stages
Orc children are born after a pregnancy that goes just beyond a year, typically. Orc infants become ambulatory sooner the Humans or Dwarves, but grow at a slower rate. Typically, they are seen as children by their seventh year, begin puberty around fifteen, and are considered to be adults by their twentieth year.
Because of the adverse living conditions most live in, coupled constant conflict with the Intransican Empire that leads most Orc to die relatively young, it is difficult to ascertain what the life expectancy of an Orc would normally be. Conventional logic holds that since they appear to have a development timescale comparable and slightly longer to that of a Human, that their life expectancy could be similarly be a little longer as well. Though unsubstantiated, it is thought that Orcs could live to be in their nineties
Ecology and Habitats
Orcs were created by Khrigax to be able to survive in any climate with minimal need of technological aid or adaptation. Their hardiness and violent nature makes them best suited for the fringes and frontiers of the world; marshes, jungles, and the like. Commonly, the orcs that still cling to their tribal ways are found in mountain reaches or harsh deserts where their pursuers are unable to reach them.
Dietary Needs and Habits
Although Orcs are as omniverous as other sentient species, they are predominently meat eaters. Tribes use what can be found locally to season and flavor the meats, that are often roasted over open flame. The flavor profiles preferred by orcs tend to be too strong and pungent to be considered palatable by other species. Orcs that live in civilized communities with other species will commonly adopt the eating habits and customs of the region, though typically have larger apetites. Of the cuisines of different species, Orcs find the dwarves most preferable.
Behaviour
Orcs are by their nature the most inclined to violence and strong emotions. Khrigax, their God, sought it necessary for them to be able to stand and fight in the midst of The Crisis that lead to the First Age. Being the youngest of the gods, he was short sighted and did not envision what his creations would be like after the Crisis was over. With the Orc Clans in a constant fight for survival, many incorrectly believe that Orcs are suited for little else, which is far from the truth.
There are orcs who separate themselves from the traditional dynamics of clans, and join more 'civilized' society. These orcs are generally able to integrate well and are no more dangerous or violent than any other citizen. They are still feared by the public at large, in most cases, and few Orcs stray far from mercenary work of some sort.
"Civilized" or not, orcs generally have a cynical, fatalistic view of the world and the future. They all face an outcome of either being wiped out physically by the Empire as the last of their kind fights to the last breath as their ancestors had before, or they are wiped out culturally as they integrate into the civilization of others and abandon all that they are in the process.
Additional Information
Perception and Sensory Capabilities
Like most terestrial sentient beings, orcs have no extrasensory capabilities. Created to be superior hunters and warriors, they are able to see at night or in the dark as easily as they see in the day.
Civilization and Culture
Naming Traditions
Orcs typically have short one or two syllable given names, and do not possess family names. Instead, they associate to the larger tribe they belong to, viewing the entire tribe to be family. When Orcs of one tribe relocates to join another, typically on account of marriage, the orc abandons any claim or identity of their old tribe.
Major Organizations
There has not been a centralized group of Orcs in more than an age, so there is little in organization among them beyond informal agreements between tribes. The orcs greatly value their tribal age and heritage, so groups like the RageRock clan, that claim to be the eldest surviving clan, hold a great amount of sway in local politics; even when numerically inferior to the younger clans.
Common Dress Code
Being so resilient to the natural environment, most tribes wear nothing at all. Those tribes or individual orcs that do opt for clothing often don little more than scraps of leather or cloth that cover their genitalia. In most circles, wearing more than this is considered a sign of weakness. This commonly creates social strife when orcs either visit civilization or try to become permanent members.
History
The dawn of the Orcs is marked as the heralding of the First Age. Documentation of the time prior is scant, but the paradise of the Lost Age was torn apart by a cataclysmic event known as The Crisis, that the races of Man and Elf and Dwarf could not stop on their own. Khrigax, the youngest of the Gods, created a new being to turn the tides. These beings, the Orcs, were created to be hearty, resilient, and masters in combat. Although the Crisis was brought to a successful end, it greatly changed T'saras landscape and nature forever. Key among which, the paradise was gone, and species now had to compete with one another for resources and surivival. The Orcs were the most well suited to this environment and contest, and quickly took over large swaths of territory that was thought to belong to their older sibling races. Grand nations of orcs dotted the land; the speed of their rise concerned the others. Fearing the dawn of a global Orcish tyranny, the Elves lead a combined front against the Orcs. This conflict marked the entirety of the Second Age, until the emergence of a new threat diverted. The Triumverate, a collection of Dark Elves, Druggar, and Dreadlords sought to take advantage of the collective chaos to make their claim on T'sara. Hoping to put old qualms to bed and show a new, unified perspective, the Orcs fought harder than any other, and had lost the most in driving the enemy back. As the Third Age dawned, the remaining Orcs had resorted to barbaric clans, fighting for whatever scraps of land and resources they could gain for their benefit. While most parts of the world view past conflicts as a thing to keep buried, many still see the Orcs as an existential threat; namely the Intransican Empire.
Interspecies Relations and Assumptions
Relations with other species is not especially common. The behavior is not openly frowned upon, it's simply a matter of circumstances. None of the other species are willing to join in the austere tribal conflicts that Orcs undergo. In civilization, both orcs and the other species have a large amount of bias and perspective to comb through before arriving at a romantic relationship. Those who have been in reltaionships with Orcs have found them to be stalwart, faithful, and attentive, although also frequently overly protective and guarded.
Such relationships have varying degrees of reception. More often, they are guardedly accepted and viewed as a peculiar novelty. In places such as the Intransican Empire, such relationships and unions are explicitly forbidden and criminalized. Within the Empire, the Orc is killed and the human partner is introduced to "re education", the exact nature of which is unknown, as the fear of ostracization and rejection by the community as well as the propaganda against orcs tends to make the need for such events quite rare.
Lifespan
90+
Related Organizations
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