Orcs

It is easy for the other races to see the rigid brows, square jaws, and jutting tusks of the Orcs as signs of an overly simplistic, feral species, but few things could be further from the truth. They are as intelligent and complex as almost every other race—and smart enough to take advantage of anyone who dares underestimate them.

Basic Information

Biological Traits

Though almost all Orcs have black hair, the Orcs’ skin tones have acted as a kind of evolutionary camouflage, slowly changing over generations to match the terrain where a particular branch of Orcs lives. Orcs in woodland areas tend to be shades of green or brown, while plains Orcs display brown or light grey tones and those dwelling in mountain regions are commonly stony grey or dark brown.

Additional Information

Social Structure

Like Humans, Orcs have widely diversified societies across Mennara, and even those within an area might wildly differ from another nearby. The Broken Plains Orcs pride themselves on a natural and nomadic life, moving with the seasons and following game across the countryside. Stone- Dweller Orcs, though, have abandoned their “primitive” ancestral ways and live happily alongside the other races in cities all over the world. The Orcs of the Sunderlands are one of the rarest examples of Orc society, and occupy hidden villages across the burning desert sands. They are so few in number, though, that even the other Orcs dismiss them as outliers.

Civilization and Culture

Culture and Cultural Heritage

Broken Plains Orcs tend to view most civilizations as exercises in excess and degradation, believing that people must stay close to nature in order to be both happy and whole. All one must do is set foot within a city, they say, to see how life among stone towers and dirty streets has corrupted the soul and diminished the spirit of everyone who lives within its walls. Instead of succumbing to stagnation, the Broken Plains Orcs migrate with the seasons, trade with the small villages they encounter, and live a life that they feel best suits the strength and resilience that are the Orcs’ birthright.

Meanwhile, Stone-Dweller Orcs have abandoned that tribal philosophy as a form of “primitive superstition” and happily enjoy all of the comforts and advantages that city life has to offer. Once upon a time, these two factions of Orcs viewed each other with suspicion and derision, though in the past century or so it has become increasingly common for Orcs to migrate from one society to the other, each hoping that the other style of living and different location will offer whatever they feel is missing in their own lives.

The Sunderland Orcs remain much more insular than their kin across the sea. They do occasionally venture outside of their sun-baked homes, but rarely interact with any other Orcs they find. Their culture is highly focused on learning and experimentation rather than combat, though, of course, even the weakest of their scholars can be a match for any Human.

Broken Plains Orc

The Orcs who hunt the Broken Plains are among the most powerful, ferocious beings in the world. They live the hard, lean life of nomads, following the great herds of elk, boars, and moose from one side of the Broken Plains to the other, forging a society that is equally influenced by their spirit-based magic, brutal war axes, and fearsome throwing spears.

Stone-Dweller Orc

Though Orcs are generally as intellectually and socially capable as any other being in Mennara, their immense size and incredible strength gives them some highly unusual advantages. While there is no inherent need for them to make a living using those assets, most find it too tempting a lure to resist. As such, Stone-Dweller Orcs often find themselves living lives of adventure as mercenaries, soldiers, constables, or crooks.

Sunderlands Orc

The mysterious Orcs of the Sunderlands eschew both nomadic and city life, instead living in small, secretive villages. This has the effect of helping to preserve Orc culture and heritage and to advance their race in step with the rest of the world. Within these villages, which dot the great deserts of Al-Kalim, the Sunderlands Orcs study magic and medicine with equal diligence. Such are their skills at potion making that the alchemical contents within their signature black glass flasks are renowned throughout Mennara.

Terrinoth Orc

Starting Abilities

3	2	2	2	2	1
BR	AG	INT	CUN	WILL	PR

• Starting Wound Threshold: 12 + Brawn
• Starting Strain Threshold: 8 + Willpower
• Starting Experience: 100

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Special Abilities

The Special Abilities of Orcs are based on type:

Each type begins with one rank in a different skill and has an additional Special Ability. When skill ranks are gained the maximum of 2 ranks during character creation still applies.

Broken Plains Orc: Coercion, Battle Rage

Stone-Dweller Orc: Cool, Hot Tempered

Sunderlands Orc: Alchemy, Tenacious

Battle Rage: When making a melee attack, a Broken Plains Orc can choose to add b to the check to add +2 to the damage dealt by one hit of that attack.

Hot Tempered: While a Stone-Dweller Orc's strain exceeds half of their strain threshold, they add bb to all social skill checks and add 1 to the damage of one hit of each melee attack they make.

Tenacious: After a Sunderlands Orc hits a character with a successful conbat check, they add b to combat checks targeting the same character until the end of the encounter.

Source