Orc

Orcs are a strong, proud race found most commonly on The Jade Coast. They are known as a superstitious, combative culture with a rich history of tradition, rituals, and rites.

Physical Traits

Orcs have similar lifespans as humans and reach maturity at a similar rate. Their skin tones come in a wide variety green and gray shades. Orcs are on average slightly taller than humans and tend to be more muscular. Their hair is mostly frequently a dark hue that turns gray as they age. They are often born with tusks protruding from their lower jaw, but not all orcs have tusks.

Culture

Orcs were historically a nomadic people of the Jade Coast, but have begun to urbanize. What were once popular camps for nomadic peoples are now villages. Frequent wars with humans and other orcs have led powerful chieftains to build massive fortifications known as strongholds. Some tribes still remain nomadic, but they are quickly becoming the exception.

Religion

Orcs worship The Dawning Pantheon but also venerate and pay tribute to various spirits. The two most common spirits are the orcish spirits of war and peace: Old Red-Eyes and The Cave Mother. Old Red-Eyes is a spirit of war that represents the collective rage of orcish ancestors. The Cave Mother is a nurturing spirit that represents the perseverance of the orcish peoples. When an orc dies, their body is laid upon a funeral pyre. It is believed if the orc lived an honorable life their spirit will rise to join their ancestors. If the orc was dishonorable or cowardly, their spirit merely burns away forever. If an orc's body cannot be burned, their spirit is believed to trapped inside until it can be freed.

Taboos

Orcish culture has a deep rooted superstition surrounding the number thirteen that manifests in many parts of their culture.
Dying of natural causes is considered undesirable to orcs. Orcs who are ill or dying will frequently seek death in battle, on a hunt or through reckless abandon. Many tribes practice the rite of "honor duels." In these duels, an aging orc will enter a gladiatorial battle to the death with a young warrior.
If the chieftain of a clan dies of natural causes their clan is believed to be cursed. The clans name is stricken from history and its people all go their separate ways. They often form small bands of twelve or less. They can never regroup, join another clan, or increase their number beyond twelve without risking the spread of the curse. These orcs are known as The Shattered. Other orcs treat them with sympathy or derision, but will never risk the curse being spread to themselves or their clan.

Half-orcs

Orcs can successfully breed with humans. Their offspring are known as half-orcs. If raised in an orcish community, half-orcs are generally treated as full members of society. However, when growing up other children often bully them for their smaller stature. This frequently leaves half-orcs feeling the need to work twice as hard to be accepted during childhood and adolescence. This type of exclusion fades into adulthood, but has created a self-perpetuating cycle of adults believing that half-orcish children need to be treated harshly to succeed later in life.

Lifespan

70 years

Average Height

5.5 to 6.5 feet