Orcs

The orcs are a race of sentient humanoids that have a long history of settling in the north of the continent, often as vultures settling in the ashes of abandoned or weak states. They stand at about the same hight than most men of the north, yet have a wider posture, leading them to be on average heavier than men. They are characterized by having small faces and dark greenish skintones, with pointed teeth befitting a carnivorous animal. They are commonly seen as a barbaric people with animalistic tendencies, a presumption which they themselves over the course of their history have mostly proven right.

History

The Orcs, also known as the "Boldogs" (or a variation of the word) in their own tongue, find their origin, just like many of the other foul races, as one of the concoctions of Toroc within the depths of the pit, only released upon the world after the Betrayal of Doomesh and the Opening of the Underworld .

It is unknown when exactly the first orcs were made, yet it is presumed they were created in an attempt by Toroc to conquer the Underdark from the then far more prominent "Deep Folk". About the successes of these campaign is little known, yet judging by the fact that outside of Orcish oral traditions the Deep Folk never show up as a major power, they must have been successful to some degree.

With the Betrayal of Doomesh around 1600 AoC, the orcs were one of the people rebelling the rule of Toroc and fighting themselves a way up together with the Uruques, Ogres, Trolls and the now extinct Hobgoblins. With the opening of the magical barrier between the Underworld (technically also the Underdark) and surface world, the orcs settled first within the lands between the Thronelands and Saiko, a land that they would mostly occupy until the present day.

Yet they would just be a local footnote in history if it was not for the Great Orcish Curses in the early 5th Century AAA. After the region got stricken by a horrible sickness that hit both crops and prey animal, the region was thrown in utter chaos. While the Uruques and Gnoblins would take the chance to strike at the at this point severely weakened Melisternian Empire, the Orcs did only settle those lands after it's complete fall. This slower migration has led them to have a far more focused presence in the north than in the farther reaches of the south, although there have been exceptions, as various tribes over the ages have migrated to a great variety of places, yet not as many as for instance the Gnoblins.

An orc within the fires of the Underworld, before the orc's escape to the surface.

Lifespan

50 years

Average Height

1.6m - 1.8m

Average Weight

80kg - 130kg