Orc Strongholds Orc Strongholds are scattered throughout Skyrim , High Rock , and Hammerfell . The Orcs have lived in Skyrim for centuries in tribal communities based around Strongholds . Orcs here live according to the rule of Malacath . Malacath , as Daedric Prince of the Orcs , is worshipped in these places . The strongholds are for Orcs only , but the Dragonborn can be granted entry if they complete any of the qualifying tasks . If the Dragonborn is an Orc , access will be granted automatically . History . In the middle of the Merethic Era , the Orsimer and their leader Trinimac attempted to halt the movement of the prophet Veloth and the Chimer . The Daedric Prince Boethiah ate Trinimac , corrupting his body and spirit , and he emerged as the Daedric Prince Malacath . All of the Orsimer people were also changed into what they are now known as , the Orcs . The early Orcish people founded the tribal and independent lifestyle of living . Instead of claiming one area , they would settle in multiple provinces dependent on the preferences and lifestyles of each individual tribe . These province s came to be known as High Rock , Skyrim and Hammerfell . The Orcs would form small , tightly - knit strongholds and villages across these provinces while others gradually contributed to the formation of the predominantly Orcish city of Orsinium . During the early Fourth Era and the sacking of Orsinium , many surviving Orcs fled east into Skyrim while others fled into the Dragontail Mountains or the Wrothgarian Mountains and successfully integrated into the clanish strongholds . Society . Strongholds are governed by a rigid class system . Every Orc has a specific job and is obligated to perform it . Every man , woman , and child in the fort is also trained from birth to defend it . The strongholds are led by a chief , who killed the previous chief to prove his strength . Only the chiefs are allowed to have wives , and due to this , they often have several . This method is to ensure that the strongest Orc becomes chief , contributing his genes to the next generation of Orcs who , in theory , should be stronger than the last . Orcs in strongholds follow their own law called " The Code of Malacath . " The will of Malacath is clarified by the stronghold ' s resident wise woman . The rules of the Code are simple : don ' t kill , don ' t steal and don ' t attack people without reason . They do not have jails ; instead , offenders are forced to pay a " blood price , " in which the criminal bleeds until the victim is satisfied . In cases where the victim was murdered , the chief is consulted to impose an appropriate penalty . All Orcs in the strongholds belong to a faction called Tribal Orcs . Committing a crime against any of the Orcs in any of the strongholds results in a bounty in all the strongholds . Gaining entrance . There are a number of ways to gain access to the Orc strongholds of Skyrim : Strongholds . Skyrim . There are several strongholds in Skyrim ; Asking a guard at one of the strongholds if there are any others will reveal all the other strongholds on the map as unexplored locations . Some city hold guards might talk about one of the strongholds if the stronghold is in the same hold .