Orc The green - skinned orcs , or Greenskins are one of the most prolific races of Azeroth . Born on the world of Draenor , the orcs were brought to Azeroth through the dimensional gateway known as the Dark Portal and waged war on the human s while under the influence of the Burning Legion . The orcs once cultivated a noble , shaman istic society on Draenor . Tragically , the proud orc clans were corrupted by the Burning Legion and used as pawns in the Legion ' s invasion of Azeroth . The orcs managed to rebel , however , and they were ultimately able to help turn the tide against their demon masters . Led by the young Warchief Thrall , the orcs have reclaimed their strength and honor . The orcs moved from the Eastern Kingdoms to Kalimdor , and there they founded the nation of Durotar . Now , the orcs stand ready to fight not for the sake of conquest , but for their very right of survival in their adopted world . Introduction . To their enemies , they are brutal and fearsome opponents , without parallel in their ferocity and cunning . To their allies , they are noble and honorable , following the traditions of a rediscovered past . The orcs of Lordaeron are part of a race that has once again found its true spirit , shunning the cruel practices of arcane and demonic magic for the paths of wisdom and power . Some orcs still hang on to the arcane practices of the past , but their time is fading . Though brutal in combat , orcs fight with a feral grace that equals even the finest fencing of an elven noble . For an orc , skill in battle brings great honor . The concept of personal honor that pervades all echelons of orcish society has made the race more cohesive and more of a threat to their adversaries in the Alliance . Even the naming of an orc is temporary until he has performed a rite of passage . Once an orc has brought honor to his name and the name of his clan , the elders give him a second name based upon his deed . For an orc , personal reputation is as important as his or her clan , and most will fight to the death in defense of either . This is in drastic contrast to when they were led by the forces tainted by the Burning Legion , and were a bestial force barely controlled by demonic magic . While the orcs might seem quick to anger , they are tempered by the wisdom of their leaders and their shamans . There are few of the demon - worshiping clans left , for the Alliance or the Horde itself has hunted down most of the remnants of such clans . Now , most of the orcs have embraced the values embodied in the leadership of Thrall as taught by his mentor , Orgrim Doomhammer . The orcs are one of the most populous races on the world of Azeroth . While many of the Alliance races perceive them to be brutish and savage , the orcs have forged a complex society that embraces many occupations and many different races . No doubt the leadership of Thrall and the support of the tauren and jungle troll elders has aided in this solidarity , but it is quite apparent that humanity has underestimated the ability of the orcs to unify and create their own distinct and powerful culture . Perhaps in time , the two factions might come to an understanding , but with the current division of Alliance and Horde , no one can say how or when peace might come . When they were freed from the Burning Legion , orcs experienced a cultural revolution as the unnatural , arcane bloodlust left their bodies , giving them calmer and more focused states of mind . They , for the most part , follow Thrall as he forges ahead to reform the Horde both inside , with his shamanism , and outside , with the founding of Durotar . Still , not all orcs are pleased with these movements , namely the evil orcs who still reside on Azeroth . These orcs , who include a good number of the surviving warlocks , actively raid Alliance and Independent caravans and towns , and renounce all that Thrall proclaims the Horde is . Like the two faces of the Alliance , the different Horde factions meet rarely ; but there are some orc warlocks on Kalimdor who would very much like to retake control of the Horde forces and are gaining strength in the wilderness to do so . History . Early history . The orcs of Draenor had lived in a noble shamanistic society , roaming in tribes the grasslands of Nagrand on their dusty world of Draenor , for over 5 , 000 years . They lived in peace with the draenei refuges and were at war with the ogre s . Eventually , the presence of the draenei drew the Burning Legion to Draenor . After investigating their world , the powerful Eredar demon lord Kil ' jaeden tricked the respected shaman Ner ' zhul into striking a bargain with him . He convinced Ner ' zhul that the draenei were conspiring against the orcs , and were planning on attacking . In exchange for their service to the Burning Legion , Ner ' zhul and all of the orcs would receive the power necessary to conquer vast new lands , and Kil ' jaeden would have an army able to crush the draenei . To obtain this power , the orcs would need to first drink from the blood of Mannoroth the Destructor , a mighty pit lord of the Burning Legion . Grom Hellscream was one of the first to drink , and easily convinced the other chieftains and their clans to follow suit . This put them under the Blood Curse . The Rise of the Horde . With the mass murder of the draenei , the elements refused to aid the orcs in their war . Believing that the elements had turned on them , the orcs turned to Ner ' zhul . Gul ' dan was then introduced as the new leader of the Horde . Slowly the entire race was corrupted into rampaging clans that would later be forged into the Horde . Over the next few decades the draenei and many other indigenous races of Draenor were almost utterly destroyed . Completely devoured by their demonic bloodlust and without new enemies to fight , many orc clans began fighting amongst themselves . Petty rivalries escalated into full scale bloodbaths , and total chaos descended upon orcish society . The few remaining draenei took advantage of this and started a guerrilla campaign that continues to this day . During this time , Ner ' zhul , no longer willing to watch his race destroy itself , betrayed Kil ' jaeden and was subsequently replaced as Spiritual Leader of the clans by Gul ' dan . Gul ' dan cared little for the Horde and easily agreed to follow Kil ' jaeden in exchange for even more power . Kil ' jaeden taught Gul ' dan how to project himself into the Twisting Nether and to commune with the dead . Gul ' dan was changed by these encounters and realized how to attain even more power . Gul ' dan also changed the way the orcs were ruled by giving Blackhand the title of Warchief during the war . Gul ' dan gathered all warlocks who shared a desire for ultimate power and attempted to the share knowledge of communing with the dead . Many died in the process , but the few who survived formed the initial ranks of the Shadow Council . Through careful manipulation and intricate machinations , the Shadow Council became the real ruling body of the Horde , with the clan chiefs under their thumbs . By using the promise of new lands to conquer on worlds other than Draenor , the Shadow Council was able to form a tenuous unity within the Horde . Gul ' dan and his warlocks began probing the Twisting Nether , desperately searching for new worlds within easy reach before the clans ' bloodlust exploded beyond control . Gul ' dan also founded the schools of Necromancy to spread the new demonic magics to even more orcs . Visions of Medivh . One night , an extremely powerful entity touched the thoughts of many orc warlocks . Gul ' dan sought the advice of Kil ' jaeden as to what this new presence might be , but his summons went unanswered . If Gul ' dan ' s own tutor Kil ' jaeden feared this entity , then it could prove to be a powerful tool if he could re - establish contact with it . Weeks later , Gul ' dan was finally successful and opened up communication with Medivh , a sorcerer on some distant world . Gul ' dan attempted to probe the designs of this Medivh , but Medivh ' s mind moved far too quickly for Gul ' dan to discern much of any value . Gul ' dan knew with near - certainty that Medivh was attempting the same , and did not want Medivh to gain an advantage , and so quickly broke contact . Medivh later returned to the dreams of the warlocks on Draenor , presenting them with images of the land of Azeroth . The Shadow Council , despite the debate over Medivh ' s true intentions , decided to do Medivh ' s bidding if he could furnish a way to bring the horde into Azeroth . Those warlocks who were not members of the Council but had experienced the vision , were killed to keep the coming invasion secret . Weeks passed with no further word from Medivh and some members of the Council believed he was playing tricks on them . But then the rift appeared . The Invasion of Azeroth . With time and much effort the orcish warlocks were able to expand the rift enough to allow orcs to squeeze through . Though their first scouts were driven mad , either by the rift itself or by what they had seen , the council was able to confirm that on the other side of the rift was the world Medivh had shown them . A small contingent of orcs was sent through the stabilized rift , now known as the Dark Portal , to scout and construct a base of operations . The caution urged by the Shadow Council fell on deaf ears when the clan chieftains learned of how seemingly weak the native human s of the area were . Bloodlust soon overcame the Horde , and they launched a preemptive strike against the most powerful establishment of humans in the area , the Kingdom of Stormwind . Led by Cho ' gall of the Twilight ' s Hammer Clan and Kilrogg Deadeye of the Bleeding Hollow Clan , this attack ended in a humiliating defeat for the Horde . Each chieftain blamed the other for this failure , and the Horde split into two factions . The Shadow Council attempted to reunite the Horde , but could not act directly , and so they chose an avatar to act as their puppet ruler : Blackhand the Destroyer was named Warchief of all the Horde once again . War continues . Under Blackhand ' s iron fist , order was restored . It was then that Medivh once again made contact with Gul ' dan . Medivh seemed even more powerful , but less sane . Medivh ordered Gul ' dan to have the Horde destroy the Kingdom of Stormwind , and make Medivh the new ruler of the humans . Gul ' dan initially refused to do Medivh ' s bidding ; after all , the Horde had a new target and Medivh ' s usefulness , in Gul ' dan ' s eyes , had run out . Desperate to see his plans succeed , Medivh tempted Gul ' dan by promising to reveal the location of the Tomb of Sargeras , the lord of the Burning Legion and Kil ' jaeden ' s master . And so the First War between the Horde and the humans of Azeroth occurred , ending with the destruction of the Kingdom of Stormwind . Near the beginning of that conflict the Frostwolf Clan , one of very few clans of orcs that had rejected the demonic gifts of Kil ' jaeden , was exiled to Azeroth and its leader Durotan was murdered by Gul ' dan ' s forces as a warning . His infant son was left for dead but was taken in by a nobleman from Lordaeron fleeing the carnage of Stormwind . The Frostwolves , leaderless , fled to the far northern mountains . Toward the end of the war , a surgical strike was launched by the humans to kill the treacherous Medivh . As Medivh was assaulted , Gul ' dan felt the psychic trauma waves that Medivh emanated and realized that his chance to obtain the power of Sargeras was about to slip out of his grasp . He entered Medivh ' s mind and attempted to steal the location of the Tomb of Sargeras while Medivh was weakened and distracted . It was at this moment that Medivh died , and Gul ' dan , having been in his mind at the time of death , was thrown into a coma . When he awoke , Gul ' dan learned of a major power shift within the horde . Blackhand the Destroyer had been overthrown by Orgrim Doomhammer after he had learned of Blackhand ' s role in corrupting the Horde . Doomhammer was not as gullible or easily swayed as Blackhand had been , and quickly discovered the Shadow Council ' s presence in orcish affairs . He completely eradicated the Council through accusations of treason . Gul ' dan survived only by ' swearing ' allegiance to Doomhammer , and by promising to provide a vast undead army for the Horde ' s use . He formed the Stormreaver Clan and began the process of re - animating the corpses of fallen knights with the spirits of the fallen members of the Shadow Council . These new Death Knights , along with other fel projects ( such as the capture of Alexstrasza ) , gave the Horde enough strength to advance steadily north despite facing the might of the unprecedented Alliance of all the human nations ( Lordaeron , Stromgarde , Kul Tiras , Gilneas , Alterac and the magical forces of Dalaran ) . The elven nation of Quel ' Thalas sent support to the Alliance , and after the Horde took their beloved lands of Khaz Modan , the dwarves and gnomes gladly joined the ranks of the Alliance . When the Kingdom of Alterac betrayed the Alliance , the victory of the Horde seemed inevitable , but the Horde was to suffer a betrayal of their own . Gul ' dan ' s folly . With victory in sight , Gul ' dan convinced Cho ' gall of the Twilight ' s Hammer clan that he knew the location of the Tomb of Sargeras . Together , along with the Stormreaver clan , they abandoned their posts and set out to claim the demonic power for their own . This loss of nearly a third of the Horde brought their campaign to a standstill at the doorstep of Lordaeron . Doomhammer , furious with the insubordination at such a critical time , deployed a large portion of his own forces to attack the deserting clans and their leaders . This allowed the Alliance forces to rally and crush the Horde while they were divided . With the destruction of the Dark Portal the Second War ended . Although a number of powerful men in the kingdom of Lordaeron wanted the orcs rounded up and executed , King Terenas ignored them and had the orcs placed in internment camps with hopes that they would one day lose their bloodlust . There , cut off from their demonic rulers and with no way to replenish their fel stamina , the orcs languished and eventually slipped into lethargy . Thrall ' s rise . Several years after the Second War , Thrall , the son of Durotan , escaped from his cruel human master Aedelas Blackmoore at the Durnholde internment camp and set out to find the rest of his people . In his travels he encountered Grom Hellscream , who along with his Warsong Clan had been hiding out in the wastelands of Azeroth in hopes of another chance at conquest . Thrall became friends with Grom , and eventually met Orgrim Doomhammer , who had escaped from the humans ' prison several years before . From Doomhammer he learned about his father and the Frostwolf clan , and the betrayal of his father by the Shadow Council . After learning this , Thrall made his way to the exiled Frostwolf clan stronghold , where the shaman Drek ' Thar taught him about the orcs ' noble heritage and how they had been corrupted by demons . Thrall swore to free his people from the chains that bound them , and as Drek ' Thar ' s new student , embarked upon the path of the shaman . Together with Grom and Doomhammer , Thrall successfully launched attack after attack against the internment camps to free the captive orcs . It was difficult to rouse the orcs from their lethargy , but Thrall was able to prove to them that their destiny was not yet at its end , and the clans rallied behind the new Horde . Unfortunately , during the attack on the last internment camp , Doomhammer was struck down . In tribute to the fierce and proud orc , Thrall donned Doomhammer ' s black armor and the hammer which bore his name to lead his people from their captivity . This internment camp was later captured by the Horde , renamed in honor of Doomhammer , and is now the Horde outpost of Hammerfall in the Arathi Highlands . Thrall knew the human nations would not stand idly by and let the Horde regroup or settle down . Fortunately for Thrall , a prophet appeared in the form of a raven and advised him to leave The Eastern Kingdoms for the distant land of Kalimdor . Thrall , having no better alternatives , captured some human ships and set sail for the new land , taking all of his orcs out of Lordaeron . During the journey , the orcs helped a tribe of troll s escape from their sinking island . The Darkspear trolls were immensely grateful for Thrall ' s assistance and swore allegiance to his new Horde . When they arrived in Kalimdor , they were greeted by Cairne Bloodhoof and his tauren . The orcs helped Cairne fend off the centaurs , and in return , he told the orcs the location of the Oracle . The Warsong clan however , was sent to Ashenvale to cut lumber as punishment for attacking the humans without permission . There they battled the Night elves . The Pit lord Mannoroth took advantage or the fact that the orcs were losing to empower them with his blood , and thus brought them back under his control . Thrall allied with the human sorceress Jaina Proudmoore at the indication of the Prophet ( who was actually Medivh ) . They captured Hellscream and turned him back to normal . Thrall then went with him to confront the Mannoroth . Mannoroth quickly subdued Thrall , but Grom was able to kill the demon , though it cost him his life , and free the orcs from their demonic master . The founding of Orgrimmar . With the Battle of Mount Hyjal over , and with it the immediate threat to the world , Thrall set out to found the new orcish homeland in Kalimdor . He named the land Durotar in honor of his father , and founded the city of Orgrimmar in honor of Orgrim Doomhammer . With the orcs ' new allies , the tauren , becoming part of the Horde and with the support of the Lordaeron survivors led by Jaina Proudmoore , Thrall was able to build quickly . However , this was not to last . Grand Admiral Daelin Proudmoore , Jaina ' s father , arrived in Kalimdor ( having left before the war was over to look for any surviving forces ) and launched an attack against the fledgling orc nation . During the initial assault the Darkspear trolls lost their new home on the Echo Isles and with the help of the Mok ' Nathal half - orc Rexxar , came to live with the orcs in Durotar . The witch doctor Vol ' jin pledged the tribe ' s eternal allegiance to the Horde in return . Thrall , not knowing what humans had attacked him , initially suspected Jaina ' s forces , but her loyalty was proven when she helped the orcs destroy the invading forces of her father Admiral Proudmoore . Culture . Orcish society has always been characterized by hardy and rugged living . As a result they are staunch pragmatists , and never shy from killing if it will protect the future of the orc or his clan . All orcs , regardless of gender or station , are expected to pull their own weight and weakness is considered a grave liability . The weakness of one contaminates the strength of all , and it is punishable by the greatest humiliation an orc can receive : exile . Different orc clans however have different personalities ; Thrall and the Frostwolves are notable for having brought a measure of mercy and compassion to the Horde , typically seen in Thrall ' s kinder treatment towards peon s , who were once viewed as a despicable sub - race . On the other hand , clans such as the Warsong remain who still cling to the rigid , spartan beliefs valued in the original Horde as it was first established on Draenor . Yet regardless of their clan affiliations , orcs prize honor over all other things in life — first to bring honor to their clan ( and by extension , the Horde ) and secondly bringing honor to the self and to their sense of self - worth as an individual . Likewise , hospitality is considered one of the greatest honors that can be bestowed . The orcs and tauren have become fast and unswerving allies because the tauren gladly offered the orcs shelter in a strange new land as well as their assistance regardless of the cost to themselves . There is no discrimination between genders in orcish society . Women are able to pursue the same career choices as men , rise to positions of power and are even expected to answer to the call for battle just as men are . Strength ( both physical and mental ) , courage , initiative and independence are prized traits in all orcs . Traditionally , children are seen as children of the parents , but are raised as children of the clan . However , because of the newly unified Horde and the current diaspora of individual orc families creating homes and settling down in various areas around Durotar , the Barrens and beyond , this typical clan scheme has been changing , and life is beginning to become more centered around the nuclear family rather than the greater clan . One tradition of the orcs on Draenor was a ceremony for newborns of the clan . The infant ' s parents would stand in a body of water near the encampment with the entire clan observing from shore . The mother would hand the baby to the father , who would then proclaim the child as his , through himself and his father , and present the baby for the clan ' s blessings . The clan chieftain would then hold the baby and declare the infant under their protection , with the hope that they bring honor and glory to the clan . The chieftain ' s heir would then give a blessing . Finally the Elder Shaman would ask for the blessing of the elemental and wild spirits , and the hope that the ancestors would watch over the newborn . In some clans , if the child appears sickly or frail , they will instead be drowned , likely by the father . A common expression of scorn is that an orc " should have been drowned at birth " . This is likely the reason that the parents would stand in the water when presenting a newborn . The Blackrock clan and Bonechewer clan were noted for doing this without any qualms . The Frostwolf clan however , were known to have rejected such cruel practices . Orcs instinctively revere the rugged forces of the natural elements , and as such , Shamans are held in high regard . They generally have a close relationship with the nature elements and angering them is considered a grave offense . Wolves are a major symbol of the orcs , serving as guards , scouts , pets , partners and mounts . Many such wolves came from Draenor . Horde shamans can speak to them and summon spectral wolves and many serve a giant wolf spirit . Orc Culture … Faith . Orcish religion takes the form of an animistic faith that has strange parallels with the practices of the Kaldorei . Orc shamans draw their power from the spirits of nature , forming an intimate connection with the very world that surrounds them . This awareness has led to even more revelations of their race ’ s true nature , as the orcs realize that they live more in harmony with the world than many of the races of the Alliance . Slavery . The practice of slavery has historically existed in orc society , and while in modern times it seems to occur less , the practice still continues among the orcs , though it is unclear how widespread it is . Despite Thrall ' s work to ensure that no orc would be cast into slavery ever again , a small number of orcs have been found enslaved by other orcs in the Horde , for example Bloodeye Redfist . It appears that some orcs are also willing to enslave members of other races , both Horde and Alliance . Many of these slaves were once criminals whom were brought to justice . It is unclear why the orcs still allow slavery , and to what extent , or why they choose to ignore it . The fact that the Crimson Ring , a gladiatorial circuit that very often includes slaves , is described as underground seem to indicate that slavery is an illegal or heavily discouraged practice . However the secrecy may be due to the nature of the matches , which many times include battles to the death . Surprisingly the Crimson Ring ' s gladiatorial death matches and the enslaved gladiators are in the open at times , some of the tournaments taking place in Orgrimmar ' s and other Horde arenas . Bloodeye was well known enough to be described as a " champion of the orcs " . Another example is the case of Jinxo , who had been captured by the orcs , and was going to be sold into slavery to a goblin , had she not developed a plan for escape . Languages . Orcs know Orcish and Common . Orcs tend to only favor the languages of their allies , for example Goblin , Taur - ahe , and Low Common . They have probably learned Zandali , Gutterspeak , and Thalassian in recent times as well . Orcish names . Most orcish names derive from words in their language that have some complex meaning or hidden significance to their families . Typically , this is the name of a favorite thing or relative . Family names don ' t exist ; most orcs have last names related to some great deed of heroism or honor . However , in the case of truly incredible deeds , an orc might take on the last name of his father to ensure that the chronicle of that terrific deed lives on . The concept of honor is seen in every level of orc society , even in their naming practices . An orc ’ s first name is given early in life , often derived from a family name or the name of a great hero . The tribe bestows the second name after the orc reaches maturity , this name based upon some great deed . Such a practice gives rise to surnames such as Doomhammer , Elfkicker , Foe - ender , Skullsplitter , Thumper , and the like . This second name may be changed if a new one seems more appropriate . Grom , Thrum , Drog , Gorrum , Harg , Thurg , Karg . Groma , Hargu , Igrim , Agra , Dragga , Grima . Doomhammer , Deadeye , Forebinder , Elfkiller , Skullsplitter , Axeripper , Tearshorn , Fistcrusher , Nosebasher , Scruton , Hellscream . Orcish surnames are usually derived from great acts or merits a previous ancestor was lauded for , but some exceptional orcs earn their own surnames ( Kilrogg Deadeye , Kargath Bladefist ) , and many prefer to use the names of their fathers ( Thrall , Son of Durotan ) . Only the family leader can hold an eponymous title ( For example , there can only be one Doomhammer or Deadeye at a time ) , and the rest of the clan identify themselves through their line of birth . Two types of orc names appear to have arisen : two syllables separated by an apostrophe and a simple name shortened from a longer one . The two - syllable ones — Gul ' dan , Drak ' Thul , Dal ' Rend — appear to have initially been only used for spellcasters , but later exported ( Gar ' Thok was a Grunt colonel ) . The second type was highly cultural ; only those with powers over the warrior could use their full name , such as Shamans and chieftains , or the orc ' s personal religious leader . For example Brox ' s full name was Broxigar , a term which he allowed only Tyrande and Krasus to use . Grom Hellscream ' s full name was Grommash , which Mannoroth used to address him as demonstration that Hellscream was his . This is very inconsistent , however ; most of the known orcish names ( such as Durotan , Orgrim , Nazgrel , and Kargath ) are never documented being used in short forms , this is perhaps because they have no shortening . Appearance . Orc males are massive and brutish looking creatures . Weighing in at 250 to 300 pounds and standing from 6 to 7 feet in height , they are not a small race . Even orc women tend to be only a half - foot or so shorter and 50 to 100 pounds lighter than most males ( and some of them are equal in stature to their male counterparts ) , having broad shoulders and muscular , powerful bodies . Orcs tend to have coarse and bristly hair and beards , often black or brown in color , graying with age . Orc males sometimes choose to grow beards that are wild and untamed , while others prefer them to be braided and tasseled . These beards always hang from the chin , as orcs do not grow heavy facial hair above their upper - lip . Orcs are green - skinned , usually ranging from a light chartreuse yellow or olive to a dark forest or emerald green , and fel orc s often possess red skin . Untainted orcs , however , have brown skin . Orcs wear a variety of clothing styles , from furs and hides in some clans to heavy metal armor in others . They favor clothes of hide , and armor and arm themselves with a variety of gear . Orc eye colors include blue , brown , hazel , amber , red and orcs who drank the blood of Mannoroth had eyes that glowed a bright , blood red . Pure blue eyes are quite rare in the orcish race , and are seen as a sign of great destiny . . Thrall has blue eyes , and Garona in some depictions is shown with blue eyes , though this may be more a sign of her half - orc heritage and not her fate . An orc ' s face would be described by some races of Azeroth as monstrous , their hideousness comparable to that of troll s . Orcs have large heavy jaws from which protrude sharp , tusk - like teeth , heavy brows , a broad and flat snout - like nose , and pointed ears . A fair amount of sexual dimorphism exists between the orc sexes , with male orcs possessing more extreme orcish physical characteristics , most noticeably broader shoulders and larger tusks . Male orcs ( as depicted in World of Warcraft ) possess a slight slouch , while females stand entirely erect . Orcs , especially orc warriors , are fond of tattoos of orcish symbols that have abstract , yet personal meaning to the individual orc , such as a clan symbol or a battle standard . In orcish society , scars are a source of pride for an orc ; the amount of scars an orc has received in battle marks his experience as a warrior . Their blood is black — as seen in the " Tutorial " " Warcraft III " cinematic and as quoted from Daelin Proudmoore . However , other sources show that their blood is red . Skin color . All original orcs were brown - skinned ; from bark - like brown to reddish - brown . However , their bodies react when exposed to warlock magic ; though the nature of this change is somewhat different in other fel - touched races . The nature of orcish fel magic means that all nearby orcs , including those who avoid warlock magic , take on a green pigmentation and gain body mass ( though why the Mag ' har are much bigger than Durotar orcs in World of Warcraft is unknown ) . This color change appears to be genetic as Thrall , who had little direct exposure to warlock magic until recently , has had green skin from birth . As this corruption progresses , the orc ' s eyes may become flaming orbs of red or green and their skin will soon change from green to scarlet , transforming them into fel orc s . Through certain rituals , this state is reversible . However , should the orc continue to drink large amounts of demonic blood , they enter the final irreversible stage of transformation and mutate horrifically ; growing additional fangs and erupting with horns from their backs , arms and hands . Currently , orcs of the Horde have a wide variety of " natural " pigments , ranging between shades of light green , dark drab olive , brown to grayish brown . Most orcs of the Blackrock clan have gray skin tone . As of Warlords of Draenor , many of the orcs of the Burning Blade clan also have gray skin tone . Orc relations . In the newly established Horde , the orcs have strong ties to the recent race members of the Horde who are originally from Kalimdor . The ties between the orcs , tauren , and jungle trolls are unquestionable . In the aftermath of the Third War , Thrall , Cairne , and Vol ' jin reluctantly allowed the Forsaken to join the Horde ranks , and with the reopening the Dark Portal the Horde recruited a fifth race to its ranks , the Blood Elves . Although the Horde has five notable races , the Horde also counts as its members Mok ' nathal , a race of half orcs , and the Stonemaul Ogres . Recently , Thrall has tried to establish a connection to the Ironforge Dwarves in order to minimize wars between the two races . This can be seen in a quest chain taking a Horde player into the Blackrock Depths to find the daughter of Magni Bronzebeard . However , it is safe to assume the dwarves will not improve relations anytime soon due to their current affiliation with the Alliance . Either way , this mission proves to be a failure since the princess refuses to return to Ironforge . In the Wrath of the Lich King , the Horde becomes allied with the Taunka — an ancient offshoot of the Tauren — and the Tuskarr . The Taunka are Horde specific but the Tuskarr are a naturally neutral race . Orcs have a long history of violence with humans , though they grudgingly respect their strength and some still cling to old hatreds even despite the fact that they fought alongside each other during the Third War . However , while they don ' t like humans generally , the orcs do respect their own leader Jaina Proudmoore , especially since she had chosen to side with them over her father .