Orc

:This page is about orcs in general. For the language, see Orcish (language). For the playable races, see Orc (playable) and Mag'har orc (playable). For the page about uncorrupted orcs, see Mag'har orc. For specific mutated and corrupted orc types, see the types section.
The orcs are a prolific and physically powerful race hailing from the once-lush world of Draenor, now known as the shattered realm of Outland. Originally a shamanistic people cultivating a primitive clan-based society, the orcs were corrupted by Kil'jaeden—a demon lord of the Burning Legion—and manipulated into forming a bloodthirsty Horde that waged war on the peaceful draenei race. Rampant demonic corruption caused the orcs to be filled with bloodlust and turned their normally brown skin into shades of green, culminating with Kil'jaeden's servant Gul'dan convincing the orc chieftains to drink the blood of the demon Mannoroth and thereby enslaving them to the Burning Legion's will. The few orcs who escaped the corruption became known as mag'har ("uncorrupted").
After conquering Draenor, the Horde invaded the world of Azeroth through the Dark Portal and waged war upon the world's native kingdoms, until Azeroth's nations united into an Alliance of Lordaeron that managed to defeat the invaders and enslave most of the survivors. Yet, the shamanistic tradition of the orcs managed to rekindle from the ashes as a young shaman named Thrall arose to become warchief and lead his people in their darkest hour. He reunited the clans into a new Horde and led the orcs out of the Eastern Kingdoms they had been forced to invade and into the continent of Kalimdor, where the orcs finally freed themselves from demonic corruption and briefly united with Azeroth's other races to stand against an invasion of the Burning Legion. Seeking to begin a new existence on Kalimdor for themselves and other newfound member races of the Horde, the orcs founded the nation of Durotar and the great city of Orgrimmar.
As time passed, conflicts between the Alliance and Horde reemerged. During the Cataclysm, Thrall passed leadership of the Horde to the reckless Garrosh Hellscream, whose actions plunged the Horde into civil war. After being deposed, Hellscream traveled to an in the time before the original Horde's invasion of Azeroth. There, he rallied the orc clans into an Iron Horde—free of demonic corruption but still bent on conquest—to invade the main universe's Azeroth. History ultimately repeated itself as the Iron Horde succumbed to the Burning Legion's will before being defeated by the forces of Azeroth, with the uncorrupted remnants of the Iron Horde subsequently renaming themselves . Years later, these uncorrupted orcs were recruited into Azeroth's Horde and joined their main universe brethren.
==History==
===Origins and early history===
Orcs can trace their lineage back to Grond, the enormous stone giant created by the titan Aggramar to defeat the Evergrowth and the plant-like Sporemounds of ancient Draenor. As Grond and the Sporemounds fought, pieces of the battling leviathans fell to the earth and gave rise to the colossals, children of Grond, and the genesaur, children of the Sporemounds. After Grond's death, the colossals continued fighting the Sporemound Botaan and its minions, but over time many of the stone giants succumbed to their foes. From the colossals' remains, new creatures known as magnaron emerged. After the colossals sacrificed themselves to destroy Botaan in a massive explosion, spores from the plant creature's body, teeming with the Spirit of Life, drifted back to Draenor's surface and clung to the hides of the magnaron, weakening their bodies and turning them to flesh. Some of the magnaron devolved into beings called gronn, and due to the lingering effects of the spores, a small number of gronn continued degenerating into the ogron. Over thousands of years, the residual spores transformed a number of ogron into the ogre race, from whom would arise yet another race — the orcs. The smallest and weakest of Grond's line, the orcs made up for what they lacked in size and strength with a fierce intellect and a sense of community. By banding together, they survived the harsh wilds.
By the time that the arakkoan Apexis empire fell, 1,200 years before the opening of the Dark Portal, the children of stone had grown in number and spread across the land. The ogres and orcs quickly learned to fear the ogron's attention, and the orcs stayed far away from ogron lands. The largest orc settlement at the time was in a massive cave network beneath Gorgrond. While it was not a bountiful region, the orcs preferred a life of freedom in meager conditions over suffering as slaves of the ogron.
===Formation of the orc clans===
When the ogres revolted against their ogron masters, the hierarchy of survival on Draenor was dramatically altered and the two greatest threats to Gorgrond's orcs — the gronn and the ogron — were eliminated. By the time of 800 years before the Dark Portal, the orcs, no longer confined to their underground caverns, began forging permanent settlements on Draenor's surface for the first time in generations. The orc population exploded, and overpopulation and lack of prey to hunt became a serious issue. Tensions between families simmered, but before war erupted many orcs migrated out of Gorgrond in search of new land to settle. Those who remained in Gorgrond formed the Blackrock, Laughing Skull, Lightning's Blade and Dragonmaw clans. Those who migrated east found themselves drawn to Tanaan Jungle, where they adopted a savage, superstitious mindset. Those who kept their sanity became the Bleeding Hollow clan, while those who lost themselves to dark impulses were exiled and over time formed another, smaller clan known as the Bonechewers. The orcs who journeyed west of Gorgrond settled in the icy Frostfire Ridge. The Frostwolves and Whiteclaws learned to adapt to the environment, while the Thunderlord clan instead sought to dominate the land. In the south, three clans settled in the mountains and plains of fertile Talador: the Burning Blade, Redwalkers and Bladewinds. Finally, the Warsong clan migrated farther southwest and roamed the plains of Nagrand, while to the southeast the peaceful Shadowmoon clan formed in Shadowmoon Valley.
These new orcish clans gradually isolated themselves from each others, only meeting up at special occasions like the Kosh'harg festivals. This is what kept peace between them, but also at a cost: individual friendship between orcs of different clans became gradually seen as an anomaly, something almost impossible, like friendship between a wolf and a talbuk.Rise of the Horde, chapter 1
===The first shaman===
Mystics from the Shadowmoon clan frequently ventured across the world on pilgrimages, hoping to hear the will of the divine. Many of these travelers received strange dreams and visions near the mountains of northwestern Nagrand, which unbeknownst to the orcs was the final resting place of Grond and a place infused with elemental energies. The first Shadowmoon visitors to the location learned about the world's primordial spirits of fire, air, earth and water. They treated these beings with utmost respect and named the site of their discovery the Throne of the Elements. The orcs flocked to Grond's remains and learned to guide the elemental spirits with a sense of harmony, and in return received astonishing powers unlike any seen by the orcs before. The Shadowmoon were the first to dedicate themselves to the elements and transformed Grond's head into a crude temple. They soon began spreading their teachings to the other clans, nearly all of which adopted the practice. Young orcs were raised to be steadfast allies of the elements, and fledgling shaman traveled to the Throne of the Elements to seek the spirits' blessing, entering trances to attune their minds to the elements. However, during this process a few orcs glimpsed the realm of the Void, and what they saw drove them insane, leading them to being exiled from their clans and forced to live in seclusion in the caves beneath Nagrand. White skulls were tattooed on their faces, marking them as "dead" to their people. Those orcs who were welcomed by the elements returned to their clans as spiritual leaders whose counsel was highly valued. The bond between shaman crossed clan boundaries, allowing them to peacefully solve conflicts, and the Shadowmoon clan began a biannual gathering called the Kosh'harg festival. Initially only a gathering for shaman, it soon grew to include all orcs.
===The destruction of Goria===
For generations, the orc clans lived on the fringes of the Gorian Empire of the ogres, engaging in occasional territorial disputes but never committing to all-out war against the ogres. The Gorian had little interest in (or fear of) the orcs and saw their practice of shamanism as little more than quaint trickery, but when they witnessed the power of a shaman first-hand they decided to take this power by force. 403 years before the Dark Portal, Imperator Molok sent an army to drive away the orcs from the Throne of the Elements and begin experimenting on the power there. One day, the dissonance between the ogres' magic and the residual energies lingering in the remains of Grond, from whose head the Throne had been formed, caused an explosion that blew apart the orcish temple at the site. The incident threw the elements out of balance all across Draenor, causing great storms, but Molok simply sent more spellcasters to replace the ones that had been killed by the explosion.
At the next year's Kosh'harg festival, the Shadowmoon elder shaman Nelgarm pleaded for action, lest all of the clans suffer disastrous famines as a result of the elements' imbalance. The clans agreed to join together, and Nelgarm called upon the elements to bless them with their protection. The united orc army took back the Throne of the Elements with little bloodshed, but Imperator Molok was quick to retaliate. The Gorian armies moved en masse, and total war engulfed Draenor, and now every orcish male, female and child had to be prepared to fight. The ogres imagined that this merciless tactic would strike terror into the hearts of the orcs, but the clans rose to the challenge and small, mobile groups of raiders slowly dismantled the Gorian Empire's network of fortresses and outposts, pushing the ogre armies back to their capital, Goria.
The orcs kept their distance on the hills surrounding the city, content to starve their enemy out. As the siege progressed and the ogres found maintaining their empire to be increasingly unsustainable, Molok and his sorcerers revisited their Apexis crystals, searching for a way to break the siege. In time, they discovered the arakkoan legend about the Curse of Sethe, and began experimenting with ways to create a similar affliction among the orcs. They succeeded, and soon the so-called red pox spread like wildfire through the orcs' encampments, culling vast amounts of the orcish combatants. Nelgarm and his fellow shaman, realizing that the pox was an unseen attack from the ogres and that the siege was now doomed to fail, beseeched the elements to destroy Goria. The orcs and the elemental spirits both understood that Molok would resume meddling with the Throne of the Elements if the orcs failed, and so the spirits unleashed their fury upon Goria. Over hours, lightning, fire, and earthquakes ravaged the ogre capital until nothing but ash and rubble remained, before the earth itself wrenched open like a giant maw to swallow Molok and the remains of his great city whole.
Only whispers of the event would reach the other Gorian cities, but those whispers were enough to discourage further tampering with the elements. The orcs were victorious, but they had suffered massive losses and witnessed a destructive power they never wanted to see again. Nelgarm and the other shaman were particularly frightened by the elementals' wrath and said that the need for a unified orc army had passed. There was little argument, and the orc clans returned to their lands. The Gorian Empire never recovered. The ogre outposts and fortresses gradually became more akin to individual city-states than a unified nation. The orcs began to seize ogre lands by force, gradually surpassing them as the most advanced, dominant race on the world — that is, until the arrival of the draenei 200 years later.
The arrival of the draenei changed orcish society. With the crash of the Genedar ship in Nagrand, the orcs adopted the new crystal mountain as Oshu'gun, "Mountain of Spirits". The orcs started holding their Kosh'harg festivals at the foot of Oshu'gun, communing there with their dead ancestors' spirits. The draenei themselves were peaceful toward the orcs; coming now and then to each clan, ready to trade their carefully crafted tools and weapons and decorative pieces of carved stone in exchange for the thick pelts of the forest animals, brightly woven blankets, and raw materials the ores culled from land and stone. For the orcs, the relationship was a curiosity, an occasion of interest in the clans, but the exchanges only lasted a few hours. The draenei did not invite closeness, and no clan leader had ever asked them to stay and share their hospitality. Relationships were cordial but aloof, and everyone involved seemed to want it that way.Rise of the Horde, chapter 2
===The Rise of the Horde===
After investigating of the world, the powerful demon lord Kil'jaeden tricked the head shaman Ner'zhul by appearing as a spirit of an orc ancestor. He convinced Ner'zhul that the draenei were conspiring against the orcs, and were planning on attacking. Ner'zhul began raiding the draenei hoping to be the savior of his race.
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. He went to Oshu'gun to speak with the spirits directly and learned the truth about Kil'jaeden. Refusing to help Kil'jaeden any further, Ner'zhul was replaced by his apprentice Gul'dan as the spiritual leader of the clans. Gul'dan cared little for the orcs and readily agreed to follow Kil'jaeden in exchange for more power.
After being taught by Kil'jaeden, Gul'dan established warlock and necromancy schools to replace the shaman powers the orcs had lost. To consolidate his power, Gul'dan united the clans into the Old Horde under Blackhand as Warchief and formed the Shadow Council to pull the strings from the shadows. Over the next few years, the entire race was corrupted by fel energy and began turning green.
On the eve of the final assault on the draenei at Shattrath, Gul'dan presented the clan chieftains with Mannoroth's blood. The resulting bloodlust allowed them to easily overrun the city, ending the war. Believing the orcs to have fulfilled their purpose, Kil'jaeden abandoned them. 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.
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.
One night, an extremely powerful entity touched the thoughts of Gul'dan. Identifying himself as a servant of Kil'jaeden's master, Medivh enticed Gul'dan with the power of Sargeras' Tomb. He also presented images of the vibrant lands of Azeroth. The Shadow Council, despite the debate over Medivh's true intentions, decided to do Medivh's bidding and spent several months constructing the Dark Portal.
===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 humans 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. Lead 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 the 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 the 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 under the Alliance Internment Act, 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 attacks 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 Azeroth 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 trolls 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 bring 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 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.
File:Orc Horde Kodo Animated Gif.gif|A troop of orcs marching to a kodo's war drums.
File:Strangealliances.JPG|The "Great Alliance" is formed between the various races.
===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 Lordaeronian 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 stop the invading forces of her father Admiral Proudmoore.
===The Burning Crusade===
When word reached Warchief Thrall that the Dark Portal had reopened, he immediately gathered his advisors to plan an expedition through it, eager to find new insights into the history of his people on the other side. After the forces of the Horde, alongside the Alliance, repelled a invasion through the Dark Portal from the Burning Legion, their combined forces pressed through it into the shattered world Outland, the remnants of the homeworld of the orcs, Draenor. There, the Horde expedition, led by Thralls loyal advisor Nazgrel, founded the outpost of Thrallmar.
On Hellfire Peninsula, the Horde came into contact with the Fel Horde - orcs corrupted by the blood of a pitlord and the servants of the ruler of Outland, Illidan. The Fel Horde was lead by none other than Kargath Bladefist, chieftain of the Shattered Hand clan and one of the greatest orc heroes of the younger history. The Horde forces stormed the stronghold of the Fel Horde, the Hellfire Citadel, conquered it and killed Kargath Bladefist. His fall to corruption and death was a heavy blow to the orcs, but they nonetheless honor the memory of the orc Kargath once was, as well as the lesson learned from his downfall.
However, the fel orcs weren't the only orcs on Outland. The Horde also met The Mag'har - a group of brown-skinned orcs who completely escaped the demonic corruption that affected the rest of their race. Among these orcs were individuals like Jorin Deadeye, son of the legendary Kilrogg Deadeye; Dranosh Saurfang, son of Varok Saurfang and the son of Grom Hellscream, Garrosh Hellscream. The Horde allied with the Mag'har and Thrall himself convinced Garrosh to return to Azeroth as an advisor to the Warchief.
File:Hellfire Citadel art.jpg|Hellfire Citadel, once the base of operations of the Horde during the First and Second War, now stronghold of the Fel Horde.
File:Kargath Bladefist.jpg|Kargath Bladefist, warchief of the Fel Horde.
File:ThrallmarThumb.jpg|Thrallmar town, founded by the Horde expedition to Outland.
File:Nazgrel TCG.jpg|Nazgrel, overseer of Thrallmar.
File:Garadar aerial.jpg|Garadar, home of the Mag'har orcs on Nagrand.
File:Greatmother Geyah 1.jpg|Greatmother Geyah, main leader of the Mag'har orcs on Garadar.
File:Jorin Deadeye Nagrand.png|Jorin Deadeye, secondary leader of the Mag'har orcs on Garadar.
File:Chronicle3 Thrall and Garrosh.jpg|Warchief Thrall tells Garrosh Hellscream of the heroic acts of Grommash Hellscream.
===Wrath of the Lich King===
During the second Scourge Invasion, Orgrimmar was targeted as well. This lead Thrall to convene a council of important Horde figures, including Varok Saurfang, Garrosh Hellscream, Sylvanas Windrunner and Grand Apothecary Putress, to discuss the matter. While Thrall advocated sending scouts and cooperating with the Alliance, Garrosh Hellscream instead wanted to bring the armies of the Horde directly to Northrend before the Lich King could react. Arguments escalated and Garrosh challenged Thrall to a Mak'Gora after he felt that the Warchief had spoken disrespectably about his father. The duel was interrupted when the Scourge attacked the city.
After the undead had been driven from the orcish capital, Thrall issued orders to contact the Horde's goblin shipwrights and marshal their forces to meet the Lich King in Northrend itself. Garrosh Hellscream was to lead the first attack, with Saurfang as his advisor. Hellscream's Warsong Offensive established Warsong Hold in the Borean Tundra, where the Horde advanced despite setbacks to Angrathar, the Wrathgate. Dranosh Saurfang lead the Horde army that combined its forces with that of the Alliance under Bolvar Fordragon to breach Arthas' defenses. Both armies were betrayed by Putress, who unleashed his new plague on both the Scourge and the living. Dranosh Saurfang was killed by the Lich King and reanimated as a death knight.
Learning of Putress' betrayal and of an insurgency in the Undercity led by Varimathras, Thrall lead an army together with Sylvanas to deal with the treacherous dreadlord. While the Horde's forces were victorious, new hostilities with the Alliance followed after Varian Wrynn had led his own strike force into the Undercity and witnessed the experiments of the Royal Apothecary Society. Kor'kron forces were dispatched to watch over the experiments of the society from then on.
As the conflict in Northrend stretched on, Garrosh became increasingly hostile to the Alliance, with special enmity to Varian Wrynn, who had similar sentiments against the Horde. Both nearly came to blows in Dalaran, after being briefed about an ancient threat contained in Ulduar, and continued exchange insults during the Trial of the Crusader. Nonetheless, Garrosh proved himself to be a competent military leader, who earned the admiration of his orcish followers through his dedication to martial prowess and frowning of dishonorable tactics like poison.
File:Orgrim's Hammer TCG.jpg|Orgrim's Hammer.
===Cataclysm===
In addition to his commitments as leader of the Horde, Thrall was a dedicated shaman with close ties to the elements. When he noticed severe disturbances in the elemental spirits, Thrall knew that he had to step down as warchief in order to investigate the situation lest all of Azeroth fall into chaos. Given his options, Thrall believed that Garrosh was the clear choice for warchief. But the impulsive young Hellscream is much more aggressive than his diplomatic predecessor. With the equally tempestuous King Varian Wrynn back on the throne of Stormwind, it seems likely that the orcs will need their famed strength now more than ever.
Garrosh sought more land and resources for his Horde. Under his leadership, Horde soldiers thundered across the realm in the wake of the devastation of the Cataclysm. The Alliance meanwhile, under Varian Wrynn, didn't use the disaster to gain a military advantage.The Measure of a Leader (Alliance)
===Mists of Pandaria===
After Theramore's Fall, all out war erupted between the Alliance and Horde in every corner of the world. Since then, heroes of the Alliance and the Horde have tested their mettle against the might of the sha, the Thunder King, and each other, but neither side could have predicted the boundless atrocities the Horde's warchief would commit.
Garrosh Hellscream's reckless thirst for power has led him to do the unthinkable: from beneath the Vale of Eternal Blossoms, he has seized the desiccated heart of an Old God to use as a tool of war, unleashing horrors upon the sacred valley. The brazen warchief has also turned against other members of the Horde to create a purely orcish force of his own. Now this "true Horde", composing of Garrosh's most loyal and fanatical followers, is amassing strength within Orgrimmar's iron ramparts. With Garrosh bent on total victory, he plans to demonstrate the potency of the true Horde by conquering not just the Alliance but the whole of Azeroth. His machinations were stopped in the Siege of Orgrimmar and Garrosh was arrested as a war criminal by the forces of Azeroth.
While some orcs have stood by Garrosh's side, the majority of orcs stood with the rebellion against Garrosh's vision of a "pure" Horde.Bashiok on official forums
===Warlords of Draenor===
:But even as times change, so too do they stay the same.Adventure Guide entry for 
With the aid of the renegade bronze dragon Kairozdormu and the Black Prince Wrathion, Garrosh managed to escape from his trial at the Temple of the White Tiger. Using the Vision of Time, Kairozdormu transported himself and the former Warchief to an 's past — a version of reality where Garrosh was never born — with the hope of constructing a new Horde. After murdering Kairoz with the Vision, Garrosh traveled to the nearby village to seek the alternate self of his father, .
Garrosh managed to convince Grommash to rally the orc clans of this alternate world into an Iron Horde, an army free from demonic influences who would ravage Azeroth with the iron star technology Garrosh had brought with him.
When summoned the clans to the to drink the blood of Mannoroth, Grom refused and slew the pit lord. Gul'dan and his agents were shackled beneath the Dark Portal to power the gateway between worlds. The invasion of Azeroth was pushed back by the combined forces of the Alliance and Horde adventurers, and led by the Archmage Khadgar the heroes of Azeroth ventured to Draenor in a suicide mission to stop the Iron Horde.
The Frostwolf clan led by and , the Laughing Skull clan led by Kaz the Shrieker, and the draenei led by Yrel and the Council of Exarchs also joined forces with the outsiders against the Iron Horde, leading to a series of crushing defeats for the orc army.
Following the deaths of most of the orc warlords, Gul'dan approached Warchief Grommash with his offer once more. Grommash refused, but , Warlord of the , accepted, delivering the Iron Horde into the hands of the Legion. Gul'dan used his fel magic to twist and corrupt the Iron Horde's stronghold of , and within he successfully summoned Archimonde the Defiler. When Archimonde was once again defeated by the combined might of the Alliance and Horde, and with Draenor once again free from the Legion's influence, Durotan, Yrel and the now-freed Grommash vowed to rebuild their world together.
===Legion===
The orcs, now officially led by Varok Saurfang, defended Northern Barrens during the Legion Invasions. The Horde participated in the Battle for the Broken Shore which resulted in the death of Warchief Vol'jin and the appointment of Sylvanas Windrunner as his successor. The orcs then joined various class orders and fought against the Burning Legion on the Broken Isles.
===Battle for Azeroth===
Led by Varok Saurfang and Warchief Sylvanas Windrunner, the orcs alongside their Horde allies took part in the War of the Thorns, which ended with the burning of Teldrassil. In response, the Alliance invaded Tirisfal Glades and subsequently began the Battle for Lordaeron. As the battle raged Varok, disgusted by Sylvanas' actions, decided to stay behind to confront the encroaching Alliance forces, while the rest of the Horde retreated. Varok was ultimately captured and imprisoned by Anduin Wrynn, while the Undercity by the blight. With Varok's capture and imprisonment left the orcs were left leaderless.
As the Fourth War unfolded, Garona Halforcen rejoined her people, Eitrigg helped secure the loyalty of the Mag'har orcs to the Horde, and Garona, Eitrigg, and High Warlord Cromush led their people in the war effort. In time Anduin released Saurfang from captively,Lost Honor enabling the orc to rally Horde forces against Sylvanas. While the Mag'har orcs led by Geya'rah remained loyal to Sylvanas, many orcs joined Saurfang in his revolution, with the likes of Thrall, Eitrigg and those who stood against Garrosh Hellscream joining him.Battle_at_the_Gates_of_Orgrimmar#Dialogues
When the Alliance and Horde revolutionaries were prepared to lay siege to Orgrimmar, Saurfang, recognizing Sylvanas's loyalists as their brothers and sisters in the Horde and unwilling to spill more Horde blood, challenged Sylvanas to Mak'gora. The Mak'gora ultimately ended in Varok's death and Sylvanas abandoning of the Horde. Following this, many of her former loyalists such as Geya'rah defected to Saurfang's revolution, and the orcs subsequently attended Saurfang's funeral.The ReckoningOld Soldier (Horde)
Following the death of N'Zoth, the leaders of the Horde gathered together within the Orgrimmar Embassy with Thrall representing the orcs. Though Thrall was favored to resume the position of Warchief, he turned down and instead the Horde Council, a conglomerate of leaders who would represent their people's interests, was created to lead the Horde. In this council the orcs were represented and led by Thrall.Warchief of the Horde (quest)
===Shadowlands===
Much like the rest of Azeroth, the orcs defended themselves from the marauding Scourge forces, with it being noted how orc territories such as Durotar and the Northern Barrens fell under siege. In the midst of the renewed Scourge attack, Thrall was taken captive and brought to the Shadowlands.Death Rising In time, he was freed from imprisonment and joined the War against the Jailer. As he remained in the Shadowlands to aid the war effort, it is unknown who led the orcs on Azeroth in his stead. Following Zovaal's death and the trial of Sylvanas Windrunner, Thrall returned to Azeroth.
===Dragonflight===
Feeling as though the orcs had lost their way as a people due to the loss of their old traditions, Eitrigg sought to start the Kosh'harg anew. In this endeavor, he was joined by Drek'Thar, Thrall, and Aggralan, who suggested that they could offer the orcs more than just a reunion by simultaneously introducing a new rite of passage, the om'gora, to replace the old om'riggor, with orc champions being the first to complete it.A People in Need of Healing
The first Kosh'harg of Azeroth was held in Razor Hill in Durotar. Thrall and Eitrigg assembled the clans and invited many orcs from all across Azeroth and Outland, including groups who'd had a troubled history with the Horde (like the Dragonmaw clan) and ones who were normally not invited to such events (like the warlocks and the Mok'nathal). The festival was enough of a standout event to bring even reclusive individuals like Shokia and Garona Halforcen out of hiding.The Kosh'harg As part of their om'gora, the champion created a feast for the ancestors,The Blessing of the Ancestors summoning the spirits of Varok Saurfang and other famous orcs of recent history to give their blessing.A Worthy Offering
Once the hero completed the rite, the Kosh'harg transitioned into a feast in their honor, with plenty of eating, drinking, and drunken brawling.Honor and Glory Thrall then held a speech to the crowd to celebrate the champion's accomplishment, after which Aggralan performed the ceremony to bring the festival to a close.Aka'magosh Altogether, the first Kosh'harg of Azeroth was deemed to be a great success, one that inspired hope of a new, bright age for the orcs as a people.A Worthy Offering - Varok Saurfang dialogueHonor and Glory - Rehgar Earthfury dialogue
==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 or her 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.Harbingers: Gul'dan 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 peons, 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 first 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.
Since Thrall took leadership of the Horde there is no discrimination between genders in orcish society.Crossroads Conscription 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 raise the child to the sky and 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.Warcraft: Legends Volume 4, pg. 133, 134
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,Warcraft: Legends Volume 4, pg. 134, 136, 144 thought the families of such children still moved to the outskirts of their villages.
Orcs begin weapons training at age 6,Rise of the Horde, pg. 125: "'Children begin training at age six,' Kur'kul continued. 'They are strong enough to fight at age twelve. [...]'" when they are nearly the size of an adult human.Lord of the Clans, pg. 42 (ebook) When they reach 12, they are considered strong enough to fightRise of the Horde, pg. 321 (ebook) and allowed to participate in hunting parties. This is also the age they become eligible for the om'riggor rite of adulthoodRise of the Horde, pg. 20 and for the courting hunt,Rise of the Horde, pg. 134 (ebook) making them full-grown adults.
There is an old orc saying that goes "Don't pull a wyvern's tail".Wind Rider Cub The ancient tribes of Draenor were known to harvest the Bloodbeaks' sharp beaks for crude tools and weapons.Bloodbeak
Orcish children have a tradition where they sneak up on a mud jumper and whisper a secret they wish to come true. If the mud jumper doesn't jump, the wish will come true.Mud Jumper
To an orc, blood was the ultimate tie. It bound oaths, commanded allegiances, and marked the true warrior in combat. To taint a blood bond was one of the worst crimes imaginable.The Sundering, pg. 313
Prior to the Second War, the orcs were not seafarers and most of the superstitious clans feared the open sea. Despite this, Fleet Master Seahorn claims that aboard any vessel on Azeroth that's manned by at least one orc, one will hear sea shanties sung about a device capable of navigating the broad, rough ocean of Draenor, which the orcs used to keep their heading true in the choppiest of storms.The Brass Compass Nowadays this fear seems to have been overcome.
The Dying Time was a period during the reign of Gul'dan and right after the genocide of the draenei.
Some orcs are still resentful for the humans putting them into internment camps.Brawn (NPC)#QuotesCycle of Hatred, chapter 5, with the case of Byrok. Captain Bolik notably groomed himself as a way to look as little like the young slave he had been as possible.Cycle of Hatred, chapter 2
Messengers and couriers are denoted by a lightning-shaped nose ring.Cycle of Hatred, chapter 7
The orcs are one of the most prolific races in the universe.Warcraft III Press Kit
Orcs are capable of handling arcane magic. Those among them who do it are known as arcweavers.
===Spirituality===
thumb|upright|An orc shaman.
As far back as orcish history has been recorded, shaman have been mentioned,Headdress of the First Shaman and learning to speak with the elemental spirits of Draenor was a pivotal achievement in destiny for the orc clans.Headdress of the First Shaman (Draenor Clans) The first orcs to learn the ways of shamanism hailed from the Shadowmoon clan, but many clans claim the mythical "First Shaman" arose from their ranks, even though the truth is that no one is sure of his or her allegiance.
On Draenor, young orcs were raised from birth to be stalwart, steadfast allies of the elemental spirits. When they came of age, fledgling shaman from around Draenor embarked on a pilgrimage to the Throne of the Elements to seek the blessings of the spirits and entered trances to attune their minds to the elements. The entire journey was filled with risk, but the ceremony itself was the most dangerous time of an orc's life. Those orcs who were welcomed by the elements returned to their clans as respected spiritual leaders whose counsel was highly valued, second only to the words of the clan chieftain. The bond between shaman crossed clan boundaries, allowing them peacefully mediate arguments and solve conflicts. However, not all orcs were found worthy during the ceremony. A few poor souls who were not strong or worthy enough accidentally glimpsed the realm of the Void and succumbed to terrible visions and unearthly whispers during what should have been the triumph of their young life, driving them insane. The ones who survived fled or were exiled from their clans and were forced to live in seclusion in the caves beneath Nagrand, becoming pale orcs. White skulls were tattooed on their faces, marking them as "dead" to their people.Beasts of the Savage Lands — Nagrand Orcish shaman long used this tattoo practice to similarly mark certain failed apprentices as "dead". When Ner'zhul fell into despair on the dying Draenor, his mind plagued by visions of death, he had such a skull tattoed on his own face.
Orcs instinctively revere the rugged forces of the natural elements, and as such, shaman are held in high regard. They generally have a close relationship with the nature elements and angering them is considered a grave offense.The Spirits of Stonetalon Over the ages, shaman like Thrall have communed with these spirits and, through patience and dedication, learned to soothe roaring infernos, bring rain to sun-scorched lands, and otherwise temper the elementals' ruinous influence on the world of Azeroth. Since Durotar is a barren place with little water or plant life, orcs are reliant on shaman to negotiate with the elementals to provide necessities such as drinking water from fallen rain or fire to warm their hearths.The Shattering: Prelude to Cataclysm In orcish culture, any shaman that has been spoken to by the spirits is given equal respect and honor regardless of age or experience.Rise of the Horde, pg. 109: "while shaman could certainly grow in skill over time, once the ancestors had appeared to them in visions they were all accorded equal honor and respect."
Several orc shaman worship or at least acknowledge the Earth Mother, the benevolent creator deity primarily worshipped by the tauren.Earthmender WildaEscape from Coilskar CisternVictory!Target of Opportunity: TelaarSergra Darkthorn
Orc priests follow the Lok'osh, a path of healing and renewal introduced by the Mag'har orc Lok'osh Nakha.Lok'osh Rera While shaman speak to "the elements without", Nakha speaks to "the elements within", a song of the heart and the spirit.Lok'osh Nakha
Back before the genocide of the draenei and their corruption by the Burning Legion, orcs generally used to burn their dead on funeral pyres. Being laid to rest in the ground was an odd concept to them,Rise of the Horde, chapter 3 for they wanted their bodies to be given to fire, their ashes to air, to be consumed by water and earth, while their spirits would be then left free to join their ancestors.Rise of the Horde, chapter 12 That old custom was gradually abandoned as the orcs fell to their bloodlust and rejected their old shamanistic ways.Rise of the Horde, chapter 19 In present days some orcs are still being burned on funeral pyres, but others are now also laid to rest in graveyards.
Some orcs are believed to go to an afterlife in the form of a great hunting ground after death.Spirit of Ar'tor#QuotesThe Cipher of Damnation - The Second Fragment Recovered Nekros Skullcrusher of the Dragonmaw clan believed in an afterlife consisting of "glorious battlefields".Day of the Dragon, pg. 52: "There were those in Dragonmaw clan who might have already sent [Nekros] on his way to the glorious battlefields of the afterlife if not for his skills as a warlock." Suicide is not regarded with honor among orcs however, being considered a coward's answer to the problems one might face. Orcs think they will not be permitted to live on as a spirit if they take that way to escape their situation.Rise of the Horde, chapter 12
===Cuisine===
Orcs are voracious eaters: each orc eats as much as a dozen goblins.They Eat Like Orcs The staple diet of the orcs - as well as trolls and ogres - is fresh meat. To satisfy this hunger for flesh, wild boars are trapped and bred for food.Warcraft II: Tides of Darkness manual: Pig Farm There are several pig farms in the areas south of Orgrimmar, and swine meat is commonly sliced up and used to make bacon.Everything Is Better with Bacon During the First War, the orcs were also known to slaughter groks, some kind of livestock,Warcraft: Orcs & Humans manual, pg. 19 (orc) while during the Second War, boar meat coupled with a tankard of bloodmead became a bonfire favorite among the hardened troops engaged in a long war march. The prickly fruits that grow on cacti in Durotar are also commonly eaten.Careful, This Fruit Bites BackGalgar's Cactus Apple Surprise Orcs eat various types of fish, including pike,A Furious Catch golden stonefish,A Golden Opportunity and sandy carp,A Staggering Effort as well as other types of aquatic life like clamsClammy Hands and crawfish.Crawfish Creole Orgrimmar Nougat is a traditional Orgrimmar Hallow's End treat.Orgrimmar Nougat Orcs from Orgrimmar also brew boar's grog, an alcoholic beverage they used to sell to Theramore Isle as well.Cycle of Hatred, chapter 1
===Mounts and companions===
====Wolves====
Long ago, the orcs tamed the large and swift wolves of Draenor. These massive canines came to be the orcs' chosen companions as well as their favored method of transportation. The wolves' unflinching temperament made them especially well-suited for battling large prey. When the orcs became more warlike and invaded Azeroth, their wolves were bred for size and stamina so they could bear armored riders into battle. Dire wolves remain the favored mounts for orc fighters. Generations ago, when orc clans still called Terokkar Forest home, an enormous wolf spirit played an important role in their lives. When the orcs departed, they no longer had any need for the spirit and they left it behind. In time, the spirit grew lonely and it too left the forest.Vestments of the Wolf Spirit
According to Rehgar Earthfury, when the orcs arrived on Kalimdor, they were told of the demigod Lo'Gosh by the tauren. The orcs adopted him as their hero on this new world, for they considered that the will of orcs is strong like his and, like him, not even death can stop them.Destiny Awaits!, pg. 16 According to Takrik Ragehowl, the demigod Lo'Gosh has always been with the orcs as a part of their Horde, in their instincts and in their blood. He has appeared in many forms on both Azeroth and Draenor and is known by the night elves as "Goldrinn", the wolf Ancient.Takrik Ragehowl#Quotes 
====Other====
*The colossal kodo beasts of the Kalimdor plains are valued allies of the orcish Horde. The mighty beasts were charged with carrying the orcs' pounding war drums into battle. The huge kodos, serving as symbols of orcish might and valor, also use their enormous size and strength to scatter enemy forces.
*The sentient wyverns of Kalimdor were eager to ally themselves with the shamanistic Horde. Impressed by the orcs' commitment to honor and victory, the wyverns allowed the orcs to ride them into combat against those who would disturb the tranquility of Kalimdor and its denizens. Wyverns are today considered sacred to both orcs and tauren.The Turd Problem
===Languages===
Orcs know Orcish and Common. Orcs tend to only favor the languages of their allies, for example Goblin, Taur-ahe, Zandali, Gutterspeak, Pandaren, and Thalassian in recent times as well. Before the slaughter of the draenei on Draenor, there were orcs who learned Draenei to facilitate trade between the two races.Legends Volume 2, Family Values
Separate tribes had variations of dialect that differed so much that orcs could not understand each other unless they spoke the common tongue.Rise of the Horde, pg. 21 The main form of the Orcish language used by all the tribes is known as common Orcish.Rise of the Horde, pg. 40
====Orcish names====
====Songs====
*Lok'tra — A song detailing a great battle.
*Lok'amon — A song detailing the history of a family or clan.
*Lok'vadnod — A song composed for a specific individual. Considered the greatest honor that the orcs can grant an individual.
==Notable orcs==
==Orc clans==
Orcs are divided into clans. Each clan has a different culture, tradition, or behavior which sets them apart from the other clans and often also gives them their name. The Warsong clan for example is named because of the rhythmic songs they chant in battle, while the Shattered Hand clan is named for the tradition of their warriors to cut of their own hand and replace it with a weapon.
Every orc clan is led by a chieftain, while the leader of all clans is called Warchief. Thrall and Garrosh Hellscream are former Warchiefs of the New Horde, the current being Sylvanas Windrunner, the Banshee Queen, notable for being the first elf, undead, and female to hold the position. The chieftain is usually the strongest member of the clan and there are two ways of becoming a chieftain. Either you challenge the old chieftain and beat him in a Mak'gora or you inherit the status of chieftain.
While there are still many different clans in the Horde, they don't live as strictly separated as they once did. However, some clans still maintain a large amount of individuality and separate themselves from the other clans, like Warsong or Dragonmaw.
Although there are many different clans, the strongest and most important clans were limited to fourteen. The other smaller clans never reached the power or importance of these main clans.
An Oath Cry is a loud, deep, furious cry that beckons all members of the clan to the caller.Lord of the Clans, pg. 10
;Main clans
*Frostwolf clan - One of the few clans to not drink the Blood of Mannoroth, known for their prowess as one-on-one combatants and their strong bonds with wolves. They were exiled by Gul'dan during the first war and now make their home in Alterac Valley.
*Warsong clan - A nomadic clan, known for their powerful warriors and strong wolf riders. Named for the rhythmic songs they chant in battle. Both the Azeroth and Outland portion of the clan joined the Horde.
*Blackrock clan - One of the most powerful and numerous clans. A very militaristic and disciplined clan known for their expert smiths and metalworkers. Led the charge of the Horde during the First and Second War. In modern times, the Doomhammer loyal portion of the clan joined the Horde, whilst the Blackhand loyal portion created the Dark Horde. Blackrock orcs also exist among the Mag'har.
*Bleeding Hollow clan - One of the most legendary clans, known for their fanatic and crude nature. Named for the tradition that their elders sacrifice one of their eyes to see into the future. The Azerothian part joined the Horde, while the Outland part is divided into Mag'har orcs and fel orcs.
*Shattered Hand clan - Formerly a clan enslaved by ogres, until the orcs rallied by Kargath Bladefist overthrew their ogre masters. The Azerothian part of the clan serves as the Horde's clan of assassins, while the Outland part of the clan has become Fel orcs.
*Thunderlord clan - A clan known for their excellent hunters, who specialized in hunting down the Draenor giants. Most have become fel orcs, although it appears that there are some survivors among the Mag'har orcs.
*Shadowmoon clan - One of the most powerful clans, known for their strong connection to the spirits and their powerful shaman and seers. Their leader Ner'zhul was the spiritual leader of the orcs.
*Dragonmaw clan - This wayward orc clan was once empowered by Deathwing himself to enslave red dragons, including Alexstrasza. These dragon riders now make their home in the Twilight Highlands and recently rejoined the Horde.
*Burning Blade clan - A clan of demon-crazed orcs, known for their extreme bloodlust and their powerful Blademasters.
*Black Tooth Grin clan - A split off faction of the Blackrock clan created by Rend Blackhand and Maim Blackhand as a way to maintain power. It later reformed into the new Blackrock clan under Nefarian.
*Bonechewer clan - A clan known for their cannibalistic nature and for ornamenting themselves with bones and other organs. Most appear to have become Fel orcs.
*Laughing Skull clan - A deceptive and treacherous clan, distrusted for their excessive use of thievery and assassination. One of the few orc clans led by an ogre, Mogor. Most appear to have become Fel orcs. 
*Stormreaver clan - A clan formed by Gul'dan for his personal protection. It later betrayed the Horde to look for the Tomb of Sargeras and was slaughtered by the vengeful Blackrock clan. A few ex-members such as Drak'thul survived but none known have joined the Horde.
*Twilight's Hammer clan - A nihilistic clan obsessed with the end of the world. One of the few orc clans led by an ogre, Cho'gall. Later transformed into a cult dedicated to the Old Gods.
==Appearance==
Orcs in general have muscular physiques and on average, female orcs are around 6' to 6'6" tall while male orcs tend to reach 7 feet in height.Height#Official lore heights Males often have very long and unusual facial hair. Females tend to have eclectic hair styles and unusual piercings.World of Warcraft: Official Beginner's Guide, 43
Orcs have an acute sense of smell, so much so that they can distinguish others without the need for visual confirmation.Rise of the Horde, pg. 109, "Then the wind shifted and [Durotan] laughed as he caught Orgrim's scent."
===Aging===
Orcs mature quickly, growing nearly the size of a human adult by the age of six years old,Lord of the Clans comparing Thrall to Jaramin Skisson: "He was only six years old, but already almost as big as his tutor" and later "Damn Thrall! He was an orc, had been fighting since he was six years old." which is also the age at which they start their hunter/warrior training.Rise of the Horde, chapter 8
Orc warlocks are able to use magic to accentuate the growth of young orcs, aging six-year-olds rapidly into twelve-year-olds.Rise of the Horde, pg. 125 (ebook) Kur'kul: "Children begin training at age six .. strong enough to fight at age twelve .. I have the ability to accentuate their growth .. take all the children that are between six and twelve now and age them to twelve .. increase the numbers of warriors on the field by almost fifty percent."
===Physique===
An orc's face would be described by some races of Azeroth as monstrous, their hideousness comparable to that of trolls. Orcs have large heavy jaws from which protrude sharp, tusk-like teeth, heavy brows, a broad and flat snout-like nose, and pointed ears. The number, size and position of orcish tusks and teeth are particularly variable, much like their troll allies. Kilrogg Deadeye, for example, has been portrayed with twin sets of tusks.
Orcs come in all shapes and sizes, ranging from the short, pitiable peon to the hulking grunt. The average male Orc height is seven feet tall, while the females stand at an average of six to six and a half.Loreology on Twitter (dead link) Males, particularly warriors, are often hunched to variable degrees, though others stand straight and tall, such as Grom Hellscream. 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. Yet all the orcs (with the exception of the oft-ignored peons) are large, powerfully built creatures when compared to their human counterparts, warriors and spell-casters alike, and regardless of gender. Old orcs such as Drek'Thar and Drak'thul, however, are often frail and wiry, though not all allow themselves to weaken with age, such as Varok Saurfang.
Orcs who drink the blood of a pit lord quickly grow in body mass and strength,Rise of the Horde and even the weakest of these fel orcs is a deadly foe.Fel Orc Scavengers This unnatural power was apparently not carried down to the later, green-skinned generations of the New Horde. Fel orcs often have much longer teeth, becoming nothing short of tusks, as well as spines erupting from their body. Dire orcs are gargantuan, severely-hunched orcs also displaying many of these traits, although they are not all fel orcs.
An up-close look at an orc on the cover art for Warcraft: Orcs & Humans showed them with horns protruding from their cheeks and forward-pointing, tufted ears, neither of which have been seen in later examples, although Fel Orcs have spikes on their jawline.
===Types===
* Mag'har orc
** Greenskin orc, simply referred to as "orc" 
** Fel orc
** Dire orc
** Pale orc
** The Infested
===Skin===
Originally, all orcs were either brown-skinned, ranging from a bark-like brown to reddish-brown; or grey-skinned, ranging from a light grey to a dark, sooty black. However, with the exception of the isolated Mag'har, their bodies reacted to their exposure to warlock magic once it was introduced by Gul'dan. All orcs with warlocks in their clan found their skin slowly turning green before they were ever offered the blood of the demon Mannoroth.
The first orcs to drink the blood of a pit lord rapidly completed their transition to green skin. Further drinking the blood, or possibly the blood of any demon, will change their skin again from green to scarlet, transforming them into fel orcs. Orcs that drink Mannoroth's blood obtained gray marks in their green skin. Through certain rituals this state is reversible, not only restoring the orc’s sanity but their previous green tone as well. No green-skinned orc has ever managed to return to a completely uncorrupted state.
With World of Warcraft, orcs of the Blackrock, Black Tooth Grin and (with Cataclysm) Dragonmaw clans have grey-green or grey skin, differentiating them from the rest of the orcish race. The Blackrock orcs' skin has apparently darkened due to years of dwelling within the dwarven cities within Blackrock Mountain.Jaina Proudmoore: Tides of War, chapter 2
When greenskinned orcs blush, they turn purple.A Good War, pg. 36
The change of skin color from brown to green appears to have permanently altered them as Thrall, who had little direct exposure to warlock magic until recently, has had green skin from birth, and none of the Frostwolf clan, who have eschewed fel magic the longest (bar the Mag'har) have younger, brown-skinned members. It would also explain why it does not appear to reverse with time, as neither Drek'Thar of the Frostwolves nor Varok Saurfang of Durotar have regained the brown skin of their youth despite decades with little or no contact with warlocks.
Tides of War revealed that Blackrock clan orcs developed grey skin due to years of living underground. When this change occurred, or whether it affected all clan members is not made clear. There is no mention of the Blackrock clan being anything other than green-skinned before World of Warcraft. Orgrim Doomhammer and Blackhand have never been shown as grey-skinned. However, Warlords of Draenor and the Blackhand comic depicts , and the with grey skin. Eitrigg was noted as green-skinned in Of Blood and Honor and has been like-wise depicted in art, but being a Blackrock orc he is shown in World of Warcraft as grey-skinned, as is his son Ariok. This is despite him leaving the clan at the end of the Second War, and never returning to Blackrock Mountain. The Black Tooth Grin, which did not dwell in Hordemar during the Second WarWarcraft II manual: The Black Tooth Grin Clan and only reunited with the Blackrock following it, have the same skin tones as their brethren.
The Dragonmaw orcs of the Wetlands were originally pale green but were changed in Cataclysm to grey. It's unknown whether their grey coloration is the result of genetics or (like the Blackrock orcs) years of dwelling in Grim Batol. The Dragonmaw might even deliberately change the color of their skin with dyes. The earlier choice of pale green skin may have represented differences in skin tone between clans. Grey skin tones are also often used for orcish cultists and might represent sickliness, similar to the grayish-purple skin of human and gnomish cultists. The Dragonmaw chieftain Zuluhed retains his green skin in Cataclysm, though this may have been an oversight.
The nature of the change in skin color when corrupted is considerably different from that of other fel-touched races. Felblood elves and eredar change from their original skin tones straight to the extremes (for orcs, red), and don't appear to have a middle-ground.
In Chris Metzen's mind, the orcish green tint would get overwritten by 2nd/3rd generation unless there would be another direct voluntary exposure to felblood, but that is just his opinion.
File:ThrallWoDModel.jpg|Green skin, a lightly corrupted orc.
File:Garrosh Hellscream.jpg|Brown skin, an uncorrupted orc.
File:Scarshield Quartermaster.jpg|Gray-green skin, a corrupted Blackrock orc.
File:Blackhand WoD.jpg|Gray skin, a uncorrupted Blackrock orc.
File:Blackrock skin.jpg|Black skin, another skin color of a uncorrupted Blackrock orc.
File:Jodan.jpg|Gray skin and tattoos, a Dragonmaw orc (old model).
File:Jodan WoD.jpg|Gray skin and glowing yellow eyes, a Dragonmaw orc (new model).
File:Shattered Hand Harvester.jpg|Pale gray skin, a orc.
File:Shadowmoon Voidaxe.jpg|Gray-brown skin, a orc.
File:Tagar Spinebreaker.jpg|Red skin and mutations, a fel orc.
File:Shadowmoon Grunt.jpg|Red skin, a fel orc (with no other mutations).
File:Fel orc draenor.jpg|Grey skin and mutations, another kind of fel orc.
File:Pale Slasher.jpg|Deformed with light skin pale orc.
File:Infested Orc.jpg|An orc that has been infested by the botani.
File:Infested.jpg|Another orc that's been infested by the botani.
===Eyes===
The naturally occurring eye colors of orcs include shades of brown, oranges, yellows, reds,Lord of the Clans greens, grey, violets, indigo,Playable orc models in World of Warcraft and in rare cases, pure blue. The color of eyes may change into red color when orcs succumb to rage or bloodlust.Dranosh Saurfang#Burning CrusadeLords of War - DurotanShadow Council Invasion! (Horde)
Orcs who drank the blood of the pit lord Mannoroth invariably had eyes that glowed a bright, blood red, and the same is true of fel orcs derived from the blood of Magtheridon.Fel orc models in World of Warcraft: The Burning Crusade These eyes did not dim even after the orcs' withdrawal from warlock magic after the Second War, and among the prisoners of the internment camps those orcs with glowing red eyes were the most ashamed, confused and eager for direction of all.Lord of the Clans, chapter 7 and 8 Only the sacrifice of Grom Hellscream against Mannoroth finally managed to free those orcs from their curse, with their eyes coming back to their original color.The Death of Hellscream (WC3 Orc)
Pure blue eyes are quite rare in the orcish race, and are seen as a sign of great destiny. Thrall has such blue eyes, as well as Rehgar Earthfury and Garona in some depictions, though this may be more a sign of her half-orc heritage and not her fate. The eyes of cultist orcs sometimes appear to be completely clouded-over.Grey skinned, tattooed orcs in World of Warcraft, usually members of cults such as the Twilight's Hammer and the Cult of the Damned
Following the player character revamp in Warlords of Draenor, Dragonmaw orcs now have glowing yellow eyes. The reason for this is unknown.
===Hair===
In World of Warcraft, orcs are shown with a variety of hair colors; black, brown, blues, reds, purples and with age, grey and white. In earlier depictions, orcs only had black, grey or white hair, if they had hair at all – shaven heads are common among orcs of both genders, at least compared to most other races. Some male orcs cultivate beards, while others are clean shaven.
In earlier games and art, orcs had only black, red, grey and white hair (with the RPG adding brown to the mix). From World of Warcraft onwards (including the TCG) have orcs been shown with more colorful hair. In Warcraft II Kargath Bladefist has blonde facial hair.
Though Thrall's original model had dark blue hair, rather than the black from his earlier incarnations, in Cataclysm, his hair changed back to black, indicating that either his mild blue hair was an oversight or that it was due to a dye.
Although in World of Warcraft orc females and children have eyebrows, the majority of male models don't, with the exception of Thrall's models since Cataclysm. In other materials like the Mists of Pandaria cinematic or other artworks like this one show male orcs with them. In Warcraft II Gul'dan and Kargath Bladefist have eyebrows and in Warcraft III the Blademasters, Far Seers and Stormreaver Warlocks have eyebrows while other orcs don't have them. Malgar, Battlemaster Bröng, and various unnamed male orcs are depicted with eyebrows in Bloodsworn.
===Blood===
Orc blood is a dark red color,The ProphecyOrc blood in-game in Warcraft III much darker than that of dwarves and humans. Because of this, orcs have been called “blackbloods” by their Alliance foes. However, they are sometimes shown with bright red blood,:File:Chronicle2 Shadow Council.jpg namely in World of Warcraft, as are both night elves (with otherwise purple blood) and some undead (otherwise black blood or green ichor).
===Markings===
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.
==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. After the Cataclysm, goblins also joined the ranks of the Horde, with the pandaren joining after Pandaria became unshrouded by mists. Although the Horde has seven notable races, the Horde also counts smaller organizations as its members, notably the Mok'nathal and Stonemaul ogres as well as other various groups. Recently, Thrall has tried to establish a connection to the Ironforge dwarves in order to minimize wars between the two races. This could be seen when Thrall ordered Horde adventurers into the Blackrock Depths to find the daughter of Magni Bronzebeard, Moira Thaurissan. During the war against 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 strengthTides of Darkness, pg. 20 and some still cling to old hatreds even despite the fact that they fought alongside each other during the Third War.Cycle of Hatred, pg. 13 - 14 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.
==In the RPG==
===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 shaman. 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.World of Warcraft: The Roleplaying Game, pg. 45
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.World of Warcraft: The Roleplaying Game, pg. 12
===Culture notes===
*is concerned with survival over artistic achievement.
*reveres its elderly and honors its ancestors.
*does not apologize for past actions, nor does it demand apologies from its enemies.
*values valor over cunning—as long as valor doesn’t lead to disaster.
*resembles "Primitive" human societies, but is, like those societies, far more sophisticated when examined closely.
*distrusts arcane magic, especially the magic of warlocks—but does not (yet) shun arcanists.Horde Player's Guide, pg. 138
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.
The orcs of Draenor were once known as the green plague and the Bane of Azeroth.Warcraft: The Roleplaying Game, pg. 180 They can speak Low Common.
===Spirituality===
Orcish religion takes the form of an animistic worldview that has strange parallels with the practices of the Kaldorei. Orc shaman draw their power from the forces of the elements and the spirits of nature, forming a very intimate connection with the 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.World of Warcraft: The Roleplaying Game, pg. 46
===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.Warcraft: The Roleplaying Game, pg. 50, 51
Most orcs are green-skinned, usually ranging from a light chartreuse yellow or olive to a dark forest or emerald green.
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.
===Technology===
==Notes and trivia==
*"Greenskin" is a derogatory human term for orcs.Cycle of Hatred, chapter 5
*Demi-human is a term used to describe some humanoid races, including orcs.Warcraft III: Reign of Chaos Game Manual, Creatures of Lordaeron & Northrend, Wolves: "Though most wolves are hostile towards humans and demi-humans who encroach upon their territories, there are a few unique wolf packs who have befriended demi-human counterparts (like the orcs, for example)."
*Following the overthrow of Garrosh Hellscream at the end of Mists of Pandaria, playable orcs lacked an official racial leader. Throughout Warlords of Draenor, the official site simply listed their leader as "None". After Vol'jin was killed and Sylvanas Windrunner was declared as the new Warchief of the Horde at the beginning of Legion, Varok Saurfang took Vol'jin's place in Grommash Hold, taking on the role of giving out and completing the quests that previously involved Vol'jin, as well as taking on Vol'jin's role of tapping the keg at Brewfest and serving as one of the targets of the For the Alliance! PvP achievement. While Varok has been officially confirmed as the current orcish racial leader,Meeting the OrcsIon Hazzikostas Q&A, Gamescom 2017: "Saurfang is the Orc leader. Trolls are figuring things out. Once the Legion threat is over, there may be answers. #AskWoWDevs #gamescom2017" the new version of the official site does not list him as such; instead, while all other races have a clearly designated leader, the orc entry instead lists Thrall as the orcs' "Paragon".
*Several of the orcs' allies — including the ogres, the blood elves, and the Forsaken — were at one time enemies of the Horde.
*On Draenor, orcs commonly had large litters because so many died in childhood. Only the strong, the powerful, and the smart survived.The Last Guardian, pg. 302 (ebook)
*Orcs have keener eyesight than humans.Cycle of Hatred, pg. 63 (ebook)
*For a brief time, many orcs would declare themselves "hungry like an Orgrimmar wolf." Some blood elves still use the phrase ironically.Mount Journal entry for Orgrimmar Wolf
*Interestingly, World of Warcraft: Chronicle Volume 2 reveals that the origin of the orcish race is very similar to that of their sworn enemies, humans:
**Much like humans, orcs are revealed to be descended from titan warrior races - the iron vrykul and the earth giants - constructed to fight the hostile natives of their respective planets. 
**Furthermore, in both cases, the two races' immediate gigantic progenitors were originally hostile towards their smaller descendants, but were eventually overtaken by them.
**Humans and orcs even seem to share a common Titan patron: Aggramar, the Champion of the Pantheon. The latter's progenitor, Grond, was created by him directly. In the case of the former, his influence is not as obvious, but both humans and vrykul revere titan keepers associated with him: Tyr, who is said to have absorbed some of Aggramar's energy and consciousness after his death, and Odyn, who possesses an artifact named after him.
*Despite Thrall's work to ensure that no orc would be cast into slavery again,Warcraft III: Reign of Chaos Game Manual some orcs still practice slavery. Bloodeye Redfist for example was an orc enslaved by other orcs. It appears that some orcs are also willing to enslave members of other races, both Horde and Alliance. Surprisingly the Crimson Ring's gladiatorial deathmatches and the enslaved gladiators fought in the open at times, with tournaments occasionally taking place in Orgrimmar. Even Bloodeye was well known enough to be described as a "champion of the orcs".The Comic
*When asked if the Horde symbol was "a crude drawing shared by the Draenor orc spiritual leaders based on their visions of K'ure inside Oshu'gun that was passed down for centuries and eventually chosen because it represented all orcs and not one clan" or "just some cool tribal [thing]", Chris Metzen amusingly answered "Uhhhh... in my mind - it's A. Yeah. That. It's always been that cool and well thought out!....."
===Development===
*Warcraft is one of the very few fantasy franchises where orcs are put in a positive light. This is still true after two games with the traditional bloodthirsty interpretation. In fact, reviewers often credit the humorous voices and comments of Horde units from Warcraft II: Tides of Darkness (making the "bad guys" more fun to play) as the direct influence on the choice to portray their redemption.
*A shift in design philosophy for the orcs came during development of Warcraft Adventures: Lord of the Clans. While designing the game, Chris Metzen came up with the idea of having an orc protagonist rather than a human one. Given that orcs generally operated as disposable monsters in fantasy, he wanted to give the orcs depth and base the story around an orc hero.Forging Worlds: Stories Behind the Art of Blizzard Entertainment, pg. 18
*The development of the orcs in Warcraft III was a point of contention between Metzen and Samwise Didier. Metzen's orcs were more human-proportioned, while Didier's were hunched over and heavy with bone protrusions on their knuckles. In the end, both styles were used, with Metzen's style being used for "leader," "lore-wise" characters (e.g. Thrall), while Didier's style was used for more bestial-type characters (e.g. Grommash Hellscream). In regards to the compromise, Didier later commented that "using both [styles] was one of the best things we ever did."Forging Worlds: Stories Behind the Art of Blizzard Entertainment, pg. 14
*Orcs played a major part in every Warcraft novel up until Night of the Dragon.
==Inspirations==
*Orcs are largely based upon Balkan and West Asian (particularly Turkish) mythologies, with other varied and specific elements from other cultures.
**For Mag'har specific cultural inspiration, see Mag'har#Notes and trivia
**For Thrall specific cultural inspiration, see Thrall#Notes and trivia
**Orcs in warcraft are a Tolkien and Warhammer derivative; .
**Orcish building styles resemble s, and early warcraft fur hats for the Orcs resemble Mongolian head coverings.
**The word "Horde" comes from the Eurasian Steppe term , associated particularly with Turkic and Mongolian peoples, and means things along the line of camp or seat of power.
**The word is a Tungusic (Eastern Siberian) word; much like how in-game the original Shaman are Orcs, Tauren, and Trolls, in real life during 20th century religious studies and anthropology the term was primarily applied to Eurasian, African, and Native American religious traditions.
**The way the Frostwolf clan became the foremost leader of the Orcs resembles how the , which claims descent and ties to wolves, ruled over various Turkic empires. Likewise, the spirit of the great wolf in Orcish myth resembles the spirit of the gray wolf .
**The way the Orcs descend from the one-eyed Grond and his descendants, whose body created parts of the landmass of Draenor, resembles how the father of all was turned into the earth and his children became the Giants and eventually mixed into humanity and the gods.
**Blademasters are based upon Japanese , exemplified in Samuro
* has been cited as an inspiration for the orcs. Samwise Didier has referred to the grag'ohr (the game's antagonists) as "our [Blizzard's] first orcs."2021-02-21, ONE MAN, AN ALIEN KINGDOM, AND A SHOTGUN: BEHIND BLACKTHORNE, 26 YEARS LATER. Blizzard Entertainment, retrieved on 2021-04-21 Notably, the grag'ohr bear similarities to the orcs in various ways, including their green skin and muscular bodies.
*Didier's orcs have been compared to Cro-Magnons.
==Gallery==
;World of Warcraft
File:Grunt Logmar.jpg|Orc male.
File:Orc Grunt.jpg|Orc male since patch 6.0.
File:Traveling Warrior.jpg|Upright orc male introduced in 8.0.
File:Lady Sevine.jpg|Orc female.
File:Grunt Ounda.jpg|Orc female since patch 6.0.
File:Jagganath.jpg|Skeletal orc from Warlords of Draenor.
File:Korm Bonegrind.jpg|Dire orc
File:Orc Child - Feralas.jpg|Orc male child.
File:Spoops.jpg|Orc female child.
File:Orcbaby.jpg|Orc baby.
File:Townhall Races of Azeroth characters Orcs.gif|Early models.
File:Townhall Races of Azeroth Orc art 2.jpg|Early armor model.
;Cinematic stills
File:Grunt (WC2 cinematic).gif|Warcraft II cinematics model.
File:Ner zhul2.jpg|Ner'zhul from the orc campaign final cinematic in Warcraft II: Beyond the Dark Portal.
File:Orc W3 Render.jpg|Orc model from The Prophecy cinematic from Warcraft III.
File:Thrall's Vision Thrall Wakes Up.jpg|Thrall's model in Warcraft III cinematics.
File:Hellscream-warcraftiii-cinematic.jpg|Grommash Hellscream in The Death of Hellscream cinematic from Warcraft III.
File:Pyremaster cinematic.jpg|Orc with a fire from the World of Warcraft announcement cinematic.
File:Orc warrior - Classic cinematic.jpg|Orc from the World of Warcraft intro cinematic.
File:Orc Korean Commercial Cinematic.JPG|Same orc in a Chinese commercial.
File:3D-Orc.jpg|Same orc with armor.
File:Ashkandi.JPG|Same orc in the Burning Crusade cinematic.
File:MOPCinematic orc.jpg|Orc in the Mists of Pandaria cinematic.
File:MOPCinematic orc roar.jpg
File:Legion-cinematic-teaser-2.jpg| in the Warlords of Draenor and Legion teaser cinematic.
File:Varok Saurfang Cinematic.jpg|Saurfang in the Battle for Azeroth cinematic.
File:The Battle for Lordaeron 6.jpg|Orc in the Battle for Azeroth cinematic.
File:Warcraft III Reforged - Intro Grunt.jpg|Orc in the Warcraft III: Reforged cinematic trailer.
File:Safe Haven - Thrall.jpg|Thrall in the Safe Haven cinematic.
;Warcraft RTS
File:Warcraft I - Cover.jpg|Orc from the Warcraft: Orcs & Humans box art.
File:WC1 Orc Briefing.jpg|Blondy and Stabby during the briefing session.
File:WC1 Orc Victory.jpg|Orcs celebrate their victory.
File:WC1 Orgrim Doomhammer.jpg|War Chief Orgrim Doomhammer victorious.
OrcCinW2.jpg|An orc as seen in a Warcraft II cinematic.
File:Warcraft II Box art.jpg|Orc from the Warcraft II: Tides of Darkness box art.
File:Warcraft II - Title Screen.jpg|Orc on the title screen.
File:Head.jpg|Art of a Twilight's Hammer orc grunt.
File:Warcraft III Box - Orc.jpg|Orc from the Warcraft III: Reign of Chaos box art.
File:Exodus of the Horde.jpg|Exodus of the Horde campaign menu background.
File:Warcraft III Orc Campaign.jpg|Invasion of Kalimdor campaign menu background.
File:Garona.jpg|Garona Halforcen
File:Warcraft III - Beta Horde base.jpg|Beta orcs Pig Farms and Lumber Mill
File:Warcraft 3 concept art Spearman.jpg|Warcraft 3 concept art Spearman
File:Shaman WC3 early concept art.jpg|Warcraft 3 original shaman concept
File:Orc crane wcr.jpg|Orc crane in Reforged.
File:Reforged - Nazgrel concept.jpg|Reforged Nazgrel 
File:Drak thul reforged.jpg|Drak'thul reforged
File:Reforged Drek'Thar.jpg|Reforged Drek'Thar
File:Warcraft III Reforged - Neutral Dragon Roost.jpg|Horde Dragon Roost       
Thrall2war3.JPG|Thrall
Blademaster2.gif|Blademaster                
Grom Hellscream WC3 2.jpg|Grom Hellscream
Farseer2.gif|Farseer
Beastmaster2.gif|Beastmaster                
SlaveMaster.jpg|Orc warlord    
Peon warcraft III.gif|Peon
WC3Grunt.gif|Grunt
Shamanwc3.gif|Shaman
Warcraft III - Fel Orc Warlock.jpg|Orc Warlock  
Stormreaver.gif|Stormreaver orc           
RaiderWC3.gif|Raider   
Fel orc berserker.jpg|Orc berserker      
Kodo %28WC3%29.gif|Kodo      
Wyvernrider.gif|Wyvern rider  
Fel Space Orc.JPG|Fel Space Orc             
Catapult.gif|Catapult
Demolisher.gif|Demolisher       
Gruntcar.gif|Grunt car
Skeletalorc.gif|Skeletal orc
;Art
File:Promotional Artwork.jpg|Orc with a human and tauren.
File:Playable Orcs.jpg|Orc
File:Playable Orcs Alternate.jpg|Alternate art
File:WolfRider.jpg|A orc raider in the Burning Steppes.
File:Orc Buildings.jpg|Wrath of the Lich King buildings concept art.
File:Lionar, Unbound TCG.jpg|Lionar, Unbound, a TCG orc warrior.
File:Kaal Soulreaper TCG.jpg|Orc warlock Kaal Soulreaper in the TCG.
Drusenna the Vigilant TCG.jpg|Drusenna the Vigilant in the TCG.
File:Broxigar TCG.jpg|Broxigar, as seen in the TCG.
File:Blood and Thunder! full.jpg|"Blood and Thunder!" card in the TCG.
File:Lazy Peons TCG.jpg|"Lazy Peons" card in the TCG.
File:Spark of Rage full.jpg|"Spark of Rage" card in the TCG.
File:Legends1CoverArtwork.jpg|An orc on the Legends Volume 1 cover.
File:LegendsPromoArtwork.jpg|Legends promo artwork.
File:A Lion Among Wolves by Samwise Didier.jpg|"A Lion Among Wolves" by Samwise Didier.
File:Orc vs Human Wallpaper.jpg|Orcs vs Humans from the Battle for Azeroth poster.
File:Orc buildings by Thammer.jpg|Orc buildings concept art
File:Orc buildings concept by Thammer.jpg
File:Orc buildings2 concept by Thammer.jpg
;Heroes of the Storm
File:Sgt. Hammer HotS Sgt. Doomhammer.jpg|Sgt. Doomhammer skin
File:Warsong Johanna.png|Warsong Johanna skin
File:Alterac Pass orc melee minion.jpg| orc combat NPC model.
;Movie
File:Gul'dan (film).jpg|Gul'dan
File:Warcraft-film-Grommash.jpg|Grommash Hellscream
File:Go'el-Film.jpg|Go'el
File:Movie-press-image12.jpg|Anduin Lothar and orcs
;Hearthstone
Urk New Pack Day.jpg|Urk, patron of the Hearthstone inn.
Burly Adventurer HS.jpg|
Cowardly Grunt HS.jpg|
Frostwolf Warmaster HS.jpg|
Gold Road Grunt HS.jpg|
Scrappy Grunt HS.jpg|
Twilight Geomancer HS.jpg|
Warsong Envoy HS.jpg|
Warsong Outrider HS.jpg|
Warsong Wrangler HS.jpg|
Watchful Grunt HS.jpg|
Evocation HS.jpg|
The Horde HS.jpg|
Orc minions Hearth and Home.jpg|Orc minions in the Hearth and Home animated short.
==See also==
*Half-orc
*Half-ogre
*Orcish claws of attack
==References==
 
Category:Horde races
Category:Outland
Category:World of Warcraft: The Roleplaying Game
Category:Horde Player's Guide
Category:Alliance Player's Guide
Category:Warcraft: The Roleplaying Game
es:Orco
pl:Orkowie
it:Orco