Orks

Orks are a monstrous race of pig-like barbarians native to Calinem, particularly the northern regions.  They are the only race in Calinem that does not practice alchemy, but they have a habit of drinking whatever potions they plunder.  It's not an exaggeration to say every aspect of Ork life is geared toward violence.

## Physiology

### Face Not Even a Sow Could Love

Orks display a number of porcine features, such as tusks, upturned noses, and pointed ears. Their language is as swine-like as their faces, consisting of a series of snorts and grunts only capable of communicating the simplest of ideas.  Their mottled hides typically host a smattering of green, brown, black, pink, and red patches, though monotoned Orks also exist.  There are no obvious differences between males and females of the race.  Orks boast an intimidating physique, measuring in at 6-8ft. and with a musculature that'll make a Minotaur look scrawny.

##### Bez-Urkkers:

Unique Orks born with an entirely green hide. Their right hands are ritualistically removed at birth to make the piglet bear a closer resemblance to the god Urkk.  These Orks make up for their missing hand by attaching a weapon to the stub. Bez-Urkkers are the elite soldiers of Ork Sounders and intimidating even by Ork standards, being bigger, stronger, and more ferocious than their kin.

### Ork Lifecycle

Orks can live to around 40 years, but very few ever make it nearly that far.  Orks are able to walk from birth and grow to their full monstrous size in little over a year.  In the short period before they develop their recognizable teeth, Orks are dependent on swine milk and pulverized meat for nutrition.

### Mid-Life Massacre

To an Ork, dying a peaceful death is the worst fate imaginable. When an Ork suspects they will soon die from old age or disease they will fly into a murderous rage, slaying as many of their fellow Orks as they can before eventually being put down.

### Dying of Boredom

In addition to being an Ork’s favorite hobby, brutal conflict seems to be a physiological need.  Orks are born with violent tendencies, often getting into brutal spats with the other infants.  Groups of Orks who have gone too long without fighting will begin fighting each other without provocation.  And Orks held in captivity, entirely deprived of any violence, will fly into enraged state.  If allowed any freedom of movement they will brutalize themselves to death, if not they will succumb to brain death.

## Culture (if you can call it that)

### Orks Together Strong

Orks will gather into militant tribes known as Sounders, led by the toughest most barbaric Ork of the lot.  Sounders are kept to around twenty some Orks, larger groups generally suffer an unsustainable amount of in fighting.  Ork Warbosses are able to unify Orks into Sounders over a 100 strong through a blend of terrifying strength and uncharacteristic intelligence.  Warbosses are premium targets for adventurers looking to collect a bounty, but more often than not they are killed by their own Orks, who either want to test their strength against the Warboss or are just bored of commoners running away instead of fighting.

### Prolific Pig Producers

Ork Sounders are almost always accompanied by massive groups of pigs.  The Orks breed swine both for food and for combat.  Orks will also sometimes fight the boars for entertainment or make them fight each other or captives.

### Ork Taktiks

Ork strategies, if they can even be called that, are usually more focused on creating or prolonging conflict than achieving victory.  Despite their bloodlust, during their raids Orks will often take captives or leave survivors.  Sometimes the captives are enslaved as soldiers or alchemists, but usually it is just to bait heroes into staging a rescue attempt.  In a similar vein, Orks will resist the urge to slay everyone in a settlement so that the survivors will retaliate or build a new settlement the Orks can raid later.  Additionally, the only Common that Orks seem to know is insults, threats, and other phrases that might spur someone into attacking.  It is unlikely that the Orks even understand what they are saying, but they do understand that by making certain noises they get the chance to fight more.

### Pork for the Pork God

Orks worship the warring swine gods Urkk and Gurrk. They are almost always shown as engaged in brutal conflict, typically with Urkk biting or goring Gurrk and Gurrk trying to strike back.

Urkk is depicted as a huge green hog with a missing fore right hoof.  They embody the Ork’s need to kill and fight.

Gurrk is depicted as a huge red hog, noticeably smaller than Urkk, with a missing left eye. Gurrk embodies the Ork’s lack of self-preservation and their inability to feel fear.

## No One Likes Orks

Orks have always been a looming threat for the people of Calinem and are thought to be the reason most have a nomadic lifestyle.  Many, in and out of Calinem, don’t even consider Orks to be people. Whether they should be recategorized as monsters has historically been the subject of fervent debate.  The main argument against the recategorization is the existence of Half-Orks, implying that Orks are at least genetically similar to the other intelligent races.