Orc

Orcs are a race of strong and powerful humanoids, distinguished by the tusks of their lower jaws and their broad builds. Orcish history is shrouded in mystery and legend, and their true history is unknown.

## Appearance and Physiology

Orcs in Itaxia are towering, physically imposing humanoid creatures. Standing anywhere between six to seven-and-a-half feet tall, Orcs are incredibly muscular. Outside of their domineering build, Orcs tend to have skin colours unlike most other Kith, primarily shades of green or grey, though shades or orange, red, and blue are not unheard of.

Orcs are perhaps most well-known for their large tusks that protrude from their lower jaws. Orcs are born with these tusks, which grow alongside them; the exact length of these tusks varies from Orc to Orc, but many Orcs have tusks large enough to have the points at eye level.

Orcs mature incredibly quickly compared to most other Kith races, considered to be mature by the age of 12. The body of an Orc is designed for long-term endurance, giving Orcs the ability to perform extremely strenuous physical activity for extended periods of time. However, this curses them with a far shorter lifespan than most other races; by the time an Orc reaches their mid-40s, their body will start to fail them, with severe aches and pains setting in and limiting an Orc's movement and ability in combat.

## Culture and Society

Orcs are among the Kith races with the shortest lifespans, with Orcs rarely reaching 50 years and never living past it. As a result, Orcs place a tremendous deal of pride in their personal achievements and deeds; as an Orc grows, they will often be named or name themselves for these deeds, reflecting some great triumph in their life. This can result in Orcs having incredibly long names, each indiviual name representing a moment of greatness.

However, an Orc can also have their name unwillingly changed by others of their clan. If an Orc commits an act of great personal or cultural shame, they are often shunned by the rest of their kin and given a new, derogatory name or title in place of their current one.

Orcs also take great pleasure in their ability to perform strenuous physical activity for extended periods of time, Orcs tend to throw themselves wholeheartedly into anything they set their minds to. As a result, Orcs tend to take physically-demanding activities such as warriors, builders, or miners; more seafaring Orcs are often seen aboard ships or on fishing vessels.

Orc society is deeply communal and tribal, with Orcs of various families coming together to form somewhat-ramshackle tribes or clans. These clans vary in size, from as a few as half a dozen Orcs to as many as five dozen. Perhaps the largest and longest-lasting Orc clans in history are the Six Orc Clans of Ochiadia.

*For more information, see The Six Orc Clans of Ochiadia.*

### Religion

Orcs tend to devote themselves to deities who represent strength, determination, and power above all else. As a result, a large majority of Orcs would find their way into worshipping either Tempus, the Founder God of War, or Ravash, the Forsaken God of Bloodshed and Murder. This worship has given Orcs a reputation of bloodthirsty, rampaging monsters, which many Orcs have tried to shake off but others have clinged to steadfastly.