Orcs

## Description:

Orcs are often identified as being the brutish and barbaric race of warlike monsters ravaging countrysides for loot and plunder, but this is far from the truth. While Orcs may lack entirely cordial relations with several other races of the Material Realm, they are far from evil or barbaric. Orcs are often found along coastlines, on islands, or on boats as they travel from one place to the next, and prefer tropical or temperate weather. Orcs commonly stand from six feet (6') to seven feet (7') tall with the ability to grow proportionally with their strength and combat prowess, and often weigh from 200 to 275 lbs. without possessing any immediately visible fat. Orcs are naturally very strong and very muscular, able to crush a human skull with one hand and tear metal plates from the hull of ships or vehicles.

Orcs often possess yellow, red, or green eyes that could intensify in color when feeling an intense emotion or under the influence of rage or adrenaline. Orcs often lack hair as it takes longer to grow than it does for other races, and due to their traveling tendencies it is often considered more convenient and cleaner to remain bald than risk infection or infestation due to unkempt hair; when it is grown, Orc hair can range in color from jet black to gray or white. Orcs without hair are usually sailors or travelers. Orcs possess green skin thanks to their goblinoid heritage, as well as pointed ears and large foreheads. Some Orcs grow tusks that jut from their lower jaw, although this is not a universal trait and is often seen as a sign of barbaric ancestry. The role and importance of tusks varies from Orc to Orc.

Orcs are often viewed as quite ugly and repulsive by other races, particularly the Elves and Dwarves, although this is not a universal opinion. Some Orcs can be handsome by human standards, although Orc females appear unnaturally muscular to other races and as such are generally considered uglier than their male counterparts.

Despite the harmful and stereotypical rumors spread by the Elves, Goblins, and Dwarves that Orcs possess lower levels of intelligence, Orcs are just as smart as any humans and usually fall into the same common ranges. Orcs are capable of utilizing any kind of human technology and equipment, and are renowned for their seafaring and cartographical abilities. Many Orcs are known to naturally develop a kind of Compass Sense that prevents them from getting lost at sea, and many are incredibly well trained in all manner of tools and sea-based equipment. Orcs are, despite their appearances, also one of the wisest and most philosophical races of the K2 Universe, with very deep and important views on the world and with a critical emphasis on freedom, choice, and individuality. Orcs are capable of constructing their own technology, but due to their focus on naval vessels they often lack adequate technology in other fields and are known to steal or trade for needed materials and equipment that they then learn to use with relative ease. Orc society tends to place magic at the lower end of the spectrum in terms of importance, and Orcs more commonly prefer to avoid the supernatural at all costs. While Orcs are capable of learning and using magic, it is rarer to find an Orc mage than it is to find an Orc engineer or priest.

Orcs were bred for war and combat by their goblinoid counterparts, and their birthrate reflects this. Both male and female Orcs often undergo periods of increased sexual drive during the spring and summer (wet seasons in more tropical climates), and breed with one another with almost wanton abandon. When not provided with other Orcs with which to breed, they will turn to humans. If Orcs have prisoners or slaves, these individuals are often used as well, and prominent Orc leaders are known to keep entire harems of different races and sizes for their use. Orcs breed sexually, and give birth in a manner similar to humans, but Orc fetuses develop in just two (2) months instead of nine (9) and are usually born in clusters of three (3) or more, up to a maximum of eight (8). Children are often raised by the group as a whole, and family units are much weaker than in human societies. Orc children are given jobs from the moment they can walk and pick up a bucket of water, and are trained by the other members of the society in general skills like reading, writing, general ship maintenance, etc. before they pick a specialization at the age of ten (10) and begin learning from their predecessor. Orc children are also given religious education, and those with a particular penchant for one or more forms of the arts are turned into the historians and philosophers, given the skills and tools to recount Orcish history and continue it onwards.

Orcs live for an average of fifty (50) years, and are considered to be fully physically developed by the age of ten (10) or twelve (12). Despite the hastened physical development of Orcs, Orc culture considers mental development to never end, even after physical death. The maximum lifespan of an Orc is considered to be seventy (70), althoug magical and/or conventional means are known to extend this almost indefinitely.

### Personality:

While many Orcs share the following traits, their are plenty of exceptions. Divergence from the norm is accepted far easier in Orc culture than in many others due to their focus on philosophy, intellectual thought, and indviduality.

The sole goal of Orcs is to maintain personal freedom, however and wherever that is found. The innate wanderlust of Orcs is derived from the warlike nature they rejected, and due to their past as slaves to their Goblinoid cousins the Orcs reject and despise all forms of oppression and suppression of individuality. Most Orcs believe that, as long as a person's choices and decisions do not bring harm to someone else, their actions are left up to them and need not be hindered by any individual or group. Orcs do not recognize or understand political borders, and travel freely wherever they wish with little care. The protection of personal freedom and individuality extends as far as the recognized citizenship and kinship of the organized Orc societies. Those with the title of citizenship of the Drahran Empire or other recognized Orc group, regardless of any other criteria, are granted the same rights as a natural-born Orc. Those outside of these recognized groups do not receive this unusually civilized treatment, and are subject to enslavement, theft, murder, etc. if caught trespassing on Orcish territories. Individual Orcs view Goblins as the exception to their cultural rules, and will kill a Goblin on sight without exception.

Orcish culture also places heavy emphasis in personal independence, which can often lead to other races seeing the Orcs as rude or unwilling to help others. To an Orc, asking for help is only something done with those an Orc trusts unconditionally, and is not something to be done lightly. Receiving unsolicited help or aid in something is also a grievous insult to an Orc, as the unsolicited aid gives the impression that the helper does not believe the Orc capable or independent enough to accomplish a given task by themselves. From a very early age, Orcs are expected to be independent from their birth parents, and learn the ways of the world very quickly in order to achieve personal freedom, independence, and their own set of values and ideas.

Orcs are generally considered to have very frail temperaments willing to jump to violence at the slightest hint of insult, but this is usually untrue. Most Orcs will not harm others if the opposition remains respectful and honest—breaking the trust and honesty of an Orc is considered a major offense, and is often considered equivalent to a crime in more structured societies. Orcs do not view themselves above any other race except for the Goblins, who they view as greedy and dishonest liars. While Orcs do not consider themselves superior, they also do not view anyone else as superior, either, and all races are subject to equal treatment by an Orc. This air of absolute honesty and equal treatment often causes distrust and general dislike by other races, who find Orcs to be blunt and argumentative at times, on top of their lack of respect for the hierarchies of other races.

Orcs are very accepting of other races, and do not discriminate against anyone except Goblins whom all Orcs are taught from birth to hate. Orcs are known as slavers and pirates, but this does not mean they treat their prisoners as less than civilized. Orcs are among the best when it comes to the treatment of prisoners and slaves, whom most Orcs attempt to go out of their way to treat well and with respect. To be captured by an Orc, it is said, is lucky when compared to the likes of some other races. Orc slaves are treated as Orc children are, and are usually trained in sailing, cooking, engineering, scribing, cartography, or some other applicable skill. Those slaves sold at Orc markets are not so lucky, as Orcs do not hold their clients to the same level of civility and respect, and many slaves find themselves sold to harsher races and crueler masters. Orcs take all races as slaves, except for citizens of an established Orc group, and will not kill a surrendered foe under any circumstances. Orcs do their best to keep families together, and are known to release slaves who fulfill their training without causing trouble. Slaves are not allowed to vote in Orc society, but any citizen is encouraged to vote in every election and keep up their knowledge of the political climate.

Orcs are not hedonistic, despite the general beliefs of other races, and spend too much of their time working and traveling to indulge in all of the finer aspects of life. Orcs are known to partake in their fair share of drinking and partying to pass the time on their travels, but do not overindulge themselves for fear of falling ill or incapable of completing their work the next day. The arts still play a critical role in Orc culture, as most of Orc history is passed down orally or via performances and art. Orc historians and philosophers are trained in literature, music, poetry, acting, and painting to ensure that their lessons are passed on to the next generation. Every Orc ship has at least one (1) bard or musical performer, and entire Orc crews are known to put on performances of all kinds for fun and entertainment. Costumes, setpieces, musical accompaniment, and more are common with an Orc play or poetic recitation, and Orc armadas will outsource famous musicians and troupes to put on their shows for hundreds of ships at a time. Orc crews sing shanties detailing their race's history, and have a natural talent for music and singing. All performances are completely voluntary, but are always enjoyed by everyone aboard.

Orcs hold trust and honesty to be one of the major pillars of their culture, but hold each individual to the standard. Orcs will trust members of all races except Goblins and are willing to do business with them, but the moment that trust is broken all bets are off. Breaking a promise or cheating in a deal with an Orc have proven fatal mistakes for many people across the world's history. This does not mean that Orcs are naive, however, and are just as skeptical as they need to be to catch others in lies or deceptions.

Due to the major emphasis on individuality present throughout Orc society, every individual is encouraged to have their own thoughts, feelings, and personal perspectives on the world aound them. This often means that, while the aforementioned traits are most common, it is not uncommon to find an Orc or two with beliefs in direct conflict with the previous tenets.

### Abilities:

Orcs are physically imposing when compared to most other races, and prove worthy opponents in battle to even Elves. Orcs were created by the Goblins to conduct war, and as such possess physical abilities designed to streamline that profess. Orcs possess natural night vision, an acute sense of smell that lets them track prey from miles away, and a sense of taste capable of identifying poisons and ingredients. Orc hearing and touch are identical to that of humans.

Orcs do not possess a resistance to magic, but possess tough hides that helps them resist physical wounds. Orc muscles are made of tightly woven flesh that can prevent major cuts or deep stabs, and Orc bones are tougher and thicker than those of normal humans. Orcs possess powerful jaws capable of puncturing mundane plate armor, and have reflexes that help to keep an Orc alive in battle. Orcs also possess a battle-rage derived from a powerful adrenaline boost that can, at times, drive them to lack self-preservation and sense of friend or foe. This trait is suppressed in Orc culture and seen as a holdover from more barbaric times, considered a taboo and shameful aspect of Orc physiology.

Physically, Orcs lack any immediate weaknesses. While they are just as susceptible to magical assault as other races, they are formidable foes in hand-to-hand combat and can best even professional human warriors with ease.

## Culture:

The goal of Orc culture is reinforcing and protecting individual freedom and choice as much as possible. Even children are given great freedom to do as they wish, and Orc society is far more fluid than most others. Spirituality and religion play an important role in Orc culture, but religious tolerance is equally enforced. Orc nations like the Drahran Empire do not have established cultures, languages, or cultures.

Orc culture often comes in the form of libertarian direct democracies that reflect the pirate utopias of old, designed to allow for as much freedom as possible. Laws are few and far between, and an individual's word and honor are equivalent to legally binding contracts; Orcs treat contracts as forms of oppression and control, and as such do not use them, even in their dealings with other races or merchants. If a promise to an Orc is broken, it is likely that some kind of punishment will be dolled out, and news will spread of your misdealing quickly. Orc laws often relate to interpersonal relationships and interactions more than the actions of an individual; victimless crimes, for example, are not crimes at all so long as no other individual is brought to harm as a result of it. Homosexuality and similar topics are looked at with no prejudice or discrimination whatsoever, often to the confusion of other races and religions.

### Hierarchy:

Orc society is very fluid, and hierarchies are more commonly established amongst an individual group, company, or establishment than across the entire race or nation. Political offices are almost nonexistent, as most Orc societies are direct democracies. An individual's wealth and popularity are somewhat equivalent to political office, but this is also an unofficial idea and all citizens are equal under the law.

### Religion:

The Orc religion is polytheistic, believing in two (2) primary deities, and is a very inwardly-focused religion that prioritizes the advancement of its followers over the expansion of the faith. The religion focuses on protecting and emphasizing personal freedom, aiding in travel, and expanding personal philosophies and ideas. Divine interaction amogst the Orc faith is, depending on who you ask, either very rare or very common; because Orcs worship the ocean and water as sacred expressions and manifestations of their deities, some Orcs consider all water and seafaring travel to be a form of divine interaction whereas others see only the explicit interaction of mortals with gods to count. This faith involves considering all oceans and major bodies of water to be holy sites to be treated with respect and reverence, and is very lax and fluid when compared to other faiths, sometimes confused for something closer to a philosophy or way of life than a true religion.

Orcish Pantheon:

1. Wugad'Zamsh: Female goddess of the ocean, travel, freedom, and truth; name is derived from Orcish word for "freedom."
2. Tholl: Male god of the ocean's depths and son of Wugad'Zamsh that symbolizes the violent, harmful, mysterious, and treacherous nature of water and the ocean; name is derived from the Orcish word for "deep."
3. Shatar'Ghat: Male god of storms, hurricanes, floods, typhoons, etc. and the brother of Wugad'Zamsh that is worshipped by warriors and those wanting safety from poor weather whilst traveling; name is derived from the Orcish word for "storm."
4. Shaush: Male deity of rain, more often associated with worship by land-dwelling Orcs and most Half-Orcs, that, depending on the beliefs of the individual, may be the brother, husband, or literal equivalent to Wugad'Zamsh; name is derived from the Orcish word for "rain."

#### Clergy:

The clergy of the Orcish faith serve the function of conducting the rituals and rites, as well as manipulating the various aspects of water, the ocean, and travel. Orcish priests are known to place powerful enchantments on travelers that they encounter, granting them increased speeds while traveling, good luck, and safe travels. Other priests are expert healers, or manipulators of the weather, while some are known for their teleportation abilities, knack with sea-based life, or unnatural levels of wisdom and problem-solving skills.

The clergy of the Orcish faith life normally, and are usually indistinguishable from other Orcs when not conducting a ritual or ceremony. Clergy are allowed to get married and have children as everyone else is, but are held to a higher moral and intellectual standard than normal citizens and are expected to act as teachers and advisors.

Those select few members of Orc society blessed by their gods with special powers and abilities are referred to as Waterborn, and are treated as extensions of the gods themselves. Those chosen few are held to high standards and placed atop pedestals on which they will reside for their entire lives, used as advisors, teachers, historians, and powerful warriors.

#### Cultural Aspects:

Important symbols for the Orcish faith include water, waves, fish, storms, lightning, and ships. The faith's holy color is a turquoise or teal, meant to reflect the blue-green hue of the ocean. The theological learning of the faith is passed down via holy books, oral tradition, song, poetry, and theatrical performances, often in conjunction with historical accounts. The Orcish faith's creation myth for the entire world is that of the unending ocean, believing the cosmos to be like islands on the infinite ocean of a wider reality, while the Orcish origins for their race lie a divine right to freedom and individual choice granted to them when they broke away from the control of the Goblins.

The worst sins in Orcish religion and culture include disrespect for water or the ocean and its life, lying, breaking a promise or bond, oppressing the freedom of an innocent person, and removing the option for a genuine decision from the life of another. The highest virtues are sailing and obtaining true freedom and fulfillment in life however the individual sees fit.

Art forms of all kinds are heavily involved in the spirituality of the Orcs, as art is involved in all other important aspects of Orc culture. All forms of art are used and appreciated.

An Orc is considered to have come of age when they are ten (10), and the ceremony often includes taking their first journey alone to some nearby holy site or important location. This is seen as an Orc's first steps into reaching personal fulfillment.

The Orcish faith does have ceremonies in it for marriage and share a remarkable resemblance to that of other coastal cultures. Since Orcs breed fast and frequently, marriages are not as common in Orcish society as they are for humans, but do still occur and are still treated as serious lifelong promises. The promise of an Orc is equivalent to legal contract, so marriage is not a legal ceremony alongside the spiritual aspect, but is instead a promise of solidarity and respect that often holds more weight than human marriages,

Death for Orcs is viewed as something of an ultimate freedom—freedom from the restrictions of a physical form and the ability to do as one wishes for the rest of eternity, not tied down by fate or other individuals. For Orcs, those that die can choose to reincarnate as another Orc, as any animal or beast, or remain free to wander the so-called Astral Sea, flowing freely from place to place on a whim. When an Orc dies, the method of disposing of the body is up to the deceased, who chooses pror to their death, but the most common method is to have one's body turned into part of a massive communal coral reef that serves a similar purpose to cemeteries for human races. These coral reefs can grow to massive sizes, and provide homes for untold amounts of life that spring up as a result of the death.

Cultural taboos include the indulgence in the more barbaric aspects of Orc physiology and psychology (including bloodlust, excess in violence, consumption of the flesh of other sentient beings, etc.).

Outsiders to the religion are tolerated so long as they tolerate the believers and stick to their promises. Since Orc culture is so varied and accepting, outsiders are just as common as believers.

## History:

The history of the Orcs begins with the tragedy of the Goblins. Orcs were created through a mix of inhumane experiments conducted by Goblins on the Wild Goblins over the course of many years and trials by the Goblins to create a super soldier of immense strength, speed, power, and prestige. The goal was the create a subrace of Goblins capable of defending their short and weak masters by altering the genetics and souls of Wild Goblin children. This breed of original warriors, known as the Vagun-Gad, were brutish, savage, and terrifying to behold; the Goblins mass-produced their new soldiers and began their invasion across the Continent of Pilbo in a war known as [REDACTED]. The lab-grown Vagun-Gad were brutal monsters with dangerously unstable temperaments that drove fear into the hearts of all other races. Wars between the roving Goblinoid hordes and the other races went on for untold years before the work of the Goblins evolved the Vagun-Gad into modern Orcs, who managed to reach a level of intellect that allowed them to fight against the Magic of their masters and free themselves from glorified slavery.

Now aware of their masters' treachery and terrible actions, as well as being aware of their own actions under the influence of the Goblins, the Orcs rose up in revolution, destroyed the Goblinoid empire, and dissolved the armies their masters had created. The other races did not believe the Orcs, however, and still thought them to be operating under some evil agenda. In response, the other races exiled all of Orc-kind to what would be later be called the Green Coast, or the Drahran Empire's infamous archipelago of pirate coves and hideouts.

Eventually, Orcs developed their own culture as far from their origins as possible, and used their origins as a warning to those who may fall prey to trickery or oppression. In modern history, Orcs are recognized as jolly libertarian pirates who seek utopia and freedom through commerce, trade, and the theft of property previously belonging to those not friendly to the Orcs.

However, the shadow of their savage past still hangs over the heads of the Orcs. The Vagun-Gad still exist around the world, spread far and wide by their desperate Goblin masters, and the Orcish genome is still prone to its old habits. Any Orc who strays from the confines of a civilized life may find themselves devolving into a Vagun-Gad, a transformation which is far harder to reverse than it is to complete.