Orcs

## Physical Appearance

Orcs are medium-sized humanoids. They tend to be taller than humans and broader in stature than elves. They have pointed ears, but smaller than the pointed ears of elves. Their skin ranges in color from light brown to dark grey, with all skin tones have a heavy undertone of green.

## History

The current year is 2679 in the Orc calendar. The Orc calendar begins after the cataclysmic event that ended the Time of Many Waters. Prior to 2700 years ago (or thereabouts), the orcish lands were filled with trees and many rivers and lakes. However, a terrible event of magical proportions caused almost all the water to be sucked out of the land and most of it to be rendered into a savage desert. The orcs had to eke out a living and nearly went extinct. From this they became hardened and focused on warfare, fighting over the scraps of food and water left.

## Alignments

Orcs are seen outwardly as more brutish and violent. But to be truthful, they are not necessarily more or less evil than other races. Orcs tend to be neutral as a whole, each of them only looking out for the good of themselves or their tribe. Some tribes tend to be more lawful, while others more chaotic. The ideal orc is a True Neutral orc. He or she looks out for him or herself, only acting in their own best interests, or in the best interest of the tribe.

## Society & Culture

Orcs evolved to take what they need and want, from eking out a living in a desert. Long, long ago, when magic still flowed over the land, the Orcish lands were a lush and green forest. But a cataclysmic event sucked them dry, leaving the Orcs at that time to either die or to stand firm and survive. Because of this, Orc culture and respect is based on your actions and deeds, not your words or relatives.

### Gender Roles

Orcs are a patriarchal society for the most part that values masculinity and strength. Their women are respected and treated well as potential mothers to sons, but girls and boys are trained in combat side by side and an orc woman is just as capable of violence as men. Women who come of age become nomads, moving away from their home tribe to join another tribe and find a husband, helping to keep diversity alive between tribes and forge alliances.

### Half-Bloods

Weaker orcs or half-orcs do not often gain the respect of their tribe, and must find a way to make themselves useful. Half-orcs do suffer from discrimination, for despite the fact that their abilities are identical to their full orc brethren, they are never seen as equals. Most of them will choose to leave their tribe and go find their fortune in other countries. Those that stay dedicate themselves to becoming as orc-like as possible, to earn the respect of their fellow orc.

### Linguistics

The Orc language is made of a 3 letter alphabet, composed of O, R, and C. Intonations and subtext are extremely important when speaking in the orc tongue, and some communication is also focused on non-verbal cues like facial tics and hand movements. Each tribe will have slightly different non-verbal focus cues, like having a different accent. Because of the unwieldy nature of the orc language, orcs love to explore vocal but brief poetry, like spoken-word poetry or haiku.

### Education

The stereotype of other races is that orcs are generally dumb and mean. But in fact, there is a very healthy educational system within each tribe. Orc women, specifically mothers, are assigned as teachers. The eldest woman in the tribe will take on the role of teaching reading, writing, basic math, and history to orcs with the assistance of the other mothers. Orc children will spend 2-3 days per week with focused education, and 2-3 days per week on physical education. Sparring and practice fights are encouraged in any child old enough to walk and hold a weapon.

Adult orcs will choose to study strategy, tactics, and logistics, in order to make their tribe's army stronger. Orcs believe in a mentoring kind of education, where a learned master will take on 2-3 apprentices and teach them as much as possible.

Despite their warfare focused society, there is a very healthy and highly educated minority within the orc lands. Orcs who are intelligent but less powerful, may choose to seek out a scholar and become more educated. They seek out ruins and other abandoned archaeological sites to look for fossils, ancient lore, and sacred objects. These orcs who make new discoveries are seen as contributing to the honor of their tribe, especially if they find evidence of that specific tribe's glory.

There is a Guild of Archaeologists located in the desert that focuses on gathering history, lore, and artifacts for the sake of knowledge and glory.

### Architecture

Orcs prefer temporary structures. Should their homes come under attack or should they need to travel to a new source of water, they need to pack up quickly and move. To this end, they have created tent-like structures called Ocro which function like yurts. Metal poles arranged in a circle and draped over with leather hides protect them from the sun. The orcs will open the sides up during the day to get cool breezes from the coast, and then close them up at night to fight off the desert chill.

When the orcs do create permanent structures they are made from clay bricks, and dug down into the sand to help keep them cool. These are Orocro, small mounds of clay sticking 5 feet or so out of the sand, and painted with colorful plant-based paint. The two orcish capitals are a combination of Orocro in the center, and Ocro camps around the edges, for the transient population.

## Government & Laws

Orc hierarchy is based on a Meritocracy. You rise to power based on your abilities, not merely who you are related to. Each Baron or tribe leader takes their position in a trial by combat, judged by other members of the tribe. These can be contests of strength, or in rare cases, a fight to the death. Orc laws vary some from tribe to tribe. Some tribes uphold strict codes of honor, never attacking innocents or the weak, and only taking what they need from others. Other tribes are more lax, serving their own desires and needs first before deigning to help others. The focus is always on those of your own tribe in Orc culture. Take care of them and do not make any decision that would hurt your tribe.

Slavery was outlawed as of 500 years ago in Orc culture, after increasing outside pressures. This left a large gap in workers for the mines and other labor-intensive work. This gap slowly began to fill with very low-paid workers, as well as a large increase in Indentured Servitude.

Half-orcs or weak orcs who are not as strong as their brethren may choose to enter into an Indentured Contract. They agree to work in exchange for room and board for 5 or 10 years. At the end of their servitude, they are granted a cash "bonus" in the product of the mine (the longer they work, the bigger the bonus). They are legally considered free in that they are free to marry, free to have children, and free to spend their non-working time as they choose. They can also request that someone else purchase their contract if they wish to change jobs, but their contract can't be sold without their consent. The legal system is put into place should they attempt to break a contract by quitting work or escaping.

Those in immense debt may also choose to enter into an Indentured Contract in order to work off their debt.

### Traditional Views on War

> "*War is a part of life, a manifestation of the great fight. We enter war to test not just our enemies but ourselves. Thus it is not right to kill the enemy to a man, but one should take into your clan not more than one out of four heads of the defeated clan. The rest are to provide tribute for the next 4 years."*
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> Edicts of war, Grand Baron Had Reon
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Several clans still subscribe to the views put forth by Had Reon, waging conflict upon other orc clans. This has been becoming less and less common in recent years, as the efforts of Karth Vandier to unify the clans has been rather successful. Still, it is not unheard of for even two progressive clans to rub shoulders and follow the *Edicts of War.*

### Progressive Attitudes on War

> "*War was seen as struggle of life, but I say to you the desert is struggle enough. We are brothers, squabbling does not suit us. Unity in the face of adversity, our foes shall fall before the vigor of unified blade. We shall watch our borders and protect the lands of our ancestors, but we will not push into foreign lands. Such behavior dishonors our ancestors' spirits. Settle your differences with your brothers at the annual Wintertide."*
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> Council meeting notes, 2669 Karth Vandier
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Karth Vandier, after taking the seat of First in 2667, has been working to settle ancient differences between the clans and creating a more unified Orc Nation. It is due to his efforts that the annual games exist and he is currently working to bring the last few clans in line with his thinking.

## Economy & Resources

The orcish lands are filled with certain essential metals and gemstones. Specifically diamonds, sapphires, and emeralds, as well as copper, nickel, and iron. Mining is a very powerful industry in orc culture, and most tribes will control at least 1 mine in order to bring in jobs and money to the tribe.

Fossils and other archaeological discoveries are also a decent industry, attracting wizards and scholars from many places to study the ancient ruins of the Time of Many Waters and collect fossils. These scholars require guides and protectors from the dangers of the desert, and these job openings are plentiful. The women are also known as good potters, creating wonderful works from clay. Each tribe has their own unique clay pot, whether it be a narrow one, or wide, and painted with different colors depending on their tribe's location and plant availability.

## Marriage & Relationships

When orc women come of age they are sent away from their tribe. They are forced nomads, traveling the desert. An orc woman is only allowed to settle down once she has found a husband. Orc women however, don't see this as a burden, but as a challenge. Each settlement they visit, the men will compete for their affections, and the orc woman holds all the power to select her partner. Often in the smaller settlements, the arrival of a female orc is enough to prompt an Day of Conquest, essentially an Orcish Olympics. The men will compete in trials of strength, dexterity, combat, and intelligence. If she doesn't find a man who appeals to her, she can move on to the next settlement.

Once an orc female has chosen her partner, the man will move out of his parent's home. The woman will sit down and sew the giant fabric made of leather that will cover their Ocro, and the man will choose a worthy spot for the location of their home and plant the metal poles deep. When they put the Ocro together they are then officially married.

Orcs marry for life, and Orcish adultery rates are very low. Other races attribute this (falsely) to the fact that orcish women are lustful with powerful sexual appetites and therefore no Orcish man can handle more than one. In truth, the orcs are secretly romantics, and orc men are taught that it is honorable and right to pledge oneself wholly to a single worthy woman.

Despite marrying for life, sex outside of marriage is permitted and even encouraged. To the orcs, sexual compatibility is just as important as personality in a partner. Several plants in the desert are known to be natural methods of contraception and are used heavily.

## Notable Figures

### Vang Ogh Leader of the Notcha

Self styled merchant lord, Vang Ogh leads his tribe in commerce and trade. He is cunning but honorable. He is relied upon for trade and resources throughout the land. Many human settlements along the border like him and the Notcha more than any of the other orcs.

### Karth Vandier Leader of the Bargus

Karth Vandier is the First. He leads the War Council and can control all the tribes in times of need. He is fair, just, spiritual... the ideal chivalrous knight. He leads firmly, but has been noticed for his compassion and cunning both.

### Lendi Dorgen Leader of the Croak

Lendi Dorgen was a hermit near a region covered in swamp lands and bogs. He rallied the Goblins in the area to establish the first organized settlement in the area. The tribe has now seen a considerable influx of Orcs in the area as a result finding the area hospitable and safe. The leader is intelligent, resourceful and very secretive about the ongoings in his lands. Lendi Dorgen has been leading his people into the risky but rewarding trade craft of being highway stewardesses of the region, taking what resources they can from those who are rich and dispensing it among the tribe of the Croak.

### Morth Garth Minister of Grinstol

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