Orcs

## Orc

A race of vicious raiders, marauders and a threat to all civilized life-- if you believe the stories. While Orcs are born from the cruelest of the gods during the Second Age to serve as the strong-arm of the world, many strive to fight against that same reason to live.

Others embrace it.

The term "Orc" is indeed paired with the image of a vicious race of monsters, but in reality Orcs are a progenitor race of souls who faced centuries of cruelty at the hands of the Dark Elders. Rather than battle their creators, they elected to fight their mortal brethren.

## History

Many millenia ago, humans washed ashore and elves were crafted from light. The other races sprang into life, but the orcs were created from malice and jealousy. Their empire split long into the Second Age and their civilization crumbled into tribes and towns.

Now they seek to forge a new claim in the world.

## Appearance

Orcs exist across all of Starsong, varying in size and shape. They shared many physical qualities; tall, coarse hair, muscular bodies and tusks. They were often larger than humans but smaller than goliaths.

Dawnforger orcs are the least bestial of their cousins, having somewhat porcine features. Their skin was often gray or green and their features dark.

Boletarian orcs were most commonly ape-like, with many of them resembling various types of primate. The Red Orcs of Remora are an exception, as they are a mountainous breed of lithe orcs all coloured like crimson. They had shark-like teeth and sharp tusks.

Aerrunean orcs are a brutal, bestial race resembling hairy beastmen. They are boar-like and savage, worshipping eldritch things in the wastelands.

## Culture

Orcs often had poor temperaments and were prone to anger quickly. Known for their impatience and violent outbursts, they were fearsome and well renown for their shock-combat strategies.

Intelligent orcs were not uncommon, just overshadowed by their warrior brethren. Warchiefs were only the strongest and most cunning and not often the wisest.

All orcs hated the gods and often refused to talk about them. They had little interest in the affairs of other mortals and especially were uncaring to such trivial matters like "politics," but would often fight as mercenaries-- sometimes on both sides of the same conflict. Orcs refused to discuss matters of importance in the daylight as gods might be watching.

Honour came first in an orcish stronghold; life was precious, so problems were often solved with death-taxes. Debts and fights must be honoured with killings.

Orcish magic was typically a mix of druidic shamans, blood-magic and various forms of surgery.

### Dawnforger

While once a warlike culture, the orcs of Dawnforge have far too many enemies to seek further conflict. The orcs of Dawnforge inhabit the ruins of the old world and rarely built towns of their own. Out of all the species of orc, those of Dawnforge were intelligent and sometimes charismatic. Perhaps all that stuff about chaos was just a smear campaign against them?

Regardless, the average Dawnforger orc lived in a federation of tribes within lands such as Rexin and Kasania. The orcs of Dawnforge are infamous for their ability in mounted combat.

### Boletarian

Once a mighty race of warriors and guardians, the orcs of Boletaria retreated into the wasteland following the defeat of the Sun King. Honourable, wise and noble, the orcs of Boletaria have a long tradition of using their lesser instincts to better themselves. They live in nomadic groups across all of Boletaria with some roots in Saine and Karneria, but mostly in Djaal. They live in large family-clans, occasionally living in ruins of the Old World to outlast times of trouble and torment.

The Red Orcs of Remora live along the Spine in the far south of Boletaria. They are an odd breed, long isolated from any other culture or faction. Due to their separation, they have developed unique technologies and magic not seen anywhere else in the world.

### Aerrunean

Very little is known about Aerrunean orcs besides they are a vicious breed who relish in pillage and plunder. They inhabit the mountains of Cain Anun, known to most as the Vast.