Half-Orc

**Culture;**

"Unlike half-elves, where at least part of society’s discrimination is born out of paranoia or jealousy, half-orcs face prejudice based on their ferocious looks and the sins of their full-blooded fellows: physically weaker than their orc kin, they also tend to be feared or attacked outright by humans who don’t bother making the distinction between full orcs and half bloods. Even on the best of terms, half-orcs in civilized societies are not exactly accepted, and tend to be valued only for their physical abilities. On the other hand, orc leaders have been known to deliberately spawn half-orcs, as the half breeds make up for their lack of physical strength with increased cunning and aggression, making them natural leaders and strategic advisors. Within orc tribes, half-orcs find themselves constantly striving to prove their worth in battle and with feats of strength. Half-orcs raised within orc tribes are more likely to file their tusks and cover themselves in tribal tattoos. Tribal leaders quietly recognize that half-orcs are often more clever than their orc cousins and often apprentice them to the tribe’s shaman, where their cunning might eventually strengthen the tribe. Apprenticeship to a shaman is a brutal and often short-lived distinction, however, and those half-orcs who survive it either become influential in the tribe or are eventually driven to leave.

Half-orcs have a much more mixed experience in human society, where many cultures view them as little more than monsters. They often are unable even to get normal work, and are pressed into service in the military or sold into slavery. In these cultures, half-orcs often lead furtive lives, hiding their nature whenever possible. The dark underworld of society is often the most welcoming place, and many half-orcs wind up serving as enforcers for thieves guilds or other types of organized crime. Less commonly, human cities may allow half-orcs a more normal existence, even enabling them to develop small communities of their own. These communities are usually centered around the arena districts, the military, or mercenary organizations where their brute strength is valued and their appearance is more likely to be overlooked. Even surrounded by their own kind, half-orc life isn’t easy. Bullying and physical confrontation comes easy to a people who have been raised with few other examples of behavior. It is, however, one of the best places for young half-orcs to grow up without prejudice, and these small enclaves are one of the few places where half-orc marriages and children are truly accepted and sometimes cherished.

Staunchly independent, many half-orcs take to lives of adventure out of necessity, seeking to escape their painful pasts or improve their lot through force of arms. Others, more optimistic or desperate for acceptance, take up the mantle of crusaders in order to prove their worth to the world. Half-orcs raised in orc societies often take up the brutish ways of those around them, becoming Fighters, Barbarians, or Rangers. Half-orcs who survive their shaman training may eventually succeed their masters as tribal shamans, or flee the tribe and practice their magic as outcasts or explorers." -*d20pfsrd/paizo*

**Biology:**

Half-Orcs are instantly recognizable by their squarish features, elongated pointed ears, pronounced canines, and unusual greenish skin tones that vary greatly in tone. Half-Orc men on average are 5'10" (5'7" - 6'8") and about 195 pounds with broad well-muscled builds, and thick square jaws that can be as wide or wider than the top part of their skulls. Half-Orc women on average are 5'7" (5'3" - 6'2") and about 165 pounds, with both genders having short but pointed ears, and thick pointed upper and lower canines. Eye shades tend towards those of the orc parent; vivid greens, reds, yellows, and deep browns being typical. Half-Orcs are more predisposed towards being stronger than the average of their non-orc parent, and more resilient to illness and injury, recovering noticeably faster than normal, however they're also far more intelligent and reasonable than their full-blooded kin. They also come in varying shades of greenish skin tones that tend toward more marshy hues, and these traits are difficult to mask completely, even with the aid of magic. They age at roughly the same rate as their non-orc parent; those born from humans average 85 years, those from a half-elf parent average 255 years, and those born from elves, while not immortal like their parent, can expect a long life in excess of 500 years.

In the matter of mating and relationships, Half-Orcs are impatient parents even under the best of circumstances, mothers are not shy about using corporal discipline to keep her children in line, and fathers tend to find the responsibility of parenthood maddening. That is not to say half-orc parents do not love their children, in fact, you would be hard-pressed to find any other race who would protect their charges so ferociously. Half-Orcs living in orc society are a different matter altogether, bringing up their offspring with the same brutality as their full-blooded kin. Half-Orc courtship is very informal, clumsy, and somewhat vulgar compared to most, as the more delicate emotions like affection are difficult to process and express for those to whom anger comes more naturally. The preferences of half-orcs largely depends on the societies they're brought up in, though a decent majority are straight, with a slightly bigger minority of bisexual women, and these preferences tend not to change throughout the life of the half-orc. Members of fairer races would be well-cautioned before taking a half-orc lover, as they often do not realize their own strength and may not understand that they are being too rough, leading to a deeply frustrated partner. But for those who enjoy a more frantic, primal bedroom experience, they will find themselves quite fulfilled. Pregnancy for half-orcs is shorter than most, being 6 or 7 months, but like most other aspects of their lives, it is a painful affair that can quickly turn fatal especially if the mother is not a half-orc herself, an ordeal that requires a lengthy recovery time for the mother.

**Relations:**

Humans: Half-Orcs tend to find the greatest amount of opportunity in human lands, especially lands with few orc problems. Even in places with nominal acceptance of their kind, they still find themselves the target of ridicule and bullying on the basis of their appearance alone.

Half-Elves: Half-Orcs regard half-elves with a deep seated sense of resentment for their beauty, and the greater measure of acceptance they have in human and elven societies. Despite this resentment, they may find a true and empathetic friend in a half-elf whose is able to see past the dour exterior.

Dwarves: Half-Orcs find only persecution and death in dwarven societies, and vicious bigotry if encountered outside the mountain halls of dwarven realms. Though this animosity doesn't necessarily run in the opposite direction, most half-orcs understand enough to know to give dwarves a wide berth, and are understandably wary to be approached by one with less-than-hostile intent, however rare that occurrence is.

Elves: Half-Orcs find the quiet disdain and mistrust elves have of their kind to be even more unbearable than the overt hatred of the dwarves, at the very least they know exactly where they stand in regards to dwarves. Elves may play such emotions close to the chest, but the eyes don't lie...

Halflings/Gnomes: As odd as it may appear, half-orcs actually get along best with the Small-folk. The positivity most halflings and gnome exude is infectious to them, and the lack of prejudice they find among the halflings/gnomes refreshing. While one would think they would make ideal neighbors for each other, there is simply no opportunity for half-orcs in a society of ones so small.

Drow: Drow and half-orcs rarely come into direct contact with each other, yet the drow still harbor the same animosity elves do towards the *Balorat'hom (*derogatory term roughly meaning *'Greenskins').* Half-Orcs that run afoul of the drow are ripe for abduction, vivisection, and turned into mindless shambling horrors to be used as grotesque guard-dogs.

**Alignment and Religion**: "Forced to live either among brutish orcs or as lonely outcasts in civilized lands, most half-orcs are bitter, violent, and reclusive. Evil comes easily to them, but they are not evil by nature—rather, most half-orcs are chaotic neutral, having been taught by long experience that there’s no point doing anything but that which directly benefits themselves. Half-orcs worship the human or orc gods venerated in the area where they were raised. Those who live alongside humans most often worship human gods of war, freedom, or destruction. Half-orcs raised in orc tribes find themselves most drawn to the gods of blood, fire, and iron—depending more on what god the tribe worships rather than the half-orcs’ personal preference. Many half-orcs are contrary about religion, either ignoring it entirely, or getting deeply involved in it and trying to find meaning in a life filled with hate and misunderstanding; even a half-orc divine spellcaster may wrestle with doubt and anger about religion and faith." -*d20pfsrd/paizo*