Orc'Eire

## History

The Orcs of Orc'Eire (or Orkeir, as it's known in their native tongue) came to this verdant island around two thousands years ago, from the east, supposedly from the land that now makes up the nation of Ingurland.

The Orcs arrived and settled in Orc'Eire, as well as the southern portion of the Cornfloor Peninsula, which makes up the jungles of Kinnog. During that time, Orkeir and the surrounding islets were home to warring Bugbear tribes. The Bugbear of Orc'Eire revere a terrible god of the depths named Nuckelavee, and his horrific spawn that torment the islands.

The Orcs and the Bugbears fought a long series of war that almost lasted two centuries, which led to the Orcs conquering the entirety of the island, save for three small Bugbear tribes to the southwest. These three tribes, some hundred years later, united under a single warlord state, which still stands to this day.

Despite most of Orkeir being conquered and ruled by the Orcs, things have been far from peaceful. There have been dozens of wars between the different Orcish clans, as well as civil insurrections, revolts and wars against the Bugbears. Perhaps worst of all have been external raids from the Drow, the Hydra's Eyes and slavers from the Triarchy. Many Orcs have fallen victims to these raids, especially in the last century, which have led to Orc'eire developing a martial-focused culture, and fortifying their cities against these raids.

## Orcish Physiology

Orcs are one of the many sentient species living in Giantstep. Orcs are a species similar to humans or elves, with an average height of 1.85 meters, and slightly bulkier and more muscular than humans. They have elongated and pointed ears, often pierced with pendants, bones or other decorative items. Their jaw is pronouncedly big, with the teeth of the lower jaw being shown outside of their mouth, especially the pair of big fangs. Their eyes are smaller than those of humans, and are somewhat sunken within the face. Their nose is small as if shrunk. Their skull is very dense, especially the bone in the temples and the forehead. Their skin is similar to humans, but with less bodyhair, with it mostly contained in either their head or their beard (though seeing a fully bearded orc is very rare, as they pride with showing their jawline). Their light orange skin, while strong, becomes scarred easily, something they take advantage of to create warrior patterns.

Orcs are omnivores, but their digestive system is much less efficient than that of humans, gaining little energy from plants and vegetables, so they prefer herding and hunting. While many orcs are proficient in the arts of agriculture, in reality most of that produce is dedicated to feed barn animals, as them eating meat is much healthier than cooking and eating the wheat and barley. This also affects them when drinking beer, since most beers are made out of wheat or barley. This makes orcs take a longer time to get drunk by drinking, which can be dangerous to their health, as they do not know they should stop even when their bodies have more alcohol they can process. As such, drunken deaths are common, and most orcs try to avoid beer in favor of alcohols created by fruits, which is less dangerous for them. Orcs have an altered sense of taste, being able to notice flavors other sentient species cannot, but they are unable to detect acid and sweet flavors.

## Government

The Orcish part of Orkeir is splintered between numerous Orcish clans, each based on a specific Hill City or fort. There are more than twenty Orcish chieftains (called "Tuathas" in their tongue), who are chosen through a combination of hereditary succession and martial prowess. The strongest and most capable members of the tribe become chiefs and chieftains, while the weaker or less capable members are relegated to lesser positions of authority.

The various Orcish clans and chieftains hold a degree of autonomy and independence, but each one of them is subject to the Pendragon, the leader of the Orcs of Orkeir, a title which usually belongs to the clan that holds Or'krillyon, the mighty capital of the Orcs. Or'krillyon has exchanged hands between more than a dozen dynasties at this point, usually through hereditary means, but sometimes a leader will get disposed if he's deemed as too weak or cowardly. The Pendragon is considered the millitary leader of the Orcs, and is responsible for maintaining order and enforcing the law, and are expected to lead their armies in times of war.

The current leading clan is Clan Bansheebane, a wraith and undead hunting clan that currently controls the Or'krillyon and the surrounding holds. The Bansheebanes, spearheaded by Pendragon Branagán, are utilizing a more diplomatic approach to external policy, and are looking towards establishing relations with the Grand Duchy of Calcabra.

In contrast, the Bugbear state to the southwest is more centralized, with a single War Chief ruling over the land, which is split into three holds. Each hold is overseen by a clan leader (perhaps descendants of the three surviving Bugbear clans of old) who pays tribute directly to the War Chief.

## Geography

Orc'Eire is an island full of rolling green hills, thick dense supernatural forests, and spiraling ironoak trees. The interior of the island (also known as the "Orkeir Highlands") is characterized by rugged terrain, rolling hills, and deep valleys, upon which many of the Hill Cities are built. The coastline is jagged and indented with many bays and inlets. Many rivers, lakes and wetlands dot the landscape of Ork'Eire, lending it the nickname of the "Island of a Thousand Lakes".

## Society and Culture

   The Society of the Orcs is based around their Hill Cities. These cities, acting more like strongholds, are scattered across the island, and it is inside and around them that the largest population centres have developed. Each Orc, no matter if they are lowborn or highborn, wealthy or poor, is part of a clan, which determines their last name. There are hundreds of clans in Orc'Eire, some hailing from a time before the Orcs arrived to the island, but only a handful of them hold any lands or political power.

Although Orc'Eire society is considered patriarchical, with the male being the leader of the family, females are also respected, with Orcish women being able to hold positions of power or even take on more physically demanding jobs, usually ones that are accustomed to males.

Hospitality is an important aspect of Orcish culture, with the concept of "féile" being central to their social customs. This involves the hosting of feasts and celebrations to mark important events such as births, marriages, and funerals. Guests are treated with great respect and generosity, with no expense spared to ensure their comfort and enjoyment.

Although physical strength and martial prowess and bravery take an important place in Orcish culture, music, storytelling and poetry are also integral. Orcish bards and skalds are renowed throughout much of Scimitaria.

Over time, a fusion of cultures has emerged between the Orcs and the Bugbears, leading to many shared traditions and practices. An example of this can be seen in the architecture of the Orcish Hill Cities, which in many ways resemble traditional Bugbear buildings. The Orcs have embraced a number of euphemisms, idioms, and colloquialisms from the Bugbears, and have integrated them into their own language over time.

The Bugbears that live in the Orcish part of Orkeir are in many ways similar (or, some might say, identical) to the Orcs, as more than a thousand years of co-existence has led to them being intergrated into Orcish society, with some slight differences in language, customs and, of course, appearance.

Bugbears residing in the Bugbear Warlord State are vastly dissimilar to their cousins living in the Orcish part of the island. They have preserved a homogenous culture and their societal structure is more rigidly hierarchical, placing great importance on unquestioning loyalty and obedience towards the War Chief and Nuckelavee. They view the Bugbears cohabiting with the Orcs as betrayers, considering them no different to the Orcs.

## Economy

The economy of Orc'Eire is largely based on agriculture, with the Orcs and Bugbears practicing subsistence farming and animal husbandry. They cultivate crops such as barley, wheat, and oats, as well as raise cattle, sheep, and elephant pigs. Fishing and hunting also contribute to the economy, especially in coastal regions and areas with dense forests.

Orc'Eire is mostly self sufficient, engaging in limited external trade and few large-scale industries. Orcs are renowned metalworkers, blacksmiths and miners, extractic coal, iron and orichalcum from large mines in the Highlands, using them to create exquisite weapons and armor.

Bugbears, on the other hand, are skilled hunters and fishermen, and they rely heavily on the resources of the sea and the forests to sustain themselves. They are also known for their expertise in crafting and using traps, and their ability to navigate the treacherous hills and mountains of Orkeir is unmatched. Similar to the Orcs, the Bugbears residing in the southwest are also well-known for their exceptional craftsmanship in metalworking and blacksmithing. However, the Bugbears place an even greater emphasis on the mass production of weapons, armor, and war machines.

Both Orcs and Bugbears employ themselves are mercenaries in Scimitaria, due to their large size and physical strength. Many Orcish chieftains have employed Bugbears as bodyguards and mercenaries during wars between clans.

## Religion

Orcs hold a deep respect for their ancestors and the spirits of their land. They worship a pantheon of different gods and goddesses, each associated with a different aspect of nature and daily life, much like their cousins in Ingurland. The Orcs hold many festivals and celebrations tied to the cycles of nature and agricultural seasons, honoring and thanking their gods for succesful harvests.

The Bugbears in the southwest still worship Nuckelavee, a terrible demon of the depths that is an skinless amalgamation that is half bear and half horse. Nuckelavee is a god of decay, death and disease, and the Bugbears conduct many wicked rituals and ceremonies to appease him. It is said that Nuckelavee can grant necromantic abillities to his priests and shamans, granting them the abillity to raise the dead from their graves. Such undead creatures are usually known as "Nuckelavee's spawn".

The Orcs have engaged in a prolonged conflict with the followers of Nuckelavee, even after their wars of conquest against the Bugbears had ceased. Hundreds of years of relentless persecution of this faith has all but eradicated it from the Orcish lands, with even the Bugbears there abandoning it in favor of the worship of numerous Orcish deities. The worship of Nuckelavee only exists in the Bugbear state at the southwest of Orkeir, where the clergy holds an significant position in their society.

## Millitary

   Each Orcish clan has a well-trained militia, made up of able-bodied men and women, who are trained to defend their hill cities. Although offensive wars are less commonly conducted by Orcs, it's not unusual for individual chieftains occasionally lead raids into the Fallen Kingdom of Kinnog. A unique aspect of Orcish warfare are Skalds, warriors trained in the use of musical instruments during battle. Skalds make up their own regiments, known as warbands, their purpose lying in bolstering morale and inspiring troops on the battlefield. They use all sorts of instruments, such as horns, drums and loud bronze bagpipes.

Both Orcs and Bugbears are specialists in heavy armor, and due to their superior physical strength, use heavy weapons, such as scimitars, large polearms and battleaxes.

Bugbears also have a fondness for poisons and traps, particularly those that live in forested areas, a tradition they've cultivated for millenia. Siege engines such as trebuchets and catapults are also widely used in the Bugbear state,

## Demographics

The vast majority of Orc'Eire is populated by Orcs. The Orcs of Orkeir are lighter in pigmentation than their cousins in Ingurland, with some of them even sporting auburn and blonde hair colour.

Bugbears, on the other hand, make up the minority of the island, with small populations scattered around the larger hill cities. The only regions where Bugbears are the majority include the independent state of Bugbears in the southwest, as well as the Orcish clans that border it. Both Bugbears and Orcs are taller and more muscular than Humans and Elves, with Bugbears usually reaching larger sizes. Bugbears have thick fur covering their bodies and a distinctive snout-like nose. They have elongated arms and fingers, which are suited for climbing and grasping objects.

Despite coexisting with Orcs for hundreds of years, Bugbears tend to keep to themselves, staying within their own social groups and rarely intermarrying witη them.

Humans and Drow are a rare sight in Orc'Eire, often only visiting as merchants or foreign emissaries, seldom staying for long.

## Foreign Relations

### Orcs and Bugbears

The Orcish clans and the Bugbear state have been locked in a stalemate for centuries. Despite their overwhelming numerical advantage, the Orcs have been unable to conquer the remaining free lands of the Bugbears, ever since the three southwest tribes united. The harsh terrain, combined with the remarkable discipline of the Bugbear army, has resulted in countless Orc casualties in futile wars and skirmishes.

The relationship between the two states is marked by animosity and distrust. Despite the absence of wars in the latest century, they remain largely isolated from each other, with little interaction between them. While most Bugbears living in Orcish lands have integrated into their society and don't feel any particular affinity towards their kin in the independent Bugbear state, a small but vocal minority still maintain strong ties to their ancestral homeland, mostly towards the border.

As with the Orcs, they are content with letting the small Bugbear state exist, as long as they do not attempt to spread the faith of Nuckelaave or create unrest within their own borders.

### Former Kingdom of Kinnog

Many Orcish chiefs have been raiding this ruined land for ages. Likewise, many raiders, rogues and mercenaries spawning out of Kinnog have conduct raids on the Orc'Eire coast, taking many slaves. Sometimes, Orcs living in the Kinnog jungle will interact with their kinsmen, with some even returning along them.

### Red Lotus Congregation

Τhe Orcs have been defending their lands against Red Lotus pirates for decades, as the latter have been indiscriminately raiding every one of their neighbors. All diplomatic efforts to negotiate with them have failed.

### Triarchy of the Three Sisters

The Triarchy has been an enemy of the Orcs for hundreds of years. Although not directly in war with each other, the slavers of the Triarchy have conducted numerous raids against the Orcs. As Orc'Eire itself is well defended and relatively organized, the Triarchy has looked towards Kinnog, where they capture their kinsmen for use as manual labour slaves.

### Drow City States and Moreelse

Due to the rising usage of the White Death throughout Scimitaria, the Orcish chiefs prohibit any merchant from Moreelse from setting foot onto their lands, due to fear of them being a Hydra's Eyes agent.

Both the Drow and the Hydra's Eyes are known to own Orcish slaves, particularly from the Kinnog Jungle, and for that reason are deeply disliked and detested.

### Oligarchic Republic of Hithlone

Hithlone is perhaps Orc'Eire's only trade partner. Many Hithlone ships stop by Orc'Eire to resupply when heading for Kinnog. As such, trade is common between these two, although not in large quantities. Orcs can be sometimes found as mercenaries hired by Hithlonean merchant vessels.

### Grand Duchy of Calcabra

Traditionally Calcabra has seen the Orcs as nothing but raiders and slavers, but Clan Bansheebane has recently made some efforts to form positive relations.