Orcs

**General**

Orcs are large. The normal variety tends to have a faded green skin, and inhabit the plains and different areas of forests, although they much prefer hilly and mountainous regions. They are typically simple minded, but this means nothing in terms of intelligence. Low intellectual capacity is a tendency of the areas and the societies that they live in rather than their actual capacity. In fact, most city orcs, or orcs raised in more civilized settings would consider this an insult and a racist accusation.

Aside from pale green, pale orange is possible, with orcs who have frequently consumed blood, or in parents who have engaged in the activity while pregnant. Another possibility is a pale gray and pale black, which is the result of abyssal birth, a process invented by Albrecht Von Yeralt. These Orcs have much higher aggression, tend to be taller, are much more muscular, and tend to have greater bloodlust. They also have a 100% affinity for magic, as compared to 1 in 100 to the general population.

**Personality**

Typically extremely extroverted and passionate, they tend to confide everything in their close friends, and typically have a much higher trust of those they fight with than any human would ever consider rational. They tend to prefer less muted forms of showing comraderie than others, and would most definitely be said to take things far beyond they should.

In addition to this, they are typically hotheaded and ill tempered. Orcs take almost every affront as genuine, as they themselves are typically simple in their responses and honest in those things. This leads to them acting almost instinctively on their first impulses, and on the emotions that they typically fear, especially rage and anger.

**Culture**

the Culture of Orcs has usually revolved around one single thing. War. Before creating war bands, groups of orcs we nomadic and raiders, because of this, many of their battle tactics still revolve around small groups and brigades seeking their own honor in battle, rather than any larger or more cohesive battle command or strategy. While this does work well in chaotic and frantic quarters, this is terrible in more open and controlled battles.

Orcs typically value weapons and the craft, and as a result, they typically get along with dwarves over shared passions for drink, song, revelry, and of course, fine weapons. Outside from opposing factions, they also tend to worship similar gods. Orcs have vibrant oral histories, but outside from War Bands, or other records from national or imperial forces, have little to no written history, leading to very few of their heroes in the distant past being remembered, and those that are, having conflicting or even contradictory accounts.

In addition, Orcs tend to revere the collection of skulls, this applies to both war and hunting, and bone shapers, as well as taxidermists, are highly appreciated due to their abilities to preserve the victories and the triumphs that have recently occurred.

**Religion**

Orcs tend to venerate different ancestors and clan heads. They don't typically gain much power from the latter, but the former can grant them prowess in battle and help out, if an orc dedicates themselves to their ancestors.

Aside from that, gods of war and gods of strength are extremely common, depending on the area and other factors. Gods of rapid or destructive elements are common, such as Igni for fire, and Vol-Taz in lightning. Also common are gods of the forge, and and gods of the hunt, especially those with the more primal aspects of hunting. These sorts of gods are essentially the same one, wearing different masks for each worshipper. The orc pantheon would never allow another to claim their titles.

Dedicated clerics are rare, but the few priests that do exist often lay claim to incredible power from the natural spirits and their own gods. They are more shamanic than the average priest.

Gognar - The Invincible

Almost universally worshipped and venerated by many orcs, Gognar the invincible has a few titles among the orcish people. He is the undefeated, the unbeatable, the unbroken and dubbed by some as the warrior. Many non-orcs do not believe in the existence of Gognar, and the feats that his followers have claimed were by his hand have dubious sources. Orcs will usually hurt anyone who claims this in front of them, though.

Despite whether he exists or not, some power can be claimed through his worship and the knowledge that such worship brings. Those who primarily follow Gognar can call upon extreme amounts of strength and grant some of that strength to others. They are also generally better with strategy and demoralising enemies.

Those who worship Gognar secondarily can take more hits before they fall down, and have bigger muscles than their other kin.

Igni - The Burning One

Igni is the god of fire and destruction. He has few worshippers, as he is an orc god, and draws a small pool of followers from the already small pool of clerics. Even his smallest worshippers can feel his presence, and are encouraged to focus more on this aspect of their life by him and their kin. He rarely appears to his followers, but when he does, he looks like a burn-blackened orc with flames still licking around him.

Primary worshippers gain power over the flames. Their flames are spiritually charged, acting almost sentient. They can control these flames though for many purposes, sometimes even healing in extreme cases. These flames are slightly greener. They are also much more destructive than normal flames for non-orcs or outcasts of the orc clans.

Secondary worshippers never feel cold, no matter how little clothes they are wearing, and can call small flames to run along their weapon, armour or to light lamps and candles. These flames are mostly for aesthetics, but can result in burns and do give off light and heat.

Vol-Taz - The Stormlord

Vol-Taz's presence is visible in the skies during storms over orcish battles. He puts out the flames when the fighting is done and displays his fury in powerful bursts of purple, shadowy lightning. He is known for his spontaneity in decisions, and his love for just blasting problems with lightning.

His primary followers gain the magics of the storm. These followers can call down the wrath of the skies upon their enemies, and blast their foes with purple electricity. Followers also have extreme agility, and can become lightning for a short period of time in order to strike or quickly escape. This lightning is always purple, but burns as much as normal lightning. Those struck don't particularly care about the colour, they are likely in intense pain, if not dead.

Secondary followers slowly have their wounds healed during storms, and lightning based magics are absorbed into them, making them faster, stronger and increasing any magical potential they may have.

**Factions**

Orcs belong to all kinds of groups, and live within and throughout most major nations, but there are some Orc majority, and even orc exclusive groups. One of these is are the Molten Legion, a large number of berserkers conglomerated in the burning marshes' volcanic regions. They are mainly of the Orange variety, and are dedicated to taking the region over. Although their settlement is of the thousands, their standing army could challenge even the more powerful nationstates, with that alone being thirty thousand strong, led by Ifri Boilblood.

Many warbands such as these exist, and they typically raid and return to their areas of origin.