Orc

This entry is for the Madrian variants of the humanoid species. They are in many ways similar to other examples of their species found on various worlds and in fiction.

Orcs came into being as a race during the Age of Myth. The traditional orcish telling of their creation follows, translated into common.

*"After the Great Hunter bedded the Great Mother their sweat and the Jongura's blood mingled to create the first tribes. The strongest of these tribes fed from the Jongura after the Hunter had taken his portion. These tribes became orc. Those tribes too weak to claim their portion of the kill sulked off to feed on roots and berries, they would breed humans."*

This bit of mythology expresses common orcish values. While many other races characterize orcs as evil violent brutes, they see themselves merely as stronger. They live through strength and skills of survival. Their homeland in Orcbreast is often pointed to by scholars as a major influence in this. As a land, it is not a place where the meek survive for long filled as it is with all manner of savage creatures. Others point to the feeding from the Jongura and consider the Great Beast's influence.

Orcs have certain physiological traits in common. In general, they are large and powerfully muscled. Average height for an orc can range between 6' - 7' tall, though 8' is not unheard of. They are generally heavier than a human of similar height due to the nature of their muscle tissue. Skin ranges from shades of green, reddish, ochre and gray. Hair is almost universally black with rare individuals sporting shades of red. Eyes are red due to unique blood vessels believed by scholars to provide their ability to see in the dark. Orcs have distinct facial features with thick brows, small noses, prominent canines, lower tusks and bat like ears. Orcs have a large number of olfactory receptors throughout their palate giving them a much better sense of smell than their nasal passage might suggest. Orcs can live as long as humans. Due to their culture however it is extremely uncommon for old age to be the cause of an orc's death.

Orcs trace their lineage to five Great Clans, though this does not necessarily determine an orcs tribal clan which is a separate concept within their culture based on chieftain.

**Coga (War Clan)**

Coga blood is often apparent in sheer size. Those of this line are never less than 7' tall and are stronger on average than other orcs. They are however not known for being particularly bright. This may contribute to the Coga being more quick to violence than their kin. (Which for an orc says something.) They also hold weight more than other orcs, though this tendency to be fat does not seem to impact their athletic abilities.

**Fadach (Wild Clan)**

Orcs of the Fadach line have traits which make them superior runners and give them better reflexes than is usual for their species. Fadach are small and slight for orcs, having been recorded as short as 5'10" and with musculature more like a human. While valued as scouts they are usually low in a clans hierarchy because of their apparent "weakness". However many are driven by this to make themselves invaluable to higher ranking orcs and so often become assassins for chieftains and shamans.

**Torc (Boar Clan)**

An unusual offshoot of the orcish race, the Torc are said in myth to have overeaten from the Jongura's meat. They show extreme physical differences from their kin. Being covered in course hair and having heads like those of a boar or pig. They are looked down on by the other clans and are usually only encountered in the dark corners of the world. Some with thinner Torc blood have been known to live among their other kin and have far less pronounced "pig" features.

**Dahan (Demon Clan)**

Dahan are found in the eastern lands and have physiological traits similar to demons of the region. The cause of this is not entirely understood by scholars. They grow thicker manes of hair in a variety of shades, skin is usually blue, yellow or red. Tusks often curved toward the outside corners of their mouths and they develop small horns on their brows. These features cause some to confuse them with demons.

**Righ (Chief’s Clan)**

Orcs with strong Righ blood is general grow to be more intelligent and charismatic than other orcs. Almost every Great Horde has been formed by a Righ. This tends to bring a lot of favor as well as expectation from other clan members.