Orc

It is easy for the other races to see the rigid brows, square jaws, and jutting tusks of the Orcs as signs of an overly simplistic, feral species, but few things could be further from the truth. They are as intelligent and complex as almost every other race—and smart enough to take advantage of anyone who dares underestimate them.

## Appearance

Though almost all Orcs have black hair, the Orcs’ skin tones have acted as a kind of evolutionary camouflage, slowly changing over generations to match the terrain where a particular branch of Orcs lives. Orcs in woodland areas tend to be shades of green or brown, while plains Orcs display brown or light grey tones and those dwelling in mountain regions are commonly stony grey or dark brown.

## Society

   Like Humans, Orcs have widely diversified societies across Mennara, and even those within an area might wildly differ from another nearby. The Broken Plains Orcs pride themselves on a natural and nomadic life, moving with the seasons and following game across the countryside. Stone Dweller Orcs, though, have abandoned their “primitive” ancestral ways and live happily alongside the other races in cities all over the world. The Orcs of the Sunderlands are one of the rarest examples of Orc society, and occupy hidden villages across the burning desert sands. They are so few in number, though, that even the other Orcs dismiss them as outliers.

## Culture

Broken Plains Orcs tend to view most civilizations as exercises in excess and degradation, believing that people must stay close to nature in order to be both happy and whole. All one must do is set foot within a city, they say, to see how life among stone towers and dirty streets has corrupted the soul and diminished the spirit of everyone who lives within its walls. Instead of succumbing to stagnation, the Broken Plains Orcs migrate with the seasons, trade with the small villages they encounter, and live a life that they feel best suits the strength and resilience that are the Orcs’ birthright.

Meanwhile, Stone-Dweller Orcs have abandoned that tribal philosophy as a form of “primitive superstition” and happily enjoy all of the comforts and advantages that city life has to offer. Once upon a time, these two factions of Orcs viewed each other with suspicion and derision, though in the past century or so it has become increasingly common for Orcs to migrate from one society to the other, each hoping that the other style of living and different location will offer whatever they feel is missing in their own lives.

The Sunderland Orcs remain much more insular than their kin across the sea. They do occasionally venture outside of their sun-baked homes, but rarely interact with any other Orcs they find. Their culture is highly focused on learning and experimentation rather than combat, though, of course, even the weakest of their scholars can be a match for any Human.

## Names

Orcs use single sames within their tribes, often adopting additional honorifics or epithets based on their accomplishments. Outside their tribes, they add a tribal "surname" so no one will forget where they came from.

## Tribal Orcs

Orcs have had a long and violent history with the other races - and with each other. But since the Dragon Wars, orcs have been counted among the fair races and have enjoyed relative peace.

In Terrinoth, tribal orc bands travel across the wilderness, living off the land and trading with human towns they come across. They have few settlements of their own, a handful of secret havens for their elders where forges, breweries, and other necessities too unwieldy to travel with are kept.

Tribal orcs maintain their "primitive" way of life as a means of testing their strength. They see purity and freedom in challenging nature, in battling for their survival against the wild rather than being ruled over by lords. Many of the other races mistakenly think that orcs lack the intelligence or patience to embrace more civilized arts, but this is not true. Orcs live a rustic life because it is one they prefer.

Tribal orcs, despite being officially tolerated in Terrinoth, are frequently objects of mistrust and fear. No matter how peaceful the orcs claim to be, the fact remains that they are dangerous, and there is little difference between an orc hunting party and an armed warband.

### Broken Plains Orcs

The Orcs who hunt the Broken Plains are among the most powerful, ferocious beings in the world. They live the hard, lean life of nomads, following the great herds of elk, boars, and moose from one side of the Broken Plains to the other, forging a society that is equally influenced by their spirit-based magic, brutal war axes, and fearsome throwing spears.

### Sunderlands Orcs

    The mysterious Orcs of the Sunderlands eschew both nomadic and city life, instead living in small, secretive villages. This has the effect of helping to preserve Orc culture and heritage and to advance their race in step with the rest of the world. Within these villages, which dot the great deserts of Al-Kalim, the Sunderlands Orcs study magic and medicine with equal diligence. Such are their skills at potion making that the alchemical contents within their signature black glass flasks are renowned throughout Mennara.

## Stone-Dweller Orcs

Some orcs turn their back on the traditional, nomadic lifestyle of their people and choose to live alongside the humans or (more rarely) other races. These so-called stone-dweller orcs are increasingly common in the Free Cities, and some are even born into that life.

Stone-dweller orcs seek to shed the violent reputation and history of their people and forge a new destiny, one in which they are valued members of a larger society. Their great strength can still be an asset when turned to peaceful purposes, after all. Sadly, the stigma of their race is hard to avoid, and many find themselves drawn to violent professions, legal or otherwise.

Though Orcs are generally as intellectually and socially capable as any other being in Mennara, their immense size and incredible strength gives them some highly unusual advantages. While there is no inherent need for them to make a living using those assets, most find it too tempting a lure to resist. As such, Stone-Dweller Orcs often find themselves living lives of adventure as mercenaries, soldiers, constables, or crooks.

## References

1. Realms of Terrinoth
2. Legacy of Dragonholt