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Author: Harken
Date Added: 1/10/09
Last Modified: 1/24/09
The infamously vicious orc is rarely painted as anything but a brute but that is only half true; they are also highly sophisticated, complex, and civil beings. The common notion of their brutality is most definitely true, but it doesn’t end at that as many tend to believe. The idea of ancestral honor is dominate among orcs as well as well as the disappearing spiritual magic branch. The center of orc culture, however, is the tribe; few outsiders will ever understand the complexities that govern an orcish tribe.
Physical Appearance All orcs are of the same build. Males are usually taller than the average human and much larger and muscular. This muscular build is inherent in all the lives of young orcs. Even if the profession or class of the orc is something that requires no muscles or is typically a lean class the orc defies that notion. It is not uncommon to see orc shamans, rangers, clerics, or druids who are all of a large build. Their skin tones range from a dark grey (almost black) to all shades or green and even a slight blue, to a pale white. Orcs usually have tusks but they are something that is inherited and passed down along bloodlines. The size or color of the tusks can be intimidating and even seem like a criteria of social status, but contrary to popular believe, the size of the tusks have no weight in an orc’s social standing. Usually, men have larger tusks than women and sometimes the women don’t even have tusks. Orc hair is another characteristic that varies greatly. Usually, orcs have long dark hair, generally the color of the orc’s hair and eyes are dependent on which of the four nationalities they are from. As orcs get older their hair does not change color like humans.
Culturally, it is very important to have tribal tattoos, jewelry, clothing, and to some degree, a very unique form of fighting or magic. It is common practice to be marked by your particular tribe in all forms. Orcs are very loyal to their clan and make it very evident. To an outsider it may seem that orcs simply wear whatever they feel like but it goes so much deeper than that and other orcs are immediately pick out friend or foe among strangers depending on the alliances of their native tribe. Orcs are true artists when it comes to tattoos, clothing/weapons designs, and jewelry despite the fact that they don’t usually use lavish materials and gems like dwarves.
The differences between orc Lords and normal orcs is usually apparent though their appearance. Their dress and jewelry are much different in a more subtle way. However, their tattoos usually all stay the same if they’re an orc Lord or not. Lords tend to have some sort of sash across their chest adjourned with different and rarer metals than normal orcs as well as traditional designs that signify that they are a Lord. They also may have some more of head garment. It is traditional for the orc leader to be marked by a piece of jewelry or cloth on their head. Normal orcs never wear any sort of object on their head because that is reserved for their leader.
Behavior Honor is of greatest importance in the orc culture. It is measured by many things including the number of battles won, feats of strength that have brought great wealth or possessions to the individual, and upholding the honor of your ancestors. To gain social superiority, one must prove themselves more capable than the other competitive males in the tribe. The idea behind this system is to force the society to constantly strive to be better and stronger; to not stagnant or die out. Discord and strife are viewed as the cleansing fire that will bring out the higher self and to bring respect to those it is due, it encourages great quests as well as greater and more vicious acts of brutality. The concept of honor is deeply imbedded in orcish culture and the practices tend to differ from tribe to tribe, but the center concept remains the same. Because of the variety of situations in which one can boost or hinder their honor, orcs, as a group, are almost impossible to look at as a whole and they tend to prefer it that way.
One characteristic that is always prevalent among orc tribes is their inherent need for a leader. It is rare to see an independent orc that has separated themselves from a tribe and a deity. It is their nature to follow and for a leader from among them to rise up. These leaders are called Lords in a common sense, but their title changes from tribe to tribe. There are always Lords in a tribe, and a unique thing is that women are not prevented from being Lords. Every tribe usually has a Warchief and a Chieftain. It is not uncommon for tribes to be killed off or split up, then the tribeless orcs simply wonder to the tribes of their allies to reap revenge for destroying their tribe. The cycle of honor is never-ending.
Orc women are an interesting topic; they are usually at the bottom or the top, but rarely in the middle. Some tribes have female Chieftains and sometimes a female Warchief, but that is rare. If they hold one of these positions the tribe does not contest them because it is known that they must have earned the position to be there. If they are not at the top they are at the bottom living in the camp making and raising children, getting the food, and tending to the wounded. They are treated as property if they are married and if they are not then they usually get married quickly to secure self-protection or they learn to protect themselves and choose a different path.
The typical alignment of orcs is of the neutral and evil tendencies. A majority of orcs are neutral because they don’t care about anything outside of their tribes and the inter-tribal conflicts. In other areas outside of Angard, orcs are primarily of an evil alignment. It is rare and usually socially unacceptable for orcs to be of a good alignment, they wouldn’t get very far in their practices unless they did that independently, and that is something that orcs tend not to do.
As stated before, orcs are very subjective to intense forms of envy, jealousy, and the desire for vengeance. They hold grudges forever, or at least until they have gotten vengeance, but then the other side must ‘get them back.’ It is another never-ending cycle of conflict and tension.
Language Orcs speak orcish which is a complex language which uses an excessive amount of apostrophes and letters that are harsh in the common language of Aedolyn. It sounds dim witted, but in all actuality it is more complex than elvish by far.
Innate Attributes Orcs are brought up by their parents to be strong warriors and they are skilled in all types of warfare and weapons. Typically, all orcs are skilled at archery and the axe. They are creative when it comes to inventing new types of weapons that do gruesome and terrible things to their victims. As stated above, orcs are great craftsmen when it comes to designing tattoos or traditional/religious designs or even jewelry.
The Four OrcsGhastaag (Bavkür)
Lands: Bavkür is one of the two areas of Aedolyn where Orcs are the dominate species. Here they preside over the ruling class of Svaalgor Keep along with the other races of the Alliance. They are the most numerous race of the northern desert and mountains and challenge the orcs of Angard for superiority in the Nívak Desert. The Ghastaag are the orcs of Malkur and are all, usually, of an evil alignment as well as those from Gaalvar and Galstrom. They are the more physical and violent than most other orcs, but this behavior has become the stereotype of all the orcs of Aedolyn.
Physical Features:
Lifespan: 300 Years
Height: 6’0” – 7’0”
Weight: 180 – 250 lbs
Hair: Black, Grey, White
Eyes: Dark
Build: Large Frame, Muscular
Skin: Shades of Grey
Traits:
Relations:
History:
Mör’nak (Galstrom)
Lands: Galstrom is the second area of Aedolyn where Orcs dominate. Both the Bavkür and the Galstrom Alliance are ruled by orcs and they usually agree on most things. Galstrom is just as diverse as Bavkür but only with different races. The Galstrom orcs, the Mör'nak, live mainly in the Galstrom Badlands and Steppes; they generally stay out of the Zul’Caer Highlands for that area is the home of many other races and they must preserve this delicate balance for the sake of the Alliance. The capital is Haar, an orc dominated city, on the coast of the Galstrom Sea. The Mör’nak are more sea bearing than the other three types of orcs; they have a very unique type of ship and they are quite abundant of the east and south coasts of Aedolyn.
Physical Features:
Lifespan: 250 Years
Height: 5’10” – 6’10”
Weight: 150 – 250 lbs
Hair: Brown, Black
Eyes: Shades of Green
Build: Large Frame, Muscular
Skin: Green/Grey/Brown Mixture
Traits:
Relations:
History:
Dunnv’r (Angard)
Lands: The Dunnv’r are generally of a neutral alignment but it is still pretty common to find one of an evil alignment. They live in the eastern and southern parts as well as the far west of the Angard Empire in Kval’tar, Fâlivrin, and Mörag Camp. Kval’tar is a big port city and therefore they have good relations with the Mör’naks from Galstrom. The Dunnv’r have other things to worry about, for instance, their ongoing struggle with the Dwarves for control and representation. Some of the Dunnv’r don’t even affiliate with the Angard Empire, the Angard Orcs have their own limited autonomy but are still suppose to be loyal to the Empire and not to Bavkür or Galstrom.
Physical Features:
Lifespan: 300 Years
Height: 6’0” – 7’0”
Weight: 180 – 250 lbs
Hair: Brown, Grey, Black
Eyes: Brown, Dark
Build: Large Frame, Muscular
Skin: Brown
Traits:
Relations:
History:
Qrólhn (Gaalvar)
Lands: The dark and mysterious Qrólhn live amongst the Dark Dwarves in the northern Gaalvar Mountains under Telgin jurisdiction. They are highly isolated to an extent where many people are unaware of their existence. Of all the orcs, they live the longest and are the most developed when it comes to magic and history. They are one of the most secretive races in Aedolyn; so much that scholars are unaware to the fact that they have their own city in the depths of the mountains. In contrast to their Angard brothers, they have good relations with the Dwarves and Elves with whom they live. They submit to being considered under Telgin rule but the arm of Telgin is unable to span that far north; so essentially the northern part of the Telgin Republic is lawless.
Physical Features:
Lifespan: 400 Years
Height: 5’10” – 6’8”
Weight: 150 – 200 lbs
Hair: Black, Grey, White
Eyes: Dark
Build: Large Frame, Muscular
Skin: Dark Grey, Black
Traits:
Relations:
History:
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