Orcs

Though commonly associated with violence and brutality, the orcs are a relatively civilised race, having families, jobs and somewhat good relations with the humans. However, this can only be said for a few tribes, for in the tens of thousands of scattered tribes, there are bound to be bands of orcs that still slaughter and kill.  their lack of unity and their inability to use technology has made them often an insignificant threat to the major alliances. 

Orcs have neither respect nor hatred for other races, simply viewing them as potential sources of plunder or meat, and enjoy them more when they try to fight back. But they do seem to exalt the Dragonborn higher above the others due to their prowess in fighting and their loyalty to their clan. They also hate the Tieflings for their adept magic that sear many painful and very visible scars in the orcs. But the one thing synonymous with all orcs is that; all Elfs must die. To them, Elfs are haughty, prideful, tree twigs, cowardly, lanky, stupid and smelly, and all orcs seem to despise them, save for the orcs who turn over a new leaf.

Tales that describe the orcs:

Of Gothrothechork and Krillminglr, and how the orcs had been split apart:

In the past, when violence and pillaging were the main forms of garnering resources and expanding territory, the orcs banded together in five major tribes, each tribe as terrible as the other, with many smaller ones existing independently alongside them. They lay siege to any settlement, village, town, city or kingdom they came across. Many over seas and beyond horizons knew of their power and great terror they would bring should they step foot in their lands, preparing great armies of the mightiest men in advance. And their woes came to pass when the orcs sailed from Araduid to the lands beyond in the early months of (), into Iluskan, Rodan, Naskrim, Norschmarch, even the fisheries and traders of the far south arose to battle. Humans, Elfs and Dwarves alike fought back with their steel, magic, machinery, and valour, yet none could match the ferocity and great multitude of the orcs.

But it was the orcs themselves that brought their downfall. The tribes of the Enuk-Shai and the Klazaki-Khan marched towards the (), now known as the Land of the Dead, to take the capitol of one of the human kingdoms. According to legend past down from orc warriors to their children, and their children to their children, the Enuk-Shai was lead by the Big One known as Gothrothechork, a great and valiant leader who knew no fear and was beloved by many. He brought prosperity through the orc tribes with effective logistical developments and bountiful trades with various tieflings and wandering traders. What most were impressed by (or shocked at) was the kindness that he showed. When leading his armies, he would be willing to let their enemies go the moment they surrender, and forbade any harm done to prisoners or captives without reasoning. He fostered good relationships with otherwise hostile tribes and formed a council of orc Big Ones and Warchiefs that would make decisions on their next moves rather than have ugly banter and arguments about what each tribe could or could not do, especially during a time when the orcs had gained much and more than two leaders set their eyes on the same plunder or land. Nevertheless, he was also a proud and stoic fighter and could rally his orcs even in a battle where all was lost.

From the Klazaki-Khan, there came Krillminglr. Krillminglr was a name that would root orcs to their places and make the mightiest of Dwarves shiver. Even elfs would try to tactfully steer conversations away from this orc. His and his tribe’s skin had been pigmented red, either due to genetics, or the folk-lore of them quite literally bathing in their enemies blood, is up for debate. One rumour describes them as sparing none. Another told of a river in their capitol that ran with blood of the fallen. Yet another says that they ate each other because they can. None can describe what Krillmanglr truly is. He stood far taller than the other orcs, his skin crimson while the rest paled in comparison. In his hands he held a great axe as large as a small tree, and at his side a shortsword was clipped to his hip. His eyes were blood red and his armour shone a bright black against the moonlight. The beast cared only for violence and bloodshed. He often fought in the frontlines with his orcs where the battle was fiercest, and commanded straight from there rather than at a safer position. Never did he lose a battle. Never did he retreat. Once, an entire castle of humans situated on a mountain side abandoned their posts and fled on the news that Krillminglr was approaching, even though he was many leagues away. He was even surprised. 

The two Big Ones approached the great kingdom. Scouts sent out reported bountiful farmlands, fruit trees, mines, tapestries, fabric, grain, gold and more. The orcs readied their siege weapons and sharpened their swords. They began their march. The ground shook beneath their great feet. Deers, birds and possibly even trees slinked away as the earth trembled with each step. They came to a hill that surveyed the kingdom from afar, and from there the two orc leaders saw the great walled kingdom of () in all of its splendour. It lay next to the shore, many merchant and allied ships moored in its deep ports. They could decry banners of red and white whipping in the wind, and many small specs moving about here and there.

It was then that Gothrothechork felt a sudden change of heart. It is unclear as to what he saw or felt that made him change his mind, but he argued with Krillminglr to stop the attack. Out of respect for his actions that had benefited the orcs, Krillminglr did not lob off his head then and there, and listened to him. Gothrothechork could find no excuse for not wishing to attack the humans, and instead proclaimed his thoughts to the rest of the two tribes. He gave a great speech about righteousness and how killing is wrong, and how he greatly regretted his actions. Many were inspired, but many more scowled. The orc they looked up to had gone mad. 

Krillminglr flew into a fiery rage and attacked Gothrothechork, and his tribe on the Enuk-Shai. They fought on the hillside, drawing the attention of the humans in (). Alarmed, they readied their horses and chariots and rode into the orcs. The Enuk-Shai scattered in fear, with Gothrothechork grimly injured from his duel with Krillminglr. Despite the loss in massive forces, Krillminglr still took the kingdom, though he had great difficulty in doing so. The Klazaki-Khan decimated the riders with a new counter-machinery developed by Finglehir, and catapulted their dismembered bodies into the kingdom. The King had caught word that Gothrothechork was among the orc ranks, and decided to surrender. However, Krillminglr came and slaughtered every human, save for the women, magic users and children. 

The news spread far and wide about Gothrothechork’s betrayal. Tensions grew severe and fights eventually broke out amongst the followers of Gothrothechork and the other races. Some of the Enuk-Shai turned to other tribes, or went on their own. Without Gothrothechork to keep the rest in check, the Orc council tried to maintain their position, but shattered and fell apart after a year. Only a handful, about a thousand, followed and stayed loyal to Gothrothechork from the battle at (), with a few more scattered around the lands.

The orcs then fell apart and the rest of the races managed to fight back. While some orc tribes are still alive and conduct raiding attacks, and some who have made peace with the other races, most have been killed by the more violent orcs. The remainder of the Enuk-Shai joined with the humans, and remain neutral in their politics. Gothrothechork fought his final battle against Krillminglr when he tried to sail to the Elven capital in an attempt to stop him, but he and his sons, daughters, and their sons all fell. Nothing tells of Krillminglr’s death.

Of tales that show the orc’s intelligence:

Orcs are quite bizarre in intelligence. There are orcs who are complete fools and others utter geniuses. Finglehir is a good example, as well as Mottorios and Jorgmogodor, of wisdom and clarity

There were once two small tribes sitting near each other by a lake. A small group from each met and challenged each other to a friendly brawl. The members of the group apparently forgot that the fight was in good nature, and started actually fighting. The rest of the two tribes then attacked each other and retreated soon after

Before a raid on a village, some sneaky villagers got into the orc camp, and one of them mimicked the Boss’ voice and told the sirs who were sitting by the fire to retreat. They obeyed and the raiding party fled, with the real chief believing that the humans had mustered a first strike and fleeing as well.

An orc party once refused to enter a village when they heard them singing and dancing, as they thought they were performing a ritual

There have been many cases of orcs daring other orcs to eat bright coloured plants or insects and die soon after. Orcs have also been used in weapons, such as Drake launchers

Notable tribes:

The orc races have scattered into the wind ever since, and their disloyalty and small numbers make most ignore them. However, there are a few who are more prominent than others and are a credible threat.

The Klazaki-Khan are still at large and responsible for great multitudes of death in human and dwarven lands. Funnily, they are also responsible for the most orc deaths as well, since assassinations are constantly being carried out to attain better positions, and in fighting was common. Krillminglr was lost through the ages, and since then there had been no power great enough to unite all of the Klazaki-Khan once more. Klazaki-Khan orcs have red skin and appear larger and much more brutish than any other. Some even have their own bones used as defences or offensive weapons. 

The Enuk-Shai are known throughout human lands as allies, though a small number do not share similar beliefs. Most have chosen to live amongst humans in fear of another tribe regarding them as their enemies. They are a very small tribe, having split across the land and waters when Gothrothechork made his speech, known only because of their fondness towards humans. The Enuk-Shai appear red, though not as blood red as the Klazaki-Khan, and are somewhat smaller in stature, with female orcs about the size of a fully grown adult human.

The Sath-Karak are a supermassive tribe of orcs that was governed by a council that was closely related to the council that Gothrothechork had formed. It used to be a relatively small tribe amongst the other big four that held large plains and vast fields as their territory, but with the council, they convinced many chieftains and tribes to merge with Sath-Karak in order to enhance their manpower for development. Most tribes were too small to raid large cities on their own, and faced shortages of food or afflicted with illness or injury which they could not fix, and there were those that seek a life other than constant warfare and slaughter, or were too far stranded form other races to invade. Of course, some refused and went their own ways.

The Wok-Chithai are a rather small race of ocrs that specialise in technology and education. Finglehir somewhat created this race when those that lived near him were astounded by his intellect and smarts that they wanted to learn too. And so he taught them and they formed a small community that eventually turned into a mini tribe within the Sath-Karak, and eventually its own after the incident. This tribe generally shuns away from other tribes and other races altogether, wanting no political involvement that would risk their lives or their inventions. 

Enuk-Shathar is the name of a splinter group of the Enuk-Shai, who do not believe in Gothrothechork’s words, but do believe in his actions and decisions as a ruler. The Klazaki-Khan has threatened them numerous times to dissolve into their tribe, but time and time again they refused and fled.

The Ikaros Hunters are proud and plundering warriors who inhabit a dwarven mountain castle as their main base of operations, Ikaros-Wright, hence their tribe’s name. Their eyes seek gold, covet jems and reach for silver. Rubies and emeralds adorn their twin leaders' crowns, Forgledor and Horchetor, and long do the dwarves wait to have their revenge for their fallen kin.

The Vanadarri are a tribe that serve their god, Vadaam, and conduct whatever affairs that is required for themselves or for other tribes that wish to pay homage to their god. They are strong in numbers and hold many blessings from their patron deity, and their shamans can rival highly skilled human mages. Mottorios the priest leads them with holy guidance and visions he claims to be from Vadaam himself.

The Sorodemere are the orc sorcerers, shaman and priest capital. They despise the Wok-Chithai and their mechanical inventions, and instead, favour magic and spells drawn from unknown and possibly dangerous powers. They obtain magic books, tomes, grimoires, scrolls, manuscripts, papyrus, scriptures and various magical items needed for spellcasting and spell brewing from pillaged towns and cities, or through trade. The orcs are surprisingly adept at magic for creatures with such low intelligence, but again are limited by the fact that every apprentice wishes to take their master’s place. In spite of all this, Jorgmogodor remains as the strongest spell caster in all orc history, said to be alive from the early ages to the present day through spells and enchantment, and he assists the other orc tribes with his people in whatever way they can, and tolerates the Wok-Chitai’s inventions if seen.

Notable orcs:

Gothrothechork and Krillminglr are already stated above.

More can be stated of Krillminglr in the Battle of (). Despite having a weakened army from fighting the Enuk-Shai, Krillminglr took the entire capital of (). Krillminglr utilised catapults that launche boulders 

Finglehir the thinker was a great orc that was respected and feared by many. He is, by far, the smartest of the smartest of orcs, the wisest, the most cunning and the most knowledgeable. He had thought up many technological marvels that humans and dwarves use despite not seeing them until much after his inventions. Finglehir grew up like many other orcs of the Sath-Karak, but he had a knack for how things work and function. He was intrigued about why the wind blows, or why things fall, or why the sun sits in the sky and does now fall down. He found several answers in books brought back from raiding parties and read most of them that were in the common tongue. 

Finglehir, combined with his innate passion for warfare, and his natural gift of smarts, and also to showcase his talent to the other war-hungry orcs, kept trying to invent weapons of war and things that could be used for sieges. Many ridiculed his passion, and his many failed inventions that would backfire most of the time, but eventually, he proved them wrong. One fine day Finglehir brought a catapult to a field and demonstrated its destructive power. Krillminglr heard of this and offered Finglehir ten of his personal guards who were extremely loyal for the blueprints of the catapult. Finglehir bargained to get fifteen orcs and accepted. Krillminglr did not want other tribes to get such a powerful weapon and wanted it for himself, but he learned that other tribes soon obtained their own as well after several months. He demanded an answer and Finglehir simply said that other tribes’ own inventors and thinkers made revelations of their own or copied some of the designs before Krillminglr got his blueprints. Krillminglr did not believe him and sent some assassins to kill Finglehir. However, he had booby trapped his tent so well that all four assassins died and Finglehir didn’t even know about the attack until after he woke and saw the bodies of the assassins. 

He produced many more inventions that gave the orcs the extra push to attack cities closer to many kingdoms’ capitals, and on rare occasions, the capitals themselves. Examples include carriages, irrigation systems, compasses, portable watches that functioned using sundials, flaming weapons and weapons that utilised gunpowder, such as flintlock rifles or melee weapons that used gunpowder to boost their speed. 

Finglehir was offered many many times by many chieftains and Big Ones to join their tribes or invent something for them, but he refused, saying that his inventions must come from his mind and wonder of the way the world works, not from material desire or bribery, and so refused all of them unless it was an order for a supply of something he had already made. His inventions was known throughout the world of orcs, and many followed him, leading to the formation of the Wok-Chithai. He was even asked by other races to meet with their own inventors. Again, Finglehir refused. On that note, he also theorised possible explanations of gravity, stars and planetary motion, kinematics and volume displacement. He came close to some, correct on few, and very wrong on most. 

He passed away with a good family and a good long life. Many, even Krillminglr and Jormogodor, respected him for his talent and the great developments that he brought to the orcs that catapulted them to technological levels on par with the humans and even dwarves.

Fundabaar is another well known orc for having a supreme hatred for the elves and has killed many of them on sight. He is smaller than most, but is far faster, cunning and crafty. 

Dun Dol Dar is a curious orc that is known for his name. He was called Dunnedar, but he changed it to something that was very long as a joke. (being Dun Dol Dar De Derm Darg Do Dur etc) and it drove many orcs mad because they needed to recognise his name for respect, and in Lorth-Forgen, administrative teams became furious. A rule was implemented that orc names cannot exceed a certain length because of him.

Orc leadership:

Big Ones are the top of the top, the leaders of entire tribes and all Chieftains below him. He leads approximately anywhere between a hundred thousand and a million orcs.

Chieftains, or just Chief by the orcs, serve their Big One and govern a large populace of orcs, regarding their movements, accommodation, economy and food and shelter. They usually work with the lower Bosses to govern somewhere between one to ten thousand orcs, some going out to a hundred thousand.

Bosses are similar to officers in the sense that they control smaller groups of orcs, usually in military terms, while the rest are for general use. This includes ten to twenty sirs, or more than a hundred orcs.

Sir is copied when an orc once heard a human address their superior as “Sir,” first, and had used it ever since. A sir orders around ten to twenty orcs during combat or on any military operation.

The last position is simply an orc.

(All the numbers are based on past data, when the orcs were very powerful. Now, the role of Sir and Boss remains similar, but for Chief and Big Ones, ignore the larger number.)

There is technically a role higher than the Big Ones, which would be the orc council, but since it dissolved, it is irrelevant.

What orcs call other races out of habit or spite (Anyone playing an orc must use these terms):

Human - small, short, weaklings, 

Dwarfs - smaller, short, hairy, Ikaros losers,

Elfs - Knife-eared, smelly, tree lover, proud twigs

Half-elfs - Same as elf, tainted blood, not a real elf,

Gnomes - sprites, halflings (as they confuse the two)

Halflings - smallest, shortest 

Lizardfolk - scaly, sniffers, fake dragons, 

Dragonborn - Enugkratha, Fire spitters, angry birds

Tiefling - Horny ones, bad bad beings, Knolknacks, two-legged goats

Locations of interest:

Lorth Forgen- the capital of the Sath-Karak. It is a large plains with much lakes, rivers, streams, small groups of trees that the orcs used for agriculture and farming in general. Remains of such civilization are still somewhat evident in the fields.

Ikaros Wright is the capital of the Ikaros hunters. It used to be called Ikaros Danain by the Dwarves who had built it. It was a massive castle cleaved into the side of a small mountain, and spans deep deep down where there were mines and tunnels for finding gold and silver. The story goes that the dwarves returned from a huge battle and were weary and tired. The orcs sprung a surprise attack and chased off or slaughtered the dwarves within and took the castle for themselves. The dwarves could not turn to any others for help as they were outcasts during the many civil wars

Dummeldawn 

Barflebursche

Weapons:

Drake Launchers (Napalm): Catapults that launched boulders filled with hot lava. The seals on the boulder break apart as it flies and splits apart before impact. Orcs also sometimes melt traitors or prisoners into molten sludge and fling them

Orcs usually use axes and warhammers and sometimes swords. Some just fight with their fists

Finglehir developed ballistas and crossbows for them too.

They also fling body parts into enemies to discourage them from attacking.

Music and song:

The orcs play several instruments unique to orcs. One is called the Bronnowear, a woodwind instrument that is basically a cheaper clarinet that makes throaty sounds usually used for battle , both physical and in competition of the arts. The more elegant and softer cousin, the Bowner, is a smaller, shorter but nicer instrument in terms of its sound and pitch. 

The orcs also use battle drums to intimidate the enemy and to synchronise the marching of the orcs. This was actually developed by Finglehir when he felt the ground shake after an orc army returned from a battle and found himself scared.

Trumpets that were stolen and their own Iron Billowhorns, more commonly referred to as Battlehorns, were also used in warfare for intimidation or to coordinate armies

Orcs also have folk songs that are passed down from generation to generation. Some of battle, of a female orc a fine warrior had to part ways with because he had to go to war, of a peaceful life, about an orc’s favourite item or axe, are some examples. Some orcs hum to human or even elven tunes they had picked up from somewhere because they sounded nice.

Economy:

Economy is quite nonexistent in the orcs. Some, such as the Enuk-Shai, mainly use barter trade, but have somewhat of a currency in silver or gold, especially with other races. 

The Sath-Karak tried to implement a currency system using paper, but it failed miserably when orcs stole from one another or made their own paper money, inflating the value of the currency and removing its worth altogether, and most resorted to bartering again.

The Klazaki-Khan take whatever they want and only the strongest gets it. They do some form of barter, but they usually trick each other for the best profit. 

In general, most orcs follow a first come first serve rule, but some will kill to get what they want.

Food:

Orcs prefer meat and protein much more than vegetables, but will consume grain, wheat and greens if need be. They are fine with fruits, preferring sour and tasteless ones to sweet and juicy. An orc eats big and lasts long without, having been trained from young to endure hunger in long marches to battle, and to not eat each other. 

Markings:

Orcs have something called “markings” on them, be it on their body or something they wear or carry. This is done to signify their loyalty to someone or something, or something they put on for pride, or for decorative purposes.

The Klazaki-Khan lobs off a portion of each member’s ear as a marking that they “belong” to the Klazaki-Khan, no matter where they may end up. 

Most tribes have their own symbols that they identify with, and display it on their armour, skin, but most commonly on a banner or flag with a base colour and they symbol being white or black relative to the base colour so it is easily seen. This is done for intimidation and to raise the spirits of the orc armies.

Other tribes brun markings into their member’s skins. Some orcs even offered this as services similar to tattoo salons. 

Orc Tribes also sometimes have a common war paint that the Orcs wear to battle. This improves intimidation on the enemy, lets each Orc know which tribe which is from if two or more tribes are raiding together, or raises the morale of the Orcs as the paint unites them under their banner.

Elves:

For some reason, every Orc shares an intense hatred for Elves. The new and reformed Orcs, or the Half Orcs, may not show any hate, but still dislike them somewhat. Scholars attribute this to an event that took place during one of Krillminglr’s campaigns. It is said that Krillminglr had built several ships and sailed along the coast of Allurian to attack merchant ships and steal ships from harbours. One story tells of Krillminglr and his fleet attacking the Aurion Isles to try and conquer the Elves. However, a barrage of spells, magic and arrows blanketed the sky and sank many of the Orc ships and with one bolt of white fuming magic severing Krillminglr’s arm. The Unkillable easily reattached the arm with magic, but decided against attacking the Isle for fear of losing his fleet. This painted Krillminglr in a very bad light, and in an attempt to sustain his many victories, Krillminglr claimed that he had simply changed his mind and felt attacking human and dwarf settlements was better. He also hurled many insults towards the Elves, some false and some true, to get the Orcs to hate them and kill any on sight. 

This is one theory on why the Orcs hate the Elfs based on legend and tales. Another suggests that the Orcs are naturally evil, while the Elves naturally good, thus they clash. Yet another says that their patron deities had some feud during the days when they walked on Tardorevan, and their children do likewise.

As for the Elves, they also dislike Orcs, but is fine with an Orc that does not hate them

Reproduction:

Orcs reproduce very quickly and is one of the reasons why they grew pretty strong pretty quickly. An Orc mother will birth a child in three months, and Orcs, who generally act on instinct and little reason, will reproduce whenever they feel like it. Married Orcs are rarely disloyal, as their loyalty to their clan equals to their loyalty to their partners, or because their partners will find and kill them if they try, especially the wives.

But majority of the Orcs are unwed, because they are brutish, think that marriage holds them back, do not want children or find polygamy more appealing. Again, with decisions made based on their instinct, this causes these Orcs to satisfy themselves on anything they can find. Ranging from other animals to a best pal’s wife, if one can name it, an Orc had done it. This is mostly done to other races during raiding parties, and the females are kidnapped and kept in Orc territory until their deaths. This single fact about Orcs makes many hate and revile them, even for Half Orcs, who are too recent to partake in such ways, or the reformed Orcs that choose to live a life of good.

There is an event that occurred regarding the Gnomes which massively exemplifies this. However, Scholars and Gnomes have agreed that nothing of this story should be told until it is forgotten.