Interlude
Orcs come in many variety. While they are best known as savage, barbaric marauders that form hordes and raid civilizations, this is merely one part of their greater existence. From those who live deep under the mountains, to the sea-faring orcs of the ocean, the desert dwelling orcs with fiery passion, and the reclusive orcs hidden in swamps and forests, the variety to orcs is nearly as great as the variety of humans. There are common stereotypes and misconceptions of orcs, from their personalities, attitudes, and even appearance. While many orcs could be described simply, it would not do their kind justice to accept these generalizations at face value. The exceptions are more common than most people realize, and only the enlighten can truly understand the depth of an orc.
Appearance
Commonly, when one thinks of orcs, there are two types of physiques. The first are more bestial, almost goblinoid, with pig-like snouts, hunched over bodies, and dark or ashen skin. The second are larger, more muscular and robust green-skinned humanoids. Some could even pass as humans, albeit large and slightly green ones. Both these descriptions can be appropriate depending on the type of orc one deals with.
Appropriately, orcs appear differently depending on the environments where they came from. Those born underground alongside the dwarves and others of the deep tend to be shorter than surface orcs, with notable claws and eyes that adapt easily to absolute darkness. Their skin can range anywhere between black like the dark itself, or possibly pale due to the lack of light. Truly albino orcs are very rare, and typically a sign of greatness for that orc. Green-skinned orcs are also commonly found upon the surface, with various hues and shade that's said to change with the seasons themselves. Indeed, the green-skin of the orcs, alike with their rough textures, allow them to blend in with the color of foliage in a forest, lush grassland, or even as algae in a swamp. Brown and red skin is also common, often in environments such as deserts or open plains, where the sun has darkened and tanned the hides of orcs for eons passed.
It is not unusual for these orcs to grow bigger than their environments would normally allow, as all orcs are prone to growing with age, regardless of what their environment would recommend. Male orcs tend to grow, at their fullest maturity, between six to seven feet, with women growing to a similar height. Some orcs may continue to be smaller due to their body composition; many are hunched back and tend to slouch forward, making them shorter than their bodies really are. Not only does an orc's body grow with age, but so do their teeth. Like humans, orcs go through a stage of baby teeth and then mature teeth. Unlike humans, orcs will continuously grow in new teeth, and it is especially noticeable with damaged teeth. It is not a surprise to see an orc loose his tusks one day, and a week later he has a new set.
Tusks, or sharpened underbites, are highly common among orcs. While technically omnivorous, orcs are born with teeth that suggest a much more carnivorous diet. Indeed, some orcs have such strong, pronounced tusks and teeth that it is not uncommon to see them weaponized, biting through flesh and bone like a cleaver. A less common feature are horns. While typically not large like animal horns, some orcs have been seen with various spiked or studded bone protrusions from their skulls. Rarely do these horns ever grow as large or noticeable as their tusks, though some do have functional or ceremonial uses.
There are orcish males and females, though the difference between the two, once again, varies from environment to environment. It has been noted that subterranean orcs have very little sexual dimorphism, with males and females being impossible to make apart without getting a look under the hood or using certain alt3ernative methods. On the other hand, surface orcs have much more noticeable differences, such as a more obvious bust or hips, as well as differences in overall body shape and size. Orcs may not be conventionally attractive to many races, but there are those who come to like their more amazonian physique or rugged charms.
Generally, orcs have a high metabolism that burns through fat quickly, and thus many orcs tend to have a muscular build. However beyond that, their size and physique depends mainly on the individual's ability to meet their dietary needs. A "Healthy" orc is often a hulking brute of a humanoid, with a stocky build and large presence, even for females. However as their high metabolism require much more food than an orc can reasonably provide for himself, it is not uncommon to see them with a "punier" or more human shape.
Half-orcs are a phenomenon that shares many orcish traits, but it is difficult for them to be as easily categorized as their full-blooded kin. Typically, a half-orc will have traits from both sides of their parents, with the orcish traits more noticeable and thus easier to identify them as half-orcs. What these traits of, of course, can vary wildly. There are some half-orcs who look completely human aside from the presence of their orcish teeth, or their slight green tint. Some half-orcs share much of their appearance to orcs, so much that they could easily be mistaken as full-blooded orcs.
General Abilities
Orcs as a whole are well known for their strength and hardiness. They are naturally inclined to develop strong muscles overtime regardless of their lifestyles or profession, and combined with a culture that values strength, it is no surprised that orcs are strong. Additionally, orcs are also known for their dense bone structure and thick leathery hides, giving them a certain amount more endurance than other races. Thus, many orcs later become quite strong and very durable. Unfortunately, despite their physical advantages an orc's natural lifespan is shorter than most races, even if they do not live a martial life. Orcs mature quickly, reaching full physical maturity and effective adulthood as soon as 15. Females are sexually fertile at age 10. However, because of their constantly growing, and thus constantly consuming, needs of their body, full-blooded orcs tend to suffer from age-related disease and illness as soon as forty years old. Fifty years old is considered elderly for an orc.
The intelligence of an orc is no worse or better than that of a human, however due to their limited lifespans, they have a much shorter time to trying and obtain an effective education. That is to say, orcs are no stupid. Merely their lives are shorter and thus die faster than most other races, forcing them to learn through experience instead of preparing through education.
Orcs have a certain bestial sense, though how that manifests varies from orc to orc. Two common variants are orcs who have a natural darkvision, and orcs with sensitive noses similar to that of a boar. Rarely does an orc have both, though it is not impossible. Of course with their advantages, they have their drawbacks. Those with a darkvision are more sensitive to light, and often do not operate in the sun due to their sensitivity, at least not without some sort of shaded protection. Conversely, orcs with a sharp nose tend to eschew civilized areas due to the concentration of pungent odors, or they may even numb their senses in order to get accustomed to such smells.
Magic is not unheard of for orcs, though different cultures treat magic differently. Generally speaking, orcs are as capable of magic as humans are, that is to say, they can learn and use it, and some many even have a natural affinity for it, but it would not be uncommon for an entire village or town to have no natural spellcaster among them. However, some subterranean are well known for both their inability to use magic, but also their magic resistance. Some of the more powerful orcs have been known to be nearly immune to spells and magic. While orcs with magic resistance that powerful are extremely rare, the existence of orcs with magic resistance have been recorded in various villages and communities underground.
Lastly, as orcs live short lives that do not accommodate academic education well, they accommodate by taking more quickly through physical education. An orc youth can easily become a professional in his craft or skill by the time he reaches adulthood (Fifteen years old) with constant training or consistent experience, so long as what they are learning is highly physical. Farming, hands-on craftsmanship, martial arts, even dance, these things an orc youth can learn quickly, and even adults could pick up the fundamentals with some ease. But thus, academic or scholarly pursuits are somewhat more difficult, in that an orc must dedicate as much time as any other human to pursue a mastery of, but with less of a lifespan to achieve it.
Of course, all these things are vastly different for a half-orc. For starters, half-orcs tend to have a lifespand that matches a human, with eighty typically being their elderly lifespan. They mature at a slightly slower rate than orcs, reaching full maturity at 16 instead of fifteen, but still faster than most humans, dwarves, or elves. But as an orcs mental ability is the same as a humans, their physical ones are as well. A half-orc does not pick up a physical skill any easier than a human does, barring certain talented individuals.
Cultures
There are three "Major" cultures of orcs around the world, each of the three having very sparse contact with each other. Additionally, individual traditions and cultures have been created for various tribes and nations ruled by orcs, though these are often borrowed or shared between other orcish nations.
Dark Orcs - Like the Dark Elves and the Dark Dwarves, Dark Orcs are the orcs who often live underground or at least away from where the sun shines. Dark Orcs eschew magic, either due to cultural superstition or their own innate magical resistance interfering with their spellcasting abilities. Thus, Dark Orcs have developed along more technological lines, similar to dwarves. Indeed, many Dark Orcs been inspired or had ideas stolen/stole from the dwarves, but with their own innovations. Of the three orcish cultures, Dark Orcs are best known for the pure craftsmanship of their items, as they rely on no magical means, but an intimate understanding of the
science behind the things they interact with. Additionally, due to the more confined spaces of Dark orc society, they are one of the few orcish cultures that lack a tribal culture, and are generally much more organized and regimented than their surface kin. It is not uncommon to see an orcish settlement first build not a town hall or even homes, but a factory for the orcs to bring raw material towards and produce goods.
Not all Dark Orcs live underground of course. Mountain dwelling orcs are often Dark Orcs, or at least have ancestors who are Dark Orcs. But much like their underground cousins, Dark Orcs are still highly industrial, favoring rapid expansion and exploitation of the resources around them, with very little care for the concerns of the wildlife beyond how it may affect the Dark Orc's infrastructure. To that end, Dark Orcs are most likely to develop farms and pastures to grow crops and raise animals instead of other orc cultures. Thus, one could say that Dark Orcs are one of the more prosperous orcish cultures thanks to their ability to maintain a government and act as a whole. However, Dark Orcs are mired in in-fighting and civil wars, often displacing leadership and disrupting progress due to the rapid or sudden shifts in perspectives.
Wild Orcs - Wild Orcs are the most common victim of the barbaric horde iconography. As their name implies, Wild Orcs are most commonly found within the wilderness around the world, rarely making permanent settlements and instead living like nomads off the land. Often tribal and organized by tribes and clan affiliations, however that is not to say that Wild Orcs are not more widely organized, nor are they incapable of invention and great advances in the field of science and magic. Of the three orcish cultures, Wild Orcs have the most mages, often being druid or shaman in their magic crafts. In other cultures, their magic seems more along the lines of witchcraft. Wild Orcs tend to populate areas known for their dangerous faunas or hostile environments, challenging themselves against the elements (Both natural and magically shaped), and the survivors come out stronger than before. Wild Orcs thrive in adversity, and derive strength through conquest.
But as that would imply, sometimes the most dangerous enemy the Wild Orcs can face aren't things in the wilderness, but people behind their walls and protected by their kingdoms and governments. While most Wild Orcs have the sense not to pointlessly wage war against established nations, they do not hesitate to face off against empires, kingdoms, or nations that threaten them, and Wild Orcs are more than capable of fighting back. Additionally, in desperate times Wild Orcs do indeed prey on villages and townships outside the reach or protection of a nation's military, more so if the source of sustenance such as wild fruits and game becomes drained due to the villages and townships expanding, inadvertently destroying and driving them off. These bouts of raiding and horde mentality do not last long, more so if people are willing to cooperate with the Wild Orcs. But just as it is rare for the Wild Orcs to become a barbarian horde, it rare for people to try and end the conflict peacefully.
Dynasty Orcs - Something of a combination of the Wild and Dark Orcs. Dynasty Orcs are orcs who live in great cities or civilizations, however they are still held together by their tribal roots. Dynasty Orcs are truly the most varied, and more often then not mirror human culture and development to the point that Dynasty Orcs have the most Half-Orcs of the three cultures. Where exactly the Dynasty Orcs settle is greatly varies. More often then not, Dynasty Orcs are either less xenophoic offshoots of Dark Orcs, or orcish settlers who have befriended human nations and live in their cities, eventually overtaking the population and peacefully taking over operations. Generally speaking, Dynasty Orcs favor port cities due to their importance for trade and commence. And for the more adventurous orcs, port cities allow them to take a career as sailors, or for the less savory, pirates.
That's not to say that Dynasty Orcs have it made. While Wild and Dark Orcs have their own problems, Dynasty Orcs share the best and the worst of both worlds. Not only do they have to withstand the prejudice that comes from simply being an orc, but the other two cultures could adversely affect Dynasty Orc's relationship with their partners, depending on the nature of the conflicts. That's not even mentioning the various conflicts Dynasty Orcs have from said partners and their strife, but it civil war or even a full-blown war against other nations that are not predominately ruled by orcs. Indeed, while Dynasty Orcs certainly enjoy the fruits of labor they could not enjoy on their own, they must also suffer the woes that isn't theirs to burden.
Religion
WIP:
Xia the Dirt Goddess and Malkai the Force of Change
Totem Spirits
Karnage Urabrask Vorinclex
