The Orcs
History
The Great War between the Orcs and the Elves erupted two thousand years ago. The cause has long been forgotten, but it raged for centuries, resulting in the destruction of the Orc cities, leaving them as wandering nomads, fearful the victorious Elves would hunt them to extinction. After the rise of Humans, Orcs settled down in villages scattered across the Continent and lived as hunter-gatherers.
Physiology
The Orcs of Eiddenwerthe have physically degenerated over centuries of eking out an existence, causing them to be shorter than their ancestors from before the Great War. They now average six feet in height but have broader shoulders than Humans, making them noticeably stronger.
Orcs mature faster than Humans, both physically and mentally. They are referred to as younglings until they pass the rite of adulthood (called the Ordeal) shortly after they reach the age of fourteen.
Female Orcs bear younglings once they are mature, but due to their limited lifespan, usually no more than three. Single births are most common, but twins are not unheard of and, when born, typically are given similar-sounding names.
Psychology
Orcs consider themselves hunters rather than warriors, a distinction that resulted from centuries of trying to exist in the wild. They value truth and act in the tribe’s best interest, although the occasional chieftain has let power go to their head.
Crime is rare in Orc society. The worst thing an Orc can do is “shame the Ancestors” by an act that goes against honour; cowardice is a good example of this, as is greed. All wealth is shared with the tribe, while armour and weapons remain personal property. Orcs live in huts with only leather curtains for doors; locks are not needed in Orc society.
The Ordeal
Shortly after reaching the age of fourteen, an Orc undergoes the Ordeal. Though the custom can vary from tribe to tribe, it consists of the youngling being equipped with basic weapons and surviving in the wild for a ten-day. At the conclusion of the Ordeal, the youngling is welcomed back as a full-fledged member of the tribe.
Training for roles other than hunter is done by apprenticing under an accomplished Orc of the appropriate role, such as a shaman or Master of Earth.
Family
The act of marrying is called bonding, with mated pairs referred to as bondmates. They bond for life, and family is so important to them that raising younglings is considered the domain of the entire tribe.
Government
Orcs are organized into tribes or small clans; the latter term is used to define those who have no fixed home and wander where the hunting takes them. Tribes, on the other hand, live in small villages scattered throughout Eiddenwerthe in remote locations. Upon founding, tribes will adopt a symbol which gives their tribe a name. The Orcs of the Red Hand, for example, adopted the habit of dyeing their hands red when going on a hunt to represent their tribe’s affinity for Fire Magic.
The leaders of tribes and clans are elected by a process referred to as the ‘casting of the stones’. An urn or basket (sometimes two in the case of multiple candidates) is passed around, and each member of the tribe inserts a stone to vote for a particular candidate. A chieftain can be male or female and serves until they die, surrender the position, or are voted out by a majority vote of the tribe.
The casting of the stones is overseen by the tribe’s shamans, who play a crucial role in the running of the tribe. They are considered intermediaries and are expected to remain neutral in disputes.
In ancient times, the seven great Orc cities were ruled by kings or queens, but these were all reportedly destroyed in the Great War fought against the Elves.
Society
Orc society is relatively balanced, with males and females both being hunters or even spellcasters. However, Life Magic tends to favour females, so the majority of their shamans are female. Most tribes have a master of flame or another of the elemental schools of magic. The term ‘master’ is also extended to others who offer specialized knowledge, such as a master of wolves, for those tribes who raise such creatures to aid in hunting.
Orc warriors are called hunters and use bows, spears, swords, and axes. Their bows tend to be better than short bows, but not quite as powerful as longbows. In more recent history, the Orcs of the Red Hand developed the Orc Warbow, a longbow specifically designed to take advantage of the Orcs' natural musculature. Most hunters use spears for melee, but swords are prized. Weapons are often handed down through family lines, as is armour.
Religion
Orcs believe Hraka (God of Fire) is responsible for creating them. This does not, however, mean they worship him. The Orcs revere their Ancestors, whom their shamans can contact through their magic. Their Ancestors are the holders of history and are often consulted when naming a new youngling.
Magic
The term shaman is used to describe any Orc who uses Life Magic. Their repertoire of spells includes not only those that heal but also those involving the spirit realm, where the dead often linger before passing into the Afterlife.
It is also common for a tribe to have spellcasters capable of elemental magic, who are known as masters of the appropriate style of magic. Frequently, a tribe’s name will be somehow related to this style of magic, such as the Sky Singers, who count masters of air amongst their numbers. In Orc society, the term ‘master’ is used to denote both male and female casters.
Military
Unlike their ancient ancestors, modern Orcs are hunters with little military training, the sole exception being those existing within the borders of Merceria.
On the rare occasions when they march to war, they are organized into three main classifications: hunters who primarily utilize bows and their hunting skills to act as scouts and screening forces; melee fighters, typically armed axes or spears; and mounted troops, who are available in only a few tribes.
In some tribes, younger Orcs will ride large wolves, though they seldom engage the enemy, being used more for scouting and message carrying. Once the younglings reach maturity, they are too heavy to be carried by these beasts. Wolves are accompany the hunt when available but would never be risked in a battle, being considered too scarce a resource to lose.
In the nascent kingdom of Therengia, the Orcs ride tuskers, giant creatures bigger than the largest warhorse. They are used as melee troops, with their thick skin making them a powerful addition to any army.
Regardless of what type of unit, Orcs are lightly armoured, wearing either leather or fur. Orc skin is naturally tough, much tougher than Humans, and so some choose to wear no armour to free up their movement.
