Orcs

Male Names: Brug, Dorgash, Garok, Harg, Koth, Mogran, Ruk, Shadok, Thrag, Urgath Female Names: Baggi, Emgra, Gresha, Huruza, Kansif, Mogara, Nargala, Ovak, Rugra

Orcs are a fierce and resilient people shaped by hardship, conflict, and survival against overwhelming odds. Their cultures are built around strength, endurance, and the ability to seize what is needed in a hostile world. Many orc societies trace their origins to ancient wars and long migrations that forced them into marginal lands where only the strong could thrive.

Life among orcs is harsh and often short. This reality has fostered a worldview that prizes action over reflection and dominance over compromise. Glory is earned through deeds, and weakness invites challenge. Despite their reputation for brutality, orcs possess a powerful sense of identity and belonging rooted in clan, ancestry, and shared struggle.

Orcs are tall, broad-framed humanoids with heavy musculature and powerful builds. Their skin tones range from gray and green to dark brown, often weathered by exposure to the elements. Prominent tusks jut from the lower jaw, and their features are typically coarse, with heavy brows and wide noses.

Their eyes are well adapted to low light, granting them keen vision at dusk or in darkness. Scars are common and often worn with pride, each marking a battle survived or a rival defeated. Orcs favor practical clothing and armor, often scavenged or taken from fallen foes, and rarely adorn themselves without purpose.

Orc society is organized around clans and warbands led by the strongest or most cunning individuals. Leadership is maintained through constant displays of dominance, and challengers are common. Authority is respected only so long as it is enforced.

Family structures are secondary to the clan as a whole. Children are raised collectively and taught to fight, hunt, and endure from a young age. Craftsmanship exists primarily to support warfare, with weapons, armor, and fortifications taking precedence over comfort or beauty.

While many clans are nomadic, others establish fortified camps or crude settlements near valuable resources. Raiding plays a central role in orc economies, both as a means of survival and a cultural expectation.

Orcs are widely feared by other races, and often with cause. Expansion through violence has brought them into repeated conflict with neighboring peoples. Dwarves and humans are frequent enemies, while elves are often viewed with deep resentment due to long-standing territorial disputes.

Despite this hostility, individual orc clans may engage in temporary alliances or mercenary work if it serves their interests. Orcs respect strength regardless of origin, and outsiders who prove themselves in battle may earn grudging acceptance.

Half-orcs often exist between worlds, accepted fully by neither side. Among orcs, they may be valued for adaptability or mistrusted for perceived weakness. Among other races, they are often judged by orcish reputation alone.

Most orcs tend toward chaotic alignments, valuing personal strength and freedom over order or law. Cruelty is common but not universal, shaped more by culture and necessity than inherent nature. Orcs raised outside traditional clans may develop very different moral outlooks.

Orc spirituality centers on gods of war, destruction, and survival. Divine favor is sought through victory and bloodshed rather than prayer or contemplation. Shamans and war-priests interpret omens, guide raids, and preserve oral histories of conquest and defeat.

Orc adventurers are often outcasts, survivors of destroyed clans, or individuals seeking strength beyond the limits of their people. Some leave to escape endless cycles of violence, while others pursue personal glory or power to one day return as leaders.

In adventuring parties, orcs excel in physically demanding roles such as barbarians, fighters, and bloodragers. Their endurance, aggression, and fearlessness make them formidable allies, though their blunt nature and cultural instincts can create friction with more restrained companions.