Orcs

Feral, warlike humanoids who live in the Northlands. They are divided into clans and represent a constant existential threat to the other Aedrus civilizations.  

Political Structure

  The Orcish Horde is comprised of seven major clans. They are almost always at war with each other, as well as the native Yaboni. This constant state of strife--along with the geographic impasse of the Titan's Teeth, has prevented them from achieving the strength required to invade their southern neighbor, the Kingdom of Andor.   In 156 KE, the tribes were briefly united under the Great Warchief, who led them across Chok'Logar and beseiged Northwarden. Their victory was only averted thanks to a heroic last stand by Arath'Marin and the Companions at the Fall of Ironpass.  

Clans

1. Spears of Grudge - Largest of the clans
2. Maimtooth - Berserkers
3. Wolfdwellers - Necromancers
4. Darkheart - Zeimari priests
5. Bleeding Skull - Shamans
6. Grim Marauders - Rangers
7. Olmen, the Lost Tribe - Settlers of Tamoachan

 

Orcs live in battle. Goblins live in the shadows.

— Anonymous

 

Society

  Through the long centuries of blood feud against the orc clans, some knowledge has been gleaned about their warrior-based society. Ironically, the orcish hierarchy resembles the foundations of Yaboni culture, with a ruling chieftain, advising shamans, and status determined by combat proficiency.   However, the similarities end there. The clans are governed by totalitarianism, with the strongest warrior holding absolute power. This chieftain legitimizes his claim to the throne by killing the incumbent ruler in hand-to-hand combat, then making sure that all other potential contenders are fanatically loyal or, failing that, assassinated. This “king-of-the-hill” mentality keeps orc numbers and strength in check but also makes an orc chieftain a very powerful figure indeed.   The orc hordes are normally in an endless condition of petty civil war or wary parlance, but they have occasionally united under a single banner. These rare events have signaled extreme danger to both the Yaboni tribes and the Kingdom of Andor. Each horde is known for a certain area of specialization, the result of many centuries of careful honing in a particular skill.   Each of the major factions has its symbol embossed on a black standard, a privilege that ust be earned through long and bloody civil war. The list of minor tribes is endless, since a tribe need only consist of a chieftain and loyal followers, but each of the major hordes numbers in the thousands. Kingdom scholars often refer to these clans as “the Horde” or the “Sleeping Menance,” since any united effort by the massive tribes could be life-threatening to human existence as a whole.  

A Tale of Orcs

 

The wetlanders, tucked away safely below the mountains in their soft, green Kingdom--they assume that all orcs are the same, but this is foolish. The orc numbers are as vast as an ocean, but like all waters, they have differences. A hot current here, an undertow there... and ignorance of these differences can be lethal.   The Spears of Drudge lust only for war, while the Bleeding Skull pledge their fealty to arcane darkness. And the Wolfdwellers? Well, they will do anything for power. But the Maimtooth, now there is a curious study. The reasons are unknown to us--lost to the dust of history--but they abhor magic in all its forms. To them, it is the gateway to madness and destruction, and the root of all misfortune. The Maimtooth spent generations cultivating a mushroom called Nil'Chaga, which inhibits the wielding of magic in all forms. They mix it into their food, and over years they develop a natural resistance to magical effects.   So if wizardry is their societal taboo, what is their salvation? Fury. Pure, unadulterated rage. The males are bred and raised for war, but anger is how they temper their steel. The adult rite of passage is a sacred ritual known as the Drak'Mo'Tah, three trials designed to weed out the infirm, promote aggression, and forge the finest warriors in all orckind.   The sheer number of casualties means that the Maimtooth will always be the smallest of the orc clans, but their warriors are a sight to behold. An apocalyptic singularity. Those who survive the trials are given a secret concoction of lichens, mosses, and fungi which can permanently alter their physical nature. The result: the Maimtooth Berserker, a terrifying specimen that can enrage on command, growing in size and fighting with a hellborne fury unmatched in the Northlands. I have seen one berserker take down a dozen of our finest warriors, and keep fighting even after taking mortal wounds.   So a warning I issue to all of you. If you cross paths with an orc-- its skin painted with blazing orange tattoos and a gruesome scar replacing one of its lower teeth--well, I'd advise you not to make him angry.

— Loremaster Graelik