Orcs

Orcs are tall, muscular people with skin tones that range from dark green to mottled gray. Their faces stand out, especially because of how ferocious and animalistic they seem. Orcs have wide mouths, sharp teeth that resemble a boar's tusks, and broad, flat, upturned noses. Their small eyes are under thick brows and usually squint in bright light. They are usually red or yellow in color. Orcs' ears are often long and lupine, although many orcs have damaged or lost them in childhood fights. Their hair is typically dark, coarse, and oily, although some female orcs manage to grow it out into a dark mane of heavy locks, which they control with bone combs and leather ties.   In addition to their bestial physical appearance, orcish individuals typically bear hideous scars, making their faces the stuff of nightmares. Male orcs commonly display the scars of numerous battles, ranging from a milky eye to a missing ear, a split nose, or a crooked grin produced by a blade. Some marks are intentional, such as emblems cut or branded into the cheeks or forehead. Orc females are also marked in various ways. In addition to the scars inflicted by males, they frequently file their teeth and tattoo their faces. They also pierce their ears, lips, and nose, similarly to their male counterparts, both for decoration and to demonstrate the status and strength of their mates.

Orcs short lifespan is offset by their remarkable fertility. The phrase "breeding like orcs" is commonly used to describe their ability to reproduce quickly. Female orcs become fertile when they reach maturity and remain so until death. Orc gestation is relatively short for a humanoid, lasting only 6 months.   Orc family dynamics revolve around the concept of dominance, where males compete for available females, and a male can have as many females as he can support, defend, and control. This translates to larger families and greater prosperity. The leader of a tribe often has the most mates and offspring. However, having a large number of children does not necessarily provide greater security. An orc patriarch is just as likely to be killed by his own offspring as by outsiders.   Orc females find males with many mates desirable and believe that mating with the strongest males ensures stronger offspring. Due to their breeding habits, mature females are almost constantly pregnant. However, a group of mated females will often share their child-bearing and rearing responsibilities through the careful management of their shared mate.   Typically, females give birth to litters of two to five young at a time. Singular births are rare and considered auspicious, as orc belief holds that singular children have killed and devoured their siblings in the womb, giving them the vitality of many. It is true that single births tend to be stronger and more likely to survive.   Orcs are infamous for their willingness to breed with other races, including captured slaves and conquests on the battlefield. The offspring of these matings inevitably reflect their orc parentage. Half-breeds are generally despised and mistrusted by civilized communities as physical reminders of rape and slaughter that most communities would rather forget.   Within orc society, half-orcs tend to be smarter than their orc relatives but physically weaker. Those who excel in physical combat, however, tend to be promoted to leadership positions because of their ability to direct their strength with intelligence. Some orc tribes go out of their way to take human women captive with the goal of begetting a great tactician to lead the tribe to victory.

Orcs have a notably short lifespan, with approximately one-third of them dying during childhood from a range of causes, including diseases, accidents, and violence. Those who do survive reach full physical maturity around the age of 12 years.   Male orcs typically meet a violent end, whether through raiding, fights with other tribes, or lethal disputes with family members or peers. The prospect of aging terrifies orcs, as it makes them vulnerable to attacks from those seeking to establish dominance. As a result, elderly male orcs tend to develop either cunning fighting skills and strategic abilities to rule through fear or increasingly reckless behavior in an attempt to appear strong and healthy, often resulting in their demise.   Although female orcs also face violence and death from various sources, they are less likely to die on the battlefield than males. Some females die in childbirth, although orc females have a high level of resilience in this regard, with a mortality rate for mothers in labor that is barely higher than that of other races, despite the difficult conditions and high number of offspring produced.   Females have a better chance of surviving into old age, with the onset of elderhood occurring in their fourth decade. Orcs who live beyond 30 are considered elders, and those who reach the age of 40 are truly ancient. Aged females may accumulate power by becoming shamans or by exerting influence over their male offspring, as well as their grandchildren and great-grandchildren.

In their original subterranean habitats, orcs relied almost exclusively on meat, supplemented by various types of wild fungi. Although their diet has expanded with their exposure to the outside world, it has not changed significantly. Orcs are primarily carnivorous, and they prefer their meat either raw and bloody or slow-roasted until it falls off the bone, which they crack to extract the sweet marrow. Preparing for an orc feast entails hours of cooking over a fire pit, whereas orcs in the field will tear chunks of meat from a carcass and devour them, particularly when they are famished. While they enjoy civilized meats such as pork, mutton, beef, goat, rat, and occasionally larger game like bears, orcs will consume virtually anything that comes their way, including other humanoids. Slaves are responsible for looking after domestic animals, mostly pigs and dire rats, and raiding parties seize livestock whenever they have the chance.   Orcs are happy to supplement their regular diet with stolen food during raids, looting and carrying off stores of grain, preserved meats, and particularly any type of alcohol, with the stronger ones being preferred. They like dark ales similar to those their ancestors plundered from dwarven stores, but beer, mead, wine, or any other form of liquor will suffice. Caravans transporting strong drink are enticing targets for orcs, and skilled brewers and distillers who are captured as slaves are valued as long as they continue to produce for their masters.   Orc females and slaves gather fruits, herbs, and roots that supplement the orc diet, which are consumed fresh or dried and stored for later use, primarily as seasoning and accompaniment to meat dishes. They also cultivate some fungi that thrive on the waste that accumulates around an orc settlement.

Despite the often savage portrayal of orcs as half-beasts, they possess a remarkable physiological advantage: an incredible capacity for mental endurance. Orcs are never surprised by violent sights, never exhausted by endless campaigning, and never tormented by dreams of vicious deeds. While part of this psychological endurance comes from exposure to numerous challenges and terrors throughout their lives, orcs appear to possess a more efficient memory than most races. This does not necessarily result from their ability to retain information; in fact, it is quite the opposite. Orcs possess a seemingly voluntary, although potentially subconscious, ability to forget. Therefore, crippling failures, moments of terror, and unwanted emotions can simply be dismissed, allowing their violent pride and desires to dominate. This does not mean that orcs forget every slight or pain—few creatures hold grudges like orcs—but traumatic experiences that could impede their survival and fighting ability are disregarded, giving them a predator-like confidence in their abilities and a willingness to fight relentlessly.   The orcs are renowned for their fierce survival skills and unwavering strength. Living in harsh, unsettled lands, orcs are exposed to disease, violence, and filth from an early age, which weeds out those lacking in resilience. Only those with exceptional strength and stamina are able to survive the challenges of childhood and grow into adulthood. Orc warriors are known to march in armor for an entire day and still be eager for battle. They engage in wrestling wild beasts with their bare hands for sport and train with weapons that smaller creatures would struggle to lift, let alone wield effectively. Orc raid survivors have witnessed the creatures beheading foes with a single stroke of their great axes.   Orcs value strength above all other qualities and often view it as the sole indicator of worthiness. Even other orcs displaying weakness are met with death or enslavement, as the strong are entitled to take what they desire from the weak. In this manner, the tribe as a whole remains strong and formidable.   For many, the defining characteristic of orcs is their ferocity, which makes them feared as raiders and warriors. Anger is a constant emotion for orcs, which they refer to as "fire in the belly and blood." Sometimes it smolders, ready to flare up when fresh fuel is added. In battle, it blazes like fire. Orcs are dominated by their passions, and their greatest passions are to lash out, to kill, and to roar their victory for all to hear.   Orcs are characterized by their ferocity, which permeates their entire race. They have little patience for anything, and they are more likely to destroy a complex project than to complete it. They believe that pain is the greatest teacher and have little regard for words that sit coldly on a page. Challenges provoke their anger, and they feel most alive when unleashing the fury that builds within them. Orcs who are not fighting, raging, or roaring in either anger or laughter are often spent and sprawled out, snoring savagely.   Although much of this ferocious behavior is enforced by orc culture, it cannot be denied that even those rare orcs who are raised apart from their kind from childhood are often still filled with the same animal rage. It only takes a momentary annoyance or minor frustration to drive an orc into a murderous fury. The terrible ferocity of orcs makes lasting peace with them all but impossible. Sooner or later, even if they are subdued by a greater power, something will trigger an orc's rage, and blood will be spilled.   Despite their reputation as chaotic creatures, orcs operate on the principle of natural order, where the strong dominate the weak. Orcs see themselves as the strongest among humanoids and rightful rulers of all they survey. Although orcs acknowledge the presence of mightier creatures, they still pursue dominance, which is ingrained in their being. Orcs are unable to relate to others without asserting their dominance, and alliances are often temporary until one party gains an advantage. The concept of equality is foreign to orcs; they establish a pecking order, often through violence, when none exists. This drive towards dominance characterizes orc culture, which may be perceived by civilized races as bullying. Orcs' dominance is often shallow and fragile, as someone who proves unusually strong or able to stand up to threats can become the dominant force in the relationship overnight. Orc life is a constant struggle for control and position.   Orcs are driven by the desire for security and prosperity to ensure their survival, which leads them to conquer. If they are not the dominant force in their lands, they must submit, a fate all orcs wish to avoid. While some orc tribes may submit to more powerful outside leaders, they generally try to frame the arrangement as banding together to increase their personal power. However, even in these situations, orcs feel shame in serving another and most inevitably rebel when the opportunity presents itself. Orcs are ambitious by nature, making poor vassals and even worse slaves.

Orcs possess unique physical characteristics that aid their survival in their harsh environment. Their eyes, bred beneath the surface, have excellent night vision but are sensitive to bright light. Full sunlight is painful to them and makes them vulnerable to attacks from weaker creatures. The sensitivity of their ears is comparable to that of humans, but their ears are more demonstrative and can give away their attention or aggression. Orcs have a sense of smell and taste that is similar to that of other humanoids, although their living conditions and habits often result in unpleasant odors.   It is commonly believed that orcs have a higher pain tolerance, but there is no documented evidence to support this claim. In fact, they face the same physical vulnerabilities and hardships as humans, struggling and surviving in conditions that many civilized races would perceive as challenging.

Orcs have a tradition of body decoration that began with scars earned in battle, tests of strength, and rites of passage. These scars were proudly displayed by males to demonstrate their strength and prowess. Over time, ritual scarification and branding became popular. Orcs use the term "unscarred" to refer to those who are inexperienced, inept, or perceived as weak.   Orcs developed tattooing techniques by rubbing colored clays and other dyes into their scarification cuts. Tattoos are a widely practiced form of body decoration, with artists using wooden needles to place the dyes under the skin. The process is slow, painful, and makes larger and more complex tattoos a sign of stamina. Orcs often use gamal, a fungal essence, to make their tattoos' colors visible even to darkvision.   Orc tattoos tend to be abstract, with interconnected lines and symbols. Some orcs bear images associated with their tribe or famous deeds. Facial tattoos are common, with warriors using them to enhance their fierce appearance on the battlefield, and females using them to improve their attractiveness or to show their affiliation with a particular strong male.   Both genders commonly pierce their ears, lips, brows, and other areas of the body for decoration. Male orcs sometimes have facial piercings, but this practice is risky due to the high likelihood of injury during the struggles of an orc's life. Facial piercings usually indicate males who are either tough enough not to care or foolish and prideful enough to risk injury. Half-orcs often adopt a lesser version of this practice.

Although orc society heavily relies on raiding, they do possess some level of craftsmanship. However, unlike civilized societies, the primary focus of their crafts is function rather than aesthetics, with intimidation being a key element. Orcs who excel in creating weapons or war machines are revered, but most orcs lack the patience for creative endeavors. Crafting in orc society is demand-driven, with crafters, typically females or weaker males, making what they are told to make, when they are told to make it. Excess work is often taken or destroyed by stronger members of the community, leaving little incentive for working on crafts for its own sake.   The exception to this trend is weaponsmithing, which is considered a worthy pursuit for strong male orcs. Orc-made weapons are often brutal and crude but can be ingenious at times. Dwarves are frequently enslaved to work as smiths and crafters in orc communities, and skilled dwarf weaponsmiths are highly valued by orc leaders.   Orcs do not typically engage in trade, and they prefer to take what they need rather than buy it. Orcs only willingly acquire products of their strength, such as trophies and slaves acquired through raiding or combat. The sale or trade of these products for wealth brings prestige in orc society, and although they occasionally send chains of slaves to human communities for sale, such trading expeditions are infrequent.   Orcs are primarily foot travelers, possessing great endurance and speed for long-distance marches and runs. While some orcs are capable of stealing or taming mounts, they are only moderately skilled at riding and often push their mounts to exhaustion, resulting in significant losses among both enemy and friendly horses. Simple carts and wagons can be found in orc communities, usually stolen rather than constructed, and are used roughly until they break down or are destroyed through careless use. Slaves, who often perform backbreaking labor, rarely have access to carts. Orcs are generally poor sailors, and tend to avoid deep water and sailing out of sight of the shore. Though they can swim and use rafts on small bodies of water, they are not commonly seen on the high seas.

Orc clothing serves a practical purpose of providing warmth and protection, with furs and leathers being the most readily available materials due to the orc diet. While orc clothing and fabrics are often stolen, they do place importance on outward appearances. Adornments such as arms, armor, jewelry, and body decorations serve to display an orc's wealth and status, and other orcs treat them accordingly based on their perceived strength, prosperity, and armament. Orcs use various dyes made from animals, plants, and minerals to color their clothing, with each tribe adopting particular colors to show pride in their community. Red, brown, green, and grey are common, with few blues or violets. Orcs also use dye to color their hair, with some females using it to achieve a sheen or greenish tint that males find appealing.   Orc warriors often wear masks that serve two purposes. Firstly, a mask can be used to present a more terrifying face to the enemy, making the warrior look like a powerful demon or creature. Secondly, distinctive masks help to identify the wearer while concealing their true features. Some orcs believe that outsiders should not look upon a warrior's true face in battle, so the mask is the only thing they should see.   Shamans and witch doctors also use various masks to represent gods, spirits, and fiends, and warriors' use of masks may have been inspired by a desire to possess some of the same magical power. Some orc witch doctors never appear unmasked, concealing their true identities even from their own tribes. On occasion, this practice has also concealed the fact that the witch doctor is a female, a half-orc, or an outcast from orc society.

According to many scholars, "orc culture" is an oxymoron, and they are correct in that what is considered culture by civilized races is viewed with disdain by orcs. Philosophy, art, and advanced education are not seen as things that make a tribe strong and ensure their survival. To orcs, survival is the only thing that matters, and they believe it is ensured solely through strength and conquest. However, this does not mean that orc clans do not operate according to certain universal principles and tendencies.   Despite considering themselves the strongest race, orcs do not believe that rulership or empire is their right. Dominance must be earned through conquest, and constantly proven to every challenger. This results in a chaotic and unstable culture, where orc leaders face almost constant challenges to their authority. They know that, sooner or later, they will fall to one of these challengers, and in the words of orc folk wisdom, "The chief wins every battle but one. In that one, he hopes to die well." Even the strongest leader will eventually be brought down by time and age.   Orcs generally lack the patience and mental capacity for diligent study, resulting in a scarcity of orc wizards. Instead, most arcane magic in orc society is wielded by those with innate magical abilities. Orc sorcerers typically possess the abyssal bloodline, and occasionally the fire elemental bloodline. Some can trace their bloodlines back to legendary tribal chieftains and warlords known for their destructive exploits. While orcs do not distinguish between the divine magic of shamans and the arcane magic of other spellcasters, they tend to favor the former due to the implied and often violently demonstrated divine might of the deities they serve. This leads to a blending of shamanistic and sorcerous traditions in many orc cultures, with arcane magic-users presenting their magic in divine trappings to increase their acceptance and survival within the tribe. Despite this, cagey orc spellcasters are aware that their survival depends on the impressions of the rest of the tribe more than the actual source of their magic.   Religion plays a significant role in orc culture, reflecting their belief in the natural order of things. Orcs view their gods as powerful beings who rule through fear and respect rather than awe or veneration. As such, religious rituals are often intended to appease the gods and prevent their anger. Orcs seek to serve their gods as they themselves wish to be served. For a god to gain followers among the orcs, their shamans must demonstrate a direct and tangible benefit on the battlefield. Alternatively, they may be physically imposing enough to quell any dissenting voices through force.

Slavery

Orcs are known to take prisoners of war and force them into servitude, considering it the natural role of the weak and conquered. However, as slave masters, they are not particularly skilled, tending to abuse and kill their slaves on a whim. Unlike hobgoblins, who maintain organized discipline in their slave pens, orcs typically sell excess slaves to gnolls or hobgoblins who are better equipped to keep and sell them. For the orcs, the slaves are disposable and replaceable, and they may even end up becoming food.   For an orc, owning one or more slaves is a status symbol, although only males are permitted to do so. Female mates of male orcs can order around the slaves, but they are still considered the male's property. Female orcs who mistreat or kill slaves may face punishment from their mate, and a male orc who harms another orc's slave may be held accountable for damaging their property. However, the orc attitude towards slaves is generally casual, as they do not become sentimentally attached to them and instead value them only for their specific skills.  

Banners and Trophies

The orcs residing in Dessend take immense pride in their respective tribes and often create ornate banners that showcase their tribal affiliations. These banners not only indicate the tribe to which an orc belongs but also signify their social status and encourage fellow orc warriors to fight fiercely.   Orcs take pride in their accomplishments and often display trophies of their victories, including necklaces made from the ears of elves, teeth of dwarves, or finger-bones of humans. They also display shrunken heads, skulls, and weapons of fallen foes or looted goods. Mated males often wear or display braided locks of their females’ hair as a sign of their conquests, and a new mate calls for a ritual to braid a new token for the male.   Tribe's trophies tend to be ostentatious and signify victories on the battlefield, conquests of the past, and the slaughter of entire enemy tribes. These may include battered kingly thrones, totems made from the bones of enemy legions, and the skeletons of great monsters. They are often placed in the center of a tribe's settlement and serve as an inspiration for the tribe's warriors. However, these trophies can also present a weakness as they become targets for invading tribes, and losing them can deal a significant blow to a tribe's morale. Tribes may pay grandiose and demeaning ransoms for the return of their trophies, but such exchanges rarely result in actual restoration as thieving tribes understand that returning the symbolic hostage may lead to revenge-seeking by the opponent.  

Death Customs

Among most orc tribes and families, a deeply ingrained practice prevails, one that reflects their unique perspective on death and the afterlife. When an orc falls in battle or passes away, tradition dictates that they are left where they lie, beneath the open sky, their lifeless form turned reverently face-down. This ancient custom is rooted in the profound belief that this orientation is essential for the spirit of the deceased to embark on its journey back to the Underworld, the sacred ancestral homeland of the orcs.   The importance of this practice extends even to those who have suffered grievous wounds on the battlefield. Orcish warriors, their strength ebbing away, will willingly assume a face-down position as they await the inevitable embrace of death. They do so with a profound sense of duty and reverence, ensuring they meet their fate with their eyes turned toward the earth, symbolizing their connection to the land and the afterlife they hold dear.   Conversely, it is considered a grave affront, akin to the desecration of an orc's very essence, to turn their corpse skyward. This is a deed that is particularly abhorrent to the orcish people and is seen as a direct assault on their spiritual beliefs and their cherished customs. Regrettably, such actions have become all too common at the hands of their most ancient and bitter enemies: the dwarves.   Dwarves, in their ceaseless enmity with the orcs since times lost to memory, have adopted the practice of upturning the bodies of fallen orcs as an act of defiance and provocation. In the aftermath of conflicts between these two former Underworld races, dwarven warriors will deliberately invert the bodies of fallen orcs and even restrain the wounded in this undignified position to ensure they meet their end through exposure, all in blatant disregard for the orcs' beliefs.   The orcs, however, are not without their own transgressions. In moments of similar hostility, they have been known to abduct dwarven bodies from the battlefields, preventing their enemies from being returned to their ancestral home for a proper dwarven burial, thus demonstrating that the cycles of revenge and retribution continue to fuel the animosity between these two ancient subterranean races, even on the surface.

The orc worldview is one of harshness and mercilessness, leading to a strong belief in superstition. Philosophy beyond their own is seen as lacking wit or patience. Misfortune is viewed as a direct attack, originating from curses, plotting enemies, or supernatural forces such as demons, spirits, or gods. Succumbing to such misfortune is considered a weakness. As a result, orcs hold a wide range of superstitions, omens, and charms intended to protect against ill will and fortify their defenses. They prefer to be forewarned and well-armed when facing the cruel whims of fate, rather than helpless and unprepared.

For thousands of years, stories of marauding orcs and their depraved raiding parties have been popular fireside tales and bedtime stories for both children and warriors. With their intimidating combination of bestial features and unsettling human-like behavior, orcs embody a tangible and metaphorical horror, representing the beast that lies within humanity. Orcs are widely known across the world, and their fierce and savage attacks are feared in every corner of the globe.   Each orc tribe has its own origin myth, with some claiming they were once elves who were twisted and corrupted by demons, while others believe they were created from clay by an evil god who was angry at human expansion. However, scholars have found that these stories only date back less than a thousand years. Prior to that, the orcs of Dessend lived exclusively in the caverns and tunnels of the Underworld, where they were little more than humanoid animals. They struggled among themselves for resources and occasionally posed a threat to more intelligent subterranean races, particularly the dwarves.   Ironically, their frequent clashes with the dwarves taught the orcs how to use tools, especially weapons scavenged from fallen dwarves, and motivated them to attempt to make their own. Although progress was slow at first, the constant pressure from the dwarves forced the orcs to adapt more quickly. The dwarves' attacks had several effects on the orcs' development, including a shortage of captured weapons and the loss of lairs and rudimentary forges.   As the battles between the two races dragged on for decades, the orcs eventually emerged onto the surface of Dessend and quickly adapted to their new environment. The first groups of orcs to emerge were among the weakest of their kind, including the frail, injured, and addled, who were sent ahead in the retreat so that the capable warriors could fight a rearguard action. However, the number of emerging orcs also included some clever and ambitious individuals who realized that the surface world was undefended and ripe for conquest. Just as the orcs could not defend their homes from the dwarves, the surface-dwellers were unable to defend themselves from the orcs.   Thus began a period of conflict known as "The Great Pillage," during which the orcs emerged from the Underworld and rampaged across the surface world, destroying settlements, enslaving the survivors, and establishing their own kingdoms in the ruins of once-great cities. For centuries, the orcs reigned supreme, although they made little technological or philosophical progress. The more intelligent among them managed to unlock some of the secrets of rudimentary magic and literacy by studying scrolls and artifacts found in temples and libraries, but they were unable to master more advanced spells. Orc shamans turned to demonic forces for power and continued to expand their empire through the use of magic and brute force, subjugating the weak and ruling through strength.   Their brutality threatened to wipe out many surface-dwelling races, but after a little over a century, the dwarves emerged from the Underworld to find that the orcs had not been entirely wiped out. They built mighty citadels and began to retake some of the surface world from their ancient foes. Despite many fierce battles, the orcs proved difficult to dislodge from their surface strongholds, having had a century to entrench themselves. The dwarves eventually gained the upper hand after centuries of fighting and reclaimed mile after mile of territory, driving the orcs back to their subterranean shelters, where they continued to live, venturing out only at night.   Centuries passed, and with the assistance of dwarves, the surviving surface races gradually reclaimed their world from the orcs' brutal reign. However, the orcs remained active in their shadowy fortresses and underground enclaves during this time, albeit slower to adapt than the dwarves. They pushed themselves until they could bear the light of the sun, albeit painfully, and fought fiercely to retain their bastions and reclaim their lost holdings. Despite their efforts, they remained disorganized, and orc warlords often found that their attempts to retake old keeps were thwarted by other tribes.   Eventually, Bogorod, a powerful and cunning orc warlord, united a vast army of orc tribes with the goal of driving the dwarves back underground and reclaiming the orcs' lost holdings. Bogorod's forces laid siege to the dwarven citadel of Galorda, crushed their resistance, and poured into the defenseless city, slaughtering all within and looting the dwarven temples and treasuries. The orcs proceeded to refortify Galorda, now renamed Jimund, against the dwarven counterattack. Despite several attempts by the dwarves, they ultimately proved unable or unwilling to retake their lost citadel, and Bogorod's armies quickly conquered outposts and burned villages, creating the so-called "Orclands of Galorda," a kingdom dominated by orcs.   Despite having led the orc tribes to victory and glory and mounted an impressive offense that won them Jimund, Bogorod found ruling them almost impossible. Bogorod's main strategy to keep the orcs united was through executions. Whenever an orc killed another orc, Bogorod ordered the murderer and ten of their tribe members to be tortured and sacrificed to his demonic patron. If an orc leader declared war on another tribe, Bogorod sent his own bodyguards to bring that leader before him, to be personally disemboweled. Bogorod's rule was not universally popular, and he put down numerous coups and survived countless assassination attempts.   During his rule, Bogorod imposed his will on his subjects, ruling by force until the orcs accepted his word as not just an order but as law. After two decades of obeying the "Decree of Bogorod," the orcs grew accustomed to following their chieftains' commands. Even after Bogorod's death (or disappearance, according to orc legends), his successors on the throne of Jimund could give orders and expect them to be followed, though it sometimes required savage executions to get the message across. However, with each generation, the kingdom grew more disorganized, and the lord of the fallen citadel controlled only the city itself, one stronghold among many clan holdings.   For over eight thousand years, orcs have ruled the lands of Galorda, but outside Jimund's walls, they have reverted to their old habits of fighting among themselves and brutalizing anything smaller than themselves. Even when they do succeed in taking a city or stronghold, they usually lose it again within a few years at most. Although some ambitious orc chieftains dream of reuniting the tribes as Bogorod once did and bringing the surface world under their despotic rule, they have lost all the advantages that once enabled them to conquer much of the world. The sun still rises by day, the elves have returned, humans have built their own kingdoms, and dwarves are stronger than ever, and none of those things seem likely to change any time soon. Moreover, the once-powerful orc empire has splintered into multiple factions, and most have migrated away to develop their own cultures and identities over the millennia.