Mountain Half-Orc

Mountain Half-Orcs are the spawn of highland orc raiders and outsiders—most commonly humans, but occasionally hobgoblins, goblinoids, or even ogre-blooded mercenaries. Born into brutal, frostbitten tribes or abandoned in wind-swept valleys, these half-breeds endure where others perish. Among orcs, they are valued for their strength and instinct, yet distrusted for their soft-blooded cunning. Among others, they are rarely trusted at all.   Often taller and leaner than their full-blooded kin, Mountain Half-Orcs stand between 6½ and 7½ feet tall, with skin in tones of pale green, mottled gray, or icy blue depending on their ancestry and environment. Their tusks—though smaller than a true orc's—still jut viciously from beneath their upper lips. Their skulls are angular and broad, their foreheads only slightly less sloped than those of orcs, and their hair is thick, coarse, and often worn in heavy braids. Several have other traits inherited from their non-orcish parent such as high cheekbones and sallow eyes from human ancestry, blue-stained noses or pointed canines from hobgoblin heritage, oversized hands and deep voices from ogre lineages, or other strange occurrences.   Those mountain half-orcs that reject an urban life rarely experience the crushing poverty of city gutters. Instead, they survive through constant physical hardship. Those raised in tribes may rise as bloodragers, berserkers, or path-finders, while others are cast out early, surviving on their own in the unforgiving mountains. Whether raised in a warband or alone, all Mountain Half-Orcs learn that life is a steep incline—climb or fall.

Culture and Society

In mountain orc tribes, Half-Orcs are treated as useful anomalies. Strong enough to earn respect, yet tainted enough to never truly belong, they are often used as outriders, duelists, or spiritual vessels. If born to a high-ranking orc mother, a Mountain Half-Orc might become a warleader or chieftain, especially if they can command fear through violence or prophecy. But more often, they are used, discarded, or challenged until they break—or overcome.   Mountain Half-Orcs place great cultural weight on scars, trophies, and endurance. It is not enough to survive; one must display that survival. A Mountain Half-Orc who returns from the white peaks with bloodied fur, a dislocated shoulder, and a mammoth’s tusk strapped to their back is respected. One who returns unscathed is likely to be challenged immediately. This brutal meritocracy produces individuals of astounding toughness—but also deep scars, both literal and spiritual.   Outside of orcish society, Mountain Half-Orcs may form small bachelor clans or mercenary bands, especially among Frostlands orcs or old Stonecrag roadways. Few build permanent homes; instead, they erect tent-villages or longhouses wherever the mountain allows, staying until food runs low or war drums call.