Orc

"We all have only one death to give. A death can be as weighty as a mountain, for others it is as insignificant as a sand grain. The difference is what we use it for."
- Common Proverb in the Ever-Victorious Army

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Hailing from the far-off lands of Ilunabaren, the Lurrashen or "Orcs" are a species created alongside Goblinoids in order to serve as soldiers in the War of Devouring. Intended to serve as frontline infantry, even an untrained Orc can best an Isanian militiaman. Their martial prowess is not the only Orcs often aren't warriors for most of their lives but are levied during times of war or during invasions from the Tower of Midnight. Otherwise, they serve normal lives as farmers and craftsmen. Orcs excel at physical labor due to their innate physical strength but are no means behind other Corvans in their intellectual ability.

Warriors of the Raven

The Orcs were not the first of the Corvans, that honor goes to the Goblinoids. After creating and perfecting the Goblinoids, Omarin found that none of his Goblinoids would be able to hold a front line against Shadowspawn. Rushed by the possibility of another invasion by the Deceiver, Omarin created a line of Yerad separate from the Goblinoids. These Yerad became the Orcs, whom Omarin designed to possess minor shapeshifting abilities, allowing them to change their form depending on the situation. There are four major forms: Ambassador, Laborer, Scholar, and Warrior. These forms enhance the abilities of Orcs, allowing novices to perform adequately at their roles and experts to excel. The Orcs were called by their Creator the "Lurra-Shen" or the "Warriors of the Raven" and became the favored children of Omarin.  

Unifiers of Ilunabaren

The Raven Empire came into being in the year 3187 of the Second Era, which was known as the Age of Enthronement. It is remarkable in that it is the only nation that has persisted in its original form from that time to the present day. The Orcish people were the architects of this empire, uniting various independent Corvan states into a cohesive whole through a combination of military campaigns and diplomatic negotiations. The Orcs hail from Hatorand, their ancestral homeland, which is now the location of the Raven Empire's capital.

Fated Defenders

Omarin left Ilunabaren to help defend Isan from the Deceiver and planned to bring his Corvan Armies with him. Vethar, the god of fate and destiny, warned Omarin that bringing the Corvan with him would cause the world more peril later. The Corvan would need to watch the Tower of the Moon, as it could spell the end of the world. Omarin, heading Vethar's warning, left Ilunabaren with instructions for his Corvan to fortify the Tower of the Moon and to prepare to fight whatever came out of there. Years later, the first Humans left the tower and were greeted with fortified Corvans more than happy to slaughter them. Only by sheer luck, divine intervention, and technological superiority did they manage to survive and escape Ilunabaren. In failing Vethar and Omarin, the Corvans swore to prepare to track down the Humans that evaded them, and to slay them to save the world.

Believing that the danger from the Tower of the Moon had come and gone, the Corvans left the defenses around the Tower to crumble and stationed its garrisons elsewhere. The Tower was quiet until the Age of Collapse when the Tower was corrupted and began spewing a flood of Shadowspawn from its gate. The invasion permanently destroyed the Bugbear kingdom of Ilgaran, but also destroyed much of Hatorand before it was pushed back. Were the Corvans already not heavily militarized, the invasion could have swept across Ilunabaren and even to Isan. Whether that invasion was the one warned of by Vethar, or the arrival of the first Humans is unknown to Orcish society. To be safe, the Raven Empire launched an oversea invasion of Chevel to eliminate the potential threat. Of course, it may have only created a self-fulfilling prophecy, as the Chevelian Empire has prepared a counter-invasion for the past two decades with Arulosion being used as a launching point.

A Fatal Flaw

While the Lurrashen were the favored children of Omarin, the development of the Orcish race was rushed with another invasion by the Deceiver looming. As such, the Lurrashen developed a fatal flaw that only began to appear after generations had passed: They could not use magic without going insane. The insanity would not happen instantly, instead coming gradually with the repeated use of magic, but its effect on Orcish society was still dire. Those born with the ability to use magic are called "Iñakal" or "Tainted." Countless thousands died to the Iñakal across history, as they would be driven insane and use their magic to wreak havoc in the nation. It was only after the Raven Empire was a permanent solution found: the Iñakal would be enslaved and used as war mages or for industrial/agricultural purposes. They would be kept docile with an invention known as a Correa, or "Leash." While leashed, they would not be able to use magic unless a leash holder allowed them to. Only some individuals could wield Correa properly, and these people became known as 'Correut." When they began showing signs of insanity, they would be culled. This wasn't perfect, as Iñakal would still pop up and remain hidden until they went insane, but this reduced the number of Iñakal-related deaths. Iñakal came to form a cornerstone of the Orcish army and economy, as they served as an expendable yet efficient resource in war and industry. A secret that few in the Raven Empire know is that Correut also can use magic and will also go insane if they try. The only difference between a Correut and an Iñakal is that a Correut can choose to learn, and an Iñakal cannot. Still, such a secret could throw the Raven Empire into chaos if it were found out by the common people.

Creating an Orcish Character

• Profession: Many Orcs work in agriculture and artisanry, while trading is considered dishonorable in Orcish culture. The lucky few who are picked to become trained warriors receive the best martial education and can go toe-to-toe with anything the Tower of Midnight throws out. Others are not so lucky and are often used as cannon fodder to distract enemies for the elites to focus on. Did you follow the typical path? Or did you aspire to something much different?
• The Empire: What was your position in the Raven Empire? Are you still a willing member, or are you an exile? What brought you to the far lands of Isan?
• Freedom: How have you reacted to the freedom the adventuring life affords? The culture shock between being your own person versus being a cog in the machine of the Raven Empire would be pretty large for the average person.
• Magic: Many Orcs fear and hate magic, as it has brought an unfathomable amount of destruction and death to Orcish society. How do you feel about magic?

Orcish Cultures

Attaran: Attarans or, more commonly, "Orcsairs" are Corvan who live on the island of Attar in Isan. They are the remnants of the failed invasion force during the Gray War. Orcsairs get their name from their piratical activity against the Chevelians and the Shantil. Orcsairs tend to value freedom far more than their brethren still under the rule of the Raven Empire.
Hatorandish: Hatorand means "Heartland" in Orcish. Hatorand serves as the political and cultural heart of the Raven Empire. Hatorand is full of lush jungle, which holds dangerous wildlife, which keeps the Orcish people hard despite their affluence. Hatorand is also the breadbasket of the Raven Empire, growing more food than the rest of the provinces combined by irrigation agriculture.

Lurrashen Names

Male Names: Argider, Domeka, Harkaitz, Saeko, Taro, Yoichi
Female Names: Aintza, Eskarne, Gartzene, Ritsuko, Shamon, Tamako
Last Names: Amenabar, Elizalde, Ogawa, Sato, Tanaka, Zubiri