Orcs

In the Books of Lore, a Chronomancer devoted to researching the mysteries of the Worlds of Shadow, the Orcs origin shares common roots with the Fae diverging before either race evolved. Originating from Ignis Fatuus , spirit orbs of the once-living reborn as Fireflytes (diminutive fairies), some would be devoured by amphibious creatures with long sticky tongues becoming the first Goblins . Others would evolve from them but the first pure-blooded Orcs diverged by interbreeding with captured Elves with whom they were related. While considered a mongrel species, they will accept anyone they sense has Orc blood within them but that doesn't mean they don't have a classist, tiered hierarchy within their societies. Weaker Orcs tend to do most of the grunt work like farming or servant work because some Orcs can be viewed as less Orc than others.

They are an Egalitarian species where males and females are regarded as equals in all of their labors. This doesn't mean there aren't differences as male Orcs still do most of the fighting and hunting while females spend more time overseeing children. Female Orcs will leap into battle if needed but understand that they are the seed bearers for the next generation and that males are more expendable. Orc children are not to be underestimated either as they are raised as adults in all ways where even playtime might be a learning experience preparing them for battle. They tend to live in tribal societies when free to do so but they will unify into a greater society should the need arise. It is a harsh life being an Orc for most and they embrace it because being an Orc means to be tough and to face adversity in all things which other species might view as discrimination but they view it as a challenge.

Their name derives from the god Orcus (aka Jūsjūrandum and Dēmiourgón ), a God of Death said to have emerged from the souls of ancient Orcs slain at a battle site on the now-forgotten world of Mundus which now exists as Myrdread (The World of Dread Desolation) within the Worlds of Shadow. He welcomes them into his abode (also called Orcus) where they see him as salvation calling him Orco alongside his wife Porsephónē (aka Eris ) with whom he fathered Hórkos . Orcs also call this realm Jiànguǐ where they are literally saying they are going to Hell when they die becoming transformed into Guǐ worshiping Orcus for granting them a place in the afterlife where they so often seem to be rejected among other living races. Orcs see death as a transformative process where life itself is more of a Hell and the afterlife is a reward for being the best that one can be when often living itself seems to be a punishment.
Most Orc females have two wombs with one serving to store en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Embryonic_diapause]fertilized embryos as a utility sac. The mother chooses when to become pregnant and even which embryo she will develop so the father knows it's his child. This proves a necessity because of the high casualty rates among their males due to the brutal lives they lead. Thus, an Orc female can give birth to a male's child even years after his death. This utility womb can function to develop a child if needed but it is rare for both to be used simultaneously as they can carry twins or triplets in one womb. While not exactly monogamous, Orc couples remain committed for life and might refer to many as their husband or wife even outside the species. They are free to experience other forms of sexual relationships because Orcs do not experience jealousy as it conflicts with their survival instincts.

That's not to say they are not quarrelsome because Orcs can be very quarrelsome and even abusive to one another arguing constantly with their mates. Orcs can bond with non-Orcs in such relationships, to a point, and even can be considered gay or bisexual in their sexual relations outside their relationship with their mate. Mating is different than sex for Orcs as they tend to mate for life with one member of the opposite sex even should they have multiple partners they call husband or wife. Should they become parents with someone other than their mate, their mate accepts that child as if it were their own and the parent as if they were siblings even if estranged. Inbreeding does not affect Orcs other than helping to define each race preserving evolutionary traits they found desirable. This is sometimes used as a slur against them but it is relatively rare although not seen as immoral by them.

Intersex is also rare among them but it is common enough that female Orcs are often insulted as males if they are not attractive. Homosexuality is also rare among Orcs but they do not care as long as they perform their duties procreating the next generation. While Orcs might frown on certain things, they are very accepting and supportive of things they feel are necessary. That doesn't mean they are without certain morals as they are extremely protective of their children who they see as young adults even at a young age. They also surprisingly work to provide for one another's needs contrasting how combative they often seem to be with one another. Orphans are cared for by Orcs who can no longer breed and raised as their own but with respect for their biological parents who the children honor by praying to Orcus that they are provided for.
To Orcs, life and death are almost indistinguishable so they have little fear and if it's a fight to the death, an Orc will perish before they surrender. The very concept of surrendering is almost unthinkable for an Orc unless there is a reason given such as living to fight another day, forming allegiances or an enemy combatant concedes the battle. They will build using the bones of other Orcs that more quickly fossilized turning to stone seeing it as just building material that honors those who have fallen. Orcs heal quickly from their injuries even if it leaves them scarred or disabled but they in no way are immortal as they will die even if from old age which explains why using their bones as building material gives them a sense of immortality. Burying an Orc in the soil before this time can restore their life which is why they are sometimes insulted as being plants.

Their enemies will often cremate Orc bodies for this reason as even leaving them on the field of battle might find contact with the soil enough to restore life to them. They can be cannibalistic and devouring their own dead is considered an honor while taking their strength and knowledge is considered a gift. This isn't limited to Orcs as if they consume the flesh of other sapient beings they gain their knowledge and it doesn't have to be flesh from the dead as biting off part of an enemy achieves the same result (although more limited in scope). This also explains why they are more bestial at times and can have senses of animals they consume raw which is why they prefer cooked meat which doesn't affect them in the same way. They treat their animals in the same way preferring wolves and boars as companions but they keep sheep to eat and sacrifice to Orcus who they envision as a ram-headed Satyrian .

Another more bizarre thing that can be done with the remains of an Orc is to mix several bodies together and then bury them as a new soul will be created along with a new body. Orcs can likewise replace missing or damaged body parts from another Orc but the experience will change them in certain ways. Thus, these things can be dangerous for an Orc explaining why it is forbidden among some of their races. Their existence ended on Miðgarðr and passed into the Worlds of Shadow where they peopled Myrdread but also passed into the other worlds as well. But where they tend to be outcasts and of a more primitive nature on these other worlds, on Myrdread, there are many cultures which originate from them that are far more developed. The lands of Astōdān are one such place with their capital of Kutná Hora and its massive walls formed from the bones of Orcs being almost impregnable.
Here, they have cultivated and nurtured their bodies until attaining a similar form as the Elves and some attain a higher form akin to that of the Fae. This has been achieved through intermarriage with these beings while expelling the weak among them to be cast out as pariahs of a sort yet still bearing respect as all Orcs have for one another. As long as Orcs contribute to the well-being of all Orcs, they are never fully rejected and these foundlings are given over at birth to others of their kind if they are found to be deficient. For all their brutality, Orcs retain a respect for one another as long as they fulfill their duties to the clan. They do not make war with one another unless necessary which does not mean they are necessarily allies. But to think them to be mindless brutes and easily slain would be false as such is a racist stereotype of Orcs who can be as intelligent as any other sapient lifeforms.

Orc children are bestial at birth possessing animalistic survival instincts and not becoming "intelligent" even if they are sapient until later in life giving rise to the idea that Orcs are stupid brutish creatures. But they do become more intelligent faster based on living with more intelligent creatures such as Half-Orcs known as Xar by the Orcs themselves. Such Xar children may appear more like their non-Orc parent while they are young but they change as they age until becoming full-blooded Orcs by old age. These actually tend to represent the majority of all Orcs but those who remain more like their non-Orc parent until later in life tend to bear this name moreso than those who become more Orc sooner. Thus, the Xar have no preference for which of their parent races they might live with as they're just as likely to face discrimination or acceptance by either.

Pureblooded Orcs are born or somehow purge all the non-Orc traits from their bodies. Full-blooded contrasts this in that certain non-Orc traits remain and identify Orcs as different races. Mutations make some individuals unique but unless such traits are beneficial or desirable, they generally fade in their offspring over generations. Halflings will never be pure-blooded because something always lingers or resurfaces from their genetic past. But they can be Full-blooded meaning traits that define each as separate races. Orcs are religious in that they carry out rituals to honor their ancestors but are silent and respectful of one another in how they do so. Some Orcs are known for having muscular bodies partly because of the harsh lives they live and partly because of genetics. Others seem not to care at all about their appearance while still others might seem more like their non-Orc parentage.


PUREBLOODS
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Skrolls are pureblooded Orcs often possessing a green skin color which can have a sheen of almost being brown. These are the Orcs most thought of because they are the most successful. They have all the Orcs strength and none of their weaknesses except they can be a bit more primitive in their thinking. They tend to be muscular by default as it takes little physical activity to "muscle up" because they are biologically enhanced to be this way by their very nature.


HALF-ORCS (Halflings)
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Halfling Orces tend to be divided by the traits they inherited from the species they have interbred with creating the Orc sub-races. They are known to sometimes have cutaneous horns and scutes not only on their heads but on their bodies particularly on their shoulders, arms, and thighs. Not all of them have these but every race accepts that some among them will develop these traits. Orcs do worship other beings besides Orkus but their faith ultimately does revolve around this god of death.

LOWER CASTE
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Trōglodytes are a weak form of Orc with pale gray skin known to dwell underground or in caves who only come out during the day because they evolved for subterranean living. Trōglodytes are omnivorous eating whatever they can find underground but emerging at night to hunt without traveling far from their dens deep beneath the earth. Their senses are greatly enhanced to use echolocation, they have an extremely sensitive sense of smell, razor-sharp claws, and teeth, are terrific rock climbers, and are known to leap over great distances. While almost blind, they can see movement in darkness similar to shadows in the day. They are also scavengers who love bone marrow and will eat their own dead leaving little trace of themselves for others to find. Their children typically climb high to conceal themselves in nooks and crannies until their parents bring food but can survive without their parents. Males outnumber females but the females gestation period can be as little as a month and often have two or even three offspring. They are immune to most disease like sharks and their powerful digestive systems can consume anything including the parasites in raw meat.

Veikr are basically Trōglodytes that evolved to dwell above ground and give the Orcs their dreaded stereotype of being weak and cowardly. Where the Skrolls possessed all the strengths of being an Orc, the Veikr had all the weaknesses. Part of this is due to their low birth rates leading them to adopt outcasts from other Orc races meaning they have a broad mix of racial traits where their own is what defines them. They are often viewed more as curs appearing mangy and deformed in many ways while being smaller than standard Orcs. They also seem to be regressive in that they have traits similar to Goblins but tend to have dark gray skin. Veikr tend to be the most scorned by other Orcs but are also respected as thieves, scavengers, and spies on the battlefield. By plundering the dead, they prove invaluable because they understand the value of converting anything into profit even if they rarely benefit from it due to lower intelligence. Like the Trōglodytes, they will consume the dead but tend to be more carnivorous devouring fresh kills or butchered meat.

Ghūls (Ghouls) are another offshoot of the Trōglodytes who diverged when one among their Veikr ancestors consumed body of an infected being who would have become a zombie but had not fully turned. Although infected, the Veikr didn't turn as the curse mutated within them turning its skin a sickly yellow pallor and semi-translucent. Unlike its cousins, the Ghūl are mostly scavengers preferring the flesh of the dead because it is plentiful. They prefer consuming brain matter because their curse includes higher levels of pain which the serotonin in the brain helps alleviate. Consuming sapient brain matter also helps to retard the development of a condition similar to dementia. While they live as solitary creatures for much of their existence, Ghūls can sense one another over great distances for mating with the female being called a Ghūlah. If they can't find a mate, they can pass their curse into a corpse to create one but prefer eating flesh to mating. Because they are devourers of the dead, they are also known to be plague bearers which is why they will often be destroyed if located but most Orcs are immune to the diseases they can carry so they might dwell near them.

Gallu are a class of demons who once made war with the Djinn who then fed the bodies of slain Gallu to their Ghūl underlings transforming them into more useful servants. They retained the name Gallu becoming supernatural creatures but remaining Orc bearing the Ghūl curse. Most are weaker beings but some of them became more powerful for which they either became cast off and imprisoned by their Djinn masters in ways to use them against their enemies.

MIDDLE CASTE
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Huerco are halflings Orc/Human hybrids. They tend to have human beauty in their youth but as they get older, they tend to become uglier in old age but suffer less from the rigors of old age. Some Huerco will leave their tribes to join with other Orc races or open communities where different Orc races commune such as markets. Such Huerco are known as Guerko meaning something akin to exiles of which they have several words. For those who can live among humans concealing their Orc lineage, when they get older and start to reveal what they really are, they will often leave but their human families will often leave with them. They are good providers who develop strong bonds where their children understand it will one day be their fate and many humans will not accept them as mates because they don't want their own children to meet this fate. For Orcs, it might be the same but several Half-Orc races will accept them because they also have human lineage.

Durge are a dark-skinned hybrid race deriving from Huerco who interbred with Drows . This explains why they have dark gray to black skin and are considered among the prettier types of Orc. Like Huerco, they tend to get uglier as they age but this is delayed in them until later in their lives. They differ from their Drow counterparts because they have scutes on their skin whereas Drows do not and they tend to be more muscular, stockier bodies standing taller with broader faces with more pronounced canine teeth. Durge also tend to have multicolored hair that's often a mix of black, gray, and white. Their name indicates their association with Orcus as worshipers of death and they're known for their association with religion.

Grendel are a hybrid race mixing Durge, Rephaim (Ogres), and dragon-men identified as the Druk . Being part Druk means that Grendel look even less like Orcs and more like dragon-men who themselves were created when dragons, in human form, mated with humans. While some can be more Ogrish being giants covered with black hair, most are a little larger than humans and are known for distinctive bone masses that arise out of their heads forming something akin to a crown derived from the Druk. Unlike the Druk, they also have hair that emerges from their scalp and scutes arranged in patterns that define their paternal lineage.

Heldeofol ( Blut - urak ;Blood Orcs) consider themselves more of a religious caste whose red skin denotes a love for bloodshed. They originate from mating with red-skinned Oni known as the Kagutsuchi who are keepers of Onibi and purging themselves over generations. This race tends to have more of the horns and scutes on their bodies although the effect is often slight. They are considered a devil race even by most other Orcs and they tend to worship demons carrying talismans and objects with which to try communicating with them or that has some level of power imbued into them by the demon.

Tarhijaną are an albino race being pure white (or an extremely pale gray) in color and offshoots of the Heldeofol also known as the Sválla .





UPPER CASTE
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Orok are large, powerful Orcs who interbred humans and then with Ogrish Buggane so that they retain a human appearance appearing as mindless brutes. The Orok were originally Skrolls so their skin color can be either green or shades of brown more like humans. Orok are not mindless but they can be relatively stupid unless they live among more intelligent beings who take time teaching them.


Sula gained their name because of their oversized lower canines that are considered tusks and which they regularly file down to use as weapons in attacks. They tend to have grey-colored skin with males being oversized and muscular but their females tend to be smaller and more toned than muscular.


Gallu are a class of demons who once made war with the Djinn who then fed the bodies of slain Gallu to their Ghūl underlings transforming them into more useful servants. They retained the name Gallu becoming supernatural creatures but remaining Orc bearing the Ghūl curse. Most are weaker beings but some of them became more powerful for which they either became cast off and imprisoned by their Djinn masters in ways to use them against their enemies. Some do not consider the Gallu to be Orcs because they can be so different from the lower races and often aren't even viewed as a race.


RELATED RACES
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Ogres are much larger than Orcs and certain types of Ogres have evolved characteristics similar to suidae (swine) and some of their kind have evolved further into Boar Men. They typically have the same range in skin color as Orcs but are more generally the skin color of humans.

Rephaim are more human in appearance.

Trolls are one of the more powerful species that sprang from the same wellspring as the Orc.

Pyrs are giants descended from Trolls.

Oni are a class of creatures similar to the aforementioned Goblin offshoots reflecting them all in various ways but having become more demon-like.

Gremlins are like Goblins in many ways but became more reptilian.