Orcs

These Orcs turned their plunder into trade and built a prosperous realm for themselves in the mountains, known as the Iron Empire, where they reigned over their Dwarven subjects. Yet the more traditional Orcs believed these conquerors had abandoned the old ways and would grow weak in time. The Orcs found themselves divided in two, as some settled in the mountains and others remained on the steppe.

When the Rift opened, it cut directly through the mountains, destroying some of the Orc strongholds, and killing many Orcs in cave-ins. The Dwarves rose up and easily defeated them in the resulting confusion. 

The mountain Orcs had no choice but to return to the steppe. Many struggled to return to their ancestral land as they had grown up in the mountains and forgotten many of their traditions. Desperate, they sought to reconcile with their former kin. While the Steppe Orcs have accepted them, peace has been uneasy. Mountain Orcs remain bitter about what they have lost, many of them still wearing salvaged armour and dreaming of building a new empire. Steppe Orcs view their lost cousins as unwilling to accept the traditions which had allowed their people to prosper in their ancient home. 

Which path will you guide your people down?

History

Great Steppes

As humanity developed agriculture and began to spread, Orcs found themselves slowly forced west as Humans expanded. Despite their individual strength and prowess, Humans proved too numerous and their defences gradually pushed the Orcs out of the most fertile lands into the west.

The Orc Ways

Most Orcs embraced an outlook which they knew as the Way of Bone, a philosophy that encouraged a focus on fighting and raiding with natural weapons and strength rather than adopting a more sedentary lifestyle and depending upon tools and weapons forged artificially. The Way of Bone taught Orcs to embrace their traditionally nomadic way of life, allowing them to persist as a proud society of hunters and warriors against the pressure of constant human expansion, as they saw a settled life of farming and crafting as beneath them. Some Orcs, however, saw the strength of the Human civilisations and wished to emulate them. They embraced a new philosophy, the Way of Iron, which saw armour and weapons as a means to greater strength.

Havoc Wars

When the Havoc Wars erupted, a prophet of the Way of Iron saw that the Dwarves’ domains were undefended. He gathered as many followers as he could find to conquer the Dwarven Holds in order to create a powerful Empire of their own. The prophet assaulted the Dwarves who remained behind, seizing their holds and routing the Dwarven army when it returned.

The Iron Empire

The followers of the Way of Iron built an empire in the mountains. They turned their plunder into trade and built an Empire, reigning over their Dwarven subjects; controlling the Dwarven mines and even using the Dwarves as cheap labour. The Orcs suddenly found themselves divided in two, as some settled in the mountains and others remained in the steppe. Despite their success, many nomads shunned their successful siblings, feeling that they had lost their way and would only grow fat and weak in the holds.

The Return of Havoc

After the Orb broke, the Rift cut directly through the mountains. destroying many of the Orc strongholds. Many mines and holds caved in and the dwarves used the ensuing chaos to rise up in rebellion. Many Orcs were died by cave-ins and rebellion, while the prophet who led them to conquer the Dwarfholds disappeared, presumably when his hold collapsed. The surviving Orcs took what they could and fled back to the Steppe.

Return to the Steppe

Those who followed the Way of Iron were forced to seek shelter in the Steppe. Whether they reintegrated the old tribes or formed new ones, they had to admit that their Way had failed. Many have struggled to return to their ancestral ways, as most had grown up in the mountains. Some of them still hold out hope of building another Empire, devising far-fetched plans for another conquest. But for many of the former Iron followers, that time is over for good.

An Uneasy Reunion

While some tribes have accepted the returning Orcs, the peace has been uneasy. Mountain Orcs remain bitter about what they have lost, still wearing salvaged armour. Some still hope to rebuild their old empire. Steppe Orcs view their lost cousins as clinging to a lost hope, unwilling to accept the demands of their true home and god.

Timeline

• 3218 BR - Orcs Settle the Steppe
• 2781 BR - Way of Bone Spreads
• 207 BR - Way of Iron Spreads
• 179 BR - Conquest of Dwarf Holds
• ‍15 AR - Last Iron Orcs Driven Back to the Steppe

Society

Orcs are organised in clans, often formed around a specialty. One clan might be experts at long-distance tracking, another might claim to be the best of the big game hunters, or the most skilled spear throwers. While they often define themselves as hunters first, they cultivate many skills in order to remain autonomous nomads. From toddlers to elders, everyone contributes by crafting tools, processing carcasses, cooking, repairing and so on. Some clans claim a long history, but any orc with a vision and some followers can start their own clan.

The Ways of Iron and Bone

Orcs are often separated into two categories: the Steppe Orcs, those who remained faithful to the Way of Bone, and the Mountain Orcs, those who followed the Way of Iron. Steppe Orcs often wear little clothing, carry bone and wood amulets and jewellery, and have elaborate tattoos. They pride themselves on their capacities as predators and their attunement to nature. Mountain Orcs wear metal armour, often salvaged since they don’t control the Dwarven forges anymore. They carry gold and other jewels as a show of wealth and status and tend to reside in stone buildings. Many of them do not have a lot of crafting knowledge, so they resort to looting other civilisations or associating with them. They see themselves as conquerors, temporarily embarrassed but destined to rule over empires.

The line between Steppe Orcs and Mountain Orcs is blurry. Some Steppe Orcs still have reverence for some of the teachings of the Way of Iron and will appreciate metal weapons or trinkets, and some Mountain Orcs have renounced their conquering ways and are on a path back towards the traditional lifestyle of their people. Some clans are hardliners and completely denounce the other Way, refusing to adopt any aspect of either Bone or Iron. Some clans, out of conviction or circumstance, are a mix of Steppe and Mountain Orcs with varying degrees of faith. This rivalry is a major cause of conflict within the species, but it still comes down to individual clans.

Memories of the Iron Empire

Many in Orc society remain bitter over the causes and consequences of the Way of Iron's defeat and the loss of their empire in the Dwarfholds. Those who have embraced the old ways claim the fall of the Empire proves that only the Way of Bone can keep their people strong. Tales circulate about the Rift being a punishment caused by the Orcs straying from their rightful path. There are also visionaries who wish to revive the Way of Iron, believing they might escape the mistakes of their ancestors. While some Orcs believe that the prophets of Iron were fools, delusional Orcs who refused their true nature, others believe that the followers’ Way of Iron will have another chance. No matter their personal beliefs, the fall of the Iron Empire has left a mark upon every Orc.

Proud Warriors

Orcs have a reputation of impulsivity that is partly earned. They are often prompt to anger, but forgive easily. Valuing strength over wealth, their judicial system relies heavily on ritual duels, with many rules, exceptions and conditions. They believe one’s conduct should reflect one’s values and are quick to challenge perceived hypocrisy. They appreciate drama and often break into theatrics, whether they are haggling, taunting an enemy in battle, or recounting their high deeds around the campfire. They are violent but not particularly cruel; they rarely attack civilians and take decent care of their prisoners. Rather than worrying about survivors coming back for revenge, they see it as a welcome challenge and a reminder to stay sharp. They do not see fleeing as dishonourable, as a useless death is an insult to the Way they follow.

The Role of Gods

Differing from many sentient species, Orcs do not adhere to a specific religion or pantheon. An Orc is free to worship any God as long as it doesn’t come between them or their clan. It is not rare to see a group of Orc warriors wearing amulets praising several Gods. They tend to see Gods as helpful spirits that can help them achieve their goal, but should not become dominating patrons. They are often puzzled by the blind devotion that many other species manifest towards their deities.

The Rift

The Opening of the Rift struck hard into the Dwarfholds, breaking mountains and collapsing the ancient halls within. For the Orcs who followed the Way of Iron which had guided them to conquer the Dwarves, and allowed them to build their strongholds in the holds, this would prove a fatal blow. While the initial casualties were devastating, even more Orcs would die during the uprisings that followed as the oppressed Dwarves sought to reclaim their ancestral home.

The Orcs which followed the Way of Bone continued to live in the Steppe to the West. They were relatively untouched by the disaster; the Rift touched less upon the region than the East of Tyria while those who found themselves too close to its fissures simply relocated their tribes to safety.

The Orcs would come to know the event as the Breaking of Iron and Mountain, often shortened to the Breaking. The Orcs who followed the Way of Iron would mourn how it destroyed their homes and Empire, sweeping them away almost in an instant. Yet, to the Orcs who had remained on the Steppe, this was a moment to celebrate; a reunion of a once divided people as their cousins were forced to renounce their decadent ways.

The Breaking of Iron and Mountain remains a divisive topic among the Orcs; some continue to celebrate it openly, but most remain silent on the issue; seeking to avoid the inevitable arguments and occasional violence that breaks out when someone with an opposing view overhears them.

Language

Many have complained of the harsh, guttural nature of the language, but the Orcs take pride in it; considering it a reflection of the harshness of life on the open Steppe. The language, particularly among those who follow the Way of Bone, has remained isolated and largely unchanged for much of its history,though since their conquest of the Dwarves, some have noted that followers of the Way of Iron have begun to make use of some Dwarven loanwords, particularly for mining and metal work. Relatively few outsiders have learnt to speak it,but those who have gone through the effort are greatly respected among the Orcs themselves.

Orcs typically only go by their personal name, but within their Clan they may be identified by their parents name as well; particularly those who are too young to have distinguished themselves. Typically, such names end with an "em". Among outsiders, many use their Clan name in place of surnames, signalling their identity and loyalties, though some may prefer to use their parent’s name instead. In effect, this means Orcs may go by up to four names; their personal name, as the son or daughter of each parent and as a member of a Clan; though they will rarely use more than two at a time.

Examples Names

[Fazgdeg] [Jeurgraskkem] [Uzggrem] [Lergazgdra]- [Fazgdeg] [son of Jeurgrask] [son of Uzggra] [of the Lergazgdra Clan]

Fazgdeg may be called either Jeurgraskkem or Uzggrem among his Clan and family, usually depending on who the speaker is most familiar with; children of Chieftains and notable Orcs will tend to be known by almost exclusively by the name of their more notable parent.

Outside of his Clan, outsiders may address him as Fazgdeg Lergazgdra, unless one of his parents is particularly respected even among other Clans.

Male Names

• Fazgdeg Jeurgraskkem Uzggrem Lergazgdra
• Gauzhgugh Ergdegkem Naukhem Raggrantok
• Dreskhag Thezgdegkem Shegshkem Wuzdrantak

Female Names

• Vaksheva Heurkagkem Luzgkem Angrakthram
• Zuzkgra Mauzgugkem Orthdem Jargmarthok
• Rurthka Azkraskkem Mauzoukem Zugraskga

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Note that characters are usually referred to by their personal name (in italics). It is very rare for an Orc to be known by all four names, but these options have been included for completeness sake.

Trivia

Notable Characters

• Waurgazg (Divided by Shadow) - An eccentric Orc Shaman who seeks the means to unite the local tribes through magic power and unsavoury alliances.

Proverbs

• Better to break a bone than to break a promise.
• The steppes thunder with our approach!
• The only way to know someone's worth is to fight with them or against them.
• To win an empire by abandoning your people's ways is not a victory but a tragedy.
• We must forge ourselves, shaping our ways as the smith shapes iron, if we are to restore our lost glory.

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