Orcs are naturally chaotic and unorganized, acting mainly on their emotions and instincts rather than considering long-term payoffs. Only the most charismatic and intelligent Orcs are motivated to seek control over or cooperation with other Orcs. Over the years, more and more Orcs in Toosehn and previous Giftworlds have entered Integrated Society, through means of diplomacy, trade, and subjugation. Many Orc communities still maintain their distance, however, and old tensions die hard. Orcish tribes have historically thrived through savagery and force of numbers, and often find it difficult to live by the structure and norms of Integrated Society. Traditional Orcish life has no place for weakness, and every warrior must be strong enough to take what is needed by force. Treaties, trade negotiations, and diplomacy are somewhat unfamiliar to Orcs and the last homogenic Orcish tribes in Toosehn have largely resisted such arrangements. They care only for satisfying their insatiable desire for battle, to smash their foes and appease their gods, making them the scourge of each other and frontier settlements.
In order to replenish the casualties of their endless conflicts, Orcs breed prodigiously (and they aren’t choosy about what they breed with, explaining why Half-Orcs were prevalent even before the first large-scale migrations of Orcs to Integrated Society). Pregnant Orcs are relieved of their other roles and taken to the lair’s whelping pens, where they are tended to. Orcs don’t take mates, and little pair-bonding takes place other than the moment when coupling takes place. At other times, Orcs are typically indifferent towards each other in terms of Attraction. Traditionally, Orcs have considered mating a largely mundane necessity of life, and no special significance beyond that is imparted on it. Some attitude towards this has changed within Integrated Society, especially among Human-Orc pairings and their Half-Orc offspring.
At 4 years old, an Orc is considered a juvenile, and by age 12 it is a fully functioning adult. Most Orcs don’t live past the age of 25 due to battle or illness, but an Orc can live up to a half-century otherwise, often enjoying a healthy and robust body until the end. Young Orcs have traditionally had to mature quickly in order to survive their perilous upbringing. Their early years are fraught with tests of strength, fierce competition and very little in the way of parental attention. From the time a child can wield a crude weapon, they are expected to assert themself, and learn to survive in the wilderness and fear the gods. The children who can’t endure these rigors were traditionally culled from the main body of the tribe, exiled or left to die. A fully grown orc warrior is therefore well-prepared for a lifetime of combat.
Orcs live in constant fear of their gods, and their behavior is largely rooted in that mentality. They believe that they can see the influence of the gods everywhere in the world around them, and the priests of a tribe are entrusted with the responsibility of identifying these signs and omens, both good and bad, and deciding how the tribe should react to them. Orcs believe that any seemingly unimportant discovery or event (a bear’s claw marks on a tree, a flock of crows, or a sudden gust of wind) might be a communication from the gods. If the tribe has encountered a similar omen before, the priests understand how to interpret it, but if a sign from the gods has no clear explanation, the priests might have to meditate for hours or even days to get a clearer vision of its meaning. Every group of Orcs has particular superstitions and recognizes certain omens. These tenets vary from tribe to tribe, and are often based on events that the tribe has experienced in the past. The Orcs who have maintained tribal life in Toosehn believe that the Orcs of Integrated Society have forgotten the gods and it is their responsibility to impart the wrath of the gods upon them if the opportunity arises.
Orcs have complexions that vary from deep forest greens to pale, sickly grays. Their lower canines stretch out of their mouth as tusks. They often tattoo themselves heavily with hues derived from sap or tar. As a people, Orcs have no noteworthy universal social traits, but they do have a written shorthand Language of their own and enjoy using pigments to decorate and distinguish themselves and their lairs.
While Orcish tribal culture is hallmarked by ferocity, there is nothing intrinsically evil within individual Orcs. Orcs can be capable of great love and selflessness, but most still need an outlet for their natural predisposition towards emotional and violent competition. Orcs living within Integrated Society in Toosehn may choose to participate in Bloodsport to scratch this itch.
When you roleplay Orcs, you can stick out your lower jaw and breathe deeply and slowly, widening your eyes. To Orcs, this is not a show of intimidation, it is just due to the morphology of their tusks, widened windpipes, and expansive lungs.
Orcs are present in most Giftworlds, including:
SWADE Mechanics:
- FEROCIOUS: Orcs start with a d6 in Strength instead of a d4. This increases maximum Strength to d12+1.
- LOW LIGHT VISION: Orcish eyes have been genetically hard-wired to stalk their prey in the dark wilds. They ignore penalties for Dim and Dark Illumination.
- NATURAL WARRIORS: All Orcs are expected to be ready for combat. Your Orc starts with a d6 in Fighting, increasing the maximum to d12+1.
- TERRIFYING: Nobody wants to be on the wrong side of an Orc. Your Orc starts with a +1 bonus to Intimidation Skill checks.
- MAJORLY IMPULSIVE: Orcs almost always leap before they look. They rarely think things through before taking action, getting them into sticky situations more often than not.
- STRANGERS TO PEACE: Orcs aren’t predisposed to diplomacy, and therefore start without the Persuasion Skill at d4. Persuasion may still be acquired like a normal Skill.
- UGLY: Orcish genetics prioritized virility and fertility over Attraction. Your Orc suffers during attempted Persuasion Skill checks and you must subtract 1 from these rolls.