GoCorral

Physical Description

Orcs are physically the strongest of the Conclave races. They stand above all other Conclave races with typical heights between six and seven feet. Their increased muscle mass has a similar increase in weight, with many orcs weighing more than 250 pounds. Their increased size is supported by a greater caloric intake of meat than the other intelligent species of Cimmeria. The typical human diet is 10% meat, while an orc’s is 30% meat.

Orcs have a few other physical characteristics that set them apart from other races. They have large lower canine teeth that protrude out of their mouths as tusks. Orcs have skin ranging from green, grey, and brown with the occasional orange tones mixed in. Their eye colors are red, yellow, and brown. Orc eyes are also to see in the dark, making them excellent nighttime predators.

Culture

Orcs organize themselves by tribes. Each tribe has a name evoking some essence of what that tribe is. Most tribes have a chief or chieftess that rules the tribe and conducts diplomacy with other tribes. To become a fully-fledged member of a tribe, one must undertake a rite of passage. Each rite is a secret kept only by existing members of a tribe and the Maglibarjil tribal council. The rites vary wildly between tribes, from going on a vision quest, a hunt, or constructing a piece of art. The rites are attempted by those born within a tribe, but theoretically anyone could take the challenge and become a member of an orc tribe. Those who fail a rite of passage are dubbed Clanless and are no longer considered fully part of their tribe.

Clanless orcs have no official place in orc tribes but often find there are unofficial places. They provide much of the basic labor that supports society. Tribal members may hunt for meat, but those who failed the rites of passage work in the farms so that food remains plentiful in the winter. Sadly, there are not enough such jobs for all the Clanless in the Orc Lands. Groups of Clanless band together and raid for resources. While some of these raiders head away from the Orc Lands, others stay to pillage tribal villages. These conflicts rarely end well for Clanless as they are often poorly equipped and trained compared to tribal warriors. Some groups of Clanless are able to survive, construct their own means of initiation, and form their own tribe. To be officially recognized, they must petition the Maglibarjil for tribal status. There are about sixty such small tribes in the Orc Lands.

Orcs place a great emphasis on deeds before blood for what is valued in their culture. An orc’s children only inherit their property if they can prove they deserve it. The most common method of proving one’s self is through combat. As much aggression as possible is directed outwards towards other parts of Cimmeria, hunting animals, or the hazards of the Shacklack Desert. Unfortunately, orcs often end up fighting other orcs to prove their worth. This has led to a reduced population and a collapse of orkin national stability. Orc society is hierarchical, but rarely is there an individual at the top due to constant, violent challenges for supremacy.

Orc rituals often include blood in one way or another. Oaths are sworn by mixing the blood of the participants. Consecrations are performed with the blood of the priest or the blood of an involved party. Blood from livestock is also a common ingredient in orkish cooking. The most interesting blood based consumable in the Orc Lands is a fermented drink made from livestock blood. Each tribe has a different variation for their own blood drink. Smooth and clear, mixed with milk, spiced, and made with a broth are just some of the many recipes between the different tribes.