There are three types of orcs on Irien, one base race and two sub-types. The base race is tall, wide and made of muscle, like all orcs they seem to be bred for war. They stand anywhere from 5 to 7 feet tall, though they have a tendency to slouch or hunch over. Their skin color ranges from green to gray, with a gray-green being the predominant color. Their hair is course and dark and can be anything from a dark dirty blonde to jet-black. They have been known to wear their hair short, but usually it is long and sometime braided or even done up in dreadlocks. Many older orcs have been known to sport beards, but they are not as full as the beard of a dwarf or gnome. The younger orcs tend to keep them shaved off rather than dealing with grooming them. Their eyes can be pale blue to a pitch black. Some come in crimson, which other orcs see as a sign of great strength and favor of the gods. Many orc leaders have been blessed with crimson eyes. Their ears are pointed and their noses are usually flat and upturned, exposing their nostrils, which flare widely when the orc is angry. They also have sharp pointed under teeth set in a horrible under bite. Their lower jaw thrust out slightly, exposing the longer tusk-like lower canines all orcs have. Sometime these teeth can be long enough to nearly touch the orcs nose! Orcs have been known to decorate these tusk-like teeth with tattoos and or even carve decorations on them.

   As with humans any given orc can look a great deal different from another. The disparate orc cultures vary in skin, hair and eye coloring, as well as clothing and hairstyles. They also can vary in disposition. The orcs of Irien are conquerors, they feel that might makes right and the world is theirs to conquer. They are smarter, better equipped and less chaotic than the orcs of other worlds. They prefer to go to war with allies and slaves at their side, favoring giants, other humanoids (goblins and such) and war beasts such as War Bison. They often use siege engines, and scaling ladders when attacking fortified towns/fortresses.

   The orcs of Irien replace the races usual 2 to Intelligence and Charisma with a 2 to Dexterity, becoming clumsier than normal orcs, but also smarter and better able to work together. Additionally their favored class switches from barbarian to fighter. Orc Wizards and sorcerers are not uncommon, especially in large armies.

    Traditionally orcs have a patriarchal society, the exception to this being the Kingdom of Saldac (See Saldac description.) It is rare to find a female orc in a position of secular power in an orc community. Orcs are sexually promiscuous; it is not uncommon for a male orc to have several wives who are little better than chattels, especially in tribes where the male population has been decimated. Orc babies are born after 7 months and reach sexual maturity at age 8. Though they are not considered adults until they are 12, but at 8 they are old enough to start learning the art or warfare, hunting, or start a family.

  A female orc has little to look forward to, though in some tribes/kingdoms a few have been able to muscle their way into the military and serve alongside her brothers as an equal. But for most, they are regulated to the role of servant and mother. (Though in Saldac this is slowly changing as more female orcs recognize they do not have to be beholden to the males.) Female orcs are as physically strong and capable as male orcs, but orc society has long had a narrow mind on this.  The one real area that female orc excel is in magic, particularly divine magic. Females orc adepts, clerics, shamans, witches and sorceresses use their magic skills to strike fear into their community, and are, for the most part, left alone to do as they want.

     Orc children when they are born are considered to be the property of the mother; fathers have little or no say in their upbringing. Though the males are often proud to boast of the birth of a sin, they will have little to do with the child until he is ready to start training as a warrior.  Orc mothers will fight to protect their children with their last breath. The maternal instinct is strong in the female orc, as strong as any you would find among humans or the like. The mother-child relationship is one few the few stable things in an orcs life. If an orc hears his father has been slain, he might raise a mug of Mrog in his fathers honor. If someone slanders his motherthis is a grave insult and the situation usually ends up with someones mother losing a child.

    In smaller orc tribes, most orcs use slaves to accomplish tasks they themselves cant do. But in those places where they have formed communities it is becoming more and more common to see orc artisans and merchants, especially in Saldac.  The common orcs of Irien have discovered the pleasure of civilization, and aim to keep it! Saldac boast several growing cities, built on or in the ruins of old fallen cities that boast bustling market places.

    Slavery is common in orc communities, most slaves are goblins or Kobolds, but as their taste become more refined orcs are now starting to keep more diverse slaves for use. (human, elf, even dwarves. Any creature/humanoid that may be of use.)  Though elven and dwarven slaves often suffer greatly under orc rule, but even this is slowly changing as the orcs see start to see themselves more as conquerors of the world. Slaves are used to do those chores that even the lowest orc would not do willingly. Orcs will normally not keep more slaves than they can manage. When they take an entire village they normally enslave the most able-bodied and kill the rest. Children are often kept to trade/sell off to other orc bands or to slavers, same with young females.   In some orc tribes slaves are treated so poorly they can be expected to not last a year, but for others the slavery can go on for years. 

    Orc sorcerers garner a certain amount of respect among orcs, and while a magic spell may not be as direct as a blade shoved through the heart, it can be a great deal more spectacular. Orcs have a keen grasp on power of any kind, and sorcery is just another type of power to be used. Orcs that have talent with sorcery often use it to supplement their skills as warriors. They find this helps them ascend in power rather quickly or they find themselves with a powerful patron. In Saldac schools to train orc sorcerers have been set up. Most orc leaders consider sorcerers to be valuable enough to not outright kill them. They will offer a place in the tribe, but if the leader suspects the sorcerer of treason or betrayal, he wont hesitate to have the sorcerer killed.

   An orc wizard is a rare thing, as most orcs dont put lot of value upon study habits or memorization of spells. Also most orcs lack the temperament to become a wizard. There is, however, a small cabal of orc wizards in Saldac where such learning is encouraged by the crown and training provided.

   The kind of magic orc really understand is the kind fueled by the gods and the Spirits. Both the gods and the spirits are a very real influence in the lives of most orcs. They primarily pay tribute to Gruumsh, as he is the leader of their Pantheon, but there are other orc deities that are also revered. (These deities will be covered further on.) The majority of orc clerics are male, with the exception of those who follow Luthic, The pale Lady or those who are chosen to become a Bride of Gruumsh (Described later). Orc Cleric holds a prominent position in orc society. Male orc clerics, unlike many priests of other religions or races, often find themselves in the thick of battle instead of tending the wounded. Such powerful warriors often leapfrog over more battle-scarred veteran to prominent positions. The most notable of these is the Battle Shaman (described later.)

   Orcs like to take any excuse to have a party. While they have regular celebrations at the traditional times of the year, such as the solstices and the equinoxes, they are often happy to break open a cask of Mrog for anything from a battle victory to the birth of a child. Orc celebrations are often brutal affairs, some parties last for several days and by the end of the affair it is not uncommon for several participants (and some of the slaves that served the party) to be dead. Their demise is just as often come from overindulgence in mrog or foolish attempts at stunts designed to prove their prowess as they do from the hands of their fellows. Drinking contest are legendary, it is not uncommon for the winners of such events to suddenly become prestigious members of their community! In many cases both winners and losers have to deal with Mrog hangovers, which the orcs often boast are bad enough that they would be the death of any non-orc who happened to consume too much Mrog.

      When it comes to weapons and armor most orcs usually have what ever the have taken from their victims. Those orcs hailing from orc cities (like Skelex  ) or from Saldac will often times have stuff made for them by the smiths of those places. Thus giving them the chance of having better quality weapons and armor when fighting. Given the choice orcs seem to prefer armor that doesnt restrict them too much while they fight, while still providing adequate protection. Most orcs enjoy wearing a breastplate for these reasons. Orcs that want heavier protection will wear some type of splint mail, either fashioned from whatever kinds of armor they can strip off their victims or have is custom made to fit. The melee weapon of choice is the Axe.  Smaller or younger orcs will take up the battle-axe, while most adult males take the great axe as soon as they are able to swing it. A few even choose to specialize in the orc double axe. Many orcs also use javelins because of their usefulness as both melee and ranged weapons. Another ranged weapon of choice is the light crossbow. With the development of a war Bison cavalry in Saldac the spear in coming into prominence there, for making charge attacks.

   Orcs dont normally keep animals or pets unless they serve some function. Usually as a defense/alarm system. Some tribes keep such creatures as dire weasels, dire wolverines and the like as guardians. In the more civilized communities you will see dogs and other common creature being kept.

MOUNTAIN ORCS

     The mountain orcs are direct descendents of the orcs that came over the Great Barrier Mountains. These large humanoids have had have changed little over the long centuries they have been here, unlike the common orcs who have changed to fit their environment better. Whether this is due to inbreeding or the fact they still have contact with the parent orcs in Qhal is unknown. Mountain orcs roam out of the mountains into the Darken Woods and into the lands beyond. They are a constant thorn in the side of the remaining wood elves in Darken woods.  They are more violent and war-like than the common orcs of Irein. They firmly believe the day will come when they will rule the civilized world and inherit the lands that they firmly believe are rightfully theirs. They view their previous defeats not as loses, but as preliminary assaults designed to test the resolve and resources of their enemies.  Not surprisingly, the favored class of mountain orcs is the barbarian class.

    Mountain orcs look vaguely like primitive humans, but a much taller. Standing at close to 7 feet in height, a rare few exceed 8 feet. They have stocky powerful necks, and their bestial heads seem to sit directly on their shoulders. Their porcine snouts and large tusks dominate their faces.  Mountain orcs often weave braids and tiny bones into their thick black hair. They delight in decorating their bodies with scars, war paint and more recently tattoos. Smaller mountain orc tribes tend wear crude primitive clothing, while the larger more prosperous ones will have a larger variety of clothing styles. (Depending on what slaves they have, what they have taken in raids etc.)

   Mountain orcs gather in immense tribes, they select caverns or old ruins as lairs to settle in. Skelex is the largest, and perhaps most civilized of the mountain orc tribes/settlements. As the population grows, new buildings are built, though most are crude, some are well built (Usually by slaves). Traditional infighting keeps most mountain orc settlements from becoming too large.  In Skelex, however this infighting is kept to a minimum and the city itself may soon become a problem to the lands south of it. The size of a mountain orc tribe varies greatly, depending on the success of the tribe and its age. Smaller tribes are rarely less than 50 members and larger tribes can exceed 5,000.

   The numbers of orc tribes in the barrier Mountains vary as tribes rise and vanish on a monthly basis. But several are large enough and have been around long enough to become famous (or infamous, in the area. I.e.  the Bone Gnawers, Red Fangs and the Tornskulls to name a few.)   

    All mountain orcs speak orc and common, their orc dialect is similar to the orc spoken in Saldac. They also often learn giant and goblin as well so as to communicate with their like-minded neighbors. Common is learned to interrogate/intimidate prisoners. The majority of Mountain orcs are illiterate, but some have learned this skill, primarily clerics, wizards, sorcerers and some leaders.

   Mountain orcs are more interested in physical prowess than in magic, but like others of their kind they understand and appreciate the tactical advantage of magical support in their war. Though there are some tribes that feel magic is the cowards way out, something used by their hated enemies and that by embracing the use of magic they are conceding their enemies are worthy of respect.

    Mountain orcs despise human, elves and dwarves most of all the races of Irien, though they hate the elves most of all. Elven slaves are rare in mountain orc settlements as they rarely survive their masters amusements. Mountain orcs do get along fairly well with Ogres trolls and hill giants, and these creatures can many times be found to live in mountain orc settlements.

    ABILITIES/RACIAL FEATURES

-          +4 Str, -2 Int, - 2 Wis, -2 Chr Mountain orcs are fantastically strong, but they react to situations with violence and poor planning.

-          Mountain orc land speed 30

-          Darkvision up to 60

-          Proficient with great axe and javalin start training early in life.

-          Light sensitivity- suffers a 1 penalty on attack rolls in bright daylight or within the radius of a daylight spell.

-          Automatic languages common and orc. Bonus languages Draconic, dwarven, giant and goblin.

GRAY ORCS

   Gray orcs are less bestial looking than mountain orcs, but still there is no doubting they are orcs. Their faces are less porcine with the exception of their tusks. They have yellow, oranges or red eyes, black or gray hair. Their skin tones is usually gray with mottled patches of lighter or darker gray on their bodies. Gray orcs are more apt to wear civilized clothing and prefer varying shades of brown, black, blue and other dark colors. They are of similar size to the common orcs of Irien.

  Gray orcs are just as mean and savage as their kin, but less barbaric. They lack the drive to conquer and enslave like the other orcs races. At times they seem more calm and collected than their kin, as they focus their rage and hatred inward. This makes them very effective clerics, especially their females. Gray orcs also, put a lot of faith in trusting their heart and instincts, thus they will often time react to event and not think things through. They are very perceptive and cunning which also makes them very effective rangers.

  Gray orcs are nomads. They dwell in remote regions where they have traditional routes they travel between established campsites or favorite caves. When the resources in their area run low, they move on to the next site. They are found in such areas like Aerhad, The jungle of Kursh and Valkaris.  Though it is rumored that in the Arad Mountains there is an actual gray orc city, led by a very charismatic male. A typical gray orc community consists of 30-50 members, led by the strongest orc in the tribe. This position can be quite temporary at times, as younger males who think they are up to the challenge of leading the tribe are constantly challenging the leader. The true power in the tribe is the shaman/cleric and is often female, who has held the position for many years. Gray orcs zealots, and a word from the tribal cleric is law.  The average Gray orc females lot is worse than those of other tribes. The males will have several wives. The females are little more than chattels or property. It is their job to tend the males, keep the household, bear the children, and break camp etc, most all the menial tasks. In larger tribes more prosperous tribes there are slaves to help with these tasks, but in the smaller tribes these task fall upon the females. The males jobs are to defend the home, provide the food and go to war. They have little to do with rearing the children until the male children become of age to start their training. They are then taken from their mothers and put together in a tent/cave that consist of all male children and some of the older males of the tribe whose job is to teach the youngsters all about fighting, hunting etc. Only among the gray orc tribes is the fathered honored more than the mother. Lineage is very important to them and those from great lineages have a heavy burden placed upon them, as great things are expected from them.

  As mention gray orcs keep slaves when they can. To the slaves go the hardest tasks in the camp and the most undesirable. Gray orcs usually keep no more slaves than they can control, though the males will often times keep a fair number a female slaves as females are deemed weak and easy to control. Plus, like all their kind gray orcs are very promiscuous and will have sex as often as they can! In some of the larger tribes the chief will have a literal harem of female slaves to entertain him!

   Gray orc language is a complex variant of the orc tongue. Anyone who can speak orc can understand the language, but many words, inflection and pronunciations may vary. Gray orcs are not fond of learning new languages, but the tribes shaman typically knows common, giant and goblin. Literacy is rare.

ABILITIES/RACIAL FEATURES

-          +2 Str, -1 int, +2 Wis, +1 Cha not as strong as mountain orcs, but they tend be more independent and strong willed.

-          Land Speed 40 gait is long and loping and they can cover great distances

-          Proficient weapons: Falchion or great axe along with long bows. Gray orcs are trained from childhood.

-          Level adjustment: +1. Gray orcs are slightly more powerful than other orcs and gain levels more slowly.