Orc

An orc warlord holding aloft a flaming blade, symbol of Surtur and his Armies of Chaos.

Orcs are one of the chaos races. They are dark mockeries of men created by the Jotnar, for whom they serve as the primary footsoldiers in the Armies of Chaos.

Appearance

Orcs - sometimes spelled Orks, and referred to by the elves as the Orcneas - are humanoids with dark greyish skin, sometimes slightly red or green in hue, with other colors being rarer. Their eyes are typically yellow. Unlike goblins and hobgoblins, orcs usually stand upright rather than hunched (except some of the slower-witted or cave-dwelling ones) and have rounded rather than pointed ears, usually with a stunted nose. They have enlarged canines for tearing meat, which, combined with their typical underbite, makes some appear to have tusks. They can grow beards, but not mustaches, and nearly all have black hair.

Culture

From birth, the life of an orc is centered around war, and their existence is a constant fight for survival. Their only crafts are armor and weapons, their only universal law is the survival of the fittest. They respect strength, and will only follow the strongest leaders. Out of respect for the strength of a group or fear of a powerful leader, they can fight as a disciplined unit, and show tribe mentality, protecting those who share their blood from the hostility of other tribes. In this respect, they are at least more predictable to a human mindset than many of the other chaos races, and sometimes independent orc tribes - or orc individuals - can be reasoned with.