Orc Guidelines | Pinegrove

Orc Guidelines Jun 28, 2020 17:30:15 GMT -5

Post by Austin on Jun 28, 2020 17:30:15 GMT -5

ORC LORE

I. History and Origin

Often portrayed under the light of bloodthirsty monsters in human media, their true culture is one of respect, power, and brutal honesty. Orcs tales of their origin claim they were a brother species to humans who nursed from the teats of giants. Modern studies can't trace their exact origin back to any one time, having been around just as long as humans, though most scholars dismiss the Orc's version of their origin as an exaggerated tale.

Orcs believe in survival of the fittest to an obsessive degree. Their beliefs and strict culture is what lead them to be the powerhouse that they are today. Occasionally, an orc deemed to weak to be part of a tribe will instead go to the human societies to shape them into a makeshift tribe of their own. The Spartans of Greece, and Vikings are two examples. Even Attila the Hun is said to have had an orc help advise him. However, most Orcs stick to the outskirts of human civilization not out of fear but out of disgust. As the humans made inventions to make their lives easier, Orcs drifted farther away, viewing it as a sign of weakness. Instead, Orc clans are commonly found in treacherous environments such as mountains, arctics, desserts, etc. They believe the harder it is for the tribe to survive, the more impressive said tribe becomes.

Orc tribes are lead by a chieftain and are independent from other tribes. Each tribe has their own unique customs and rituals, but all of them speak Orcish and value strength above all else. Orcs tend to find magic to be a cowards weapon, and because of that even though they have the ability to do minor magic, most don't bother training in it. As a result Orcs often have trouble tapping into magical concepts or abilities.

Once a year all the orc tribes gather for the Survat Dzorai or the Home Gathering in English. They gather at their believed ancestral birthplace and have a week of games, tests of strength, challenges and celebrations. At the end of the festival the Chieftan of the current ruling tribe may be challenged in a one on one fight. If they win, their tribe remains the ruling tribe of the Orcs, and if they lose the challenger's tribe takes the mantle. Orcs battle for this title as they believe it gives them something they call Gijak Strun or Strength from Blood, and the generation of orcs born under the clan with the current claim will be stronger and larger than other clans. This is also how they elect their leader for The Council and due to the nature of this, they tend have the most turnover for leadership among the species.

For many years Orcs remained so distant from humans that record of theme ceased to exist. However, they have made a return in modern day society after a human named J. R. R. Tolkien on accidental happenstance stumbled onto a small clan of orcs while in his travels. Much like most fantasy written for humans, Tolkien took what he saw and interpreted it into a twisted version for a fantasy book.

II. Appearance

Orcs have green skin, though it comes in many shades of green depending on the clan. They have tusks, which are protuding canines from their lower mouth. Some Orcs believe the bigger the tusks the more powerful the Orc. As a whole, Orcs grow to be up to an average of 7 feet tall with large muscular bodies. They have slightly pointed ears, but nowhere near to the level of Elves or Fae, and their hair is dark (normally black) with matching eyes.

Despite their above description, Orc offspring come out looking surprisingly like a normal human boy. They share very little features similar to an adult Orc as a newborn, and tend to only be distinguished by their tiny baby teeth tusks that are poking out of their gums since birth. As they age through toddler and child years, they get slightly bigger tusks and a very pale green tint to their skin tone. Though these changes are so gradual that most Orc children could blend in perfectly in human society albeit under the guise of a sickly looking child in dire need of braces, but they are always taller and stronger than their human counterparts.

All of that changes when an Orc hits puberty. Their skin becomes too noticeably green, their size a bit too big, and their teeth a bit too large to pass for a normal human. In terms of muscle growth during puberty, they share much of the same process as human males. However, for Orcs it happens to a larger degree and in a faster process. It is during this time that they get truly superhuman feats of strength.

III. Becoming a Orc

Orcs are born from other orcs and produce only males. Each Orc offspring will always be and Orc as it is the dominant gene. Orcs must mate with human women to produce an offspring. Despite their unconventional appearance, an Orcs strength has an alluring effect on non-mythical women as they tap into the primal instinct to produce offspring with a strong male partner. Though most women don't stay with the Orc after giving birth to their offspring, in some rare cases particularly strong willed women gain the respect of their Orc mate and come to live in their clan. They have to go through a menacing gauntlet to test their resolve, but if they pass, they are accepted into the clan as one of their own.

Orcs reach their full maturity between the ages of 17-24 and by then they are the shade of green, size, and tusk length that they will be for life. It should be noted that when an Orc is born they are not given a surname passed down from their father. Instead, their surname is that of the clan they hail from. For example, an Orc named Itzak Frostfist would hail from the Frostfist clan.

Orc Guidelines Jun 30, 2020 20:46:56 GMT -5

Post by Austin on Jun 30, 2020 20:46:56 GMT -5

ORC GUIDELINES

I. Fledgling Orc

Prestidigitation: A general purpose spell that lasts one hour which is used with simple hand movement to accomplish a variety of small tasks such as:
Creating an illusion object that can fit in the caster's hand
Creating or dismissing a small tuft of fire such as a match or fireplace
Creating a small light to float above the caster much like a lantern
Unlocking a non-magic mechanical lock on a door or object
Changing the color or design of an object
Creating a harmless sensory effect such as an odd odor, sparks, or a musical note

[li]Male-only species

[/li]
[li]Orcs have incredibly strong and durable bodies giving them access to superhuman levels of strength and durability (1 ton)[/li]
[li]Resistant to harsh weather conditions such as heat and cold (Note: This does not mean they are resistant to elemental attacks)[/li]
[li]Rage: Once per day, an Orc may enter into a rage which increases their strength and durability by 0.5 tons (total of 1.5 tons). During this rage, their skin becomes thick like leather, causing all normal blades and sharp objects to bounce off them. Rage lasts for 20 minutes and cannot be stacked with Reckless Attack.[/li]
[li]Reckless Attack: Once per day, an Orc can imbue his muscles with raw power, adding an additional 1 ton to his strength for a duration of 10 minutes. Once the 10 minutes pass, the Orc suffers the heavy drawback of exhaustion and they lose all superhuman strength and durability, putting them at the same level as a normal human, for 30 minutes. This ability cannot be stacked with Rage or Second Wind.[/li]
[li]Second Wind: Once per day, an Orc can steady himself and fill his lungs with a revitalizing breath. Sprains, minor lacerations, cuts, and bruises heal instantly. It cannot heal life threatening wounds to any effective extent. This ability cannot be stacked with Reckless Attack, nor can it be used during the 30 minute drawback after Reckless Attack is finished.[/li]
[li]Resistance to poisons, toxins, and venom. These will only work half as well and take twice as long to take effect.[/li]
[/ul][/quote]

II. Mature Orc

Prestidigitation: A general purpose spell that lasts one hour which is used with simple hand movement to accomplish a variety of small tasks such as:
Creating an illusion object that can fit in the caster's hand
Creating or dismissing a small tuft of fire such as a match or fireplace
Creating a small light to float above the caster much like a lantern
Unlocking a non-magic mechanical lock on a door or object
Changing the color or design of an object
Creating a harmless sensory effect such as an odd odor, sparks, or a musical note

[li]Male-only species

[/li]
[li]Orcs have incredibly strong and durable bodies giving them access to superhuman levels of strength and durability (1.5 tons)[/li]
[li]Resistant to harsh weather conditions such as heat and cold (Note: This does not mean they are resistant to elemental attacks)[/li]
[li]Rage: Once per day, an Orc may enter into a rage which increases their strength and durability by 0.5 tons (total of 2 tons). During this rage, their skin becomes thick like leather, causing all normal blades and sharp objects to bounce off them. Rage lasts for 30 minutes and cannot be stacked with Reckless Attack.[/li]
[li]Reckless Attack: Once per day, an Orc can imbue his muscles with raw power, adding an additional 1 ton to his strength for a duration of 10 minutes. Once the 10 minutes pass, the Orc suffers the heavy drawback of exhaustion and they lose all superhuman strength and durability, putting them at the same level as a normal human, for 30 minutes. This ability cannot be stacked with Rage or Second Wind.[/li]
[li]Second Wind: Once per day, an Orc can steady himself and fill his lungs with a revitalizing breath. Broken bones, major lacerations, and large gashes heal almost instantly. It cannot heal life threatening wounds to any effective extent. This ability cannot be stacked with Reckless Attack, nor can it be used during the 30 minute drawback after Reckless Attack is finished.[/li]
[li]Resistance to poisons, toxins, and venom. These will only work half as well and take twice as long to take effect.[/li]
[/ul][/quote]