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I see Orcs as any other working class ethnic group in history. They tend to be poor, less educated, breed more, fight more and die more. They should be harder to play and the level of rp expected from them is higher than that which passes from an average human character from WD.

Orcs are taught from day one that the world has been denied them. This is all part of a conspiracy amongst the gods of all the other races [1]. Supposedly lots were drawn by the gods to see where in the world they would put thier people. Everyone of course cheated in the drawing of straws sticking Gruumsh with the shorty. So after everyone had a place to put people but One-Eye he got up on his soap box espousing the orcs as the strongest race and he struck the world several time with his staff and placed the orcs in the resulting crags, etc., swearing that one day they would rise out and take the planet [2]. It is the responsibility of every orc to move towards this end.

One of the most obvious responsibilities of orcs in reaching this goal is to multiply. Alot. A very lot. Like big horrible bunnies. Make more orcs. Half orcs are pretty good to. A human woman birthing an orc child can not at the same time be having a human one, and it will probably also make her undesirable to humans. As a bonus thier are often favorable results from crossbreeding and the orcs are well aware of them. It is usually orc females who take up the banner and the breeding department. With festivals and celebrations, with selective (coersive) breeding and sterilization. It is this need for ever more orcs that give the orc females power, but also places her in a class below the typical male warrior in the opinion of the average male warrior. Males spend less quality time thinking about breeding (or anything else for that matter.)

This biggest thing any orc has to fear (besides One-Eye his self) is infertility. Infertility is a fate worse than death. And this fate more often than not is one rendered by a priestess or other influential female. Orcs rendered infertile often become part of a genderless subclass, becoming fearless, near suicidal fighters. Females of this sort tend to be even more vicious and cruel than males, proving themselves to race and deities despite thier curse.

In FK the sex of a character should not limit the classes available to them. Even a fertile female can be a warrior. Often training as a fighter to defend the caves. Like many other fighters though this requires joining other orcs in armies and as adventures gaining experience. These errant females still promote furthering the race. Often they will become pregant in the field and either return to the caves to raise thier child for the till the child is a few years old. Other times they will simply return to give birth then leave the new born to be raised by the temple of Luthic. Eventually those females that survive long enough will return to the temples to become cave mothers themselves and/or to train young warriors.

Most orcs have more children than they can keep track of. Even though the institution of marriage is a part of orc culture it is common for orcs to breed outside of the marriage. Males tend to breed with anything that will let them, especially during festivals. Females tend to be more crafty, often selecting breeding partners who will bring them the strongest sons and daughters who they can use in thier quests for power. Males often only pay attention to the strongest of thier sons. Being watchful for both potential allies and potential threats. Because of this I think the average PC orc would not have any strong sibling bonds with any other PC. PC orcs wishing to be siblings should be required to apply for the RP first.

All this about breeding and such being said... orc sexuality has no business being treated lightly in RP on FK. Most orcs should never make little more than occassional, abstract references to it. I would expect players to respect the same sort of guidelines on would follow at work. If it sounds like IRL it would be sexual harrasssment, or if it just sounds stupid or immature, do not say or do it. Males should never threaten females in any way about things sexual. IC they should be to superstitiousand frightened about a Cave Mother putting a curse, or worse, on thier fatherhood. Females should apply for special RP before assuming they can deal with breeding and such IC. Use the guidelines for marriage and pregnancy with other races as a guide. Do not even think about either with out asking.

I think this enough to thikn about for now.
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Foot notes:
1. It is worth noting that 'other races' usually refers to humans, elf, dwarf and gnome. Halflings are sometimes included or sometimes considered the decendents of some long ago intermingling of human and dwarf. Orcs usually place the remainder of the races into the monster and/or less than people class that humans, elf, dwarf and gnome tend to.

2. Unearthed Arcana, Gary Gygax, TSR

I found this information on the Orc culture to be quite interesting. It is difficult, with so few Orcs logging on to get a cross section or point of reference for Orc RP. And I welcome any comments from Imms or Admin about approriate or inappropriate behavior/ Orcish RP.

That said... I would like to open up the floor here for a discussion on Orc RP in general just to get a feel for what everyone out there thinks. It seems to me, that the references for Orc RP are not as plentiful or easily accessible as they are for say... elves *cough* *gag*

I am not certain if this is the correct place to open such a discussion so... if this post should be relocated please accept my apologies and feel free to move this.

Thanks,
Ooma

One thing that I generally dislike seeing among monstrous races (goblins, orcs, kobolds) is the tendency people have to play them as buffoonish, stupid and generally ridiculous. I think that Gruumsh made a great point in stating that like the lower classes throughout history, they're *uneducated* rather than stupid. An orc receives a slight intelligence penalty in 3rd edition D&D as far as I remember, but they're by no means retarded. Orcs and goblins and bugbears are dangerous creatures, they're cunning... they might not be able to carry on a philosophical discussion, but they can lay out a carefully planned trap, outwit their opponents in a battle, and so on and so forth.

I think people in the past, both interacting with and playing as orcs themselves, tend to associate their manner of speech at times with being slow-witted dullards, which is hardly the case, especially in a world where the average *human* can't read or write and receives no formal education whatsoever. I applaud Gruumsh's comments and would love to see a flourishing of monstrous culture here on FK that truly represents them.

Even though it's not canon here, one can read Tolkein's works and see the Orcs there, who are represented with the speech patterns of lower class English, but they're not ever protrayed as stupid or clumsy. They're deadly warriors who are corrupt and evil, power hungry and greedy. Just something to keep in mind.

*coughs*

To redeem myself I am pulling out my Savage Frontier guide which has a nice page of orcs of the north. I just sat and read through it because I will admit I have problems rping non-humanoid characters. Getting my mind into their mindset is difficult fo rme but I did find the knowledge here to be helpful and maybe a good reference to those who want to play an orc that is not 'common' in the game yet but would still be acceptable. For those who do not have this particular suppliment, happy reading.

Orc Religion and Magic
The orcs in the North worship an alliance of chaotic, orcish gods, including Gruumsh, Bahgtur, Shargess, Ineval, Turtrus and Luthic. As describes earlier, these orcish gods are identical to the descriptions given in Unearthed Arcana. The shamans and witch doctors who worship these gods devote themselves to a single diety.

In addition to the clerical spells granted by the god, they may control creatures associated with their diety, using them as mounts, familiars or body guards. Shamans of Baghtru are often mounted on mighty oxen. Shamans of Shargrass can summon bats, including giant bats and the collosal doombats which can be ridden as mounts. Shamans of Yurtrus may animate dead to create skeletons and zombies. Priestesses of Luthic (also shamans) are often protected by several cave bears.

Orc holy spots are marked by huge cairns (piles) of skulls, including orc, human, elven, dwarven and other humanoid races. Orcs are so devoted to their holy sites that they become berserk if they discover a desecrated site, destroying all they encouner in their frenzy.

Orc Tribal names are variants of one of the orcish gods' holy symbols. Thus the holy icon of the Stinking Claw orcs would be a rotting claw, possibly a variant of Turtrus's white hand.

Orc Regional Distinctions
In the North, the orcs are grouped into five divisions, based on geographical location : The Spine of the World orcs, the Trollmoor Orcs, The Ice Mountain orcs, the High Forest Orcs and the Fallen Lands orcs.

Spine of the World Orcs
In these bleak mountains, the most powerful orc tribes skulk in stone fortresses stolen from the dwarves and renamed. Eyegad, Tarne and Vokan with their gloomy squat buildings and oppresive black temples are the visible tips of sprawling undergound tunnel and cavern complexes that house tribes with names like Skortchclaw, Skreetch, and Bleeding Eye. Others like the Slashers and Orcs of the Severed Tongue lurk in the unnumbered small caves that pepper the valleys and passes of these mineral-rich mountains.

The Skortchclaw tribe, under King Ugra Ngarl, is forcing goblin slaves to mine mithril beneath Fortress Eyegas. The mithril is apparently being sold in great quantity to someone in the High Forest.

Trollmoor Orcs
These orcs who dwell in the barren Evermoors are loosely organized and rove the moors in bands preying on travelers on the Evermoor Way, attacking boats on the Rauvin and raiding against outlying settlements near Nesme and Everlund, and organizing in the fall to attack Uthgardt Runemeet at flintrock. Known orc tribes in the moors include the Vile Rune, Dripping Spear, Bonesnapper, Red Murderer, and Throat Slitter Tripes.

Trollmoor Orcs have only witch doctors, never shamans. They worship the non-orcish god, Bhaal (Although I believe even at the time of this second edition publication Bhaal was already dead.)

Ice Mountains Orcs
Most of these are orcs loyal to King Graul, son of Eldoul. The rest (over 40,000 in the Citadel of Many Arrows alone_ follow Obould, an orc of giant stature and fighting prowness (though Obould is said to pay fealty to Graul). The Ice Mountains orcs wage constant war with the dwarves of Citadel Abdar and stage freqeuent raids against Silverymoon and Sundabar.

The High Forest Orcs
These orcs dwell in tunnels and small villages about two days' journey into the wood. They are arch-foes of rangers and are suspected to possess forestry skills. They worship a demi-power called the Wild Hunter, a lawful evil variant of the Master of the Hunt. Orc tribes in the High Forest include the Tanglethorn, Sharpspike, Bloody Eye, and Horned Lord tribes.

Due to their woodland habitat, orcs of the High Forest have the non-magical abilities of rangers (but gain no pluses in battle against goblin class creatures). Wild Hunter shamans actually grow stag antlers from their heads and may substitute druidical spells for clerical spells.

The Fallen Lands Orcs
The orcs of the northern Fallen Lands are Graypeaks follow King Ogrash, a powerful orcish shaman and warrior who is reputed to wield Skullripper, a halberd +3. To the south, many petty orcish kings wage constant battle against each other. More often then not, orcs encountered in the southern region will be involved in battle with other orcs. Known tribes of the Fallen Lands include King Ogrash's Bloody Scar tribe, and the Black Slasher, Severed Fist, Seven Eye, and Black Bone tribes.

Orcs of the Fallen Lands have cavalry - 20%of all encountered orc bands will be mounted on ugly, black, ostrich-like flightless birds. Most mounted orcs have short bows and lances.

**Even from reading that I get the impression that orcs are strategic masterminds when they want to be. They wrested possession of the Citadel of Many Arrows from the hands of the dwarves and are planning attacks on a barbarian festival months in advance. They have learn to be cavalary and have stations of rank with Kings .. Even have some with woodlore.

Might even be a good thing if some ambitious builder would like t create another 'base' for orcs and apply to build the Citadel of Many Arrows.

Nedylene wrote:Might even be a good thing if some ambitious builder would like t create another 'base' for orcs and apply to build the Citadel of Many Arrows.

Just curious, but isn't the Citadel of Many-Arrows what Obould Many-Arrows called Mithril Hall when the orcs took over?

Yes but remember everything canon FR is not canon FK. We like our own twist.

*exits with the twist song*