Orcs
Orcish Culture and Values
Orc society is built on strength, courage, and deliverance on the battlefield. What matters is results, not methods.
Conquest beyond Dakras is rare—not for lack of desire, but because intertribal conflict and abundant resources keep attention inward. Shamans, warlords, and champions lead, and merit is measured in victory.
Celebrations of Survival
Birthdays are sacred.
To survive another year is proof of worth—provided that year was marked by triumph. Failing to attend an orc’s birthday is a grave insult, implying their year was weak or unworthy.
Celebrations honor seasons completed and feats achieved: slaying great beasts, climbing deadly peaks, winning skirmishes, or averting disaster through magic. Cunning is respected, but physical dominance becomes legend.
Size of Tribes
Tribes range from 50 to 50,000 orcs. However the major tribes of Dakras number 10,000 and greater.
Small tribes rarely survive on Dakras unless isolated or absorbed by the Blackbanner Host. Many small bands flee Dakras entirely, forming outlaw strongholds on other continents—tolerated only so long as they remain small.
Honor, Exile, and Challenge
Betrayal, cowardice, and theft are unforgivable.
Stealing without killing is shameful. Killing a tribemate outside of a sanctioned challenge is forbidden. Challenges may be duels, hunts, endurance trials, or any feat worthy of respect by the tribe. Orcs have no formal challenge rites. Any perceived insult may be the start of a challenge.
Exile is rare, as a duel to death is more often the ruling - but when exiled it is absolute.
Outsiders and Bloodlines
Orcs accept only those they deem physically superior. Bugbears and similar races may be welcomed; weaker folk are ignored or slain. Corruption is acceptable—if it brings power.
Marriage outside the tribe is grounds for expulsion. Orc tribes are bound by blood. Generational warbands form at birth and persist for life.
The Gods of the Orcs
Orcish faith is practical, brutal, and unquestioned. The gods are not distant ideals—they are tools for survival.
- Yurtrus, the White Hand — god of death, disease, and decay
- Shargaas, the Night Lord — god of darkness, stealth, and assassination
- Bahgtru, the Strong — god of physical might and raw power
- Ilneval, the Horde-Leader — god of strategy, unity, and war
Most tribes honor many gods, however Ilneval is the sole deity of any who ride under the banner of the Bloodtusk Horde.
Additional Information
Geographic Origin and Distribution
Orcs in Avaros are concentrated primarily on the continent of Dakras, where vast tribal territories dominate plains, mountains, and coasts under orcish rule. Beyond Dakras, orcs are found in small, scattered bands across nearly every known land, typically forming strongholds in remote regions or along contested borders. These groups are often remnants of defeated tribes, exiles, or warbands seeking opportunity beyond their homeland. Most foreign realms view such settlements as a lingering threat or the first sign of invasion, even when the orcs themselves seek only survival.
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