el-remmen
Moderator Emeritus
In my current setting orcs are extinct, about 40000 years ago they were killed off by the combined efforts of the so-called Free Peoples (elves, dwarves, gnomes, halflings and late additions, humans). In most legends they are the evil and savage people from below the earth that wanted to destroy civilization.
And yet, there is some anecdotal and archeological evidence to the contrary, that while orcs and the other peoples went to war, the reasons were not so cut and dry and that at one time orcs and humans were so intertwined as to be considered one people in some places.
Add to this the Orc-Born (which replace half-orcs in my game)
to quote the forthcoming fifth issue of my HOW I RUN IT zine:
There aren't many of them and culturally they are influenced by the human cultures they are born into and/or work to restore or recreate their own lost orcish culture. Found family is a strong belief among many of those orc-born who have been disowned by or chosen to abandon their human communities and travel the world or have created havens for their kind and their allies.
And yet, there is some anecdotal and archeological evidence to the contrary, that while orcs and the other peoples went to war, the reasons were not so cut and dry and that at one time orcs and humans were so intertwined as to be considered one people in some places.
Add to this the Orc-Born (which replace half-orcs in my game)
to quote the forthcoming fifth issue of my HOW I RUN IT zine:
“Orc-Born” are born to human families, the strong strain of orcishness receding and emerging across the generations. In some families, this strain is strong enough to be notable in most members, in others an “orc-born” child can be born to a family with no hint of it in living memory. In some places it might be considered a blessing, in others, a curse.
There aren't many of them and culturally they are influenced by the human cultures they are born into and/or work to restore or recreate their own lost orcish culture. Found family is a strong belief among many of those orc-born who have been disowned by or chosen to abandon their human communities and travel the world or have created havens for their kind and their allies.
Last edited: