- Enemy Type: Orc
- Family: Goblinoid
- Behavior: Aggressive, courageous
- Distribution: Northwest Ancaria
- Size Class: Humanoid
- Combat Strength: Dangerous
- Alignment: Chaotic
- Quote: "If it doesn't run, eat it. If it runs, kill it. Then eat it."
Nor Plat, Land of the Orcs
The Orc homeland, Nor Plat, lies in the north of Ancaria. Mountains enclose huge frozen plains that border in the north on the Dragon Sea. Monsters and creatures roam this harsh, cold land. There are Trolls, Ogres, and Goblins, but the Orcs are the only ones who build settlements and exhibit signs of a "culture".
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An Orc battle flag. Orcs have always been a warrior nation. Their hearts long for battle, and each of them is willing to sacrifice their life for their or their clan's honor - if they really have to. There is an ancient Orcish proverb: "Only when they tear the sword from my cold dead hand am I defeated!"
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Behavior and Attitudes
Two attributes characterize Orcs: their stupidity and their enthusiasm for battle. These potentially volatile combination is best met with a friendly demeanor and short, easily understood sentences. Not many travelers make their way to Nor Plat, that's why the Orcs always welcome visitors and invite them to their mead halls to listen to stories from foreign lands. Travelers who are asked for such a story should make sure that it deals with war and death and still be grasped after five or six jars of mead.
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A gathering of Orcs in a village center. Orcs are very social creatures. They live in groups, clans and village communities. There, away from the battlefields, everything is clearly structured. Women enjoy the warriors' protection and in return educate the children, provide and prepare food and take care of each day's errands.
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Orc women. Both men and women may be leaders of Orc tribes.
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Orc Culture
The Orcs' culture, craft and art may seem primitive at first glance. Still, they follow strict rules with both clear and practical laws. Orcish weapons in particular bear comparison to Elven weapons when it comes to effectiveness and durability.
Orcs live in huts and houses that they adorn with detailed wood carvings, bones and horns. They usually dress in furs and dyed fabric clothes, and use bones and horns to make their appearance even more frightening. Only warriors of the highest rank are allowed to wear plate armor.
Read more about the Orcish language in "Interesting Facts About Ancaria: Orcish for Beginners." Orcish cuisine is discussed in The Art of Cooking, Book 1: Orcish Cooking
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An Orc bard. The music of the Orcs leaves something to be desired.
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For the Orcs, there is only one God: Kuan, the God of war. Almost every orc prays to him. However, this spiritual unity has not led to a peaceful togetherness. In fact, most Orc settlements are at war with their neighbors. The reasons for this are complex clan hierarchies, blood feuds with long forgotten causes, and the Orcish code of honor. Every Orc, from the ice fishers on the Numak to the trappers in the tundra considers himself a warrior. A wrong word spoken under wrong circumstances almost inevitably leads to bloodshed. It is said that the major cause of death among grown male Orcs is a sudden loss of the head.
| Banner of the Grurag Clan
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Banner of the Ore-Thag Clan
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Civil war has been raging in the Orcish realms of northwest Ancaria for years. Two clans, the Ore-Thag and the Grurag, are fiercely fighting for dominance. While this struggle occurs, many smaller tribes stay neutral – ready to start flying the victorious side's colors at just the right moment.
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Many enemies of the Orcs have made the mistake of underestimating their archers. As opposed to the ranged units of other armies, Orcs prefer to face approaching enemies with the sword rather than back off.
Orc archers wielding a sword are just as deadly as any other Orc. They only use their bows to thin the ranks of their enemies before slaughtering them for good.
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Orc champions are particularly well trained Orcs with matching combat experience. Orcs worship them as heroes and praise them in many poems and songs. Champions always fight in heavy armor, which is usually adorned and painted. The additions add even more to their awe inspiring presence on the battlefield.
Orc champions are always to be found in the very first line of combat. Their battle cry inspires younger and less experienced Orcs to excel in the fight against their enemies.
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Shamans hold a special rank in the Orcs' hierarchy. All Orcs respect magic, and since shamans are Orcs who have learned to harness that strange force for their own purposes, Orc shamans are highly respected members of Orcish society. At the same time, they are considered to be rather weird and potentially dangerous. Orcs mistrust anything they don't understand.
Orc shamans have a sizable range of spells, which mainly focus on harming their enemies. Before battle, shamans always concoct a special broth to boost the warriors' courage. Opinions differ on whether that broth is actually any good at all.
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Orc warriors form the bulk of the Orcish armies. There, young Orcs eager to test their mettle in combat as well as older Orcs, who never managed to join the ranks of the elite, fight side by side. Still, common Orc warriors are deadly enemies who can make perfect use of their weapons.
In combat most Orcs prefer blade weapons, the looks of which already strike fear into their enemies' hearts. The Orcs' fighting technique focuses on disabling the enemy with a single strike. "You may ignore flesh wounds - but not broken bones" is dogma to Orcish combat trainers.
In general Orc warriors are not afraid of wounds. According to rumors, Orc warriors actually yearn for the pain caused by wounds to get into some sort of combat rage. Allegedly, with every new wound, their strikes with the mighty two-handed weapons become more powerful. Thus far, no one who has ever returned from a battle against Orcs was able to confirm those rumors...
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Armored Orc warriors willingly sacrifice part of their maneuverability for better protection in combat. They share the same rank as ordinary Orc warriors, and are mainly deployed against enemies which should be faced in heavy armor.
Each Orc is free to use the weapons of his choice. Anything goes, from normal swords to massive two-handed axes.
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Orc Tattoos
See more at Art of Ancaria
More Orc Pictures
| Orc Shaman
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Armed Orc Warrior
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Orc Concept 1
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Orc Concept 2
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Orc Concept 3
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Orc Concept Color 1
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Orc Concept Color 2
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Orc Animations
| Armed Orc Warrior
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Orc Champion
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Orc Shaman
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Orc Warrior
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