Orcs in Dungeons and Dragons (D&D) have been a controversial topic of late, to say the least. That’s because their lore, along with a few other races’, has been challenged by modern players who argue that making a race that is exclusively “evil” is an incredibly damaging message to send about groups of people.
As such, new content for D&D has tried to deemphasize the concept that all orcs are warlike savages, and have started to suggest new histories and lore that use a more sympathetic lens on the orcs’ history, rather than using their “violent nature” as an excuse for everything that the book wants to paint in a negative light. These tidbits are pulled from the current lore, not yet fully updated - there’s a chance that these details may be altered soon, so all the more reason to learn about them now.
10 They Cook With Shoes…?
It’s not big news that orc food is harsh on the palate for most other races. It’s the polite thing to do to choke it down (if you can), but the taste is often compared to an “old soldier’s boot.” It’s undoubtedly bad, but some who have spent an extended period of time around the orcs go a step further.
They claim that the orcs actually do use discarded shoes when cooking. No one who hears this usually asks any follow-up questions, but it’s fascinating to theorize about exactly how they’re using the shoes: as a dish to serve in or cook in? As a spice? As a garnish? To thicken broth? The disgusting possibilities are endless. GeneralNuclear posted this adorable miniature fan creation on Imgur.
9 They Formed A Civilization After The Spellplague
Orcs in Dungeons and Dragons have had a long, violent history - among each other and with other races. They generally formed tribes around a few family units and warred with one another. The Orcs really took shape as a society after the Spellplague – an event in D&D history where raw magic was unleashed upon the realms.
One orc named Obould Many-Arrows united most of the mountain orcs into a civilized kingdom. This “Kingdom of Many-Arrows” existed even after the Spellplague was resolved, and maintained peace, however tenuous, with their dwarven neighbours.
8 Adults Are 11 Years Old
Orcs have one of the shortest lifespans of any race in D&D; any who live past the age of 45 usually have some kind of magical help. Orcs like to live fast, die young, and leave a beautiful corpse, so to speak. Though their beauty is probably debatable or simply in the eye of the beholder. Though Reddit user pagurcia captured quite the dashing Orc ranger above.
This isn’t helped by the fact that they often die young due to their violent, war-like nature. While an 11-year-old human won’t be considered an adult for another 7-10 years (at least), an 11-year-old orc is considered a full adult in their tribe and expected to uphold their responsibilities like anyone else.
7 Orogs
As with many other races in D&D, orcs are divided into subraces. The most average kind that one might picture when someone says “orc” is the mountain orcs, who are found through most of the world. One of the most seldom seen, on the other hand, are the Orogs, who live in the Underdark like the elven Drow.
They are descended from mountain orcs who were cut off from their army during an invasion and sought refuge in a cave. The harsh conditions made the Orogs a little more reasonable than their mountain orc cousins since they had to work together to survive. They also live longer, to the ripe old age of 85.
6 Their Gods Teach That All Races Are Inferior To Orcs
The orcish pantheon is led by the chaotic evil god Gruumsh. Including him, the pantheon has six gods, and their teachings say that orcs are superior to all other races. Unsurprisingly, this has cultivated the war-focused orc culture over the years; peacetimes are few and far between for any tribe.
They prioritize control over resources especially and believe that they should attack first to avoid being taken by surprise when their opponent strikes. This was all done in the name of their species’ survival.
5 Orc Women
Orc tribes are overwhelmingly patriarchal. Other societies have varying levels of patriarchy or its remnants in their political systems, but none so severely as orc tribes. The situation does vary from tribe to tribe, but women are never given full autonomy in their culture.
Orc men play a game of domination with one another, in which women are among their pawns. The number of wives and sons they have imparts respect - young girls and women may be prized possessions, almost like trophy wives, in one tribe and as forgotten as livestock in another.
4 Breeding With Quaggoths
The quaggoths are bear-like creatures, just humanoid enough to walk short distances on their hind legs, that live in the Underdark - their origins are murky at best. Most are not especially intelligent, speaking only a bare-bones kind of the Undercommon language.
Some of the more intelligent Quaggoths, however, bred with the mountain orcs and created a beast race that is exceedingly rare: Boogins. Boogins have the general features of an orc, with large tusks and muscular bodies, but they are also covered in shaggy fur.
3 Orcs Didn’t Exist Before Tolkien
Orcs appeared for the very first time ever in Tolkien’s Lord of the Rings. Reminding the public that orcs did not exist before Tolkien invented them was slightly more common when the trilogies were coming out but is a fact often forgotten. Artist Ted Nasmith captured a battle above.
Some fans describe watching or reading Tolkien’s stories as “mastery of the fundamentals,” and they have this impression because nearly all fantasy content - like World of Warcraft or Dungeons and Dragons - since The Lord Of The Rings came out has been influenced by how it portrayed elves, dwarves, humans, goblins, and orcs.
2 Their Primary God Fought The Elven Creator God
The greater god of the orcs, Gruumsh, appears in the very oldest tales of orcs in the world - it’s not known how they came into being. These old stories tell of how Gruumsh fought a god named Corellon Larethian, who created the elves and eladrin. It helps to justify the long-standing hatred between elves and orcs.
How the battle ended, however, depends on which side one believes. The elves claim that their God won by gouging out and taking Gruumsh’s eye. The elves argue that Gruumsh was always one-eyed, and deny that Corellon won the battle or took any trophy from Gruumsh.
1 They Don’t Do Their Own Building And Crafting
Orcs scavenge as many resources as they can. A lifespan of only 40 years, and a culture focused primarily on winning wars, doesn’t leave much room to allow the likes of architectural or blacksmithing arts to develop.
Orcs recover and repair, with what rudimentary and inferior tools they have, any armour or weapons they find. Rather than build their own shelters, they live in abandoned ruins that they can modify and repair. When no buildings can be found, the tribe lives in tents.
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