HALF-ORC (GRAY/JUNGLE/MOUNTAIN)
Half-orcs can have an orc parent that is either a grey orc, jungle orc or mountain orc. Each type has vastly different traits and personalities, however, half-orcs that come from these types of orcs are usually raised by their human parent. The three types of half-orcs, gray, jungle and mountain, are detailed below. Some of the traits are the same for all, and again, there are references here to orcs because that impacts the upbringing and demeanor of the half-orc offspring.
Statistics
- +3 Strength/+2 Agility
- Dark Vision
Age
Half-orcs reach maturity at 20, middle age by 35, and are venerable age by 60. Half-orcs can live to be 80 years old.
Gray Half-Orc
Gray orcs are one of the most populous and widespread of their kind. Recent history finds their origins in the vast sweeping steppes of Hyrkania in the east. There, long ago, they were the orcs who brought together their brethren and formed a somewhat organized horde that managed to throw back the elven forces that had oppressed them. Unique among orcs, gray orcs have been experts of animal husbandry for as long as anyone can remember, specializing in the taming of the great beasts of their native land. Astride mighty buffalos, tuskbeasts, and mammoths, the gray orcs spearheaded the counterstrike the horde launched against the western lands, penetrating deep into the elves’ forest and coming to the feet of the dwarves’ mountains, letting their cousins do much of the work from there. After the war had ended and the bulk of orcs were driven back east, gray orcs made up the bulk of their kind who were left lingering in the west.
APPEARANCE
Gray orcs are, of course, gray, and so are half-orcs from gray orc parents. They span the full range of half-orc height and build (204 to 232 cm tall) and are very thickly muscled. They draw from their human parents potential eye and hair colors.
PERSONALITY
Gray orcs are a little less likely to kill a stranger at first sight than other orcs. This isn’t necessarily about them being kinder, but rather them having a sense of preservation of their species - and themselves. They are slower to anger than their cousins and overall more aware of their surroundings, including in a social setting. They are open to the idea that in some situations, the best way to victory isn’t always immediate violence. Subterfuge, secrecy, and deception are tools that are to be used when there’s no other way to victory. For all of these reasons, gray orcs are often more dangerous than other orcs on a larger scale.
ALIGNMENT
Half-orcs can be of any alignment.
SOCIETY
Gray orcs derive from a semi-nomadic culture based out of Hyrkania and those who still live there retain this culture. The normal gray orc is less savage than other orcs, though they are far from pacifists. Gray orcs have a long history of animal husbandry which carries on to this day and is often inherited by gray half-orcs. On the plains and steppes of Hyrkania, they breed and tame rhinos, mammoths, buffalo, twotusks, and more. They keep these animals as pets, beasts of burden, and sometimes as companions, their bonds rivaling that of a wood elf. Among gray orcs, the strength of one’s mount or animal companion is an extension of the orc’s strength. While most orcs are loath to build anything resembling permanent structures, gray orcs are more likely to do so. This doesn’t mean it is the norm for them. The majority of gray orcs are perfectly content to ride their bound mounts through steppes and plains, bringing the superior strength of their culture wherever they go. They carry with them simple but extremely sturdy tents. Traditionally, they reserve permanent structures to mark places of great importance - such as memorials to great warriors or holy sites.
FAVORED PROFESSION:
Gray half-orcs display the widest variety of professions among their kind. While the majority follow the path of the warrior, significant minorities choose to become artisans, mystics (fecunds or faiths), or outlaws. Nomads and entertainers are rare but not unheard of.
ENEMIES: Elves (especially aquatic and high elves) and dwarves (especially dune dwarves.)
Jungle Half-Orcs
Jungle orcs are the most spiritual orcs, as well as among the most social. Legends say that they descend from mountain and gray orcs who long ago moved south from the steppes of Hyrkania. There, they adapted to the jungles of Vendhya and spread out west into the Golden Kingdoms and as far away as Kush - and to the thick jungles of Khitai to the east. Human interaction with jungle orcs varies from one case to the next. Like all half-orcs, jungle half-orcs are almost always raised by their human parents.
APPEARANCE
Like their orc parents, jungle half-orcs tend to be somewhat on the slender side for their kind but of average half-orc height (204 to 232 cm tall). Their skin comes in various shades of green, though they are fond of tattoos. They are tusked and usually hairless save for their head. Their eyes can be brown, grey, green, or hazel.
PERSONALITY
Jungle orcs are highly superstitious with many taboos as they are the most spiritual of all orcs. Like others of their kind, they have a strong propensity for violence, suffering from animalistic bouts of rage. If one offends their beliefs - such as offending a spirit - they show no mercy in their pursuit for retribution, being both swift and monstrous in their actions. Of course, jungle half-orcs do not share this zeal, though they still inherit a general instinct for violence like other half-orcs. This will impact the type of mate the jungle orc draws to them, generally being humans of similar personality and disposition, which raises the age old question of nature versus nurture. Is the jungle half-orc personality a result of their orc parent or more a reflection of the type of person drawn to the jungle half-orc?
ALIGNMENT
Jungle half-orcs tend toward chaos and are usually neutral or evil, but there are exceptions based on the upbringing of the half-orc.
SOCIETY
Many jungle half-orcs have adopted a shamanistic faith of sorts. While the worship of spirits and totems is overall the most common form of religion among orcs, for jungle half-orcs this is taken far more seriously. Powerful shamans/witch doctors contend with tribal warchiefs for power and it is not uncommon for the former to act as personal advisors for the latter. Ritualism is ingrained in their culture, though the exact form and reason for rituals may vary significantly by tribe. However, all rituals tend to be short and involve violence, either actively or passively. Common components include blood, bones, skulls, teeth, organs, skin/hide, and other bodily fluids. It is very rare to find jungle half-orcs that are raised within their orc parent’s tribe.
FAVORED PROFESSION:
Jungle half-orcs most commonly follow the paths of the warrior or fecund mystic.
ENEMIES:
Mountain Half-Orcs
Mountain orcs are the most primitive, uncultured of their race, lacking in both mental faculty and restraint. Most view them as little more than somewhat-intelligent mountain-dwelling apes with a penchant for enhanced aggression. This isn’t particularly far from the truth. Even to other orcs they seem dimwitted. For these reasons, it is almost impossible to find a mountain half-orc that is not the result of forced coupling or breeding. Some have speculated that mountain orcs are the oldest strain of orcs in Hyboria, citing not only their natural state but also ancient legends of horrifying tusked ape-men swarming down from the Mountains of Night and the Himelian Mountains. This would at the very least align with the fact that historically, Hyrkania has been the cradle of the orcish race. This is simply a theory, of course, and there’s nothing resembling a unified opinion about it among orcs themselves.
STATISTICS
- -5 ACC/+10 STR/+10 SUR
- Night Vision.
APPEARANCE
Mountain half-orcs are on the shorter spectrum of half-orc heights (198 to 226 cm tall) but are among the thickest of half-orcs, with massive shoulders and limbs. Their skin is thick and pebbled, coming in various shades of brown. They are hairier than most other half-orcs.
PERSONALITY
Mountain orcs are a simple lot. They have intense emotions, of which the most prevalent is usually anger. It’s uncommon for mountain orcs not to actively try to inhibit themselves. Not only is this a difficult task for them due to their heightened hormones but such behavior is openly shunned when noticed by others. Mountain orcs who do try to restrain their emotions or monitor their reactions are often the subject of aggression. Subterfuge is something that mountain half-orcs are inefficient at both performing as well as detecting. Half-orcs from mountain orc parents most often share all of these traits to some extent.
ALIGNMENT
Mountain half-orcs are generally chaotic in nature and tend toward evil, but again, this can vary based on how the half-orc was raised.
SOCIETY
It is hard to say with confidence that mountain orcs have any real society. It is always survival of the fittest among them with violence being the norm to settle almost all disputes - or even when there’s no dispute at all. They have nothing in the way of laws or traditions. They have even less of a familial bond than some animals. Males will always kill the offspring of other males unless physically stopped from doing so or in fear for their lives. Females are not much better. They are capable of being impregnated twice - by the same or two different males - and of carrying both pregnancies to fruition, having on average three offspring at a time. Despite this, they have known to self-abort out of both necessity or emotion. While pregnant, they emit a musk that is disgusting to other races but to males is outright repulsive and mothers pass this musk on to their progeny, who are “protected” by it for the first two and a half to three years of their lives. None of this guarantees that mountain orc mothers will not end up killing their own offspring. It is difficult for mountain half-orcs to fit into any society. Among orcs, they are seen as weak and pathetic. As a result, 99% of the time a mountain half-orc is born to a human mother who flees before the birth. A female mountain orc who mates with a human male will either self-abort or kill their offspring once they are born.
FAVORED PROFESSION:
Mountain half-orcs are almost always warriors.
ENEMIES:
Elves and dwarves and fae dislike and distrust half-orcs, which impacts their relationship. Although the half-orc generally doesn't view them as outright enemies, oftentimes the elf, dwarf and fae do, making relationships nearly impossible between these races.