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Description
"Black and white lived in perfect harmony and ganged up on green."
- Terry Pratchett

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EDIT: Description is here~! But buckle in--this one's a bit messy.

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CHARACTERS PRESENT:

1) A heavy metal punk rocker who plays in a locally famous band. He may look fierce as hell--but let's be honest, he's probably married to a loving wife. Either way, Orcish Metal remains a staple of Orcish culture.

2) A child who lived in a flooded slum--an Orc reservation that the residents later refused to leave willingly. Think the Bathtub from "Beasts of the Southern Wilds". Her father died of a water-borne infection, so she's now an orphan and is likely to be up for adoption. Albeit she will go into her new life kicking and screaming.

3) A cigar-chomping greasy spoon chef whose specialty is cooking unhealthy food swimming in bacon fat and homemade sauce. Despite the low-paying nature of his job, he reckons himself lucky for having a solid position in life and access to food.

4) A young teenage girl who's currently a squire. She's well on her way to becoming a noble knight who promises to protect the Orcish people from racial injustice. Virtually all of the major Orcish armies of old have disbanded--too many families have been broken by the notion that Orcs are expendable soldiers.

5) A world-famous celebrity, famed for her career as a supermodel, philanthropist, and as a singer of empowering ballads for her fellow Orcs. Sadly, executive meddling has pressured her to water down her political messages to make them accessible for everyone--and to detractors, she's hardly an Orc at all. More like a slightly green Elf, elevated too high above her fellow Orcs to truly understand their struggles.

6) An old shaman who had endured slavery and the many inhumanities it brought the Orcs. He is now homeless--but continues to wander from place to place, and keep the faith of the Orcish people alive. He also retains the bodily tattoos that tell his life's story--both his milestones to his regrets.

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KINGDOM: ???? Their ancestral home is contested. Some say that it's in the Furnace Kingdom--a place close to the Savannah Kingdom, encompassing the area that would be known to us as Nigeria and Cameroon. Known for sprawling badlands, high jungles, and most of all...colonial peoples encroaching upon the space to mine it of its precious minerals.

Others believe their home Kingdom is the Fairy Kingdom, as direct descendants of the race that also gave rise to the Goblins, Ogres, Onis and Cyclopes. People who believe this theory believe that they are the progeny of the corrupted God of Feasts and Harvests, Orcus.

There's so much discussion over this because the Orcs currently don't have a Kingdom of their own. They are numerous, either walking among Cauldron's Kingdoms as an emancipated people, or willingly remaining in Orcish Reservations they were placed into long ago--those which have since then become Orcish Strongholds, to shield their people from the violence of a cruel world.

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10 FACTS ABOUT THE ORCS:

1) The Gnolls of the Furnace Kingdom refer to them as "Orisha". This is because they were said to have been celestial emissaries of their creation god, Oludumare, sent to impart guidance and wisdom upon them. Among the most notable of them was Ogun, known to Gnollish culture as a patron deity of warriors, metal-working, and rum-making. To this day, the Orcs and Gnolls are in close association with each other.

2) The Orcs have been used as expendable soldiers for centuries. It could be said that this had all started as far back as the Age of Dark Lords, when numerous Dark Lords had kept armies of Orcs to battle for them. A trend that continued to see Orcish Armies organized and used by varying parties--including the Rebellion against the Elvish Empire. This has spawned the stereotype of the "Proud Savage Warrior Race"--a stereotype often used to justify the death of millions of Orcs throughout history.

3) Even outside of war, they've been long-time victims of racism and exploitation. In some places, it was the Harlekins parading them around in freak shows and "humanoid zoos" to perpetuate the idea of their savagery. In other places, they were being enslaved and lynched by the Elves and Taurish. Even in less obviously racist cultures, it still showed up as Orcs being segregated from other races--these practices have diminished greatly with time, but the Orcs' struggles are far from over. The most unsettling part of this is that people can't quite agree on WHY this attitude started--or persisted for so long.

4) Many Orcs are skilled at using technology. This has been due to a fervent effort to remove the unnecessary human/Orcish element of their lives--thus relieving undue burdens from their fellow Orcs. They've helped pioneer inventions such as agricultural machinery, mass production and even military vehicles.

5) Tattoos carry cultural significance to them. Orcish tattoos are used to commemorate accomplishments and milestones in life, such as getting married, enduring great hardship, or becoming a master at their chosen trade. There are also "shame tattoos" marked in red, meant to represent their sins and regrets--i.e. marking someone as a murderer, rapist, thief, liar, etc. These tattoos all require specially-trained artistry--making it relatively easy to distinguish fakes.

6) Orcs have (unfortunately) been long-present in film. The word "unfortunately" is used, because these often portrayed caricatured stereotypes of Orcish culture. With character archetypes like the Proud Warrior Guy, the Comfort Woman, the Angry Punk Rocker, the Magical Old Shaman--and male Orcs were especially present in pornography due to being well-endowed-- mostly being cast as "savage" natives with an uncontrollable libido. This family of Orcish media portrayal falls under the category of Orcsploitation. Such portrayals have led to modern attempts to portray Orcish culture in a more nuanced manner, to help educate an otherwise ignorant public.

7) Slavery has had an impact on how they viewed strength and weakness. In older Orcish cultures, weakness was a grave liability punishable by exile. Being strong enough to survive was a necessity--until later on, when being strong meant being torn away from families to be forced into armies and slave labor. Among many Orcish strongholds, strength is still valued--albeit as a tool to protect the weak, rather than force them out altogether. Albeit this isn't true of ALL Strongholds.

8) Orcs typically do NOT venerate the god Orcus or his son Horkos. While they are commonly referred to as the creators of the Orcish race, most Orcs refuse to acknowledge them. On one hand, Orcus was said to have become a violent man-eating monster. On the other hand, Horkos, while noble and well-meaning, was blamed as having encouraged other races to use Orcish armies for their own gain. So instead, Orcs practice religion through a different method. In more Urban areas, Orcs venerate their ancestors through shrine-building, as they often can't afford to travel.

9) Orcish spirituality is primarily based on ancestor veneration. Most Orcs today believe that their ancestors live on in spirit to offer protection and guidance to those in the present. In traditionally practicing strongholds, such veneration helps choose the hierarchy, as well as prompting those who come of age to embark on pilgrimages to their ancestors' resting place. They always seem to know how to get there--no matter how much the land has changed since then.

10) Orcish Culture today is...complicated. This owes much to the splintering of the Orcish race into an entire diaspora. But also because not all sub-factions of Orcs have changed in the same way. Some want other races to show compassion and understanding. Others don't want their pity and wish to be left alone. Some take up arms and fight as they have before. Others believe in pacifism.

------------------------------------------------------------------

There is no easy answer for what Orcish culture is. In other words, they're just like other races around the world. So treating them with understanding and equality is not as out of reach as one would think.

Description
"Black and white lived in perfect harmony and ganged up on green."
- Terry Pratchett

---------------------------------------------------

EDIT: Description is here~! But buckle in--this one's a bit messy.

----------------------------------------------------

CHARACTERS PRESENT:

1) A heavy metal punk rocker who plays in a locally famous band. He may look fierce as hell--but let's be honest, he's probably married to a loving wife. Either way, Orcish Metal remains a staple of Orcish culture.

2) A child who lived in a flooded slum--an Orc reservation that the residents later refused to leave willingly. Think the Bathtub from "Beasts of the Southern Wilds". Her father died of a water-borne infection, so she's now an orphan and is likely to be up for adoption. Albeit she will go into her new life kicking and screaming.

3) A cigar-chomping greasy spoon chef whose specialty is cooking unhealthy food swimming in bacon fat and homemade sauce. Despite the low-paying nature of his job, he reckons himself lucky for having a solid position in life and access to food.

4) A young teenage girl who's currently a squire. She's well on her way to becoming a noble knight who promises to protect the Orcish people from racial injustice. Virtually all of the major Orcish armies of old have disbanded--too many families have been broken by the notion that Orcs are expendable soldiers.

5) A world-famous celebrity, famed for her career as a supermodel, philanthropist, and as a singer of empowering ballads for her fellow Orcs. Sadly, executive meddling has pressured her to water down her political messages to make them accessible for everyone--and to detractors, she's hardly an Orc at all. More like a slightly green Elf, elevated too high above her fellow Orcs to truly understand their struggles.

6) An old shaman who had endured slavery and the many inhumanities it brought the Orcs. He is now homeless--but continues to wander from place to place, and keep the faith of the Orcish people alive. He also retains the bodily tattoos that tell his life's story--both his milestones to his regrets.

----------------------------------------------------

KINGDOM: ???? Their ancestral home is contested. Some say that it's in the Furnace Kingdom--a place close to the Savannah Kingdom, encompassing the area that would be known to us as Nigeria and Cameroon. Known for sprawling badlands, high jungles, and most of all...colonial peoples encroaching upon the space to mine it of its precious minerals.

Others believe their home Kingdom is the Fairy Kingdom, as direct descendants of the race that also gave rise to the Goblins, Ogres, Onis and Cyclopes. People who believe this theory believe that they are the progeny of the corrupted God of Feasts and Harvests, Orcus.

There's so much discussion over this because the Orcs currently don't have a Kingdom of their own. They are numerous, either walking among Cauldron's Kingdoms as an emancipated people, or willingly remaining in Orcish Reservations they were placed into long ago--those which have since then become Orcish Strongholds, to shield their people from the violence of a cruel world.

-----------------------------------------------------------

10 FACTS ABOUT THE ORCS:

1) The Gnolls of the Furnace Kingdom refer to them as "Orisha". This is because they were said to have been celestial emissaries of their creation god, Oludumare, sent to impart guidance and wisdom upon them. Among the most notable of them was Ogun, known to Gnollish culture as a patron deity of warriors, metal-working, and rum-making. To this day, the Orcs and Gnolls are in close association with each other.

2) The Orcs have been used as expendable soldiers for centuries. It could be said that this had all started as far back as the Age of Dark Lords, when numerous Dark Lords had kept armies of Orcs to battle for them. A trend that continued to see Orcish Armies organized and used by varying parties--including the Rebellion against the Elvish Empire. This has spawned the stereotype of the "Proud Savage Warrior Race"--a stereotype often used to justify the death of millions of Orcs throughout history.

3) Even outside of war, they've been long-time victims of racism and exploitation. In some places, it was the Harlekins parading them around in freak shows and "humanoid zoos" to perpetuate the idea of their savagery. In other places, they were being enslaved and lynched by the Elves and Taurish. Even in less obviously racist cultures, it still showed up as Orcs being segregated from other races--these practices have diminished greatly with time, but the Orcs' struggles are far from over. The most unsettling part of this is that people can't quite agree on WHY this attitude started--or persisted for so long.

4) Many Orcs are skilled at using technology. This has been due to a fervent effort to remove the unnecessary human/Orcish element of their lives--thus relieving undue burdens from their fellow Orcs. They've helped pioneer inventions such as agricultural machinery, mass production and even military vehicles.

5) Tattoos carry cultural significance to them. Orcish tattoos are used to commemorate accomplishments and milestones in life, such as getting married, enduring great hardship, or becoming a master at their chosen trade. There are also "shame tattoos" marked in red, meant to represent their sins and regrets--i.e. marking someone as a murderer, rapist, thief, liar, etc. These tattoos all require specially-trained artistry--making it relatively easy to distinguish fakes.

6) Orcs have (unfortunately) been long-present in film. The word "unfortunately" is used, because these often portrayed caricatured stereotypes of Orcish culture. With character archetypes like the Proud Warrior Guy, the Comfort Woman, the Angry Punk Rocker, the Magical Old Shaman--and male Orcs were especially present in pornography due to being well-endowed-- mostly being cast as "savage" natives with an uncontrollable libido. This family of Orcish media portrayal falls under the category of Orcsploitation. Such portrayals have led to modern attempts to portray Orcish culture in a more nuanced manner, to help educate an otherwise ignorant public.

7) Slavery has had an impact on how they viewed strength and weakness. In older Orcish cultures, weakness was a grave liability punishable by exile. Being strong enough to survive was a necessity--until later on, when being strong meant being torn away from families to be forced into armies and slave labor. Among many Orcish strongholds, strength is still valued--albeit as a tool to protect the weak, rather than force them out altogether. Albeit this isn't true of ALL Strongholds.

8) Orcs typically do NOT venerate the god Orcus or his son Horkos. While they are commonly referred to as the creators of the Orcish race, most Orcs refuse to acknowledge them. On one hand, Orcus was said to have become a violent man-eating monster. On the other hand, Horkos, while noble and well-meaning, was blamed as having encouraged other races to use Orcish armies for their own gain. So instead, Orcs practice religion through a different method. In more Urban areas, Orcs venerate their ancestors through shrine-building, as they often can't afford to travel.

9) Orcish spirituality is primarily based on ancestor veneration. Most Orcs today believe that their ancestors live on in spirit to offer protection and guidance to those in the present. In traditionally practicing strongholds, such veneration helps choose the hierarchy, as well as prompting those who come of age to embark on pilgrimages to their ancestors' resting place. They always seem to know how to get there--no matter how much the land has changed since then.

10) Orcish Culture today is...complicated. This owes much to the splintering of the Orcish race into an entire diaspora. But also because not all sub-factions of Orcs have changed in the same way. Some want other races to show compassion and understanding. Others don't want their pity and wish to be left alone. Some take up arms and fight as they have before. Others believe in pacifism.

------------------------------------------------------------------

There is no easy answer for what Orcish culture is. In other words, they're just like other races around the world. So treating them with understanding and equality is not as out of reach as one would think.