Orc

Description:To their enemies, they are brutal and fearsome opponents, without parallel in their ferocity andcunning. To their allies, they are noble and honorable, following the traditions of a rediscovered past. The orcs of Lordaeron are part of a race that has once again found its true spirit, shunning the cruel practices of arcane and demonic magic for the paths of wisdom and power. Some orcs still hang on to the arcane practices of the past, but their time is fading. Though brutal in combat, orcs fight with a feral grace and a brutal passion that equals the finest fencing of an elven noble. For an orc, skill in battle brings great honor. It is the concept of personal honor that pervades orcish society, a concept that has made the race more cohesive and more of a threat to their adversaries in the Alliance. The concept of honor pervades all echelons of orcish society. Even the naming of an orc is temporary until he has performed a rite of passage. Once an orc has brought honor to his name and the name of his clan, the elders give him a second name based upon his deed. For an orc, honor is as important as his clan, and most will die defending either clan or personal reputation. This is a new development for the orcs; before, when led by the forces tainted  by the Burning Legion, the orcs were a bestial force barely controlled by demonic magic. While the orcs might seem quick to anger, they are tempered by the wisdom of their leaders and their shamans. There are few of the demon-worshipping clans now, for the Alliance or the Horde itself has hunted down most of the remnants of such clans. Now, most of the orcs have embraced a life led by wisdom, honor and the values embodied in the leadership of Thrall as taught by his mentor, Orgrim Doomhammer. The orcs are one of the most populous races on the world of Azeroth. While many of the Alliance races perceive them to be brutish and savage, the orcs have undeniably spawned a complex society that embraces many occupations and many different races. No doubt the leadership of Thrall and the support of the tauren and jungle troll elders has aided in this solidarity, but it is quite apparent that humanity has underestimated the ability of the orcs to unify and create their own distinct and powerful culture. Perhaps in time, the two factions might come to an understanding, but with the current division of Alliance and Horde, no one can say how that peace might come about or when. Appearance:Orc males are massive and brutish looking creatures. Weighing in at 250 to 300 pounds and standing from 6 to 7 feet in height, they are not a small race. Even orc women tend to be only a half-foot or so shorter than most males (and some of them are equal in stature to their male counterparts), having broad shoulders and muscular, powerful bodies. Orcs tend to have bristly hair and beards, often black or brown in color. Their skin ranges from a light green to a dark drab olive. Eyes range in color from a fierce red to a pale blue. Orcs have broad, flat noses, tusk-like teeth jutting from their lower and sometimes upper jaws, and large, pointed ears. They favor clothes of hide, and armor and arm themselves with a variety of gear.

Region: Durotar, in Kalimdor, is the seat of the orc nation. Named by Thrall in honor of his father, Durotan, the land of Durotan occupies the east coast of Kalimdor. Here, young orcs find many places to prove their honor by fighting  the remnants of the quilboar tribes and meeting various threats to the orcs that rise from the Barrens. The more civilized jungle troll tribes co-exist with the orcs in Durotar, facing a minimum of inter-clan rivalry. The city of Orgrimmar serves as the center of civilization in this arid and hostile land. Orgrimmar stands as one of the mightiest warrior cities in the world. Shamans council the young and train the spiritual leaders of the future while warriors hone themselves in gladiator pits and fierce contests of skill and battle.

Affiliation:  Horde. Thrall formed the Horde with determination and sheer will, and created an alliance of races that has shaken the foundations of the world to its core. Having destroyed the legacy of Grom Hellscream by bringing the orcs out of the depths of demon worship and servitude to unseen powers, Thrall rules the Horde in Kalimdor with wisdom and temperance. The orcs are as much a part of the Horde as the Horde is part of what the orcs have become.

Faith:Orcish religion takes the form of an animistic faith that draws strange parallels with the practices of the Kaldorei. The shamans of the orcs find their power in the spirits of nature, forming an intimate connection with the very world that surrounds them. This awareness has led to even more revelations of their race’s true nature, as the orcs realize that they live more in harmony with the world itself than many of the races of the Alliance who would claim otherwise.

Names:Most orcish names derive from words in their language that have some complex meaning or hidden significance to their families. Typically, this is the name of a favorite thing or relative. Family names don’t exist; most orcs have last names related to some great deed of heroism or honor. However, in the case of truly incredible deeds, an orc might take on the last name of his father to ensure that the chronicle of that terrific deed lives on.

• Male Names:Grom, Thrum, Drog, Gorrum, Harg, Thurg, Karg.

• Female Names:Groma, Hargu, Igrim, Agra, Dragga,Grima.

•Family Names:Doomhammer, Deadeye, Foebinder, Elfkiller, Skullsplitter, Axeripper, Tearshorn, Fistcrusher.

Orc Racial Traits
• +2 Stamina, –2 Intellect. Orcs are incredibly tough, but they are more likely to follow their passions instead of reason.

• Medium: As Medium creatures, orcs have no special bonuses or penalties due to their size.

• Orc base land speed is 30 feet.

• Low-Light Vision: Orcs can normally see two times farther than a human in starlight, moonlight, torchlight and similar conditions of poor illumination. Orcs retain the ability to distinguish color                                       under these conditions.

• Battle Rage: Orcs long ago learned how to harness the ferocity that dwells within their fierce hearts. This ability functions exactly as a barbarian’s rage, except for the differences noted below. The orc may rage only once per day. If the orc belongs to a class that already allows access to a rage-like ability (such as the barbarian class), the orc’s racial battle rage ability                               allows him to rage one additional time per day. Regardless, an orc may rage only once per encounter.

• +2 racial bonus on Handle Animal (wolf) and Intimidate checks. Intimidate is a class skill for all orcs.

• +1 racial bonus on attacks against humans. Orcs have a longstanding enmity with humans.

• Weapon Familiarity: Orcs may treat orc claws of attack as martial weapons rather than exotic weapons.

• Automatic Languages: Common and Orcish.

• Bonus Languages: Goblin, Low Common, Taur-ahe. Orcs tend only to learn the languages of their allies.

• Favored Class: Barbarian. A multiclass orc’s barbarian class does not count when determining whether he suffers an experience point penalty for multiclassing                                                                                    (see Chapter 3: Classes, “Multiclass Characters,” XP for Multiclass Characters).