By far the most violent and bloody race of them all, the orcs have a reputation for war that they roundly deserve. In fact, after being driven across the mountain range by the high elves, dark elves, and dwarves, the orcs split into three nations simply for the sake of continued warfare.
The oldest of the primary species to walk the ground, the orcs were created by the god of destruction, Nubierd. At the time, the giants, trolls, dragons, and firingar ruled the continent. A fraction the size of even the smallest trolls, the orcs were thrown headfirst into a massive battle for survival. For centuries, the orcs had no land to call home, as they were driven back again and again. The giants nearly killed them all off over and over, while the dragons and firingar of the Scorched Lands showed no mercy either. When the orcs finally found the elves as a beatable foe, they tore through the delicate creatures as fast as they could. This conflict resulted in the creation of the dark elves as the trolls intervened on the behalf of the elves. The dark elves and the trolls together created a weapon that desolated the landscape and resulted in the creation of the Vamsick Desert. As the elves fled their former home, the orcs settled in, happy to be in one place at long last. While they were more than able to survive in the desert, they soon found that their lust for blood was so ingrained that they simply couldn't stay put. After thousands of years and countless battles later, the orcs have inhibited nearly every corner of Calsin at one point or another.
Height: - 8-10 feet
Unusual Characteristics: - Thick skin, comparable to a horse's hide. - Retractable claws. - Tusks that protrude up from their lower jaw. These tusks will prick into their cheeks if they smile, forcing them to remain angry and warlike.
Coloring: - Green/gray
Lifespan: - Indeterminate, but probably around 400-500 years. As they begin to pass 200, they grow weaker, which usually leads to their deaths before natural causes can take effect. Additionally, the blood magic used by most orcs greatly diminishes their overall lifespan, which can lead to early deaths as well.
Magic: - Blood magic. While any race can technically use blood magic, orcs are the only species to use it regularly. Blood magic draws on an orcs own life force in order to perform enormous feats, granting them immense power in one moment, but weakening them the next. Ironically, the reason that the orcs can use such magic so much more freely than other races is because of an inborn healing magic that allows them to recover from injuries much faster than other races.
Other notes: - Because of the violent tendencies that orcs exhibit, very few are ever allowed outside of their home countries. Those that are typically fall into two categories: Orcs that have lost the will to fight (often from age) that seek asylum in calmer waters, or orcs that are so powerful that none of the other orcs want to deal with them. Orcs in the second category often undergo significant mind-wipes to prevent them from using blood magic ever again.
