Random #Orc factoid from my #DarkFantasy setting: the word "Orc" comes from the goblin root-word "Ork", which means "kill" in the Goblin language. As killing is what they were made for, "Khab-Orcus", "Packmember of Killing" seemed a fitting title for their kind.

When the Humans heard this word, they connected it to the name of a monster in their forgotten mythology, which they had sometimes used to refer to more dangerous goblins: "Orc"

#Fantasy #WorldBuilding #OrcFacts

While most goblins engage in the traditional spirit and ancestor worship which defined their civilization, #orcs reportedly find themselves distanced from this.

They are not goblins, they do not know their goblin ancestors, They lack the connection which the baseline Goblins from whom they were originally created have to the spirit world and spirituality in general.

It is one of the great tragedies of orc life: orcs may never feel fully integrated in the societies they defend.

#OrcFacts

It is unknown what sort of magic was used to create the #orcs. The program from which they were created took decades, and while various notes have been found on the process, they seem to require inscrutably advanced knowledge of goblin anatomy, biochemistry, and magical principle to even decipher. The only goblin in history to understand the process was the mage who successfully carried it out: the Goblin Emperor.

He died at the hands of his own orcs, and the secret died with him.

#OrcFacts

Orcs are not actually immune to fire, they're just resilient to it: their underdeveloped nervous systems allow them to ignore the heat and pain, and their hides are so thick that they are able to survive the burns.

Before the Orcs' creation, setting the battlefield on fire was a common tactic against the goblins. After, it became a common tactic against the humans and dwergs, especially during the orc-elven alliance, when elven mages destroyed entire regions with fire.

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#OrcFacts

Orcs are known to eat a wide variety of things. Their goblin-derived ability to digest both rotting carrion and a wide variety of fruits and vegetables is further enhanced by their resilience to toxins and tissue damage. During the invasion of the human continent in the final decade of the War, the orc army reportedly ate literal cooked wood, on top of the opportunistic feeding upon dead humans and human livestock.

Cannibalism of fallen orc and goblin soldiers was a given.

#OrcFacts

When the orcs were being created, they were given a set of regulations on how to conduct themselves. One of the highest laws was that no orc should fight a goblin, and above that, "Orc must never slay orc." Breaking this, no matter the reason, was grounds for punishment.

During the war, the number one cause of death for orcs, by far, was at the hands of the dwergs.

After the war, the number one cause of death for orcs, by far, is at the hands of other orcs.

#OrcFacts

Orcs do not have families, only military units.

The Spawning Pools, along with their very birthing structure, are designed to prevent them from forming known lines of ancestry. Orc females are forbidden from birthing in their own pools, Orc males are forbidden from breeding with females from the pools they were spawned from.

Orc culture is one of absolute devotion to the cause. Family ties would interfere with that. An Orc's unit and garrison are all that matters.

#OrcFacts

After several months of rapid development, a fully developed orc child crawls from the pool, standing erect, hands ready to be given their first weapon.
Traditionally, this is when their training begins..

For an orc, combat is as essential as speaking: they learn both at the same time.

Orcs learn how to kill before they know what killing is.

This practice dates back to their creation in the war, though it has continued even after the defeat of the Mountain King and his Dwergs.

#OrcFacts

The orc "tadpoles" go through a rapid growth cycle, having developed all major structures in the womb.

If they are not fed regularly, the older "tadpoles" will begin eating the smaller, younger ones, allowing the maximum number to complete the growth cycle.

The temperature and water chemistry MUST be kept within certain parameters. There are no records of what happens if they aren't, only that the "tadpoles" will keep maturing regardless of conditions.

#OrcFacts

#Orc facts from my #DarkFantasy setting...

Orcs have a 2-part gestation process: orc females are pregnant for 4 months, at which point it begins to have significant drawbacks for combat readiness. At this point, they may induce labor, birthing a half-developed "tadpole" into a Spawning Pool, large communal pits of clean water kept at a specific chemistry and temperature, where they will be fed by minders.

#OrcFacts