OMENSWORN: ORCS OF MYTH

ORC TRIBE: orcs of the numb "YOSKAD"

The Orcs of the Numb, a race of fearsome warriors, are not known for their intelligence but for their hot-blooded nature and raw physical power. They are a force to be reckoned with, and other races who have heard tales of their ferocity and rage immediately distrust, suspect, and fear them. The Numb, their ancestral home, is an unforgiving, rocky, frozen wasteland nestled in between the spiked walls west of Whitestone Canyon. It is a desolate and barren place, devoid of life and warmth.

Legend has it that the Orcs were born in the gut of a great deity referred to as ‘The Devourer’. The Devourer was jealous of the Maker's plan for the Orcs and consumed them whole when the Maker laid down with the stars for the night. When the Orcs opened their eyes, they were greeted with darkness and the stench of rotting flesh all around them. Rather than being digested like many of the other races, they clawed and fought their way through the deity's stomach, eventually spilling forth and bursting out into the world.
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Once thought beautiful, their smooth skin had become pocked and greenish-gray from the many years spent in bile. They turned on the Devourer, uniting together in a combined rage to take revenge on the god that had robbed them of their future. The Maker was overjoyed with the return of his lost children, but wept when he saw their weapons coated with the blood of his brother. Because of this, the Maker turned his gaze away from the Orcs and disappeared from the north. The warmth of the north left with him, and all of the flora and fauna withered away into nothingness, leaving The Numb in its barren state that we see today.

The Orcs have grown in size and number, becoming a terrifying force constantly at odds with the world around them. They do not follow any deity or patron-alive or dead, relying on their own brute strength to overcome the harsh environment of The Numb. They prefer to take care of their own and reap the benefits of others' misfortunes, not caring much for the affairs of the other races.

Recently, there has been some dissent amongst the clans, and many Orcs have begun to leave their ancestral home in search of more. To leave the clans, Orcs must participate in an event simply referred to as a ‘blood-battle’, watched over carefully by the Chieftain. The rebels must fight and kill a fellow clan member to gain their freedom. If they succeed in this task, one of their tusks is sawed down, and they are granted their freedom, only to be exiled from the clan and The Numb. Opponents do not fight to kill, only to disable and deflect. If the rebel loses, one of their tusks is still sawed down, but they may remain in the clan.
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This maiming of their natural defense serves as a constant reminder to the Orc and to those around them that their relationship has been forever changed within the clan. They are still a member of the clan but will face ridicule for the rest of their life. For this reason alone, most Orcs would rather fight to kill and retain their pride at the cost of their family. These Orcs will be forever known as ‘blood-traitors’ to their clan and the world.

Yoskad Orc

THE HISTORY OF ORCS: AS WRITTEN BY SAINT OKALIS.

"The orcs are savage beasts, borne from a battle between a god of war and a god of storms."

In the Age of the Divine, Baur sought to become the supreme deity by overthrowing Mordrannic, initiating a conflict that ravaged the land of Orth. This prolonged struggle endured for 30 days and nights, causing the earth to split apart and transform from a vibrant mountainous forest into a desolate wasteland. Although Baur was ultimately defeated by Mordrannic and brought down in a humiliating manner, their battle was not without repercussions.
The pools of blood spilled by both combatants seeped into the soil, contaminating the aquifers and water sources, and causing the creatures of the land to mutate into feral and oversized versions of themselves. The veil between worlds also became distorted because of their clash, unleashing dangerous storm elementals into the world as a reminder of Mordrannic's influence. Not only did their war scar the land, but it also left a lasting mark on the minds of those whose lives were disrupted and shattered for generations to come.
 
Humans had already gained sentience and established homes and villages, but they were easily victimized by Baur's bid for power, which resulted in their displacement. Forced to flee to the ancestral caves in the mountains, they relied on stored food reserves to survive the harsh winter. In the caves, they lived in darkness for generations, venturing out only at night to scavenge for supplies. The lingering magic of the flora and fauna in the caves slowly altered them, transforming them into larger and stronger beings with unnatural skin hues and warped mindsets.
Centuries passed until their cavernous domains reached capacity, and they were forced to venture out into the world again. However, what emerged from the caves was no longer human. They had become orcs, worshiping the destructive power of what they believed were twin gods. They had successfully reconquered their homeland, and fights broke out among them to determine who would rule. With Baur's religious influence, the question of leadership was inevitable.
 
After months of rioting, the Orcish tribes established the first chiefdoms with their rivalries, resulting in the initial diaspora across Orth and its natural borders. The rest of the age was marked by constant warfare for resources and territory until Orth could no longer contain the chaos, leading to the emergence of new tribes outside its natural boundaries. When news of this spread throughout the land, the tribes began to fragment even further, leading to a mass exodus that brought them into contact with other humanoids.
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During the beginning of the age of muses, many tribes would stampede across the land, ransacking anything in their path, leading to the saying “If you hear thundering and there isn’t a cloud in sight, run.” Additionally, many Orcish tribes made settling far away from Orth their imperative, leading to the saying “Farther from Old land, the better the land.” It is unknown if any of their attempts at sailing were successful. Since the First Era, many tribes have risen and fallen due to internal and external influences, such is the tempestuous nature of their civilization.

Many kingdoms and nations have crusaded against Orcs, reclaiming the lands surrounding Orth and keeping them from spreading further. This has kept their population in check, isolating them from remote Orcish tribes that have settled far beyond the world of what is known to the tribes of Orth, and eliminating the more problematic tribes. Orcs over the ages have gained the reputation of being a destructive force of nature due to their combined worship of Mordrannic and Baur, until the Third era when their devotion became questionable, fragmenting their race further religiously as many turned to the likes of Gru’thul, Noulbor, Uthra, and even the traitor gods themselves. Combined with their constant competition to prove their strength and their desire to be recognized as the strongest race in Ohr, they have become a deadly race to be against. Besides their quarrelsome nature, a blessing from the gods themselves, is that orcs tend to have relatively short life spans. Usually living no longer than 50 to 60 years. Few surviving past 30 due to their violent cultural customs and homelands.

Fortunately for those who oppose them, Orcs have a number of weaknesses. Firstly, their deep-seated fear and paranoia of magic, particularly storm magic, which has been passed down through generations of storytellers recounting the destructive power of Mordrannic. While Orcs value physical strength, the ability to wield magic is viewed as anathema, even among their own kind. Although this belief has been somewhat watered down to superstition, Orcs still attribute much of the world's misery, including their own, to the use of magic.

Secondly, Orcs are vulnerable to disease, despite their hardiness. Without access to proper medical care, they are susceptible to illnesses from other races, particularly those of humans. In the past, entire tribes have been decimated by outbreaks of influenza, which has proven more deadly than battles. Although this threat has been mitigated to some extent due to improved medical practices and the practice of raiding, it still remains a weakness.
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Thirdly, Orcs are opportunistic, preferring to take what they need from others rather than creating their own tools and weapons. This presents opportunities for those who wish to hinder them. In addition, many lowborn Orcs choose to strike out on their own rather than remain loyal to their tribe, resorting to banditry, mercenary work, or even conquering their own tribe under the banner of another tribe or nation. Some tribes have even

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