Traditionally, Orcs are the monstrous bandits and wild armies of fantasy. Looking at the pictures, you can already tell I’ve gone somewhere else. The warrior woman is the best example of a female Orc in Windemere and the other is a male Orc shaman. Here’s the story of Orcs:
The original Orcs were barbaric and bestial, but they were wiped out by the original elves who were tainted with demon blood. The Orc Gods went on a journey to resurrect their lost people and many of them died, including those that sabotaged the creation of the elves. When the Orcs were revived, they had a different mentality. They still lived in the wild, but many of them sought to work alongside the other races. This led to the creation of the Growk Council and the Orc Prince. The Prince rules all from a capital city in Cerascent while the Council consists of advisers spread throughout the world.
Still, there are problems with Orc Bandits who wish to prey on the other races. The Growk Council used to attack them, but it lead to a rumor that they were a divided, stupid race. Proving their intelligence, the Orcs leave the bandits for the other races to handle. They have stated that it helps them save their resources and gives Windemere a taste of what would happen if the Growk Council was ever destroyed.
Now to explain why a female Orc looks like a Valkyrie, you need to hear another story. A cabal of Elven Shamans cursed the Orcs by making the males find the females disgusting, hence eliminating their breeding. A band of female Orcs set out to undo the curse, but the Orc and Elven Gods couldn’t undo the magic. It stemmed from a lost God Relic that was before their time. So, they transformed the female Orcs into one of the most beautiful creatures in Windemere. They’re still very strong, have small tusks, sweat through large pores on their feet, and have a temper. Part of their charm is their instinctual confidence and aggressiveness. This has turned the Orc Race into a ‘Beauty & Beast’ species.
There’s some Orc history, so feel free to ask the Orcs any questions. Let’s have some fun!
Legends of Windemere 
I would like to ask the female orc, “What sets your temper off the most?”
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The same as women of other races. Being insulted and treated with disrespect is always a trigger. Personally, I hate it when people assume I’m a simpleton because I’m an Orc. Many have compared our temper to those of the female dwarf, but there is a difference. Female dwarves don’t love to fight as much as we do.
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I like to think of Orcs as non-radioactive Hulks. The angrier, the more destructive they are.
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I tried to make the Orcs of Windemere more civilized. This way I could make the ogres into the feared raging beasts.
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Good thinking, Batman! 🙂
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Do the female orcs now find the males attractive? hehe…
Very cool backstory.
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Yes. It’s an interesting mentality among the Orcs where outward appearance means very little. It’s all about actions and personality, which has actually led to members of other races finding Orcs attractive. So, half-orcs are as common as half-elves with the same type of close family bond.
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Cool.
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Neat!
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I’ve always been confused about the difference between Orcs and Ogres. Are the two in any way related? I mean, is there a common ancestry, or are those wholly separate and distinct races?
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Orcs are more of a Tolkien thing and ogres are a type of mythological giant. That’s if I remember correctly. A way to differentiate them is this:
Ogres are bulkier than Orcs and tend to be more savage. They don’t have the military-like organization that many Orcs demonstrate. Best analogy is the difference between the pack-hunting wolves and the solitary hunting bear.
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Oh. I was way off… I get it now. Okay that makes sense. All my years reading fantasy, and I’ve never known the difference. Thanks Charles!
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Oddly enough, I don’t remember ogres getting used as much as Orcs. Most books tend to go Orc and stay with them.
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Okay, orcs. I have a question. Where did the term orc come from? It is slightly reminiscent of Orca and I am wondering if it is in any way related due to the aggression that the famed “killer whale” shows. Also, i have always wondered whether or not any orcs have natural abilities as spellcasters. Can you inherit magic?
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Our name stems from the ancient tongue of the gods and was uttered when they created us. In their language, it means small tusk.
Orcs have the ability to become casters like the other races. Within our own culture, we gravitate toward shamanism to work with the spirits of nature. There are exceptions of course. The Orc Prince inherits spirit beasts that help him defend the throne and his chosen Princess is granted one of the elements to control. There are also the thirteen Templars, who have been blessed with the breath and strength of a dragon. They pass their powers down to their apprentice through secret rituals.
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How long is the gestation period from when an orc is “born” to when it i a fully capable adult. Forgive my ignorance I learned everything from some old guy named Tolkien
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We grow at the same rate as humans, but our youths have great strength at the age of ten. It is to help them survive the harsh wilderness. At age thirteen, they are included in the hunts and trained for combat. If they show promise in shamanism then they are put on that path
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are they born or created
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Pregnancy lasts six months and our young are born. The goblins are created, but that’s a different story that we don’t fully understand.
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I have always wondered about that. Can you cross breed with other species?
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Similar to the elves, we are able to create half-breeds. It is typically human-orc hybrids, but gnome-orc hybrids have become common in some areas. We don’t know why.
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