Orcs of Blackmoor

The Temple of Id was destroyed roughly five centuries after the foundation of Blackmoor. With the destruction of the Temple, many hoped that the North would not see such foul manifestations of pure evil. They were wrong. The Gods of Evil had felt cheated it seemed, for they sent a new race of evil to terrorize the lands of Blackmoor. The Thonians would call them Orcs, or Goblins, but they were not like Orcs and Goblins found in other realms. Beastmen, some would call them for pure chaos ran in their veins. This would manifest itself physically causing the Blackmoorian Orcs to take on many grotesque forms. All humanoids, they would wary in size. Most have hairy bodies and some even have horns protuding from their beast-like heads.

Over the centuries, the Blackmoorian Orcs split into many different tribes. They had come from beyond the lands of the Skandaharians, and while many continued on southwards, five major tribes remained in the North.  One tribe, the Crimson Orcs, settled near Ohmfet, which would later become part of the Realm of the Egg. These Orcs worship Thanatos, Patron of Death. The second tribe, the Steel Orcs, settled in the Dismal Swamp. They worship Volketh, Patron of Murder. The third tribe, the Orcs of the Black Hand follow Hella, Queen of the Underworld. These settled in caves deep beneath the lands of Blackmoor. The fourth tribe were the Stormkiller Orcs, settling in the mountains which gave them their name. They follow Tyrhm, Patron of War, and they reign terror on their neighbouring races from their Black Castle.The last tribe are the Death Orcs. They settled in the far west, in the mountains later called Goblin Kush. There they were enslaved by the Afridhi and joined the cult of Zugzul. Recently they have began to return in the service of their former masters.

While split into tribes, all Orcs follow a single King. When the Egg of Coot rose, the King of all Orcs swore allegiance to the Egg. While a chaotic lot, the Orcs always answer when the Egg requests their aid. Many a time, the Orcs of the North have been part of the Egg's offences against Blackmoor. From the Egg, the Orc Shamans learned to summon demons, and demons would even interbreed with Orcs. This resulted in the so-called Baleborn Orcs, who make up the generals of Orc armies. The Egg gives these demon-breed Orcs special weapons and armor and they are feared among their own kin.

 The biggest enemy of the Orcs remain the Dwarves of Blackmoor. Since their arrival in the North, the two races have been almost continuously at war. The sixth war started recently when the Orcs of the Black Hand managed to abduct the Dwarven King! The dwarves have desperately attempted to free King Khazhakhum, but to no avail. The war continues and the Orcs have in that way removed the Dwarves from Uther's list of available allies. The Dwarven race is slowly being wiped out, and the Orcs dream of the day when they will feast on the skulls of the last of the mountain people.



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Image Source: Orc

-Havard