Race Type: Player character
Race Name: Orc
Detailed Description: Robust muscular race, with well defined muscles. The average hight is 6 feet(183cm) with a typical variance of a foot and a half(46cm) and sometimes more. They are usually 2 feet(61cm) wide at the shoulder, with little variance. Though individuals who are taller then normal are also typically wider as well, granting tall individuals wider proportions than normal.
The most distinctive characteristic of Orcs would be their muscles, which are much larger than normal for most races. Orcs also have a few times the number of muscles that humans have, often without apparent reason. Some of these muscles appear to do the same job as one another, such as the typical bicep is replaced with three muscles. Though in appearance the bicep in Orcs, like many other muscles, tends to appear as either one or two muscles, varying from Orc to Orc. The abs in Orcs actually have so many muscles with such an orientation that they appear like water with numerous ripples. The musculature of Orcs can be very important, and to a trained eye can tell a person everything they need to know about the Orc's movements, abilities, and even their lifestyle. Typically the more powerful the Orc the fewer muscles they appear to have, due to them having developed muscles that are normally small, and which as they become larger tend to blend the appearance of the muscles around them.
Orc skin is usually a shade of green from leaf green to muddy colors, with the most common being an olive. However some Orcs can be a shade of blue typically in darker shades. An oddity of Orc skin is its thickness, though where thick skin may impair mobility. Orc skin is thickest on the chest, and down the legs, this also mutes their musculature somewhat in these areas.
Something rare and almost unique to Orcs is that their bodies feel far more different from other races than they look. Where dwarfs are hard bodied their bodies do still feel as though they are made of flesh merely very tough flesh, as where Orcs feel more like they are moving statues. This effect is due to the facts that: Orcs, even in their softest body parts don't have a great deal of give at least in part due to a heavier harder type of fat, their skin also prevents great mobility of the flesh though it also lacks elasticity, as well all Orc muscles are hard regardless of use, lastly the effect is due to a connectivity between body parts where they body parts are not quite separate from one another as they all have strong fibers that tie them together, even the organs being held together as a single mass.
Of the difference between the genders, males are on average 3 inches(7cm) taller, and females are usually 3 inches(7cm) narrower at the shoulder. Females are also not so apparently muscular, though they do have much larger muscles than other races, theirs tend to blend together more smoothly than males. As well males don't have much body fat, as where female Orcs have enough to smooth their bodies, and curve their form. As to the face male Orcs have bony wide skulls, as where females typically look almost delicate. Orc females also have a tendency to be much more curvaceous than other races, with Orc females having both the largest average bust and hip sizes. Androgyny is rare in Orcs, but not unheard of, however androgynous individuals tend to appear almost as though they belong to another gender altogether and are not truly able to pass as whichever they chose.
History of Origin: Orcs claim to be the descendants of stone statues that were given life by the elementals. Though this is also a factor in their beliefs when it comes to the formation of all races, as they believe that all the races were at one time an artistic expression of the elementals in one from or another. Orcs claim that they were statues made from hard stone, as the elementals artistic expression of power and strength, and that when the elementals needed help creating order that they first turned to these statues as they were the most suited to such work.
What is known about the origin of Orcs is that they spent a long time as a tribal entity worshiping earth and water elementals often coming into disputes as to which element should be worshiped.
Specialties: Orcs are combat specialists, often viewed as the strongest race Orcs possess the greatest combination physical power, speed and endurance of the other races. And while they are not truly the strongest, the fastest, most agile, explosive, or the race with the best endurance, they have at least two advantages over any other race when it comes to physical ability.
Orcs are also capable of great dexterity, however their unusual musculature makes it a more difficult task to master their bodies.
Orcs are naturally tough, and while not as tough as a dwarf, Orcs are difficult to hurt with anything less than a whole hearted direct blow. Their skin is such that lesser blades used with a lesser swing will often only scratch it, and their bodies give so evenly that blunt blows strike as though hitting padded armor. Orcs are also very hardy in that every part of their body is able to handle more damage before giving out than other races.
Of their senses Orcs have slightly better than average eyesight, however they also have eyes that are slower to adjust to light levels and slower to focus. It is also rare to find an Orc that is neither near or farsighted. Their hearing is slightly below average, as is their sense of touch. Their sense of smell is slightly elevated, though not much more than the upper end of other races.
Orcs also have an unusual ability related to their endurance, as they are able to recover quickly. Though they don't heal fast, they recover stamina much more quickly than other races. This ability is used mostly by Orc mages, as it often allows them to cast spells faster, and to cast much more powerful spells without being left vulnerable as long, or allowing them to charge powerful spells at the same rate that they recover their stamina.
Combat: Orcs are difficult to describe in combat, as they are masters of it and hold to no single form. They use a great many weapons, and hold only a slight preference for heavy weapons, beyond this Orcs are more varied in their choice of weapons than any other race. As well Orcs are also the most varied in their styles of combat. Often however, Orcs often learn multiple styles, so as to have at least one style that might give them an advantage against whatever their opponent uses. Most common for the average Orc though is a brutish style of fighting that is mostly dependent on powerful swings with slightly large heavy weapon, and isn't quite as reliant on dexterity as only dedicated warriors tend to properly develop their dexterity. This brutish style often uses metal clubs with long sharp, and often curved spikes, giving the weapons good ripping damage so long as they get the blow close to the opponent.
Alignment: Orcs are temperamental, however they hold to a solid core of personal morals. Though such morals are more likely to put theft as worse then murder, and often have many exceptions for murder as to allow an Orc to kill. Orcs are also drawn to order, and discipline, seeing structure as vital in life.
If anything could be considered chaotic lawful then it is an Orc as Orcs are great upholders of law and order, however Orcs are often ruled by emotion, and act based on emotion and not thought.
Typically however Orcs are quick to overrule their emotions if given reason, and they will often get over even the strongest of rages quickly should there be time or logical reason to stop them. Though Orcs are also prone to strong grudges over ideology which are slow to fade, often living their entire lives holding strong grudges from their youth.
Climate/Terrain: Orcs favor open plains, or rocky terrain, typically taking to rough plains. Of climate Orcs prefer warm areas, even taking to deserts, however they will also take to cold climates. They have a preference to avoid rain, and tend to live in dryer areas because of it.
Key Cultural aspects: Orcs are a militaristic race, with general societal structure being based upon rank. They are also a race that typically has many strict laws, though often Orc laws have many exceptions and loopholes.
Any Further Information Needed: Orcs typically live between 80 - 100 should they not meet their end through violent means. Though even at 100 years of age an Orc will show little in the way of loss of ability, and only show their age through a greying skin tone and what appear to be more like cracks in their skin than wrinkles, and in males balding.
Ok, Orcs, I think that they may need a great deal of balancing, I also feel like my physical description didn't necessarily paint the right picture. Making a race that is, for the most part, a physical race, was difficult, as I don't like the idea of races being set in one direction or another, and would rather that a race is more a choice in style of play not character type. I hope that people could make Orc mages with this but I'm not sure it would work out so well, I also think that an Orc rouge might turn out overpowered.
