Orc

Phrixus, Phrixus, Phrixus, the chanting of the crowd came muffled through the flagstones as he strode down the tunnel, rolling his muscled shoulder beneath the leather harness. The chanting broke into a wordless roar as he emerged from the gate into the dazzling brilliance of the coliseum. He held high his pitted bronze blades, baring them to the frenzy of the faceless mob. Phrixus opened wide his tusked mouth and roared in challenge as the gates on the far side of the arena sands began to rumble open.

Tribes of Gargaros

Orcs first came from Gargaros, a land of fire and ash and broken stone, born from the blood of the Great Hydra, spilled in its mighty battle with Hyperion. Possessed by madness and destruction, they are the ancestral enemy of Arkadia. Many times have their hordes attacked her land, only to break upon the shields of Erebos, Hyperium, and Kryta.

There are many tribes of orcs scattered throughout Gargaros. The Cerberans train cerberus worgs to hunt and kill; the Cyclopax fight alongside cyclopean giants; and the Hydrak, the largest and most hated — even by their own kind — who worship the bound titan, seeking to free it through fire and blood.

Despite such ancient animosity, some tribes of orcs have come to find a place in Arkadia, especially among the Krytans who value strength and physical prowess above all else. These orcs were first taken as slaves during one of the many wars with Gargaros. Thrown into the fighting pits and gladiatorial arenas they displayed such power and ferocity that the king, impressed, granted them freedom and a place in his army. Many Orcs have since taken to the worship of Krytos with abandon, finding in the mighty god a surrogate father who shares their savagery and love of combat.

Blood of Giants

Often called giants due to their impressive size, orcs typically stand 6 to 7 feet tall, though the orcs of Gargaros can grow even larger. Their skin is the color of ochre clay; orange, reddish brown, or ashen grey, often varying from tribe to tribe. Many orcs wear black warpaint in stark bands and square keyed patterns.

Savagery and Civilization

Valuing strength and dominance above all else, orcs, as a Hyperian general once put it, make excellent warriors and terrible soldiers. Their physical prowess and violent nature make them most at home in Kryta, whose army cares more for the might of individuals than the discipline of lines. Their fearlessness and unbridled aggression on the field make them an unstoppable force, ideal as linebreakers, often turning the tide of battle almost single-handed. Some, lacking even the control for this, become mercenaries. Others take to the fighting pits or, with some luck, the grand coliseums of Illyria, untouched by Gargaran raids, where their prodigious size and strength are coveted for their exotic nature.