The first orcs of Arata were born of the hate and malice of their god, Dul, born from elves seared by the blood of the One-Eyed God, when Karina pierced the orc god’s eye on the field of battle. For long years, orcs were feared as mindless abominations, drawn to slaughter like moths to flame. Until the grey orcs first attempted trade with a human settlement.
Legacy and Honor
As nomads, grey orcs traveled migratory routes they have established that took them across the remote and desolate parts northwest of the Old World, traveling between their favorite campsites and caves. Their nomadic travels were seasonal. Grey orcs lived in small tribes of up to fifty individuals, led by a single individual, the chieftain, whose main duty was determining when the tribe attacked a target. The position of chieftain was, in reality, a temporary title, as chieftains were often killed before long.
Grey orcs had an appearance similar to their northern cousins, with facial features less bestial and porcine, although gray orcs had tusks. They had wolf-like ears and their hair tended to be black or grey in color, and usually had eyes of orange, red or yellow. They were known to wear more sophisticated clothing than their northern counterparts, preferring clothing of dark shades.
The Touch of Sanguinius
Stories tell of how the blood of the One-Eyed flows in the veins of all orcs but it's the rage of Sanguinius driving them to commit acts of terrible violence and anger and use it to refer to everything from battle rage to a bad temper. Half-orcs are said to have inherited the Black Rage and to carry the same bloodlust and fury that full-blooded orcs do.
Grey orcs and half-orcs do feel a certain pull toward violence and anger. But the simple truth is that there is no curse of ruin. No supernatural power drives orcs to kill. Rather, they are simply victims of the same selfish, violent impulses that corrupt all mortal beings.