The Orcs of Chaia are similar in stature to humans, being between six and eight feet tall. Powerfully built, they are usually twice as strong as a similarly sized Human specimen. Their skin is usually a shade of green or brown, with some mottling present in certain woodland tribes. Orcs have pronounced canines, lending them a more “bestial” appearance, but nothing could be further from the truth.
Orc strongholds dot the entirety of Chaia, with some smaller countries’ population being composed of nearly 45% Orcs. The lone tribal Orcs have been decimated by the surrounding Human population, who use them for slave labor in fields, mines, smithies and bloodsports.
Culturally, the Orcs are a nomadic people, setting up temporary strongholds for a year or two, then moving on once game becomes scarce. Their prime deity is simply called The Smith. Children are raised communally, as parents are just as likely to be killed by wild game or taken by Humans as slaves. Intensive records are kept as to lineage, however, in order to mitigate the chance of genetic issues cropping up. Orcs tend to live shorter lives, owing to their more dangerous lifestyle, but when enslaved or living in a city, they live for roughly as long as humans. Orcish strongholds contain all that would be seen in a modern city, albeit crafted with rougher materials. Their metalwork is second to none, however, with some masters being able to imbue the material with semi-magical properties. It is for this reason that Orcs are used as blacksmith’s assistants when taken as slaves.