Orcs have historically been the warrior-nobility of the Kestran Empire. It was the Orc kingdoms which unified Kestra under the banner of the empire, and Orc bannerlords who kept the empire unified. “Common” The state language of the empire, is orcish, though “high” orcish is a borderline distinct language spoken in noble courts (and lay courts for that matter.) Orcs have historically been well educated in the humanities, and have a strong culture of legalism and chivalry. But time has not been kind to the Orcish nobility. With their political power eroded by populist movements and wealth eroded by the merchant classes, many Orcs have found their noble estates costing more than they can afford. Many Orcish nobility live on the verge of bankruptcy, yet their culture demands they hide it. Desperation and fear of decline are rampant, and worse yet a fear of losing their family stature and being thrust from privilege into poverty. Then there are the orcish houses who have already fallen, who must find their way in a culture that demands chivalry and nobility without the economic capacity to even consistently put food on the table. The result is typically alcoholism and refusal to work amongst bitter parents, and children who both have to do hard work to provide while in doing so being disappointments to their parents. Manual labor is a stain within Orc society, and doing so taints the child. Disgraced Orc families will usually have one child who does not work and receives the education the others are expected to pay for, so that the family still has a chance for an advantageous marriage to hopefully reclaim their fortunes.