Lore:Orc

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Illustration of a typical Orc male

Orcs, also called Orsimer or "Pariah Folk" in ancient times, are the brusque elves of the Wrothgarian Mountains, Dragontail Mountains, Valenwood, and Orsinium (literally translated as "Orc-Town"). They are noted for their unshakable courage in war and their unflinching endurance of hardships. Orcs have elven blood, but are usually considered to be both Beastfolk and Goblin-ken.

In the past, Orcs were widely feared and hated by the other nations and races of Tamriel and were seen as nothing more than uncivilized beasts,The Orcs are as civilized as any of the other races, having worked hard to be seen as actual people. They have slowly won acceptance in the Empire, in particular for their distinguished service in the Emperor's Legions. Many Orcs in the Third Era have actually received an Imperial education as a benefit of serving the Imperial Legion. Orc armorers are prized for their craftsmanship, and Orc warriors in heavy armor are among the finest front-line troops in the Empire, and are fearsome when using their berserker rage.

Orcs have a lifespan similar to that of humans, possibly because of Shor passing a curse Orkey had placed on the Nords onto them. While many Imperial citizens regard Orc society as rough and cruel, the Orcs consider themselves to be stern, fair, and just. The Orcs of the Iliac Bay region have developed their own language, known as Orcish, and have often had their own kingdom, Orsinium.

Orsinium, the home of the Orcs

Origins

Statue of Trinimac

According to most accounts, the Orcish race was created when their patron god Trinimac was transformed by Boethiah. He became Malacath and his faithful became the cursed folk, or 'Orsimer', and were henceforth known as Orcs.

The Orcs say that Trinimac was enraged by Veloth and his cult trespassing on Tamriel during their exodus, and challenged his patron Boethiah to a duel. Just as Trinimac was about to succeed, a second Prince, Mephala, interfered and stabbed Trinimac in the back. Boethiah used the opportunity to curse Trinimac, transforming both him and his followers as well as casting him into a place of choking air and ash. There, Trinimac was reborn in his blood and rage and became Malacath, the God of Curses. The Dunmeri account of events begins much the same, but Boethiah instead triumphs over Trinimac alone and devours him whole. He proceeds to take Trinimacs form and speak with his voice, and together with Mephala showed the Chimer the rules of the Psijic Endeavor. Once he finished, he relieved himself of Trinimac there on the spot. That excrement became Malacath, and his followers became the Orcs. A disguised Malacath, when told one of these accounts, derided the story as being too "literal-minded".

There are several unexplained inconsistencies in these accounts. While some stories claim that Trinimac's duel with Boethiah occurred in the Dawn Era, Saint Veloth's exodus to Morrowind, which preempted it, was safely within the Merethic Era. Several accounts also exist that seem to imply certain tribes of orcs were present in Tamriel before Aldmeri explorers ever set foot on the province, and thus before the Orcs' supposed creation.

While there is speculation that the 'Orcs' discovered by Topal the Pilot may have been a wholly different kind of Cursed Folk, oral traditions within both the Wrothgarian Orcs and Wood Orc societies claim that they have lived in that land since the Dawn Era, long before the Altmer or Bosmer settled there. Some Orcs have even gone so far as to claim that Malacath has been lying to them and that Trinimac still lives, including notable figures like Gortwog who very briefly made this the official doctrine of Third Orsinium. The conflicting nature of these stories, alongside the diaspora of Orcish culture, has made finding a single agreed-upon origin for the Orsimer an exceedingly difficult task.

History

Baloth Bloodtusk and Gaiden Shinji, assassinated by King Joile's general during the Siege of Orsinium

Gortwog gro-Nagorm, King of Orcs and Warlord of the Subterranean Realms

The Orcish people were ostracized and persecuted for much of their early history. Legends claim that the earliest Orcs lived underground. At any rate, many ancient Orcish champions fiercely defended whatever borders they could carve out, such as Emmeg Gro-Kayra, the literal son of Malacath who who defended the clan of Normar Heights, near present-day Northpoint. After the rulers of the Summerset Isles set free the enslaved betmer at the turn of the First Era, many Orcs and other goblin-ken fled north to High Rock after being allowed to settle north of Valenwood. This sudden influx of clans and people led directly to the founding of the first Kingdom of Orsinium. Many other orcs chose to settle elsewhere. For example, the Wood Orcs chose to remain within Valenwood, while Orcish raiding parties had settled as far east as Morrowind. Still, Orcs had no province of their own and were thus viewed as a constant threat to the other races, especially once the Ra Gada would arrive and further displaced many Orcish clans of Hammerfell.

Orcs were known to have lived around Lake Halcyon before being displaced by Ayleid refugees from Nenalata between 1E 375 and 1E 452. Tensions would only continue to fray as Orcish raids on human settlements increased in frequency, despite Orsinium's subversive actions angering Malacath. In the tenth century of the First Era, King Golkarr of the Orcs amassed an army and was determined to seize control of the Bjoulsae River, upon which the nomadic Breton Bjoulsae River Tribes lived. They intended to force Wayrest to pay to regularly to use the river for travel and trade.

In 1E 948, King Joile of Daggerfall used the extremely antagonistic actions of the Orcs to his advantage, forming an alliance with the Order of Diagna and Sentinel. Their combined might laid waste to the first Kingdom of Orsinium, which had long since lost the favor of Malacath. This event became known as the very first Siege of Orsinium, though the Direnni claim to have actually been the first to sack the city. After driving the Orcs out of High Rock, Joile would go on to betray his allies and attempt to invade Hammerfell.

The concept of Orsinium still endured in Orcish society, and a second Orsinium was later accepted as a territory of the Second Empire during the reign of the Akaviri Potentate Savirien-Chorak. This only lasted until the assassination of Savirien-Chorak in 2E 430, after which Orsinium lost its status and protection as an Imperial territory. This resulted in another sacking of the city in 2E 431, an assault which was spearheaded by the Bretons of Shornhelm.

The Bretons once again seized control of the land and scattered the Orcs across northern Tamriel. Some Orcs chose to retreat to their strongholds in northern Wrothgar, while others set out to reassert ancient territorial claims in Skyrim. Chief Yashnag gro-Yazgu in particular succeeded in carving out a chiefdom in western Falkreath that persisted until 2E 467, when Yashnag and his champions were slain by Hakkvild Yashnag-Slayer, the Jarl of Falkreath, in a ritual of single-combat.

In the mid-Second Era, Orsinium was controlled by the Daggerfall Covenant, and was given to Kurog gro-Bagrakh's clan as a reward for helping King Emeric defeat Ranser, the king of Shornhelm. Kurog would end up becoming the king of Orsinium, which subsequently joined the Second Daggerfall Covenant. The Orcs aiding King Emeric would push Ranser over the edge, and he ordered his Spymaster round up many Orcs in Rivenspire and had them interrogated and executed. The Spymaster would end up murdering hundreds of innocent Orcs during the course of Ranser's War as a result. Race relations between the Bretons and Orcs improved during the Covenant's existence, despite the persistence of anti-Orc sentiment.

Another incarnation, sometimes called Nova Orsinium, was created by Gortwog gro-Nagorm in 3E 399. He gathered enough power to force Emperor Uriel Septim VII to formally recognize Orsinium as an equal of the other lesser kingdoms of the Iliac Bay region. During the Warp in the West, Orsinium was one of the four kingdoms to gain control of the Numidium, conquering the surrounding kingdoms and baronies before swearing loyalty to the Emperor.

Early in the Fourth Era, Orsinium was once again sacked by the Redguards and Bretons. The Imperial Legion, surprisingly, sided with the Orsimer in this conflict and would go on to save and transplant many Orcish refugees into other Imperial territories, like Skyrim. Orsinium was later rebuilt in the mountains between Hammerfell and Skyrim. By the time of the Great War, Orcs were fully integrated into Cyrodiilic society. Orcs were able to rule as vassals under the Empire, such as the gro-Batul dynasty of the Bloodfall Kingdom.

Society

Even though Orsinium is considered the home of the Orcs, they are known to have settlements all around Tamriel. At the time of Kurog's rule, the whole of Wrothgar was dotted with Orc strongholds. The isle of Betony was inhabited by the Seamount Orcs in the mid-Second Era. The Orcs often settled in Skyrim, founding strongholds like Dushnikh Yal, Largashbur, Narzulbur, Mor Khazgur and Cradlecrush. The height of Orcish power in Skyrim came in the mid-Second Era when Yashnag gro-Yazgu established an entire chiefdom in Falkreath before he was killed. Many tribes inhabit Valenwood, known collectively as the Wood Orcs, whereas Iron Orcs inhabit the Dragontail Mountains, particularly the region known as Upper Craglorn.

An Orcish Stronghold

The Orcs have considered themselves outcasts like their deity Malacath, and this is reflected in much of their culture. For instance, unlike other races, the Orc tradition is to have weddings take place at midnight. Traditional Orcish society is centered around stronghold settlements, each one striving for complete independence in all matters. Orc society is based on polygamy - a stronghold's tribe is controlled by a chieftain, who is the literal alpha male: no other males are permitted to take wives or father children. The chieftain is replaced by whichever one of his sons grows strong enough to challenge and kill him. The strength of a tribe (and the favor granted to it by Malacath) depends heavily on the personal strength of the chieftain.

The law of the Orcs is based on the Code of Malacath, an unwritten law. The Code prohibits things such as theft and unwarranted violence, but also places heavy emphasis on honor and personal strength in resolving conflicts. Orcs do not use imprisonment as punishment: those who violate the code must either pay material compensation or pay a "blood price", which entails allowing the one they offended to spill their blood until the price has been satisfied. Some Orcs use a scale for weighing out blood price amounts, with different gold weights labeled "Chief", "Wife", and "Warrior". In other cases, some Orcs keep detailed a record of all of the grievances and insults their family has suffered, with dates, specifics, and planned responses.

Orc women are expected to contribute to the strength of the stronghold just as men, as warriors, hunters, herbalists. Traditionally, the Orcish art of smithing is done by the women, and a chieftain's second wife is called the forgewife for this reason. A wise woman handles a tribe's spiritual matters and healing needs. However, Orcish society is still very patriarchal. All stronghold women are either the wives or daughters of chieftains, with the exception of the wise women, who are the mothers of chieftains. Daughters of the chieftain are usually traded to other strongholds to marry other chieftains.

However, many Orcs seek to escape traditional life in the strongholds. Orc women may want to escape being "just another wife" to the chieftain. They leave to join the Imperial Legion, see the world, or otherwise seek their fortune; some eventually return to the strongholds, but many do not. Orcs who do not live in strongholds are derisively called "city Orcs" by those that do, and are considered soft outsiders just like non-Orcs. Given their history of provincial homelessness, frequent military service, and the demand for their craftsmanship, it's not surprising that Orcs have traveled all around Tamriel and are now a commonplace sight in cities throughout. Still, Orcs who live in the cities with other races are likely to face prejudice. Their appearance makes interbreeding with other races of Tamriel so rare that it is commonly thought impossible.

Orcs are famed for their skill in smithing, particularly with the metal Orichalcum, which they use to forge armor and weapons. The resulting armaments are heavy and require great endurance to wield, but offer peerless strength and durability. They also work with ebony and have a unique skill in tooling leather for exceptional flexibility and toughness. When an Orc dies, his or her remains will be burned down to ashes, which can be handled by their kin. Ashes from chiefs and kings are usually forged into swords and shields, or any other item that their relatives or successors may want to remember the departed ones.

Honor's Rest

In both the first and second Orsinium, there were Great Pyres where cremation of the dead was performed; the Great Pyre of Old Orsinium was consecrated to Malacath. The Great Pyre of Second Orsinium was reserved for high-ranking Orcs and was not dedicated to either Malacath or Trinimac. It was common for more than one deceased to be cremated at a time. The ashes of the Orcish dead are customarily placed under a cairn, out in the field, under the open sky. Their arms and armor are placed over this cairn, and their relatives would then come to honor their ancestors. Burial is not a practice among the Orcs, although they respect other races' traditions.

A rare example of burial among Orcs is the catacombs of Honor's Rest, in southern Wrothgar. This extensive mausoleum was built by Orc, Breton, and Redguard masons after the destruction of the first Orsinium. The corpses of Bretons and Redguards and the ashes of the Orcs who died in the long siege were placed here, including those of the heroes and rivals Baloth Bloodtusk and Gaiden Shinji. The ruins were hidden and remained undiscovered until the reign of King Kurog in the Second Era.

Language

Orcish is the language of the Orcs, and evolved from Old Orcish. While it is unknown precisely when the transition from Old Orcish to modern Orcish took place, it could not have occurred any later than 3E 417, by which time modern Orcish was well established in the Orcs of High Rock and Hammerfell. However, there is also evidence suggesting the Old Orcish language was largely forgotten by 2E 582.

Art and Architecture

An Orcish tapestry

Orcish towns and strongholds tend to be built next to natural resources, and may vary depending on the region or location. Several Orcish cities and strongholds in High Rock are made out of stone, while other strongholds, especially those in Skyrim, are made out of wood. Orcish buildings and walls are built to withstand siege, making it extremely difficult to root out strongholds as they can only defeated with the strongest martial forces. Nordic jarls have been known to die in vain trying to destroy them, and when they succeed they are often rebuilt a few generations later unless a fort is maintained nearby. The upkeep of forts makes it hard for the Nords to prevent the strongholds from returning, and thus Orcish strongholds have been known to persist for thousands of years.

The stronghold at Cradlecrush was unable to be conquered by Nordic armies, even after the natural resources of the stronghold's mine dried up. King Kurog's Orsinium during the second Era was a impressive feat of architecture: the city itself contained plumbing, bath houses, a water wheel, many businesses, and guild halls for the Mages Guild and Fighters Guild. There were additional plans of adding buttressing to the aqueducts, improving roads, and expanding public housing.

While they are renowned for their smithing skills, Orcs are also skilled artisans and craftsmen in other areas. Many of their crafts are themed around their rugged outlook, and reflect their unique lifestyle and hardships. Orcish craftsmen are known for their ability to create delicate and beautiful artwork and tapestries, which tend to depict ancient Orcish heroes, battles, and hunts. Statues of Orcish figures are made out of bronze or stone, and take artisans hundreds of hours to build. They are known to carve heavy, roughly hewn effigies of bears and mammoths but their significance is unknown. Orcs announce great events by erecting symbolic totems. These totems have various purposes, such as marking territory, heralding war or foretelling battle.

During the mid-Second Era, much of their architecture and craft was inspired by the Tilted Square philosophy. This abstract doctrine, based around sacred geometric shapes, synthesized the teachings of Malacath into their work. Proverbs such as "Betrayal is inevitable", "Orcs must be constantly looking askance", or "Our enemies speak fair before they act foul" heavily inspire their approach. Chevrons were considered the symbol of deflection, while the Tilted Square itself was seen as the symbol of instability. These maxims resulted in curious outcomes.

For example, axes are used to fell objects, so Orcs naturally inscribe them with symbols of instability. Conversely, boots are required to keep them stable, so they are adorned with the chevron: upright for stability, or inverted for grip.

Orsinium Guildhall

Cradlecrush Stronghold

Orcish Bathhouse

Orcish Waterwheel

Religion

Malacath, the Orc-Father

Mainstream Orcish religion is fairly unique to Tamriel in that it is monotheistic. Most Orcs revere Malacath, the Daedric Prince of Curses. The orthodox belief among Wrothgarian and Wood Orcs is that Malacath is a broken Trinimac, transformed by Boethiah after he in some way stole the former Champion of Auriel's form. There is debate among Orcs on whether he is Malacath, the Daedric outcast of Oblivion, or Mauloch, the Aedric outcast of Aetherius. Some even believe that he is both and has fittingly been cast out by both groups of divines.

Regardless, after being reborn in his ashy prison, the newly-transformed Malacath cursed Boethiah and created the Code of Malacath, a central tenant to Orcish religion. While exact interpretations vary between clans, his main commandments are as follows.

Do not steal.
Do not kill your kin.
Do not attack without cause.
Those who break these rules must pay the Blood Price.
—Mauloch, Orc-Father

Upon death, followers of Malacath (or Mauloch) believe they will end up in Malacath's realm of the Ashpit. Here, Orcs are promised rewards of immortality, abundant food and drink, and constant battle deep within the Ashen Forge. Lending to the ambiguity of Mauloch's Aedric status, it is said that the Ashpit extends into Aetherius, allowing worthy Orsimer to freely transition into a more traditional afterlife.

Some fringe members of Orsimer society choose to instead worship Trinimac. Some believe that Trinimac was the one that absorbed power from Boethiah, improving the Orsimer in the process, while other worshippers think that Malacath and Trinimac are actually wholly separate entities, and that Malacath lies to keep them as pariahs under his thumb. The latter belief has briefly risen to prevalence on numerous occasions, typically under newly-crowned kings of Orsinium who sought to form friendly relations with their neighbors, as was the case with King Kurog of Second Orsinium and King Gortwog gro-Nagorm of Nova Orsinium. In both of these cases, the transition to Trinimac worship was brief and controversial, with Orcs reverting back to Malacath worship after their deaths.

The followers of Trinimac believe that when they die, they ascend directly to Aetherius to join with their ancestors. The afterlife of Trinimac's faithful also consists of endless war and celebrations, but with a greater emphasis on once again spending time with family members who came before them.

Religious Orders and Cults

The Orcs have a few religious orders and cults dedicated to the worship of Malacath and Trinimac.

Agra Crun: a religious order dedicated to protecting the sacred word of Malacath, which translates to Blood Shield in the common tongue, the group operates in secretly, but for the few that know of them, they are seen as a beacon of Light.

Malacath's Brutal Breed: were a group of fanatical Malacath followers that existed during the First Era, their main purpose was to wipe out and murder Bretons and Redguards for every real and imagined slight perpetrated by them against the Orcs. Legends about the Cult say the group sacrificed an entire Breton village to the Ashpit.

Vosh Rakh: are a group of fanatics dedicated to the worship of Trinimac, their goal is to bring the Orcs back to their Aldmeri Roots. Vosh Rakh in Orcish translates to Blade of Courage which directly refers to Trinimac's legendary weapon, Penitent. They see themselves as the Sword made manifest, and their goal is to rid of the traditions that held the Orcs back for many years.

Wrathful Flame: a religious order dedicated to lighting Malacath's Pyre in the ruins of the first Orsinium.

Gallery

Appearances

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  Arena

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  Daggerfall

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  Female (Morrowind)

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  Male (Morrowind)

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  Male (Shadowkey)

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  Female (Oblivion)

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  Male (Oblivion)

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  Female (Skyrim)

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  Male (Skyrim)

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  Female (ESO)

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  Male (ESO)

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  Female (Legends)

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  Male (Legends)

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  Female (Blades)

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  Male (Blades)

Notes

• Orcs also appeared in the games Arena and Daggerfall, but as monsters rather than a playable race.

See Also

• For Orc names, see here.
• For a list of notable Orcs, see here.
• For game-specific information, see the Morrowind, Oblivion, Skyrim, ESO, Legends, and Blades articles.

Books

• Civility and Etiquette: Wood Orcs I by Coristir, Sage Sojourner — An Altmer guidebook outlining the correct social protocols when dealing with the Wood Orcs
• The Code of Mauloch — A description of the unwritten rules of the Orcs
• In the Company of Wood Orcs by Sisarion — Extract from a Bosmer's journal recounting his experience with Wood Orcs
• Crafting Motif 8: Orc Style by Doctor Alfidia Lupus — Being notes by Doctor Alfidia Lupus for a series of pamphlets on the major cultural styles of Tamriel
• From a Breton travel journal — An observer's notes on Orcish battle preparation
• How Orsinium Passed to the Orcs by Menyna Gsost — The story of how Gortwog won the land to the north of Wayrest
• An Orc's Guide to Tamriel by Luruk gro-Bozgor — A guidebook for Orcish travelers to Tamriel
• Orcs: Monsters or Misunderstood? by Taleon Mythmaker — A brief essay on the creation and virtues of the Orcish race
• Orcs? Could Be Worse — A Breton's thoughts on the benefits of having Orcish allies
• Orcs of Skyrim by Thora Far-Wanderer — A history of the Orcish settlers and strongholds of Skyrim
• Orcs of Tamriel, Volume 3 by Grassius Vilco — A treatise on the Iron Orcs of Craglorn
• The Pig Children by Tyston Bane — Discusses the history of the Orcish threat in the Iliac Bay
• Pocket Guide to the Empire, 1st Edition: The Wild Regions — Imperial Geographical Society, 2E 864
• Pocket Guide to the Empire, 3rd Edition: Orsinium — Imperial Geographical Society, 3E 432
• The Red Paint — How Orcs make their war paint
• Return to Orsinium by Immigration-Wife Uulitag gra-Orsinium — A rallying pamphlet urging Orcs to return to Orsinium
• Sayings of the Wise — Orcish proverbs
• The True Nature of Orcs — Book detailing the Orsimer race and their origin
• Varieties of Faith: The Orcs by Brother Mikhael Karkuxor of the Imperial College — A summary of the religion of Orcs