Orcs have a history of war and conquest as well as cooperation and nation building. They are a complex people that are often thought of as aggressive and warlike even if that reputation is a bit overblown. Orcs were one of the founding races of the Roman Empire, something many forget in history lessons, preferring to remember that they were the driving force behind the Eastern Horde. Halflings in particular have not forgotten this last fact.

In 1206 a human Mongolian tribal leader united the nomadic tribes of Mongolia and soon made pacts with the orcish clans of the region. Together they went on a rampage of conquest that lasted nearly a century and through several leaders. They eventually pushed as far west as central Europe, crushing elven militaries though they would eventually be pushed back by a coalition of elven and dwarven forces from Kal Tachar. By the time the Eastern Horde was finally defeated at the Battle of Baghdad in 1294, they had conquered all of China, most of south eastern Asia, parts of Russia and the middle east, as well as territory in eastern Europe. Much of these territories remained under their control for another century or two before the Horde leadership fell to in fighting and political maneuvering.  Orcish culture is based upon clan and familial loyalties. 

Orcs are larger and stronger than humans, powerful physically and tough, they are often chosen in modern ages for bodyguard work. Orcs often stands between six and seven feet tall and weigh in the range of 200-300 pounds on average, though smaller and larger orcs are not unheard of. Orcs most often have a shade of green skin but ruddy browns are also seen from time to time. They also have dark colored hair but many dye it in accordance with clan practices or just wanting to express themselves. Eye color can be greens, yellows, oranges, even the occasional red and they possess pointed ears. Orcs generally have two tusks grown from their lower  jaw and among male orcs these tusks have been a status symbol in the past. Orcs have a comparable lifespan to that of humans.

Orcs have spread across the globe like many of the other races, finding employment in a vast variety of trades and industries. Orc clans still exist to this day but have lost much of their power and influence in the modern age as orcs have grown more independent minded and seek their own destinies rather than consult some old hag of an oracle. While many see orcs to this day as little more than brutes and savages of the past, they run the same moral gauntlet as others.