In the age of learning, while the dwarves claimed the mountains, Rettocuru claimed the swamps, and humans were basically everywhere in numbers too small to matter, orcs developed upon the foothills and desert regions. Orcs were among the first to begin domesticating horses and are renowned for their breeding of heavy war horses and riding skills.

Orcs care little for monuments. Stonework, metallurgy, alchemy, and other technology was introduced to the orcs by other species. Orcs never raised any great cities to rival the humans or elves. When the species integrated, orcs either kept to their traditional lives or trickled into existing cities.

Orcs have been considered savages by many other species throughout history. Their intimidating appearance, slower development of technology, and atypical sense of honor has kept orcs apart from other species even into the eras where species mingle. To orcs, it is the actions one takes, rather than the physical markers one leaves behind that matters. Indeed, tomes of history tell of great influence by the orcs.

Orcs have loose structure to their societies. Small settlements dot the foothills and deserts where orcs dwell, each with an associated clan name. But orcs frequently migrate among these settlements. Orc clans are more suggestion than any significant bond and many orcs have difficulty clarifying for other species what exactly clanship means.

When orcs muster for large action, such as war, it is because one or more orcs convince others to follow them through successful argument or sheer charisma. Once the action is finished, the orcs return to their lives. Long term leaders are rare among their people, as independence is highly prized. Like dwarves, orcs speak directly. Unlike dwarves, what will set off an orc can be more difficult to predict, especially on topics of honor or spirits. Orcs are also likely to escalate an argument to violence.

Orcs believe in spirits of nature. These spirits are often invisible according to orcs, exist everywhere, but sometimes take forms of plants or animals. There are many traditional Orkish methods of communicating or petitioning the spirits. Orc shamans use herbs and lead dances to communicate to these spirits. After associating with humans and dwarves, the Orkish population slowly adopted the idea of loved ones or heroes lingering as spirits that filled a similar function to the natural spirits.

Orcs are visually similar to humans, though taller and with skin tones either a range of green or light yellow depending on their heritage. Plains and foothill orcs trend to the green ranges, while desert orcs trend to yellow. Both have a high rate of baldness, even among the women, but those able to grow locks have hair that is black or shades of brown. Their faces trend to bold and square features.

Orcs are often given names that represent them. An orc might earn a different name than the one given to them at birth. These names are derived using words from the Ancient language. This tradition came from the Orcish practice of worshiping the ancient flora as spirits from nature. Avagnadora (Roots reaching through stone), Sepil (Griffin), Evegnar (Harsh rain)

Orcish blood often imparts longer teeth, yellow or greenish skin, and stark facial structures.