The Green-Skinned Pariahs

The Orcs (sometimes referred to by the elves as “Orsimer”, meaning “Pariah folk”, although they themselves do not use this name) are the green skinned people of Orsinium, in the Wrothgarian mountains of High Rock. The orcs have long been resented by the other species of Tamriel, both for their xenophobic culture and their strange appearance.

Even though the Orcs find their heritage in the Aldmeri settlers who followed the god Trinimac (which will be explained later), they retain little more than the pointed ears so common to the mer of Tamriel. Indeed, they don’t share the longevity the elves have (a Orc is already of venerable age if he/she reaches 60), and where the mer have a slender and agile build, the Orcs are very big and broad, which also accounts for their incredible strength. They have a green skin colour, a nose that resembles that of a beast (which explains their physique being described as scary or angry), and a severe malocclusion, with their lower incisors forming in upright tusks, making it almost impossible for Orcs to fully close their lips. The Orcs have a slight resistance to Magicka, and are able to work themselves in a uncontrollable berserk state. This attributes both to the hatred towards them, as well as their reputation as the best soldiers in the Imperial Legion.

As stated earlier, the Orcs are descendents of the Aldmeri settlers in High Rock who followed Trinimac. Trinimac was at some point god of the elven strength, as he had led them against the menkinds. He was patron of soldiers and warriors. At some point he was “eaten” by the Daedric prince Boethiah, to convince the Orsimer and Chimer of the power of the Daedra. The followers of Trinimac were then cursed, and turned into the currently seen Orcs. When this happened is unknown, but, since the Orcs were already changed at the start of the First Eras, it should have been in the late Merethic Era. Some time after this transformation, Trinimac reappeared as the Daedric prince Malacath, a shell of his former self. Still, the Orcs hold great respect for this Daedric prince, and venerate him.

The society of the Orcs is based around the Codes of Malacath, a list of unrwritten rules, passed orally throughout Orcish culture. These rules includes things as no theft, fighting valiantly and the importance of your tribe and family, along with the idea that isolation is a blessing. These codes have shaped Orcish culture to what it is now today. Seeing their views on isolation, many Orcs live in tribal strongholds, scattered throughout North-Western Tamriel (a notable exception is of course the historical city state Orsinium). These tribes are ruled by a chieftain. The chieftain is the only one allowed to breed, and the only women in the stronghold are directly affiliated to him (as mother, wife or daughter). This rule does not apply to male inhabitants. The chief has multiple wives, some of which have their own role in the stronghold (for instance, the second wife is called the “forge wife”, and oversees the armour and weapon forging of the stronghold). The daughters of the chieftain are given or traded to other chieftains, as a sign of goodwill and to prevent inbreeding. Family is incredibly important to the Orcs, and their nomenclature shows this. Each Orc gets a personal name, a prefix to denote gender (“gro-” for males and “gra-” for females), followed directly by their same-sex parent. In case the same-sex parents is unknown, the child gets the name of the other-sex parent. Just like the Nords of Skyrim, the Orcs have a strong warrior culture. It is ideal that a Orc dies on the battlefield fighting, as this shows valor. Furthermore, they take great piride in both their smithing and their personal strength.

Their relation with the other species on Tamriel is troubled at best. The Orcs do not see the need to shape themselves to other cultures, which forms a vicious cycle with the already present resentment towards them. The Orcs hold a hatred towards both men and mer, the men because of their presence in the Wrothgarian Mountains, and the long lasting conflict for territory, and the elves for their use of magic (the Orcs see killing from afar as a sign of weakness). This despise towards other races also strengthens the despise they feel for the Orcs. As troubled as the relations of the Orcs are, so troubled is their own kingdom Orsinium. This kingdom, finding itself in a region which has always been troubled with constant wars between small states, has been target of many attacks by the other kingdoms, which at some point united just to destroy it.

The Orcs are some of the best armourers and warriors in all of Tamriel. Their armour is fabled as being incredibly strong, albeit being very, very heavy. It is mostly made from Orichalcum, a somewhat rare metal found throughout Western Tamriel. As strong as their armour is, so strong are their warriors. An Orc is a worthy adversary at any time, and one that goes into his berserk state is a force to reckon with. Because of their strong and heavy physique and lifelong training in the arts of combat, the Empire has employed them as front-men in the legion. Their service in the legion made them a bit more accepted in the Empire (especially in Cyrodiil), but they are still seen as pariah by the fast majority (indeed, many people still believe the Orcs are actually kin to the goblins).

As stated earlier, the history of Orcs starts at the transformation of Trinimac into Malacath, and their own transformation from Aldmer to Orsimer. Somewhere in the First Era, the Orcs created the first Orsinium. Over time, it grew to such a size that it was regarded as a threat to the other kingdoms. The kingdoms of Daggerfall and Sentinel formed an alliance with the Order of the Diagna, and destroyed Orsinium in 1E 980. Over the next centuries, the Orcs repeatedly tried to raise a new Orsinium, but failed every time, until Gortwog gro-Nagorm created the new kingdom of Orsinium in 3E 399. Through Gortwog’s excellent diplomacy and politics, Orsinium prospered without major armed conflicts, but was still not officially recognised by the Empire. During the Warp in the West, Orsinium was one of the four kingdoms to use the Numidium to gain territory and swore fealty to the Empire. After almost 400 years under Imperial control, the status of Orsinium as independent province was finally in sight, until it was yet again sacked during the early fourth era, this time by a united army of High Rock and Hammerfell. This caused Orsinium to relocate to the border between Skyrim and Hammerfell, and many Orcs fleeing east.