Orc

Of all unreal, the Orc has become the most feared and hated. They are a mockery of mankind and a dark reminder of humanity’s war-ridden history. They are the bestial side of man, unbound by reason or empathy; nightmares of the id made real.

They do not know pain, they do not feel fear, they never show mercy. Their only ambition is to kill and devour men. They will continue to take life until the very life is hacked from them.

Orcs appear as bestial mockeries of men with blood red colored skin. They have large muscular bodies and pronounced jaws with sharp teeth. Their noses are often wide and eyes yellow with animal-like pupils. Most orcs are male, but females are spotted regularly; not that it matters as unreal beings are incapable of sexually reproduction.

The average newborn orc generally weighs 220 lbs and is 6 feet in height. Older orcs weighing close to 500 pounds and 8 feet in height have been encountered.

Orcs are incapable of making their own equipment and will use whatever they can scavenge as weapons, resorting to simple wooden clubs if necessary.

Orcs never stop growing as they age, their size dependent upon how much they have managed to eat. Larger orcs have had the longest time to scavenge and steal weapons and armor, and are generally the best equipped.

Orcs have no language of their own, nor do they understand communication. They do sometimes mimic what they hear, repeating the last words or phrases of previous victims.

Ecology

Orcs are spawned in earth baptized by the blood of combat. The size of the battle is not indicative of the likelihood of orc spawning; it is the ferocity of the fight which is key. The more anger, hatred, and bloodlust permeating a conflict, the greater the chance orcs will rise from the field.

Orcs form about a foot underground in an elastic mucus membrane that surrounds their body. Their growth is rapid and they will be fully developed within 12 to 24 hours. They then break from the earth as fully formed adults. From there they will immediately look to arm themselves and seek out their first victim.

As unreal, they are not true biological creatures and can safely ignore many limitations real creatures possess. While they do have internal organs, they are mere mimicry of human ones and not functional. They are unaffected by most poisons or diseases, do not get physically exhausted, and never sleep. While their heart does beat and blood pumps through their veins, both serves no vital function. They do need to breathe to stay active, but lack of air will not kill them; they will enter suspended animation until exposed to air again.

Orcs have an instinctive craving of humans flesh. It is the only food they will eat. Devouring humans enables them to grow in size and strength. Likewise, if they go too long without eating, they will diminish. An orc that does not eat for a month will die.

Orcs have no concept of family or empathy. They see no distinction between the elderly or children, men or woman. All are food.

They only camaraderie they may feel is towards other orcs. They will group up with other orcs from the same battlefields and display the military and combat tactics of those that fought and died there.

When orcs die they will melt into dust and slime and return to the earth.

Half-orc

Sometimes, for reasons unknown, an orc can become quasi-real. It is an extremely rare event. Some think its exposure to certain magics. Others believe it is when the connection between the orc and Aedra is severed.

A half-orc physically looks the same as any other orc, but possesses a sense of identity and self-determination. Where before they were driven by only by instinct, they can now think and feel as any other human.

Half-orcs have the capacity to learn, and, if given the chance, will quickly pick up the language of the region.

Biologically, the half-orc will undergo a painful process that transforms them into a normal creature, requiring food, water, and air. They become susceptible to disease and poison as well, and require 8 hours of sleep day. Sexual reproduction is still impossible.