High Orcs have green skin of varying shades and protruding teeth or tusks. They have shorter lifespans than a human, reaching maturity in two years, with an average lifespan of thirty years, though some do manage to live into their late forties.
No less intelligent than any of the other sapient species, their short lifespan means that they tend to be more focused on the immediate, rather than the long term. While an elf might see a plan that takes twenty years to come to fruition as reasonable, to a High Orc that’s essentially a lifelong commitment.
This has led to a situation where High Orcs seem crude or overly Blunt to these longer-lived species. This doesn’t generally concern a High Orc much, if whatever needs doing gets done. It also means that not much stock is placed in being concerned with grudges, others or their own. If someone attacks you, put them down. If someone insults you, right the wrong, then get on with life. It is better to sit down with friends, food, and song than to simmer with unexpressed anger, or work some political angle.
Due to this, primarily Orcish communities tend to be a strange mix of volatile and stable. On any given day, two High Orcs might be bellowing at each other as a way to work out a disagreement in the morning, and in the evening both are clapping each other on the back for work well done, the previous conflict having reached a conclusion one way or another. This letting go of the past and future to focus on the now makes treaties and the like very difficult for other species when dealing with High Orcs, to which most High Orcs shrug and just get on with whatever they decide needs doing at that point. As such they tend towards the most direct approach possible when solving problems. They’re no less capable of intricate plans than anyone else but tend to prefer solving the immediate problem as efficiently as possible. While this means they don’t tend towards the life of a Scholar, due to the time it takes to master those Skills, those that do are dedicated combatants indeed! Read Magic costs double for High Orc characters.
High Orcish muscle is also extraordinarily strong for its size, meaning that the strength training other species need to do to effectively train in the use of Weaponry just isn’t necessary. While it takes time to learn how to effectively use a specific Weapon, they just don’t need as much repetition as a human does to get the same effect. Weapon Skills cost half as much (rounded up) for High Orc characters.
In addition, High Orcs do not have the same pain response as a human or dwarf. While they feel discomfort at an injury, compared to other species, they can fight on despite what would otherwise be a mortal wound. Tales are told of High Orcs fighting on despite having their entire torso eviscerated, only to be patched up by a healer afterwards. Due to this High Orcs may take Resolute as a species ability.
They can metabolize harmful substances incredibly fast for a creature their size, with a liver twice the size of a human’s. This means that they can eat a wider variety of foods and breathe in environments that would incapacitate a more delicate creature. Due to this High Orcs may take Resist Poison as a species ability.
Species Specific Skills: Weapon Skills purchased at half XP (rounded up), Species Resolute, Resist Poison 4XP
Prosthetics and Makeup Requirements: High Orcs are a PC species which requires the use of makeup. All High Orc players wear green make-up on their face and have protruding tusks. All exposed flesh should be that color.