Orc – Description, Racial Bonuses and Penalties

Orcs are one of the races of Tamriel. Some people also call them Orsimer, but the traditional name Orcs is more familiar.

They belong to The Daggerfall Covenant so if you chose Orc your allies will be Bretons and Redguards.

Orcs are huge and strong. They are one of the tallest races of Tamriel. Their skin is green and they have huge canine teeth. They do not have magical skills and they make bad mages, sometimes you will come across an exception. Most of them do not have magical talents. Despite this they have their advantage: a very strong body. They are among the strongest races found in Elder Scrolls. They can wear heavy amour and sport even heavier weapons. Their specialization is hand-to-hand combat. So if you need a strong and fierce warrior an orc would be a very good choice. You can meet them among adventurers or legionnaires of the Imperial Legion.
Racial bonuses and penalties

No information
History of Orcs

“No one bests an orc”, The code of Malacath

Strength, brutality, pride, fearlessness. It’s better to have an orsimer on your side than being his enemy. Considered as monsters, pure and simple barbaric creatures, they’ve always been socially marginalized. Even the name “orsimer” means “pariah folk”. Contrary to bretons, they don’t have that inherent bind to magic granted by elvish origins. They rather excel in blacksmithing, fighting, with their berserk ability. They also have a tribal organization where each orc has rigorously his own role and place in hierarchy, and where male and female are equals in ranks and considerations: hunting, fighting, building…Even blacksmithing is rather done by female, traditionally.

Their leitmotivs are loyalty and honor. Orcs worship the daedric Prince Malacath. Why? Why are they so different from the other mers? Why the pariah folks?

In the end of the Dawn Era, Trinimac, the mighty and popular champion god of the high elves, and protector of his kind, tried to stop the anti-Aldmeri rebellion led by Veloth, prophet of Boethiah. The latter tricked and ate Trinimac, regurgitated him as Malacath, and turned his followers into orcs. Many of them fled to Skyrim, in the region around Sarthaal. Many others decided to stay in the Iliac Bay region. Due to their appearance, that “evil” cursed- like morphology, they were considered as beastfolks, like ogres or goblins; however, orcs were mainly used as sellswords, mercenaries, raiders…

When Altmer let those beast people live freely, they gathered in High Rock to give birth to Orsinium and kept the homeland growing with refugees of wars and invasions, as well as social outcasts. As Orsinium became a powerful city, with an army, a strong organization and the ability to craft and sell good weapons and armors, and determined fighters, the neighborhood did not appreciate : “The orcs have been much plaguing the Wayresters and impeding traffic to the heart of the land”, said in a letter the King of Daggerfall to Gaiden Shinji. After carrying out the siege of Orsinium in alliance during thirty hard years, Bretons and Redguards finally overwhelmed and destroyed Orsinium in spite of the orcs ruggedness. Until 2E430 the city was part of the Empire domain.

A new potentate assassination made things change. Orcs are broken, but not extinct. The more you strike them, the more determination they have. They want Orsinium back. They want they honor to be revived. They responded to High King Emeric’s call to form the Daggerfall Covenant, and have the chance to fight again for their honor and territory. Go, orsimers, rise again and show Tamriel what you’re made of, by Malacath!

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