The Anatomy of Orcs by MisbehavingMaiar

Anatomy of Orcs

"Everything we know to date about this much maligned, fierce, and elusive species."

As described by a high lady of the court of Ar-Adûnakhôr; amateur naturalist, explorer, historian, and scholar of Haradric studies. 

Describing a species with such tremendous diversity is a daunting task, but there are nevertheless, commonalities to be found between them. 

The thing one must keep in mind about the orc is that they are a createdpeople; they were derived from an exiting bipedal race and modified with the intent that they should be able to thrive in harsh climates and regions that their competitors would find inhospitable, to out-breed and out-last their rivals. They were created and born during a era without sun or moon— many of the adaptations that make the orcs extremely effective nocturnal hunters have made them less comfortable in daylight; their eyes are extremely photosensitive, and their body temperatures are naturally very high, which leaves them prone to overheating. This, along with their natural advantages for night-hunting, accounts for their preference for darkness and shade.

Figure A represents a typical orc, one who display many common traits found in his type but lacks any of the more extreme variations. The typical orc has a dense and heavily armored cranium; his sternum and collar bones are likewise thicker than a human’s or elf’s, and his brow is protected with a bony ridge. The underside of his throat is lined with tough, smooth plates of skins very like the scales on a snake’s belly. This skin is stiff extremely durable. (These “scales” are a trait they shared with their progenitor, and are considered aesthetically desirable.) 

Figure A has a flat and low-bridged nose; this affords him a wider range of vision as well as less vulnerable protrusion on his face. An orc’s nose and palette are very sensitive and acute instruments— an orc’s olfactory capabilities are many times more precise and powerful than any elf’s. In addition to this, orcs possess an organ on the roof of their mouths that allows them to detect coded pheromone messages left by other orcs (this extra sensory organ is easily overwhelmed in the presence of a group, tending to pick up only broader social moods and fewer individual cues. In short; it is easier to fool a group of orcs than a single orc). 

Being a typical orc, Figure A also has a strongly muscled jaw, capable of crushing and grinding bone, and very pronounced lower teeth or tusks. His lips are thin and black and usually do not protrude. The arrangement of his teeth, lips, and palette all affect the way he speaks; orcs have great difficulty producing many of the sounds that humans and elves make, but then, the reverse is also true. Orcs make a wide range of guttural noises, purrs, growls, and nasal resonances that men and elves cannot easily imitate. These sounds are all incorporated into the many native orcish dialects, though few are included in their constructed interlanguage, Lumbuthai (known as the Black Tongue). 

Figure A has front facing eyes with slit pupils. Orcs cannot see in color, but they can see in extremely low-light environments. Only in total darkness are they blind (as well as functionally blind in bright daylight), and then they have other means of navigating and detecting their surroundings, such as the sensitive whiskers that line their extremities, their excellent sense of smell, and of course, their directional hearing; which brings us to Figure B.

Figure B depicts three variations of orc ears. The typical orc has flexible ears that can partially rotate to better locate and pick up sounds, as well as two separate auditory cavities on each side, making a total of four (in some cases there are as many as six). For each ear, the two cavities are placed asymmetrically, one below the other. the lower one is fixed and cannot rotate, while the upper ear is able to swivel. The placement of these cavities is such that orcs are able not only to perceive more sounds than their competition, but also exactly where each sound is coming from. 

Variations on Figure A are actually more common than Figure A. 

As mentioned earlier, orcs have a tremendous amount of physical diversity and a “typical” orc is actually very uncommon. Furthermore, the orcs pictured here are all roughly symmetrical in appearance which is misleading. Orcs do not prize or value symmetricallity the way humans and elves do. It does not figure into their sense of aesthetics, and can even be viewed undesirable or boring. Many orcs deliberately modify themselves to be less “even”, and orcs who are injured or disfigured in combat are viewed as being more, not less, desirable. 

With that in mind, let us examine some common types of variety amongst orcs. 

In addition to their whiskers, orcs often sport bristles (Figure E is more heavily bristled than most, Figure G has a more common bristling pattern), horse-like manes (as in Figures D and F) and sometimes even pseudo scales (as in Figure C).  

Figures C and D depict orcs with atypical bridged noses. These noses contain heavy bone structures that make them more difficult to break, and in the case of Figure C, are actually covered in armor plating. Figure C has plated skin not only on his neck, but covering his head and shoulders as well. 

Figure D sports extensive spurs and ridges of the skull. This is a very specialized orc; all sensory perception and easy on the muscles and armor (unlike Figure E or C). 

Figure G is a female-phased bearing-orc. She has a higher concentration of body fat and hormones that will make her fertile— it should be noted that this state is decided by the orc herself, based on dietary choices, lifestyle, level of activity, and communal pheromones that will trigger her fertility.  Her secondary sex characteristics are determined by the community of bearing-orcs and the shifts in triggering pheromones and the availability of partners during the breeding cycle. Orcs do not generally display secondary sex characteristics until this cycle, and they can be either father or mother multiple times in their lives. It is considered an orc’s duty to enter the cycle at least once in their lives, and depending on fatality rates, once every 3-5 years after that. Some choose to stay in the cycle permanently, or become exclusively rearing-oriented, as it means a relief from battle and hunting duties. Orcs birth and raise their young in these brood-groups and sets of orc babies raised together often stay together for life, and identifying that collective brood-group as their immediate family, with multiple fathers/mothers. Orcs generally give birth to three children per cycle; nursing is shared equally between female-phased orcs. Orc sexuality and affection is not at all limited to these cycles, however, and recreational sex without intent to breed is common, even amongst familial groups. 

Cannibalization amongst orcs has been greatly exaggerated in reports, but it does occur. Infants who die are often respectfully and ritualistically eaten by their mother; spouses who die are sometimes eaten by their partners; fallen siblings are often eaten by their kin as well. Fatalities are high in orc communities and burials are not usually viable. The energy gained from eating a fellow orc is considered an honor and a gift, and it is never ingested without consent. If the situation is desperate and the orc in question is already dead, certain rituals or prayers are given in thanks and apology before eating the corpse. It has also sometimes been the practice on long marches where food is scarce that willing sacrifices have killed themselves to feed their comrades, but this is a rare occurrence.  The dead of other species, particularly those of competing species, are not considered sacrosanct, and are eaten without qualm. 

Orcs are extremely hearty and can ingest nearly anything without harm (which is not to say that they do not have a preference for fresh meats and other foods). Bones are often roasted and served as traveling food, along with fermented goods and dried meat. Orcs supplement their diet with roots, mushrooms, wild berries, tubers, and sometimes tree sap or honey. They rarely eat leafy plants, fruits, or vegetables except during breeding cycles. They heal with alarming quickness and can recover from even the most violent and debilitating of injuries. Shrapnel caught in their wounds is encapsulated and grown around without much fuss (orcs are known to modify their bodies with metal and ornaments to supplement their natural bodily defenses, and are not shy about creating on-the-go prosthetics for missing limbs by simply grafting the nearest weapon on to their wound). It is nearly impossible to poison them and their immune systems are enviously efficient. Whatever does not kill them immediately is likely not to kill them at all. 

While naturally aggressive, it is unfair to say that they are built for war. Left to their own devices, they hunt, they build, they raise children, and they create art. They have made languages and cities and songs, while they have been used by higher powers for violent political ends, and it would be marvelous to see them grow and adapt in a climate of peace rather than constant battle. 

The Orc is a formidable, interesting, much-maligned and misunderstood being whose insular culture and long history of aggression makes it difficult to approach, but I have hopes that a day will come when we can bridge these gulfs and learn more about each other. 

Chapter End Notes

This all came about because I learned that owls have asymmetrical ears and I went "WOW! ...I GOTTA DO SOMETHING WITH THAT!"