Orcs

Orcs are a bipedal species of Giantkin, commonly found in and around the Andalan Mountains.

Description
Orcs are tall, with adults reaching heights between six to seven and a half feet. They often have broad shoulders, and are most commonly identified by a set of prominent pointed teeth on their lower jaw, often referred to as "Tusks." Orcish skin comes in a variety of gray-green hues, with an occasional muddy brown tint mixed in. They have incredibly dense and sturdy bones, much like Dwarves, and other Giantkin.

People of Stone
Orcs claim descent from the Elder Giants themselves, boasting that they are the survivors of the wrath of the First Men, who sheltered themselves within the windy peaks of the Andals. They would remain relatively isolated in those mountains until the Exodus of Man from the continent of Lempo. As Humanity crossed through the Andalan Mountain range to reach Temiran, they interacted with these Orcs, and many Orcs began to migrate with the travelling Humans, north to Temiran, and beyond from there.

As they migrated with Humans, there was a great exchange of culture between the two species, and over time, a new species came to be, not quite Human, and not quite Orc. These Half-Orcs can now be found anywhere that Orcs can, and carry with them a piece of their parent culture.

Orcs tend to group themselves by Tribe, with each Tribe tracing its lineage back to a single prominent ancestor, and within the Andals, each Tribe claiming a certain territory for themselves and their people. The Tribe is an important identifier within Orcish society, but individuals marrying into one Tribe from another are very normal. Orcs dwell in small, nuclear family units within larger settlements, typically populated by members of the same Tribe, although multi-tribal settlements do exist.

Workers of Earth
Orcs, much like Dwarves, define themselves as builders and creators. They are carvers of stone and wood, breakers of rock, and forgers of iron. In their thousands of years dwelling in the towering peaks of the Andalan Mountains before they began to migrate out of the region, they made the place their own. Countless deep tunnels are bored through the mountains, and many impressive bridges are built across harrowing gaps. Orcish settlements tend to be carved out of the mountainsides themselves, with terraced fields and cities placed high above the world below. Very unlike Dwarves, Orcs tend not to burrow very deep, seeming content to dwell on the surface, reshaping it to meet their needs.