Orcs live on the sea. Some of the orcs make a living as pirates, while the majority build their fortunes as legitimate traders, sailing the high seas with holds stuffed with cargo from around the world, turning a continual profit. You never know if a particular Orcish ship is going to raid or trade. Captains sometimes switch back and forth, depending on which offers the best profit opportunity.
Everyone depends on the orcs. Not only do they make the world economy go 'round, but the upper class of every society demands the luxury goods only produced across the globe. But nobody trusts the orcs, either. They can be selfish, undependable, traitorous, and dangerous. Many merchants in cities and settlements across Astaria own and operate smaller vessels that never leave sight of shore. Deep sea voyages, however, are completely monopolized by orcish sailors. When merchants speak of "owning" these vessels, what they actually own are contracts with an orcish captain and crew that allow them exclusive use of the vessel.
Most people only encounter orcs in ports or, very rarely, on the open sea. The orcs lean into this mythology and maintain that they have no homeland. They claim to be born and die on the sea, only setting foot on land to trade or to raid. While in truth they come from a group of islands, keeping up the story makes a better tale, as well as keeping Orcish families safe from those looking for revenge.
Since they spend the vast majority of their lives aboard ship, orcish culture is obsessed with ropes, lines, and knots. Tying a knot is seen as an inherently mystical act, and much of orc religion and magic involves ritual knot tying. Staggeringly intricate knots can be spell foci, charms, or even magical items. As a result, orcs have a taboo regarding knots for mundane uses. They never knot their garments, for example, preferring to wind and tuck them, securing loose bits with plaits or braids, pins or clasps. Hems and edges are left ragged or, for formal occasions, carefully rolled and pinned.
Because they are so widely involved in trade, orc coin is considered the best and most reliable. Each ship commissions its own, with the weight clearly stamped on its face. This huge variety results in a lively collectors' market, which orcs have (predictably) exploited by producing ever more intricate and beautiful designs. Orcish coinsmiths show a level of skill more typical of master jewelers among other nations. A ship's reputation is based on its coin, so counterfeiting is a mortal sin. Violators are typically tracked down and killed in the most horrible ways imaginable.
Because it is plentiful at sea and there is no market for it, shellfish forms the bulk of the orc diet. As a result, they hate the stuff. However, many orcs pass the time at sea by making art out of the leftover shells. Orc scrimshaw, cameos, and mosaics can be quite beautiful, and fetch high prices. Some orcs even create complex sculptures using dozens, or even hundreds, of carved and interlocking shells.
Orcs have beautiful, powerful singing voices. Most orc music consists of layers of sung notes accompanied by claps, stamping, clicks, whistles, and other various vocal sounds, without a single "real" instrument in sight. An orc has a huge vocal range, from deep bass to a high and piercing whistle. Orc music is impossible to write down accurately, and so is passed from ship to ship, constantly changing and evolving. Getting orcs to sing in front of anyone who isn't an orc, though, can be a serious challenge.
To the North of the Dwarven city-states, and just West of the human free cities, is a group of islands. These chunks of land are the true home of the orcs.
Orc communities are small, flexible, and supportive. Any time an orc goes to sea, they leave their children with others in the community to be raised as their own. Returning orcs shower their whole camp or village with gifts. Similarly, orc couples seldom marry. Instead orc couples will spend a few years together, and then move on when their interests change. The profusion of half-orcs in the world attests to this casual approach to relationships.
Like anyone, talented half-orcs are welcome on board orc ships. They are not, however, allowed on the home islands. They must be raised by their human parent, and have little contact with the orcish culture to which they also belong. This puts them in an impossible position; angry at one culture, and mistrusted by the other.
Orcs have no inherent preference for either trading or piracy. They recognize that each offers varying amounts of profitability with assorted levels of risk. As a result, if a captain can make good money trading and avoid endangering people and property, he will. If he finds trade opportunities don't offer what he needs, he directs his crew to take up arms and they simply take what they want.
Orcs, no matter how or where they die, are buried at sea. Orcs believe that seawater quite literally flows in their veins, and they look forward to returning to the ocean. The idea of their bodies rotting on a battlefield or in some dusty crypt is offensive. Officers and captains, as well as other heroes and elders, are sent out to sea in intricate miniature boats made from aromatic woods. They are anointed with fruit, flowers, resins, and oils, and their corpses set ablaze with magic.
Siixiir University and Haabaar University are unlike those found among other races. Instead of a great tower or a tree, the master mages are scattered around the world. They speak with each other via enchanted shells. Students are placed with masters as an opening becomes available, and a young orc might need to travel for months to meet her new master's ship. Regardless of their specialty, all orcish spellcasters learn basic weather control magic for use aboard ship. Without a central location, no colleges or eldridtch societies work with these Universities.
Despite their many similarities, the orcish Universities are separated by one fundamental philosophical difference. Siixiir mages believe that magic should be used to serve the needs of the community, which benefits the individual in the long run. They favor spells that support their allies, protect their friends, and reveal information. Haabaar mages believe that magic is best used to serve the needs of the individual, and those individuals make and lead better, stronger communities. They prefer magics that attack their enemies, control others' minds, and weaken their opposition. Neither University has particular specialties, though Siixiir's approach favors schools such as Abjuration and Divination, while Haabaar's worldview aligns better with Alteration and Charm. Siixiir uses a conch shell as their token. Haabaar uses a setting sun.
RPGlink
Use the "Orc" species from Dungeons & Dragons 5.24.