Mortal Races: Half-Orcs

During the Hostwar, orcs were created as the foot-soldiers of the demons. They took humans and warped their souls, making them stronger, more aggressive and more violent. Ever since then, there have been those who are biologically or spiritually connected to orc-kind. Half-orcs have a portion of the orcs' strength and rage, and find themselves easily led to violence. Some embrace this: there are many half-orc condottieri, guards, knights and thugs. Others resist the violence in their soul: there have been great half-orc members of the clergy. Disturbingly, some humans are born half-orcs whose family have never had any contacts with orcs: it seems that the changes that were once wrought by the demons can now occur spontaneously. One of the reasons why the demons rebelled was for free will, but they have damned half-orcs to be forever marked by their deeds. 

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Art: Detail from 'Brera Madonna.' Piero della Francesca, 1472.

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