Orco

orco is the deformation of a term, from ancient English, which referred to numerous monsters of Celtic mythology. The existence of these creatures was invented to explanate the facts of blood and assaults on the fields and forests. In Spanish the word has evolved as "ogre." In Roman mythology the word orcus ("orco") is synonymous with underworld and, sometimes, it is also the name of a giant son of God Pluto. The Spanish word derived from Latin is huerco .

j. R. R. Tolkien was the first to use the word orc ("orco") to designate a specific type of humanoid, unpleasant aspect and aggressive attitude. This type of "orco" from the works the hobbit Of the rings (where Tolkien already uses the word orc , translated into Spanish by "orco") is the one that has been adopted by modern fantasy settings.

Subsequently, there has been an abundant use of this creature both in fantastic literature and in role games, as well as in those derived from both.

Common characteristics in literature and role -playing games

Wild Orc (Pharamrownia's frustration).

They are anthropomorphic beings or monsters whose skin usually has greenish tones. Other characteristics that they have universally (especially in role-playing games such as Dungeons & Dragons, The Lord of the Rings or Adventures in the Eastern March) are:

• A small orc equals a human in height, and is much wider and stronger. This feature, however, is not totally universal, since for example in the works of Tolkien the common orcs are smaller than the humans and weaker, similar to the goblins mentioned below.
• His eyes have a reddish glow that shines in the darkness.
• They have a prominent lower jaw, and often find individuals of the species with large lower fangs visible even with the closed mouth, noting this in the role play Warcraft where their fangs are visible.
• The language of the orcs is often very poor, based mainly on grunts and deep voices. Orcs don't usually talk too much.
• They're very unhygienic. They feed on any flesh, almost regardless of the state of it. Some orcs are given to cannibalism (the consumption of meat from other orcs). They can also devour human flesh or any enemy they defeat.
• Their camps are often poor and chaotic, similar to those of primitive populations. They manufacture simple weapons and tools. Often, the orcas tribes meet and migrate in great hordes, as is the case for example in the Warhammer Fantasy game, or with the Warcraft Horde, with the aim of participating in a war.
• It is said that the orcs live to fight. They have little intelligence, but they have some kind of cunning. In the miniature game Warhammer 40.000 Orcs use stolen technology to other armies and adapted to their use.
• They are hosco-like, envy the feeling of well-being of anyone who is able to feel that way and hate the elves above all things as they make them guilty of the orca way of life. This is why they are mostly diabolical.
• Minor relatives of the orcs, the goblins, they are smaller than the orcs, they follow them, always eager to serve them and to take advantage of their spoils. They usually ally with equally gross creatures like ogres, trolls and giants.
• Sometimes they usually present some malformation in the body, such as Maren's fantastic chopper.
• Despite their wild and violent nature, the orcs always work as a team, being almost impossible to see an orc traveling and/or fighting alone.

According to the Encyclopedia of Magical Beings, orcs, like goblins, are a race closely related to Homo kobalis (goblin), well known for their stupidity and immorality, and for their depraved appetites. These attributes place them among the most unpleasant hominids in mythology.

Orcish society is structured in clans or tribes, always being the strongest member among all the one who governs that clan, the tribal chief, guided by shamans. Brute force is always the decisive factor in matters of dispute, which, together with their territorial nature, is often the reason for frequent clashes between rival orc tribes or with goblinoid tribes which often share the same hunting areas. Given their surly and bellicose character, they often make incursions into human populations that they treat without any kind of mercy, or to fight for the occupation of another area owned by another clan.

Due to their strong constitution, the vast majority of orcs are formidable warriors, with superhuman resistance to pain, which, through the use of mostly rudimentary weapons and the use of crude armor, and relying on attacks in group, are capable of bringing down those who dare stand up to them. However, they dislike the sun, so their attacks are usually nocturnal.

Intelligence is not one of their most notorious qualities, which makes them become warriors (or more commonly, barbarians, since not everyone can assimilate the technique and combat discipline of a warrior), although this deficiency of intellect they try to supply it with an incredible ferocity. However, it is common for each tribe to have a shaman with knowledge of shamanic magic, calling on the power of his brutal gods.

Their low intelligence causes other races to trick them and take advantage of them. It is easy to manipulate them, especially by promising benefits. But if they discover that they have been deceived or swindled, the manipulators can leave for dead.

Orcs in Middle-earth

As for Middle-earth, the world created by J. R. R. Tolkien, the author mentions different possible origins for the orcs, without actually opting for any of them. Thus, the orcs would be different creatures like animals, men or elves, which would have been long corrupted by Melkor. Some, the oldest or highest ranking ones, could have been evil maiar. In the Spanish translation they are also called goblins (goblin in English, since in Tolkien's universe both creatures are basically the same). In The Lord of the Rings there are mainly four types of orc, each with its different variants, although one thing they have in common is that their blood is black and most of the time they feed on human flesh..

Orc types:

• Trasgos: caveman version of the orcs, more enclenques than their surface relatives and more resembled by appearance and attitude (they are extremely cowards) to the goblins of other fantastic universes.

• Common Orcs: form the hordes of Sauron and Saruman. They are much more irregular than the orcs of other universes and can vary enormously in sizes and deformations, but in general they are gray skin or parduce, big teeth and walk in coveted. They are unsettled by sunlight, but Sauron invokes storm clouds to cover the sun and fight at full performance. They are dirty and undisciplined, but the well-appointed Morgul Minas hues contradict this norm.

• Uruk-Hai: they are a larger version of the orcs, and were created by Sauron at some time of the Third Age, and first seen in 2475 TE, when they devastated Ithilien and took over Osgiliath. Saruman also discovered a method of creating them. They are an improved species from the common orcs. Contrary to the common orcs, these walk more upright, they are somewhat smarter and consider the sun as an enemy more than to be down, but not as a nuisance. They are bigger and fiercer than the rest of the orcs, with a darker complexion, and also better equipped. They led the siege of Helm's abyss and the most bloody fighting in Osgiliath.

• Semiorcos: cross between orc and human. The way in which the orcs are reproduced is unknown, because Tolkien never mentions the existence of orca women, as well as of orcs infants. When it is claimed that there are crosses between orcs with humans and trasgos, it is also not specified whether this cross was made sexually or otherwise more supernaturally.

Good Orcs

In Middle-earth: Shadow of Mordor, Celebrimbor betrays Sauron and flees Mordor with the One, freeing groups of orcs from Sauron's domain along the way, pledging allegiance to him. In the final battle between Celebrimbor, the Seelie Lord, and Sauron, the Dark Lord, the equipment of the elf's orc army can be seen.

Celebrimbor, already turned into a ghost, joins Talion, so that he fulfills his revenge against the Black Captains (The Tower, The Hammer and Black Hand). Talion frees Ratbag (orc soldier) in exchange for his help. Although Ratbag gets into trouble, he always keeps his word and gets an orc army for Talion, being himself the leader. In the mission to destroy the monument to Sauron, The Hammer is in charge of finding out why, Ratbag, contrary to the common treacherous orc character, does not betray Talion, losing his life, although he provides Talion and the Luminous Lord with a new army to fight against Sauron and his minions.

Orcs in Warcraft

An orc of Warcraft
(fanart by Lucas Salcedo.

In the universe of Warcraft , the orcs are a race from Draenor, which reached the world of Azeroth through a magical portal, open by the corrupted sorcerer Medivh. In the Warcraft games saga, the orcs are characterized as fornids of green or brown skin, with prominent features and lower fangs that emerge from the jaw. In their world, they were induced by the demonic powers and possessed when drinking from the blood of a demon, the lord of the MANNORoth pit. In the lands of Azeroth they faced humans and began an era of chaos when destroying the human city of Stormwind. After two great wars, the orcs were released from demonic control when a new Horde Chief, Thrall son of Durotan, unified all clans and founded a new homeland of name hard, in honor of his father in the Kalimdor's continent.

Unlike the orcs of the rest of the role -playing games, the orcs of the world of Warcraft are presented in a more positive and neutral light: they have a less primitive and bellicose organization, which seeks a space where living in peace and returning to return To their shamanic origins and resurrect their culture before corruption, not being a problem to find an advanced culture and moral.

Also, in this game the Goblins appear as a race different from the orcs, characterized by ingenious and intelligent beings capable of creating machines and objects, to sell them to the best bidder.

Orcos in Warhammer

A mask of orc in Warhammer
(fanart Cornel Zueger).

They also appear in the games and literature of the fictitious universes Warhammer Fantasy and Warhammer 40,000 . In both cases it is a warm, backward and barbaric race that sweeps everything that finds its path, even if they are originally different species.

Unlike the type of sexual reproduction that the orcs of other sagas have, the orkos of Warhammer 40,000 and those of Fantasy reproduce through spores that arise from their bodies.

its reproduction in something unusual. From their spores they do not necessarily have to be born orcs (or orkos) but they adapt according to the needs of the tribe in the birth. For example, if there are few goblins in that tribe, they will become them. In this way, the skles spores (name given to all those beings that are born of such spores) can become orcs (or orkos), in Goblins (or Gretchins, vulgarly called kanijos by the orkos, equivalent to the Goblins by 40,000) or In ticks (beings with a ball appearance with mouth, eyes, nostrils and legs that are used as mounting by the Goblins, or as guard dogs and to transport loads through the orkos.)

For the Love of Waagh, illustration of Morgan Bishop (Warhammer 40.000).

The first species, the orcs of Warhammer Fantasy are similar to the above. They are green, fierce, wild and only think of fighting. Orcs constructions do not stand out for their architecture, but are functional and practical.

The seconds, those of Warhammer 40,000 , whose name is written "Orko" instead of "orco", meet the above characteristics and also have a series of special peculiarities: they are the descendants created through Genetic engineering of an old breed already extinguished. This, seeing that its end was close, created the Orka race and inserted its genes so that one day they could return the existence to the creative race. Likewise, he endowed the orkos of a type of species memory that allows between them to appear specialized in mechanics and technology, which allows them to manipulate devices and weapons of a complexity that would otherwise not understand. When a sufficiently charismatic and powerful leader appears to unite all the tribes, an endless avalanche of fierce incursors called Waaagh! is formed. They also have their own game, Gorkamorka . Another characteristic of this race is that although they ignore it, they are powerful psychics since for example they paint their red vehicles, because they are so convinced that red makes them faster than this happens. The latter has been demonstrated by experiments carried out by the empire of man.

Orcs usually use the Z or K instead of the C as in the words archer or kaudillo . They use adorn bones, in addition to a weapon called slicer. They ride boals, but they don't train them for war, they simply ride them.

Orcs in Empire-Strike

Orcs appear in Empire Strike as one of the most important races. It has different powers between them:

• Orc assault. Depending on the amount of weapons used, orcs can perform a powerful attack, getting a bonus in the battle of +12% to damage and +2% to conquer the city.
• Heroes need half of troops not to fall into demotivation.
• The opponent will have more difficulty recruiting orc heroes.

Orcs in Battle for WesNoth

Orcs also appear in this shift strategy game as one of their playable breeds. As in the other universes, here the orcs are a breed that only thinks about fighting and that always leave a trace of death and destruction wherever they happen, which brings them problems with other intelligent races.

Unlike the orcs of other universes, Wesnoth's orcs walk erect and do not have the characteristic green skin, this being a very dark brown color in its place.

and as for the Goblins, here they are still simple slaves of their biggest cousins, however, the Goblins that manage to tame a wolf to use it as a mount are part of the Orco Army and are treated with some respect.

Other appearances

• In the book Little Odessaby the writer Peter Van Olmen, there are enemies called "Gnorks", similar to some humanoid wild boars, which the villain Mabarak has drawn from a book by magic. Later it is revealed that he tried to extract an army of orcs from the book of The Lord of the Rings, but the conjure went wrong and became those engenders.

• Orcs also make appearance as Malefic servants in the Walt Disney version The Sleeping Beauty.

• In Argentina, in 2003, Cowboy successfully launched a collection of stickers called Magic Lands consisting of 9 worlds inhabited by mythical creatures. Among these, the Orcos were one of the most powerful races along with the Elves and Dragons.