Orog

Introduction

Although everyone in Faerûn knows about the orc hordes of the North (the mountain orcs) and the nomadic orcs of the East (the gray orcs), only a relative few know of the third sub race that hails from the deeps below ground. The Underdark is the chosen haunt of these terrible creatures, the orogs.

After thousands of years of survival in the harsh and dangerous Underdark, the orogs have changed to match their home, becoming more ferocious and better able to cope with the dangers found there. Physically, an orog looks similar to a large mountain orc, except that the ears are somewhat larger, and their eyes are huge and pale. They average six and a half feet tall.

Over Centuries, orogs have mastered the art of forging armour and weapons from the strange ores found in the Underdark. They favour half plate and full plate armour, which are typically adorned with armour spikes. Orog weapons are festooned with a multitude of hooks, spines and redundant cutting edges. An orog rarely goes anywhere without being fully armed and armored.

History

Orogs are descended from the Skullbiter Tribe of Mountain orcs who lived in the Spine of the World mountain range millennia ago. When they, along with other Mountain orcs, invaded Netheril in -3605 DR, they were cut off from their retreat route and cornered between the elven and Netherese armies. They sought refuge in a narrow cave at the end of a valley which, unbeknownst to them, led to the Underdark. They became lost but felt safe in the knowledge that they would not be followed by their enemies, delving further underground whenever they could. Eventually they came across a veritable jungle of luminous fungi and decided to settle there. They bred in great numbers and expanded into many surrounding caverns like a virulent plague. They subjugated the creatures already living there and eventually split into a dozen different tribes, discovering rich veins of metal and ore.

The collapse of the elven empires led to the orogs venturing back to the surface in large numbers, bullying their Mountain orc cousins into subservience and arming them for war with weapons made from Underdark metals.

Outlook

The orog spent thousands of years battling terrible creatures for living space in the Underdark. Now they have finally begun to return to the surface world, they are finding it to be something of a paradise. Stronger and better equipped than most of their enemies, the orogs are quickly settling into positions of leadership in the eastern tribes of mountain orcs near Anauroch. Whereas mountain orcs revel in its spoils. They are quick to rise to battle, but afterwards they fall back to enjoy the fruits of their victories. The concept of leading a horde of raging orcs on a pointless crusade that only ends when the last aggressor falls, still advancing, is alien to the mindset of the orog. Why go to war if you can't enjoy the results?

Orog Characters

Most orog characters are fighters or barbarians, but recently more orogs are becoming rangers and rogues as they explore the surface world. Because orogs have higher Charisma scores than other orc races, a significant minority of them are bards and sorcerers.

Orog Society

Deep underground the orogs use slave labour to expand caverns into well-defended cities. These cities are completely enclosed in the rock and consist of huge, seemingly endless rooms connected by numerous large processionals and public squares. Orog cities often consist of layers, with rooms atop rooms atop rooms. Nobility usually resides in the highest chambers, which are accessed by trapped stairwells and vertical shafts with crude rope lifts. Orog cities such as these can house upwards of eight thousand orogs and up to three times that many slaves.

Most orog cities are much smaller and are comprised of only a few hundred orogs and slaves. All the near-surface cities are like this, although they mimic the larger cities' tendency to consist of dozens (if not hundreds) of interconnected small rooms. On the surface, orogs have so far not built cities of their own. Rather, they have simply moved in and taken over tribes of mountain orcs, seizing the best buildings for themselves and displacing the orcs to the smaller ones.

The one thing that binds together all orog societies is the placement of the forges. Orogs have a long tradition of armour smithing and weapon forging, and the first thing a tribe of orogs look for when they pick a site for a new town is a natural place to set up a forge. Volcanic vents and pools of magma are favourites, but more traditional forges built on epic scales serve as well. Orog forges are community-held, and any orog is welcome to build armour and weaponry at the forge just as long as what is produced is either put to immediate personal use or placed in the community armory.

Deities

Orogs brought the worship of Gruumsh with them into the Underdark and have more or less forgotten the other various deities. Certain fringe cults of orogs in the deep Underdark have started worshipping Ghaunadaur, but these orogs avoid their more traditional kin. Religion is an established facet of orog society, but not an overwhelming one. In many cities, orog clerics are thought of as little more than healers, the average orog having little interest in spiritual matters.

Relations with Other Races

Orogs get along the best with orcs, whom they find easy to bully and subjugate. They are intrigued by the concept of the half-orc, since these hybrids can operate in the blinding light of the sun with ease and make excellent warriors for surface world campaigns.

Those orogs who remain deep underground often engage in more or less friendly trade with the gray dwarves and the drow who value the productivity of the orog mines enough to leave orog cities alone. The orogs often make war on the svirfneblin, but they try to avoid the more alien races such as illithids and aboleth, whose mental powers can cut down even the mightiest orog with ease.

Monstrous guidelines and expectations

A good read to keep in mind before playing a monstrous character can be found in this article.

Creating new character on Arelith

Abilities

Orog

+2 STR, +2 CON, -4 WIS

+10% Fire Resistance, +10% Cold Resistance, 5% Physical Immunity

Darkvision

Bonus Feat: Power Attack

+2 ECL

Classes

Favoured Class: Fighter

Mostly fighters or barbarians, but recently more of them are becoming rangers and rogues. Significant minority of them are bards and sorcerers.

Alignment

Usually Chaotic Evil.

Arelith Alignment Restriction: Non-good

Appearance

They look similar to large mountain orcs, but eyes are huge and pale, and ears somewhat larger. Height is 6 and a half feet in average.

Aging

Age		Bonus
Adulthood	18 Years	+2d10
Middle Age	35 Years
Old	50 Years
Venerable	65 Years

Bloodlines

Note: These bloodlines are available without an award and receive the same ECL as the base Orog. They will replace the stats noted above.

• Bloodline of the Pact: CON +2, WIS -4, CHA +2
• Bloodline of the Seer: DEX -2, INT +2, WIS +2

Racial Crafting

Orog Bastard Sword

Orog Heavy Sword

Orcish Blood Mace

Orcish Blood Axe

Orcish Blood Sword

Notes

• Bonus language:

Orc language

Undercommon

• Starting city: Andunor

Light-Sensitive Race, they are the least light-sensitive of the three, but would almost always avoid direct sunlight where possible, not least because as an exclusively martial society they favour attacks under cover of darkness, or in the hours of dawn and dusk.

External links

Orog on Forgotten Realms Wiki

ORCS - Orc Roleplaying Community Site - a lot of information on orcs, including large article on Orc Gods of the Forgotten Realms, Orc Languages and Orc Names

Orogs described in the Homebrewery by Daedin