The orcish Losh-Oc ("The True Orcs") tribes live in the harsh hills of Oro north of the Tandalas, forming a loose federation of related clans and families. Therefore they are also referred to as the "Orcs of Oro". They see themselves as the only orcs that still follow the religious trails of the Old and the ones that will gain fame when the "world will fall apart" as it has been in the old times with the Fall of Fá'áv'cál'âr.

From their point of view the arrogance of the elves and the ignorance of man were the fault for the Rage of the Gods and with this argument they think it justified to attack and massacre all the other races in Northern Sarvonia. The Losh-Oc are even hated by other orcs like the Ashz-Oc who call them "unhonorable scum" and "barbaric".

Picture description: One of the ferocious leaders of the Losh-Oc Orcs. Pic drawn by Quellion.

Appearance. The Losh-Oc have grown generally bigger and stronger than their relatives in the Prominent Mountains due to the harsh life conditions in the Hills of Oro. Their arms being longer and stronger but with shorter legs they appear primitive. Their skin is of paler green or grey and they have red or yellow eyes.

As a sign of loyality towards the god the Losh-Oc shave their hair with warriors' shaving at one side of their scalp. Leaders shave their heads completely. As sign of their family relations they wear earrings to distinct themselves from others. Instead of the bright colors the Ashz-Oc use to paint their faces in war they carve magical signs into their skin with hot needles believing these signs will defend them in battle.

One tradition has become the most scaring among these tribes and even offends their cousins: The Losh-Oc sharpen their teeth before battle to kill their enemies by biting their throats and drinking their blood to gain strength. While blood often is a holy element of many religious cults in orcish societies there are only few uncivilized tribes that would do something similar to offend the dignity of a fallen warrior.

While orcs in general are seen as a very scary race among other races the appearance of the Losh-Oc even exceeds the most terrible imagination one can have about orcs when encountered in battle.

Coat of Arms/Sign. No details provided yet.

Territory. The orcish Losh-Oc ("The True Orcs") tribes live in the harsh hills of Oro north of the Tandalas, forming a loose federation of related clans and families. Therefore they are also referred to as the "Orcs of Oro".

People. The Losh-Oc live in very loose family bounds. They don't feel aligned to a certain clan but to a certain Warlord that can be easily abandoned when he's unsuccessful in battle. Usually a family consists of the father and his adult sons, the wives and children and his slaves or minions as well as a certain group of wargs who follow them. Females that become adult are usually given to young warriors who found their own families this way. Slaves can be anybody not able to fight, captured in war or who commited a crime on this family.

Warlords can be anyone with enough reputation to gather warriors around them. A Warlord leads his followers into war for loot or conquest, shares the food supplies with them and grants them land. As long as he's successful usually many follow him, but when he fails he's often killed by his own family. Naturally this often leads to several powerful Warlords competing to become the one superior leader in the Losh-Oc society. The superior leader has to be strong enough to not lose any battle. With these hard rules nearly no-one in the Hills of Oro dies of age.

The most extreme position in regard of treating female members of orcish society is taken by this tribe. To them, a female is considered to be the property of whatever male has first claim on her. As a child and unmated adult, she is subject to her father, brother, or other male guardian. When given to a male as mate, she becomes his property. For another orc to lay claim to her services without permission is considered theft and the offender is likely to be attacked and viciously punished by the other male orcs of the group. Females themselves are not allowed to own things except for personal items such as clothing.

A female’s value is determined by several means - her ability to produce (male) children, her ability to work hard, and her ability to please her mate. Thus an obedient, hard-working mother of two or more young males is considered a “better” catch than a less enthusiastic, barren female or one that only has girl children. Orcs have a complicated set of beliefs about the "male principle" and the "female principle" which apparently fight for control in the female's body and this determines, among other traits, the gender of the baby. So a male whose mate produces mostly boys (especially if they more strongly resemble him than her) is also thought to be more "potent", while she is approved of for having a properly subservient spirit.

However, the female orc does have certain rights. Males are allowed to beat their females (for disobedience, laziness etc.) but not without due cause and not severely enough to cause long-term or permanent damage. A male who does so is considered to be somewhat unmanly and a poor example of self-control. Though he is not formally punished, he is looked on with disfavour. Females are responsible for domestic affairs - preparing meals, keeping the home area tidy and organized, caring for children, watching cattle, and so on. They do not become warriors or shamans, although those with shamanic talents are given to male shamans and may be trained as apprentices to help “control” their abilities.

A male may and often does have additional females assigned to him, usually because their previous mate has died in battle. "Extra" females are usually allotted out to more respected warriors who have earned great battle honours. Each adult male orc is entitled, however, to at least one female. An orc warlord may, on occasion, give one of his extra females to an underling whose mate has died in childbirth or through some accident. This is considered a noble act and the warlord gains great prestige and honour among his warriors for this.

Housing. No details provided yet.

Clothing. No details provided yet.

Diet. No details provided yet.

Weapons. The Losh-Oc favourize crude, heavy sabres, warhammers and battleaxes beyond anything. They are not only easy to use but also more easily crafted than a well-balanced sword. Thes weapons together with pikes or spears often are the only weapons they Losh-Oc use when going to war. Wooden shields and maybe some leather armour completes their equipment. Only Warlords or respected warriors can pay for iron armor and swords.

In war they more likely kill and burn than take prisoners (other than the Ashz-Oc from where they stem from, who don't kill anyone who wear no weapons but take them as slaves). For fast raidings the Losh-Oc use the wargs either for scouting, to hunt down refugees or as light cavalary to attack. They don't like taking risks but when they're forced into decisive battles they'll fight fierce and without mercy.

Occupations. No details provided yet.

Government. No details provided yet.

Production/Trade. The Losh-Oc mostly live from herding cattle and some basic farming in the valleys. Hunting in the woods completes their food supplies. Slaves mine the hills for iron ore and coal. Beside that anything else valueable comes from plundering the countryside.

Natural Resources. No details provided yet.

Holidays, Festivals and Observances. No details provided yet.

History. When the Ashz-Oc tribes started to settle in the conquered lands which once were the Mynian Kingdom a group of them still demanded to crush the other races to ensure peace. They lead a cruel guerrilla war against anyone on the western side of the Liben River.

Most of the Ashz-oc denied to fight for more lands than they actually could work on and so this aggressive splintergroup became a dangerous minority who brought havoc over the western forests and lowlands while the other tribes built up their villages and hamlets and entrenched their positions.

Picture description: Shakgrah the Searer, a famous orcish Shaman of the Losh-Oc tribe. Image drawn by Faugar.

But soon the elves and dwarves were able to strike back and hunt these orcs down one by one and so the raids grew even more bloody for both sides. The Warlord of this splintergroup called for a great meeting and demanded that all clans should unite against the elves to destroy this threat. Yet, the other clans didn't feel threatened by anyone being defended by growing strongholds as well as by the broad Liben River and so suggested to just let them keep the western side and care for the eastern one. The Warlord not satisfied with this solution insulted them for their whimpy behaviour and left. The other clanlords were enraged and the Ashz-oc were close to a civil war.

Unrest increased and more and more orcs thought the extremists to behave "barbaric" fighting for no honorable reason and soon first bloody riots broke out. These extremists who called themselves the Losh-Oc ("The True Orcs") were a minority and soon were in danger to be overwhelmed by the other clans. The wWrlord gathered the loyal clans and decided to cross the Liben at the Skeleton Coast and look for new lands to conquer. So the Losh-Oc wandered two years through the lands burning and killing wherever they passed and finally reached the yet uninhabitated Hills of Oro. The Losh-Oc finally founded strongholds there and survived by rampaging the lands of the barbarians.

It was at this time when these orcs learned how to tame wargs, the giant wolves of the north that lived in vast groups in the valleys of Oro and had followed the orcish armies into the lowlands. Together they formed a new alliance of terror. Used as light cavalary units the wargs and their light riders plundered any unprotected hamlet from the Celeste Lowlands to the Crystal Lakes.

This was the moment the Orcs of Oro, the Losh-Oc, turned into one of the orcish main tribes of the north, who since this time on are feared for their fighting power and their cruelity. They remain orcs who are even abandoned by their own brothers.