id: 412
name: A Study on Orcs (v.1)
author: Cas
date: 9th June 2021
text len: 18449
views: 234

A short document on the many types of Orcs, as outlined by... orcs. Yes, call this wannabe anthropologist a madman, lunatic, moron, retard etc.; I don't care. I've been along these guys for a year now and they honestly have treated me better than the elves and even some humans in this place. So even though they don't exactly seem to care that most will open fire on them on sight, I feel like the least I could do is make this short guide. Another reason I make this short blurb and send it out on the teletype because, in my experience, a whole hell of a lotta trouble could be avoided for people if they understood that you need not waste your bullets or blade on every group of greenskins they encounter. If they don't charge or are openly hostile, you can usually leave them be, and depending on the type, perhaps even barter with them.

There are four general types according to this troop's chiefs, those basically being
Wild or "Groh-kin"
Feral or "Ruzokin"
Tribal or "Haz-kin"
and Civil or "Muz-kin"

For those curious, yes they know of the term "Greenskin." It does not offend them, and the "Muz-kin" often use their own term, "Ryvarzkuzdazgvød" or more usually "Ryvardaz" to describe themselves. They however exclude Goblins from the term, and Muz-kin and some Hazguhr-kin do not like being associated them.


Types and thier attributes in depth:


"Grohudraz" or "Groh-kin," meaning "Wild."

Counter to common belief the savage types of orcs actually are bifocated by the more civil orcs into two groups, the first and smaller of the two groups being Wild Orcs. As the name would imply Wild Orcs act less as beings or even animals and more as walking murder machines, stumbling for kilometers and days through dense forest like zombies until they come across anything on two legs that isn't also a greenskin (although this is disputed as a couple cheifs and shamen say their tribes had been attacked by groh-kin), where upon they will viciously and wildly pursue and attack it, tearing it apart with their bare hands, disregarding any damage done to it.
These are to absolutely be killed on sight, and are shunned even by the other three groups of orcs, feral orcs shunning them and tribal and civil orcs actively hunting them down, usually killing them. They rarely travel in groups, and it is said by shaman that while groups can form they can only do so if multiple wild orcs happen to converge on common prey, meaning that they do not have any coheision with one another. 
The explanation as to why wild orcs' social habits are so different to any other group seems to be in a common mythos the shaman have, that wild orcs are striken by some affliction that drives them beyond reason and forces them "to seek blood." While some may translate this to be a spiritual affilction, the Muz-kin and Haz-kin treat it like a physical disease, this being the explanation as to why they kill groh-kin, and a possible explanation as to why the Ruzo-kin shun them, as in spite of not having shamen it is said they still know common orcish mythos. 
According to both the shamen of orcish tribes and what lore can be gleaned from other civilizations, while Groh-kin are rare now there was a time long ago where they were far more common. This is tied to the legend that long ago, as part of what the orcs call "The Black Time," where this disease of madness consumed orc kind for a time, leading to their society being ravaged and their kind gaining a black mark in the eyes of the other races of the world, resulting in both the number of Groh-kin being around dwindling over time as a result of both orc and non-orc hunting them, as well as non-orcs generally being hostile to orcs as a result of the actions of groh-kin, as well as Ruzo-kin and even some Haz-kin. While I am skeptical of some finer details of these tails, as I said before it does seem to line up from what little I've been able to glean from Dwarves and Elves as to why Orcs are generally seen less as sentient creatures and more as thoughtless beasts.

Another explanation that is probably more an insult in this author's opinion is that they are children of an orc mother and goblin father. As a result orcs sometimes call another orc a groh-kin or "groh-like" as a harsh insult when they are seen as violating societal norms. 
Don't use this insult as a non-orc, unless you want to get your jaw dislocated in a single punch.


"Ruzothydyz" or "Ruzo-kin," meaning "Feral." Also referred to as "savage tribals," to differentiate with other tribals.

Ruzo-kin covers a wide range of "feral" orcs, from packs that act as animals and attack for the purpose of hunting to nomadic tribes on the cusp of being Haz-kin; the main commonality is that they are groups that are always led by one individual, referred to simply as a "leader" or "boss," though some groups do refer to them as a chief; "Muz-kin and Haz-kin refuse to acknowledge the leaders of Ruzo-kin as chiefs, nor see the groups of Ruzo-kin as tribes, referring to them often as packs. The nature of this single leader heirarchy results in many of these groups being chaotic and uncoordinated in all but the simplest of activities, and in capable of doing much beyond raiding, looting and hunting, and fairly regularly devolving in infighting and powersquabbles, though the extent and severity varies based on the ability of the leader to keep such fighting in check. 
The other, secondary commonality of Ruzo-kin is that Haz-kin packs are not sedentary like Haz-kin and Muz-kin. In this way one could regard them as "more orcish" than Haz or Muz-kin, as orcish society at it's roots seems more nomadic in nature, something reflected to this day in their society, from prefering temporary, movable structures to a sense of minimalism in one's posessions and their simple societal structure. However, due to "The Black Times" and the general attitude towards orcs, Muz-kin and most Haz-kin have been forced into sedentary settlement or very limited "ranges," as there are few regions and places that will tolerate roving tribes of orcs. Ruzo-kin however either are too primitive to care, or actively raid anyways, meaning that they still are "nomadic," establishing camps at most, though more sophisticated Ruzo-kin have been known to build semi-permanent buildings and fortify their camps, sometimes travelling between these established camps, but more often just leaving behind anything that cannot be carried.
Still, if one comes across ramshackle campsites encircled with halfassed stockades that appear to have been deserted hastily, it is ill-advised to approach or establish oneself in them, and one would be well advised to camp far, far away from them. Just in case.

Interaction between Ruzo-kin, Haz-kin and Muz-kin is rare. Haz-kin and fairly cold towards Ruzo-kin, and Muz-kin often are openly hostile to Ruzo-kin. While this is seen mostly as a necessity to retain the tolerance of non-orcs by outsiders, which is partly true, it is also the result of cultural differences between the two. Orc society revolves around orcs following some sort of "order." What this "order" is varies from tribe to tribe and, even with Muz-kin, is something beyond complete definition; there is the obvious order of whose will or orders one follows, in ascending order, one's personal ancestors, the chiefs, the shamen, and "the chief of chiefs," but then beyond that there are "The Ancestors" (passed chiefs, shamen, and notable orcs), the gods of the worldly (which vary and are more spirits; main ones being the god of the wild, god of the journey, god of strife, and god of the winds), and then "The God of Gods" or "The Maker." The overall interactions of this hierarchy the Muz-kin hold is understandably complex and hard to fully define, but the Ruzo-kin generally follow only the order put forth by their pack leader, which usually is comepletely arbitrary to that individual's wants, though the Shamen say what they do is in line purely with the will of the One of Strife. Haz-kin are mostly indifferent to this, as Ruzo-kin seem to avoid raiding other orcs, but the Muz-kin and Haz-kin see this as a "false order," or a willful disregard of the "true order;" this is why they refuse to recognize the Ruzo-kin as being true tribes, and the reason why Muz-kin are hostile to them beyond just trying to retain their relations with non-hostile, non-orcs. 


"Hazgührbrav" (also spelled without umlaut) meaning Orderly. Also referred to as "Hazguhr-kin," "Haz-kin," "Order-kin," or as just "tribals," as opposed to the "savage tribals." "Zaz-kin" is also heard rarely, though the entymology behind it is unknown (I thnk it might just be a mispronounciation that caught on).

Haz-kin are the second most common type of orcs, and the first of two kinds of "civilized" orcs, though Haz-kin only just fit under the adjective, hence being described as "tribal." Haz-kin live in mostly small settlements, and generally are completely sedentary, though if the tribe is in a region remote and unpopulated, they will often have multiple settlement sites that they alternate between (time period of alternation not being uniform, though generally based around game migrations and seasons). Haz-kin are for the most part hunter-gatherers, and while the occasional craftman might be found among them, they don't really produce much other than hides and furs, smoked meats, and maybe some wood work. They also tend to salvage metal they find off dead people, lost caravans, or old Ruzo-kin camps, usually selling this off to muz-kin; rarely, if they find an abandonned mine they will dabble in exploiting it. Those who aspire to be anything more than hunter-gatherers, tanners, amatuer carpenters or scavengers often leave to join tribes of Muz-kin. In this way, one could reason that Haz-kin serve as the outer part of modern orc society.
The most simple differentiator Haz-kin and Muz-kin is in their willingness to interact with non-orcs, or lack there of in the case of the Haz-kin. Haz-kin and Muz-kin do usually keep their distance from other races, but while the Muz-kin will sometimes send representatives out and will often warmly recieve visitors, Haz-kin for the most part avoid interaction of any kind, with some tribes being very standoffish towards outsiders. The only people who are readily welcomed into Haz-kin camps are either other Haz-kin, or Muz-kin traders, and those that can be vouched for by an orc. The reason for this is down to paranoia; due to the small size of most tribes, and the usual reaction of non-orcs to orcs being "kill it," most Haz-kin keep their distance from non-orcs so as to avoid any incidents.
The Order of Haz-kin tribes, while more complex than Ruzo-kin, is still fairly simple. At the Head of a tribe there is the Chief and the Shaman, the Shaman being of higher authority in matters philosophical or spiritual, and the chief generally being in charge of everything else, though they will often consult with Shamen in their decisions and vice versa. Beneath this duumverate are the elders, essentially a council of the eldest members of all families in a tribe, usually the eldest males, though it is not unheard of for females to be present as well. Parallel to the elders there are "Seekers" and "speakers" who are under the shaman. Seekers are essentailly orc shamen in training, and speakers are shamen in all but name, and are beneath the shaman;  all haz-kin tribes I have encountered have no more than 3 seekers and speakers under the shaman. Every week, usually at the start of the week, haz-kin tribes have all these people meet and discuss the general agenda of the tribes, and any major decisions. The Elders make their cases for what they feel should be done, seekers and speakers are consulted on a matter if their wisdom is deemed necessary, and finally the Chief and Shaman announce the decision. These meetings are held in the open, usually in the denter on the settlement, and generally anyone is allowed to watch. It is, however, bad form to speak if you are not part of the leadership, as this is disrupting the order of the tribe; the reaction is more severe to members of the tribe doing this than non-members, and non-orcs verbally cutting in is seen as mere nuisance. The exception to the meetings being in the open, however, is when a chief or shaman is being elected; these meetings are not open to ousiders, and are usually held in large yurts and are closed, but are tangibly solemn as these meetings only happen when a chief or shaman dies, or as I've been told, resign (this stories involving resignations usually involve some disaster or failing, and a chief or shaman resigning out of a sense of failure).


Finally "Müzdräznazg" (also seen without the umlauts), or "Müzdräznazgubÿrgruv," meaning "Civil" and "Civilized." This is often shortened down to "Muz-kin" or "Muzkin" even between orcs.

It is hard to tell exactly how rare Muz-kin are, as while they are willing to interact with non-orcs (granted they don't try to run the muz-kin through with pikes, arrow or shot first) they seem to be the most isolated from non-orcs, only really recently seeing any regular contact after the convergence. Personally I put this down to the fact that most people of this land don't really travel much, travelling beyond your kingdom's tenuous boundaries being rather dangerous, fraught with far worse things than just orcs. Anyhow, in my time with orcs, I've only encountered 3 Muzkin tribes, 2 of these only being through single traders who were visiting the one I live with. So, this is a long winded way of saying, unlike the other types of orcs, where I've seen multiple tribes and similar examples, with Muz-kin the info I have is mostly representative of the single tribe I lived with, and the only verification of it being the same in other Muz-kin tribes comes from just a tiny amount of info gotten from one very cooporative trader who seemed more like a seeker than a trader, and one not so cooporative, slightly annoyed and behind schedule trader (he seemed more annoyed at not being able to find the guns he was looking for than anything else), so take it with a grain of salt, other tribes may be a bit different.
Muz-kin tribes live in what could actually be called towns, with a few permanent buildings and defensive works, with even most yurt houses having permanent foundations and parts that cannot be moved with the rest of the yurt. Among the permanent structures they have a Meeting Hall, a Building dedicated to the Chief(s) and Shaman (and his underlings), storehouses for the tribe's food and weapons stores respectively, a smith's shop, and a stable (yes, they can and do ride horses, but also have other livestock). They also, unlike Haz-kin, seem to have some argarian practices as well, though they seem to lean more towards livestock over crops, their gardens being unkempt by most other people's standards, with the Muz-kin barely cultivating them. As for trade, aside from animal husbandry, selling the occaisional horse and meat to Haz-kin who did not manage to gather enought for the winter, Muz-kin mostly make tools and weapons, reclaiming or using material Haz-kin bring in to trade, often for the Haz-kin to then trade for the newly made tools and weapons later. These products of their labor are very simple in design, to the point of austerity often, and often are "good enough" in their function, but are incredibly rugged, and are said to last for lifetimes (an example being my gracious host's Warhammer, which quite plainly is just a brick of iron with a long, plain, unadorned metal rod for a handle with some leather, said to have been used for some 250 years. I would not have believed him, were it not for the barely managed rust, inumerable pits on the head, and noticeable bend in the handle, said to have been from his 4 times great grandfather smashing it against a troll's head). They are however capable of "more fine" work, these tools still not seeing much in the way of adornment but being much more refined in design, functioning more gracefully and being more ergonomic (and often lighter). These tools and weapons are more reseverved for trade, chiefs and notable elders, though they will often stick to their more plain, everyday items for day to day use (using a ceremonial weapon outside of ceremony is seen as flashy and vain). 
A more recent development post convergence is the production of some firearms, in a manner similar to the gunsmiths of Khyper pass, dowm to filing their parts to match those of an existing gun, though they skip needlessly copying serial numbers, instead etching the smith's name and the count of gun produced for that particular smith (Yes they keep personal count). They prefer to copy more simplistic firearms, and while these are very well made they quality does depend on the smith and the parts involved, things like springs and rifling being challenging due to a lack of specialized tools (only one smith in the tribe I live in has managed to get proper tooling set up for rifling barrels, and does most of the rifling for other smiths). Another thing to note is that orcs in general prefer larger firearms to shorter ones or pistols though some like the idea of "Big Irons."
The Leadership of Muz-kin tribes builds off of the structure found in Haz-kin ones. As hinted at above, Muz-kin will often have multiple "chiefs," with one chief above them. This is a result of the size of a Muz-kin tribe; though unique tribes seem to be few, the size of those tribes are far larger than Haz-kin tribes. While a Haz-kin tribe may have some 70 individuals, The Muz-kin tribe I live in has almost 200 at the time of me writing this; this larger population naturally results in aa more complex heirarchy. Basically, a Muz-kin town is run by a Head Chief, or "Chief of Chiefs;" likewise there is a head Shaman. Beneath them, there are the Chiefs and Shamen, who are assigned to portions of the town in pairs, these portions usually having a few families of shared ancestry living in them. These familes each have an appointed elder, and the elders along with their chief and shaman make decisions for that portion of the town. For decisions concerning the whole town or tribe, the elders of every portion come to a concensus for their portion with their chief and shaman, and then all the chiefs convene for the overall consensus with the Head Chief and Head Shaman.