Orc

Orc
Names	Orc Uruk
Dominions	Mordor
Distinction	Black blood Hulkish appearances
Related species	Elf Moriondor

Orcs, or Uruk, are the servants of Morgoth and later, the Dark Lord Sauron. The Orcs were commonly believed to have originally been Elves corrupted by Morgoth, who spread to all corners of Middle-earth and fought by their master's side during the Great War of the First Age. After Morgoth's defeat, the Orcs scattered and went into hiding.

During the Second Age, the Orcs re-emerged in the Southlands, under the leadership of Adar. They plundered and ravaged the human settlements of the area in search of a weapon hilt that was the key to unleashing the fiery power of Orodruin itself and reshaping the Southlands into a home they named "Mordor."

History

The Orcs were first bred in the North by Morgoth, the Dark Power, during the Elder Days. He sought to create his own race that would swear allegiance to him. He kidnapped several Elf children and tortured them until they were corrupted into mockeries of Elves.

Orcs fought on the side of Morgoth during the First Age, spreading to all corners of Middle-earth. Many were hunted by the Elven armies and, centuries later, during the Second Age, the Orcs had disappeared with one not having been seen by the Elves for years.

In the Second Age, the Orcs were believed extinct and the threat brought from the First Age was over. However, the Orcs survived and laid in wait until their reemergence in the Southlands. They burned the village of Hordern before they turned their sights on Tirharad. A healer and single mother Bronwyn decapitated one Orc that attacked her son. She showed it to the skeptical village people as proof of an impending threat.

Characteristics

There were many different kinds of Orcs, ranging in size and ability and some suited for specific purposes. They all bore greying skin, lumps, and non-human features. Unlike their Elven ancestors, they bled black which distinguished them from other species in Middle-earth. Orcs enslave members of other races to do forced labour under their cruel watch, and have even been known to enslave members of their own kind.

Most Orcs are incredibly strong, fast, and well-trained in combat. Their degree of skill varies as with any creature, though their razor sharp claws and enlarged bodies give them an advantage over others, including Elves. However, they are not immortal or immune to death, and can be killed in combat, by decapitation, and other forms of bodily harm. They do have an increased resistance to harm, as simple stab wounds don't give them much pause.

Their largest weakness is sunlight, and their weakness to it is a mark of the Great Darkness. It burns their flesh and causes them great pain, though they use sun-cloaks to shield themselves when they must travel in the day. They ultimately find a way to navigate in the daylight via a tunnel system. Some Orcs can endure the light more than others, but they all despise it. Despite their enslavement to the darkness, their sense of sight was not heightened to account for this, so they were forced to carry torches to light their paths.

They require food and drink like other species to stay alive. While their bodies can tolerate even the foulest of meats and water, they are not immune to poisons.

They can speak the language of men and Black Speech, a language devised for the usage of the servants of evil. Their war-chant, "Nampat", is the Black Speech word for "Death."

Appearances

• Season One
  • "A Shadow of the Past" (First appearance)
  • "Adrift"
  • "Adar"
  • "The Great Wave"
  • "Partings"
  • "Udûn"
  • "The Eye"
  • "Alloyed"
• Season Two
  • "Elven Kings Under the Sky"
  • "Where the Stars are Strange"
  • "The Eagle and the Sceptre"
  • "Eldest"
  • "Halls of Stone"
  • "Where Is He?"
  • "Doomed to Die"
  • "Shadow and Flame"

Gallery

A decapitated orc