List of orc clans

Not all clans are created equal. Some have a storied history, others are upstarts. Some are noble and benevolent, others are cruel and bloodthirsty.

Solitarius Dens: the One Fang. Virens’ current clan. Nomadic, wide-ranging, interested in the most far-flung parts of the empire. They take their name from the practice of warriors hunting dangerous predators, and taking a fang as a trophy. Virens’ sabertooth knife is his trophy, for example.

Game use: the familiar face for Virens.

Ferox Clamoris: the Fierce Cry. A matriarchal clan, by tradition. Most current members are women. One of the oldest clans in orc history. Legend attributes their founder as a shapeshifter and the mother of Tosk’s first founders, with their father as a wild animal. The clan’s name refers to the birthing cry of the children.

Game use: mostly historical, but the Grandes Dames of orc society, voices to be treated with reverence.

Taurus: the Bull. A brutal and militaristic clan. They prefer fighting to diplomacy, and are typically called in to deal with uprisings, large-scale banditry, or actual invasion by hostile forces. Despite their methods, they strictly uphold Toskan cultural values.

Game use: the militaristic faction, when someone needs to call for war. Your basic Proud Warrior Race Guys.

Fulminis: the Thunderbolt. A highly-mobile clan that prefers to fight mounted. They are nomadic and distrust city life. The clan where Virens and his half-brother Acutus were born.

Game use: the Rohirrim.

Vinea Ferro: the Iron Vine. The clan that sent Acutus on patrol, which cost him his life. In the general vicinity of the Taxat’s holy mountain. They occupy a mixed-race region called Gardia, protecting farmers and herders from subterranean monsters and Mist creatures.

Game use: the peace-loving hippie orcs.

Lupus Tenebris: the Black Wolf. A small renegade clan, with a strength between 30 and 50 spears. They went rogue after their leader, Petram, broke with Tosk over a territory assignment. They serve as mercenaries and bandits, and are sometimes hunted by other clans. They are not considered legitimate representatives of Tosk, but may present themselves as such if the deception is a benefit.

Game use: an example of what “orcs gone bad” look like. Use these guys to stir up trouble or hostility. Potential targets for the Corruptor.

Novus Sanguis: the New Blood. A clan established in the last ten years by an orc leader named Lacertus. The Novus Sanguis wishes to establish a “new Tosk”, a second orcish city, rather than trusting the empire to a single home city and a series of far-flung provinces. Lacertus believes in close cooperation with other races. The clan is unpopular with the traditionalist or nomadic clans, but their ambition attracts many followers in the legislature.

Game use: the political orcs. Potential targets for the Corruptor.

Ultima Scutum: the Last Shield. An old and respected clan, currently in charge of Tosk itself. Their First Spear Canem Rubrum (Red Dog) is a legendary orc, with three daughters, all of whom could be First Spear after his passing.

Game use: the Good Guy King who currently sits on the throne, and his forces. Not weak by any means, but definitely chained to their situation at home and can’t come rescue us.

Others to be added if there’s interest, or if anyone asks “what kind of clan would (blank)?”

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