Racial Lore Compliation - Horde

[Hogral]

There seems to be a few that's started up with a new race and looking for some tidbits of Lore, so i thought i'd post the following compilation. Atleast i've found it very handy when starting up with a new race, so hopefully somebody else will too

This compilation is'nt written by me, but fetched from Blizzplanet. Blizzplanet again, has fetched it from one of the official lorebooks.

ORC

Description: To their enemies, they are brutal and fearsome opponents, without parallel in their ferocity and cunning. To their allies, they are noble and honorable, following the traditions of a rediscovered past. The orcs of Lordaeron are part of a race that has once again found its true spirit, shunning the cruel practices of arcane and demonic magic for the paths of wisdom and power. Some orcs still hang onto the arcane practices of the past, but their time is fading.

Though brutal in combat, orcs fight with a feral grace and a brutal passion that equals the finest fencing of an elven noble. For an orc, skill in battle brings great honor. It is the concept of personal honor that pervades orcish society, a concept that has made the race more cohesive and more of a threat to their adversaries in the Alliance.

The concept of honor pervades all echelons of orcish society. Even the naming of an orc is temporary until he has performed a rite of passage. Once an orc has brought honor to his name and the name of his clan, the elders give him a second name based upon his deed. For an orc, honor is as important as his clan, and most will die defending either clan or personal reputation. This is a new development for the orcs; before, when led by the forces tainted by the burning legion, the orcs were a bestial force barely controlled by demonic magic.
While the orcs might seem quick to anger, they are tempered by the wisdom of their leaders and their shamans. There are a few of the demon-worshipping clans now, for the Alliance or the Horde itself has hunted down most of the remnants of such clans. Now, most of the orcs have embraced a life led by wisdom, honor, and the values embodied in the leadership of Thrall as taught by his mentor, Ogrim Doomhammer.

The orcs are one of the most populous races on the world of Azeroth. While many of the Alliance races perceive them to be brutish and savage, the orcs have undeniably spawned a complex society that embraces many occupations and many different races. No doubt the leadership of Thrall and the support of the tauren and jungle troll elders has aided in this solidarity, but it is quite apparent that humanity has underestimated the ability of the orcs to unify and create their own distinct and powerful culture. Perhaps in time, the two factions might come to an understanding, but with the current division of Alliance and Horde, no one can say how that peace might come about or when.

Appearance: Orc males are massive and brutish looking creatures. Weighing in at 250 to 300 pounds and standing from six to seven feet in height, they are not a small race. Even orc women tend to be only a half-foot or so shorter than most males (and some of them are equal in stature to their male counterparts), having broad shoulders and muscular, powerful bodies. Orcs tend to have bristly hair and beards, often black or brown in color. Their skin ranges from a light green to a dark drab olive. Eyes range in color from fierce red to a pale blue. Orcs have broad, flat noses, tusk-like teeth jutting from their lower and sometimes upper jaws, and large, pointed ears. They favor clothes of hide, and armor and arm themselves with a variety of gear.

Region: Durotar, in Kalimdor, is the seat of the orc nation. Named by Thrall in honor of his father, Durotan, the land of Durotar occupies the east coast of Kalimdor. Here, young orcs find many places to prove their honor by fighting the remnants of the quillboar tribes and meeting various threats to the orcs that rise from the barrens. The more civilized jungle troll tribes co-exist with the orcs in Durotar, facing a minimum of inter-clan rivalry.

The city of Ogrimmar server as the center of civilization in this arid and hostile land. Ogrimmar stands as one of the mightiest warrior cities in the world. Shamans council the young and train the spiritual leaders of the future while the warriors hone themselves in gladiator pits and fierce contests of skill and battle.

Affiliation: Horde. Thrall formed the horde with determination and sheer will, and created an alliance of races that has shaken to foundations of the world to its core. Having destroyed the legacy of Grom Hellscream by brining the orcs out of the depths of demon worship and servitude to unseen powers. Thrall rules the Horde in Kalimdor with wisdom and temperance. The orcs are as much a part of the Horde as the Horde is a part of what the orcs have become.

Faith: Orcish religion takes the form of an animistic faith that draws strange parallels with the practices of the Kaldorei. The shamans of the orcs find their power in the spirits of naure, forming an intimate connection with the very world that surrounds them. This awareness has led to even more revelations of their race's true nature, as the orcs realize that they live more in harmony with the world itself than many of the races of the Alliance who would claim otherwise.

Names: Most orcish names derive from words in their language that have some complex meaning or hidden signifigance to their families. Typically, this is the name of a favorite thing or relative. Family names don't exist; most orcs have last name related to some great deed of heroism or honor. However, in the case of truly incredible deeds, an orc might take on the last name of his father to ensure that the chronicle of that terrific deed lives on.

Male Names: Grom, Thrum, Drog, Gorrum, Harg, Thurg, Karg.

Female Names: Groma, Hargu, Igrim, Agra, Dragga, Grima.

Family Names: Doomhammer, Deadeye, Foebinder, Elfkiller, Skullsplitter, Axeripper, Tearshorn, Fistcrusher.

Male Height: 6'8"-8'6"
Female Height: 6'2"-8'

Male Weight: 226-652 lb.
Female Weight: 186-612 lb.

Adulthood: 20 years.
Middle Age: 40 years.
Old: 65 years.
Venerable: 80 years.
Life Expectancy: 82-100 years.

[Hogral]

TAUREN

Description: The plains of Kalimdor have long been a home to these tremendous nomads. The tauren are a race of shamans, hunters, and warriors who long ago developed a complex culture and system of living without the aid of stonework, steel or conquest. This is not to say that the tauren are a race of pacifists, for when they are angered they are capable of retaliating with swift and decisive brutality.

Tauren are, in a word, stoic, embodying the strong and silent type with their quiet contemplation. This introspective air combined with their immense size can lead a person to understand how many regard the tauren as a wise and dangerous race. Tauren rarely speak unless there is a true reason to, preferring to act instead of talk. However, once a tauren has learned to interact with a companion, there seems to be a more open and enthusiastic exchange of words. Since tauren warm slowly to non-tauren, however, they are usually silent and sometimes appear brooding.

If anything, a person could attribute the silence of the tauren on the strife of recent times. Tauren have no love for bloodshed, as their deep spiritual beliefs don't have place for warfare. The elders of a tribe solve most issues, or two tauren might resolve a conflict with a ritual challenge resembling a duel. Having become members of the horde has led the introspective race into more and more conflict, creating a demand for tauren warriors and healers. Many must spend time putting great thought into the actions they perform on the field of battle. Taking another life whether it is man or beast, is an act filled with great significance to the tauren.

Appearance: Tauren are large, muscular humanoids with bull-like heads. Males average seven and a half feet and four-hundred pounds, while females are usually a bit shorter and lighter. Tauren are mostly muscle, having incredibly developed physiques and brawny frames most suitable for combat. Soft, downy fur (usually quite short) covers the tauren body, with manes growing along head and neck, the lengths of the arms, and the shins. Coloration can range from solid black to blonde and even to white, or mottles pelts with a range of spots and different colors. Horns are most prominent on males, although all tauren have horns.

Tauren wear natural clothing ? leather or hide, and some cloth. They prize jewelry, designing fine trinkets of ivory, bone, and amber. From these materials they make bracelets or necklaces and sometimes adorn their horns or locks with such beautiful displays of artistry.

Region: After living as nomads for generations, the tauren have formed a new home amid the mesas of the vast plains of Mulgore. Thunder Bluff is the single largest tauren camp, a permanent settlement built atop a nearly impenetrable mesa deep in the southern regions of Mulgore. Most younger tauren travel there after questing for a time in Redrock Mesa, a place reserved for training youths to hunt, fight and commune with the spirits.

Affiliations: Horde. When the tauren first encountered the orcs of Thrall's Horde, the tauren recognized the orcs as spiritual brethren. No other race shared such a similar outlook on the world. The tauren allied with the orcs out of a shared vision, on of a collective of allies keeping each other well guarded. While the tauren see the orcs and troll as potential friends to welcome, they rarely trust the Forsaken with more than a nod and a place to set their withered feet.

Tauren also bear no ill will to the members of the Alliance unless
threatened by them, although they do make an exception for high elves. The taint of magic on the high elven spirit is a poisonous air to the tauren, a stench of the soul that they cannot tolerate for long. Night elves are quite the opposite, tauren sometimes view them with awe and fear. Tauren and night elves have coexisted on Kalimdor for centuries, and tauren have long seen the Kaldorei as a mythic race of demigods, possessed of great magic and steeped in natural powers.

Faith: For the tauren, nature is the mother of the world, and their faith holds a deep and resonant tone within their hearts. Tauren are connected to the ebb and flow of the world. They rever the spirits of the land and of their ancestors, and they turn to these spirits for wisdom and guidance. This connection manifests in their deeply animistic culture, where druids and shamans stand side by side with warriors and hunters. Tauren do not see a separation between the veneration of nature and the hunt; to hunt is to honor the spirits of nature.

Names: The language of the tauren is often harsh and low sounding, which is reflected in the names of their children. The last name of a tauren is usually a family name, handed down through the generations. If the tauren has performed some act that has made an impression on the elders of his tribe, however, he may choose to take on his own last name to commemorate that act.

? Male Names: Azok, Bron, Turok, Garaddon, Hruon, Jeddek.

? Female Names: Argo, Serga, Grenda, Beruna, Halfa.

? Family Names: Darkthorn, Thunderhoof, Stormhorn, Quillsplitter, Stonebreaker, Plainstalker, Spiritwalker.

Male Height: 7'2"-9'
Female Height: 6'10"-8'8"

Male Weight: 284-664 lb.
Female Weight: 254-634 lb.

Adulthood: 50 years.
Middle Age: 75 years.
Old: 95 years.
Venerable: 110 years.
Life Expectancy: 114-150 years.

[Hogral]

Jungle Trolls (Darkspear Trolls)


Description: Deveral troll subspecies exist, and they are ? almost ? universally evil and depraved.

Jungles trolls are wily humanoids that live in Azeroth's wilderness. During Thrall's exodus from Lordaeron, the Horde rescued the Darkspear tribe of jungle trolls from the mysterious Sea Witch. The Darkspear tribe owes Thrall and the orcs a great debt, and allied themselves with the Horde in gratitude. Their relationship with the noble orcs and tauren has begun to change the Darkspear trolls' savage natures.

Jungle trolls are sly and cunning, and their society is tribal and highly regimented. Males control everything; females exist only to make more trolls. Each tribe includes a chieftain, who is either the most powerful warrior in the tribe or the most accomplished witch doctor the chieftain leads his soldiers in raids against other creatures. The tribe also includes one or more witch doctors who assist the chieftain with advice and spells. Trolls are adept hunters and daring adversaries.

Most jungles trolls are vicious, brutal and evil. They wage constant war against civilization and attempt to reclaim their past glories. Trolls are a lurking menace in any wilderness area and willingly ally themselves with other dark powers to achieve their goals. Darkspear trolls, however, deny this legacy. The horde has taught them camaraderie, restraint and, to a lesser extent, kindness.

Trolls are famous for their ability to heal their wounds quickly.

Appearance: Trolls are monstrous in appearance. Skin color varies greatly based on subspecies, and jungle troll hides ten to be a light blue to dark gray. Trolls have pointed almost elflike ears, long noses, and elongated, sharp faces. Troll teeth are myriad and pointed. They are lean and wiry, averaging seven feet tall and two-hundred pounds. A troll's body had no excess fat. They are remarkably acrobatic, able to perform back flips from a standstill.

Region: Trolls live across Azeroth in a variety of climates; jungles trolls, as their name implies jungle trolls live on tropical islands and fight occasionally with murlocs, naga, and other foul creatures. The Darkspear tribe has a small village in southern Durotar. The village is called Sen'jin, named after the Darkspears' fallen elder.

Affiliation: Horde. Darkspear jungle trolls are steadfastly loyal to the orcs. Though they practice voodoo and many retain their savage natures, Thrall lets them live in his borders and generally do what they want. They feel a feel debt to the orcs, and their time fighting alongside the tauren has made them friends of these creatures as well. They are suspicious of the Forsaken, but so is everyone else.

The Darkspear tribe doesn't really hate the Alliance races, but their loyalty to the Horde and their bloodthirstiness make the Alliance a great target. However, their respect for Thrall prevents them from waging a private war against Theramore. The Alliance races do not trust the trolls at all, especially after suffering greatly at the hands of forest trolls in the Second War.

With the exception of the Darkspear Tribe, trolls are evil and dangerous creatures. They are a threat to all intelligent races. Darkspears have no qualms slaying their vile brethren.

Faith: Since their alliance with the Horde four years ago, many Darkspears have learned shamanism from the orcs and tauren. This path proves worthy and valuable, but most jungle trolls follow their ancestral faith ? voodoo. This malign practice involves brewing noxious potions, ritualized dances and music, and the construction of small effigies. Voodoo taps into dark spirits that other races prefer to avoid. Trolls particularly adept at voodoo become witch doctors or shadow hunters.

Names: Troll names looks simple but are surprisingly complex. Their language is largely syllabic, and various syllables can be added to the beginning or end of a troll's name to denote status and ability. The suffix "jin", for example, refers to a tribal chief or elder, while the prefix "Zul" describes a voodoo master. Troll given names are usually only one syllable, to facilitate the additions of these titles. Some trolls drop their given names altogether and are known purely by their title: a great tribal witch doctor, for instance, might be called "Zul'jin".

Troll naming practices also vary by subspecies, tribe and occasionally by family. Some trolls ignore them altogether. Troll names are a complex subject.

? Male Names: Vol, Ros, Mig, Gal.

? Female Names: Shi, Mith, Hai, So.

? Family Names: Trolls do not have family names, though they occasionally use their tribe's name in its place.

Male Height: 6'3"-7'1"
Female Height: 5'11"-6'9"

Male Weight: 184-224 lb.
Female Weight: 169-209 lb.

Adulthood: 17 years.
Middle Age: 30 years.
Old: 47 years.
Venerable: 69 years.
Life Expectancy: 70-89 years.

[Hogral]

THE FORSAKEN

Description: Undead humans and elves freed from the Lich King?s control, the Forsaken are a strange and dark force. Hailing from the twisted, skittering darkness of Undercity, the Forsaken are nominally allied with the Horde but serve only themselves. Their objectives are twofold: eliminate the Scourge, and establish a place for themselves on Azeroth.

Four years ago, the high elven Ranger General Sylvanas Windrunner fell in combat against the Scourge. Prince Arthas raised her as a banshee and compelled her to follow his command. When the Lich King?s power waned in the incidents surrounding the Frozen Throne, Sylvanas harnessed her fury and tore herself free from his skeletal grasp. She freed many other undead as well, and recruited powerful allies from the Burning Legion and the surrounding ogre clans. Sylvanas dubbed her new force the Forsaken, and the undead established their capital in the labyrinthine crypts beneath Lordaeron?s
capital city. Their sprawling, subterranean realm is called Undercity.

The Forsaken made allies of the Horde out of necessity and convenience. They have no love for orcs, tauren or any other living creature, but they need time to strike against the Scourge and allies to help them do it. The Forsaken claim that they joined the Horde to prove their desire to leave their evil ways behind, but no one really believes this. The Horde accepts the Forsaken?s help, as they do indeed have a common enemy: the Scourge. The Horde is leery of the Forsaken?s tactics, however,
and keeps watchful eyes on them.

This caution is justified. Forsaken culture is strange, a perverse combination of the lives they once knew as mortals and the mindless slavery they experienced in the Scourge, colored by white-hot rage toward the Lich King and an almost equally intense devotion to their queen. Never sleeping, eating or falling ill, abandoned by those they once loved, the Forsaken have a brutal set of priorities. A great portion of their efforts focus on dark alchemy, and the Royal Apothecary Society commands great power in Undercity?s oily tunnels. The apothecaries constantly send Forsaken on missions to gather odd materials for their twisted experiments. Rumors tell that the undead creatures are working to create a plague that will exterminate the Scourge and every living being on Azeroth.

Are the Forsaken Evil? At times it can be difficult to tell. Some Forsaken attempt to reclaim their humanity by acting in kind and helpful ways. Others allow hatred to fester into cruelty and rage. All that can be said is that the Forsaken follow their own agendas, and the rest of the world be damned. And if they have their way, it will be.

Appearance: Forsaken, unsurprisingly, look like dead people. Their skin is gray and rotting, showing bone and flesh in places. Their pupil-less eyes glow with dim, white ghostlight. Their muscles are withered, making them scrawny. Their movements are slow but jagged. Forsaken hardly ever smile (unless their lips have rotted away; then they smile all the time). Necromantic magic keeps them somewhat preserved, but natural decay still proceeds, just slower than normal.

Region: Undercity is the Forsaken's home. They have also taken over Tirisfal Glades and have several towns in that cursed wood. Forsaken patrols have tried to secure Silverpine Forest for the past couple years, but they are unable to do so.

Affiliation: Horde. Though the Forsaken do not trust anyone and no one trusts them, they are members of the Horde and, for now, do their best to help their allies and placate their ambassadors. Forsaken have even less love for the Alliance, particularly because they clash constantly with the human organization called the Scarlet Crusade.

Faith: None. The Forsaken have abandoned religion, just as they believe it abandoned them. They place their faith in their queen and their dark science.Some have turned to Burning Legion as a source of power, believing that only it is potent enough to defeat the Lich King.

Names: Like their dark lady, Forsaken keep the names they had when they were alive. As most Forsaken are human, these tend to be human names. If a Forsaken cannot remember her name, she may make up a suitable name or read one from a headstone. Some invent surnames that imply their desire to eradicate the Scourge.

? Male Names: Roberick, Magan, Danforth, Lansire.

? Female Names: Yellen, Limmy, Sarias, Mierelle.

? Family Names: Dartfall, Blacksling, Ghoulhunter, Blastlich.

Male Height: 4'11"-6'5"
Female Height: 4'6"-6'

Male Weight: 114-270 lb.
Female Weight: 84-230 lb.

Becoming a Forsaken:
Becoming a Forsaken is a difficult process. The undead plague must kill you, you must rise as a being that remembers its past, and finally you must escape the Lich King?s control. These events do not happen often, but often enough that the Forsaken exist as a viable race.