Zul Kiran Society

To a greater degree than that of most other kingdoms, military and civil service are tightly intertwined, often to the point of being inseparable. Military experience is necessary for obtaining virtually any political position, and wealth is much less a factor in a person's level of influence than one's perceived capacity to serve the United Clans in both military and civilian matters. Orcish society has a strongly meritocratic strain to it, which dates back to the days when any orc could challenge the clan Chieftain. An orc's family name and history may contribute to his personal prestige, but many famous orcish leaders have risen from obscure origins. One Zul Kiran proverb asks, "Who was Fenris Bonebreaker before he shook the world?" The distinctions between military, political, and social eminence are very blurry indeed, and it is the case more often than not that the leaders in all three areas are the same people.

Also interesting to note is the fact that while Zul Kiras does have a nobility of sorts, it is not hereditary. Instead, each clan has an allotted number of titles that they may bestow on distinguished individuals, and upon the death of one of their lords, the Clan Assembly votes a new individual into the position. Like so many other aspects of life in Zul Kiras, the law has very little to say about the privileges of the orcish nobility, and one must understand the informal practices associated with the institution to properly appreciate it. Orcish lords command a great deal of respect from their fellow orcs, which in itself lends them no small amount of influence. Furthermore, the lords are often appointed to important positions by the clans, or given charge of important tasks, a natural consequence of bestowing noble titles on proven leaders.

The Zul Kiran Mindset

The clan system is so integral to the culture of Zul Kiras that most Zul Kirans think of themselves in terms of their clan first, as Zul Kirans second, and as their particular race third. They do not necessarily feel a kinship with other goblinoid races automatically, and will slaughter groups of orcs or other goblinoids who don't accept their ways as readily as they will enemies of other racial origins. Scholars point to the Bahrians as an example of one group Zul Kirans have a longstanding mutual enmity with because of marked differences in culture and outlook.

By far, the two most important virtues in orcish culture as shaped by Fenris Bonebreaker are honor and duty. This can be seen as a direct consequence and a result of a society that is so heavily militarized. Individuals are bound to their family as well as to other individuals, families to clans as well as other families, and the clans to the kingdom and to other clans in a complex web of mutual duties, responsibilities, and rights that are often only vaguely understood by outsiders. For the other races of the United Clans, a willingness to understand and accept these virtues is one of the prime requisites of joining the United Clans, and has led to more than one goblinoid tribe or clan being turned away. While they are moral and social rather than legal, this complex network of obligations has functioned surprisingly well in keeping the clans united, and keeping disputes between clans to a minimum. In fact, these mutual duties have foiled more than one attempt to sow dissention among the clans and divide the nation against itself.

The United Clans have been particularly difficult to defeat in battle in large part because of their refusal to accept defeat, and drive to keep fighting no matter what. The orcs firmly believe that if one cannot defend one's home, one does not deserve to have a home. This has made them ferocious defenders of their conquered territories, and has had implications in their interaction with other nations. Attempting to surrender without a battle is an exercise in futility, and surrender after a battle is generally only accepted if the vanquished evacuate the contested territory immediately and hand it over to someone capable of defending it. Not surprisingly, the United Clans have great respect for partisans and guerillas that refuse to leave conquered territory and continue to fight, a respect that often baffles their enemies. These orcish concepts of honor and duty are limited to clan, family, and Zul Kiras. Other races are generally held in contempt and considered not worthy of the same standards. Crimes against other Zul Kirans are much more serious than crimes against other races or non-Zul Kiran goblinoids, which is why Razortooth raiding is tolerated, while bandits preying on Zul Kirans are put to gruesome deaths.

In many ways, it is the orcish notion of duty that makes the state function as effectively as it does. In theory, the Council of Clans can cripple the War-King and reduce him to an ineffectual figurehead, but have not ever once moved to. The Council of Chieftains could elect weak and subservient War-Kings, but has never once done so. Zul Kiras has several powerful neighbors, and the Clans realize that everything that has been gained by the United Clans could easily swept away if their unity breaks down. While the system of duties and obligations goes a long way toward minimizing the conflicts between clans, the strong War-King capable of dealing with threats from within and without is considered imperative.

The militant mindset of the Zul Kirans pervades all aspects of life, and maintaining a fitness for battle has far-reaching implications in their worldview. Healers and those who can wield healing magic hold positions of great respect among orcs for their ability to combat disease and restore the injured to health. Infanticide is commonly practiced on children with birth defects, and older orcs who have succumbed to senility or illness are often euthanized as an act of mercy. One orcish proverb states that it is better to die in battle than be slowly eaten away by old age. Ritual suicide is also common among the crippled and terminally ill, and is viewed as an honorable death. While the life-revering elves of Elvendeep find this yet another disgusting aspect of orcish culture, the orcs maintain that they acknowledge death as a part of the grand scheme of the cosmos, and do not fear to pass from this world and go to Sek for judgement.

Orcs have a breeding cycle somewhat shorter than that of humans, and instances of multiple births are considerably more common among orcs. Indeed, it is rare for an orcish mother to not have twins at least once. Zul Kirans rebound quickly from plagues and wars due to this fecundity, and a young orc is physically mature enough to take up arms around the age of fourteen or fifteen. As a result, the danger of overpopulation is a bigger problem for the orcs than it is for humans, and is a prime factor in their aggressive expansionism. Successful wars will bring new lands for settlement, while unsuccessful wars will reduce the population to a more manageable level for a few years. And while they mature somewhat faster than humans, orcs also tend to have shorter lifespans, violent deaths in battle and senilicide notwithstanding. Orcs in their seventies are considered incredibly old, though there have been a few rare instances of orcs living into their nineties. A notable exception to this is the Firestorm Clan, whose wizards are suspected of using life-prolonging enchantments of some sort.

The Family

Orcish society is heavily paternalistic, and this is clearly evident in family life. The oldest living male of a given family is considered the head of the family (unless he has passed this duty along to the next oldest), and is legally the owner of all the family possesses. The family properties are typically given to various family members to use, but the father of the family can take it away at any time, giving fathers a considerable degree of control over even adult offspring. Fathers of families arrange marriages for orcs of age. The head of the orcish bride's family brings her to the doorway of the groom's father, who meets her and accepts her into his family. She is then presented to the groom, and the two are legally married. This brief ceremony is then followed by a celebratory feast that may last up to three days if the familes of the new couple are wealthy enough to afford it.

The head of the family is also expected to settle disputes among family members and is obligated to provide legal advice or even legal representation to his family members if they are being tried by the clan or by the state. The father of a family is expected to use his considerable authority not for his benefit, but for the benefit of his family as a whole, and orcish cultural standards dictate that he place the good of his family before his own personal pleasure. For this reason, it is not uncommon for the head of a family to pass these responsibilities to the next in line when he tires of them. To the orcs of Zul Kiras, the state is in many ways the family writ large, with the War-King as the father of all families. Advised by the Council of Clans, the Clan Assembly of the entire nation, the War-King rules not for his own benefit, but for the continued prosperity of the nation.

Naming Conventions

Zul Kiran orcs generally have a given name and a family name, and may also acquire a title or epithet. Their family names originated with the epithet of some famous ancestor, and are frequently based on some noteworthy aspect of the progenitor's appearance, personality, or deeds. For example, Baruth Stormsword of the Steel Raven Clan acquired the epithet Baruth of the Bloody Hammer for his prowess in battle during the second war with Elvendeep. In later life, the renowned warrior was simply known as Bloodhammer, and his children adopted their father's moniker as their surname in his honor. Orcs that have regular dealings with other races frequently translate their family name into the local language, but personal names come from much older roots and are often variations of relatives' names, and are thus nearly impossible to translate.

Cultural Practices

Ritual tattooing is widely used throughout the United Clans, and is one of their most widely known cultural traits. These tattoos are almost a second language for the orcs, and designate one's clan, family, and place of birth, and record one's accomplishments. There are literally thousands of different tattoos, each signifying something different. The right to wear a particular tattoo is bestowed by clan Chieftains or the War-King as a reward for one's deeds. Great leaders may have their entire bodies above the waist covered with tattoos, with barely any unmarked flesh. Partially for this reason, many orcs (particularly Steel Ravens or clans descended from them) generally refrain from ostentatious or flamboyant behavior. It is considered bad form to brag about oneself, as one's reputation is displayed in plain view for everyone to see.

In much the same way, many clans have surprisingly strict and detailed sumptuary laws, regulating adornment with stiff penalties for violations. Orcish clothing, military panoply, and architecture tends toward simple and practical designs, yet another one of Fenris Bonebreaker's personal tastes that have gained the force of law with time. Orcs sporting adornments on their clothing or armor have won the right to display it in some way, such as the Firestorm wizard Vrugar Ghostwalker, who is frequently seen wearing a cloak made from the hide of a red dragon he slew many years ago. Orcish arms and armor often have clear dwarven influence to their designs, which is widely believed to stem from captured prisoners from the dwarven nation of Azagud being tortured or magically compelled to divulge dwarven secrets of metalworking. Each male in the United Clans is presented with a weapon as a gift from their clan as part of the coming of age ritual.

Recreation and Leisure

As the militancy of the orcs has hardly diminished over the years, it is no surprise that many of the popular recreational activities among the clans remain related to combat in some way. Gladiatorial games are extremely popular, as is the human sport of grubball, which has been enthusiastically embraced by the orcs. The Colosseum in Blood River is typically used for both sports, and can accommodate tens of thousands of spectators. In the lands of the Stormrider Clan, the ritualized raids between the Khalar tribes and the Stormriders are well known in advance, and are usually well-attended by spectators from both nations. Wrestling, boxing, and mock duels with wooden weapons are also extremely popular pastimes, and often fit into most orcish social events in one way or another.

There is also a game popular among the Clans known simply as The Game in their own tongue. It is known as Bonebreaker's Chess outside of Zul Kiras, though how the game came to be associated with the original War-King is uncertain. Its origins are likewise unclear, but it seems to be related to a game described in writings concernig the now extinct Tharans. The game is in many ways similar to chess, though a good deal more complex. The board is considerably larger, and often contains squares marked with certain characters that indicate obstacles through which pieces cannot pass, or special squares that affect the attributes of particular pieces. In addition, there are over a hundred different types of pieces, though each side may only use twenty-four pieces in total. The haggling session over which pieces each competitor can use in the game is almost as important in terms of strategy as the game itself, and the haggling often lasts as long as the game itself when two people play each other for the first time. The great variety of pieces, each with their own particular attributes, means that this game takes years to master, but it also means that two players of vastly different skill levels can have an equal chance of winning a match with the right selection of pieces.