[center][img]http://www.askart.com/AskART/photos/HER20090814_37876/92248.jpg[/img]

[b]Orcs of Old Pangea
by
Shiru Akingawa
2779 P.C.[/b][/center] 


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In ancient times before the Cataclysm, when the land was unified in one great continent, many races existed that perished on the Day of Reckoning. One such race that did not perish, to our misfortune, is the Orc. A relatively populous race, by historic accounts, the Orcs were diverse and inhabited ranging from snowy peaks, volcanic wastes, to humid jungles. They ranged in complexion from leathery black skin, green to covered in brown fur.

According to the suriving reports dated before the Cataclysm, orcs lived in a brutish and tribal society, where only the strongest ruled. Most prominent of these ancient Orc holdings was the High Chiefdom of Ash'tar, a kingdom that warred with our human ancestors on many occasions. The tale of human heroes in the old epic of [i]Stargazer[/i] survived the cataclysm and can be found in the Libraries of Ritang. The ancient epic gives a detailed account on a war upon Ash'tar, and gives fascinating insights on Orcish culture, or lack thereof. 

Only a mere century ago, an Imperial hunting party came upon an Orc in an isolated mountain pass near Ishingu Castle. The beast was promptly slain. The incident substantiated years of rumours that persisted that orcs did indeed survive the Cataclysm and were present on Wessos. Despite liberal figures proposed for their projected numbers, it is this author's opinion that Orcs likely only exist in broken clans or family units, and not a threat to the Celestial Empire.