Brutes - Crushers
Lightly armored and heavily armed, orc brutes stand at the forefront of the Stronghold hordes. Their usual tactic is to charge the enemy, relying on their numbers, speed, ferocity, and toughness to break their spirit. Their heavy shields are no mere decoration; they provide excellent protection against enemy fire.
Crushers are a special caste of brutes who have honed their combat instincts. In battle, they sense aggressive intentions, discerning what the opponent intends to do in advance through periodically flashing visions. Some believe this is a gift from their patron, Father Sky. Others say it is caused by the power of Chaos in their veins.
Goblins - Goblin Hunters
Goblins were originally considered "degenerate orcs," mistakes of an experiment to create orcs using the blood of the lowest demons (usually imps). However, their fertility proved inversely proportional to their physical and mental abilities, and they multiplied faster than rabbits. Goblins are short, bony, and not very strong, but possess good speed and agility. They are cowardly, cunning, and attack directly only when they have a great numerical advantage; in all other cases, they prefer ambush strikes and crudely made traps. A demonstration of strength easily sends them fleeing. In orc armies, goblins usually serve as servants and scouts.
Goblins who are clever enough to survive independently away from the settlements become goblin hunters. Independent goblin tribes live in the forests of Irollan, the eastern steppes, and on the islands of Pao. Often a common goal brings them together with orcs, and they may join forces in battle. One should not underestimate the seemingly weak goblin hunters: they are quite skilled at finishing off an immobilized enemy.
Harpies - Furies
Harpies, one of many species of beastmen created in the workshops of the Seven Cities in 512 SD, were intended to replace orcs as guards, servants, and "toys" for the masters. Half human and half bird of prey, harpies were initially used as scouts, messengers, and skirmishers in the armies of the Wizards. They won their freedom during the beastmen uprising. Orcs accepted them as allies and see in them the image of Father Sky's children. Very different skills developed in harpies born from such diverse species as ravens, eagles, griffons, etc. Harpies who settled on the islands of Pao were created from various tropical predators for whom the jungle is home, which explains their multicolored plumage.
Furies are harpies who have seen enough combat to become masters of dive-bombing techniques. They move so quickly and maneuverably that a counterattack is simply impossible.
Dreamwalkers - Dreamcatchers
Orcs offer prayers to Mother Earth and Father Sky, while the voices of ancestors speak through dreamwalkers. To become a dreamwalker, a shaman must journey into the Spirit World and meet with the spirits of the same kind there. On this same journey, the shaman must face their demonic origin head-on and conquer the chaos within themselves. Many dreamwalkers perish in the process. Those who survive return transformed: their bodies are deformed during the struggle against the demonic blood, but their minds gain a deep understanding of Blood magic and the Spirit World.
Dreamcatchers traveled to the world of dreams so often that they learned to summon part of it onto the battlefield. Orcs do not merely respect these shamans. It is believed that they are the only beings whom orcs find no shame in fearing. Talking to a dreamcatcher is like communicating with your worst nightmare, and only the dreamcatcher decides when you will wake up.
Centaurs - War Centaurs
Like harpies, centaurs are beastmen created by the mages of the Seven Cities in 512 of the Seventh Dragon era. Centaurs, half-human and half-horse, were initially used for simple labor—pulling carts, carrying letters, and working in mines. They voluntarily joined the Orc Uprising, and afterward scattered across Ashan in search of freedom and a dignified life. They are linked to orcs by a similar mentality and common goals, and centaurs became valuable allies to the orcs.
War Centaurs are a caste of centaurs who have dedicated themselves exclusively to military affairs. They swore never to fall into slavery again. Entering this caste requires renouncing even marriage bonds. This does not mean they cannot father their own or raise adopted children, but they are forbidden from forming pairs as is customary among the rest of their people.
Jaguar Warriors - Panther Warriors
Jaguar Warriors are the strongest, most vicious, and tallest among the orcs of the islands of Pao. To become one of them, an orc must first kill a saber-toothed jaguar—one of the most fearsome predators on the islands—with their bare hands. The mask worn by jaguar warriors often hides many scars received during this trial. In battle, they charge blindly and furiously at the enemy, swinging their obsidian claws. The greatest orc chiefs and shamans often use jaguar warriors as a personal guard.
Orcs of the islands of Pao tell of a legendary beast known as the Dark Panther, which is larger and more terrifying than the largest saber-toothed jaguar. Orcs who manage to kill one of these beasts become known as panther warriors. And they are as rare and powerful as the animal from which their name derives.
Cyclopes - Enraged Cyclopes
Cyclopes are the opposite of goblins. They were also considered an experimental error, but because they were created from the blood of higher demons. The demonic part prevailed in them, turning them into giant monsters whose bodies and souls are shaken by waves of Chaos. Many peoples would like to have them on their side, but only orcs had enough strength, courage, and patience to "tame" them and take them into their villages, where they can work tirelessly, and into the army, where they serve simultaneously as shock troops and siege engines. Standing several meters tall, cyclopes resemble demons more than humans. Their unusual feature: a single eye, lacking a pupil, red and glowing. No one knows how this mutation occurred, but mages claim that the cyclops's eye is a "sign of Chaos," a symbol of the Dragon Urgash coiled in a ring and devouring its own tail. Most simply call it the "evil eye."
Although cyclopes are naturally calm and simple-minded as children, when they experience pain (physical or emotional), they fall into a rage, releasing the energy of Chaos that is in their blood. In such moments, they pose a serious danger to everyone, including their own kind. However, some cyclopes intuitively manage to direct the energy of anger through their "Evil Eye" and thus incinerate enemies from a distance.
