The Orc Kingdoms — intro

The Orc Kingdoms are a country that never ceases to amaze, perplex, and worry the other nations. Even if placed almost at the center of the known world, the Orcs seem far away from everything and everyone, entrenched in their proud traditions. Orcish civilization sees loyalty to the past as paramount, causing it to keep backward customs and fall behind in some technological areas. On the other hand, the centuries-long dedication to some practices made them able to unlock incredibly sophisticated arts and techniques that transcend mundanity into the arcane.

One of the striking features of the orc landscape is also a testament to their stubborn dedication to tradition: the fields of the orc kingdoms are red.

In the first century, when civilization was rebuilding from the apocalyptic Cosmic War, crops like sorghum and amaranth were widespread since they endured poor soils and irregular watering. With time, these plants were replaced by wheat, rice, and barely: cereals that are either more nutritious or productive. Meanwhile, orcs stuck with those red crops out of habit and gratitude for the divinities that gifted them. After a slow and methodical selection process that lasted centuries, the orcish sorghum is now as efficient and caloric as any Axam’s wheat.

This stubbornness and fixation on pursuing specific paths have shaped other technology. Some…