Orc

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Uruk Hai from Peter Jackson's Lord of the Rings film

An orc is a member of a race of humanoid monsters common in modern fantasy. They were first created by JRR Tolkien in The Lord of the Rings series of novels as a race of soldiers created by the Dark Lord. The word "orc" is derived from an Old English word for demon.

Characteristics

Orcs are humanoid creatures of comparable size to Humans, generally green, brown or grey in color; heavily built; and normally with sharp teeth. Orcs generally reproduce faster than humans and are usually somewhat less intelligent. Orcs are also typically antisocial and aggressive toward all other life forms, although in a few depictions they are not necessarily evil and depicted sympathetically. Orcs generally do not have sophisticated societies of their own, rarely place a high value on asthetics, and often live as small bands of Iron Age warriors. While not often well organized of their own accord, they can be unified into formidable armes (generally by a non-orc leader).

Orcs are sometimes depicted as being created as the result of a supernatural genetic engineering. Despite often having a supernatural origin, Orcs are not inherently magical creatures.

See also