Dark Fantasy X Race Deep Dive: Orcs and Goblins

You've probably heard the old chestnut, first propagated in the 90s with the earliest wave of genome sequencing, that human and chimpanzee DNA is 98% the same. It turns out that this is not actually true at all; the actual number is south of 85%. (1)(2) But that only greatly exacerbates a bigger problem for the theory of a relatively recent last common ancestor of chimpanzees and humans; a overly generous calculation of the amount of generations (and therefore time) needed for the mutations that separate chimpanzees and humans to become fixed shows that the absolute unrealistic best case scenario is that the 30 million mutations necessary to have a 98% difference between them would require that the last common ancestor between chimp and human would have to have lived over 180 billion years ago, not 3-25 million as paleontologists tell us to expect. In other words, long before the universe is supposed to have existed, these ancestors would have had to already have split. And that's with an assumed 98% similarity. If we increase that difference by a factor of 7-8 times to 84-5% (or possibly even less), then we are clearly so far deep into a model that doesn't work that anyone without a vested interest in lying to us should acknowledge that we need a new model. Evolutionary biologists tend to react to this with dismissal, as well as failing to even understand the nature of the problem, because most scientists are not statisticians, don't really understand statistics, and therefore don't actually understand that a relatively easily calculated rate of change estimate—even one that gives them every benefit of the doubt to lower the number—still requires many orders of magnitude more time than they have to generate the results that they claim that their model should produce. (3)

What this means is that the evolutionary model mathematically doesn't work and most evolutionary biologists haven't yet grasped that fact. It's a dead theory walking, and is in dire need of replacement, but because nobody's career can be furthered by questioning the orthodoxy, to the best of my knowledge there is no viable alternative theory in the works by anyone anywhere. Although as with Einsteinian physics, there is a new generation of scientists coming up who have the proper contempt, if you will, of Establishment theories, they're not in a position to offer any alternatives yet. But they are at least officially starting to point out the gaping holes in the dogma. There's a lot of social and political capitol involved in the Establishment theories, though—much more so now than we are led to believe Galileo and Darwin had to face in their era—so don't expect to see your kids' textbooks changing anytime soon.

Young Earth Creationism isn't a viable alternative, because it's not really a theory nor is it testable. In any case, although I am a Christian, I don't believe Young Earth Creationism is the answer; I suspect something much more complicated. I do think that if we jettisoned the obviously flawed theory of evolution, our scientific method could eventually find a model that better fits the evidence without needing Divine Intervention to tell us how it was done, but... it is possible that we simply don't have and won't ever find the evidential pieces that we need to put together the puzzle and therefore won't be able to.

Anyway, all that's really neither here nor there, other than to point out that even we don't really know much about speciation and the autosomal differences between species, even though we know much more than we did when "we" confidently and hubristically declared that the evolutionary similarity between chimps and humans was discovered in the 90s. The people of Dark Fantasy X don't even use the word autosomal and have no concept of the theory of evolution or DNA; although being a more down to earth agricultural people who practice a great deal of animal husbandry first hand, they probably have a much better intuitive grasp of how breeding and cross-breeding works than our ivory tower academics who are much more separated from it except in a theoretical sense. It is therefore difficult to discuss orcs and goblins; their relationship to people is somewhat mysterious.

In this, they are unique among the player character races of Dark Fantasy X. Woodwoses, kemlings, jann, Hyperboreans, seraphim and even Atlanteans are all human races that have been changed by some event that can be pointed to in the historical record; a curse, a cross-breeding event with some supernatural creature like a werewolf, daemon or ifrit, etc. They are all demihumans, but the orcs and goblins are the only playable races that are just straight up non-human. Although, to be fair, human-like in many ways. Academics in Mittermarkt, Waychester, Dunsbury, Simashki and elsewhere have debated what this means for some time, without any conclusive consensus emerging. Are they highly aberrant humans? Are they something else entirely? Do they even have souls? Many hope so, since many orcs and goblins, especially in the Three Realms are practicing Christians. 

A related question is what exactly is the difference between an orc and a goblin? They have always been associated together as far back as recorded history can manage to determine, yet they are very obviously physically different. Although it happens very rarely, and there may not even be an example of it anywhere in the Three Realms, both orcs and goblins assure us that in Gunaakt, their homeland, it's well-known that orcs and goblins can marry and produce viable offspring with each other, although that offspring is always goblin, never orc, and there are very few hybrid traits that are other than cosmetic. Although their history is more or less the same, it's not even clear that orcs and goblins are really the same species at all, or if they are merely closely related ones like horses and donkeys. In spite of that, the label orclings is often used to refer to both groups together.

Orcs are the most human-like. They tend to look similar to exceptionally robust humans, with thicker and larger bones and muscles, that average about human height; a bit more than Tarushans, but just a bit less than hillman and Timischers, on average. Their features are also "bigger" and almost Neanderthal like; thick skulls with brow-ridges and heavy jaws. They do have enlarged teeth compared to people, although they do not protrude from the mouth when closed as in other fantasy settings. They are neither more nor less hairy than people. Their skin color is a grayish olive drab that varies from a dark almost pine green to a light gray or khaki color with only a slight greenish cast.

While their reputation is that they are slow-witted and primitive in addition to being strong, making them seen occasionally by people in the Three Realms as best utilized as heavy manual labor, the reality is that they aren't much less intelligent than people. They are notable for lacking in impulse control and forethought; possibly as a result of uncountable generations living in a tropical and semi-tropical environment where food is readily available year round without the need for harvesting, planning, storing, etc. and their culture is seen by humans of any culture of the Three Realms as "vibrant" which is a polite way of saying occasionally fun and exciting while also being primitive and dysfunctional by human standards, and unable to produce "high civilizations" on its own. However, exposure to human civilization has allowed the so-called "talented tenth" to integrate more successfully when needed, or at least borrow elements from human civilization to improve their own lives to a more human-civilization standard. That said, most behavior is genetic rather than taught, so its only the relatively exceptional individuals that leave behind their inherent "orckish" behavior.

Here's a few examples of some orcs depicted via Hero Forge.

An orc champion dressed in a traditional Gunaakt fashion, but accommodating the cooler climate of the Three Realms.

As the 5x5 suggests, orc piracy on the Darkling Sea is becoming a problem. Here's an example of one such.

An orc that has managed to integrate fairly well into the society of the Three Realms and become prosperous. He was probably born here.

An orc that still maintains the Gunaakt lifestyle.

As noted, many orcs integrate reasonably well as blue-collar manual laborers, especially in mining in the Copper Hills and as stevedores in various port cities.

Unfortunately, many orcs also get involved in crime when in the Three Realms. Most of them are little more than thugs if they do, but some excel, like the lad here.

An orc who probably serves as part of a mercenary company; another line of work where they tend to do well.

One of my four iconic groups is made up of villains; they're kind of an anti-PC group, if you will. Namzo, noted here, is a member of that; a more successful thug than most orc thugs... but ultimately still just an orc thug.

An orc who behaves as civilized—if not more so—than most humans. A real hero and, as they say, a "credit to his race."

An orc pirate captain; actually a named character from the 5x5

Some orc girls. 

An orc shaman who worships the daemon-lord Dagon and whips up the pirates into zealotry.

As an editorial aside, I'm trying to straddle a line between orcs as they're often traditionally portrayed in fantasy, but making it clear that it's not obligatory for orcs to be that way. They're a bit more complex if they are more humanized rather than written off and dismissed as "bad guy goons" that can be killed with impunity because they have no redeeming features. Not only that, they are playable, as noted. If you need expendable goons, then thurses better fit that role. Curiously, exactly what their relationship to humanity or orclings either one is is another intriguing question without a good answer...

Goblins are much smaller than orcs; standing 3½ to 4 feet tall, with very exceptional individuals standing maybe 4½ feet tall. They also have green skin, usually have wider faces and sharper (although smaller) teeth than orcs, but like orcs, they don't have lots of non-human-like features like floppy or pointed ears, or faces that are too radically divergent from human-faces.

Being significantly smaller, they're obviously not as strong as an orc or a human either, for that matter; although they do have a wiry strength and endurance that's more than one would expect at first glance. Rather, they tend to be sneakier and faster. If the orcs are more likely to be the violent warriors in their society, the goblins have an almost parallel "underfoot" society as laborers, and all-too-often criminals and purveyors of other shady professions. Because they've been this way for generations, they haven't adapted or integrated well into Three Realms society, reverting all too easily to a more scavenger slash criminal lifestyle, and living underfoot in slums and ghettos. The better of them trend more towards being the scavengers and tinkerers, while the worst are just out-and-out pickpockets and criminals, but the reality is that it's a spectrum for most individuals, not binary end-points.

In Gunaakt itself, there are few large cities, and goblins often become consummate hunter-gatherers in the wilderness. Here's a very traditional one.

This goblin has probably been in the Three Realms for generations now, probably in a more lawless place like Simashki, where he's joined one of the infamous leagues of goblin cat burglars and assassins.

This goblin con artist is selling "traditional Gunaakt medicine" which probably does very little for you that's good for you.

A fairly respectable, if not wealthy, city goblin from the streets of Waychester. Many of these types are resentful of the bad image that the criminal goblins cause for them. Then again, they may well be part-time informers for orc and goblin pirate crews on the Darkling Sea and not see any contradiction in that.

While not as large or strong as orcs, that doesn't mean that goblins aren't capable combatants when needed. Many of them, such as this "goblin viking" serve on pirate crews, or as guards for orcling migrants.

Many goblins fail to adapt well to the urban life in the Three Realms, and become essentially homeless hermits living in caves outside of town, or abandoned buildings, or even in the sewer systems under the streets.

A respectable representative of the goblin community in a larger city, capable of dealing with officials of the city when needed.

Another goblin of the old Gunaakt variety in his dress. This one is a pit fighter or gladiator, for which there is little legal market in the Three Realms. Not that it doesn't exist in spite of its legality, of course...

A couple of pretty traditional goblins from the urban underfoot variety. While they're not necessarily dishonest, it's usually best to keep an eye on them when around them, especially if you're in their neighborhood.

This goblin matron demonstrates a role that many goblins have parlayed to reasonably good effect in several cities; setting up courier businesses that run messages across the city at a pretty rapid pace and for a decent price. 

Shule, a goblin part-time member of Stefan Clevenger's party of PCs. Reasonably good-hearted if not exactly always honest.

For goblins, I wanted to straddle that same line between "not exactly bad guys, but be careful around them" that I did for the orcs, except give them the sneak-thief archetype rather that barbarian warrior archetype. 

From a setting perspective, I'd suggest that orcs and goblins are rare in the Three Realms, but not so rare that a PC would be an object of wide-eyed exotica. They are often looked down upon by the people of the Three Realms, but not really because they're seen as inferior, rather because it's debatable—by both humans and orclings—whether they can really integrate peacefully together very well, or if they'd do better having their own separate places to live where they can live as their natures and cultures allow without messing with each other. This is unfortunately coming to a head, because as mentioned in the Waychester 5x5, conditions in Gunaakt are worse than normal right now, and a larger number than ever before are migrating northward to join those who've been in the area already. Within the cities and homelands of humanity, this is viewed with some trepidation, as there's a notable drop in quality of life being around too many orclings; crime increases, noise increases, maintenance of homes, streets or farms in the neighborhood decreases, services are poorer, etc. While most humans in the Three Realms are nice enough to not have a problem with relatively small numbers of orclings living among them, what is starting to look more and more like a significant migration is not what they asked for. 

However, some of the more canny and civilized of the orcling leaders have managed to negotiate a settlement with many of the leaders of the Three Realms, and the territory of Chersky Island, which had multiple claims on it but which nobody was actually using, was more or less ceded to the migrating orclings, and they were told that they could settle and homestead and fish and trade and do whatever they wanted to with that as their own autonomous community and they'd be left alone; almost like an Indian Reservation. 

However, the rise in piracy on the Darkling Sea by orcling crews is threatening that deal. Anyway, see the 5x5 for more details.

Also, as normal, this expanded material supersedes the descriptive text of the original Dark Fantasy X if there are any conflicts in detail, but here that is for reference.

Orc: +2 to STR. Orcs are similar to humans, but with an olive drab to gray skin, prominent tusks, and a more robust, muscular build; orcs are famously stereotyped (correctly, to be fair) as savage and barbaric and not particularly intelligent. They are sometimes prized as neighbors for their ability to outdo others in manual labor, however. While they mostly come from and still live in their own homeland of Gunaakt (outside of the scope of the setting), some few have spread to other lands.

Goblin: Small, often perceived of by others as ugly and untrustworthy, goblins are a different phenotype or subspecies related to the orcs, and share the same homeland as they do. They usually have a greenish or brownish leathery skin, pointed ears and teeth, and average 3-4 feet tall. They are rangy and wiry most of the time. +1 DEX and a +2 to the Subterfuge skill.