To their enemies, they are brutal and fearsome opponents, without parallel in their ferocity and cunning. To their allies, they are noble and honorable, following the traditions of a rediscovered past. The orcs of Lordaeron are part of a race that has once again found its true spirit, shunning the cruel practices of arcane and demonic magic for the paths of wisdom and power. Some orcs still hang on to the arcane practices of the past, but their time is fading. Though brutal in combat, orcs fight with a feral grace and a brutal passion that equals the finest fencing of an elven noble. For an orc, skill in battle brings great honor. It is the concept of personal honor that pervades orcish society, a concept that has made the race more cohesive and more of a threat to their adversaries in the Alliance. The concept of honor pervades all echelons of orcish society. Even the naming of an orc is temporary until he has performed a rite of passage. Once an orc has brought honor to his name and the name of his clan, the elders give him a second name based upon his deed.
For an orc, honor is as important as his clan, and most will die defending either clan or personal reputation. This is a new development for the orcs; before, when led by the forces tainted by the Burning Legion, the orcs were a bestial force barely controlled by demonic magic. While the orcs might seem quick to anger, they are tempered by the wisdom of their leaders and their shamans. There are few of the demon-worshiping clans now, for the Alliance or the Horde itself has hunted down most of the remnants of such clans. Now, most of the orcs have embraced a life led by wisdom, honor and the values embodied in the leadership of Thrall as taught by his mentor, Orgrim Doomhammer. The orcs are one of the most populous races on the world of Azeroth. While many of the Alliance races perceive them to be brutish and savage, the orcs have undeniably spawned a complex society that embraces many occupations and many different races. No doubt the leadership of Thrall and the support of the tauren and jungle troll elders has aided in this solidarity, but it is quite apparent that humanity has underestimated the ability of the orcs to unify and create their own distinct and powerful culture. Perhaps in time, the two factions might come to an understanding, but with the current division of Alliance and Horde, no one can say how that peace might come about or when.WoWRPG 45
The orcs are undergoing a cultural revolution as they feel the unnatural, arcane bloodlust leave their bodies, giving them calmer and more focused states of mind. They, for the most part, follow Thrall as he forges ahead to reform the Horde both inside, with his shamanism, and outside, with the founding of Durotar. Still, not all orcs are pleased with these movements, namely the evil orcs who still reside on Azeroth. These orcs, who include a good number of the surviving warlocks, actively raid Alliance and Independent caravans and towns, and renounce all that Thrall proclaims the Horde is. Like the two faces of the Alliance, the different Horde factions meet rarely; but there are some orc warlocks on Kalimdor who would very much like to retake control of the Horde forces, and they are gaining strength in the wilderness to do so.
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