Didn't Tolkien's orcs spring from the earth, unable to reproduce on their own? I feel like that was a thing.
As to what happens when a half-orc mates with a drow, I think at that point you're looking at 3e's Mongrel race: a creature with such mixed heritage that it's no longer clear what its ancestry truly is.
That is, assuming that you're looking for a mechanics-based explanation for what happens. In terms of biology or genetics, I think your idea of a drow with orcish features (or an orc with drow features) is pretty much spot on. I would probably rule on the side of "orc traits are dominant" for the most part, but until Ed Greenwood gives us the real answer on that, I'd say it's up to you how you want it to work.
As the forum guru on Tolkien, living in the same part of Birmingham as he, when he was growing up (he spent most of his life at Oxford) I can inform you that the first Orcs came about by Morgoth's torturing and disfigurement of Elves. So... In the world of Tolkien, Orcs and Elves would be able to mate... They are in fact the same species.
...
Also of note. The word Orc is actually an Anglo-Saxon word for Normans. They conquered England in 1066, and became the ruling class.
So... If you have any Noble British ancestors... You are probably a half-orc.
...
If you hail from Normandy, France. Then you are fully fledged Orc!
Didn't Tolkien's orcs spring from the earth, unable to reproduce on their own? I feel like that was a thing.
As to what happens when a half-orc mates with a drow, I think at that point you're looking at 3e's Mongrel race: a creature with such mixed heritage that it's no longer clear what its ancestry truly is.
That is, assuming that you're looking for a mechanics-based explanation for what happens. In terms of biology or genetics, I think your idea of a drow with orcish features (or an orc with drow features) is pretty much spot on. I would probably rule on the side of "orc traits are dominant" for the most part, but until Ed Greenwood gives us the real answer on that, I'd say it's up to you how you want it to work.
As the forum guru on Tolkien, living in the same part of Birmingham as he, when he was growing up (he spent most of his life at Oxford) I can inform you that the first Orcs came about by Morgoth's torturing and disfigurement of Elves. So... In the world of Tolkien, Orcs and Elves would be able to mate... They are in fact the same species.
...
Also of note. The word Orc is actually an Anglo-Saxon word for Normans. They conquered England in 1066, and became the ruling class.
So... If you have any Noble British ancestors... You are probably a half-orc.
...
If you hail from Normandy, France. Then you are fully fledged Orc!
"But of those unhappy ones who were ensnared by Melkor little is known of a certainty. For who of the living has descended into the pits of Utumno, or has explored the darkness of the counsels of Melkor? Yet this is held true by the wise of Eressëa, that all those of the Quendi who came into the hands of Melkor, ere Utumno was broken, were put there in prison, and by slow arts of cruelty were corrupted and enslaved; and thus did Melkor breed the hideous race of the Orcs in envy and mockery of the Elves, of whom they were afterwards the bitterest foes."
This text refers to the Quendi who ran and hid at the sight of Oromë when he came to lead them from Cuiviénen westward. Orcs are descended then from East Elves (Avari) captured by Melkor, their minds and bodies distorted and corrupted. These "corrupted elves" were the first orcs. There are various races of orcs (though with later races of orcs came different physical and non-physical characteristics like increasing tolerance to sunlight) all identical in their hate for everything that Ilúvatar and the Valar had constructed (including themselves) to resemble the hate that lay within Melkor.
There is evidence of the immortality, or otherwise long life of Orcs. They certainly did live for at the very least hundreds of years, since Bolg was the son of Azog and his death occurred over 140 years after the death of his father.
This corrupted elves origin is probably the one used in Peter Jackson's live action films. In the film of The Lord of the Rings: The Fellowship of the Ring, Saruman says: "Do you know how the Orcs first came into being? They were elves once, taken by the dark powers, tortured and mutilated. A ruined and terrible form of life..."
...
But then you have watched the film and know that...
Unfortunately, some people do not take The Silmarillion as gospel... As apparently it is an unfinished work... (Heresy! Heresy! This was going to be published before Lord of the Rings originally, he had to go back to it because of the changes he had made to his fantasy world in the Hobbit and Lord of the Rings, written afterwards (and the hobbit originally was not part of the great war against Sauron)
As for the origin of the word Orc. That is a little easier and less controversial. OR SO I THOUGHT...
It actually means demon in Old-English and was used in Beowulf. Orcus also means hell in latin. The only people writing at the time were monks, latin and old english both being used... Hence the combination.
I'm told this, I have watched this on programmes... BUT CAN I FIND A SOURCE ON THE INTERNET FOR YOU TO LOOK AT?
No.
Orc apparently was used to describe sea monsters in the 16th Century and I can't find anything else past this as for its usage for normans.
But I am 100% certain if you find a history of the time it will refer to the Normans as Orcs. I've not made it up.
Comments
...
Also of note. The word Orc is actually an Anglo-Saxon word for Normans. They conquered England in 1066, and became the ruling class.
So... If you have any Noble British ancestors... You are probably a half-orc.
...
If you hail from Normandy, France. Then you are fully fledged Orc!
I love you @Anduin
Yup.
The Silmarillion:
"But of those unhappy ones who were ensnared by Melkor little is known of a certainty. For who of the living has descended into the pits of Utumno, or has explored the darkness of the counsels of Melkor? Yet this is held true by the wise of Eressëa, that all those of the Quendi who came into the hands of Melkor, ere Utumno was broken, were put there in prison, and by slow arts of cruelty were corrupted and enslaved; and thus did Melkor breed the hideous race of the Orcs in envy and mockery of the Elves, of whom they were afterwards the bitterest foes."
This text refers to the Quendi who ran and hid at the sight of Oromë when he came to lead them from Cuiviénen westward. Orcs are descended then from East Elves (Avari) captured by Melkor, their minds and bodies distorted and corrupted. These "corrupted elves" were the first orcs. There are various races of orcs (though with later races of orcs came different physical and non-physical characteristics like increasing tolerance to sunlight) all identical in their hate for everything that Ilúvatar and the Valar had constructed (including themselves) to resemble the hate that lay within Melkor.
There is evidence of the immortality, or otherwise long life of Orcs. They certainly did live for at the very least hundreds of years, since Bolg was the son of Azog and his death occurred over 140 years after the death of his father.
This corrupted elves origin is probably the one used in Peter Jackson's live action films. In the film of The Lord of the Rings: The Fellowship of the Ring, Saruman says:
"Do you know how the Orcs first came into being? They were elves once, taken by the dark powers, tortured and mutilated. A ruined and terrible form of life..."
...
But then you have watched the film and know that...
Unfortunately, some people do not take The Silmarillion as gospel... As apparently it is an unfinished work... (Heresy! Heresy! This was going to be published before Lord of the Rings originally, he had to go back to it because of the changes he had made to his fantasy world in the Hobbit and Lord of the Rings, written afterwards (and the hobbit originally was not part of the great war against Sauron)
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Orc_(Middle-earth)#The_origin_of_Orcs
As for the origin of the word Orc. That is a little easier and less controversial. OR SO I THOUGHT...
It actually means demon in Old-English and was used in Beowulf. Orcus also means hell in latin. The only people writing at the time were monks, latin and old english both being used... Hence the combination.
I'm told this, I have watched this on programmes... BUT CAN I FIND A SOURCE ON THE INTERNET FOR YOU TO LOOK AT?
No.
Orc apparently was used to describe sea monsters in the 16th Century and I can't find anything else past this as for its usage for normans.
But I am 100% certain if you find a history of the time it will refer to the Normans as Orcs. I've not made it up.
http://www.gransnet.com/forums/chat/a1204147-HISTORY-orcs
The channel 4 series The Battle for the Real Middle Earth - 1066 also talks at length how the Normans were referred to as Orcs...