Recently in game Rhakt offered to help someone give birth ( cant tell you who or when as i'd have to kill you all) but I rp'd him giving some advice on the orc method ( made up in about 10 mins whilst afk on quest) but thought it might be of interest to everyone given the ceremony. Bit of Orc Lore if you will!
Background.
Orc are inherently violent creatures and both male and female orc practice self scarring, tattooing etc as a method of indicating tribal standing. A clean, unmarked orc is either a female of little standing ( in terms of dowry value because she has not succesfully brought offspring into the world or because she is a child) or is a diseased or deformed male (neither of which would normally survive longer than age 5 as at that point each an orc must battle for meat at its own table).
Orc birthing
Orc females can birth female children in the usual manner after the 6 month carrying period is over and the lower level of pain that the mother endures during that period from internal biting is the surest sign of the offsprings gender. Orc male offspring, with larger teeth and stronger jaws generate far more pain for the mother and they grow for a further 2 months on average before birthing takes place.
For male offspring, given their larger size at month eight, only birth by extraction is possible. The clan shaman will take a ceremonial knife and casting flame upon it will make a deep lateral incision to remove the child. The flame of the blade cauterises the thick sub-dural layers of the orc females skins and following the birth giant fire ants are used to suture the wound. They are held to the skin until they bite and their bodies are then twisted leaving the heads in place.
In ceremonial terms this is the first set of ritual scarring of the male orc. They are blessed by blood and by flame as the knife will invariable wound the child and cauterise at the same time leaving either a vivid scar or series of burning welts on the orc male offspring. The tribe will always gather to hear the cries of the new born males pain as his entry into the tribe and as a gauge of his vitality.
Adulthood.
The full grown male orc ( aged 12ish) will self scar to to commemorate a battle win and will tattoo to show rank in the tribe. The clan shaman is marked by tattoes transversed with fire welts as they undergo self burning with brands during regular ritual trance states. The drugs which allow pain to be born during this self mutilation remain a closely gaurded secret. essentially its a toxin which used in larger does will kill but on low does creates delirium.
//hoped you like it! Article on orc fashion next maybe?
