http://www.uesp.net/wiki/Lore:Orsimer


It doesn't seem to state they're actually elves in this article. It says the Dunmer, Bosmer and Altmer are all elven people, it just refers to the Orcs as beastlike people.

Particularly Wood Elves. That said I do like their culture and society, all elves that is.

I was trying to think of a joke there about a wood elf in heavy armor fighting close range something something dead. Ahh the pieces are all there.

Well, when going for a mer accurate definition, mer = folk, and orsi = pariah. The orcs, or orsimer, are "Pariah Folk." It's the dunmer who are "Cursed Folk," as Azura cursed them. The reason why humans are not called "folk" is that the aldmer, and now by extension the altmer, never considered them to be actual people.


Bad! bad bad bad bad! Never link UESP or any wiki when it comes to lore. Stick with actual primary texts, as these wikis are notoriously horrific when it comes to lore. The orsimer are, indeed, mer. Please refer to "http://www.imperial-library.info/content/true-nature-orcs," and that orsimer blood is required for a quest, along with the blood of bosmer, altmer, dunmer, and falmer.

Read The True Nature of Orcs. You can read it on UESP.

I know there is a maximum lifespan, but what about average lifespan. I doubt many make it to 30!

I'm sure I read that in a stronghold near Windhelm. If not then I've definetely got it stored away in one of my chests.

It states them being viewed as a beast race as wrong.

Ah ok. But does it actually state they are elves ? Or are considered elves ?

In fact, the only book that claims they're beasts is a notoriously anti-orsimer piece from High Rock called "http://www.imperial-library.info/content/daggerfall-pig-children."

Yes it does, sthomson18, along with that one quest involving one to harvest elven blood. The fact they also have "mer" attached to their name is a very big hint that they are, indeed, elves.

Ahh yes I just done that quest as well.. Alright I'm completely convinced they're elves now.

Orcs have cancer.

They are indeed Mer, but are considered to be beasts by the other races. Men like to call Mer, "Elves" which to the Mer is an insult. Apparently, Men think that Orcs are lesser than "Elves", so they call them Beasts. Like Earth, Nirn isn't exactly a good world.

This reminds me of that random encounter I had with an orc who wanted me to kill him in an honorable battle

My orc vampire mage has been alive since the Oblivion crisis.

I have entirely too many orc characters, but whatevs, they're my favorite race.

This should be in the lore sub-forum, not general discussion

Its really annoying, I've never encountered that in my 300 hour play-through as an orc. My brothers encountered that orc three times in his 14 hour play-through. Sods law I guess.

No luck for you
I met him today , well I felt sorry for him and didn't kill him.

Same here, I seem to experience all the same randomn encounters, never get any unique one's.

Mine is 1000 years old he devours daedra and steals their lifeforce.

The Imperials, & the Altmer have been known to refer to Orcs as a beast reace.
That's just them being racist though, Orsimer are elves.

I don't know man the Dunmer and the Bosmer are pretty ballzy compared to your generic fantasy elf. Altmer on the other hand...

They were called a beast race in Morrowind but unlike other beast races I remember mine could wear boots and closed helmets. I think they just get called a beast race because their faces look like pigs or wild boars sorta.

One of the reasons I like orcs is because there isn't much lore about them set into stone I sort of suspect they are elves from the in game books.
I suspect they were corrupted from either Elves that settled on Tamriel before the chimer came like the dwemer, or they were chimer that were traveling with Veloth and decided they did not want to continue to Morrowind/Resdayn and were cursed for it, then the rest of the chimer that made it to Morrowind were cursed to become dunmer.

Orcs seem to live till their in their 20s or so in the stronghold then either try to take control of it, or leave it. Their usually an honorable lot and want to die a glorious death in battle while they are in their fighting prime. I never heard of a set age for how old they can get.

The orc in the College of Winterhold Urag gro-Shub makes implications that he's been around since at least before the start of the Third Era. Of course he's a mage, so it's likely that he uses magic to somehow artificially extend his own lifespan.