What are orcs like in Tian Xia?

In the Inner Sea, orcs are oftentimes feared marauders.
In the Mwangi Expanse, many orcs are revered demon hunters.

But what are they like in Tian Xia? What is their culture like? How are they perceived by the other ancestries? Do orcs even have a sizeable presence in the Dragon Empires?

I found two mentions of them in the Tian Xia book, and only in passing.

Reading the Blessed and New Children entry in Nagajor, it seems like orcs may have also been driven to the surface because of dwarves there, although probably not as many as in the Inner Sea. Xa Hoi also mentions orcs, and since it's right next to Nagajor I'm assuming they immigrated or something.

Goka also lists Dromaars in its People section. It's a port city and people from all over the world come and go there so descendant of traders seems likely.

We might get some more scraps of info in the Character Guide though!

Well now that it's out, the character guide has zero mention of orcs or dromaar.

I swear there was some line in a setting book hinting at a previously unmentioned Orc population (Or maybe Dwarven, I don't remember) in Tian Xia. I'm guessing that it was an oversight or lack of communication.

At least there's a small silver lining in that we're free to build on the small tidbits that are there.

There's probably a strong likelihood of an orcish population among the Tapestry Peoples, I imagine. I feel like they're a good way to "handwave" an ancestry that otherwise doesn't see much representation in Tian Xia. Plus it's great adventuring motivation, to explore the world your people now call "home" again and help establish their place in it!

I swear there was some line in a setting book hinting at a previously unmentioned Orc population (Or maybe Dwarven, I don't remember) in Tian Xia. I'm guessing that it was an oversight or lack of communication.

It might have been something to do with Arcadia or Highhelm. IIRC, the 2e account of the Quest for Sky only created a lasting enmity between Dwarves and Orcs where they emerged in Avistan, because Avistani dwarves' ancestors pushed the orcs ahead of them with violence, while those who emerged in other parts of the world had very different relations - Arcadian dwarves and orcs are on much friendlier terms, and whatever dwarven and orcish footholds there are in Tian Xia might be as well.

If both dwarves and orcs are really rare in Tian Xia, maybe it's because they exterminated each other, or nearly so.

If both dwarves and orcs are really rare in Tian Xia, maybe it's because they exterminated each other, or nearly so.

the Highhelm sourcebook suggests that some of the dwarves went T-X way, but the T-X book gives no hint that any emerged and formed a kingdom. Might be that they got got.

The Raven Black wrote:

If both dwarves and orcs are really rare in Tian Xia, maybe it's because they exterminated each other, or nearly so.

the Highhelm sourcebook suggests that some of the dwarves went T-X way, but the T-X book gives no hint that any emerged and formed a kingdom. Might be that they got got.

1e had a unique Dwarf culture in the Crown of the World - maybe they didn't make it all the way to Tian Xia?

Yakman wrote:

The Raven Black wrote:

If both dwarves and orcs are really rare in Tian Xia, maybe it's because they exterminated each other, or nearly so.

the Highhelm sourcebook suggests that some of the dwarves went T-X way, but the T-X book gives no hint that any emerged and formed a kingdom. Might be that they got got.

1e had a unique Dwarf culture in the Crown of the World - maybe they didn't make it all the way to Tian Xia?

Had to dig up an old post of mine:

Jade Regent #3's article on the Crown of the World details in passing the Gurans, dwarves who live on the north pole in their nation of Zavaten Gura, the northernmost reaches of Avistan's mountains, and across the Wall of Heaven mountains in Tian Xia. They're apparently capable sailors, having a unique tradition of aquatic will-o'-the-wisps and once laying claim to a number of coastal holds. For how harsh the Crown is, Guran numbers are considerable; their two largest settlements have a combined population of over 20k!

They also apparently shared Taargick's bloody, colonial streak, as the Crown's bugbears, giants, and trolls claim to have been displaced by an ancient dwarven conquest that slaughtered many of their ancestors. Gurans apparently trade frequently with their Erutaki human neighbors, so there's every reason to believe they could do the same with other humanoids elsewhere - but they have a similar bloody past to many of their Avistani kin when it comes to "monsters."