Orc Bandits

I've noticed that whenever I encounter orc bandits, they are always male. I see female Nord bandits and wood elf bandits, probably imperials and Bretons as well, I can't always tell the difference, but never female orcs (if I have then it must have been extremely rare) I do occasionally meet a female orc on the road or in a tavern who goads me into fighting her by calling me "milk drinker" and telling me to "go home to mother" but even in bandit hideouts that are inhabited exclusively by orcs, they are all male.

is this to make the male orcs seem a bit like lions without a pride - they didn't earn the right to take wives back in their stronghold, so they have gone rogue and turned to banditry? Just something I've been wondering about.

Maybe the Lady Orcs have better things to do? I know mine always do.

Besides, given Orsimer culture, it's only rarely that female orcs actually leave their tribes on a long term basis.

(I learned that one from ESO!)

well we do meet characters like Ghorza and Lash who have chosen to live among other races rather than stick to the customs of their tribe.

Female orcs do tend to be given respectable positions among the tribe, such as wise woman and hunts wife and forge wife. While the males aren't really given status. You either train to become strong enough to challenge the chief for his position, or you hunt or work the mines until you grow old and die. We meet those old orcs on the road who are "waiting for a good death" because they hate the thought of living to a ripe old age without becoming a chief and having wives.

I reckon the males who leave the tribe and become bandits probably still like the idea of being part of a gang and raiding and pillaging on their own terms, while the females who leave prefer a bit more freedom and solitude.

Ghorza is still close to her brother but she runs her own forge in Markarth instead of working alongside him. And Lash likes to keep to herself and focus on her mining, and even though she finds the Nords nosy, she seems to prefer living among them rather than having her own people boss her around. And I think there's a bit of romantic connection between her and Ragnar. If she does marry him, it won't be about pleasing any tribe it'll be a mutual decision between two people who like each other. How cute!

Of course there are also rare male orcs who have wandered off to live a more peaceable existence as bards and authors and woodcutters.

sticky runes said:

Of course there are also rare male orcs who have wandered off to live a more peaceable existence as bards and authors and woodcutters.

Click to expand...

You just had to remind us of this guy didn't you?

Lurbuk is awesome! And we don't actually hear him sing. In fact, I think we're more likely to hear an orc bandit singing when we're sneaking up on him. Any way, having a bard that is so bad that the Dark Brotherhood lost count of the number of times they received requests for his murder is hilarious. And dreary old Morthal needs someone to provide a laugh.