Greetings unto thee, oh learned Sage. I wish to know, have Orcs and Goblins ever built cities?
Although we civilized peoples might not recognize them as such, goblins at least construct a collection of edifices that one might name a city. Orcs on the other hand, are universally nomadic, and do not, therefore, tend to erect long-term settlements. Lacking both the technology and the inclination to create lasting infrastructure, orcs construct camps that are temporary – easily erected and easily struck. Orcs stay in one place only until nearby resources are depleted, or they set out in search of new adventures. Who can fathom what thoughts may pass through the mind of an orc, encased as it is in such a thick skull?
Occasionally, a war party may overrun a city, and dwell therein for some time, just as a crab might inhabit an old helmet abandoned near the shore. This is rare, however, and equally as short-lived as encampments in the wilderness. Soon they will move on, leaving the city’s former occupants to slink back – presumably with mop and bucket at the ready.
Goblins, on the other hand, have made cities since time immemorial - this goes for all three primary kinds: plains, forest, and cave. Usually, such locations are cunningly hidden or protected. I have even heard that goblin cities, of a not inconsiderable size I might add, can be found in the mountains that separate Sonnstahl and Equitaine. Though they lack the stoneworking skill of the dwarfs, their buildings are nonetheless reported to be structurally sound. I am led to believe that the areas downstream of these settlements are an assault on the olfactory senses, but the soil is most fertile there, and especially fine for growing tomatoes.