>I asked about this, and was told that Orcs were probably the
>single most rare race in Carrion Fields right now.

Orcs are one of the rarer races, if only because Orcs are
limited to the one class. Choosing any other race allows
for more class choices. But there is still the issue of
orcs wanting to play with orcs, so people are more inclined
to roll up orcs when they see orcs. It comes and goes in
waves. Also, orcs are relatively new compared to the other
classes and they're a bit harder to figure out than the
other classes.

We've recently added bloodletting to the orc toolbox, as
well as giving them another place to practice (help galadon
guild directions) but in the end orcs just like to be around
other orcs.

Incidentally, you don't want to post the name of your active
character in the future. I know that will seem odd for you
coming back after time away, but you're better off for it.

>If I am not mistaken, these abilities are now in their own
>Path, and not a general Thief thing, correct?

Yes. Click on classes in the left column and select Thief
you'll see the general thief skills as well as some example
guildhalls which start each of the Paths. Some guildhalls will
require that you join the Guild (which is entirely different)
and some are free.

>How effective are they, and what is this that I am hearing
>about them being one-trick ponies? Is it a reliance on Blackjack
> (either you succeed, or you run or die trying) which lends to
>this labeling?

Each path is dedicated to a singular sort of style, and each
path has sort of niche tactics that they'll favor. I'd say
some of them have several tricks. They're not best suited
for straight up fighting, so they have to stick to what works
best for them.

>How different are Assassins from Thieves, other than the most
>obvious differentiations (no stealing, more attacks, and
>such). How do they 'handle' comparatively?

Assassins are better straight up toe-to-toe fighters. Thieves
have a little more flexibility in what they can learn, as far
as mixing Paths and such.

>I've read that "Assassinate" is almost pointless, as nobody
>ever succumbs to it who has half a brain.

Without being too critical, let's say that assassinate works
very effectively on the vast majority of players. There are
things that can be done to minimize the danger of it, but
many people don't worry about it and even the most paranoid
are going to get lazy once in a while.

>Are they just a Thief without the utility, and more attacks?

They're totally different other than they hide and sneak.
Assassins are better built for fighting and killing than
thieves. Thieves are excellent backup in a fight and on
their own can probably annoy anyone to the limits of mental
durability, but to kill they need to choose their battles
better than assassins.