Do you think there’s a connection between the holberks and the orcs?

Well, nobody could possibly deny a family resemblance between them! Apart from that… holberks and blackpelts trade with each other.

It’s like this: the Riva traders don’t want to deal with the orcs on the one hand, but on the other hand, there’s a Ducat or five to be made trading with the blackpelts, and they don’t want to miss out on that either. And those simple holberks are perfect for use as middlemen!