Cannibalism has its roots in the religions of most of the People, although it is not a dogmatic part of any but that of the trolls. Rather, it is usually part of the folk beliefs of the People. In short, the consumption of a foe's flesh transfers the victim's essence and power to the victor. In the context of the poverty and famine of the centuries before the gods smiled upon the people, when the tribes waged constant war against each other, cannibalism served the People well. Among the tribes, it was understood that the consumption of one's foes increases the power of the victor--not only was the rival tribe weakened by the death of their warriors, but it was further disadvantaged by the transfer of their power to the victors.
With the advent of the Stormfist Empire, many of the previous customs of the People became disadvantageous, cannibalism not least among them. Whatever perceived advantages the practice once held, it tended to create hostilities between tribes. Within the Empire, the fragile ties holding the tribes together could not afford to be disrupted by such grudges and feuds, and was quickly outlawed by Gothron and her advisors. To violate this mandate brings a quick and merciless death on those who dare to defy the Empress's orders, and the practice has quickly diminished and driven underground. Today, cannibalism is practiced within the Empire only in the deepest of secrecy by those who refuse to let their old ways die, and are willing to risk death to do so.
On the borders of the Empire and in the lands of the People not yet conquered, the practice of cannibalism is still relatively common, but here too it is in decline. The tribes who still fight against the conquerers may still be at war with others of their kind, but the pressure of fighting against the Empire has left little time or resources left for them to feud with each other. These tribes may feed upon the fallen of the Empire, but their victories against Stormfist's armies have become rarer and rarer.
As different tribes have differing attitudes towards cannibalism, so too do different races. Cannibalism has never been a large part of orcish culture, practiced in the past only as a ritual ceremony or as a last resort before starvation. Thus, Gothron's ban of the practice has met little resistance from her own race, who lost little of cultural value from it. The goblin races, particularly the goblins and bugbears, have fewer traditional qualms about cannibalism and are thus more likely to flout Gothron's prohibition. Among the ogres and the trolls, however, the practice of cannibalism remains popular despite the consequences of being caught partaking of it. The trolls, in particular, have all but elevated cannibalism to a form of worship, and are loathe to give up such a cornerstone of their worldview.
