The white race of Barsoom, the Orovars, are nearly extinct. The original human stock of Mars, this white race built the mighty cities of Korad, Aaanothor and Horz. Horz is the last remaining outpost of this race; only a few thousand live in that dead city, which for centuries was thought to be deserted. In "The City of Mummies" (also published as "The Ancient Dead") John Carter described the Orovarian thusly:
His skin was bronzed by exposure to the sun ... but now I saw nothing red Martian about him. His harness, his weapons, everything ... differed ... (he) wore a headdress which is quite unusual upon Barsoom. It consisted of a leather band that ran about the head from right to left, and a second from front to rear. These bands were highly ornamented with carving and set with jewels and precious metals. ... Confined by this headdress was a shock of blond hair ... my companion was strangely handsome.
Ho Ran Kim, Jeddak of Horz, later explained the Orovarian history to John Carter:
"The inhabitants of Horz are, as far as we know, the sole remaining remnant of the once dominate race of Barsoom ... A million years ago our ships ranged the five great oceans, which we ruled ... Horz was not only the capital of a great empire, it was the seat of learning and culture ... Our empire spread from pole to pole. There were other races ... few in numbers and negligible in importance. The Orovars owned Barsoom ... (and) ... Horz enjoyed a thousand years of peace.
Ho Ran Kim continued on with the down fall of the race.
"...the seas began to recede, the atmosphere to grow more tenuous. What science had predicted was coming to pass — a world was dying.
"For ages our cities followed the receding waters ... prosperous sea ports became deserted inland cities. Famine came. Hungry hordes made war upon the more fortunate ... green men overran what had once been fertile farmland, preying upon all.
"The atmosphere became so tenuous that it was difficult to breath. (Our) Scientists were working on an atmosphere plant, but before it was ... in successful operation all but a few of the inhabitants of Barsoom had died. ...then life became merely a battle for the survival of the fittest."