Ogres

WHO ARETHE OGRES & OGREK?
see ogres-and-ogrek

Ogres are huge, stout goblinoids with deep brown to green skin tones and long oily black hair. Their bones are thick, their backs humped forwards and their arms long and gangly. Their eyes, though sunken beneath a heavy brow, are keen in the night, when they are most active. They are dull witted but brute warriors. Ogres are simple, worshipping only their one Titan god, Gulatak, and most serving the Ogrek unquestioningly.
The Ogrek are as tall and stout as their dull witted brethren; however, their skin is more varied in tone and their features are more intent. Great horns of ivory crown their massive heads, and they often wear long braided mustaches and goatees. Ogrek horns vary in form and number, and are a great source of pride to the kings of the Ogres. Ogrek are the rulers of their people, as intelligent as most humanoids and having a natural tendency for Sorcery. It is not known how or when an Ogrek will be born. They are always given great prestige amongst their kind and most come to be Barons or Kings. There is roughly one Ogrek born for every 1,000 Ogres, but not all of those are rulers. Some have chosen to become rogues in their society, or seek solitude to perfect their magics. They also exist in other cultures outside of the Ogre Kingdoms. In Shuro-Tahn they are called the Ogra-ka-Oni and in Valderheim they are called the Troel.

Their Heritage.
In the beginning Elgar created the Titans to rule the world. He gave them access to his greatest powers and they could wield these by his will. Then Naeja and Magmodin came to steal the world from the Elders Titans. The dwarves were born and they began to slay the Titans. In turn the Titans bore forth Giants to battle the dwarves, but the dwarves were too many and carried weapons of steel. Gulatak, a lesser Titan, had very little access to Elgar’s power instead ruling by might alone. His children, though strong, were often the first sent into battle and quickly dwindled in numbers. He called upon Elgar to grant him power equal to that of the Elder Titans, but Elgar refused him. Cursing his father’s name Gulatak swore he would unleash the power of the universe himself, without Elgar’s aid. So it was that Gulatak began to study magic and learned that he had a great power within him to summon and wield it. When Elgar discovered that Gulatak had disobeyed him, by learning of sorcery, he cast Gulatak out of his kingdom. Elgar then destroyed what remained of Gulatak’s giant children.
Gulatak wandered the icy wastes alone in his rage, and he grew more powerful in his skill. Still though he did not learn fast enough. In his anger he cried out for the creator of all to grant him the power to usurp his father. It was then that that Aibhistear came to Gulatak, and promised to give him great sorceries so long as Gulatak would create an army of giants for him. He agreed and so the Ogre God came to be. The nameless one told Gulatak to bear forth more giant children, and so Gulatak cut himself and allowed his blood to mingle with the snow and earth. From his letting giants were not born, though, but instead from his corrupted blood would be born the Ogres. At first he was very disappointed. They were much smaller than Giants and not nearly as strong, and they were very dim witted. He thought to destroy them all and start anew, but then amongst them was born a few very different than the rest. They were just as strong as their brethren but much more intelligent. What more they displayed a natural talent for sorcery, something that Gulatak himself excelled at. He called them the Ogrek, or Ogre Kings, and so they came to rule their brethren.
The Ogre Kings gathered huge armies of Ogres beneath them and spread over the northern lands. As Olginthoth was defeated and the Age of Ice came to an end the Ogres descended from their barren glaciers and conquered the uncovered lands. As the glaciers receded the Ogres came upon a great range of mountains where they awoke an Elder Titan called Larnax. This ancient at once recognized the Ogres to be corrupted Giants and began to slay them by the thousands. Gulatak descended from his fortress in the icy north and the two titans battled. The Ogrek and Ogres swarmed at Larnax’s feet while Gulatak unleashed deadly sorceries at him. Larnax finally fell into the icy sea, but before he was defeated he swung at Gulatak with his great axe and severed the Ogre God’s right hand. Gulatak’s hand supposedly sunk deep into Vas-Draga and he was never able to find it. From Larnax’s blood were born new gods and they forged a new race, the Bamorians, who have sworn to destroy the Ogres and, in the end, Gulatak. One of these Bamorian gods, Vanarim, led a huge army of his people into the Ogre Kingdoms and actually reached the edge of the great glacial wall, but there Gulatak himself came out of his fortress and used his powerful sorcery to trap Vanarim within the glacier. It is said he is still buried somewhere beneath the ice.
Ages have passed and the Glaciers have stopped receding. The Ogres have spread over the northern lands, but have been driven out of the south by the humans, dwarves and bamorians. The vast tundra they have come to rule is known as Ogrekar. This land is not one kingdom but rather many, each ruled by an Ogrek King and many baronies under his reign, each ruled by on Ogrek Baron. The Ogre Kings constantly war amongst themselves to expand their own borders within this realm. Ogre Kingdoms are usually centered on a single city, which serves as capital and epicenter of the Kingdom. Their kings have absolute power and answer to no one, not even the priests of their great god. When Ogrek do war amongst each other the primary goal becomes to raze the other’s city. The Ogrek ‘Border Barons’ often change their fealty from one liege to another. When they do, they bring their band of loyal Ogres with them. Others eventually rise to enough power to become kings themselves; usually overthrowing whatever liege they previously served.
Ogres are one of the greatest goblinoid races and usually rule over all others. Orcs, Goblins, and Hobgoblins all have clans throughout Ogrekar. These clans suffer under the King whose borders they happen to be in at that time. Though uprisings and independent kingdoms have formed, no other race has come to rule any of the land
Very few of the Ogrek have left the service of their god to seek a life of honor or virtue. Those who have are generally slain by the enemies of their own race, or have found a way to exist on the borders of both lands always hiding in fear and hated by both.

The Ogre Breeds
Through the ages the Ogres have diversified into four breeds. Those who remained in the far north, along the great glacier, have become the Fjarg, or Ice Ogres; while those who established themselves in the barren frigid plains have become the Targ, or Tundra Ogres; and those who have invaded and conquered the mountains and rocky hills have become the Orrg, or Rock Ogres. The last breed evolved in the slave pits, bred to be gladiators and front line warriors. Over thousands of years these slaves have become a berserking race, difficult to control but great fighters, called Slags, or Slave Ogres. They have established themselves in Ogre society in their own right. Many have won their freedom and some have come so far as to be the Viscounts of their King’s army. Despite the origins of these breeds, they can be found almost anywhere through Ogrekar. They travel and settle in many different kingdoms, though they are usually the dominant breed in their land of origin.

The Targ
The Targ are a tall and
The Fjarg
The Fjard are a tall and

The Orrg
The Orig are a tall and

The Slag
The Slag are a tall and

The Ogrek
Ogrek do not breed Ogrek. It seems that there is no reason to when or how an Ogrek will be born. Despite this, the Ogre Kings do consider their blood to be royal and those Ogres who they father are considered to be members of their bloodline. Those who can trace their blood to a King, or even a Baron, can often seek haven within that Ogrek’s domain. Those not of the blood line in that domain are not protected. It is from these blood lines that the current King or Baron must choose his heir. This must be an Ogrek, so they must wait for an Ogrek to be born of their bloodline. Many times this does not happen. If an Ogrek dies without an heir, any Ogrek who wants to claim the throne can go to war for it. He who wins the war wins the realm.
Despite the royal bloodlines, physical characteristics are not passed through them. It appears that the breed of Ogres is passed through the Ogre parent and hence any breed can carry the Royal Bloodline. Other physical characteristics, facial features and height, are passed on through either parent. Distinctively Ogrek features are unique to each Ogrek. All have horns, but some might have two great horns while others a crown of five perfect white horns. A few have been born with nearly no horns at all. Hair is usually long black, brown or green. Skin tones vary greatly, though usually dull brown, dark green, bright red, dark red, yellow, dark blue or light blue. Some have long thick body and facial hair, while others are almost completely hairless. Their eyes are usually red, brilliant blue, yellow, bright green, violet, purple and rarely black but always have white pupils. Their teeth and claws are black, gray or white though always all of the same tone.
Ogrek Royal Bloodlines do carry one characteristic through the generations that are passed to the Ogrek born of their blood, a spell-like ability called “The Gift of Gulatak”. There are currently twenty known Ogrek Bloodlines, but only eighteen currently rule a Kingdom. It is believed there have been and will be many more, since at anytime a new blood line can begin. When an Ogrek is born from an Ogre that cannot trace his or her bloodline back to an Ogrek and this newly born Ogrek has a unique spell-like ability (not previously seen), it is likely that this is a new Royal Bloodline, though it is possible it is the reemergence of an ancient bloodline.
There is a legend of three ancient bloodlines that died out over six thousand years ago. Supposedly no Ogrek was ever born to stake a claim and since then their descendents have so intermingled that they are gone for good. These ancient bloodlines supposedly has such great power that it is believed the other Ogrek Kings conspired to annihilate them, killing any pregnant Ogre descended from them until they were sure the line was severed. Myth says that one day these three Ancient Bloodlines will appear again, all at the same time, and they will begin a war in which one will rule supreme and unite all of Ogrekar. It is then that the Ogres will march upon the bamorians and humans and conquer the world.
Below are the twenty known Ogrekar spell-like abilities. Most Ogrek only exhibit Minor powers, but some (about 20%) also have a Major power, which they claim as a sign of their right over other Ogrek of their bloodline to rule. These powers can be used as a free action, but only one per round. The caster level is always 4 no matter what level the character achieves.

Roll first on this chart to see the power of the Ogrek:

Roll (d20) Results
1-15 Only Minor Power
16-19 Minor and Major Power
20 New Blood Line*

  • Roll again on this chart, and create a new power. Minor Powers are usually 0 or 1st lvl spells 3/day. Major Powers are usually 2nd or 3rd lvl spells 1d/day.

If the player rolls a 20 again then he is one of the Ancient Bloodlines. Roll on the second chart below to see what powers the character has.

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