Vepri
The Youngest of the Beastkin
Among the twisted creations of Dragsa, none are younger nor more controlled than the Vepri. These pig-like humanoids were born from the dark experiments of the Fortress of Dragsa, engineered to be fanatical warriors and tireless soldiers. Making up over half of Dragsa’s armies, they are relentless in battle, seemingly possessing an inexhaustible endurance. Their loyalty is absolute, shaped through generations of servitude, yet beneath their unwavering obedience lies an unfulfilled longing—an elusive dream of freedom that remains just out of reach.
More Than Pigfolk
The Vepri are smaller than humans but bulkier, standing between three and four feet tall with compact, powerful frames reminiscent of dwarves. Though their exact origins remain unclear, the experiments that created them are believed to have used captured elves and dwarves—prisoners from Dragsa’s endless wars against the Redoe Alliance. This has led many to suspect that the Vepri are the unnatural offspring of these two races, though none can say for sure.
Their distinctive physical features include:
- A slightly larger head with an elongated snout-like nose and wide, upturned nostrils.
- Long, curved tusks protruding from their lower jaws, sharp and ridged.
- Hoofed feet, giving them unmatched endurance on long marches between outposts.
These traits have earned them the nickname “pigfolk” among both their own ranks and outsiders. However, despite their bestial appearance, the Vepri possess keen intelligence, especially when it comes to survival, battle tactics, and forming new customs where none were given to them.
Born to Serve, Longing for More
The Vepri exist to fight. Their lives are dictated by war, their clothing determined by their rank within Dragsa’s armies. Those higher in status are given well-crafted armor and weapons, while low-ranking soldiers receive only broken, rusted remnants. Their equipment tells the story of their worth—the lower their status, the worse their armor, a clear sign of how expendable they are in the eyes of their overlords.
Yet, despite their imposed servitude, the Vepri have begun to form their own culture within the cracks of oppression. Lacking their own traditions or written history, they have created new customs, leaning heavily into superstition. They find solace in rituals, omens, and talismans, desperately grasping for a sense of identity. Some gather old weapons from fallen soldiers, believing them to contain the spirits of warriors past. Others whisper to the winds, reading signs in the way dust moves across the battlefield.
Freedom “Within Reach”
Dragsa has learned from past mistakes—rather than keeping the Vepri in chains, they dangle the illusion of freedom before them. Every Vepri is promised that, if they can repay the debt of their creation, they will be granted liberation. Many dream of the day they can claim their independence, but the truth is far crueler.
The price of their freedom is insurmountable, an ever-growing debt that no Vepri can truly pay. Those who try spend their entire lives chasing a false hope, only to realize too late that they will never be free. The elders among them know the truth, yet they keep silent, unwilling to crush the hope of the younger generations. And so, they march forward—clad in rusted armor, bearing weapons passed down by the dead—trapped in a cycle of war they may never escape.
Vepri Names
Believing themselves to be descendants of dwarves and elves, many Vepri take names inspired by these races. Some choose authentic elven or dwarven names, while others select words that simply sound noble or meaningful. Their speech is filled with hard consonants and guttural sounds, an echo of their broken heritage.
Their love of oral traditions compensates for their lack of written records. Vepri are enthralled by bardic tales, often repeating the stories they hear for hours, retelling them to their kin in an effort to preserve what little culture they have managed to build.
Final Thoughts
The Vepri are more than mere soldiers of Dragsa—they are a people searching for meaning, identity, and freedom in a world that offers them none. Bound by war yet clinging to their own sense of self, they march toward a future uncertain, but not yet lost.
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