Ökniröi
Widespread in the Spoiled Cauldron exist a small-sized folk of hamster people: the Ökniröi. Burrowing large caverns in the softer mountain regions, the Ökniröi most often live underground in tribes, and mostly come out to hunt. But there are also some nomadic tribes, which roam the dangerous outside of the Spoiled Cauldron. The Ökniröi procreate very fast and under convenient circumstances swiftly expand in all directions. Sadly for the Ökniröi, because of their small size and their somewhat frail nature they make easy prey for larger hunters; in more uncivilized countries, they are eaten as delicacy and can fetch therefore great prices.
The Ökniröi are a very young race, being encountered for the first time only towards the end of the Third Age.
Magic
With the gift of magic the charismatic traits of the Ökniröi were elevated to a point that in an encounter between Ökniröi and non-hostile entities, the latter usually feels compelled to establish friendly relationships. Living in a rather hostile environment filled with aberrations and uncivilised human clans every friendly connection saves energy and lifes.Structure
Ökniröi King
Rumours tell of rare medium-sized Ökniröis with jet-black fur, that are particularly blessed with strength and intelligence. They stand on the top of Ökniröi hierarchy as kings and leaders, governing their kin as safely as possible.Culture
The Ökniröi can be divided into three larger subraces, who are similar, but still vary in appearance and behaviour.
Public Agenda
The mindset of the Ökniröis is rather simple. They wish to breed and to feed in peace. Expansion is only necessary if the momentary settlement overpopulates or the region of the settlement becomes too dangerous to live in.
Territories
Crystalgreen
The Valley of Ökniröi is barred by the lake Crystalgreen, which is the only access point into the valley for creature without wings. Crystalgreen is a cold, but beautiful clear lake, supplied by many rivers originating from the many surrounding mountain ranges. Through circulating around the lake or simply crossing it, one can reach the beginnings of the Valley of Ökniröi, which is a dense primeval forest encircling the river Siris.Örikliv
Somewhere to the far north of the Spoiled Cauldron is rumoured being the place of origin of the ökniröian race as well as the largest known ökniröian settlment: Örikliv. Few people wandered so deep into the Spoiled Cauldron since the destruction of Great Lixis and even fewer came back to tell what they encountered.Poisoned Lake
Once the center of Great Lixis and its empire, the formerly known Lixin Lake, renowned for its beauty and quantity of various fishes has strongly deteriorated. Few normal fishes reside nowadays in the Poisoned Lak. When Iolatan crushed down Great Lixis the whole region was greatly affected; a multitude of aberrations inhabit the lake and its sourrounding these days making it enormly dangerous.Pyramid Pinnacle
The largest mountain range in Andaria is known as the Pyramid Pinnacle. It is said being the home to many aerial creatures, like the famous rocs. Few people tried climbing the highest peaks of the world and nobody is known to have actually returned.Spoiled Cauldron
The Ökniröi Valley is encompassed by the so-called Spoiled Cauldron mountain range. It has been named that way after the destruction of Great Lixis and the ever-growing emergence of weird beast and aberrations in the region. Many folk say its lucky that the Valley of Ökniröi is caged like it is, because otherwise whole Andaria would be overrun with these creatures.Valley of Ökniröi
The Valley of Ökniröi includes everything that is enclosed by the Spoiled Cauldron. It is a fertile, but extremly wild environment full of beasts and monsters. The only humanoid races that inhabit it are clans of wild humans, mostly remnants of the empire of Great Lixis and clans of Ökniröi, who made the mountain ranges their homes.Religion
It was Roohl, the dwarven deity of laughter and friendship, who took pity in these small and cute folk. He increased their natural charismatic and cute traits to a magical level and hightend their perceptive skill. Furthermore to allow them to hide more easily he asked Orolin Firebeard to forge them robust claws, which allows them to burrow through soft earth. The works of Roohl and Orolin Firebeard drew the interest of Ercon, who on his turn gave the Ökniröi the gift of brutalness, which develops most often in Hill Ökniröis.
Since then the Ökniröi managed to spread all over the mountain ranges in the Spoiled Cauldron and beyond. They revere all of the dwarven gods, but mostly revere Roohl as their chief deity.
Foreign Relations
Ökniröis seldom leave their home nests and when they do it is most often because of a greater disaster, that forces the whole settlement to regroup elsewhere. Sometimes in cases of a particularly curious Ökniröi or a band of Ökniröi with a distinguished leader it happens that the Ökniröis come in contact with the rest of Andaria. However if they roam over the border of Lixanthia or travel into the kingdom of Ryonriku they are most likely to get themself eaten.
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