Grisgara
Playable Sophont
Enduring Nomads
The Grisgari, or the trunkfolk as some may call them, are a sturdy race of survivalists that originates from deep within the Parched Expanse. They survive by making the Great Journey, a migration from the Dust Peaks to the Glass Sea during the hottest months of the year. They have been walking this path for so long that it has carved its way into the very stone of the Shardtooth Range.
The Grisgari are incredibly stubborn and single-minded, living their entire lives with the mindset that given enough time and perseverance, they can accomplish any goal set before them. They learned to survive with this wisdom in a region that killed most other people and remained its only settlers until the Greenfolk were exiled into the Parched Expanse alongside their Godking Urlog.
Grisgari History
The origin of the Grisgari is rooted in their oldest myths and legends as they are one of the oldest Beastfolk races on Haven. Their tales speak of the mythical Grisgari warriors and their insatiable thirst for victory. They fought countless battles and waged meaningless wars in the fruitless attempt to sate their eternal thirst. In the name of victory, the trunkfolk would betray god and mortal alike, even willing to break the sacred oaths signed in their ancient blood. For their transgressions, their gods cast the Grisgari from the lands of plenty and forced them into the Parched wasteland with but a single command: Survive or Die. So they survived. They endured despite all odds. They persevered beyond any mortal limit.
They were the first to truly settle the salted wastes and the first to learn its many secrets. The wise Draughtseers led their people towards preservation during their harrowing journey for survival, which forged them into a greater, more peaceful people intent only on reaching the next sunset. Today's Grisgari are not the marauding monsters they once were but are now a proud and deeply nomadic people capable of enduring the greatest hardships imaginable. Every year the Grisgari herds make the difficult migration through the Parched Expanse to the cool waters of the Glass Sea despite all odds. In this sodden land, all Grisgari are born before their people return to their home in the salted wastes, where only they have truly learned to thrive.
In the wake of Lady Death's return and the rapid growth of civilization, the rich nomadic traditions of the Grisgari lie under siege. Grisgari elders believe the wealth of food and water brought to the newest generation has soured them to the true teachings of the trunkfolk and desert survival. In this life of abundance, many Grisgari have abandoned the herds for the vast wonders found in the cities of Haven and its civilized world.
General Information
Lifespan
50 to 80 years old, maturing at the age of 18.
Average Height
7 to 8 feet tall.
Average Weight
400 to 500 pounds.
Related Ethnicities
Naming Schemes
A Grisgara's name includes many subtle tones that are imperceptible to the ears of other sophonts. These subtleties change with age and indicate their current status, family, and community role. When interacting with other sophontic races, it is common for Grisgari to translate their names into Verd by using simplified titles such as Hierarch, Revered, Hierophant, Grandmother, Healer, or Saint.
Regara
Ragara is the native tongue of the Grisgara.
Grisgari Faith
After Drakken's disappearance in 801 of Eld, the Grisgari learned to live without the guidance of their patron god. Now, after proving they could survive without the help of gods, they see little benefit in worshipping deities of any kind.
Description
Grisgari are a fearsome race of tusked humanoids with immense size and stature harkening back to their elephant cousins. These mighty giants stand over seven feet tall and loom over nearly every other sophontic race on Haven. Many adults are even capable of wrestling the imposing Steelforged to the ground with little difficulty. Their wide gait makes them ideal long-distance travelers, and within their scorching desert homeland, their enormous fan-like ears act to cool them in the dry heat. A Grisgara's most important tool comes in the form of a sturdy, arm-like trunk that protrudes from their face. This versatile proboscis is capable of lifting incredible weights and can hold several gallons of liquid within them, making it a Grisgara's most essential tool while traveling the desert. Their rough, grey hides and even rougher attitudes lead most species to avoid them whenever and wherever they can, leaving them to their lonely desert wanderings.
Trunks & Tusks
When creating a Grisgara, remember that your trunk and tusks are among your most valuable tools. Your trunk, though incapable of performing complex tasks, can carry anywhere between 40 and 100 pounds or can be used to hold up to a gallon of liquid. Alongside this proboscis, your tusks are nearly indestructible, used as both durable tools and deadly weapons. Grisgari females often decorate their tusks with jewelry and elaborate paintings, while most males tend to keep their tusks cleanly polished and well-sharpened to remain battle-ready at all times.
Society
The enduring spirit of the Grisgari governs their society and its determination to survive deep within the hostile landscape of the Parched Expanse. The trunkfolk find value in even the worst of their suffering as each death and hardship serves to teach vital lessons to their people. Their leaders, the Draughtseers,, are revered for their astonishing endurance and their prophetic visions that guide their people through the coming seasons. These glimpses into the future require these individuals to perform harrowing rituals wherein they slowly dehydrate themselves over days or even weeks in exchange for mirage-like apparitions of destiny bestowed by the Parched Expanse. These mirage prophecies have been their salvation countless times over, and because of this, all Grisgari hold a deep respect for oracles and prophecies.
Only the Sang-Botas or Water Bearers hold as important and respected a role as the Draughtseers,. Their role in Grisgari society is instrumental in their people's continued existence in a region so utterly devoid of life-giving water. Among their scattered communities, they believe prophecies and water are the central pillars from which life is allowed flourish and to scorn either is to invite death into your home. Though in recent years, these beliefs have been called into question as young Grisgari struggle to find reason and purpose behind their people's continued, self-imposed exile. A great schism has now formed between the oldest of the Grisgari and their much younger children, as many of them choose to abandon the misery imposed by their nomadic ways.
Rutting Season
During the hottest months of the year, Grisgari migrate out of the Parched Expanse and into the Glass Sea for their month-long rutting season. During this time, the Sang-Botas replenish their dwindling water reserves for the coming year, and adults compete for mates in grand displays of physical prowess. This yearly occurrence has great cultural significance to the Grisgari and is vital to their survival in the waterless desert, yet is also when the most trunkfolk abandon their people for the more civilized lands of Haven.
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