Ogres
Ogres are a race of large gluttonous humanoids native to Haven. They are defined in large parts by their hunger and though they make for peaceful neighbors and good friends while their bellies are full, their hunger and lust for battle can drive them to truly vile acts.
In some areas ogres are known as hardy warriors and reliable workers, while in others they are savage child-eating barbarians. They inhabit the plains and forests away from human civilisation in small tribes.
Ogres are thus able to take great amounts of damage and simply keep going, crushing anything in their path as they do so.
However their greatest advantage is their innate resistance to magic, allowing them to shrug off many spells thrown against them and resist magical weapons.
Magic Resistance: Ogres are highly resistant to most forms of exotic energies, benevolent or not. Broadly speaking this gives them a strong innate resistance to many magical effects. This is somewhat to their detriment, as it affects not only harmful magic but also beneficial magic such as priestly healing.
Stupid, not naive: The main thing holding Ogres back is that their minds seem to never ascend much beyond that of a human child. But while they are often dim-witted, they are not naive. In fact they can exhibit surprising insight and cruelty. Instead of cunning or intrigue, Ogres are straightforward in behavior. If they can get what they want (food and wealth) without fighting, they will do so, but if it's more advantageous to annihilate and eat their opposition, then so be it.
Hunger: Ogres are ravenous creatures. They burn a lot of energy, even if simply lazing about, which they are prone to do. They consume great amounts of food in short order and thus often need to constantly think how to obtain their next meal. This has influenced their culture greatly.
Ogres tend to form into tribes; Collections of family-units that stick together to survive in the harsh world. However, these Tribes can take a variety of Forms.
Nomads: The most peaceful and amicable kind of Ogre Tribe, Nomads follow great herds of beasts or some other food source as they in turn make their way through the world. Covering great distances, they take care to protect their herds, akin to shepherds, as they are what sustains the ogres in turn. These ogres are unlikely to raid those around them and are very secure in their positions, but that may change at a moment's notice if their herds are hit by disaster.
Settlers: Settlers are not quite like nomads, in that they also take care of animals such as pigs or cows, but they do not migrate. Instead, they build basic homes and mark out territories for their clans that they then defend against outsiders. They substitute their diet with anything they can find, be it plants or animals, or in hard times even people.
Settled tribes may be independent or subjugate themselves to a larger authority, such as for example a human kingdom. They can be traded with and are the most likely group to offer themselves up as mercenaries, but may also be tyrants, bandits or aggressive conquerors.
Raiders: The worst kind of Ogre Tribe, These Ogres are not keeping any kind of livestock, do not trade and have no compunctions about eating humans if they get the opportunity. They roam the lands like a swarm of bloothirsty locusts, searching for food, be it prey animals, livestock or people. Whatever they find they will cook and eat, even if it begs for mercy. These tribes are a result of famines within ogre tribes or them falling to sinister influences like Demon worship.
Once a Tribe has degenerated to eating civilized peoples and/or each-other, they are highly unlikely to change their ways and often must be hunted down and exterminated.
Unfortunately in Raiding Tribes, there are no civilians and as such a small army will need to be mustered to deal with the problem. These tribes thus often wander the wilderness and are the bane of small villages and rural communities.
Trained Ogres are truly fearsome warriors, and as such they are highly prized to smash through ranks of enemy soldiers. In peace times bands of ogre mercenaries are often drawn to places of ongoing conflict and may offer their services to the conflicting parties.
Ogres have no cultural stigma about working for the wrong masters. Most ogres will not care if they are working for a country's military or a bandit group, so long as they are getting paid.
Indeed, the Ogres were human before their journey.
In order to escape their doomed world, they made bargains with dark forces to open passageways into a safe world. But the passages were not safe and many of them died. The survivors arriving on Haven were those that were able to build up a resistance to the magic of the passageways, yet their minds were greatly affected.
The ogres do not keep written records so they themselves do not know this, but they and humanity were once one and the same.
In some areas ogres are known as hardy warriors and reliable workers, while in others they are savage child-eating barbarians. They inhabit the plains and forests away from human civilisation in small tribes.
Description
Anatomy
Ogres are superficially similar to humans, but they are significantly larger, commonly standing 8 to 10ft tall. Their heads are comparatively small and their bodies are layered in thickly corded muscle and folds of fat. Their skin is thick and provides them a decent measure of protection against the environment, as well as against weapons.Ogres are thus able to take great amounts of damage and simply keep going, crushing anything in their path as they do so.
However their greatest advantage is their innate resistance to magic, allowing them to shrug off many spells thrown against them and resist magical weapons.
Magic Resistance: Ogres are highly resistant to most forms of exotic energies, benevolent or not. Broadly speaking this gives them a strong innate resistance to many magical effects. This is somewhat to their detriment, as it affects not only harmful magic but also beneficial magic such as priestly healing.
Stupid, not naive: The main thing holding Ogres back is that their minds seem to never ascend much beyond that of a human child. But while they are often dim-witted, they are not naive. In fact they can exhibit surprising insight and cruelty. Instead of cunning or intrigue, Ogres are straightforward in behavior. If they can get what they want (food and wealth) without fighting, they will do so, but if it's more advantageous to annihilate and eat their opposition, then so be it.
Hunger: Ogres are ravenous creatures. They burn a lot of energy, even if simply lazing about, which they are prone to do. They consume great amounts of food in short order and thus often need to constantly think how to obtain their next meal. This has influenced their culture greatly.
Culture
Ogre Culture is shaped by their lacking intelligence and their great appetites.Ogres tend to form into tribes; Collections of family-units that stick together to survive in the harsh world. However, these Tribes can take a variety of Forms.
Nomads: The most peaceful and amicable kind of Ogre Tribe, Nomads follow great herds of beasts or some other food source as they in turn make their way through the world. Covering great distances, they take care to protect their herds, akin to shepherds, as they are what sustains the ogres in turn. These ogres are unlikely to raid those around them and are very secure in their positions, but that may change at a moment's notice if their herds are hit by disaster.
Settlers: Settlers are not quite like nomads, in that they also take care of animals such as pigs or cows, but they do not migrate. Instead, they build basic homes and mark out territories for their clans that they then defend against outsiders. They substitute their diet with anything they can find, be it plants or animals, or in hard times even people.
Settled tribes may be independent or subjugate themselves to a larger authority, such as for example a human kingdom. They can be traded with and are the most likely group to offer themselves up as mercenaries, but may also be tyrants, bandits or aggressive conquerors.
Raiders: The worst kind of Ogre Tribe, These Ogres are not keeping any kind of livestock, do not trade and have no compunctions about eating humans if they get the opportunity. They roam the lands like a swarm of bloothirsty locusts, searching for food, be it prey animals, livestock or people. Whatever they find they will cook and eat, even if it begs for mercy. These tribes are a result of famines within ogre tribes or them falling to sinister influences like Demon worship.
Once a Tribe has degenerated to eating civilized peoples and/or each-other, they are highly unlikely to change their ways and often must be hunted down and exterminated.
Unfortunately in Raiding Tribes, there are no civilians and as such a small army will need to be mustered to deal with the problem. These tribes thus often wander the wilderness and are the bane of small villages and rural communities.
Ogre Mercenaries
Ogres are known to partially integrate themselves into nearby civilized societies. This means that some ogres may be found in smaller villages performing hard labor in exchange for food and money, as well as found in local armies and militias as 'super-heavy infantry'.Trained Ogres are truly fearsome warriors, and as such they are highly prized to smash through ranks of enemy soldiers. In peace times bands of ogre mercenaries are often drawn to places of ongoing conflict and may offer their services to the conflicting parties.
Ogres have no cultural stigma about working for the wrong masters. Most ogres will not care if they are working for a country's military or a bandit group, so long as they are getting paid.
History
Ogres arrived on haven shortly after Humans did, for after all they began their journey at near the same time. They too were running from the War of Burning Skies.Indeed, the Ogres were human before their journey.
In order to escape their doomed world, they made bargains with dark forces to open passageways into a safe world. But the passages were not safe and many of them died. The survivors arriving on Haven were those that were able to build up a resistance to the magic of the passageways, yet their minds were greatly affected.
The ogres do not keep written records so they themselves do not know this, but they and humanity were once one and the same.
Appearance
Ogres are generally Human-like in appearance, however they are much taller as well as broad-built with thick muscle and layers of fat. Their heads seem comparatively small compared to the size of their bodies.Ogres tower head and shoulders above normal humans and are about four times as wide.
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