Farrow
By the time Tytlis was able to gather the rest of our party and lead us back to our camp, the Farrow had already pillaged through our belongings and set fire to our tents. All of the weapons and armour had been stolen, and crude claw marks had been torn deep into wood of our wagon. But nothing was worse than what happened to the horses... we tracked a thick trail of blood an entrails a good two hundred feet before we found the first carcass. An entire thoroughbred, tore to shreds and consumed down to the bones. The very sight of the carnage caused my squire to become sick and we immediately turned back the remnants of the camp. Tytlis called the rescue party back that evening. There was nothing we could do to help the others.Once the most populous race in the known world, the pig like race of Farrow are now a shadow of their former selves. Their tribal civilization never evolved beyond the most basic of tribal stages, and their refusal to join the other races under the dominion of the Alvain will likely lead to the species inevitable extinction.
While family oriented, individual Farrow are often slow-witted and suspicious of other races. Violence tends to be their first solution to most challenges, but their low level of development means they lack the military training or technology to be the efficient warriors the Aurochs have become.
Despised and pitied by the major races, the Farrow are are broken people pocketing every corner of Alwaus.
Basic Information
Anatomy
Short, bipedal creatures with heavy hunched backs and powerful legs. Their large heads are protected by thick skulls and most have a set of powerful tusks used for fighting and attracting mates. Centered on their face is a wide circular nose with thick nostrils, used for foraging and smelling for potential enemies.
While there is variation amongst the differing population clusters, most are covered in short wirey hair (usually brown or black) however it's not uncommon to see pink skinned farrow with only a thin cropping of hair along their bodies.
While there is variation amongst the differing population clusters, most are covered in short wirey hair (usually brown or black) however it's not uncommon to see pink skinned farrow with only a thin cropping of hair along their bodies.
Genetics and Reproduction
Female Farrow go into a heat once every year in the spring time, and normally give birth after a mere four month gestation period. Large litters of farrow are common, however they share the same long infancy stages that most of the intelligent races do, with newborn farrow needing constant supervisor and large amounts of community resources.
Growth Rate & Stages
Growth for Farrow is consistent with most other mortal races, with young farrow reaching sexual maturity at approximately 13 years of age. Cultural rights of initiation and adulthood seem to vary form tribe to tribe, primarily dependent on the tribe's need for able bodied hunters and fighters. Male farrow typically begin to develop their tusk by their eighth year, and they will continue to grow for the next decade or so before reaching full maturity.
Ecology and Habitats
Farrow share an adaptability and hardiness that is uncommon among st the civilized races, and it is this trait alone that is likely responsible for the farrow's prevention of extinct status. Found in nearly every corner of Alwaus (and plausibility, even a few remote islands) Farrow populations have been pushed deeper into deeper into unfavorable wilderness, and most make hard lives in deep forests and barren mountains and hills.
Dietary Needs and Habits
Omnivores to the full extent of the word, Farrow were infamous for their dietery habits even before the hardships of human expansion pushed them to the limits of survival. Not above eating carrion meats, foraging for roots and mushrooms, or even their own deceased family members, the Farrow's insatiable and impatient hunger is perhaps most noteworthy when the reader considers the culture never developed agricultural practices. As Farrow populations continued to grow, food scarcity became rampant, and it wasn't long until reports of Farrow raiding human villages to steal children began to circulate Alwaus.
Additional Information
Social Structure
Tribal by nature, Farrow society places a heavy value on an individuals usefulness to the tribe. Food is always the forefront concern for most farrow tribes, and a member's ability to reliably secure and distribute food resources will place them in a higher social standing that a less successful member.
With such a strong focus on Tribal Utility, the leader of each tribe is typically the most powerful hunter - with female tribal leaders being noticeably more common than men. Whether this is due to a prejudice in the society itself, or simply the biological result of the differences in the genders - it's hard to tell as inquires made to individual tribes were met with confusion.
With such a strong focus on Tribal Utility, the leader of each tribe is typically the most powerful hunter - with female tribal leaders being noticeably more common than men. Whether this is due to a prejudice in the society itself, or simply the biological result of the differences in the genders - it's hard to tell as inquires made to individual tribes were met with confusion.
Facial characteristics
Large heads, dominated with a large snout and nose. Most have thin, coarse hair covering most of their faces - however bare skinned farrow and not rare in certain parts of the world.
Most farrow also have large powerful tusks, rivaling that of even the Aurochs. The tusks sit deep in the side of the Farrow's mouth however, largely contributing to the race's difficulty with the common language.
Most farrow also have large powerful tusks, rivaling that of even the Aurochs. The tusks sit deep in the side of the Farrow's mouth however, largely contributing to the race's difficulty with the common language.
Geographic Origin and Distribution
Scattered in different remote pockets in every corner of Alwaus. Naval explorers have even reported sightings of Farrow tribes populating remote islands deep in the ocean, however the truth of these reports is still up for debate.
Average Intelligence
Neither intelligent nor cunning, Farrow failed to develop beyond the most basic of tribal stages, and refused to adapt to new technologies or practices. Communication with individual Farrow is certainly possible, with brief periods of piece being negotiated with individual tribes - however abstract concepts are difficult for most farrow to grasp, and the race has well earned reputation for fits of anger and violence when they become confused.
Perception and Sensory Capabilities
Due to their wide but narrow mouths (often encumbered even further with a set of tusks) Farrow traditionally struggle to speak the common language. Instead, they reject the influence of more developed cultures and speak to each other in their ancestral language (a chaotic barrage of whines, grunts, and snorts.) The Farrow's reluctance (or rather inability) to speak the common tongue has been blamed for their recent failure as a species, as the benefits of trade and diplomacy are wasted on primitive race.
With large nostrils dominating their significantly sized faces, the farrow have a strong sense of smell, with evidence to suggest they are able to track their prey using old scents even in heavy rainfall.
With large nostrils dominating their significantly sized faces, the farrow have a strong sense of smell, with evidence to suggest they are able to track their prey using old scents even in heavy rainfall.
Civilization and Culture
Beauty Ideals
Farrow clothing seems to be limited to practical usage in terrain and climate, however it's not uncommon to see more successful Farrow adorned with jewelry scavenged or stolen from other races. Most farrow wallow in mud and filth, with the exception being their bone white tusks. Seemingly the only source of vanity for the Farrow, the tusks appear to be the most important physical characteristic for each member of the tribe. An uncomfortably detailed account taken by anthropologists even detailed the social fallout and mourning a young female Farrow felt when her tusk was shattered in a fight. The poor sow wandered on the outskirts of the tribe for the better part of a season before her tusk grew back in.
Gender Ideals
Birthing rates for Farrow skew heavily towards males, and as such it creates a power disparity in mate selection that favors females. As such, males of the tribe are significantly more likely to be adorned with scavenged armour and trinkets, and often evoke elaborate gestures in transparent efforts to attract a mate. The farrow female on the other hand, displays very little effort in courtship and mate selection, simply taking her pick of the available mates from among the tribe.
Courtship Ideals
While long term observation of Farrow can be difficult, the more successful males tend to be the most prominent warriors and fighters in the tribe, with postie mating behaviors from females being more abundant when the male has returned from a successful hunt or battle. Family appears to be spread to entirety of the tribe, with courtship between two individuals being a brief affair often brought on by a moment's attraction.
During the springtime, the females of the tribe go into heat at once, and the tribe becomes a chaotic swarm of parading males all desperate to mate before the season ends. With the female to male ration in some tribes being as high as 1/10 this can lead to desperation and violence, with records suggesting males will frequently fight to the death in an effort to impress a sow that has no interest in either of them.
During the springtime, the females of the tribe go into heat at once, and the tribe becomes a chaotic swarm of parading males all desperate to mate before the season ends. With the female to male ration in some tribes being as high as 1/10 this can lead to desperation and violence, with records suggesting males will frequently fight to the death in an effort to impress a sow that has no interest in either of them.
Relationship Ideals
Relationships between individual Farrow seem unimportant, and instead the entire society seems to think along a tribal level. The young are raised communal by the entire village and the very concept of "mother" or "father' has no presence in the Farrow society.
Average Technological Level
Technological progress for the Farrow never grew past the late tribal stage, as their apparent distaste for manual labor prevented them from embracing the agricultural practices that the Alvain attempted to show them long before the humans drove them into the hills.
While manufacturing is certainly outside of their societal grasp, the Farrow have shown a remarkable curiously in regards to scavenged goods, and their ability to maintain and operate the weapons and technology of other races seemingly inconsistent with their known levels of intelligence.
While manufacturing is certainly outside of their societal grasp, the Farrow have shown a remarkable curiously in regards to scavenged goods, and their ability to maintain and operate the weapons and technology of other races seemingly inconsistent with their known levels of intelligence.
Major Language Groups and Dialects
All Farrow tend to speak in the same squealing language that they spoke before the Alvain made formal contact over an epoch ago. While regional variations are likely, the basis of the language seems to be very contextual, and efforts to understand it out have been fruitless.
Common Dress Code
Tribal clothing seems to vary from tribe to tribe, with adornments being primarily based on whatever scavenged rags and armour the tribe was able to come up with. Some of the more remote tribes have been seen practicing basic tailoring to produce simple clothing, however that is widely considered to the exception to the rule.
Culture and Cultural Heritage
The farrow are widely considered to be a failed race, with the apex of their civilization leaving little cultural impact in the world behind them. In another thousand years the species will likely be extinct, and then not long after that they will be forgotten.
Common Customs, Traditions and Rituals
Cultural development among the farrow seems incidental at best, with the most obvious examples being present during the mating ritual of early spring. These elaborate and embarrassing displays of grandeur by the males of the tribe tend to vary significantly from tribe to tribe, and are seemingly unrelated to the cultural progress of the species.
What is notable however, is how the species as a whole approaches death. Seemingly fearless on the battlefield, Farrow often live short and brutal lives. When a Farrow dies, the tribe as whole brings it's body to the center of the tribe in mourning - with special care taken with the members of highest social standing.
Once each member of the tribe has taken it's time to mourn for the lost, the tribe consumes the body of the deceased raw, down to it's very bones. While horrifying to conceptualize for most other races, Farrow seem to believe that consuming the meat of their deceased pass that Farrow's strength and soul amongst of the rest of the tribe, strengthening them as a whole. This is also the only known example of spiritualism in what little remains of Farrow culture.
What is notable however, is how the species as a whole approaches death. Seemingly fearless on the battlefield, Farrow often live short and brutal lives. When a Farrow dies, the tribe as whole brings it's body to the center of the tribe in mourning - with special care taken with the members of highest social standing.
Once each member of the tribe has taken it's time to mourn for the lost, the tribe consumes the body of the deceased raw, down to it's very bones. While horrifying to conceptualize for most other races, Farrow seem to believe that consuming the meat of their deceased pass that Farrow's strength and soul amongst of the rest of the tribe, strengthening them as a whole. This is also the only known example of spiritualism in what little remains of Farrow culture.
Common Taboos
With a strong cultural focus on utilitarianism and tribalism, Farrow are reluctant to engage in contact with other races (unless they have a blade in hand.) Outsiders wishing to make contact with Farrow tribes are always met with suspicion and frequently violence.
Wastefulness is punished brutally by the tribes, with anecdotal evidence suggesting even capital punishment for extreme offences. Dispite this however, the Farrow seem offended by gifts or offer of trade, and attempts by The Temple of The Goddess to offer food goods to the more destitute tribes were met with anger and violence.
Wastefulness is punished brutally by the tribes, with anecdotal evidence suggesting even capital punishment for extreme offences. Dispite this however, the Farrow seem offended by gifts or offer of trade, and attempts by The Temple of The Goddess to offer food goods to the more destitute tribes were met with anger and violence.
History
Once the most abundant race in all of Alwaus, the Farrow spread from every corner of the continent in loose collection of tribes. Despite the success of the species in terms of population, they unfortunately made little impact on the world - with any cultural and technological accomplishments they achieved being consistently out shined by the less plentiful races around them.
As their population hit capacity, their behavior become more aggressive, and the once docile race began a combative tradition that still resonates today. While they dared not turn on their alvain superiors, Farrow incursions into Human and even Kinderstark territories began to escalate. The humans wasted little time is striking back at the tribal race however, and the less technologically advanced race quickly feel to the alvian-trained human armies.
For a time, a balanced seemed possible with the farrow and humans, but as human expansion began to rival that of the Farrow, they only proved to become more aggressive, and any peace negotiated with one tribe would not be honored by the next. Over the next millennia the farrow were slowly choked away, until they remained a destitute echo of the once free and sprawling race they once were.
As their population hit capacity, their behavior become more aggressive, and the once docile race began a combative tradition that still resonates today. While they dared not turn on their alvain superiors, Farrow incursions into Human and even Kinderstark territories began to escalate. The humans wasted little time is striking back at the tribal race however, and the less technologically advanced race quickly feel to the alvian-trained human armies.
For a time, a balanced seemed possible with the farrow and humans, but as human expansion began to rival that of the Farrow, they only proved to become more aggressive, and any peace negotiated with one tribe would not be honored by the next. Over the next millennia the farrow were slowly choked away, until they remained a destitute echo of the once free and sprawling race they once were.
Interspecies Relations and Assumptions
While tensions used to be significantly higher between the Farrow and other races of the world, things have cooled as the world's attention and fury instead turns on their human successors instead. Occasional skirmishes will still break out with the farrow however, and many human governments have standing orders to kill roaming Farrow on sight.
Lifespan
70 years
Conservation Status
Farrow population levels have been on a decline for centuries, with populations clusters marginalized to remote areas throughout the world.
Average Height
5'10"
Average Weight
210 Pounds
Average Physique
Short and bulky, with athletic performances similar to that of the average Kinderstarke. While Kinderstarke tend to be shorter and denser, the Farrow instead trend towards hunched figures of explosive power, with their powerful legs allowing them to charge forward with a surprising amount of power and speed.
Body Tint, Colouring and Marking
Farrow fur is typically in the light or dark browns, with the occasional deep black as well. Most are single colored, however certain tribes with otherwise have patterns of colored fur similar to that of their less intelligent warthog cousins. As fur coloration patterns tend to be unique to each tribe, they have assisted the other races immensely when identifying and tracking the nomadic packs of Farrow that roam in less remote areas of Alwaus.
Remove these ads. Join the Worldbuilders Guild
Comments