Wogan

The wogan (wo-gahn) are a goblinoid remnant race from the time of the Chaos Lords on Baennor, that has formed its own unique, semi-nomadic, militant society. The aos’si crusade against the Chaos Lords stranded the early wogan in the Reinhelm Mountains. Confronted by the aos’si occupied lands to the west, the wogan turned east in search of freedom. On the eastern side of the Reinhelm mountain range they found a wild, harsh, and unspoiled land to call their own. Unknown to the wogan, this new land rested over a ley-line connected to the elemental plane of earth which slowly refined them further into the stoic, organized society they are today. Physical Description Wogan are slightly shorter, on average, than the daonni, typically standing between 5’ and 6’ tall. They typically weigh between 150 and 200 pounds and are slim with heavily corded muscles. Wogan have no hair on their heads. Their features are sharp and pointed, especially their ears and noses, with a wide variety of spikes or small horns protruding from their faces, hands, and occasionally other parts of their bodies. Their skin is grayish and almost always covered in scars from years of martial training. Their eyes range from gray to green, surprisingly similar to those of the dwearh.

Society

Born from their search for freedom, the wogan formed a democratic society that consists of small semi-nomadic bands known as “hosts”. Wogan hosts roam their lands on exotic mounts and intermittently set up temporary settlements. The settlements are built from square panels of wood covered in leather that are easy to set up, tear down, and transport. The uniform size of the panels enables construction of modular shelters that can grow or shrink to meet the demands of the host. Each host ranges in size from approximately 50 to 200 members, though this can scale up drastically when multiple hosts converge and ally. Wogan hosts elect their own leader, judges, scribes, and lieutenants. In addition to the leaders of each host, three wogan are annually selected from across all the hosts to serve as the leaders of The Great Host. This ruling council makes large-scale decisions on matters that affect the livelihood of all wogan. Though these leaders are respected and powerful, the wogan cultural emphasis on independence means that some hosts may choose to strike out on their own rather than abide decisions by the The Great Host. The wogan do not hold animosity against hosts that invoke their independence in such circumstances, but also recognize that hosts that act independently suffer any consequences of their own actions. Recognizing that strength alone would not be enough to help them survive in the harsh lands to the east, the wogan value leaders that are also brave and intelligent. Nowhere are these values more evident than the rokov tournament, a competition in which candidates for leadership positions compete to display their cunning and prowess. Often leaders are selected not from the winners of the competition, but from those that developed cunning new strategies and were bold enough to attempt them, even if they ultimately ended in failure. To a wogan, strength without intelligence and bravery is meaningless.

Rokov

The wogan rokov tournament pits teams of four in a competition to steal horses from the bases of opposing teams. The members of the host use the leather panels from their settlements to construct a maze within a nearby forest or other rugged terrain. Each team receives two hours to establish their stronghold, set their defenses, and scout the area. Then teams have four hours to capture as many horses from opposition bases as they can manage and return them to their own base while simultaneously defending their own horses. Clubs and blunted arrows are allowed as weapons, but only to disable or delay opposing teams. Excessive violence and bloodshed is not the purpose of the competition. Success through raw strength is viewed as unimaginative and not in keeping with the spirit of the competition. Bringing harm to the horses involved in the competition is strictly forbidden. The members of the host build raised platforms above various sections of the maze to observe the competition. Afterwards the host gathers for a feast where they discuss their observations on the tactics and skills of the competitors and then vote to elect their new leaders. Over time rokov has gained some notoriety and mystique in the west where it is seen as an ultimate challenge of heroism. Since the wogan have been integrating more and more with the West, they have started permitting non-wogan to participate in the tournament even though they are not eligible to be elected to wogan leadership. For the wogan this provides a chance to study these foreigners and enhance the challenges of the rokov tournament with new tactics displayed by outsiders. Every new skill and strategy brought to the rokov tournament is studied by the wogan and the best are incorporated into wogan society to refine their martial prowess.

The Great Host

Despite their decentralized social structure of independant hosts, the wogan understand that from the smallest band to the largest confederation, they are all in this together. This is evident in the way that every member of a host works for the greater good of the group. Likewise, various hosts are quick to ally, democratically making decisions that support the larger wogan community. This often takes the form of pooling food, weapons, mounts, and other resources to ensure that the needs of every host are met. Hosts that face a military threat can quickly send riders to gather nearby hosts to form larger formidable fighting forces in a matter of hours.

Independence and Liberty

The word “wogan”, translated from their native tongue, means “the warriors”. During the time of the Chaos Lords, the wogan were seen as commandos for the orc armies. They were used across the Wrycrahx Empire in small, tight knit units to infiltrate and undermine resistance before the main force arrived. An orc warlord who possessed wogan troops was feared across the empire. When the aos’si began to gain ground, the wogan were sent to carve a path for the empire in the east of Eryphir, beyond the Reinhelm Mountains. Before they could complete their task, however, the aos’si destroyed the capital of Wrycrahx on Daelus. Vast populations of wogan were left to their own devices, forced to make their own way without their orc overseers. Developing in the harsh lands east of the Reinhelm Mountains the military-minded wogan refined their combat prowess to a razor’s edge. Every member of a host, male and female, young and old, are trained for combat. However, valuing freedom and independence above all else, the wogan do not focus their military might on conquests which would deprive others of their liberty. The wogan do not seek to rule. Rather their militant lifestyle is designed to protect the wogan way of life and help them survive against any and all threats.

Masters of Mounts

The wogan discovered a hardy breed of horses, called Loshadi, shortly after arriving in their new home. Fast and agile, the wogan saw value in these beasts as mounts. Wogan warriors domesticated them and quickly began to breed them. This transformed wogan hosts into nomadic groups of hunter-gatherers, travelling from region to region based on weather and resources. Consummate hunters, the wogan later worked to tame other, often sulphuria-touched sulphuriac beasts, during their travels. They soon incorporated these exotic beasts into their ever-growing menagerie of mounts. This diverse stable, ranging from horses to snakes and rhinos, enabled the wogan to develop formidable light cavalry, heavy cavalry, and dragoons which they utilize to maximum effect on the battlefield.

Educated Nomads

Though they don’t readily show it, the wogan have an innate sense of curiosity and desire to explore. This curiosity only grew stronger over the thousands of years the wogan spent colonizing their lands. As such, the wogan place a high value on education and knowledge. Every member of a host is taught to read and almost every wogan has at least one small book made from leather or wood to call their own. Likewise, due to their societal value on intelligence and their competitive nature, Wogan love games of strategy of all kinds. Founded on martial traditions, the wogan compete in mounted archery and polo competitions. Conversely, off the field they compete in games of strategy using game pieces fashioned from horse hair, animal bone, and rock. The wogan’s emphasis on knowledge has led to a strong literary tradition when it comes to wogan history. This is evident in their dwellings and armor. Wogan dwellings are leather tents that are easy to set up and tear down as they migrate across their lands. These tents also provide a canvas where clans of wogan record their family history. Likewise, wogan leather armor is covered in runes and other pictograms that depict the exploits, wisdom, and values of its owner.

Laws and Judgement

Wogan laws and customs are largely maintained through oral traditions. There are no books of laws. Rather, the elders and the elected judges of a host ensure that the values of wogan society are passed down, internalized and enforced. Most wogan thus exhibit a great deal of personal responsibility and behaviors that inhibit the indepence of others, especially any form of slavery, are strictly prohibited. Wogan hosts typically consist of one or more clans of extended family in which multiple generation of wogan work together to preserve their traditions and independent way of life. Every member of the family is valued, from the elders that dispense wisdom and judgment, to the young children that help gather food and tend the horses. Only those rare few wogan who are too selfish or lazy to do their share of work are ever left behind. Young wogan orphaned due to tragedy or conflict are simply reabsorbed into another clan and become part of the extended family.

Relations

Many outsiders assume that the wogan, given their stoic and militant nature, are unwelcoming to outsiders. This is far from the truth, however. Their natural curiosity and value on independence leads them to welcome outsiders that come in peace. Traders or foreigners that approach the Host with books to trade are especially welcome.This openness to other cultures results in most wogan becoming multilingual as they study and learn the languages of the societies with which they come into contact. Conversely, foreigners foolish enough to invade wogan lands are met with the fierce, cunning battle tactics and primal magic of The Great Host. In the West the wogan lands are known as the Hinterlands, though the wogan themselves call them Naezemore. There are no official relations between the Commonwealth and the wogan hosts, but there are no hostilities either. Caravans of wogan traders often cross the Reinhelm Mountains to trade in Rynmark to the west, and a few small daonni and dwearh villages thrive at the base of the mountains in the east. Wogan trade goods mostly consist of leather armor and goods, rare plants and herbs, livestock and exotic animals.

Alignment and Religion

Steeped in their strict military traditions, the wogan tend toward being lawful, though some of their shaman push the bounds of chaos. Years of wandering hard, untamed lands instilled a spirit of independence and stoic resolve in the wogan. Over time, they abandoned many evil practices traditionally associated with goblinoids and replaced them with a balanced, neutral view of the world where individuals are free to make their own choices. The wogan, having left much of their culture behind when they migrated east, have no strong formal religion. Rather, they rely on a series of shamanistic traditions that revere the harsh natural world where they make their home. These traditions serve to preserve and propagate the wogan’s militant, independent culture and enable the wogan to draw strength and resolve from their ties to the land. Many wogan, especially their shamans, revere fire and lightning. These elements embody the primal power of the natural world and are a holdover from the days of the Chaos Lords. Most wogan carry talismans of flint or lightning charred wood to help them connect to the primal nature of the wild world. The few shamans that exist among the wogan often wield fire and lightning magic in support of their hosts. This chaotic magic is in stark contrast to the regimented nature of aetherism that flourishes in the West.

Adventurers

Wogan adventurers are uncommon, but their numbers are increasing as trade relations improve over the Reinhelm. Most wogan prefer the security and traditions of their host. For some, however, the ache for independence overwhelms them and they set out into the world to walk their own path. Others find that their natural curiosity leads them to strike out in search of knowledge, new lands to explore, or new game to hunt. Tradition runs strong among the wogan, however. Those who leave their homes behind often find new companions whom they regard as their new host. This can cause friction for those who are not familiar with wogan culture, but more often than not, the dedication of wogan to their allies is seen as a truly valuable gift in the end. Names
Male names: Aendriv, Aetoom, Aevan, Daewogan, Olaeksander, Waex, Yaekev, Yaenik, Vas Female names: Aendrina, Aevana, Gaena, Olaeksandra, Olaesia, Vaela, Vaewogan, Vaetlana, Zaema

Wogan Traits

Ability Score Increase: You gain a +2 bonus to your Constitution score and a +1 bonus to your Intelligence score. Age: Wogan mature slightly faster than daonni but live slightly shorter lives. They are considered adults by age 14 and live on average 60 to 80 years. Size: Wogan range in height from 5 to 6 feet tall have slightly bulky, sinewy builds. Your size is Medium. Speed: Your base walking speed is 30 feet. Darkvision: An inheritance from generations of cave-dwelling goblinoids, you have superior vision in dark and dim conditions. You can see in dim light within 60 feet of you as if it were bright light, and in darkness as if it were dim light. You can’t discern color in darkness, only shades of gray. Wogan Weapon Training: You have proficiency with scimitars and short bows. Cunning Stratagem: You are skilled in misdirecting your opponents and turning failure into opportunity. When you miss with a weapon attack or a cantrip spell attack, if there is another valid target within range, you may re-roll your attack against the new target. You must complete a long rest before using this ability again. Equestrian Mastery: You gain proficiency in the Animal Handling skill and whenever you make a Wisdom (Animal Handling) skill check related to your mount you can add twice your proficiency bonus instead of your normal bonus. Independent Mind: You have advantage on saving throws against being charmed or frightened. Languages: You can speak, read, and write Common and Goblin. Multilingual: Wogan value wisdom. Through your lessons and study of other cultures you can speak, read, and write 2 additional languages of your choice (excluding secret languages like Druidic).

Civilization and Culture

History

Many years ago, after the aos’si crusade to defeat the Chaos Lords, the wogan tribes on the eastern side of the Reinhelm mountains found themselves out from under the yoke of their cruel masters for the first time in their long history on Baennor. Lacking the direction of the Chaos Lords and finding the power of the goblinoid M'ghor Empire greatly reduced in the West, these warbands were on their own to make due with what they had at hand in the Hinterlands. As they wandered, the members of these wogan warbands began to marry and raise families, transforming these military units into something more akin to familial clans that form the basis for modern hosts. Unbeknownst to the tribes, what is known today as a Sulphuriac Edge - or a location on the Prime that intersects with the elemental plane of Earth - ran through these lands, influencing and affecting large swathes of the Hinterland's flora and fauna; the wogan included. Adapting to this new land honed the already martial wogan hosts into supreme fighters and hunters. The magical influence of the Sulphuriac Edge slowly settled their goblinoid temperament and instilled in them a sense of belonging in this land. Without the influence of the Chaos Lords, they saw their culture change from blood-thirsty and barbaric to stoic and steady. Today wogan hosts hold claim to all the lands of Eryphir east of the Reinhelm Mountains and north of the great jungles of Lockhart’s Labyrinth. Though mostly nomadic, the wogan eventually founded two major cities. The largest, their capital Zapor, is located in the northeast of the Hinterlands atop the crater of a dormant volcano. Zapor is less of a traditional metropolitan city and more a massive permanent campsite. The huts, kitchens, storehouses, and training grounds of the city are all communal. They are shared by various hosts as they migrate to and from the city. Zapor acts as a massive trading hub, providing access to a wide variety of goods from across wogan lands. Due to the wogan’s sense of curiosity and the value they place on knowledge, these trade goods include an excellent array of lore contained in various tomes, scrolls, and artifacts. Zapor also hosts a massive annual rokov tournament during which time the hosts elect the three wogan who will act as leaders of the The Great Host for the next year. The other major wogan settlement is the sacred site of Donaev on the southeastern coast of Naezemore. Donaev is a small settlement carved into the rocky hills there. Rich deposits of a strange type of ore, called plasmonite among aetherists of the Commonwealh, lying just below the surface, litter the surrounding planes. These deposits attract lightning from the frequent storms that roll in from the ocean. The resulting barrages of plasma have forged the terrain into a bizarre and beautiful landscape of twisted metal craters known as the Lightning Fields. The land’s strong ties to the chaotic power of lightning quickly drew the attention of wogan shamans. Shortly after the discovery of the Lightning Fields, a group of wogan shamans formed their own host and settled in the narrow zone of safety at the center of the fields in order to commune with nature and watch over this holy site. Over time the settlement grew, augmented by visits from transient wogan hosts that travel to the Lightning Fields on pilgrimages of curiosity and self-reflection. From the safety of the caves in Donaev the sight of an avalanche of lightning arcing down into the surrounding fields is a thing of beauty. The plasmonite embedded in the Lightning Fields is highly sought after by aetherists and other crafters due to its permanent electromagnetism caused by the lightning storms. Unfortunately, such ore is rare and quite expensive due to the extreme danger posed by trying to mine the Lightning Fields.

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