Savages of Naradun

This thread contains information on the more savage creatures living in Naradun, from ogres to trolls and yetis and such. Seek information on primitive cavemen? This is the place for you to look.

Giants

Giants are huge humanoids faintly resembling a very large, neanderthal-like human. They are mostly found in the northern parts of the world, though occasional tribes are known to have taken up residence in the northern parts of the western and eastern continents on Naradun. A quite primitive lot, they are not too bright. They more than make up for it with their brute strenght though. Giants are normally about 15-20 feet high, they walk slightly hunched, have large foreheads and a less-than-there look in their eyes. They are mostly clad in the hides of various furry animals they skin to keep warm, simple shirts or pants (gigantic ones, of course) or, on the very rare occasion, pieces of metal armor strapped on their clothing.

Giants are quite primitive when it comes to craftmanship. Only a very select few of them have been taught the arts of smithing (most likely by Northerners), while the vast majority of them prefer rocks and trees as weapons, occasionally making crude hammers, spears or similar by combining the two.

Throughout the lands of the Northern continent, tribes of giants thrive. They mostly gather in small communities of 10-20 giants, prefering areas rich with prey for their hunters and shelter for their young. Giants have long had contact with the Northerner humans living around those parts, and most giant tribes are allied with the humans sharing their lands. The giants and humans alike see this as nothing but beneficial, as the cruel lands of the north are rich with enemies. Together, the humans and giants hold their ground against the Arvel, as well as keeping the local beasts away from their settlements together.

Giants speak two languages in general. Giant, and common.

Ogres

Much akin to trolls and giants, ogres are large, stupid creatures relying mostly on brute force to prove their point in an argument. Ogres are slightly less bulky than trolls and giants both, reaching an average height of 9-10 feet. They resemble large, primitive looking humans with large tusks and flat noses, as well as quite a lot of body hair and a less than pleasant odor. They are a tad brighter than trolls and giants both, but still no smarter than orcs. Ogres and orcish tribes have throughout history often clashed together in territorial disputes, but have also been known to form long-lasting alliances when faced with a common foe.

Ogres are shunned by most civilized creatures, though individuals or even entire ogre tribes are known to work for more civilized races in return for food, money or similar. Ogres mostly live in tribes of 20-50 people, prefering to construct their own villages rather than living in caves. Their social structure is based upon brute strenght rather than the ability to lead, their chieftans more often than not being the one with the most muscle to bully his clanmates with.

Ogres speak common.

Trolls

Trolls are large humanoid creatures, about 8-12 feet high, colors ranging from green to brown, and on a rare occasion, grey. They are stinky and generally unpleasant to look at. Their skin is covered with warts which produce a foul stench, repulsing most creatures with a sense of smell. Trolls are generally muscly and quite bulky, their physique not too different from that of orcs. Trolls walk quite hunched however, as opposed to orcs, giving them a far more primitive appearance.

Trolls genreally live in solitude, though larger settlements of trolls are known to exist throughout the entire world. When gathered though, they tend to bicker among themselves, often fighting one another over food or territorial rights. Trolls are mostly shunned by other races, as they consider anything smaller than themselves food. They are rarely evil in nature however, and will in many cases assist those who reward them properly (in most cases in the shape of food).

Trolls generally live in caves, or other dark places where the sun does not reach them easily. While they are not harmed by sunlight, they are nocturnal creatures shunning light in general.
Trolls have fairly powerful regenerative abilities. As long as they are not stricken in any vital areas like the heart or head, their wounds will in most cases close and regenerate in a matter of hours. Trolls from the eastern continent are known to be significantly weaker than the trolls of the west, north and south. However, their regenerative powers are quite alarming, their wounds closing in a matter of mere seconds. Fire, acid, cold or something similar which can burn, singe, freeze or intensify their wounds is recommended if fighting a troll of the east.

Trolls speak trollish, and in some cases a little common.

Yetis

Yetis are large, white-furred creatures of immense size living in the northern lands of Naradun. A typical yeti is 15-17 feet in height. Yetis are more beast than humanoid in mindset, despite their slightly humanoid appearance. They have no language of their own, communicating solely through grunts and other primitive noises. Yetis are solitary creatures mostly living alone or in pairs, which is a good thing for most other species of the north. One yeti is dangerous enough to encounter, a pack of yetis would be nearly unstoppable. Yetis are fiercely territorial, guarding their hunting grounds with savage ferocity against any who dare intrude upon it. Giants, arvel and northerners are often ambushed by enraged yeti, their white fur providing them with excellent camouflage in the frozen wastes.

Yetis prefer to ambush their foes, often lying completely still in the snow until their prey passes by. They will then emerge from their cover, mauling the helpless victim to death before dragging it back to its cave where it will devour its meal.

Theshi

The theshi are believed to be the descendants of the armies of Smergh, the ancient avatar of chaos believed to be trapped underneath the temple of Kurveldross in southern Eluth. Most believe this theory to at least hold some truth, as few races are as vicious, chaotic and easy to provoke. Theshi are utterly chaotic creatures who seem to see it as their one and only purpose in life to sow destruction wherever they fare. They attack anything in their path, be it something small and weak or large and threatening, paying little heed to their own defense as they hurl themselves at their foes.

Theshi are quite small, most of them reaching waist-height on most humanoids. The theshi are quite thin and sinewy, scrawny if you will, though they have sharp claws and teeth. A lone theshi poses little threat to a seasoned adventurer, though their sheer rage has proven to be the bane of many a rookie, as they ignore seemingly fatal wounds when sufficiently enraged. A theshi's skin is blood-red, and their eyes are bright yellow with a slit-like pupil. Their feet only have two toes, a large claw on each of them.

Theshi live in large tribes of 50-200 individuals, preferring mountainsides, deep woods or similar areas with plenty of places where they can ambush or hide from their foes. Most theshi tribes are nomadic, wandering from region to region as they raid poorly defended villages and settlements, razing towns to the ground and mercilessly slaughtering anyone weak enough for them to overpower. The theshi are found throughout the world, in every single country known to civilization. Where they really came from, no one really knows, though there are many theories about their creation.

Theshi speak common.

Goblins

Goblins are small green creatures reaching a human roughly to the waist. Much like the theshi they are notorious raiders, gathering in large numbers to assault outlying settlements in most of the civilized world. Goblins are nowhere near as vicious nor reckless though, prefering to run away should they encounter a foe they know could actually hurt them. In most cases goblins prefer to outnumber their opponent at least two to one before mustering up courage to strike.

Goblins have large, pointy noses which provide them with a very keen sense of smell. Their hearing and sight is also slightly better than that of humans, which is sorely needed as they spend much of their lives fleeing. Goblins, while often found on the surface or Naradun, are rumored to be far more numerous in the underworld, where they often clash with the night gremlins. Few know for sure except the night gremlins themselves though, as the gremlins are quite secretive about most activities regarding their domain.

Goblins usually gather in tribes of 20-100 individuals, though they are known to occasionally form larger bands in order to lay siege to a well-defended town. They are mortal enemies of the theshi, and the two of them often clash in territorial disputes.

Goblins speak their own language called Goblin, though many also know a little common.

Centaurs

Gentle, yet brutish creatures with a love for all things natural, centaurs look like a cross between an unusually long-eared elf and a horse, and despite their reputation as reclusive barbarians, they are highly intelligent and known far and wide for their wisdom. Many travel great lenghts to seek their counsel in matters regarding nature and things associated with druidism. Centaurs mainly shun all other races though, thinking themselves to be the chosen people of Gai-Tentotu herself, destined to eternally maintain balance. Centaurs prefer not to use violence, but they are very territorial, and should they feel threatened they strike their foes with such savagery that even the bravest of orcs will think twice before challenging their fury. Centaurs are also known for acts of kindness though, and they are rumored to be very fond of children. Many a lost elven child has found its way back to its loving home thanks to a wandering centaur who happened to stumble upon them in the deep woods.

Centaurs feel they share, to some degree, the views of elves, but still prefer to think of them as lesser beings, mostly because they wear clothes, while centaurs prefer to stay the way they were created, nude from birth to death, though they do realize the usefulness of armor and will wear such should they feel it to be needed. Centaurs are, unsurprisingly, heavily into druidism, and the most powerful druid in a tribe of centaurs is more often than not their chieftan. Centaurs are semi-nomadic, moving from place to place once every one or two years, though they tend to keep within a certain radius, returning to the same places over and over again. They consider their homes to be sacred locations, and anyone trespassing their domain will most likely be trampled.

So far, no centaurs have been spotted outside the western continent. They are believed only to exist in the forests of Rindor, Kuss, Nya and Angul. They are quite few in number, their tribes rarely reaching a number higher than one hundred individuals. Not much is known about their aging process, though people suspect they live on for centuries before dying, much akin to elves.

Merfolk

Little is known about this mysterious race of ocean-dwellers. They are very shy, and are rumored to live at the very bottom of the ocean, far beyond the reach of any land-dweller. Only occasionally have anyone ever seen merfolk, and many people even doubt they exist because of their rarity. Now and then though, sailors will tell tales about enchanting mermaids sunbathing on reefs they passed by, and mermen curiously following their ships like inquisitive dolphins.

Merfolk have the lower body of a colorful fish and the upper body of a humanoid covered with shells and countless fins. Their entire bodies are covered by shells, and they do not wear clothes, nor have any of them been seen carrying weapons. Merfolk are rumored to be hypnotic in appearance, and tales of old tell of merfolk luring stray ships towards them, sending them crashing on hidden reefs, and tales also depict merfolk calling to seafarers late at night, actually convincing them to leap from their ships and into a cold, wet grave.

These rumors and stories are unconfirmed though, as the drunken sailors questioned about this are after all, salty seadogs who may or may not just be spicing up the truth a little bit. Regardless, people are often wary when sailing the great seas. They often pay homage to the gods of the sea before departing, hoping that they will keep the devious merfolk at bay.

There has yet to be a documented case of anyone communicating with merfolk. They are very shy, and it is not even known whether or not if they speak any language at all. No one really knows where they came from either. They could be a product of the apocalypse, humans and/or fish warped beyond recognition by chaotic energies, or perhaps a creation of the sea gods themselves. Regardless, merfolk have through time added a deep feeling of mystery to the oceans of Naradun.