Ogre

Overview

Ogres are a tempremental and violent race of giant-kin that epitomize evil, cruelty, and vile twisted ignorance. Maleki created this evil race as the brutish right hand of his plans for domination and conquest, and through the centuries ogres have fit genuinely into their role of being bringers of chaos, destruction, and evil oppression. Though they are most horrific when being led en masse on missions of degradation and horror, ogres also possess a cruel personal wit and a demonic capacity for torture that makes them a formidable foe even when alone.

Personality

Ogres are very unstable and can become violently angry with little or no provocation, making them very dangerous to be around. Their stomachs and their desire for satisfy their cruel humor are their biggest drives, though they will attempt to sate whatever desires pass through their minds. According to their way of thinking, whatever they desire is theirs for the taking, and only those who are big enough to stop them will gain their respect, but only grudgingly. Because there are so few that are indeed big enough to stop them, ogres frequently bully and torment weaker creatures for fun and for gain. Despite their evil core, ogres still understand the concepts behind numbers and bigger foes, and will generally behave around other creatures that are bigger and stronger, or more numerous. They are also capable of thinking a few steps ahead into the future, and understand well the consequences of their actions. When they determine that an action will lead them to be destroyed by a stronger foe, they will bide their time and hold their desires in check.

Physical Description

Male ogres can stand between 8 and 9 1/2 feet tall, and females can be up to 8 1/2 feet tall. Their posture is often hunched due to past injuries and battles causing minor fractures of the spine, and often they are overweight, though strong and lean specimens are not uncommon. Their skin is a dull yellow, with green or orange tinges, and usually contains boils, pimples, and other blemishes that go uncared for. Ritual scars and tattoos may be seen on various parts of their body as well. Ogre eye color can be red, brown, and sometimes green. Other colors may be possible if there is human blood in their lines, though this is rare. Many ogres possess long black hair that gets tangled and knotted from poor upkeep, and a large number of them are bald altogether.

Ogres living far from civilized areas will wear garments of leather and other animal hides, which they gather and process themselves, and not very proficiently. In cities where ogres may dwell, they can be found wearing clothing made by other races and purchased, stolen, or pillaged from merchants or travelers.

Relations

Ogres on Avlis generally fall into two categories. There are those that live on the fringes of society, scratching out a meager living in remote mountainous areas or forest, preying on wary travelers. These ogres often come into battle with dwarves and gnomes who occupy the caverns beneath the mountains where the ogres are seeking shelter. The other kind of ogre seen on Avlis lives in civilized areas. These are most commonly seen in orcish cities like Brekon, though many are known to live in the Seven Cities, and a few in Mikona. For the most part, these creatures have learned to make a "decent" living by acting as muscle for various organizations, gangs, and churches. Both kinds of ogres are likely to follow someone they perceive as a strong leader that can lead them to many spoils and booty of war. When these ogres gather in large numbers and attack settlements, they will be met with severe resistance from whatever race they are victimizing.

Alignment

Ogres are evil to the core and extremely chaotic. Only the threat of force makes them listen to laws or other beings, and even then the obedience is temporary until such time the ogre can capitalize on a mistake. Occasional variations in this alignment are possible, though not common.

Ogre Lands

Though they have no official countries and nations of their own, sizable bands of ogres that loosely think of themselves as tribes or armies are known to roam the mountain ranges until they can establish makeshift cities and farms. These bands will marginally establish control over certain areas until they are repelled by whatever races are living nearby, usually dwarves and gnomes. Few of these settlements ever persist for long. Some ogres have taken to living far underground where they have become involved with the struggles of the demon lords, and the underdark. Other groups of ogres simply blend into urban populations and go relatively unnoticed by the government unless they cause trouble.

Religion

Ogres have their own brand of worship for Maleki, which entails a lot of ritual sacrifice, slaughter and murder. They commonly will sacrifice slaves, as well as members of their own society who give themselves up to the god. Maleki is perceived as the ultimate forceful being who can overcome anyone, and therefore must be obeyed and appeased. Most ogres seek to emulate Maleki's greatness and forcefulness through their acts of slaughter and chaos.

Language

Ogres speak their own tongue, which is related to other tongues spoken by giant-kin, though not mutually intelligible with any other giant-kin language except hill giant. Many who live in cities will learn the language of the dominant race of that place, plus common. Other ogres who travel will pick up more languages.

Names

Ogres often acquire different first names and nicknames throughout their lifetimes depending on deeds that they've committed. The prestige of their deeds will determine if their names sound terrifying or degrading. Last names are not commonly used, but ogres are aware of what clan or group they came from.

Male Names

Bag'luk, Darmuth, Danuk, Erlak, Firnul, Hurl'int, Olargah, Tul, Ubnib, Urgnan

Female Names

Bala'ki, Cana'li, Dalat, Entat, Feeran'tak, Luter'i, Treenta, Trenanta, Ulra, Zeka

Clan Names

Balzac, Huriton, Malekip, Puritook, Worrig

Adventurers

Ogres who leave their group are either outcasts from their society, or they have aspirations of power that they can only achieve by being away from their comrades. Sometimes they may be separated from their group after a raid or battle and decide to wander away after their party was decimated. Ogres who live in cities sometimes have a greater understanding for relating to other races than those in the wilds, and will sometimes undertake other more conventional forms of adventure, such as working a caravan.

Note that ogres are not a playable race on Avlis.

See Also

Giant-kin racial group