Ogres
| Ogres | |
|---|---|
| |
| Also Known As | X |
| Organization Type | War Packs |
| Leadership | Ogre Mages |
| Membership | Ogres |
| Associated With | Largias Continent; Rankai Lands |
| Related To | Keishig |
Ogres are the most physically powerful humanoids in the Largias Continent. They are brutes and violent.
Contents
Purpose
Ogres are some of the most dangerous creatures in the world, and what's more terrifying, is that they have no 'domain' per se. Anywhere one goes, there is a definite risk of encountering an Ogre. Due to their incredible strength and generally limited intelligence, Ogres tend to be able to survive anywhere, and prey upon anything that comes their way. Ogres do not have a cultural history or a particular natural 'enemy', but are the terrors of every race due to their incredible physical capacities. On average, an Ogre is at least able to use a tiger as a pet cat and a dire wolf as a dog. Their hides are raw and rough like worn leather, and the wounds inflicted by humanoid-sized weapons are generally negligeable. Most Ogres fight with whatever crude weapon they get their hands on, though most have realized that wood < rock < metal.
Most Ogres are solitary predators, or opportunists. They have limited intelligence, but generally enough to know when it's better to team up with other beings (bandits, Orcs, Goblins, etc) to form a hunting or pillaging party than to compete with them over nothing, as most Ogres have little to no need for money or resources that the smaller races want, and they can feed off the victims just as easily, since they don't have to share with them. An important thing to note is that Ogre are extreme omnivores. They will eat literally anything, but they genuinely prefer living prey, including humanoids. Any Ogre can survive on vegetables (or trees), but they will always choose meat over greens, and will always choose raw, still fresh (or alive) meat over prepared meat. This means that many of them are anthropophagic.
Ogres are brutes. They tend to live alone or in family units. Occasionally, some of the more intelligent Ogres assemble as a tribe, but their numbers are small, due to most problems in Ogre society being settled by who is left standing after the argument. However, encampments made around a cave or a battlefield is the closest to a Ogre-kind social structure. Whatever hierarchy exists in Ogre-kind tends to be survival of the fittest, or whoever is alive and bigger than the others. Only when intelligence dawns on a particularly powerful Ogre do they get much-needed leadership, with a clever brute at the head of the pack.
Lacking in a strong and clever leader, Ogres will instinctively listen to their Mages. Ogre Mages are born, usually from other Ogre Mages, but occasionally from regular Ogres, and are viewed as a blessing. These Ogres are dangerously intelligent, and have a natural aptitude for magic. They are able to craft spells and even have their own version of spellbooks and runecraft. By and large, an Ogre Mage would be considered a genius through any standard, and Ogres understand this, allowing them to take charge of their groups and following them. It's hard to tell if this is instinctive or learned, but Ogres will always follow an Ogre Mage so long as he doesn't turn on them. They're stupid, not suicidal.
In recent years, due to some efforts from an unknown force, the Ogres have formed some sort of social groups, called 'Tribes', a word they stole from the Orcs. They do not have the cultural history of other races, but several bands of Ogres have been seen working, together or apart, to pillage, kill, eat, and rape. There are even sightings of Ogre 'Knights', which are more accurately described as Ogres with armor and with metal weapons than any kind of disciplined or otherwise skilled knightly order.
The War-Tribes of Ogres have been a problem to Dwarves, Elves and Orcs, and whatever Humans have encountered them. Ogres do not take territory, they take resources. Ogres do not take prisoners, they take snacks and mates.. which will then turn into snacks. Generally, a single rampaging Ogre is a threat for most bands of adventurers or knights, a whole group of them, even if in smaller numbers than most other armies, is going to be a major problem.
Racial Traits
Superhuman Strength: As mentioned above, Ogres are incredibly strong. Well beyond the range of any other humanoid, and it shows. They have been known to tear even the strongest of Orcs apart with their bare hands, and are reputed to launch boulders at their opponents without the benefits of catapults. Most creatures short of elephants and rhinoceroses cannot match an Ogre in battle.
Natural Armor: Between their incredibly thick skin and ridiculous musculature, Ogres are able to take blows from just about anything and shrug it off. Short swords and smaller weapons, often including arrows, are essentially meaningless in a battle with Ogres, and unless aimed at their eye, any other projectile will bounce off with minimal damage. Even stronger weapons can only barely affect them, at least compared to smaller humans. Even their 'fat' is violently resilient, and they heal naturally very well.
Violent Aggression: Ogres are savage and bestial. Most can talk, at least to each other, but they are, overwhelmingly, unintelligent. They can barely grasp higher concepts, and base the entirety of their 'culture' on sheer strength. Their reaction to almost anything is to try to break it.
Extreme Omnivore: Ogres can eat anything. They are preferably carnivores when they can, but they are also herbivores if meat isn't around. They rarely cook their meats. They usually eat it raw, and the bone, too. Ogres can, and will, eat other sentient beings, and even smaller Ogres if they need to.
Sexual Dimorphism: Ogres exist all over the world. Most in Largias look like brutish, massive humanoids, with the only difference between male and female Ogres being different fat placement. However, most eastern Ogresses look far more humanoid, even attractive, to humans, but are, at the core, the same beasts as the other Ogres.
Magical Species: Ogres are born of magic. That is why some of them are born incredibly intelligent and gifted with natural magic that makes all but the Sages of the world green with envy. They are going to be the leaders of their kind, and everyone in the race will instinctively follow them. This applies to their females, as well. Those born as Mages are smarter and more powerful than others.
Ogre Types
Ogres are a simple (in every way) creature. They are a 'natural' part of the world, now, but their existence is tied to magical roots. Many people suspect Ogres are the incredibly stupid offspring of Giants and Humans or Dwarves, but all races involved deny this vehemently. Even imbecilic Giants consider Ogres below them. Whatever their true origin, they are inherently magical creatures with high power and low intelligence, and an unmatched savagery and brutality. They are, above all else, dangerous and savage, and hate any creature that isn't another Ogre. And also other Ogres.
Wild Ogre
These Ogres are basically the animals of Ogres. They live alone, in the woods, and only interact with other Ogres, wild or otherwise, as rivals or mates. Generally they will mate then fight and separate. The female will also fight with her young after a few weeks, due to their natures as territorial brutes. These Ogres make no effort to interact with other humanoids and kill them on sight. They cannot be reasoned with, and are often deformed.. even by Ogre standards. The only time they will 'play nice' with others is in the presence of an Ogre Mage, who they will obey, at least to some degree. They won't attack them, in any case.
A Wild Ogre.
A Wild Ogre.
Ogre
The typical Ogre. This is the low-level intellect Ogre who can learn and think, somewhat. Their strength is unmatched among humanoids, their brutality and ferocity in battle is terrifying to see, and their appetite is literally the stuff of nightmares. Ogres are feared for a good reason. They are mostly solitary predators, but sometimes will group with bandits or raiders as their muscle, ensuring some degree of dominance in the group and generally, all the food an Ogre can eat.. or else.
An Ogre.
An Ogre.
An Ogre.
An Ogre.
An Ogre.
An Ogre.
Ogre Warrior
These Ogres are somewhat smarter than the average, or at least have more experience in battle. They have learned to use weapons which require more than strong arms, and are familiar with the benefits of armor. These Ogres are usually troops for War-Packs of Ogres, or work as mercenaries (usually in order to eat whomever they kill). They tend to be more muscular and toned than their generally fat-bellied cousins, if only through martial experience and practice, as well as often seen wearing some level of fitted protection, such as helmets and barding.
Ogre Warrior.
Ogre Warrior.
Ogre Warrior.
Ogre Warrior.
Ogre Berserker
Ogre Ravager, infused with magic and power.
Ogre Knight
A recent development. There is no proof that these Ogres are more intelligent or more disciplined than others, but there is no doubt that they are the strongest of the strong when it comes to their Tribes or Packs. These Ogres wear actual fitted armor, use weapons made for them, usually not simply jury-rigged to their convenience, and are generally more skilled in battle than their compatriots. Swords are not unknown for these brutes, and they have been known to use (or be used) in strategy. These are the most likely to be part of rag-tag war bands, or part of groups attempting conquest instead of pillaging.
Ogre Captain.
Ogre Knight.
Ogre Knight.
Ogre Knight.
Ogre Marshal
The War-Leader of a War-Pack of Ogres. An Ogre Marshal is normally both incredibly strong and surprisingly smart. They have organization skill, some strategic ability, and are generally the strongest Ogre in their War-Packs. Ogre Marshals have been called this by Knights and Elves who have encountered them, but they don't use that word. other Ogres simply listen to them because they are strong AND get things done. They are usually the largest and smartest Ogres in their group, often even able to read and write, and perhaps speak languages.
Ogre Marshal.
Ogre Mage
Aberations of Ogre-kind, but also proof that Ogres are of a magical origin. Ogre Mages are incredibly intelligent, geniuses even by other races' standards, and have natural talents for magic, both innate and spell-casting. Whenever one is born, they are treated well and shown immense respect by the rest of their kind. Even brutal and ambitious Ogres are generally in awe and show proper respect to Ogre Mages. Unfortunately for other races, they are filled with the superiority of Ogres and believe in the same basic values of brutality, strength, and devouring. Ogre Mages will organize many Ogres around them, even without trying, and will generally make themselves a major threat. In recent years, with the growth of Ogre War-Packs, Ogre Mages have become FAR more clever and dangerous. An interesting to note is that Ogre Mages sometimes have two heads, allowing them to literally cast twice at the same time and be two times smarter than another Ogre Mage. This is usually accomplished through some sort of ritual on their part.
Ogre Mage.
Ogre Mage with two heads.
Ogre Mage using Demonology.
Ogre Females
Ogre females, or Ogress (singular), are an odd bunch among the Ogres. Many are literally the female counterpart of their males, but some are considerably smaller (still huge for most humanoids), and physically more attractive to humans. These are usually characterized by horns, normally a sign of an Ogre Mage, but not all Ogresses with horns are Ogre Mages. It is an odd discrepancy, but the Ogres pay it little mind. They are considered females, and Ogresses exist to mate and make more Ogres. Ogre 'society' does not think highly of its females, though the generally solitary nature of Ogres makes it hard for outsiders to tell. One thing of note is that while the horned Ogresses are generally smarter than male Ogres, they are still brutal, savage, and deadly. Those who behave like other humanoids, however, are Ogress Mages.
Ogress, Western.
Ogress, Western.
Ogress, Western.
Ogress, Eastern.
Ogress, Eastern.
Ogress, Eastern.
Ogress, Eastern.
Ogress Warrior.
Ogress Warrior.
Ogress Warrior.
Ogress Mage.
Ogress Mage.
Ogress Mage.
Ogress Mage.
Ogress Mage.
Half-Ogre
These exist, though rarely are they anything more than gofers and the bitch of their War-Packs. Most are eaten, and those who aren't are usually kept as servants and slaves to larger Ogres. If any of them make it as warriors, they are used as fodder. However, they are dangerously smarter than any of their compatriots, so they make for good thieves and assassins to an Ogre Mage. Most have little to no loyalty to their people, but would be shunned by others. These are the most likely to join bandits or mercenaries the instant they can, where even their diminutive stature marks them at least on par with Orcs.
Half-Ogre. They all look like this, regardless of the other species.
Trivia
- These Ogres also apply to Destiny's Gate probably.
