By Tooth And Claw Dragons
The Ogre

General Information;

Bipedal brutes which resemble giant orcs. Ogres often organize themselves into small, nomadic clans, and commonly act as mercenaries or raiders. Primarily carnivorous, they aren't above eating other sapient species.

Statistics;

Name:: Ogre

Average Lifespan:: 200 years.

Average Height:: 12 feet.

Average Weight:: Over a ton.

Location Found:: Primarily Felnova and Evylon.

*all statistics based on averages; extremes in any direction, or found in odd locations, are always allowed.

Subspecies

Notes;

Clans Ogre clans may be found all across the Realms in a number of different locations. These clans can range in number from ten to fifty individuals at any given time, though rarely grow beyond that. Infighting keeps their numbers low no matter the clan's strength or regional variant, and it is a common belief that this keeps clans the strongest they may be.

Trollkin Regeneration Trolls and troll hybrids regenerate wounds at a fast rate. Shallow cuts and scratches will heal in a matter of minutes, while regrowing lost limbs or damaged internal organs can take as long as several days. Burns from acid or fire can slow this effect, but removal of the burned flesh will allow the troll to heal normally. While healing, the troll will develop an even greater appetite.

Tusks Tusk size is often a sign of virility and pride among ogres, and breaking another ogre's tusks is a sign of severe disrespect - while ogres are already prone to murder, this often ensures that one of the two involved will die before the night is over.

Diet This is what this species, and any variants, may eat at any given time.

Common:

Forest Ogre-
red meat, fruit, white meat.

Rock Ogre-
red meat, white meat.

Swamp Ogre-
red meat, fish.

Uncommon:

Forest Ogre-
fish, roots, mushrooms.

Rock Ogre-
roots, mushrooms.

Swamp Ogre-
white meat, plantlife.

Rare:

Forest Ogre-
twigs, insects, carrion.

Rock Ogre-
shrubs, twigs, carrion.

Swamp Ogre-
insects, grass, carrion.

Overview:

Ogres prefer to hunt live prey, including sapient beings who enter their territory. However, they can and will eat nearly anything they can fit in their large mouths, if necessary.

Cyclopses and trolls follow a similar diet to ogres, though cyclopses prefer to ambush their prey, while trolls will more often rely on their size, strength, and healing genes to go after larger prey. The oni of Kurai will hunt whatever large prey might enter their territory, whether it be sapient or not.

Credits;

Species info credited to Fyfergrund, Verridith, Vizier, and SoundTheBugle.

In-Depth Information;

Appearance Large, brutish humanoids with mottled skin, usually a shade of green - though blues and greys are entirely within the realm of possibility with the regional variants. Large tusks protrude from their thick jaws, and can be any color from ivory to onyx. They are usually clad in crude hide clothing, and whatever scraps they take a fancy to. They are often about half as wide as they are tall - being heavily built yet surprisingly nimble. Known regional variants can be found below.

Forest Ogres: Of the three variants, forest ogres are easily the lightest and longest-limbed. Their skin is mottled green and brown to assist them with blending into their environments. They tend to have the smallest tusks that just outwards and forwards, and commonly have eyes in bright, unusual colors.

Rock Ogres: Possessing great musculature due to their environment, rock ogres tend to be a half-foot to a full foot taller than their brethren, and often have skin that matches their stony environments. Their flesh is calloused to a great degree - older, more powerful ogres may have skin that rivals the toughness of the mountains and caves they dwell on.

Swamp Ogres: The one visual characteristic unique to swamp ogres is their slick skin, which is slimy like a toad's. This makes them extremely slippery to catch - though, wanting to approach one is a rarity in and of itself. Swamp ogres also tend to have tusks that curve downwards instead of upwards, or curl back towards their jaws.

Culture Aggressive and vicious, ogres tend to use their size and strength in battle, wielding rather crude but functional weapons, from clubs to cleaver-like blades. The biggest, strongest brute in the clan is almost always the leader, enforcing his or her will with an iron fist. Although they are often hired as mercenaries, they can just as easily turn on their former allies as raiders once the money or supplies run out or the contract ends.

Ogres of all three variants are led by a single chieftan and organized into clans, and commonly have a shaman called the Speaker of Land who serves as a religious leader beneath the clan's primary brute. Ogres do not worship traditional gods, and instead believe in spirits of the earth, sea, and sky. Each regional variant tends to think their spirits are better than the others.

Forest Ogres: Forest ogres tend to be the least aggressive of the bunch, though this does not mean they can't be fierce. At least in comparison to their brethren, forest ogres are the most likely to choose to observe from hiding without attacking, using their great agility to run away and keep concealed within the forests.

Rock Ogres: Rock ogres can be extremely territorial, often choosing to attack first and ask questions later. This often results in misunderstandings between them and passersby, though woe be upon those who seek retribution against these titans.

Swamp Ogres: Of the three subtypes, swamp ogres tend to stay the furthest away from society. This is due to the fetid, foul stench cloud that seems to follow them wherever they go. As such, they have little use for things like communication, as few will venture close enough to make it a worthwhile skill.

Abilities For all their large size and great strength, ogres are surprisingly quick on their feet. They make up for a lack of skill with their strength and ferocity. They rely on their thick hides for protection in battle, and are just as dangerous fighting with just their bare hands. Their preferred method of beginning a battle is an all-out charge straight at their enemies meant to overwhelm them and disrupt their lines.

Very, very few ogres exhibit any magical capabilities. For the few exceptions, their magic is relatively crude and weak, and often not developed.

Forest Ogres: Forest ogres are quicker on their feet and more agile, capable of dodging around trees without slowing and using their arms as leverage to latch onto trees as to quickly change direction. In addition, their skin provides ample camouflage, being mottled green and brown to blend in with the scenery.

Rock Ogres: Of the three, rock ogres tend to be the strongest due to their usual homes; they often spend their lives hiking through mountains, or delving through caverns. This gives them great limb strength, which helps them utilize their favored tactic - throwing really large rocks at trespassers. Older ogres may have rock-like flesh, increasing their ability to withstand harm from normal weapons.

Swamp Ogres: While ogres in general have hardy stomachs and constitution, swamp ogres in particular are able to consume just about anything due to having adapted to what is available in the swamplands. This, of course, is linked to their odor.

Species Origin;

Creation Year: 9882. Realm of Origin: Millirand.

Some time after the orcs had been created, and settled on Evylon, Lithmor escaped his prison, and hid himself on that chaotic Realm for a time. While there, he saw the orcs, and admired their ferocity. In secret, he took an orc clan captive, and conducted his own experiments on the fearsome creatures.

By his will, the biggest among them grew in stature until he stood twice as tall as before, and over twice as broad. The creature’s strength increased greatly, at the cost of losing some of its mental abilities, and gaining a large appetite to sustain its strength. Thus was the first ogre created.

Pleased with his work, Lithmor then crafted the rest of the captive orcs into ogres, though none so big or so strong as the first. He briefly entertained the possibility of capturing more orcs to turn into ogres, but feared staying in one place for as long as would be needed would end with him getting found out by the Ten, and re-imprisoned.

Leaving his new creations to their own devices, Lithmor left Evylon. On their own, the ogres, led by their mighty leader, followed their base natures and took to raiding their neighbors, mainly for food, though they retained enough cunning to understand their own worth as mercenaries. It wasn’t long before the ogres were just as feared in Evylon as the orcs they were made from.

Name: N/A. Location: N/A. Status: N/A.

This species did not have an Ancient First.


subspecies


Cyclops
Classification: creatures resembling ogres with a single eye. Location: abroad.

The average cyclops looks and acts much like an ogre, though somewhat smaller and often bald. Their single eye is centered in the middle of where their two traditional eyes may have been found, and is much larger, and easily discernible from normal ogres. Cyclops will often travel alone, and avoid conflict and contact, only coming together to mate.


Oni
Classification: Kuraian Ogre. Location: Kurai.

Oni are descended from a number of ogre tribes brought to Kurai to be experimented upon by demon mages looking to breed powerful warriors. They succeeded, but the oni escaped their captivity, and spread out across Kurai, forming semi-nomadic bands of mercenary warriors. They are savage, but have their own strict code of honor. They favor the kanabo as a weapon, and the more prestigious an oni is, the more elaborately designed the kanabo will be. While they favor the kanabo, they tend to be skilled with any other weapons they've collected, often from fallen enemies.

Oni often have horns, and are most commonly found in shades of red or blue, though specific colors and features differ via Kingdom. They are tall, broad-shouldered and muscular with thick hides and Over time they have spread across Kuraian continents and have adapted to their new home, each one having evolved aspects similar to the demons they share the Realm with. These are, of course, separated into the four Kingdoms: Death, Famine, Pestilence and War.

The largest of the oni race, the oni of Death are typically found with small scales across their chests, backs, and forearms with long and sharp as scimitars horns, their ornate tusks slightly curved. They are renowned for their size, strength, and ferocity and have earned the nickname "walking fortresses" for their defensive capabilities. Champions often ordain their kanabos with carvings of the serpent. Most often found throughout the lands of Shinigami, but can be found elsewhere within the Realm.

Smallest of all the oni, those of Famine oft have sweeping front-facing horns in multiple colors. Due to the harshness of the region where they dwell, the Famine clans are tiny closely knit communities that are notoriously stringent about the oni honor code. Noted for their ability to go long periods without food or water, Famine oni are legendary for their skills as fearless wanderers. Found almost exclusively in Noshinka unless they have reason to be elsewhere.

Strategic and ruthless, the oni of Pestilence are often found with branching antlers, either covered in velvet or hard as bone, crowning their heads. Almost all have an inborn resistance to toxins and a remarkable resilience to poison and acid burns. They form the largest clans of all oni due to their ability to eat nearly anything present on the Kuraian landscape. Located across Kidochi and Tatakai but known to be restless wanderers capable of being found across all the Kuraian continents.

Oni of War are often midsize hulking beasts that come sporting massive, curved ram-horns. They revere blood and battle, and War clans are significantly more prone to in-fighting and brutal contests than others. Warriors of War clans adorn their kanobo with red jewels and carvings of battle in omage to the blood they so relish. Most often found across Kidochi and Isekikuni.


Troll
Classification: long-lived, fast-healing ogreish brute. Location: Felnova and Evylon.

Trolls are large, brutish creatures who stand taller than ogres, and live far longer, with some reaching 1,000 years of age. Their arms are disproportionately long. Males are typically solitary, and very territorial, while females, who are maybe one third the size and weight of a mature male, tend to live together. Young trolls tend to be sinewy, and reach their full height of roughly 15 feet well before they start to gain their full girth. A full-grown male troll with a bountiful territory will often be very broad and rather flabby-looking, with a large paunch and jowls.

Some trolls learn how to camouflage themselves, and change their skin colors and patterns to better blend in with their surroundings. However, this takes a lot of concentration, so it's not common. Most trolls will remain with their normal, typically greenish or grey skin.