Dec 14

Ogrillon



Upper figure: from left to right: an orc, an ogrillon, and an ogre. The orc and ogrillon are wearing similar equipment.

Lower figure: an ogrillon dual-wields scythes. He probably doesn't intend to farm with them.

[NOTE: A "prestige race" is similar to prestige classes in that they must be "unlocked." A prestige race cannot be chosen for a player's first character in TKL. However, a player's second and any subsequent character applications may be a character with a prestige race. Prestige race characters are subject to more scrutiny during the application process.]

On Kswantu lies a wasteland between the fertile Mjukiwa Plains, home of dracosaurs and saurials, and the Kachubwa Desert. This wasteland is home to many of Kswantu's savage humanoid tribes - orcs, gnolls, goblins, and kobolds. Where the wasteland meets the Eusimli Mountains the terrain is hilly - this is the territory of ogres.

The ogres will sometimes be hired by orc tribes to act as mercenaries in large or important battles. When orcs and ogres are in close proximity, living and fighting together, some of them end up having sex with each other. And in cases when the woman gets pregnant, what is born is a half-orc, half-ogre, otherwise known as an ogrillon.

Ogrillon are perhaps the least loved of the "bastard" races. To ogres, the unwanted little brother of the giant races, ogrillon are too small and too weak to be useful, and are only good for being ridiculed. Those who survive this ridicule usually come to realize that they are smarter than their ogre tribesmen, and end up leaving of their own accord. Likewise, orcs regard ogrillon as too dumb to train and too large to fit with armor, and thus useless except as two-legged pack animals. Thus the fate of most ogrillon in The Shattered Isles (where they are mostly found) is a most unfortunate one.

Or was, until the thouls established Mjinte. They needed a big, strong race which was easily controllable to help build their city-state and perform some of its more strength-dependent tasks, like loading and unloading cargo from ships. The thouls deemed ogres too stupid and volatile to train, and thus their eyes turned to the ogrillon. They began buying ogrillon children from orc tribes, and put the word out that any ogrillon who came to Mjinte would be treated well, and as a result those living with ogres who heard the news ran away and emigrated to the city-state. Even today saurial caravans hauling meat from Mjukiwa to Mjinte will be approached by orcs - and sometimes even ogres - selling ogrillon children, which are eventually sold to the thouls. Even tribes from other islands in The Shattereds will sell ogrillon to Mjinte trade ships.

There is another reason the thouls chose ogrillon, and that is their unique nature from a biological standpoint. Ogrillon are sometimes referred to as "two-legged mules," not because they make good pack-bearing creatures (though they do) but becase all ogrillon are born sterile. They are also the only known biracial offspring of an ogre parent - the thouls have tried for centuries to create a "half-ogre" with human and ogre parents, but with no success whatsoever. It is unknown why ogrillon are born sterile, and why only orcs can crossbreed with ogres.

In addition to buying up as many ogrillon as they can get their hands on, thouls also have an advanced ogrillon breeding program. Whenever the thouls come across an orc or ogre with desirable traits, they add them to their stable of breeders. These breeders used to all be captives, but after a while most of them lose the will to escape - their every whim is catered to, as long as they stay healthy and have sex at the times and with the partners chosen by the thouls. The result is that the thouls have been able to create stronger, smarter ogrillon. The thouls have also been attempting to make ogrillon that can breed true, but thus far have met with nothing but failure.

Ogrillon in Mjinte take care of their own. The thouls encourage them to marry each other - married couples are rewarded by the government with ogrillon babies, either products of the breeding program or infants and young children bought from savages. When old enough these children are sent to a special "ogrillon kindergarten," where all the teachers are ogrillon and where the children are taught not only reading, writing, and basic math, but how to use basic weapons. At around age ten, ogrillon join Mjinte's public school system and are mixed with children of all races - thouls, flinds, urds, etc. The ogrillon are two to three years older than their classmates, but educationally and intellectually they are on the same level. Taunts about them being older (and dumber) are few, since by this point the ogrillon are over twice the size even the largest of the other students.

To some it seems pointless that the ogrillon are even educated at all, since most end up working as either dock laborers, loading and unloading cargo onto merchant vessels, or at the mines, hauling ore from the tunnels and guarding it on its way to Mjinte. However, at the end of their education ogrillon are given an aptitude test, and those with exceptional skill in certain areas are sent off to become priests, musicians, soldiers, even mages and warlocks. Mjinte's current ruler, Supreme Minister Carbonus Funk, is said to be the smartest living ogrillon and is rumored to be a wizard.

Many Westerners wonder why ogrillon are seldom used as soldiers in Mjinte's army. There are many reasons. Ogrillon are strong, but pound for pound, minotaurs and even some grugach are stronger. Ogrillon are mainly BIG, and that size is useful when having to pick up and carry things, and for many other tasks. Indeed, when it comes to combat, being larger than your opponent has advantages such as a longer reach. But it also means that you are a bigger target, and one that costs more to cover in armor. In addition, most ogrillon simply aren't smart enough to grasp the training required to fight in a disciplined, organized unit.

More on Ogrillon

Ogrillon stand between seven and eight feet tall (two feet shorter on average than ogres) and weigh between three and six hundred pounds. They favor their ogre parent in resemblence; humans and other western races sometimes mistake them for ogre children. But on closer inspection, skin tones and eye color are closer in resemblence to their orcish parent. Ogrillon hair is always jet black (and usually quite greasy).

Male and female ogrillon are almost indistinguishable to other races when wearing clothing - females do not develop breasts, perhaps because of their sterility, and there is no discernible difference in facial structure and features between men and women (or as some say, "they are equally butt-ugly").

Personality Traits

Clannish - Ogrillon spend most of their early lives around other ogrillon exclusively. It is not until adolescence that they begin to mix with the other races of Mjinte, and when they do they usually try to stick with their own kind. This feeling often remains in adulthood - ogrillon like to be in groups, even if that group is a party of adventurers of various races.

Short-tempered - There is no such thing as "anger management" in the ogrillon education system, unless you count hitting someone else. Ogrillon are taught that anger is good, that is can be used as fuel to perform difficult tasks, such as ripping someone's head from his spine. Ogrillon thus are not very good at controlling their temper.

Sympathetic - ogrillon are the "last kid picked in gym class" race of The Known Lands. Even those who grew up in Mjinte know what it is like to be unwanted by both of their parents' cultures. When choosing a pet, ogrillon often pick the runt of the litter, and in sports (or battles) they almost always root for the underdog.

Classes

Ogrillon taking any class aside from barbarian have usually been selected to be trained for a specific job. A fighter may have been trained to work as a caravan guard or army soldier. Ogrillon showing exceptional wisdom may be entered into a priesthood. Particularly "thuggy" ogrillon, or those who hang around "a bad crowd" may end up as rogues in Mjinte's thieving guild. Likewise, ogrillon showing certain aptitudes may end up as sorcerors, warlocks, etc. - even wizards, though it is exceptionally rare.

Ogrillon Stats

Ability Adjustments: +2 Stength, -2 Intelligence

Large Size: Ogrillon are considered a size Large creature. As a consequence of their large size, ogrillon are able to carry substantially more than smaller characters; they receive a +30 Mule bonus. They are also able to wield two-handed weapons in one hand, and thus can dual-wield two-handed weapons, though they incur standard attack penalties if they do not have the Two-Weapon Fighting feat. (see the picture above)

Natural Weapons: Ogrillon gain the Weapon Proficiency: Creature Weapon feat as a bonus feat. Their fists count as slam attacks which do 1d6 damage each. These fists attacks can only be used when the ogrillon is unarmed. These natural attacks gains a +1 enhancement bonus for every five hit dice the ogrillon reaches; at 5th, 10th, 15th, and 20th level the ogrillon’s natural attacks gain a +1, +2, +3, and +4 enhancement bonus, respectively, out to a maximum of +5 at 25th level.

Darkvision: Ogrillon can see in the dark up to sixty feet.

Martial Ability: Ogrillon are taught to fight practically from birth, and get Weapon Proficiency: Simple as a bonus feat.

Favored Class: Barbarian.

Effective Character Level (ECL): 1

OOC Notes:

- Ogrillon in TKL are slightly different from the ones found in standard D&D. For example, ogrillon are born no matter whether the father is an ogre and the mother is an orc or vice versa (in some versions of D&D orogs or ogrillon are born depending on which parent is the father). Also, TKL ogrillon do not have armor plating or horns on their skin.



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