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𐰯𐰺𐰀𐰃𐰽𐰅 𐰽𐱃𐰅𐰯𐰯𐰅 - 𐰯𐰺𐰀𐰃𐰽𐰅 𐰢𐰆𐰍𐰢𐰀𐰺 𐰯𐰺𐰀𐰃𐰽𐰅 𐰢𐰆𐰍𐰢𐰀𐰺 - 𐰯𐰺𐰀𐰃𐰽𐰅 𐰽𐱃𐰅𐰯𐰯𐰅 ==[𝄞]== "HAZUK! MUGMAR WILLS IT!” - Bor’Ak Khan Overview & Origin The Men of Hazum are a barbaric and brutalistic Orcish people hailing from the now sunken Isle of Hazum, a distant land of mysterious fog, rolling hills and vast steppe. Tall and mighty, those of Hazuk’s Tribe are known to be greatly fond of food, often hosting great feasts to appease their great bellies and discuss important matters amongst their people. Lead by an often tyrannical Khan anointed and given power due to their pacted connection to Mugmar, Chief Spirit and Overdiety of the Hazumic Pantheon, thought to be the personification of their lost homeland itself. . . Originating as a small to medium warband under the command of Hazuk, a minor chieftain and warlord under the rule of Clan Rax in those elder days of yore, during the 1st Clan Wars. Hazuk was exceedingly tall, even for a Uruk of that bygone age of towering brutes, he and his tribe were said to be formidable foot-troops before a fateful battle, where-in they were banished to “The Farthest Point” by the dark spellcraft and corrupted shamanism of a hateful witchdoctor of Clan Dom. This “Farthest Point” was later to be called Hazum, named after their progenitor and former leader, posthumously named the first Khan by the now culturally distant tribe of Hazum, having been guided and culturally warped by Mugmar, a shamamic spirit who had incredible presence and power upon that forlorn island. Only after a terrible and mysterious series of events that caused the island to sink, did the tribe of Hazuk travel across the seas upon crude rafts to rejoin the main descendant host after so many years separated by the vast oceans of the world. [!] A depiction of the rolling hills of now sunken Hazum. Culture & Traits The Men of Hazum, often called “Hill Giants” by those who know them, are a tribalistic culture of traditionally pastoral nomads, farming and herding groups of imposing woolly mammoths around wherever they may dwell, even when settled. Orcish in nature, those of Hazuk’s Tribe are formidable warriors, often wielding great war clubs and hammers of incredible size and weight while lumbering into battle, brutally crushing and eliminating their foes without mercy. PHYSICAL CHARACTERISTICS Blood of Giants: Those of Hazum are exceedingly tall and strong, often and easily reaching the maximum of their respective Orcish Subraces, with Goblin-Kind being notably missing the from the Tribe of Hazuk, an abnormal amount of Ologs filling the ranks of Hazumite warbands and encampments. Men of Hazum have a habit growing out long and bushy beards, these starting out a dull black before somewhat quickly turning a greyish white, with elder Hill Giants often having facial hair that trails behind them, getting tangled and filled with small bits of food often. . . Honour of Hazuk: The Tribe of Hazuk, like all Orcs ought to be, are innately honourable, possessing strong moral compasses and cultural beliefs. A Man of Hazum would, for example, never harm a child or unarmed individual unless they are proven to be corrupted or directly hostile to the clan. Hill Giants are also known to be very loyal, when an oath is signed or a treaty brokered, it is expected to be upheld at all costs, even if such would harm the tribe as a whole, such oaths typically only forgotten if officially dissolved or considered null by both parties. Gullets of Iron: Men of Hazum possess famously strong appetites, able to eat and drink large amounts of food as well as beverages of all kinds, having impressive alcohol tolerances, even high for other Kin of Krug. The quality of what is consumed is often, sub-par or worse, being made of half-rotten scraps and bits of previously cooked meals - a prime of example of such being the infamous dish known as “Baggis”, a horrible amalgam of meat, vegetables, grain, and even fruit if available, these ingredients mushed up and mixed with coarse ground flour before being stuffed into a bag, either made of linen, wool, or even reeds and boiled till solidified and vaguely cooked, other examples of Hazumite dishes include “Everything Soup” and “Bone Marrow Ale”. . . Rage of the Betrayer: All of Orcish kind, despite the blessing of honour are always cursed with insatiable bloodlust and rage, such being exasperated by battle and the gaining of physical wounds, only to be calmed through the brutal and uncaring slaughter of living creatures, often fellow descendants if unlucky. This feeling of rage and hate burns within the hearts of the Men of Hazum likewise, growing in mental presence till eventually overpowering their minds, taking over less sated by killing and bloodshed. . . In this state, Men of Hazum lose their sense of strategy and comradery, fighting those who harmed them last, or if unlucky, the closest ally could even be attacked in barbaric rage. Only once battle had finished, lifeless bodies littering the floor, would they regain their normally honourable and often rather kind demeanour. CULTURAL CHARACTERISTICS Souls of the Steppe: After Hazuk and his tribe were banished to Hazum, they quickly settled upon the vast steppe that sprawled across that lost isle, there they learned the ways of the land, adapting and eventually becoming rather distinct to their mainland Orcish brethren. Those of Hazum are typically very intune with their surroundings, being aware of slight changes that most would not notice, this is not to say all Men of Hazum possess supernatural senses regarding the land, but rather that they pay close attention to things such as the seasons, crop growth, and the migration of animals. Hill Giants are typically very fond of their pet Mammoths, often considering them holy or blessed, only when a Mammoth is very ill or extremely elderly will they be butchered for food, with all known methods being used to help avoid such a sad happening. Zealous Warlords: Those of Hazuk’s Tribe are skilled in what weaponry they are traditionally used to, being suited to and very dangerous in combat when wielding heavy bludgeoning weapons such as clubs, hammers, and maces, and while they may be more average when using bladed or piercing weapons, their sheer strength is normally able to help greatly in such a disadvantage. Men of Hazum are almost always extremely pious to their spiritual gods, worshipping them with great zeal, while when in direct contact with them or their chosen shamanic “voices”, they would listen intently, following their orders to an impressive degree, often even willing to throw away their lives if asked to fight a unbeatable enemy for example. Prideful Savages: Men of Hazum are a primitive people, often wielding armour and weapons of bronze, crude iron, and kingstone rather than those of refined steel. Traditionally nomadic pastoralists, Hazumite farming activities are often small and short-term, with more effort being put into livestock and raiding for supplies if near a hostile populated area. Hill Giants, often prideful and stubborn in nature, are slow to change in opinion or belief, being set in their ways and the ways of their ancestors, gods, and living elders, this sense of pride can at times, lead to disagreements with those other peoples they interact with, the Men of Hazum being unwilling to compromise on much, if anything when discussing treaties, pacts, or agreements. Brutal Theocrats: Hill Giants are very, very pious in their beliefs and worship of their Pantheon, these actions of praise often leading to extremism and ritual sacrifices, with such usually being animal in nature, though enemy descendants are not uncommon to be slain upon the altar in the name of the gods as well. . . if a Man of Hazum’s faith is challenged or insulted, it is to be expected that they will react angrily at best, or very, very violently at worst, many a foolish traveller having their heads bashed from their body for the unknowing insult of Mugmar and his divine children. Important Deities & Figures MUGMAR: THE TITAN OF HAZUM The central deity of The Hazumic Pantheon, Mugmar is thought of as the living personification of Hazum itself, and though going silent after the sinking of Hazum beneath the waves, the Spirit of Rolling Hills & Towering Stone has since reawakened during the rule of Bor’Ak Khan, Warlord of the Eastern Marches of Koyo-Kuni, once more praised alongside his children. HAZUK: THE FIRST KHAN Once a great warrior and warlord under the leadership of the venerable Orcish Clan of Rax, Hazuk and his small splinter clan were formidable combatants during the 1st Clan Wars between Rax, Dom, and Gorkil before being banished to what would later be called Hazum by dark sorcery and corrupted shamanism, their name gone from mainstream Orcish history or culture, erased. . . Hazuk’s name, though remembered as an individual by those of Hazum, has also become something of an odd warcry, something to add to a sentence in zeal and fury. How to Join If you are interested in joining or making a Man of Hazum character or perhaps have questions about the culture, please send a message to norgeth_ on discord, I would be happy to help. Credits Norgeth_ - Primary Writer Titanium430 - Primary Review SimplySeo - Trait Formatting Template

Hear Ye, Hear Ye! It's Hugo, back with another creature lore for all you familiar-seeking adventurers! First the Hermit Spiders, now something tastier! Let us begin! The Jormun Basilisk Starting out as a small creature, the Jormun Basilisk grows in size over a large span of time. Deceivingly intelligent creatures, they have the mind of a child, but the cold hearted cunning of all predators. Paired with a curious venom and a distinct hunting method, these are not your ordinary snakes. Excerpt of Jormun Calhart's diary, the 'discoverer' of this basilisk species: "Eight of Malin's Welcome- 1489 In all my travels, I have never seen such a creature. With the body of a serpent, the head of some twisted dragon and the size of an ungodly kraken limb, these snakes are a deadly foe! My expedition crew and myself encountered them beneath the quiet canopy of the Fiandria forest, when researching the ancient elven stone tucked away in said area. I know not how many there were, for t'was dark, and the fear of being eaten prevented me from gazing too close at the open maws of these beasts, but I would say that my men were eaten by a pair of these...things. We managed to retreat into a hollow formed by the roots of one of the mighty trees. One of the men, who was bitten, was dragged back with us, but he appeared to be in horrendous pain and suffering from illusions. We tied him down and waited out the night, drowned by his screaming. I have taken it upon myself to name these creatures 'Jormun Basilisks'. I might not be an elf, but I will be immortalised in time nonetheless! May my children and children's children remember this. Ninth of Malin's Welome- 1489 The man was fine by this morning. His senses had returned, but he was still skittish. We left without him, as his limbs did not obey his command, and we pressed further into the ruins. There seems to be an odd force coming from beyond the thick wall of vines. My men, what remains of them, all wish to return home. I cannot deny them of this wish, and I promised them that we shall return by the next day. I caught a glimpse of one of the two basilisks. For a while, I had thought its head to be a rock, far off in the distance, but a rock does not have piercing eyes and a snake body attached. We leave by tomorrow. I have no wish to be made snake food, and I ordered my men to keep watch through the night." Anatomy of the Jormun Basilisk A large creature with the head of a dragon-like creature and the body of a snake. It comes in dull, dark colours, ranging from grey to beige, but the head can occasionally contain a bright streak of colours. The creature, when newly hatched, is about the size of two forefingers in length, and the width of a thumb in breadth. A year down the line, and they will have grown to the size of a meter rule, with the width of a well-built arm. Two years later, one is dealing with a snake the size of a python, and it only gets bigger. By five years of age, a Jormun Basilisk is large enough to fill a small bedroom, if coiled, and are sexually ready for reproduction. On the seventh year, the beast's growth slows down. The largest a Jormun Basilisk can get is about the size of a modern day bus (in length; 43 feet long), and this will be on the twentieth to thirtieth year. They live up to seventy years old, and reproduce sparingly (once every ten years). The teeth of the basilisk, of which there are usually one hundred, are mostly solid, except twelve, which are split fairly between top and bottom. These fangs are hollow, are found near the middle-front of the mouth, and contain a toxin that causes gradual muscle failure and the over-activation of the amygdala gland (the glad in the human body responsible for fear). The venom, once in the brain, causes the affected to suffer from bouts of panic, as well as hallucinations (oftentimes associated with their greatest fear). Whilst the venom does not kill the bitten person, they shall experience muscle failure symptoms within the first few seconds, and will be unable to move within a day. The effects wear off by the next day. The Jormun Basilisk is born with all the teeth it needs, as well as venom. Behaviour of the Jormun Basilisk With the intelligence of a child, the basilisks are not stupid. They have the ability to learn just as every human child can, and they can comprehend a basic language.The behaviour of this creature is unique in that they only hunt in pairs of male and female, and reproduce once every ten years, with a grand total of exactly three eggs, each time. There are always males and females in each batch, with the entire batch made up of one sex being impossible. Due to the sparse breeding of these creatures, it is not unusual for basilisks from the same batch to pair up as hunting and mating partners. A jormun basilisk feeds on all creatures that it believes can be eaten; including things bigger than itself. It rips the flesh of the creature due to the fact that, unlike conventional snakes, its jaw cannot unhinge. Any prey larger than its throat has to be torn into bite-sized chunks in order to be eaten. This includes any descendants foolish enough to attempt to tame these gigantic creatures. Red Lines: -The Jormun Basilisk can only be RPed by the Event Team. -The poison is not deadly or inhibiting, at first. It takes a while for the muscles to temporarily shut down, and a person might actually fight against their fear instead of flee from it. Expect anything. -No more than four at a time, please. I don't want these creatures to be used for any random event. The Mara Basilisk Smaller in size, more docile and accepting of the tamer's hand, and packed with a more potent venom, the Mara Basilisk is the little cousin of the mighty Jormun Basilisk. The anatomy of the creature is nearly identical to that of the Jormun Basilisk (obviously, with a smaller size), yet the scales of this particular snake are quite different. Due to being smaller and less imposing, this breed of basilisk has scales that can shift colour to match its surroundings. As with chameleons, there is usually a default colour, but they are capable of shifting at will; albeit within the span of half a minute. As for the size of a Mara Basilisk; they grow as large as a python, but do not suffer from the lethargy that a python does. They are thicker, have a stronger bite, and cannot detach their jaws, just as their bigger cousins, the Jormun Basilisks. The growth and reproduction of the Mara Basilisks is exactly the same as that of the Jormun creatures. As for the poison; the venom is faster acting in terms of reaching the brain, and the muscle paralysis is faster at taking affect. That being said, they only have enough venom to poison two creatures. It is possible to tame these creatures, but some prerequisites must be met beforehand; 1) They are taken into care as eggs, and the master-to-be speaks very often around these eggs. 2) You guessed it; they must be in a male-female pair. If not, they shall only obey the master until the fifth year. After that, it shall leave to find a mate. 3) They are fed often, and not left in a confined space. You won't keep it in any single space for long, and it is likely to follow you wherever you go. Red Lines: -You must RP getting the beast some food at least twice a month. -The poison is strong, but not strong enough to cause heart failure. -No more than six at one time.

This is copied straight from a google doc I passed to an ET a few months ago, but since I never really heard back from him and he's now left the team I thought I'd post it here for consideration. Event Planners, MC Names: Me, I suppose. Although this is one for the ETs/GMs certainly. Event Type: Global event. Event Date: Up to the ETs. Factions/Nations effected by the event: Any, potentially all. Event Location: Entire map. Summary: Every few IRL days for several weeks a giant will make its way across the map, from one side to the other, starting in the MC-generated wilds in the north, through the world-painted areas and into the MC-generated south. If they are not interfered with they will simply travel across the map and disappear. But if they are interfered with (e.g. attacked), depending on the giant, they may retaliate with devastating consequences. The giants will make their way in meandering or straight paths across the world, leaving the landscape changed in their wake, with the ground they walk on depressed into the earth or splintered if rock. Some will not care if mountains, hills or forests in their way and simply walk through them - leaving holes in mountains and cities alike. These creatures are not inherently violent - although they may become ‘curious’ if mortals or other beings prevent their Wandering. Potentially, if undisturbed they could pass from north to south quite peacefully and never bother people. Elementals - Ever so often one of these giants may be an elemental. Elemental giant ideas are as follows: Frost Giant - A lumbering creature of snow and ice but recognisably humanoid, with burning blue fire for eyes. Leaves the land it walks on snowy with icy stalagmites reaching up from where its feet step. If attacked and survives the initial attack it will travel to snowy areas to regenerate. Trail name: ‘The Frozen Scar’ Rock Giant - A massive creature resembling a golem, but rougher - not constructed, looks like a single piece of rock moving, with hollow stoney pits for eyes. Leaves an effect similar to generic flesh and bone giants but rips up the ground more and leaves boulders strewn around ever so often on the path. If attacked and survives the initial attack it will ‘eat’ a chunk of mountain to regain lost mass - possibly leading to an event where the ‘bite mark’ reveals a large deposit of diamond ore to be fought over by nearby parties. Trail name: ‘The Desolate Scar’ Fire Giant - A massive flaming figure with smouldering cinders for eyes. Leaves burned trees and charred land in its wake as well as the usual giant effect. If it passes through a forest it will cause a forest fire - possibly leading to a fire fighting event. Again, like its counterparts it is not inherently aggressive but this giant has far more potential for damage due to its burning effects. If attacked and survives the initial attack it will travel to areas of lava to reignite its flames. Trail name ‘The Charred Scar’ Concept Images/Screenshots Other Information: None really aside from that the ET are welcome to alter this idea in any way they feel best. Do you need the Event Team's assistance?: Most definitely. If so, do you require actors and/or builders?: Both. Actors to play the giants - easily done using mob disguise's giant zombie. I believe Zarsies or someone else did a frost giant like creature using carefully done world editing and building a giant out of ice and snow blocks, but if these things are going to walk from one end of the world to another the giant zombie idea might work better. If the giants are waylaid, say be an army stopping them or by coming across a town it might be better for cinematic reasons to build a giant then. Builders will be needed to follow the giant actors and create their scars as they walk from one end of the world to another as well as edit in any necessary destruction.