Urgoth (3.5e Race)
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Urgothi[edit]
Roaming the plains as nomads are the urgothi, who claim to be children of Etugan, better known as Grumbar. They were wooden horse toys that were given life by the female aspect of the god and put on the level of sapience of humans and bodies of flesh. The urgothi are a haughty and proud people, seeing themselves as better than the barbarian Tuigan who roam the Plains of Horses. They are perhaps an outlier, for sure, due to their pacifist lifestyle which juxtaposes from the war-like invader tendencies of the other Plains tribes. While they do not seek battle or conquest, they are known for being able to utilize magic and supernatural power drawn from nature and their worship of Etugan and Eldath. Using these formidable powers, they strike violently at those who encroach upon their way of life.
Personality[edit]
Seeing themselves as intellectually superior to most of their neighbors within the Plains of Horses, the urgothi are insufferably eager to express this intelligence. They are indeed highly knowledgeable and avoid physical conflict as a result, but they can be a bit pushy about their know-it-all status. Always looking to further their intellect, urgothi are voracious learners, but they are solitary in doing so. Their pride will usually prevent them from asking others how something is done, and they usually try to learn on their own via trial and error. Asking for help is seen as either lazy or showing inadequacy in the mental department. As such, urgothi are very stubborn about their mental achievements and how to go about it in an independent way. This stubbornness in refusing to ask for help can drive an urgoth to obscene lengths, particularly within those that are especially prideful. Pridefulness in an urgoth is ever-present, but urgothi in higher ranks of their tribes tend to be even more arrogant than their juniors. It is often these lower caste urgothi who break away from their tribes, seeking lives away from their snobby superiors. This act is akin to exile and is considered shameful As such, while stubborn, there are circumstances which can motivate an urgoth to rebel against their own pride.
Physical Description[edit]
Urgothi can be described roughly as humanoids with equine features, like a long, pointed head, a long, thick neck, and hooves for feet. Their neck is covered in a sort of mane that vaguely resembles that of an artistic lion. Their heads end with a snout similar to that of a dragon. Male urgothi can grow up to two pairs of curled ram horns behind their ears. Females lack this trait entirely. Urgothi have prehensile human-like hands with six fingers instead of five. Their entire bodies are covered with a thin hide, like that of a shaggy horse. This hide is different in texture from their curly mane. Female urgothi have a short tail, resembling a deer's, while males have longer ones with a tuft, like that of a donkey tail.
Urgothi pride is pronounced through their fashion, which is close to nothing. For urgothi, only the powerful can be nude, as their bodies exude a status that cannot be concealed behind clothing. Superior urgothi will usually walk around their communities almost entirely naked, save for small bits of adorning jewelry to accent their proud stature. Middle-caste urgothi may wear loin cloths, skirts, and headdresses. Lesser urgothi are required to cover up even more as a result, with exiles often dressed in obscuring shawls that cover their entire bodies. This is meant to shield their shame from the world for their lesser selves.
Relations[edit]
Living within the plains, urgothi interact mostly with the Tuigan tribes that also roam the plains as nomads on their horses. Urgothi do perform trade with them, but they are largely isolated in their own communities and self-superiority. They are knowledgeable of races beyond the plains, though they often care not to engage unless they actually cross paths. Harboring an innate superiority complex over peoples they deem "barbaric," urgothi find belligerent races like orcs and other warrior types to be dull and stupid. While they are pacifists, urgothi are more than likely to provoke attack with their haughty attitude from these groups. Their superiority can feel threatened by races like eladrin, who are known as higher elves. As such, they avoid interaction with them. Urgothi are avid traders and diplomats on all fronts, but they keep a strict line about for when it comes to who they like. They may do business with someone, but the relation does not go any deeper than that.
Alignment[edit]
The freedom of the equines who race across the Plains is not lost on the urgothi, who were made from toys in their likeness. However, the pride and structure of urgothi society limit this. Upper-class urgothi are the ones most viable to be allowed to act as they please short of fatal abuse or murder. This leaves a lot of leeway for exploitation and other mistreatment. However, it is believed to be akin to birthright. As such, high class urgothi will often be much more chaotic than the reserved lower classmen, who are restricted from many freedoms due to their positions in life. However, due to even the lowest urgothi possessing enough pride to fill a lake, they will rarely ever admit they are suffering openly. These are not laws in place as much as it is simply a culture deriving from their natural pride. Urgothi are actually rarely lawful, usually being either neutral or chaotic. On morality, they are loath to associate with acts of extreme good or evil, as, to them, there is largely only skill and power. However, this in and of itself makes them a bit evil and self-serving. That is not to say there aren't chaotic do-gooders in urgoth society, but their pride and hierarchy will often bring out the worst impulses, rather than the best.
Lands[edit]
The urgothi are drawn to lands mirroring that of the Plains of Horses. As such, few urgothi ever ventured off their land of birth. Some urgothi, presumably of an exiled cutoff from the original, divine creation, have been seen within similar environments. The Plain of Horses was grassy and not too arid or moist, which is what urgothi prefer. They therefore avoid overly dry places like the Anauroch Desert. There are some exile urgothi living among the Sludar mongrelmen in the Plains of Purple Dust, where they are much more willing to work as a team with their new kindred allies. A small clan of urgothi is known to inhabit the old Green Land from the Unther Empire, now dragonborn territory. For the most part, urgothi have stuck to the Plain of Horses, where they live alongside the barbarians, nomads, and merchant routes that crisscross the land. While they are insufferable neighbors, the urgothi are known to be very good tenders of grass and are known to be avid guardians of the Plain's health.
Religion[edit]
While being made by divine hands, urgothi claim to have been made "free." They are like the free horses that roam the plains, not fearing or knowing of deific powers that lie above or beyond the mortal life. They are spiritual, but most of urgothi culture is actually secular. They acknowledge their creation as a divine interference and just treat it as an event in history. To them, being god-made is nothing special, as everything was made by deities or equivalents. Instead, what makes them truly deserving of their prideful nature is what they do themselves. Such a go-it-alone attitude sometimes seems almost blasphemous, but this is more or less accepted among fellows who worship Grumbar. the great earth elemental was a silent one, after all. In some vein, the life urgothi live is perhaps what was their purpose from creation, turning from stagnant toys into living creatures. As such, on the spiritual argument, living as they were free to is a great expression of gratitude and celebration of their creator's intentions.
Language[edit]
Urgothi are avid to learn languages of other races, primarily so they can show off their communication and diplomacy skills. Because of their primary location within the Plains, they do not have too much contact with races like orcs and elves. They are better versed in languages which merchants use when crossing through the Plains' trade routes, like Shou and Wa languages. Some of the exiles who travel abroad do receive this exposure, in addition to that of many other races. They then usually take to learning all of this. Within their origin continent, urgoths are proficient in a wide range of languages based on their lands. Those who reside within the nation of dragonborn usually learn their Draconic tongue, for example. The primary body of urgothi have a longstanding use and understanding of Common and the entire family of Imaskari languages. They often interacted with speakers of language within the Imaskari, like Tuigan and Durpari.
Names[edit]
Most urgothi names are esoteric, with a minimum of three parts and up to three syllables each. The original urgothi tongue was actually within the Imaskari languages before they absorbed a plethora of other linguistic traditions and habits. The first syllable of the urgothi name is usually that of an adjective, followed by a portion, usually the latter half, of their tribe name. Most urgothi share the same tribe name due to the majority of their race being from the same tribe in the Plains, but some others do exist. The second part of their name is their own unique moniker. Higher ranking urgothi are allowed to have a sort of title instead of a typical name here, while lower ranking urgothi usually have a simple name akin to that of a pet. The last part of an urgothi name is actually an infinitive form of a verb, usually. The meaning and method of this last part is part of a naming scheme unique to the urgoth's parents. The thought behind it is often convoluted and is what makes the most esoteric part of urgothi names. Other than these three parts, urgothi can have additional add-ons to their names that are the form of titles, but given by others. When speaking to a high class urgothi, for example, one might add a reverent title to their name, creating the fourth portion. This then becomes the unique address from that person, as everyone's perceptions may differ. Conversely, for lower-ranks, one can attach something diminutive or demeaning to the lower urgoth. It is considered extremely taboo to refer to someone with a title inappropriate of their rank in public, though you can curse someone out as much as you want in your own home. Calling a higher urgoth something like "street cleaner" might earn one a mandatory duel with the offended party or even worse punishment.
Adjective: Ej (Quick), Al (Strong), Boon (Smart), Lak (Small)
Tribe Name: Dako (Plains tribe), Elni (Dragon tribe), Ife (Lost tribe), Rasa (No tribe/Exile)
Moniker: Dazuk, Ilram, Utam, Okrum, Atar
Verb: Jui (to sit), Kilej (to run), Uftal (to fight), Ghara (to fly)
Sample Additional Titles: Gharu (the Sky), Uftin (the Fighter), Jaboon (the Thinker), Anjui (the Servant)
Racial Traits[edit]
- +2 Intelligence, -2 Constitution. Urgothi may have been made in the image of horses, but their dedication to their own intellectual development and overbearing attitudes has actually made them relatively less sturdy than they would have been.
- Monstrous Humanoid. Urgothi are humanoid in shape, but possess a smattering of animalistic properties.
- Medium: As Medium creatures, urgothi have no special bonuses or penalties due to their size.
- Urgoth base land speed is 30 feet.
- Darkvision out to 60 feet.
- +2 racial bonus to Listen and Spot checks.
- Weapon and Armor Proficiency: An urgoth is proficient in all light armor and simple weapons.
- +2 racial saving throw bonus against enchantment spells or effects.
- Automatic Languages: Common. Bonus Languages: Draconic, Elvish, or Sylvan.
- Favored Class: Wizard. A multiclass urgoth’s wizard class does not count when determining whether she takes an experience point penalty for multiclassing.
- Level Adjustment: +0
Vital Statistics[edit]
| Adulthood | Simple | Moderate | Complex |
|---|---|---|---|
| 17 years | + 1d12 | + 1d6 | + 1d4 |
| Middle Age1 | Old2 | Venerable3 | Maximum Age | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 40 years | 65 years | 80 years | 100 years | |
| ||||
| Gender | Base Height | Height Modifier | Base Weight | Weight Modifier |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Male | 6' 0" | +1d4 | 235 lb. | × ( +2d10 ) lb. |
| Female | 6' 0" | +1d4 | 220 lb. | × (+2d8) lb. |
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