Races of Martapa Part 69

Skieg Relations: Skiegs don't really get along with other races, but they don't go out of their way to avoid other races, except, perhaps ogres.  They will try to swindle anyone they can, if they think they can make a buck.  They are willing to work for anyone, as long as the money is right.  Dwarves and the skiegs get along the least, (minus ogres), since they try to fill the same market areas.

Races of Martapa Part 68

Skieg Society: Skiegs have numerous offspring, but the family is very close.  Usually a clan of skiegs are all related in one way or another, the women usually moving to their husband's clan when marriage occurs.  They live for about forty years, having six to a dozen children.  Children are raised to think, but are also trained with small arms to protect themselves.

When not bullied by ogres they live in small farm villages with blacksmiths and workshops. Though not as talented as minoutars and dwarves with blacksmithing, they are very crafty and have created a lot of conveniences which magic can not do.  They live mostly in the eastern part of Taina and southern part of Ariella.

Races of Martapa Part 67

Skieg Description: Skiegs are equivalent to most goblin races, at least in appearance. They are around three fete in height, are green with bulbous noses, large ears and stubby fingers. They dress in fine clothing, carry daggers or short swords, and have sparse, black hair. Men usually wear their hair short, woman as long as they can. They speak in cultured tones and are exceptionally smart.  Often they are engineers or accountants, depending where they are. There are skiegs who are ruled by ogres who don't seem to be that bright, but they have learned not to appear smarter then their masters.

Races of Martapa Part 66

Ogre Names: Ogre names tend to be short, one or two syllable sounds, such as "Grog" or "Tarn".  Half-ogres may have more ogre names and ogres that hire on with humans may have more human names.  There are  no last names, though if an ogre who is proud of his son, he may allow his son to call himself "Grog son of Tarn", as an example.

Races of Martapa Part 65

Ogre Adventures:  I would think hard on letting someone play an ogre.  They are evil and could over balance a campaign.  Saying this, give them a bonus to Strength and Constitution, with a big hit to Intellect and Charisma.  They should get the spear proficiency for free.  Languages should cost twice as much.  Half Ogres should get a bonus to Strength and Constitution, but at half.  Same with losing Intellect and Charisma.  Fighters, or fighter classes, are about all they are good at.

Races of Martapa Part 64

Ogres Relations: Ogres do not get along with any of the other races, but bully everyone.  They usually keep skiegs, (my version of goblins), as slaves.  They think everyone is below them, yet everyone thinks they are better then them, so ogres have to beat them into place.  They especially don't like Akicitia and Minotuars since at one point, when they were talented and smart and ruled most of eastern Taina, they kept them as slaves and both Akicitia and Minotuars try to kill them on sight.

Races of Martapa Part 63

Ogre Society: Their language is halting and they do not have a written language. They have little technical ability so they usually use sledges or rickety carts to move things unless they have stolen a cart or wagon. Same goes for much of the other things humans would take for granted.

Ogres breed like rabbits.  Once one is born the next one is in the oven.  Because of this, though, they have shorter life spans, maybe forty years if they are lucky. There is no family structure.  The make takes no part in raising the children, though he'll take credit if his son does something impressive, and often rival males might come into a camp and kill the offspring and steal the women.

They live in mud and grass huts in crude villages with wooden fences.  They keep wolves for pets. They do not plant crops but hunt and raid.

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Ogre Descriptions: Ogres are huge creatures close to seven foot tall and shoulders to match. Their skin is green in color, ranging from light to super dark green.  Hair is black and rarely a different color.  Their eyes are small, almost beady and usually black in color, though brown is not unheard of.  They are very strong, able to lift twice their body weight without breaking a sweat. Even the young are incredibly strong and thus deadly. Their noses are bulbous, their jaw and brow jutting out just a bit.  Their ears are tapered, but large.

They wear simple clothes if they make such items themselves, usually made out of leather and cloth, sometimes mixed. Sometimes their clothes are of better quality if they have been made for them by other races. They scavenge weapons and armor pieces, so they never match unless the ogre in question has been hired by some other race for protection.

Races of Martapa Part 61

Minotaur Names: Minotaur names are distinct.  They are in the old tongue, used very little by the minotaurs, since they communicate a lot with humans.  Names often mean something like "Strong One" or "Curled Horns".  Using Greek or Roman names or even Latin, would be good.  Or you can string together your own names.  I like Vetch'doran, a name I just strung together, as an example.

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Minotaur Adventures: Minotaurs make good warriors and paladins.  This isn't to say they can't be the other classes, but this is what the minotuars, as a race, train for.  I would give them a +2 to strength and constitution, while taking a -2 to wisdom and dexterity.  They should have direction sense (or the equivalent) and gain a rank every level in this, since they never get lost in a maze.  Also blacksmithing should be free to those who would like it and two handed axes, axes and any weapon that might be an axe should be available to them for free.

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Minotaur Religion and Alignment: Minotaurs are always some sort of lawful, though they can be lawful good to lawful evil.  Most are lawful neutral.  They follow Catiana and Sarjon, along with Taniger.  Taniger, though is the most revered, for he is the God of Blacksmithing.  They will not follow dark gods, even when they are lawful evil in alignment.