Races of Martapa Part 73

Dragon Society: Dragons live in caves and amass large amounts of treasure, though most of the treasure is really just presents from mortal friends they made through the years, which may or may not be worth a lot later on.  They love to collect magic the most, for magic fascinates all dragons.

Dragons mate for life with an undying sense of love for said mate.  They clutch every fifty or so years, with four to five dozen eggs laid at a time. They live with their children for nearly two decades, then those who survive find their own lairs.  (Survival rate is not good, so that is the reason for so many eggs.) They are in all sense immortal, though they can die from accidents and attacks just like any other being.

Dragons were lost to the mortal realm  a few decades before the War of the Gods.  When the Chosen were searching for the pieces of the Gift of the Gods they came upon Fire Flash, a baby dragon Targon, God of Magic, saved from the last dragon clutch hatched. A little known fact is that eight dragons are needed to open the Gate of the Gods.  So the remaining seven dragons were created by the Gift of the Gods by ripping a part of the souls of the Chosen from them.  These Dragons, the Gate Dragons, began the dragons of Martapa once more.

Races of Martapa Part 72

Dragon Descriptions: Dragons are the oldest of the monstrous intelligent races.  They were created by Sarjon and Catiana and are the symbols of justice.  At least that is what they should be. Dragons are huge beings, as long in body as 20 draft horses, with tails and wingspans to match.  They come with or without horns, in many colors and differ in attitudes as much as any human might.  But because they are so large they have the ability to shape shift into any other humanoid or animal form they wish. This is painful and melds what ever equipment they have on them into their body.

Dragons can breath fire, are immune to most magic, can cast magic in limited amounts and obviously they can fly.  They help those who would maintain the Balance, though there are some dragons who go their own way.  (This is why they SHOULD NOT be used as a player character race...they would very much unbalance your campaign.)

Races of Martapa Part 71

Skieg Names:  Skieg names depend really on where they are from. If they are around humans, they tend to have more human names.  If they live in skieg enclaves then they are more likely to have names that refer to engineering type objects, such as "Torque" or "Crescent".  If they are taken by ogres they take a primitive type name, mostly to confuse the ogres, since most ogres can't tell skiegs apart.

Races of Martapa Part 70

Skieg Adventures: To use the Skieg race, I would take your base monster goblin race and give a bonus to Intelligence and Wisdom, but take from Strength and Constitution.  They make good thieves, mages, and priests.  Also, if you have a class in your system which is good at tinkering, these would be a good race for this.  If engineering is a skill/proficiency give them to Skiegs for free.  If you do this, though, weapon proficiency/skills should cost double, since they use their brains more then bronze.

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.

Races of Martapa Part 62

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.

Races of Martapa Part 60

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.

Races of Martapa Part 59

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.

Races of Martapa Part 57

Minotaur Society: Minotaur families are very patriarchal, but women have important rolls in society as well.  (If you haven't noticed I have a very sexist free world here, for some reason.  Not to say there aren't pockets of sexism....)  Houses usually have only a single family in them as well as any apprentices.  Blacksmithing is very important and blacksmiths are revered by the minotaurs, and their skills are only rivaled by dwarves.  To harm a blacksmith is a heinous crime.  Same goes for healers.  Healing is usually a female dominated career and blacksmithing is usually a male career, though either sex can do either.

Minotaurs are so adapted to serving a certain sect of humans they have adopted a lot of their city lay outs and thus live in very orderly cities of wooden and stone buildings.  Minotaurs live to around 60 years and have a single child about ever 5 years once they are married and have come of age.

Races of Martapa Part 56

Minotaur Description: Minotaurs stand around six and a half foot tall with broad shoulders and fury.  They bare a cow head, males having large horns, females having small ones.  They have cloven hooves and legs which are joined like the back legs of a cow.  Their fur color and patterns can vary just as widely as real cattle, so be creative.  To add character I would also pick the direction and conditions of the minotaur's horns.

Minotaurs wear clothes similar to humans since they are around humans so much.  They prefer two handed axes or swords, but single handed weapons and shields are not unheard.  Minotaurs are people of their word and one their word is given it is a deal which will be followed through on.  Unfortunately, for the last three thousand years or so they have been used, and used badly, by the Black wizards of Shaniko and so the other races outright hate them.  They are codependent upon the Wizards because they have given up so many aspects of an agricultural life to train in the martial.

Races of Martapa Part 55

Half Elf Names: Half elf names really depend on where they were raised.  If they were raised in an elven community, they will have elven names.  If they were raised in a human community they will have human names.  Often, if they are raised in a human settlement, the elven parent might very well give them an elven name as well.

Races of Martapa Part 54

Half-Elf Adventures: Half-elves are good in any class.  If they are raised by elves they most likely will be mages or rangers, while if they were raised by humans they will be warriors, mages or even thieves.  Allow the half-elf pick one good and bad stat from each parent. If they are raised by elves they may use bows as a free ability no matter their class.

Races of Martapa Part 53

Half-elf Religions and Alignments: Half-elves can follow any of the Gods, it just depends on how they are raised.  Most half-elves follow the Gods of Light and Neutrality, but they may follow Gods of the Dark.  Alignment can be anything from Lawful Good to Chaotic Evil, since their lives are so hard, being outside of society as they are.  Most are Chaotic Good or Neutral Good.