Hextor Races

The Buereks

The Buereks are renowned for their unparalleled ferocity on the battlefield. Preferring warhammers and maces as their weapons of choice, they take great pleasure in the din of snapping bones and the carnage of close combat. Their worldview is shaped by a belief that the world is a dream, and all things that die return to the source to be reformed into new images. According to their creed, the more glory one accumulates in life, the higher the form they achieve in the next incarnation. Deference is bestowed upon those who have demonstrated their worth through actions, while flowery words are seen as a sign of weakness.

Battle Practices and Rituals

The Buereks do not collect trophies from their fallen enemies. Instead, they consume them, believing that ingesting their foes will imbue them with the strengths and abilities they admired. Tribal shamans claim to gain knowledge from the dead by devouring their tissues and using intestines to divine looming omens. The Buereks are infamous for capturing enemies and employing brutal torture, to the extent that many prefer death or suicide over falling into their hands. They erect large, intricately carved totems to impale their foes alive, serving as a grisly warning to all who enter their territory.

Social Structure and Matrimony

Buerek society is matriarchal, with women comprising the bulk of their formidable soldiers while men handle more mundane affairs. Marriage among the Buereks is initiated through a primal sexual act, so intense that scholars attempting to document it can never maintain their focus. Their reverence for might has made them ideal warriors, and all females of age are conscripted into the Fathomless Expanse military.

Relationships are dictated by the women and formalized through contracts inscribed in blood on their backs. This practice ensures that losing the agreement releases their mates from any claims to the family's bounty. The Buereks have a natural affinity for air magic, which they use to enhance their combat prowess and rituals.

Worship and Cultural Practices

The Buereks worship the Grand Strategist, an entity they regard as the embodiment of war itself. This veneration shapes their culture and their relentless pursuit of martial excellence. Their history is preserved through oral tradition and throat singing, recounting the deeds of their warriors and the few non-Buerek individuals worthy of note.

Every dispute and battle is seen as bringing them closer to embodying the great tactician. This belief was solidified after Florentina Jorgenskull, a masterful military leader, butchered their war chiefs and established herself as the dominant warrior, leading the Buereks north to reside in the Hextor, a necrotic swamp.

Current Status and Living Conditions

The Buereks now thrive in the Hextor, a harsh environment that suits their rugged and relentless nature. Their settlement is marked by totems of impaled foes and the constant presence of their muscular warriors, ready to defend their territory and honor. Despite the grisly aspects of their culture, the Buereks' commitment to their beliefs and their fierce dedication to the Grand Strategist continue to shape them as a formidable and feared race within the realm.

The Centaurs

Centaurs are formidable creatures that roam the murky depths of the swamp, known for their fierce nature and affinity for competition. Even in times of relative peace, they engage in mock battles to test their strength and warrior skills, constantly honing themselves for the next challenge. Settling in the bog following Lyra and Florentina's takeover, they are fiercely loyal to the new regime, viewing ambivalence as a catalyst to purge weakness and empower the whole.

Artisans and Warriors

Centaurs are masterful artisans, known for their craftsmanship and skill in forging their signature glaives. They believe that a centaur's glaive is a manifestation of their spirit, and the shattering of one's weapon symbolizes a loss of dominance. Raised from a young age to be living weapons, they hold the belief that the realm belongs to the strong, instilling a relentless drive for strength and power.

Honor and Tradition

Despite their ferocity, centaurs have a rich history passed down through oral tradition and throat singing, preserving legends and myths within their culture. While they possess a sense of honor, it is not chivalrous but rather grounded in the idea that what is earned is one's birthright.

Social Structure and Marriage

Marriage among centaurs often serves political purposes, forging bonds between communities for strategic alliances. The average centaur rarely settles down, preferring to raise children to join their growing army. Those who wed for alliance purposes are seen as making a sacrifice, as the nomadic lifestyle instills a philosophy that such anchors impair personal freedom.

Economy and Labor

Centaurs excel in farming and smithing, with those deemed unworthy of combat tasked with agricultural labor to feed the forces. Attacking those facilitating vital functions is considered a grave offense, punishable by brutal retribution.

War Drums and Cavalry

Few sights inspire terror like the thunderous war drums of the centaurs, followed by their throat songs and stampeding cavalry that shake the very foundations of the planet. They are formidable warriors, deeply entrenched in their belief that strength and power are the keys to dominance in their world.

The Pigma

The Pigma, renowned for their prodigious strength and resilience, are an indomitable race of pigmen/orcs. Celebrated for their prowess in both melee and ranged combat, they are also highly adept in various crafts, including metalwork and construction. Pigma society extols the virtues of strength and loyalty, and they are fierce custodians of their territory.

Hunters and Territorial Defenders

As consummate hunters, the Pigma excel in tracking and capturing prey, ensuring their community's sustenance and security. Their society is predicated on a foundation of strength and unity, with each member playing a pivotal role in maintaining the safety and prosperity of their dominion. Whether wielding formidable axes in close combat or expertly handling bows and crossbows from afar, Pigma warriors are a force to be reckoned with on the battlefield.

Craftsmanship and Construction

In addition to their martial prowess, the Pigma are renowned for their craftsmanship. Their metalwork and construction skills are unparalleled, with blacksmiths forging potent weapons and armor, while builders construct robust fortifications and dwellings. These crafts are meticulously passed down through generations, with each new cohort refining their skills to an exquisite degree.

Spiritual Beliefs and Worldview

The Pigma harbor a profound spiritual belief that all life is interconnected, akin to the roots of a colossal tree entwining to form a collective consciousness. This belief engenders a sense of unity and purpose within their society, as they perceive themselves as integral components of a larger, interconnected web of existence. This worldview influences their approach to life, emphasizing harmony with nature and the significance of each individual's role within the community.

Vocational Sorting and Social Structure

From a tender age, Pigma are sorted into various vocations based on their abilities and proclivities. Some become warriors, others craftsmen, and still others assume roles as spiritual leaders or hunters. This system ensures that each member of Pigma society contributes to the collective well-being and that their unique strengths are harnessed to their fullest potential.

Cultural Quirks and Traditions

Pigma culture is rich with traditions and rituals that accentuate strength, loyalty, and community. They hold grand feasts to celebrate successful hunts and completed constructions, where sagas of valor and skill are shared. These gatherings fortify the bonds within the community and transmit the values and history of the Pigma people to younger generations.

Strategic Defenders and Allies

The Pigma's fierce defense of their territory has garnered them respect and alliances with neighboring races. They are known to forge strategic alliances with those who share their values of strength and loyalty, collaborating to protect their lands from external threats. This cooperative spirit extends to their craftsmanship, where they often trade their expertly crafted goods with allies.

Marriage and Social Structure

Marriage among the Pigma is a strategic alliance designed to unite houses and bolster both parties. These unions are predicated on mutual benefit and the consolidation of power, reinforcing the social structure and ensuring the continuity of robust bloodlines. The most influential families often arrange marriages to solidify their status and forge formidable alliances.

Might as Right

In Pigma culture, might is right. They regard conventional morality as an encumbrance and believe that true good and evil take time to manifest. They venerate power and strength above all else, perceiving these traits as the ultimate virtues. Pain is considered a necessary experience, a means for weakness to be expunged from the body. Conflict is viewed as beautiful, as essential to life as love. The Pigma regard struggle and pain as the crucibles through which true strength and character are forged.

Death and the Afterlife

Upon death, Pigma bodies are resurrected by their shamans to serve as sentinels, perpetually vigilant over the living. This practice ensures that even in death, they continue to safeguard their community. The bones of vanquished foes are collected, believed to be imbued with sacred energies, and utilized in rituals or as potent talismans.

Loyalty to the Grand Strategist

The Pigma are fiercely loyal to Florentina Jorgenskull, the Grand Strategist, who fulfilled the Mortetor prophecy. Florentina consumed the tainted heart of their dark deity, becoming the embodiment of war and conflict. This act solidified her position as their leader, guiding the Pigma with unparalleled wisdom and strength.

The Pigma's society, founded on strength, loyalty, and a profound reverence for the interconnectedness of life, stands as a testament to their resilience and unity. Their beliefs and traditions, centered around power and communal well-being, shape a culture that values every individual's contribution while preparing for the perpetual challenges of their world.

The Toadlin

The Toadlin, despite their fearsome reputation and often chilling appearance, possess several admirable qualities rooted in their unique adaptations and deep connection with their swampy environment.

Predator Prowess

First and foremost, the Toadlin are renowned for their predatory skills. Equipped with long tongues and powerful muscles, they are formidable hunters capable of overpowering even the most prepared adversaries. Their ability to strike with precision and efficiency speaks to their prowess in hunting and warfare, earning them a begrudging respect from those who encounter them.

Connection with Nature

Living within the swamplands, the Toadlin demonstrate a profound understanding of their environment. Their homes, crafted from mud and roots, reflect their adaptation to the challenges of their habitat. The ominous croaks emitted by the Toadlin serve as a warning to intruders, showcasing their territorial instincts and allowing other creatures to avoid confrontation by heeding their natural portent.

Resourcefulness and Adaptability

The Toadlin's use of corpse flies and leeches as pets highlights their ingenuity and resourcefulness. By leveraging these creatures' abilities, they gain tactical advantages in battle, overwhelming their foes with swarms of natural allies. Their practice of donning the skins of victims and incorporating swamp muck into their attire demonstrates a cunning approach to camouflage and survival, enabling them to blend seamlessly into their surroundings.

Unique Reproduction

Perhaps most intriguingly, the Toadlin's reproduction method, where their young sprout from their flesh and leap free to begin their development, showcases their resilience and adaptability as a species. While unsettling to outsiders, this method ensures the continuation of their lineage even in the harshest environments, underscoring their tenacity and evolutionary success.

Nihilistic Worldview

Despite their strengths and unique adaptations, the Toadlin's overarching worldview remains deeply nihilistic and pessimistic. They view life as a meaningless struggle against decay, valuing dominance as the primary currency in their society. This grim outlook isolates them further from other races and perpetuates their reputation as reclusive and enigmatic denizens of the swamp.

The Turzien

The Turzien are often misunderstood beings, depicted as dim-witted yet fiercely defending their territories within the necrotic swamplands. These shelled reptiles possess remarkable physical strength and valor on the battlefield, earning them respect and fear among those who encounter them.

Strategic Defenders and Toll Collectors

Known for defending ruins and bridges within the swamps, the Turzien demand resources as tolls for safe passage. They have formed a loyal alliance with Florentina Jorgenskull, whom they honor as the "Wise woman of the shell." Using giant leeches from the swamp as both weapons and detection systems, this recent union has fostered harmony with other bog dwellers who now fight under the same banner.

Vocational Sorting and Worldview

From a young age, Turzien hatchlings are sorted into primary vocations: warriors, spiritual leaders (politicians), or gatherers (alchemists). They view the world as a large shell supported by a giant log, with the moon seen as a big rock flung into the heavens. According to Turzien belief, the world will end when the sun is extinguished, leading to perpetual hibernation.

Cultural Quirks and Traditions

Due to their poor hearing, Turzien despise fast talkers, perceiving quick tongues as attempts to spread confusion for exploitation. They enjoy communing with the bog, often consuming hallucinogenic truffles during moments of introspection. Strangers lacking shells or chitin are referred to as "soft backs," a term used to categorize outsiders.

Romance and Family Structure

In Turzien romantic rituals, females test potential mates by striking their shells with a stick. If the echo pleases them, the female lays eggs on wet earth while males fertilize and safeguard them until hatching. Unfit or elderly Turzien work the fields, cultivating crops like pears, onions, and various vegetables for consumption or trade. Turzien merchants often wear monocles, a tradition inspired by the success of the Bovinites' dapper attire, believed to enhance their business prowess.

The Ysstmar

The Ysstmar, a proud reptilian race dwelling within the rugged mountains north of the swamplands, hold an unwavering contempt and disdain for outsiders, whom they view as meddlesome intruders unworthy of attention or respect. Led by chieftains selected based on genealogy or achievements within their current life cycle, the Ysstmar embrace a culture deeply rooted in cyclical beliefs and elemental reverence.

Elemental Symbolism and Cultural Beliefs

Central to Ysstmar culture is a reverence for the earth and fire, symbolizing the perpetual cycle of renewal and destruction that mirrors the rhythms of the jungle. They believe that pollution within their lineage has diluted their bloodline, necessitating repentance until their eggs contain enough yolk to guide them toward their ideal race iteration.

Marriage and Lineage

Marriage among the Ysstmar is deemed a privilege reserved for the strong and worthy. Weak individuals are forbidden from laying or fertilizing eggs, ensuring that only the strongest propagate the lineage. Deformed hatchlings are ruthlessly disposed of, their bodies smashed against rocks and discarded to preserve the perceived purity of the Ysstmar bloodline.

Rituals of Death and Honor

Meritorious individuals are honored through a grisly ritual wherein their carcasses are dismembered and roasted. The tribe consumes the severed limbs, hoping to absorb the strength and vitality of the deceased to bolster the weak and elevate the tribe.

Social Interactions and Traditions

When traveling on domesticated raptors, the Ysstmar view fallen victims with disdain, reserving recognition and respect for giants, toadlins, oni, and turzien. Others are treated with scorn until they prove their worthiness as "children of the swamp" in the eyes of the Ysstmar. This rigid adherence to beliefs and traditions underscores their isolationist stance, preserving their unique culture amidst the rugged mountains.

The Slarkreen

The Slarkreen are a formidable warrior race of ape-like humanoids who have made their homes atop towering trees. They prioritize strength and agility, using their brawn and acrobatic skills to dominate their treetop domain. Descending from their arboreal community primarily for hunting and gathering, the Slarkreen are known for their unique use of manure to create methane gas bombs infused with spiritual energy.

Arboreal Lifestyle

Living high above the forest floor, the Slarkreen navigate their treetop homes with remarkable agility. They traverse thin ropes connecting various trees, showcasing their acrobatic prowess. Their extremities are uniquely adapted for scaling trees, with toes that can coil around branches for secure footing.

Spiritual Beliefs

Upon death, a Slarkreen's body is reverently placed within hollow openings in their tree homes. They view the world as interconnected through intangible roots, emphasizing the importance of balance and reverence for all life forms. This spiritual outlook guides their interactions with the natural world and shapes their warrior ethos.

Code of Conduct

The Slarkreen hold a strict code of conduct centered around trust in one's senses. They permit certain behaviors like drug use and open fornication but fiercely punish crimes like theft with a severe consequence: those caught are thrown from the branches to their death. This punishment is seen as a way to purge the community of individuals deemed lacking in guile and subterfuge, essential qualities among the Slarkreen.

The Ophidianites

The Ophidianites are an exclusively female, serpentine race with rich brown to black skin and a crown of living snakes in place of hair. Each of these serpents symbolizes their deep connection to the land of Hextor, where they serve as stewards to the sacred flesh trees. These arboreal giants, with their blood-like sap, are considered living embodiments of the Great Serpent, a cosmic force symbolizing chaos and peace in eternal dance. The Ophidianites, devoted to this duality, believe their lives mirror the cycle of creation and destruction, an unbreakable loop that threads through the very essence of their being.

Arcane Masters

Gifted with unparalleled mastery of magic, the Ophidianites stand among the most powerful wizards, sorcerers, and necromancers in Hextor. Their arcane prowess is woven into the very fabric of their swampy homeland, drawing on the lifeblood of the realm’s red sap. Every spell, every incantation resonates with the pulse of the Great Serpent’s will. Their intimate connection to the mystical forces that govern the land has also made them fiercely loyal to the Grand Tactician, a legendary figure who sheltered their species during its fragile beginnings. Now, they serve her with undying reverence, blending magical aptitude with unwavering devotion.

Spiritual Beliefs and Death Rituals

The Ophidianites perceive death not as an end, but a return to the coiling embrace of the Great Serpent. Upon their passing, an Ophidianite’s body is transformed into a sacred sap that feeds the flesh trees, allowing their essence to nurture the land once more. In some instances, this sap is consumed by loved ones, creating an intimate and sacred bond that strengthens their spiritual connection to the cosmic cycle. This ritual of consumption is regarded as both an act of reverence and renewal, deepening their ties to the Great Serpent, whom they believe coils around the universe itself, binding all realities in its embrace.

Societal Structure and Marital Practices

Ophidianite society is a complex web of mystical exploration and matriarchal leadership. Although solely female, they reproduce by laying eggs in any species or gender, ensuring the survival of their race through this arcane reproductive process. Polygamous by nature, their relationships are fluid, and often formed with those they deem capable of enhancing their arcane knowledge or serving as loyal partners. They see themselves as explorers of both the physical and mystical realms, with each mate contributing to their grander designs. While all Ophidianites wield magic, those with the greatest talent rise to positions of leadership, overseeing the governance and economic prosperity of their communities. The men they mate with serve as temporary vessels to continue their legacy but play little role in their mystical or political affairs.

Devotion to the Flesh Trees

The sacred flesh trees of Hextor hold paramount significance in Ophidianite culture. These trees, with their crimson ichor flowing from their bark, represent the Great Serpent’s lifeblood and the cosmic cycle of renewal and decay. Tending to the flesh trees is both a spiritual and practical duty for the Ophidianites. They believe that the sap produced by these sacred trees is a physical manifestation of the Great Serpent’s essence, coiling through every aspect of their lives. The flesh trees not only sustain them but also symbolize their eternal link to the universe’s most profound mysteries.

Bond with the Giants of Hextor

Their relationship with the towering giants of Hextor is built on mutual respect and shared beliefs. While the giants revere the same Great Serpent, they see the cycle through different lenses—one as primordial and unyielding, the other as nurturing and cyclical. The Ophidianites, though smaller in stature, command immense respect for their magical prowess and intellectual sophistication, harmonizing with the raw strength of the giants to maintain the balance of Hextor’s natural and supernatural forces.

In the Ophidianites’ worldview, all life begins and ends with the Great Serpent, and their every action, ritual, and relationship is imbued with the desire to honor this eternal cycle.

Hextorians (Giants)

Faith and the Undying Tree

The Giants of Hextor revere the world as an endless cycle of death, rebirth, and transformation, represented through their faith in the Undying Tree. With roots stretching deep into the underworld, its trunk represents the physical plane, and its branches ascend toward the heavens. Life flows between these realms, with each cycle’s end nourishing the birth of the next. This deeply sacred connection sees giants honor death as an integral part of life, with their ancestors' remains tattooed onto their bodies, symbolizing wisdom, battle prowess, and continuity. Their reverence for the dead and their ability to draw strength from the decayed flesh of their forebears allows them to reshape their physical forms, symbolizing both power and devotion.

The Schism: House of the Red Sap and Florentina’s Rise

Once united under the ancient tenets of the House of the Red Sap, the Giants of Hextor have since splintered, divided between loyalty to the old ways and the brutal doctrine of Florentina Jorgenskull. The House of the Red Sap, an elite force rooted in the mystical ichor drawn from the flesh trees of the swamp, cultivated mastery over mental manipulation, alchemical power, and domination through sacred rites. Giants adhering to the House still uphold these secretive rituals, using the ichor to dominate their enemies in the shadows.

Florentina, however, leads her followers with brute strength, casting aside secrecy in favor of sheer power and conquest. Her faction, symbolized by the spider and skull, has eschewed the reliance on ritualistic sorcery in favor of war and domination, seeking to forge a new empire.

The Cycle of Life, Death, and Flesh Magic

For these giants, life is but a carcass—an endless body that they shape, transform, and consume in both life and death. Flesh magic courses through their society, with the manipulation of body size and the augmentation of limbs as symbols of prestige. Their culture is bound to the flesh trees, whose red sap serves as both spiritual sustenance and practical resource, reinforcing their deep connection to the Great Serpent, a divine representation of chaos and renewal. Their flesh is consumed or returned to the land upon death, merging once more with the Undying Tree in an eternal cycle of life, decay, and rebirth.

Weaponry, Architecture, and the Path of Power

The giants build their cities from bones and sinew, towering monuments of conquest and death. Their structures, ribbed and towering like the skeletons of ancient beasts, stand as testament to their strength. Weaponry, too, is an extension of the body, with each blade and spear imbued with the essence of the beasts they have slain. The rise of Florentina Jorgenskull has brought new symbols of power—her throne forged from the bones of former rulers, her armies clad in spider silk under armor, walking with the authority of conquest. Power is their currency, with death and rebirth driving their dominance.

Reverence for Nature and Arachnids

The giants hold nature in deep veneration, offering prayers and sacrifices for every hunt, honoring the balance of life and death. The Araneae, revered as sacred, are symbols of the cycle, their webs mimicking the intricate interplay between life’s fragility and strength. To harm an arachnid is sacrilege, for they represent the sacred weavers of the world’s cosmic web, and the giants walk in harmony with these creatures. Spider silk is worn as a protective veil, and those who defile these holy creatures face the wrath of their people. Their queen, worshiped as the embodiment of the Great Serpent, is a symbol of both life’s vitality and death’s inevitability.

Schism and the New Path

The schism between the House of the Red Sap and Florentina’s followers is one of secrecy versus strength. The Red Sap clings to the ancient ways, wielding ichor, manipulation, and alchemical mastery, while Florentina and her supporters embrace raw power and direct conquest. These factions now live in an uneasy tension, with the future of the giants of Hextor hanging in the balance. Will they return to the ancient cycle of the Red Sap or forge a new future through strength and domination? Only time will tell, for the giants of Hextor are, like the Undying Tree, rooted in the past but always growing toward the future.