dungeons and dragons players handbook

4-0

THE WARCHIEF MHURREN ROUSED HIMSELF FROM HIS

sleeping-furs and his women and pulled a short hauberk

of heauy steelringsouer his thick. well-muscled torso. He

usual{y rose before most of his warriors.sincehe had a

strong streak of human bloodinhim. and hefound the

daylight less bothersome than most of his tribedid.Among

the Bloody Skulls. a warrior was judged by his strength. his

jlerceness. and his wits. Human ancestry was no blemish

againstawarrior-prauided he was euery bitasstrang.

enduring. and bloodthirstyashisfull-blooded kin. Half-

orcs who were weaker than their orc comrades didn't last

long among the Bloody SkullsOI'any other orc tribefor

that matter. Rutitwas often true that a bit of human blood

gaveawarrior just the right mix of cunning. ambition, and

self-disciplinetogofar indeed.asMhurren had. He was

master ofatribe that could muster two thousand spears.

and the strangest chiefin TlJar.

-Richard Baker.Swordmage

PART IIRACES

Whether united under the leadership of a mighty

warloekOI'having fought to a standstill after years

of eonfliet, ore and human tribes sometimes form

allianees, joining forces into a larger horde lo lhe terror

of eivilized lands nearby. When lhese allianees are

sealed by marriages, half-ores are bom. Some half-ores

rise lo beeome proud ehiefs of ore lribes, lheir human

blood giving them an edge over lheir full-blooded ore

rivaIs. Some venture inlo lhe world lo prove lheir worlh

among humans and other more civilized raees. Many of

lhese beeome advenlurers, aehieving grealness for lheir

mighly deeds and nOloriely for their barbarie eustoms

and savage fury.

SCARRED AND STRONG

Half-ores' grayish pigmenlation, sloping foreheads,

juttingjaws, prominenl leelh, and lowering builds make

their orcish herilage plain for ali lo see. Half-ores sland

belween 6 and 7 feel lall and usually weigh belween

180 and 250 pounds.

Ores regard battle sears as lokens of pride and

ornamenlal sears as lhings of beauly. OlheI' sears,

though, mark an ore01'half-ore as a formeI' slave01'

a disgraeed exile. Any half-ore who has lived among

01'near ores has sears, whelher lhey are marks of

humilialion 01'of pride, reeounling their pasl exploils

and injuries. Sueh ahalf-ore living among humans might

display lhese sears proudly01'hide them in shame.

THE MARK OF GRUUMSH

The one-eyed god Gruumsh erealed lhe ores, and even

those ores who turn away from his worship ean'l fully

escape his influenee. The same is lrue of haIf-ores.

lhough lheir human blood moderales lhe impaet of lheir

orcish heritage. Some half-ores hear the whispers of

Gruumsh in lheir dreams, ealling lhem lo unleash lhe

rage tha! simmers wilhin lhem. Others feel Gruumsh's