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HURGUR
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Hurgur (HER-gur) are big thuggish humanoids, largely hairless, that typically
live in mountainous areas and occasionally stray down into highlands and valleys.
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Most Hurgur are usually not terribly bright, though they often have a low cunning
that makes them dangerous even discounting their physical advantages. They also
have long lifespans relative to Humans, which helps compensate for their lower birthrate.
An old Hurgur warrior might have more than two centuries of experience to call upon,
contributing to their reputation as mighty warriors among their Human neighbors.
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CREATED TO FIGHT
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Tough and fierce combatants, the Hurgur were originally created by the Haelfinan
to fight the Ullu before even the Var rebelled, but many eventually drifted off
and made homes for themselves in the mountains. Even in their early days they could
be rapacious raiders despite small numbers and they were the bane of the Ullu for
many centuries.
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VAR REBELLION
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When the Var rebelled the Haelfinan used some forces of Hurgur against the Var,
but the Var made friends with many groups of them and suborned them from the Haelfinan's
service. Since those days the Hurgur and the Var have had a certain wary neutrality
towards one another interspersed with an occasional alliance.
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INHABITATION
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Hurgur live in many mountain ranges; most Hurgur communities are fairly primitive
mountain tribes but in three areas there are exceptions to this rule.
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THEROKAI
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The most significant exception is Therokai (THAIR-OH-KIGH), a land in
the north central region of the Undari Basin. Therokai is a strong nation of Hurgur
who pressed down out of the mountains following the collapse of the Undari Empire
around 2000 years ago and managed to seize control of a sizable swath of land.
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They have held it against all comers since then, and the nation has evolved into
a semi-democratic representative ruling council. Though not counted among the world's
great thinkers in general, the average intelligence level of the Therokai Hurgur
is much higher than that of other Hurgur sub groups and Therokai are considered
to be as intelligent as most Humans by those who are familiar with them. The Hurgur
of Therokai are regionally active and participate in trade with their primarily
Human neighbors.
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THURNIK
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Similar to Therokai, a smaller holdfast of Hurgur exists near the lands of the Nordmanner
called Thurnik (THUR-NEEK). More distant from Human settlements than Therokai,
the Hurgur here have become very proficient fishermen, miners, and craftsmen over
the millennia. They periodically trade their wares to the Nordmanner across Mir
Kaltersek, and have been useful allies to the Nordmanner in the past. They are completely
accepted by and on good terms with the southern set of Nordmanner fiefs. The Nordmanner
respect their strength and craftswork, and consider them noble allies. The Thurnik
Hurgur also tend to be better looking and more noble of bearing than other Hurgur.
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THARDRY
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The extended Thardry (THAR-DREE) tribe of Hurgur live in the mountains of
the Machtig Vold, but these Hurgur are particularly dumb and brutish even for Hurgur.
Among the Machtig it is considered to be a great feat for a Thegn to slay one single
handedly among the Herodi and small bands of young Thegns can be found hunting them
out on occasion. They are relatively few in number, but the Machtig Druids have
prevented them from being wiped out entirely in accordance with their beliefs regarding
Natural Order.
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For their part the Thardry living in the Herodi lands respect and fear their oppressors,
but also resent them. There are some among these Hurgur that have been influenced
by generations of Druidic interference and believe that the Hurgur should make peace
with the Machtig and ally with them; so far they are in the minority.
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