Any distinctions among human ethnicities are inevitably muddled because of several centuries of settlement and conquest have ensured that no division is absolute. One of the more distinct human races are the Vur. These stubborn, rugged people struggle to survive in a hostile, frozen land, a trial which hardens even the most civilized of their number into tough survivalists.The Vur are actually the descendants of the Al-Vur, the servant caste of the Vur race. The Valos-Vur, the ruling class among the Vur people, were rumored to have been powerful summoners and conjurers, able to call upon strange creatures native to other realities. When the Valos-Vur vanished near the end of the Arcane War, the surviving Al-Vur fled north from the approaching armies of Alrethel and Tael-Mohrd. Settling along the western coastline, the Vur began their centuries-long struggle to survive.
Today, many of the Vur continue to live along the coastline. The rich fishing, whaling, and sealing grounds of the cold western seas make up for Lykanore’s lack of agriculture, allowing a number of rough-and-tumble towns to exist in the otherwise frozen land. Lykanore’s numerous coastal towns allow the Vur to harvest the resources of the cold lands – seal fur, whale oil, walrus ivory, fish for smoking and storing, and the occasional deposit of mineral wealth, such as gold, silver, or iron ore. These valuable commodities are then traded to Alran merchants for otherwise unattainable supplies and goods.
Vur towns and villages are small and intimate, with many communal lodges and cabins, most of which are occupied by large, extended families. Vur are expected to be self-sufficient from a young age. Those who must rely upon others are treated well but not respected, although the elderly are accorded the respect they earned before the deliberating effects of age set in. Those who hire strangers to do a task rather than do it themselves are considered suspect.
Personality: Vur are exceptionally emotional humans, and their reactions to new situations are always powerful and expressive. A Vur can be laughing with joy one moment, screeching with rage in the next, and then be calm and serene a moment later. To a Vur, these ever-changing mood swings are natural and logical, but they often project a feeling of insanity to more civilized people. Vur, for their part, often cannot understand why other humans bottle up their feelings or try to suppress their emotions.
The Vur take their measure of another person by assessing strength, martial prowess, valor, and honor. From an early age, Vur are tested by their elders, their peers, and their juniors, and their responses to such challenges are reflected in their status within their communities. To a Vur, there is a natural pecking order in life, and those who are weak in any fashion do not deserve to hold a position they have not earned. Deceptions, lies of omission, and trickery are despised, while straight speech and forthrightness are to be admired.
Physical Description: Vur are tall, averaging anywhere from six to six and a half feet tall, with stout and muscular builds. Their long hair tends to be fair or light brown, and is typically braided and adorned with decorations. Men are fond of sporting bushy beards, which they braid once they have taken a wife. Women wear their hair long, with elaborate braids that signify both their social status and whether or not they have a husband. Most Vur dress in layers of furs and skins, which provide a great deal of warmth in their frozen homeland.
When battle is expected, Vur warriors paint their faces with a special face paint called zielverf, which is created from the ashes of Vur warriors who have fallen in battle. Occasionally, a Vur warrior will enter a state of extreme depression and hopelessness, and declare him or herself a strijder. The zielverf is tattooed onto the warrior’s face, and he leaves the village that very night, seeking death. A strijder is considered dead by their family, who often hold a mock funeral and grieve for their loss, just as if the warrior had died. Other Vur completely ignore a warrior who bares the zielverf tattoos; they simply do not exist to other Vur.
Relations: Vur judge other races and ethnic groups by the same standards by which they judge themselves. In other words, they respect strength, martial prowess, and the strength of one’s word. Vur get along well with dwarves, though the two races live too far away to forge any meaningful relationship. Gnomes and halflings are seen as weak and given to trickery, inspiring scorn in most Vur. Similarly, Rournar and elves are seen as weak and overly reliant upon magic, although dangerous nevertheless.
Vur often have difficulty adapting to other cultures, particularly cultures where battles are fought indirectly through words and gestures rather than openly with axes and war cries. Most Vur traveling abroad are content to find odd jobs, usually as mercenaries of some sort, for which they are typically paid very well.
Alignment: The majority of Vur are chaotic, with a strong tendency towards good. Though brutal and unsophisticated, Vur possess a strong respect for life, and rarely achieve the level of evil found among the other human races.
Religion: Most Vur acknowledge the existence of innumerable spirits within their world, and their society has a strong shamanistic tradition. Druids and shamans outnumber clerics in Vur culture, with only the clergies of Quendelain, Parma, and Ayna attracting significant worshipers. Though shamans and spirits are respected and honored, most Vur have little use for more organized religion. Those Vur who die an honorable death are burned in funeral pyres, preferably aboard a small ship pushed out to sea.
Language: Vur speak their own language, which is derived from Ancient Vur and a smattering of other languages, mostly Alranian. The Vur language is somewhat crude when compared to other languages, but has an advantage in being rather obscure. As such, it is favored by adventuring groups who wish to converse freely amongst themselves with little chance of being understood. The relative simplicity of the language prevents its use in technical, detailed, or arcane conversations, unless one wishes to accurately describe topics such as “snow,” “ice,” or “cold,” each of which has a hundred or so different words in the Vur language.
Names: Vur surnames are typically tribal, such as Flying Hawk, Runs with Elk, or Wolf Dancer. Vur children have no names until they make their first kill, whether through hunting, sealing, or in battle. After this momentous event, the village shaman calls upon the spirit of the slain creature, which bestows a name upon the child. This naming ceremony is cause for great celebration, and signifies the child’s passage into adulthood.
Adventures: Simple existence in the inhospitable lands of Lykanore is often an adventure in itself. Still, some Vur travel south aboard Alranian merchant ships, seeking their place in the civilized world. Many Vur find themselves attracted to mercenary or adventuring groups, and often devote themselves to such groups with a passion rarely matched elsewhere.
Human (Vur) Racial Traits
* Medium size. As Medium creatures, humans have no special bonuses or penalties due to their size.* Human base land speed is 30 feet.
* 1 extra feat at 1st level. Humans are quick to master specialized tasks and varied in their talents.
* 4 extra skill points at 1st level and 1 extra skill point at each additional level, since humans are versatile and capable.
* Vur receive a +2 racial bonus on Handle Animal and Survival checks.
* Vur receive a +4 racial bonus on Fortitude saves made to resist the deliberating effects of cold weather.
* Automatic Languages: Vur. Bonus Languages: Any.
* Favored Class: Any.
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