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#1 Cthulhudrew Oct 19, 2004 3:24:23	Prompted by the Frostburn thread below, here's the writeup I've done for the brute-men race on Mystara. As I noted, I believe it's quite different from the Neanderthal writeup in Frostburn (don't have it yet, but I've heard some things). It also diverges from the Wendar/Denagoth writeupWendar/Denagoth Timeline that DM and Shawn did several years back. Just a different take on things. *Edit* I've set up a page on my website where I will be putting up some Ghyr related articles. I've put the writeup here on that page for starters.* Anyway, here it is: BRUTES Brutes are a wild, nomadic people that make their homes only in the most distant and hostile of climates. Though closely related to the human race, brutes are nevertheless marginalized, considered primitive and barbaric, and often find themselves shunned by so-called "civilized" society. Personality: The brutes are largely a hunting society. They follow big game animals across the wastelands, migrating with the seasons. Their diet consists almost entirely of meat. They are not all work, however. They are known to be a very artistic people, creating wondrous paintings and composing beautiful music. Physical Description: Brutes appear very similar to humans. Their skulls are slightly larger than a human skull, flatter on top, with a sloping forehead and a fairly prominent browridge. Their incisors are much larger than a humans, and they have smaller chins. Brutes have adapted well to the colder climates in which they tend to live. They are very stocky, standing between 5 feet to just under 6 feet tall, and weighing between 130 to nearly 300 pounds. There is a considerable difference in size between brute males and females. Brutes have short, thick arms and legs. Their skin tones are usually pale and their eyes are dark. Hair likewise tends to be dark- black, gray, or brown- though red is not uncommon. Both males and females typically have more body hair than does a human. Their clothing tends to be simple hides and furs. Relations: Because they tend to be technologically primitive, brutes do not have much commerce with other races. They shy away from the mysterious elves and their dark forests, and rarely venture into the deep caverns that dwarves favor. Gnomes and halflings are unusual sights to a brute, and they are regarded with curiosity. Half-orcs and their monstrous kin are regarded as enemies, and are often challenged on sight. Though they resemble humans most closely of all, men generally treat them with disdain or pity, as if they were only slightly more advanced than animals. Alignment: Brutes are wild, free, and regarded as uncivilized by most outsiders. As such, they are commonly chaotic in alignment. They show no particular racial tendencies towards either good or evil, though when such traits manifest, they are usually shared by the entire tribe, rather than simply an individual. Brute Lands: Brutes are found almost exclusively in the wilderness areas on and around the Denagoth plateau, to the north of Glantri and Wendar. They may also be found in some primeval "lost world" regions, such as the Isle of Dread. They are believed to be the only remnants of a race that was distantly related to, but eventually displaced by, modern humans. Some scholars have even theorized that dwarves may be an offshoot of the brute race. Brute tribes live a semi-nomadic existence on the outskirts of civilization. They group together in small bands of 20-30, and live in large tents made from the bones of large beasts (such as mammoths) and covered in animal hides to protect them from the elements. They move seasonally from location to location, following the movements of the animals in the regions they dwell in. Religion: Brutes are an animistic race, worshipping nature and aspects of nature rather than the divine beings known as Immortals among other races. In some areas, however, such as upon the plateau of Denagoth, contact with outsiders has brought certain brute tribes to come to personify aspects of nature with Immortals. The immortals Thato (Thanatos), Idris (a native Immortal), Kagar (Kagyar), Solak (Ixion), and a few others are thus known to them. There is also a sizable minority of ethnic brutes who have become indoctrinated into Essurian society, and been accepted as members of the Church of Essuria. Oddly, burial of the dead and funerary rituals are of tantamount concern to all brutes, regardless of faith. Language: Brutes speak Brutish. It is a harsh, guttural language unrelated to any other language in the known world. Brutish has no alphabet; instead, words are represented by a picture. Names: Brute names tend to consist of one or two syllables. They are often named after famous ancestors of their tribes. Male Names: Henadin, Nebunar, Ugrum, Zorgar Female Names: Drista, Hesti, Idris. Adventurers: Brutes drawn to the wonders of civilization often find they are most widely accepted among the ranks of adventurers of other races. Some tribes that dwell close to civilized regions may find themselves incorporated into nearby communities, as laborers, soldiers, or (in more evil communities) slaves. BRUTE RACIAL TRAITS +2 Constitution, -2 Intelligence: Brutes are hardy and tough, but they are primitive and uncivilized. Medium-size: As Medium-size creatures, brutes have no special bonuses or penalties due to their size. Brute base speed is 30 feet. +2 racial bonus on Listen checks. Brutes have excellent hearing that helps them survive in hostile terrain. Wilderness cunning: Brutes gain a +2 racial bonus on Search checks to notice traps, pits, deadfalls, new construction, and the like when they incorporate or are disguised as natural objects. A brute that comes within 10 feet of an unusual natural object can make a Search check as if he were actively searching for it. +2 Initiative bonus: A brute is always on the alert for danger, and is quick to respond to the slightest threat to his safety and well-being. Automatic Languages: Brutish. Bonus Languages: Common, Elven, Goblin, Orc. Brutes rarely speak any language other than their own racial tongue, but may occasionally speak the languages of nearby races. Favored Class: Barbarian. A multiclass brute's barbarian class does not count when determining whether he suffers an XP penalty for multiclassing. Random Starting Ages Adulthood Barbarian Bard Cleric Rogue Fighter Druid Sorcerer Paladin Monk Ranger Wizard 14 years +1d6 +3d6 +5d6 Aging Effects Race Middle Age* Old** Venerable*** Maximum Age Brute 30 years 45 years 60 years +2d10 years Random Height and Weight Race Base Height Height Modifier Base Weight Weight Modifier Brute, man 4' 10" +2d6 130 lb. x (2d6) lb. Brute, woman 4' 4" +2d6 95 lb. x (2d6) lb.
#2 chimpman Oct 19, 2004 11:13:18	Hey Andrew, This is cool. How do the Brutes fit into the kingdom of Ghyr? I saw a link on you site for Ghyr history, but it was empty. Do you see the Brutes in Denegoth as OW natives (and perhaps some of the last of their race on the surface of Mystara) or are they migrants from the HW?
#3 Cthulhudrew Oct 19, 2004 20:24:13	Hey Andrew, This is cool. How do the Brutes fit into the kingdom of Ghyr? I saw a link on you site for Ghyr history, but it was empty. Do you see the Brutes in Denegoth as OW natives (and perhaps some of the last of their race on the surface of Mystara) or are they migrants from the HW? Yeah- the timeline I'm still tweaking a little bit- hope to put it up soon, though. As for the Brutes, they are the original inhabitants of Denagoth. Basically, as I have it, Denagoth was one of the few remaining lands inhabited by the Neanderthals (Brute-Men) before they were replaced by the ****-Sapiens (Neathar people). This became even more true post-Rain of Fire, when glaciers blocked off all access to the Plateau (via the northern route). The Brute-Men then lived there in isolation for thousands of years, until their first contacts with the outside world (when the humanoids invaded from the north, c. 1700 BC). Eventually, the Antalian humans began to migrate in, when the ices melted, and formed the kingdom of Essuria. The Brutes were (and are) still mostly relegated to the outskirts of the nation. Many tribes of them are still largely "barbaric"- Henadin and his band of warriors that overthrew Nebunar (module X11) were Brutes. At least one tribe has adopted more necromantic/nefarious ways and inhabits the northern wastes (where the Shadowlord rules over them). A couple of tribes have become more "civilized" and fill the roles of indentured servants, soldiers, etc, in the Kingdom of Essuria (though they are essentially "second class" citizens)... of course, Essuria is currently a kingdom in anarchy- little more than city-states- so the status of the Brutes is not exactly static. That's one area where my version of Denagoth differs from others. Where the other version has Neathar/Beastmen crossbreeds as the "native" race, my native race is the Brutes (BTW- the whole idea of a native race comes originally from the PWAs, which mention that the language spoken in Denagoth is unlike any elsewhere on Mystara.) The Brutes also have a sort of neutral/respectful relationship with the elves of Geffronnel in the south. I'll post a little more on those elves soon, hopefully.