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The World of Teréth End - People & Races |
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People  |
Book of Gru [ earth / chaos ] The stories of mankind have been painted with the horrible visages of Gru (GROO) since men first laid brush to canvas. Entities of nightmare, the Gru have fed on the fears of Man for millennia, and in all that time remain as mysterious and terrible as they must have been in Early times. Many tales have lingered through time, such as those of "children that cry at night, will be carried off by the Gru". The debate of whether the Gru are a race or simply monstrous creations fashioned by dark magics, has continued for many centuries. Despite differences between scholars, there are points on which most agree. First and foremost, the Gru have an unnatural attraction to fear, particularly Human fear. The monsters seem to bleed from the darkness in areas inundated with horror to claim their victims. This basic understanding has given scholars the necessary means by which to study the creatures. The Gruag are sages that have devoted their lives to the study of Gru. All Gruag undergo a ritual known as Perdu Lor which involves trepenation with a specially prepared golden spike. If done correctly, the sage loses the ability to fear. If done wrong (the most common result), brain damage or death results. The method was discovered by accident, by a monk circa 830 HK. Perdu Lor was later adopted by some groups of Irul warriors, but is currently viewed as a cowardly means to overcome one's weaknesses. Physiology: The interior of the Gru seems to liquefy shortly after death, releasing a toxic black-green vapor. For this reason, the anatomy of the Gru is unknown. Captured Gru seem to lose their "appetite" when the fear stimulus is removed from around them. Capture of one or two Gru have been documented over time, with similar findings. The creatures vary in size and shape though are mostly bipedal with rounded snouts and saucer-like eyes, which seem overly sensitive to light. Psychology: Gru may be more intelligent than their bestial nature suggests. Culture: The Gruag do not believe culture exists among the Gru. Some know different. A handful of explorers have visited the ruined city of Arkirün in northern Arduwu and observed a social organization among the Gru. Not only do the Gru of that remote place exhibit signs of organization, but tales have emerged that are several different sub-races of Gru. Language: Though seemingly incapable of "normal" speech, the Gru engage in low guttural howling which is animalistic in nature. If a language exists among them it has not been deciphered as such. Magic: Though no Gru have been observed casting spells, it is believed that they are natural users of magic. The most obvious support of this is the Gru ability to sense fear and to travel through the darkness toward their prey. While dimensional travel is not impossible on Teréth End, it is exceedingly difficult. There are no known examples of living creatures (magic or otherwise) possessing the ability of dimensional travel. It is possible that Gru are an exception to this rule, but many Gruag prefer to believe that there is another answer. This position is supported by observations that Gru "appear" near their prey, but are unable to "disappear" from the same area.
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Races The main races of Teréth End are: Uren (Humans) |
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Ref. PHB (Player's Handbook), © Wizards of the Coast  |
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