by Sanjin Koukyu on Thu Feb 11, 2021 7:27 am
**Additions/Revisions List:
2/11/2021:
Added Priest/ess to Advanced Class list, gave reasoning.
Added Society and Taboos
2/12/2021:
Added Sex
Added Political Structures
Disclaimer/Mechanics added to Swarm
3/12/2021
Added Proposal to include Harkkan as a Primary race for Crossbreed potential (at bottom of post).
Goblin/Orc rewrite
Name: (the) Harkkan
Reason for Rename: This is to make them unique/special to Belariath, like the Moriel are to Dark Elves. I'm writing this to give greater life to the site I enjoy roleplaying at and, as a disclaimer, have no intention of claiming any of this once/if it is chosen. It will belong to Belariath for as long as the site is maintained.
Starter Classes: Bard, Cleric, Warrior, Ranger, Knight, Thief, Shaman, Artisan, Entertainer, Layman
Advanced Classes: Warlord, Mist Raider, Paladin, Necromancer, Earth Mage, Fire Mage, Priest/ess*
Reasoning for adding Knight/Paladin
Looking at the atypical movie/game/book version of an orc/goblin, those that ride the wolves/worgs can be seen as knights/paladins. Since there is no moral guideline that dictates who or what can follow these paths, I felt it made sense to add them, because of how I've rewritten/modified the race, especially in the religious aspect. They follow the path of violence and strength, they worship their gods, so there would naturally be those who ride the steed (will be writing up a proper bestiary thing involving this, since a horse doesnt really make much sense for a Harkkan).
Reasoning for removing Monk
Even before their changes, Goblins/Orcs were never really followers of a 'balanced' path. This new iteration, as Harkkan, they're even less so. Certainly, one could make an NPC that follows the path, but they should be the outlier, not the common.
Reasoning for adding Earth/Fire Mage
Both Earth and Fire mages are incredibly destruction and it lines up with their Forgesoul/Surprisingly Crafty advantage, plus with the changes to their lore (removing the created through necromancer via high elves), it broadens their magical prowess and removes that limitation.
*Reasoning for adding Cleric/Priest(ess)
After thinking about it, while writing about their society, the Harkkan would certainly have Priests and Priestesses. They are wholly devoted to their gods of carnage and destruction and those able to call upon/channel the will of their gods to strike down their enemies with crippling maledictions and veritable plagues, as well as renewing the bodies of the wounded and fallen so they might continue to spread the bloody word of their deities, makes absolute sense. What could be more malevolent than a Harkkan Priest casting World of One on another living being?
Basic Stats: No change
Short Description for race.html:
Since they first appeared in the land of Belariath, the Harkkan have been a deep thorn in the side of 'civilized' society almost the world over. Finding little lasting welcome in any one place, they spread rapidly, mostly living in migratory packs, settling only in the fringes; the kinds of places where no one wants the land enough to bother to run them off.
The Harkkan are warlike in every essence of the word. They breed quickly and are usually content to slaughter one another in an effort to make their own clan the greatest among their kind, but no one clan ever makes enough headway before another, greater than the last, strikes them down with the same vigor as they did. They are destruction incarnate, with large enough migratory clans razing the earth and effectively salting it as they pass – which is precisely why the Harkkan clans do not receive outside aid.
Efforts have been made in the past to exterminate their kind outright, but no civilization that made the attempt still stands to tell of its failure. Thus, though hardly viewed as equals by modern society, the current Empire and those communities surrounding it accept Harkkan as citizens, even if of a lower caste. While many races view the Harkkan as ignorant, dim-witted, or downright stupid, they cannot take the threat that Harkkan pose lightly. To do so would be a grievous, grave error.
Harkkan:
To the human races, they’re called Orcs. To the Elf races, they’re called Goblins. They have many names, almost as many as the other races might call them. They call themselves the Harkkan and they have been a destructive, malignant source of pain for all the civilized societies upon Belariath. Like locusts, when they gather in large groups, they’re unwelcome anywhere, as they rape, pillage, and destroy like none other. But like the grasshoppers that locusts are derived from, by themselves or in small groups, they tend to harmless, though annoying.
It is not only the Harkkan warlords that make the best use of their kin – any leader of sufficient enough clout (I.E. personal strength) that can rally the greenskins will find themselves an indomitable army, willing to give life and limb in whatever effort they feel is worth their strength. The drawback, though, is that Harkkans en masse will turn upon any and everyone who fails to meet their expectations of strength.
Throughout the years, there have been efforts made to wipe out the Harkkan threat, believing that they will be the end of all things within the world of Belariath, however, no such civilization that has made such an attempt still stands to tell of their victory. Worse yet, many such civilizations disappeared entirely within antiquity. Brutish and destructive, they are almost never viewed as equals within the modern societies, though some effort has been made within the Empire after it had been noted that there are none greater than Stormbringer for any such clans to rally under. While many races view the Harkkan as ignorant, dim-witted, or downright stupid, they cannot take the threat that Harkkan pose lightly. To do so would be a grievous, grave error.
Appearance:
The Harkkan’s appearance varies and no one is sure why. Some claim the race was forged on the bones of another, that no such god or goddess would ever create something so horrible to dance upon the face of Belariath. A Harkkan’s height usually ranges from 5’2” to 6’5”, though there are rumors of some even shorter or even taller than those averages. They all have various shades of green skin, though some can have a shade closer to brown, while others lean towards a stony gray hue – they are all thoroughly earthy colors, which some have attributed to Gaea and the Harkkan having been created as her rage made manifest in a world where Might makes Right.
Those with more ‘orcish’ appearance are brutish, with a square-shaped head and thickly muscled limbs that come naturally to them. Their tusks are more pronounced, and their ears are a little more diamond. Those with a more ‘goblin’ appearance is sinewy, lithe, and gangly, having a rounder head and somewhat larger ears, but Harkkan can look anywhere all in between. Harkkan’s eyes, though, are unique in that they can be almost any color, from the usual earthy browns and greens, to a lightning shock yellow, bright sky blue, to an almost incandescent purple, there’s no real limit to what color their eyes can be. Harkkan hair, though, is almost always naturally black or brown, but that doesn’t stop a particularly creative Harkkan from dying their hair or using Change Self to temporarily try something new.
All Harkkan have tusks. They can range from miniscule, as little jutting protrusions one barely notices to almost feral, hog-like looking tusks, however, they cannot be used in combat beyond what a bite attack might do; their decidedly not-animalistic heads make it difficult to use them effectively.
Advantages:
Swarm:
(Explain removal of Survival Instincts): Given that Orcs and Goblins both benefited from this, it didn't seem like it made too much sense for a big, bulky orc to pull off sneaky-stuffs, while Goblins did make more sense. I chose to remove survival instincts in favor of Swarm, as it felt like it fit the race better given their lore/mentality, plus it gives those Harkkan benefit for creating warbands and rapesquads (and it makes the NPC Harkkan raids that much more dangerous).
Harkkan are like locusts. The greater in number they are, the better they become at warfare. A single Harkkan isn’t capable of much on this scale, it isn’t until there’s at least 5 Harkkan for a +5 attack/defense modifier, up to a maximum of 20 (for a +20 atk/def modifier) as an organized group that they gain an advantage. This benefit cannot be used with other races, who tend to look at the Harkkan as stupid/ignorant (most civilized races), weak/pathetic (Ogres, Trolls, and other large races), or just downright silly (Gaeans). The sole exception is a Harkkan Necromancer, who’s undead hordes count towards the Swarm Bonus, up to +20 but only for themselves (they are the swarm and cannot benefit any other Harkkan involved).
*How it works: For every 5 Harkkan (If they're halfblood, it needs to be indicated in their description somewhere) in a warband, they receive +5 to atk/def, up to a maximum of +20. These characters must be combat oriented characters (a Harkkan cannot have 4 Harkkan slaves/entertainers/artisans and expect to get benefit from Swarm). This bonus is on top of everything else they receive, so it benefits a Harkkan Warlord to have Harkkan Followers and Harkkan Player Characters to derive greatest benefit.
If a Harkkan character is knocked out or killed, they stop being of benefit for Swarm. If a group goes from 20 strong to 19 Strong, they only get +15 atk/def. This doesn't change from 15 to 19. Anything less than 5 derives no benefit whatso ever.
Disclaimer: I don't want to make this too complicated, so if anyone has a better way of wording it, or another probable submission, I'm all ears(eyes?)!
Forgesoul:
(Renamed) I just renamed it because it shouldn't really be a surprise that a race so warlike would be crafty.
Harkkan have an affinity towards metalworking and are capable of building functional forges from the barest of materials. Some rumors say that the Emperor employs the most skilled of Harkkan smithies to forge the greatest and most legendary of weapons and armor, but this is a rumor none can confirm, since smiths are typically only known by their work, not their appearance. None are really sure why Harkkan are so adept at metalsmithing, but some believe it’s because of their intrinsic, warlike culture has honed the skill and made it instinctual.
Disadvantages:
Trial of Strength:
(explain why Suspicious Characters was removed): With the removal of survival instincts, it felt good n' proper to remove Suspicious Characters. In lieu of that, Trial of Strength directly correlates to Swarm -- if they can make a good and proper warband, they get benefit, but the drawback is that it's really hard to *keep* a warband together.
While Harkkan are at their greatest amongst a warband in greater numbers, it is incredibly difficult for them to even start up such a warband. The entirety of a Harkkan warband’s backbone is a single, incredibly strong leader able to keep them all in check – gender doesn’t matter. However, should a warband lose a battle, or if the leader in question loses a fight, the warband will break up almost instantly overnight, as the weaker ones no longer see their leader in the same light. Beyond fucking, it is very hard for Harkkan to prove themselves properly enough to gather the strength needed to create a proper warband. Difficult, but not impossible.
Lascivious:
(explain why Troublemakers was removed) All greenskins can be troublemakers, but we don't necessarily want to pigeonhole them into being useless for the Empire because they can't be relied upon in the long run. This leaves it open that if a Harkkan *wants* to be a troublemaker, they can, but Lascivious fits in particularly well in this setting (IMO) and explains the group mentality of Harkkan rape-squads.
Harkkan are a notoriously driven people. When they’re in their warbands, they seek war. When they’re not in their warbands, they seek… anything and everything that catches their interest. Some are natural born thieves; others love getting in fights just to fight. But all Harkkan, due to whatever inexplicable reason, thrive in sex. They rape, they fuck, they try their hardest to breed and they don’t necessarily care who it’s with. This taint carries through to the halfbreeds, who can lose themselves entirely to the throes of lust and passion in short order.
Behavior:
Harkkan vary vastly in behavior and tradition throughout the world of Belariath. Most congregated groups form war bands that hunt each other down for fun, profit, and to prove their band is the greatest, strongest thing in those lands. Other, smaller groups might take up a more migratory lifestyle, staying only long enough in an area to strip it of its resources or to annoy the locals enough to have them try and drive them off, before moving on.
Each and every Harkkan is a survivalist. They’re trained hard and forced through a rite of passage early in their lives. Those who fail, die, too weak to survive in a world that doesn’t give a single care of their passing. Those that survive, though, are forever changed. They’re stronger, they fear less and certainly do not fear death. Not every Harkkan goes through a rite of passage though, it depends on the circumstances surrounding each individual.
In addition to being fearless, Harkkan are also supremely shameless in their activities; having loose to no real moral codes and social graces, they tend to have locals look down on them until those willing enough to do so, learn how to properly ‘live’ in a proper society.
*Society and Taboos:
Harkkan society is very simple – strength is the only thing that matters. It is the strongest of the Harkkan that rule their warbands, it is the strongest that rule their migratory camps, and even those that dwell within the civilized cities of the Empire and beyond, it is ultimately strength that keeps them in check. One might call their society a tribal one, with a Warlord or Necromancer as its lead, or its warchief during times of strife (I.E. almost all the time) and either a Necromancer or Priest, depending on the totem of that tribe’s particular worship during times of peace. Theirs is a simple culture – hunt, kill, steal, and rape.
While a single Harkkan may be taught finer things, such as how to cultivate fruit and vegetables, how to farm the land, raise beasts of burden and the like, they only truly do so when taught by the other races.
Harkkan among their own kind are absolutely religious, always to the point of excess and zealotry. Whipped into a frenzy by the priests, shamen, and necromancers that make up ‘the faithful’, they ‘preach’ by way of fighting and destruction. Running counter to rational, civilized people, the Harkkan religion preach that kindness, peace, cultivation and civilization are taboo. Slaves are absolutely kept as property, tools that easily get worn out and tossed away, friendships don’t exist, and one should always look out for self, over the community.
They are but a relatively simple people. Their homes are made from barely hewn stone, wood and tanned leather, stretched out into easily torn down and rebuilt tents when left to their own devices, but they will quite easily make use of whatever is available in their rampages, though such homes, villages and towns are almost always beyond repair.
Yet despite their nomadic lifestyle, almost all Harkkan are capable of maintaining and repairing their own armor and weapons, though sometimes such maintenance comes as a result of using equipment that they pick up off the battlefield, so their favored armaments aren’t further damaged. In places were massive warbands settle in and a proper ‘town’ springs up, their center of worship is always front and center, a massive pillar of fire, stone, smoke, and steel. They dig deep into the earth, stripping away everything in their never-ending hunt for raw ores, while precious stones are ‘sacrificed’ to the forge gods.
*Sex:
(explain reason for change in title and writeup): (removed Children and Death aspect) I feel any mention of children really doesn't have a place in these writeups, while Death can be, and is going to be it's own mention.
Harkkan do not do anything halfhearted. To fuel their war camps and the perpetual grind that such a machine creates with the death of the weak, Harkkan have developed into extremely sexual beings. While most of their parings are between man and woman, so that the next generation can quickly be put to use, it is common for any combination of genders to be found rutting and relieving the stresses that come with constant, ineffable war and destruction. It doesn’t take much for a Harkkan to become aroused – the sight of full breasts and hips, the thickly chorded muscle of a powerful, broad chest… blood, violence… you name it.
It is yet another reason why the other races try as hard as they can not to fight the Harkkan in a proper, earnest way – even when the greenskins lose, they’re so whipped up into a sexual frenzy that nothing, and no one, is safe. And Harkkan halfbloods are just as bad as their green-skinned progenitors. Deep down, it doesn’t matter how well trained, how prim and proper a half-blooded Harkkan is raised to be, they simply cannot deny their heritage and will rut as powerfully, ruthlessly, and as much virility as a full blooded Harkkan does.
That being said, Half-blooded Harkkan are not discriminated against within their cultures, so long as the half-breed is able to function in similar fashion – strength doesn’t give two wits about your bloodline.
*Political Structures:
The Harkkan’s political structure is based almost entirely off the simple premise of Strength. There is no back and forth, no vying for position with flowery words or backhanded bribes. If you’re strong enough, you’re the leader. During times of War, which is almost constantly, there is a Harkkan Warlord in charge, with his or her immediate underlings/entourage acting as intermediaries. It’s a pyramid scheme, but wholly focused on the capacity to be strong and cause as much rampant destruction as possible. Those under the Warlord need to also be strong, because if they’re not, they’re quite easily replaced.
When a proper village or town is built, things change a little. More power shifts to the Harkkan clergy; the clerics, priests, paladins, and necromancers. They see to the day-to-day activities that keep the great machine running. The forge citadels are erected, which serve as equal parts manufacturing and centers of religious zealotry and propaganda and it is to the ‘Screamers’, the religious fanatics that spout the great glories of whatever Harkkan deity they follow, that the Warlord and their entourage follow.
There is a very clear hierarchy – The Screamers, followed by other members of the faithful (Clerics/Priests/Paladins/Necromancers), then the Warlord and those that serve immediately underneath them, followed by everyone else. The exception to this is the Flame-kissed; the craftsmen and women who take the ‘bones of the earth’, or metal, and fashion it into weapons and armor. This is a blanket title to encompass tailors, leathercrafters, bowyers, smiths of all sorts, and the like. Anyone who can craft something worthy of the war machine.
-------------------------
Proposal to add Harkkan to Primary Race listing for Crossbreeds
Reasoning: In most genres that orcs/goblins are present, they're able to crossbreed with nearly any race. By making them a Primary Race, we would be able to see the divergence of 'proper' Goblins (Halfling/Dwarf and Harkkan crossbreeds), Hobgoblins (Human/Elf and Harkkan Crossbreeds), Belariath Bugbears (Wolven/Vulpine and Harkkan Crossbreeds) with possibly the unique qualifier of being able to crossbreed with Ogres & Trolls for truly disturbing characters. There'd be no change in their stats, what classes they take, or anything else, as this is merely to add flavor and potential to the race in an effort to flesh it out.