Cragkin

## Description

Anthropomorphic rock eating creatures that inhabit crags and mountains in the Orphic Islands.

## History

Legends tell that these creatures used to be humans who as a reward for their service to a human king during a war against demons, gave them smoke hill (a semi active volcano) as a home.

Before this, the Cragkin had no permanent settlements, they explored, mined and researched the land, which remains one of their chief activities.

They had a reputation as acting as guides for wanderers and vagabonds.

Tribal tattoos include the ruby of their race, given to them by the gods according to legend.

They run amusement parks with the main attraction being a mine cart ride.

Orko, their first king, settled Smoke Hill by evicting the temple that was built into the mountain.

Smoke hill is composed of a temple, dungeons and mines, each situated halfway atop the mountain, and later joined these three places into a single city of interconnected caves.

However, a subterranean lava dragon, awoken by the incessant digging claimed the city as its own. The dragon ate most of the Cragkin until one, Arko fought the beast with an enchanted arm guard and a divine hammer, and broke all the dragons teeth. The hammer became a sacred relic preserved in the Cragkin temple should the toothless creature ever return.

The Cragkin then became relatively sedentary when rich seams of Sirloin Stone were discovered and used as their primary food source. This independence did not cut off their ties to the rest of the world however, and Aruni, son of Arko answered the king's call for help in quelling a civil war between brother princes.

While away, Atuni, Aruni’s son, was visited by the rebellious brother prince and refused to submit the ruby of their race to him. As punishment, the brother prince sent his rhinoceros lizards to invade the mines of the Ocarin to cut off the Cragkins access to their food source, leading to starvation in the city. Atuni, still on the frontlines refused to return to his starving city until Greenmail the hero persuaded him by playing an emotional tune. Atuni returned in full force to his capital and killed every lizard there with the hammer of his race.

This wouldn’t last as some years later the hammer would be stolen by unknown enemies of the Cragkin. Meanwhile the subterranean dragon captured many Cragkin and proceeded to eat them with teeth forged by an unknown benefactor. Atuni died trying to slay the dragon but failed as he did not have his hammer. Atuni went on a quest to retrieve the hammer, returned to free his people and avenged his father by slaying the dragon.

The Cragkin had many talents other than digging and mining, they were decent crafters, they crafted swords and hammers, they produced bombs collected from mysterious plants, and sold hot spring water (which remains a very popular source of heat amongst other races).

This sudden opening to commerce allowed the Cragkin to have abundant funds and equipment when they were attacked by yet another dragon which they captured.

Later, a cataclysm caused the entire land to be flooded and smoke hill became an island. The Cragkin were safe due to the fact that they lived halfway atop the mountain. Their long time human allies were not so fortunate. The Cragkin then used the volcano's lava to artificially expand their territory around the base of the island. The dragon they had captured was tamed sometime after and became their explorer and guardian (a product of circumstance). The dragon eventually became the guardian of the ruby of their race.

Some time later, the Cragkin were ousted from their island by Shakfish, and returned to their roots as traveling merchants, but some created settlements and trading posts in the Expanse.

Several hundred years later the water levels receded and the Cragkin exodites banded together to return to Smoke Hill. They became very technologically advanced (for an other race), this was due to the Cragkin applying the use of magnets to their mining techniques and conveyor belts.

Once they reclaimed their Mountain the Cragkin became extremely isolationist, not willing to seek or give help to the other races. This is suspected to be because when they reclaimed their mountain they used the help of demonic entities who possessed their bodies and minds, ensuring their victory and the return of all cragkins to their capital. But this came at the cost of their leader following a demonic agenda. Eventually Greenshell, a human prince returned to the world and deposed the demon influenced king by besting his champions and the king himself in wrestling matches. This wasn’t truly effective as the king's treasurer, the guardian of the ruby of their race murdered Greenshell using the hero’s own bow.

To make up for this repulsive act of betrayal the now freed king ordered all of the young Cragkin to become traveling merchants to establish trade and diplomatic relations with the other races, even the Shakfish. The Cragkin also repaid their debt to the human hero Greenshell by repairing and repaving the roads and organising interracial drinking games with the humans.

The demonic influence had another final effect that was slow but effective, it possessed the guardian dragon of the Cragkin, but was ultimately killed by the Quadruplet sons of the king.

After this the kings sons were all married to human nobles to create hybrids of their respective races, but this practice never became common as the offspring was sterile.

## Culture

Tattoos of the ruby of our race

Wandering merchants

Dragon roosts in settlements (these were all burned to honor the possessed dragon)

## Politics

Generally friendly towards other races.

Hereditary Monarchy based on who wields the magic armguard and divine hammer, other royal symbols include the hero’s bow.

## Magic

Magic spell that acts as a kinetic force nullifier, they use this to avoid being killed by rockslides.

Human/Cragkin hybrids are possible, but they are sterile.

 Cragkin Witch

## Characteristics

At first glance, the Cragkin look like smooth boulders lying down, but will uncurl themselves if approached. The Cragkin are a large, mountain-dwelling race, with sizes ranging from medium, tall, and even gigantic. The largest known Cragkin is roughly about the same height as the peak of a small mountain. Cragkin typically live in or under mountain ranges of several countries, including mountains, volcanoes and snowy peaks, among others. They are also adept at living in non-mountainous regions; it is not uncommon to see Cragkin come down from their mountain homes or even travel to faraway lands, some also live on islands. Befitting with that of their habitat, their durable, round bodies greatly resemble that of stones and boulders, and nearly all Cragkin have a hide of ridged stones on their backsides. They usually have light brown skin. They have small eyes and noticeable lips, which conceal unaligned, square teeth. Combined with their round shape, Cragkin can also curl themselves into a ball shape and roll like a boulder, which is also their primary attack against enemies.

Cragkin possess immense strength which many are proud of, and many groups of Cragkin like to hold competitions that test each other's physical strength and even rolling ability, including competitions such as wrestling and rolling racing, among others. While Cragkin do have many strengths, they are also not without their weaknesses. Cragkin tend to move slowly, which their ability to roll makes up for, and one of their apparent weaknesses is deep water as they cannot swim. However, Cragkin can hold their breath for long periods without ever needing to breathe and thus cannot drown. Groups of Cragkin often live in close-knit communities within their home mountains, often led by an elder leader. Cragkin are very close and respectful to others of their own kind, and often refer to each other as "brothers". Though the Cragkin are a friendly race, they can also be slow to trust outsiders, and may come off as cautious or even aggressive depending on the situation.

## Diet

The diet of Cragkin consist almost strictly of rocks mined from nearby quarries, although it has been shown in other titles that Cragkin also eat other kinds of foods. Some Cragkin have become such gourmets that they refuse to eat ordinary rocks, and thus rely on the sirloin rock found in Dodgy Cavern mines for their only source of food.

Cragkin also drink lava, either in the form of Lava Juice or Lava Soup they also enjoy a drink called Cragkinade, which acts much like an energy drink. Some have indicated to like steel and iron, and as a pastime will "nibble" on items made from those materials, which greatly increases their durability and overall quality. Young Cragkin eat Wood Hearts and drink Milk to grow big and strong.

## Economy

Some Cragkin are known to be skilled smiths. They are also known for harvesting Bombs from the mysterious flowers, which grow exclusively on their Mountain tops and caves, sometimes also called the "Cragkin's Special Crop.". A few Cragkin, notably Gorko, have been shown to be interested in archaeology, uniquely among the many Hyrulean races.

## Civilization

### Ocarin Cragkin

The Ocarin Cragkin live within Ocarin city, in a large dome-shaped cavern. This city houses several rooms, as well as a shop on the bottom floor as well, run by a Cragkin. Many Cragkin populate Ocarin, but some also venture out into the trail and are willing to give directions to the city if spoken to. The Cragkin also have their own mining complex, Dodgy Cavern. Its entrance lays at the base of the mountain trail, and the Cragkin mine there for the sirloin rocks which they eat. Some of the Ocarin Cragkin suspect there are tunnel from the city that lead to the Saltpeter Woods.

The Cragkin in Ocarin are governed by a single leader, a large Cragkin named Ainur who often stays in his room on the bottom floor. Another notable Cragkin is Iggo, a gigantic Cragkin who is too large to live with the other Cragkin, and thus resides on the peak of Ocarin. He lives in his cramped workshop, Medion Blade Store, within Ocarin.

The Ocarin Cragkin also grow a special kind of explosive plant called a Bomb Flower, a flower that acts like a Bomb which the Cragkin use for mining.

The Ocarin Cragkin are the guardians of the Spiritual Stone of Fire, more commonly known to them as the Ruby of our race. The Stone was originally guarded atop a high platform, which could only be reached by crossing a rope, until Ainur took it and guarded it himself in his room.

### Jor Cragkin

The Jor Cragkin live in the Joran Snowhead area north of the Dalmer settlement of Egate. They include the Cragkin Elder, his son, and recently, his grandson. The Jor Cragkin and their Mountain Villages have always been plagued by harsh snow and ice, changing the usually warm habitat of the mountain. The source of the change was apparently the temple to their deity, Joran, those that went to investigate are blown off the trail by a blizzard and die along the way.