Oathreni

## **Description**

**Oathreni,** also known as ***"Orcs,"*** ***"Ogres,"*** and ***"Hobgoblins"*** are an intelligent bipedal mammalian race found throughout all of planet **Haven.** They are a member of the **Edian Races**, a group of ten individual races all descendent from the **Inomeni** race, the **Edia**, who once held dominion over the whole of the world. Oathreni are a fairly populace race of the world, as it is not uncommon one may find many of the **Orckin** wandering the world. Usually existing in self-isolated racial communities, Oathreni are one of the most reserved of the Edian Races, often wishing to be left alone from the other sapient races of the world, often showing mistrust to those not Oathreni.

Thanks to this, Oathreni have not often held power over large swaths of land and sea, as their number often can only hope to gain control over small localized regions, though there are notable deviations of this throughout world history. As well, their number is far outshined by the populations of their sister Edian-races, such as the **Mythra**, **Sylvians**, and **Gnarvesh**, further preventing the Oathreni from gaining significant foothold in the world stage.

The name of ***"Oathreni"*** literally translates for the Edian word ***"Faithful friend,"*** so named for perhaps one of the Oathreni's most famous aspects, that being the race's inherent undying loyalty to those they imprint upon as friend, lover or kin. If one manages to earn the trust and companionship of an Oathreni, they will eternally remain as an ever faithful companion to them, so long as that trust they have placed upon them remains unbetrayed.

Alongside their faithfulness in companionship, the Oathreni hold an enduring will to make good on almost any promise given, as it is inherent to their being to try their hardest to make right on their word, making an Oathreni's word one of the most trustworthy in all the world, though a clever Oathreni may use this to their advantage, as one may not expect an Orc to lie.

Oathreni the world over have had to deal with vast mistrust, or even open revulsion by the other races of the world, though this would be most extreme by their fellow Edian Races, as the common perception of the world is that the Orckin are not but savage barbarian, and demented pillager. Though these fears are not total fiction, as it is very common for an Oathreni to let rage consume their mind, anger swiftly becoming the common response to all slights against them, for an Oathreni will not suffer disrespect.

As the Oathreni are famed the world over for their strength and savage fighting ability, these compound to forge the image of the ***"vile Orc"*** much of the world holds. For centuries, the Oathreni have had to claw and bite their way into social relevance, sometimes gaining it, often losing it almost as quickly. As such, Oathreni must learn to live with what they are given, as in an intermixed racial society, an Oathreni can only hope for a high military career, and not much more.

## **Biology**

### **Appearance**

Oathreni are one of the easiest of the Edian Races to identify, thanks to a series of physical traits exclusive to themselves. Standing at an average height of around seven feet tall, (2.1 meters) they are amongst the tallest of the Edian Races on average, second only to that of the **Giakos**, as the tallest of their number can reach heights up to fourteen feet. (3.6 meters) Their bodies often chiseled with thick muscular builds, specially developed to allow the individual Oathreni to better hunt and combat large predator animals, as well as allowing an Oathreni to run extremely quickly, and do so for long periods of time, letting them chase down prey for dozens of miles.

Similar to Sylvians, Oathreni have two elongated ears at the sides of their head, allowing an Oathreni to ear a great distance away. However, quite possibly the most defining characteristic of the Oathreni's physical appearance would be that of their teeth, most notably, the long and sharp tusks on their bottom jaw. Universally, Oathreni all possess a mouth of sharp teeth, allowing the Oathreni to better be able to shred apart meat and consume it. The number and length of their bottom tusks can vary, some may have only two small tusks, while other may have four tusks jutting out several inches, however, the size of their tusks is dependent on the gender of the respective Oathreni, as males will typically have larger tusks when compared to females. Other physical traits inherent to the Oathreni would be their wide foreheads and eyebrows, as well as often having a fairly large nose, so developed to allow them to better locate prey by scent.

The skin of an Oathreni is oftentimes rather rough and hard, as it is fairly often covered in thick layers of calloused skin to be better able to withstand the hostile weather and environment, though this is not universal. Their faces are usually rather chiseled, with strong jawlines and cheekbones. The color hues in which their skin can take can vary quite widely, however most commonly, Oathreni will have varying shades of green pigmentations, sometimes muted, other times extremely verdant and bright. Other color hues an Oathreni may possess are white, black, pale and even exotic colors like red and blue, though all of these are fairly rare when compared to Oathreni with green skin.

A rather common habit Oathreni have as a collective race is the addition of various forms of apparel they put upon their face and bodies, such as jewelry, piercings, body paint, and sometimes even self-inflicted scarring. This is done as a form of expression for the Oathreni, as self expression is rather inherent to the Oathreni as a whole, adding onto themselves with apparel they believe will reflect the personality of themselves. Some of the most common apparel for an Oathreni would be piercings such as septum piercings, and earrings, as well as jewelry and piercing upon their teeth, particularly their large bottom tusks.

### **Physiology**

The baseline physiology of the Oathreni is fairly unique when it comes to their contemporary Edian sister races. Rather than having their bodies being specially adapted to best be able to thrive in an individual respective native environment, as is the case for most Havenborne races as a whole, making the Oathreni's internal physiology is a blank slate of sorts. Their bodies are capable of withstanding temperatures that would kill other members of the Edian Races in short order, and they can withstand incredible amounts of physical stress without so much as breaking a sweat.

As their physical appearance would suggest, the Oathreni are incredibly physically strong due to their large and well-toned muscular structure. Second, only to the **Giakos** in physical strength amongst the Edian Races, the weakest Oathreni would easily be able to pick up over two hundred pounds, while the strongest of their number could increase that to around a ton. In addition, the Oathreni are able to carry large amounts of weight for fairly long periods of time, making them excellent at hauling large caches of items across great distances. Alongside their lifting strength, the Oathreni are able to strike with a great amount of force, very easily able to crack moderately strong woods such as **Oak** or **Pine**.

Another trait common to the Oathreni is their stamina, as they are capable of running for hours on end, without needing a break, as well as sprinting with similar speed and endurance. This is largely due to their highly developed musculature and tendons. Lastly, their bodies are highly resistant to injury, as well as having the ability to heal from minor wounds far quicker than other races.

## **Society**

In general, the Oathreni are a race of fiercely territorial beings, who will defend their home territory with their lives, as well as the lives of those within it. An oath taken by an Oathreni is sacred, and the Oathreni take their oaths very seriously, swearing their allegiance to their friends, lovers and kin with their lifeblood if need be.

For the Oathreni, family is paramount, and is treated as the most important thing in all existence. Everything else is secondary, including honor, religion, and even personal desires. Family members will generally not question each other's actions, unless they feel that a member is acting against the best interests of their family as a whole. As such, the Oathreni are typically seen in large families, often consisting of several dozen individuals. Families will often live in communal settlements, where they can pool resources to support each other.