Erenar

Erenar, more commonly known as pitguards, are a race of large bipedal humanoids in service to the Black Order. They serve as frontline soldiers for the Order, and in the personal retinues of pit fiends. Due to similarities between pitguards and humans, many believe pitguards to be a demonic off-shoot of humans. No definite link has been made to date, but many papers have been written by magical scholars of Arnen speculating on the connection.

## History

Erenar were initially from the world of Erena. When Erena was struck by Numond's explosion, its peaceful inhabitants became home to a centuries long war. When Argolon stumbled across the world he and his legion laid siege to the planet. They eradicated three of the four races inhabiting the world, with the erenar as last standing. The pit fiends offered them a choice, serve in the Red Legion or be erased. The erenar agreed.

No one quite knows where the term pitguard originated. Perhaps it was a slur directed at the pit fiend's reliance on the erenar, or merely a badge of honor circulated by the erenar. Eventually pitguard fell into common usage, and erenar was reserved for the scholars.

Pitguards now serve across both the Prismatic Dark and the Physical Realms and have become one of the most prolific demons in the universe. They also differ from their demonic siblings in that they tend to capture mortal races to use as servants and slaves. Oftentimes the strongest of captured mortals are organized into deadly gladiator teams.

These gladiator teams fight in massive competitions, in which each erenar is tasked with collecting the best and strongest gladiators. The pitguards then hold tournaments, with the winner being 'elevated' from their station, and granted erenar blood and transformed into a demon.

## Description

Pitguards are digitigrade humanoids that stand between 7 to 8 feet tall, and possess either blue, purple, orange, or red leathery skin. Both males and females are often physically imposing and incredibly muscle bound, with the females standing roughly the same height as males.

Despite their demonic heritage, pitguards are one of the few demonic species to cling to mortal traditions. They form into large extended tribes, where family and victory are placed above all else. Pitguards mate for life, and produce offspring much the same way as humans do. This had only further lent credence to the theory that pitguards are a human off-shoot.

### Combat

Pitguards in combat are powerful, unrelenting warriors. They are driven by a strong sense of honor and victory, and due to their redundant organ systems are notoriously difficult to put down.

Pitguards are renowned as being the best smiths in the Black Order, next to the araghan. They often outfit themselves with steel plates, as well as demonic leathers. They are particularly fond of large bardiches, halberds, great axes, and longswords, though some do make use of crossbows and archery.

## Biology

Pitguards, like most demons, possess addictive and mutagenic blood. Though unlike most other demons, pitguards do not willingly share it with mortals. Oftentimes the blood is granted to a mortal champions who serve under as mercenaries or gladiators for the pitguard.

Pitguards have several redunant organ systems. They posses two hearts, three lungs, reinforced rib cages, four kidneys, and several as-of-yet unknown organs of indeterminable function. The *tibera*, a gland like organ located behind the second heart, is theorized to filter nether energies out of blood consumed by the pitguard (much the same a kidney does to liquids). Another, the *gallyn*, is a bone-colored sac located behind the second heart. It pumps an adrenaline-like hormone throughout the body, which hardens the skin, bone, and other vital organs to withstand repeated trauma.