Tel-Amhothlan

# Tel-Amhothlan (Half-Elf/Half-Orc)

*"Among the warriors of Umgar, few can rival the skills of the tel-amhothlan archers. With their keen eyesight and powerful muscles, none escape the bites of their arrows."- Trakimir, Umgaran warchief, bosting about the skill of his archers.*

*"She was beautiful but when she flew into a blood rage none could stand before her. I watched three armored men die before she was finally cut down."- Mathieu, human soldier from Latrellus, recounting a border skirmish with Umgar.*

*"They're very happy, thanks for asking."- Halystine, tel-amhothlan baker, ignoring a snide question.*

## Physical Description:

A casual glance in a tel-amhothlan's direction shows a half-orc, but a second look reveals something different. Their ears are pointed sharply, their eyes are larger and more colorful, their brows more slanted. While muscular the tel-amhothlan moves with much more grace than could be expected from a first glance. Tel-Amhothlans are half elf, half orc and thus have traits from both. The orc blood is incredibly strong, giving them the trademark green-grey skin, tusks, piggish nose and dark hair. The elven blood leads to pointed ears, large eyes and slanted brows. Tel-Amhothlans are quite tall and well built, with exotic features that can give them an odd beauty, or savage grace. The style of dress depends on the upbringing, either elven or orcish, as one of these people will blend in with the family that raised him.

## History:

Tel-Amhothlans have a long history in Apia. Mind flayers and beholders bred them to be slaves, having the strength and endurance of an orc but the grace and magical wisdom of an elf. This new sub-race of slaves did prove useful to the aberrations that ruled Apia but were held in little regard by both parent races. Still, when the beholders were resisted, many tel-amhothlans were on the front lines of Latrell's rebellion. After the free peoples separated and warred among themselves, orcish and elven skirmishes inevitably resulted in a few more being born under less than ideal circumstances. However in Umgar, tel-amhothlans are a significant portion of the population, as the wild elves have long integrated into that nation. Those tel-amhothlans born in Umgar have stable lives, loving parents and families, growing up to be well-adjusted and ferocious warriors, happy in who they are and proud of themselves. A tel-amhothlan has even been king of Umgar in the past, though that was some years ago.

## Geography:

Tel-Amhothlans are found in various regions where orcs and elves have clashed such as the Hill-Lands and Southbour Blackwoods. However, Umgar is where they are most commonly found, making up a sizable minority of the population of that barbaric land. The drow of The Hollow are known to breed Tel-Amhothlans in remarkable rates, either due to the possessive lusts of drow matriarchs and males or because of the powerful combination drow and orc blood create.

## Personality:

Elven creativity and orchish hot blood makes a powerful combination. Tel-Amhothlans are ferocious warriors and cunning spellcasters. They love to be in the thick of battle, like other half-orcs and they relish the challenge of life. They feel compelled to take what they want and celebrate life in all its splendor. Unlike a more typical half-orc, the tel-amhothlan may value a prized artwork, piece of poetry or fine wine over the more typical treasures. She might even compose some music or art, to the acclaim of her fellows. They have a deep love of the earth and natural things, combining elven instincts with orcish philosophy. A tel-amhothlan is a master survivalist, understanding her place in nature and thus willing to hunt and kill but careful to use every part of the kill, honoring the spirit of that animal. Those raised by non-Umgaran orcs tend to be brutish like their kin, in an attempt to "out orc" the rest and make up for their "tainted blood." Those raised by elves can be seen as perpetual embarrassments or badges of shame, far too clumsy and orcish to succeed in high elven society. (This view is not typically shared by wood elves or drow who both value the tel-amhothlan's strength and durability.) Those raised in Umgar are happy with their lot and embrace the role given by their families. All tel-amhothlans, regardless of location, feel a powerful call to be free, to find what is theirs and claim it, seeing beyond the limits of their home territories. Those unfortunates in The Hollow tend to be slaves to the drow, mostly too broken to dream of anything beyond perpetual slavery.

## Society:

A tel-amhothlan's role in society depends on where she is raised. In Umgar, she is no different than any other barbarian. She may be assigned the role of scout or druid due to her elven blood but this is far from a punishment. Scouts and hunters are considered honorable and necessary roles in Umgar and being a shaman is a position of much respect. In The Hollow, a tel-amhothlan is most likely a slave. If lucky she might be a matriarch's bodyguard, but regardless she is meat for the grinder. In elf society she is something of a misfit, given the opportunities that are afforded all elves but rarely succeeding at them. In orcish society she is weaker than even her regular half-orc kin and must prove herself worthy of the tribe. As long as she is given the opportunity, many tel-amhothlans find themselves in militia or military service, others as hunters and trackers. They might even raise to be advisors or shamans, even tacticians and military offices, a role to which their keen minds are well suited. They care little for politics and so most refuse to hold offices in more civilized lands. Because tel-amhothlans breed true, and are fully accepted in Umgar, small towns of them do exist and their numbers grow with each passing year.

## Religion:

Many tel-amhothlans revere Gruumsh as a patron of strength and all things orcy, even heroic tel-amhothlans pray to the one-eye, though they tend to see him as a god of strength, rather than conquest. Others offer up prayers to Corellon Larethian, trusting that he'll respond to them as elves first, despite other appearances. Many fall into shamanistic spiritualism, where they offer up prayers to the spirits of the earth and nature, as well as ancestral spirits (a view shared by many in Umgar). Some pray to Emdera Ruggedfist, simply offering their skill in battle as proof of their worthiness.

## Alignment:

Tel-Amhothlans can be good or evil but almost never lawful. Both orcs and elves eschew rules and social convention in their own way and so the tel-amhothlan does as well. Many are neutral, trying to find a balance between both sides of their being. With many chaotic good barbarian heroes being tel-amhothlans they can be well received in towns along the frontier.

## Relations:

Tel-Amhothlans are well treated in Umgar and thus tend to think highly of those barbarians. They also get along well with most other half-breeds, as well as many orcs and elves. High elf relatives tend to be cold and unpleasant towards the tel-amhothlan and the feeling is often mutual but its far from open hostility. Dwarves in particular tend to distrust tel-amhothlans as they see them as the worst parts of two old foes brought together but individual dwarves and tel-amhothlans have been known to strike up powerful friendships that overcome most preconceived notions.

## Language:

Tel-Amhothlans speak orcish, elvish and common. Those Hollow tel-amhothlans also speak undercommon.

## Names:

Tel-Amhothlan names depend on the culture that surrounds them. Using names from the elven, human or orcish list are all appropriate depending on circumstances.

## Adventurers:

Most tel-amhothlans are adventurers. Some are barbarian mercenaries from Umgar who are looking to build credibility for potential clients. Some adventure because they are powerfully built and magically skilled but social awkward nomads who can find no camaraderie beyond that blood of heroes that drives wanderers into the wilderness in search of glory, fame and acceptance. Many tel-amhothlans end up as celebrated heroes this way and earn the grudging respect of the nations. Or they end up dead, which is often seen as another solution by many of these same nations.

## Traits:

Tel-Amhothlan traits are below...

+2 Dexterity, -2 Intelligence,

Medium

Speed 30 feet

Low-Light Vision

Orc Blood: Treat as an Orc for all racial effects keying off of race

+2 racial bonus on saves against Enchantment school spells and spell-like abilities

+2 racial bonus on Listen, Spot and Search checks

Favored Class: Fighter