Hoshr kindred

One of the three great Humanoid kindreds of Iuldar, often called the "Orc-like" or "Goblin-like" kindred. For the majority of the Time of Sages, the Hoshr kindred was the most widespread and populous of the three, and were the undisputed masters of eastern Kelviah until the First Eol-Nost Alliance. Even afterward, members of the Hoshr kindred continued to be important players on the world stage.

## Classification

*Main: Category:Hoshr Races*

There are two different views on the classification of the Hoshr kindred: the **Exclusionist** and **Cladist** schools of thought. The **Exclusionist** view places all Humanoids that are not descended from the Hashuran Hashbrin (i.e. the Jhoshik and Vros kindreds) in the Hoshr kindred. According to this view, the Hoshr kindred as envisioned by the Cladists is simply a central branch of the kindred, with "Fringe Hoshr" connected to the kindred by shared lack of Hashuran ancestry (more on those below)

The **Cladist** view classifies the Hoshr kindred as the Hoshroi race and all of its descendants. This is the most widely-accepted definition of the Hoshr kindred, and as such, will be the one explained here. Though all members of the Hoshr kindred are descended from the same Hoshroim, they could be said to have developed along a handful of major branches according to geographical separation, as the ancestral Hoshroim spanned over a very wide range before they began to diverge into the Hoshr races of today.

### Ancestral

The ancestors of all of today's Hoshr races are the Hoshroim of ancient times, after which the kindred is named. They covered a wide range of Kelviah, stretching at their peak from the Anradi Mountains in Wiiramyl, all the way to Jutare in the southeast, and from these widely-separated populations come the Hoshr races of today.

### Ogres

The single race of the Ogres are the testament of the Hoshr presence in ancient Jutare. They co-existed with Hoshroim in the ancestral form for many centuries, before the latter were eventually driven to extinction by numerous causes. They were the first to diverge from the ancestral form.

* Ogres

### Orc-Kind

The Gorkim race originated from the Hoshroim in northern Wiiramyl, and were at least partially the result of Hoshroim interbreeding with Neaderthal type Humans from Earth. While the Gorkim themselves were never very politically important, their descendants the Orcs would become the most politically important of the Hoshr races, and gave their name to this branch.

* *Gorkim* (presently extinct)
* Orcs
* Yeti
* Moogram

### Trolls

Trolls originated among the Hoshroim of the Middle Lands of Central Kelviah. They were the third to diverge from the ancestral form. Hoshr races of the Troll lineage developed a particular ability which allowed them to regenerate to a much greater extent than other races.

* Hill Trolls
* Wood Trolls
* Desert Trolls
* Mountain Trolls
* Frost Trolls

### Goblin-Kind

The final branch to diverge from the ancestral stock. Today, Goblin-type Hoshr are the most populous of the Hoshr races, with Hobgoblins being even more populous than Humans.

* Goblins
* Hobgoblins
* Furbolgs

## Characteristics

As a Humanoid kindred, members of the Hoshr kindred share many features in common with their distant cousins in the Vros and Jhoshik kindreds, such as basic body shape. They do, however, have a few distinguishing features that set them apart.

Members of the Hoshr kindred have more pronounced canine teeth than other humanoids. This is especially noticeable among Trolls and Orc-types, whose canines are very broad and sharp. Another distinguishing feature, perhaps the most noticeable, is their skin. Melanin is not as strong as other pigments - particularly green ones - in members of the Hoshr kindred, and Hoshrites have skin that tends toward greens, blues, and greyish tones, with darker browns also present in some. Their eyes are also distinct, as they contain a tapetum lucidum, like a cat. This causes their pupils to shine in dim light, and bestows enhanced night vision to members of the Hoshr kindred. Their irises are also unique, as they are formed of two distinct, concentric bands of color. Usually the colors are quite similar (darker and lighter green, for example), but they can be quite different as well.

Another major distinguishing feature is to be found internally. Hoshrites have increased rates of healing compared to other Humanoids - especially in the Troll lineage, who can even regenerate limbs given enough time. However, no Hoshrite (not even a Troll) can recover from a mortal wound. Hoshrites have a khaalnas that is very similar to that of the Jhoshik - with magic conduits appearing in the musculature and skeleton, but not in the major internal organs (with the exception of the heart and lungs). Hoshr khaalnas tend to be less efficient than their Jhoshik counterparts, however, and they tend to be less magically gifted than other Humanoids.

## "Fringe Hoshr"

According to the **Exclusionist** classification of the Hoshr kindred, mentioned earlier, There are three more races that belong to the Hoshr kindred. They are not descended from the Hoshroim, they are simply Humanoids which are neither Jhoshik nor Vros.

* T'shodans
* Kreg
* Kar Stel

As the "standard" classification of the Hoshr kindred is the **Cladist** classification, these three are not accepted as members of the Hoshr kindred by most people. There are places, however, where the Exclusionist view is preferred, and these races are given Hoshr status there.