Greylorns

"When the night is darkest, the fire burns brightest"

Physical Description

Powerful humanoids from the northern lands towering up to 3.5 meters tall, their skin bears a natural grey tone, ranging from pale ash to near pitch black. They are well adapted to colder climates and high altitudes due to living up high in the mountains. Greylorn biology is unique in that they possess two hearts, granting them incredible endurance to keep fighting or running for prolonged periods, but also coming with higher metabolic needs. Their antlers grow slowly throughout their lengthy life, are not shed, but instead thicken and branch with age and experience. They can usually live up 150 years but most die young. After recovering from near fatal injuries, Greylorns becomes noticeably more powerful and durable than before as if what doesn't kill them does make them stronger.

Culture & Customs

Greylorns are raiders and adventure seekers at heart, though they usually do not show much emotion and consider strength as virtue. Weakness is not despised but it is expected to be overcome, as they constantly seek perfection in their chosen craft, whether it be battle or craftsmanship, and are incredibly driven to an obsessive degree. They consider seafaring to be troublesome but necessary, every Greylorn being born with an intense fear of the ocean. However sailing is a rite of passage that all must go through in order to prove they have conquered their innate weakness, despite still being unable to swim due a curse of Hope. Worshiping primarily Patience because of his status as the god of endurance, they also worship Diligence because they are known to take slaves to maintain their settlements, Pride and Wrath as part of their warrior culture, and many others are also known to worship pagan gods or even Fate himself.

Their antlers take a really importance place in their culture, warriors for example carve subtle markings into them to commemorate great deed and shamans carve runes to aid in their sorcery. There are large variation of antlers, it is a symbol of pride and health to have large antlers and very desired and considered during marriage. If one was to lose their antlers in any way, they would be regarded as dishonorable and unattractive by peers, some crimes even punished by removal of antlers.