The Free People

The Free People (Freemen/Freewomen), or half-orcs as they were once called, have a long and fascinating history that is often the story of bards. Near the 50th circling of Døende Aske after the comet a long, wearying battle was waged against the humans by the orcs whom saw them severely weakened by the sudden onslaught of freezing weather. In one infamous battle all the human men of a large town were killed as their woman hid in the caves. As they eventually ventured forth out of desperation the orcs captured the woman and gave them half-orc children. These woman were killed soon after and the children raised by their cruel fathers. These half-orcs were seen as weak, and sent out to die in the wilderness. The children banded together and managed to survive long enough to make it to human lands. Horrified by these monstrosities they were shunned and quite a few killed. And so it went on, killed by orcs in the frostfell, chased away by humans in the warmer climates. They grew bitter and as they became older would often raid both of their parent's races, taking out their frustrations on their kin. Their numbers were too small however to be any serious threat and so extinction became a very real possibility. Then finally Harkatottom, one of the first children born to this dying clan, awoke near his 25th year and spoke of a vision he had had after the passing of his father to an orc axe. One where they did not have to fight, where they were a people unto themselves with their original beginnings forgotten. And with his insights and beliefs he started a religion that revered nature, but did not worship it so much as respected it, for the half-orc people had always had respect for the land. To the spirits of the brave, honorable and strong they sent their prayers, asking for them to intercede from the World Beyond and ask for their protection. With the ways he taught they forgot their sullen anger and instead learned to laugh into the face of adversity and chuckle at death knowingly instead of fearing it. When Harkatottom died at an impossibly old age of 84 he was risen to a place above all other ancestors. The leader of all the spirits of the half-orc tribe they believed, and so he became, and they revered him.

Dancing, drumming and kayaking (a free people invention) are amongst their favorite pastimes, along with wrestling and a deadly sport they call 'Demon Tempting'. Demon Tempting consists of climbing to the highest mountain peak around during a blizzard or thunderstorm and roaring curses and mocking the storm with good-natured zeal. If one can go the entire day without being blown off or struck by lightening one is considered to have won the argument with the spirits of the storms. If one is struck or blown off and lives it is laughingly said that the argument was only won by the backhanded blow of the spirit.

Personality
The Free People are now considered a good-natured race, wild and full of life. They are swift to laugh and troubled by very little. They are quick to anger if one in their midst becomes bloodthirsty like their orc kin, or tied to money and power like the humans. A depressed free person is a sight rarely seen, and even if death claims a close friend they will cheer on the spirit of the deceased, urging it to the Spirit World with laughter, song and teasing.

Physical Appearance
The Free People appear much as a human, though burlier, taller and more simian in the way of longer arms and comparatively shorter legs. Their chests are truley impressive, with pectoral muscles visible on even the slimmest female. Their platinum white body hair is thicker and more abundant, with tufts nearly ammounting to fur on their chest and descending in a stripe to their genitals. Even women have this, though the hair is much finer than that of even human males. However, their head hair is considerably thicker, and grows down their neck and ends at their shoulder blades, though can grow down to their knees like all of human kind. Their skin, as seen through the hair, is a dusky brown-red, like that of the palest sunset.

Aside from prominent jaws with exagerated canines, they are a handsome people.

Relations
Free People are congenial to any race that comes upon them without violence and with respect. They are interesting peoples, switching between great formality and crude jests with guests. Childlike, yet wise and with old souls, they take time for other races to comprehend. With humans they are wary for treachery, and with orcs guarded and on the alert of violence, but they treat guests fairly regardless of race. A Free Person's friendship is difficult to attain if not Free as well, but when it is won, it is won for life.

Alignment
The Free Peoples are famous for almost always tending towards Chaotic Good, though Chaotic Neutral and Neutral Good are common as well.

Free People Lands
Amongst the steepest ravines, where one can find powerful winds and raging rapids, this is where the free people people now reside. Living life in the most untameable lands to their fullest, others see them as incomprehensively reckless and foolhardy.

Religion
The Free People live a spiritual life that reveres the souls of the past and that of the land, creatures and events. They believe everything has a soul, and behave accordingly. They speak to Harkatottom often, as if he were still about them. It is as alike to a conversation as a prayer, though only in desperation actually plead or make bequests of him.

Their religious needs are often met by shamans, totemists, clerics and druids of their kind. These professions are respected tremendously by the tribe, though not always is their wisdom heeded, especially by the young.

Language
The Free People speak their own language of Freespeak, which is a bastardized and heavily slang-filled version of Orc. So many variations and new words appear in Freespeech that even orcs can only communicate the most basic ideas through it.

Names
The Free People are often given a childhood name and then another when they mature. This last name may be a word, or a small paragraph (that others subsequently shorten for conveience, except when being honored) that depicts an object, a song, or a deed that defines them. Names may change later on in life as how they are defined is redefined. Harkattotom for instance is actually a nickname for Hearken-to-the-Totem.

Free People Traits
+2 Strength, –2 Intelligence: Free People are powerfully built, though are more prone to let their hearts lead them than their heads. Humanoid (Incarnum): The free people are humanoids with the incarnum subtype. Medium: As Medium creatures, the free people have no special bonuses or penalties due to their size. Free peoples base land speed is 40 feet. Low-Light Vision: Free people see twice as far as a human in starlight, moonlight, torchlight, and similar conditions of poor illumination. They retain the ability to distinguish color and detail under these conditions. Fearless: You gain a +4 bonus to resist fear effects. You do not take a penalty to Intimidate checks based on size difference.

Natural Attack: A Free Person has a natural bite attack that deals 1d4 points of damage. This bite is always considered a secondary attack, and is made at a -5 penalty. If armed with a weapon, he can use his bite or weapon, as he chooses, though not at the same time unless they can attack twice or more in the same round. If the free person gets extra attacks by virtue of a base attack bonus of +6 or higher, he gets them only with his primary attack, not his bite.