MOUNTAIN NOMAD
Ability Scores Increase: Intelligence, Strength
Skill Proficiencies: Nature, Athletics
Toolset Proficiency: Cook, Mason, Painter, Potter, Weaver, or Woodcarver
Language: Giant (Hulgorkyn Orcish Dialect)
Feat: Elemental Touched
The Orc is a Humanoid Giant species, relating to the Ogre. The species originates in the northwest of the continent of Faerun, at the Rauvin Mountains, northeast from the High Forest. Today, the Mountainer cultures of the indigenous Orcs flourish across most mountain ranges in Northwest Faerun, including Nether, World Spine, and Sword. These animistic nomads continue ancient ways of life while adapting to new challenges. Typically, the Mountainers travel on foot as an extended family, a kinship averaging about 26 people, such as 10 adults, yet ranging from about 4 to 100 people depending on scarcity to abundance. Many adopt Nonorc species as family members. Each kinship migrates seasonally around its own route of sites across several mountain ranges. They dwell in hand-crafted tents, tho some families circuit permanent structures. Altho migrating several mountain ranges, each kinship tends to consider one mountain range home, where they bury their dead and visit their sacred ancestor ancestors. Mountainers tend to preserve a native Old Faith that lacks gods and temples. They recognize the various features of Material nature − the shapes of rocks, the flowing streams, the blanketing night − as living mindful persons, who are members kinships that are part of the Mountainer communities. To respect, care for, and protect each member of ones community is a sacred duty. Each kinship develops personal relationships with particular natural phenomena.
ELEMENTAL TOUCHED
Background Feat
Your companionship with the neighboring minds of nature, the landscapes and the weather patterns, imbues you with Elemental affinity. You know the Commune with Nature spell and can cast it without a spell slot out to 90 feet. You can cast it this way again after a Long Rest. You also gain a cantrip of your choice, whose effect you can personalize to express your attunement with rocks, waters, winds, lights in the sky, and plants. You can cast the spell and the cantrip innately (without spell components and with chosen casting ability, including when using any spell slots to cast it).
RAUVIN HUNTER
Ability Scores Increase: Strength, Wisdom
Skill Proficiencies: Athletics and one from Perception, Survival, or Animal Handling
Toolset Proficiency: Cook, Leatherworker, or Rider of a Mount
Language: Giant (Hulgorkyn Orcish Dialect)
Feat: Savage Attacker (your Unarmed Strike Damage increases to your Strength + 1d6 bludgeoning or slashing, and you can also use this Unarmed Strike Damage for your Savage Attacks instead of a Weapon)
The indigenous Orc culture of the Rauvin Mountains traditionally hunts animals by wrestling and subduing them with bare hands. Every part of the animal is used, whether for food or other resources. Some kinships hunt regularly this way. Many kinships of the Rauvin tribe and of other Mountainer cultures across other mountain ranges do this hunt as an annual sacred event, to celebrate physical power and daring. It is common to see Nonorc Humanoids also participate in these events. Also, many hunters learn to wrangle and ride bareback the larger wild animals, gaining a friend to help them hunt.
MANY-ARROWS HEALER
Ability Scores Increase: Wisdom, Intelligence
Skill Proficiencies: Medicine and either Survival or Nature
Toolset Proficiency: Herbalist
Language: Giant (Hulgorkyn Orcish Dialect)
Feat: Chef
Alignment: Typically Good
Many-Arrows is an Orc tribe that is native along the World Spine mountain range in the far northwest of the continent of Faerun. They are one of the nomadic Mountainer Orc cultures, but after winning lengthy territorial wars, some of the kinships of the Many-Arrows tribe are in a process of settling down, building towns, and recently forming the Monarchy of Many-Arrows. Kinships from other Orc cultures and even other Humanoid species are also becoming citizens of this tribal nation. Many-Arrows healers tend to blend sacred ancestral healing customs, with recent healing techniques that the other cultures introduce. The medical training includes finding and preparing various plants, and applying balms and dosages appropriately, to enhance the activities of the body. They treat all ill and injured, first the members of ones own kinship who are often healers as well, then any others who they can. They also fortify hunters and warriors for their upcoming efforts.
ORCUS INITIATE
Ability Scores Increase: Wisdom, Intelligence
Skill Proficiencies: Religion, Arcana
Toolset Proficiency: Poisoner
Language: Abyssal
Feat: Shadow Touched (without score increase) or Undead Companion
Alignment: Typically Chaotic Evil
Orcus the Fiend of Undeath is taboo among many Mountainer Orc cultures. Folkbeliefs and cautionary tales feature it. Mountainers tend to view reincarnation within the Material Plane as the natural cycle, and Orcus waits to capture those whose lives go wrong. Traditionally, Mountainers visit their sacred burial sites to share love with their ancestral parents, and sometimes to seek advice their nearby incarnations as the dust of the earth and as the breaths of the sky. Once buried, it is forbidden to disturb their bodily remains. For curiosity, to freeze ones reincarnation, or to inflict horrifying vengeance, some individuals and some outcast families seek out Orcus among the desecrations of the resting dead. These necromancers, often powerful, terrify many Mountainers. A group of necromancers often band together as an adoptive kinship of gloom and rot and decaying tents, with Undead members among them. There are tales of a Negative Journey, thru a Shadow Crossing into the underworld, and from there a place into the Deep Shadow, where Orcus arrives to meet the necromancers.
UNDEAD COMPANION
Background Feat
Your desecrating the dead draws the attention of undeath, which changes you. You know the Find Familiar spell. You can cast it as a necromancy, as an action without a spell slot. When you do so, you must have the corpse, at least the bones, of the qualifying Beast before you. Its mindfulness awakens and animates its remains. It is an Undead, but otherwise conforms to the statistics of the Find Familiar spell. Additionally, when you take the Attack action, you can forgo one of your own attacks to allow your familiar to make one of its own attacks with its Reaction. At level 3, your familiar can instead be a Skeleton of Medium Size (upto 9 feet tall), whose corpse is before you and whose mind is willing. Note, the corpse can be of a newly fallen member of your party. The Skeleton has an independent will and can refuse your commands, behaving as it normally would, as a mockery of its former life. You can cast this spell in this way again after a Long Rest, but only one familiar at a time.