Urlan

Urlan
Orok Uraan (in Oortaan)
Motto: "The March without weakness, fear, or faltering."
Nation State	None (Tribes)
Ruler	High Artok (High Chief)
Other Present	Varied
Languages	Oortaan, Common
Religion	Vaired
First Recorded	5,000 BC
Demonym(s)	Urlan

From the far north stampede the Urlan, a society of beast-folk that roam the wilds, lording over all manner of beasts and creatures with their unrivaled hunting skills and large size. Urlan are a relatively rare sight, and much of their existence remains a mystery to many, even though the Urlan have been around for millennia. With their formidable size and high aggression in their natural territories, many of the lands the Urlan inhabit in little more than roving clans or tribes, have been declared off-limits by surrounding nations due to the danger the Urlan pose. Yet, these lands are equally home to many unraveled mysteries and treasures, drawing prospectors and adventurers alike to the frozen wastes. Many of them perish in these inhospitable lands at the hands of the Urlan, while others join their ranks and are transformed into the very beast-folk that hunted them. The Urlan are perpetually caught in a mental struggle between their past lives as Ailor or Elves, and their new lives as the savage yet noble Urlan. Even those who return to Regalia have trouble soothing to peace their call of the hunt and instinct-led behavior, with the rigid lifestyles of the Imperial capital. Much of what it means to be Urlan, is to discover one's self and one's own role in a strange society, and how changes to one's mind affect the true self.

Design

At first glance someone might mistake the Urlan for yet another group of Asha, but there are very distinct differences. Firstly, Asha are animal-people with very distinct animal designs, while Urlan defy any one specific animal-like comparison. Their heads are bovine or goat-like, yet appear more like early Pliocene megafauna in their unfamiliar facial structures. Secondly, Urlan always have an arrangement of horns, tusks, or sabreteeth that are pronounced, and their general appearance is more fantasy-oriented than any particular fur pattern or shape design. The best way to describe Urlan, is to refer to them as fantasy-Minotaurs, with the difference here being that their heads never quite resemble bovine heads, but inspired by them. Within Urlan design, there is a great deal of variation possible due to their creation origin:

• Eye Colors: Urlan eyes can be any combination of eye colors, including sclera colors. More common are colors reminiscent of the other people of Aloria, like blue or green or brown, but it is entirely possible for an Urlan to have orange eye-whites and white irises. If an Urlan is Godborn or Arkenborn or other condition that causes eyes to appear a particular color, their eyes default to those conditions with dark sclera.
• Fur Cover: Urlan can either have fur covering their entire body, or only their shoulders and head up, retaining the skin tone and appearance of their pre-Urlification. The technically more canon version of their appearance is to have their full body covered in fur, but Players have the option to play around with this concept to suit their preference. They may even choose to make only specific body parts covered in fur, but the head must always be covered in fur and beast-like.
• Cloven Feet: Urlan can either have legs with hooves, either in plantigrade or digitigrade shapes, or normal humanoid legs with feet. The technically more canon version of their appearance is to have furred legs in digitigrade shapes with hooves, but Players have the option to play around with this concept to suit their preference. Urlan can even have tails such as short fluffy ones, or long tails with tufs of fur at the end, like a lion's.
• Urlan Faces: Urlan heads should resemble certain animals (like Wild Cattle, Bison, Elk, Deer, Megatherium, Ancylotherium, Goat, Mouflon, etc.) but not exactly. Urlan are meant to have more creative or imagined facial features that defines them as beast-folk but not just appear like an anthropomorphized cow. We strongly recommend players experiment with fantastical fur patterns, horn shapes and arrangements, claws, teeth, tusks, and other cranial adornments and details.
• Urlan Size: Urlan are exclusively large. The Urlan were designed by divine hands to be the tankiest and brawniest of possible sentients on Aloria, and so all their members should be appropriately large in body frame and muscularity. While it is, in theory, possible to play a slim or delicate Urlan, such an Urlan is a mockery and aberration among them, and usually a sign of failure and an inability to compete. Urlan are meant to be the "tank" choice for MassiveCraft.

Heritage Traits

When designing a Character, Proficiency Points allow for a limited Ability selection with Point Buy Packs. Heritage Traits adds free Packs and Mechanics on top of that to help with cultural themes. Free Packs grant Abilities usually, while Mechanics change the way a character functions in Roleplay through subtle, and usually out of Combat ways. In essence, Mechanics just add aesthetic flair that invest in the niche of each culture. Free Packs never raise Proficiency Points, but the character must be able to purchase them normally. (ex. if a character is a certain Affinity that locks them out of a category, they cannot take that specific free pack and must choose the alternative option.) If a Free Pack grants Magic of some type, that Magic can be of any Alignment the character can normally choose, or limited to a select alignment, which will always be written in the Free Pack description. Mixed Heritage characters (i.e. characters born from two parents of different Cultures) may take one parent's 'Free Packs' and mix and match up to 5 Mechanics from both parents, although some Peoples cannot produce Mixed Heritage children (due to Magical/Fantasy reasons). Urlan cannot be included in Mixed Heritage Characters, as there is no such thing as a "Half-Urlan" (explained in Urlan reproduction).

Free Packs

• Urlan can choose one pack from Training Point Buy for free.
• Urlan can choose one pack from Athletic Point Buy for free.

Mechanics

• Urlan can declare one person their "Ward" (does not need consent), which grants +1 Defense Stat (break cap up to 9) while in Emote Range. This must be declared on a Character Application to apply.
• Urlan gain +2 Defense Stat (break cap up to 9) while either in Gloomrot Forest, or while outside of the city boundaries, such as the Hunting Trails, the Forests, and roads leading out of Regalia.
• Urlan have superior metabolism, needing to eat less to survive, do not feel cold temperatures or suffer hypothermia, have night-vision in the dark, and can eat spoiled/raw/poisoned foot without issue.
• TODO
• Urlan can perform great feats of strength out of Combat (carry multiple people, throw boulders etc.). They also gain +5 in out of Combat dice roll Strength competitions.

Urlan Fusion

Dragon Ball Z Fusion explained

Urlan Magic

Explain all the complexities of Urlan Magic

Language and Naming

This section will be relatively short, because it suffices to explain that Urlan do not have a cultural naming or language custom. Because the majority of Urlan are not born but made, they retain their past languages and naming customs while they are Urlan. Only very rarely will an Urlan decide to change their name after Symbiosis, as even when Oorl and person fuse together into a new persona altogether, they still retain the old name of the body that it was made out of. They also retain the languages that they knew, but one change does occur. All Urlan who are born or made Urlan, learn the Oortaan Language instinctively from their Oorl half, when they transfer their memories to the new host/persona. Oortan is a guttural fantasy language that contains many hard consonants and long vowels, but does not have a naming custom, because Oorl worms do not have names but rather poetic phrases like "He who watches the sun set among the snow" or "He who cherishes the lonely mountain".

Urlan Biology

Urlan Biology is very distinct and contextual to their mental and physical condition. Their biology is so wildly different than that of the other Peoples of Aloria, that is begs further explanation to fully grasp how Urlan come to be, and how that informs their view on the rest of the world and the people in it. This section is mostly recommended reading, and each section that ventures into body horror will be marked with a warning in advance.

Oorl Worms

Before one can understand anything about Urlan biology, one must understand the small purple-gray worm that lives in extremely cold climates. The Oorl worm is an adult hand-sized worm of gray-purple color that is slow and largely defenseless in the wild. Most other creatures and wild beasts ignore the Oorl Worm, but sentient people are not blessed with such precaution or knowledge to the dangers of interacting with Oorl Worms. Oorl Worms are very intelligent creatures that are sentient in themselves and live for centuries accumulating memories and experiences while they also have their own language and social interactions with other Oorl Worms. Common sentient chauvinism looks down on Oorl Worms as nothing but overgrown rainworms, but they do have complex caste systems and social hierarchies, they just lack architecture or statehood to express these concepts. Oorl Worms have the ability to combine with another host person through a process called Symbiosis, which is the usual process by which an Urlan is made. Simpler put, an Urlan is a combination of a host body and soul, with the Oorl Worm, which contributes its own positive and negative effects on the host.

Symbiosis

Symbiosis is the term given for the act of an Oorl Worm combining with a Host body (which can be of any Peoples of Aloria, except Mystech or Bralona). The Oorl Worm has several organs and functions in its own body that act like rapid-growth hormones and transformation alchemy on the host, transforming what once might have been an Ailor or an Elf, into an Urlan. In the process of Symbiosis, the Oorl Worm ceases to exist, as it is absorbed into the host's body, but their collective memories and persona is imprinted onto the mind of the host, where-in these personality aspects combine, thus creating a new identity. This aspect is further explained below in the Urlan Mind section, where it goes in detail what the process of Symbiosis does to a host personality.

Symbiosis Types

There are different types of Symbiosis that can performed in different conditions. While it is possible for Urlan to reproduce conventionally with other Urlan, this process can only occur in sub-zero climates. The Urlan are aware, that their Dragon creators created an intentional flaw in their biology that prevents them from conceiving children outside of sub-zero climates to limit their population growth. As a result, 9 out of 10 Urlan that exist in Aloria, are made by Symbiosis, rather than conventional birth. It should also be noted that the Urlan are 8/10 Male, and 2/10 female by population numbers. The reason for this is further explained in the Gender Relations section under Culture. This section contains themes of Body horror and Body modification. Keep in mind that all forms of Urlan Symbiosis require strict OOC consent when performed in roleplay, as the outcome is permanent.

• Accidental Symbiosis: An Accidental Symbiosis occurs when an unfortunate host stumbles into an Oorl Worm in the wild, for example while exploring the wilderness as an explorer in Jorrhildr or the Cains, or getting lost in a blizzard on patrol in Ellador. Oorl Worms occur naturally in these environments, and when a potential host enters their territory, they feel threatened, using Symbiosis as a means of instinctive self-preservation. An Oorl Worm, when approached too close, will launch onto a host, and burrow into their torso either by biting through the chest, or forcing their way in through the throat. From here, the Worm will bite its way to and fuse with the heart, while initiating Symbiosis, and transforming the host into an Urlan. This process is considered painful and unwanted, usually Accidental Symbiosis occurs because a person did not know the risks of getting close to an Oorl Worm, or was not aware they were in its territory and nearly stepped on it. Accidental Symbiosis leads to a lot of mental confusion because it lacks the usual Mentors available to guide someone mentally to the right place.
• Violent Symbiosis: Violent Symbiosis is a variant of the above form of Symbiosis, but one that is more controlled by other Urlan. Urlan are not considered a threat by Oorl Worms, which can safely be captured and domesticated by Urlan. Urlan in the frozen continents hold a pen of Oorl Worms available to their tribe for use in Symbiosis. These more violently and cruelty-inclined tribes roam the frozen wasteland capturing unfortunate explorers or wayward soldiers, some even venturing onto the seas on raider vessels to capture crews of ships that venture too close to the north and cannot defend themselves. In any and all situations, they pick out the potential hosts they think are strong in body and willpower (killing the rest), and then either coax the Oorl Worm to perform Symbiosis with the host, or force the host into a pen with an Oorl Worm which will then act in self-defense. This process is considered deeply immoral and in violation of consent in Regalia, but is justified by these Urlan tribes as an expression of right by might. And yet, the Urlan who are created from it, struggle with conflicting thoughts on the whole process due to the inclined vanity and sense of superiority all Urlan have to their physical prowess. While some Urlan reject this violent process as evil, others consider it a gift given in trial by fire, and thus look fondly upon it. This inherent contradiction of feeling violated and blessed at the same time, is explained further below in the Urlan Mind section.
• Willing symbiosis: Willing Symsios is very similar to Violent Symbiosis, but performed by strict request or consent from the host. In many of these frozen climates where Urlan tribes exist, the locals know all too well what Symbiosis does to the body. In Symbiosis, lost body parts are regenerated, wounds and physical disablities are erased, and the body is toughened and made strong. Any person who feels themselves too weak to survive these harsh climates without the benefits of being an Urlan, or who has lost much to war and old age, might feel an inclination to willingly accept the Oorl Worm so as to be reborn anew, strong, and young, as Urlan also live much longer. In such situations, these willing hosts seek out Urlan tribes and request to have Symbiosis performed on them. This is still a violent process, because they end up in the same pen or situation as captives who are forcefully turned into Urlan, but it is considered a test of willpower and a respect-worthy decision to choose to become an Urlan. These types of Symbiosis usually result in very confident and self-assured Urlan who lack the usual confusion due to their pre-determined resolve.
• Ritual Symbiosis: Ritual Symbiosis is the only form of Symbiosis that can occur in warmer climates like Regalia, because of the simple fact that Oorl Worms cannot survive in temperate to warm climates. If an Oorl Worm leaves a sub-zero temperature climate, they die within hours of reaching the thawing threshold, yet another way that Urlan speculate Dragons try to limit the assimilation rate of Urlan outside of colder climates. Ritual Symbiosis involves either coaxing an Oorl Worm to turn into a runny liquid (in a cold climate), or drawing a similar liquid from an adult Urlan's Ichor bladder, which is a small organ seated just under the skin where conventionally an appendix would have been (which is removed in Symbiosis). Either of these liquids can then be ritually transmuted into Oorl Ichor, which can be consumed as a liquid by any willing host. This is considered a very peaceful and painfree manner of becoming an Urlan, because as opposed to the more violent versions, Ritual Symbiosis takes time across multiple hours instead of seconds or minutes, thus allowing the body to properly adjust to the changes. While Ritual Symbiosis can result in a mind transfer of the original Oorl Worm, if Ichor bladder substances were used, there is no mentality transfer, meaning that the Urlan retains 100% of their personality and persona upon becoming an Urlan.

Symbiosis in Regalia

Regalia has a couple of legal codes that tackle the concept of Symbiosis. Many forms of Symbiosis are considered illegal in Regalia. Regalia both has the Oorl Worm identified as a protected and endangered species, as well as an extremely dangerous creature that should be kept away from. Yet, it also retains its own domestic supply of Oorl Worms, kept in cryo-stasis by Qadir Clockwork machines that create artificial sub-zero temperature environments for them to survive. In Regalia, it is illegal to perform Symbiosis of any kind without consent, however consenting adults are permitted to engage in Symbiosis. Furthermore, the State has its own supply of Oorl Worms, and is willing to perform Symbiosis on near-death or dying soldiers who wish to serve their Empire for longer before death. In such instances, doctors can admit an Oorl Worm from cryo-stasis to perform Symbiosis, thus saving the life of said soldier but making them Urlan in the process. Urlan have a privileged role in the Regalian Military through the Horned-Legions, specific shocktrooper legions created by House Kade to serve in the military and make optimal usage of Urlan biology on the battlefield.

Other Biology

There are a couple of other notable aspects about Urlan Biology that are worth noting. These factors do not contribute into Combat Roleplay, because we cannot fairly fairly attribute these physical characteristics in competitive Roleplay, but players are free to incorporate them in non-Combat or non-Competitive Roleplay or private Roleplay where the conventional rules may not necessarily apply. These aspects of roleplay should never be forced on other players without their clear knowledge of their implication and OOC consent.

• Thick Skin: Urlan canonically have much thicker skin than other People of Aloria, that would normally be so tough that it could deflect slashing damage, and necessitate piercing strikes instead. This, for example, means that Urlan don't get paper cuts or cut themselves while cutting food, and can even do this in their hands, using the palm of their hand as an improvised cutting board.
• Fast Metabolism: Urlan have a fast and very efficient metabolism. This primarily leads to them having a much higher body heat than people of other heritages, which contributes to them not feeling the cold. This can cause them discomfort in very hot summer temperatures with clothes on, but also means they must consume a lot more alcohol to become inebriated than other people would.
• Sense of Smell: Urlan have an extreme sense of smell, as good as a blood hound's even. They can track prey from miles away, and can distinguish animals and even people from each other purely by familiarity with their smell. Some Urlan even claim to be able to smell fear on a person. This should purely be used for private and consensual roleplay, not to metagame through disguises or other such Abilities.
• Urlan Blood: Urlan Blood is caustic to Vampires and Geists. It not only tastes revolting, the sensation of their blood in a Vampire's mouth is described as akin to acid. Urlan Blood refuses under any circumstance to mix with Vampiric Blood, meaning that it can be used (with consent) to identify if someone is a Vampire or not, by drawing blood from both a person and Urlan and seeing if it will mix or not.

Urlan Mind

Urlan Minds, similarly to their Biology, are very distinct and contextual to their behavior and interactions with non-Urlan Characters. Their mind is in a unique situation where it must struggle to console past memories and principles with newly acquired memories and thoughts, and how that reflects onto a wholly new personality. This section is mostly recommended reading, but mostly discusses philosophical concepts and as such can be skipped for brevity.

Mind Fusion

To understand anything about Urlan minds, one must first understand where persona, identity, and personality traits come from. Just like in the real world, the Characters that live in Aloria have personalities and habits that are informed by their memories. To very much simplify the concept: if you have an experience of both being humiliated and participating in the humiliation of another person, who engaged in a certain behavior, you learn not to engage in that behavior yourself. Similarly, if you experience a particular thing or behavior as good, you are more inclined to prefer others doing this thing, or disapprove of others who dislike this thing. Urlan are in the difficult position of having to console two separate sets of memories that do not always overlap. For example, the host might have a strong preference for chaste skin-covering clothing, yet the Oorl worm is home to a cold environment with a high core temperature where clothing is irrelevant and considered pretentious or narcissistic. As such, this Urlan must find a new compromise between both sets of memories that inform different view points on the same personality trait: do I like revealing clothing, or do I not like revealing clothing. There is an endless list of traits that Urlan can have these struggles over, from how to view statehood, to personhood, gender relations, respect for elders, Magic, and so forth. It is very much possible for an Oorl Worm and host to have similar inclinations and principles. This is called a Harmonious Mind Symbiosis, while a confused state of mind that is constantly at war with itself over contradictory beliefs and principles is called a Chaotic Mind Symbiosis. For the latter, Urlan who reside in tribes usually have a Hisok, which is like a therapist who helps them by talking them through their inherent contradictions. The lack of such mental guidance can very much disturb an Urlan into having an arbitrary or unclear and violent personality. The most important takeaway from this section, is that while it is possible for a host to fully suppress Oorl Worm memories and reinforce their own personality by sheer willpower, most Urlan struggle with forming a new personality with new beliefs and principles based on new information and experiences in their mind.

Wild vs Tame

Host and Oorl Worm societies are radically different, and Oorl mentality often imparts with it certain urges and drives that may have been absent in the original host. In essence, the Oorl Worm brings with it certain instincts that are imprinted onto the Urlan that all Urlan invariably share (even the ones that suppress Oorl Worm memories in their mind). This is most commonly referred to as the "Call of the Wild", where an Urlan who does not go on a hunt for several weeks will get antsy, irritated, anxious, and crass. Urlan need a form of release from this pressure by occasionally engaging in a wild hunt where they chase after deer or other wild animals (the more violent the better), to experience the life of a wild apex-predator, even if momentarily. Hunting is considered a very bonding experience between Urlan, and those that hunt often develop a kinship that transcends friendship. Wanting to hunt isn't the only aspect of the struggle of Wild vs Tame however, as another major theme in the Urlan mind is the constant struggle between living wild and free, and living in the framework of one's old familiar life. Suppose an Ailor baker from Regalia for example were to become an Urlan. In that case, their mind is at constant odds with feeling comfortable and at peace in the wild with few personal possessions but a few animal skins and some weapons, living off the land and being free to do and leave as one pleases. And yet, another part of their mind will always long back to the organized society of Regalia, to have a job, to provide for others, and to pay taxes to the State and be part of the bigger regalian ambition. This can express itself in the struggle between wearing tribal cloth vs formal Regalian outfits and costumes, behaving by Regalian social customs or more brutish Urlan habits, or acting based on instinct and drive, versus consideration and contemplation. Some Urlan give themselves fully to their wildness called "Baal", becoming part of those wild tribes and clans that seek to expand their numbers by recruiting strong hosts and conquering lands, while others give themselves fully to return to their old life called "Raal", hoping their family and job and society will accept their re-integration. Finally, there are those who constantly flip between these things, earning some derision from both sides as "Kaar", which translates to the undecided in Oortaan.

Gift vs Curse

Perhaps the most complex aspect of the Urlan mind, is how to view Symbiosis and the (often violent) process itself. Violent Symbiosis is a form of extreme violation of bodily autonomy, that in normal circumstances, few could forgive or accept. Yet, for most Urlan, this is exactly the most complicated matter, because of the inherent vanity and pride that Urlan feel post-Symbiosis to their physical superiority to the other People of Aloria, or the pure benefits that Symbiosis provides. The common denominator between many Urlan is that they end up feeling like Symbiosis itself was a gross violation of their consent, but that they would not go back in time and undo it if they could. From there, this decision usually informs whether they would perform Violent Symbiosis on others, or disapprove of other Urlan engaging in the act elsewhere. The final decision on this aspect can also widely inform all other aspects, if for example an Urlan believes Symbiosis to have been regrettable in all aspects, they are far more likely to refuse and reject the Oorl Worm's personality and memory contributions, and stay themselves. Suppose on the other hand, they fully praise the act and become reverent to the concept of Symbiosis itself as purely a good thing, believing that anyone who has it performed on them should be thankful despite their initial objection. In that case, they are far more likely to fully integrate the Oorl Worm's persona. It should be noted that the Oorl Worms themselves do not have a moral stake in this situation, while they are a sentient creature capable of advanced thought and philosophy, it is widely accepted that Symbiosis when performed exclusively by them without a third party Urlan involved, is purely instinct driven and not a morally conscious decision by the Oorl Worm so they take no blame.

Creator vs Violator

A final consideration for an Urlan, is their "Creator". Creator in this instance is the very person who made them Urlan, either by providing the Oorl Ichor, or by carrying the Oorl Worm to them to begin Symbiosis, if such a person was present. The process of Symbiosis can be such an intimate decision or act that Urlan develop a complex and often contradicting view of their Creator. Some Urlan are fiercely hostile to their Creator, wishing them dead for violating them so profoundly. Somewhere in the middle, are the Urlan who both think their Creator was cruel for doing what they did, but still being thankful to them for having done it as they now live a better life. And finally, there are those who develop an intensely strong connection with their Creator that broaches into near god-worship of their venerable nature. This Creator-Urlan relation can be of close kinship like the best of friends or the closest of family, but some Creator-Urlan relations develop a romantic connection because of the thin line between such intimate feelings and experiences that few could ever share. The latter is even more likely among Willing Symbiosis or Ritual Symbiosis, explaining the high rate of polyamory among Urlan.

Brief History

General history of the 5000 years span

Quick Summary of History in context to Regalia

explain stuff like the horned stipulation and cedromar's involvement with urlan

==Conflicts & Alliances The usual stuff

Religions

Explain they can be of basically any religion but have a secular understanding of Dragons

Dragons

Explain how they see Dragons outside of Draconism because their creation by Dragons is clear.

Culture

the usual, but caveat to explain that this speaks purely of Urlan-unique cultural aspects, and that most Urlan carry cultural customs of their pre-Urlan lives.

Families and Romance

the usual

Clothing

the usual

Art

the usual

Cuisine

the usual

Architecture

the usual

Unique Habits

New section, explain a bunch of physical and subtextual interactions Urlan have with each other and non Urlan.

Recommended Playstyle

The usual Stuff

Trivia

The usual Stuff

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Accreditation
Writers MonMarty Artists MonMarty Processors FireFan96	Last Editor MonMarty on 03/16/2024.

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