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{{Info races
{{Info races
|image = Newurlsplas.png
|image = UYrlheadi.png
|pronunciation = Earl-an
|pronunciation = Earl-an
|classification = Gorr
|classification = Gorr
Line 8: Line 8:
*Bull-folk (derogatory)  
*Bull-folk (derogatory)  
*Goat-men (derogatory)
*Goat-men (derogatory)
|languages = [[Race]] dependent, though they also speak [[Oortaal]]
|languages = Dependent on Race before Symbiosis
|naming = Race-dependent
|naming = Dependent on Race before Symbiosis


|distinction = Symbiotic beast-men hunters
|distinction = Symbiotic beast-men hunters
|maxage = Symbiosis halts aging and adds another 100 years on top of life expectancy.  
|maxage = Symbiosis halts aging and adds another 200 years on top of life expectancy.  
|height = 6’5 to 7’0
|height = Average to Tall
|weight = 220 to 400 lbs
|eye = Eye color from before Symbiosis is kept, otherwise brown, blue, or green.
|eye = Varies
|hair = Fur colors follow hair color before Symbiosis, and if no hair was present it defaults to brown.
|hair = Brown, black, blond, rust brown, never bright colors
|skin = Skin colors follow skin color before Symbiosis (also scale or fur) but can also be full-body fur.
|skin = Depending on host [[Race]], natural, but decolored
|}}
|}}
From the far north stampede the Urlan, a [[Race]] of beast-men that roam the wilds, lording over all manner of beasts and creatures with their unrivaled hunting skills. Urlan are a relatively rare sight, and much of their existence remains a mystery to many, including how they increase their ranks by forcing or granting symbiosis on willing and unwilling hosts. Many regions in [[Jorrhildr]] have been declared off-limits, as the Urlan Throngs roam these lands and rule them, smashing any military force sent to try and compete them out. Some, however, wander to [[Regalia]], called by adventure, or to settle to eternal struggle in their mind where they are torn between their beastly wild mind, and their old life. With great physical prowess and a stoic demeanor, Urlan are seen as the most stalwart and strong warriors, able to rival the [[Eronidas]] shocktroopers of the [[Regalian Empire]]. Any self-respecting hunting guild contains at least a few Urlans, and Urlan have also become a staple in the [[Regalian Military]] due to the inclusion of the Urlan Legion under the previous Emperor [[Cedromar I]]. One of the fastest-growing Races in [[Aloria]], the Urlan have yet to find their place in the world, whether to embrace the call of the savage wilds or to try and hold onto their old lives. And yet some claim to have found a new way, merging both the past and the future together into a much stronger whole.
[[File:Twinkrul.jpg|260px|thumb|right|Not all Urlan are large and bulky. Some are athletic and slender, but some definition is always found.]]
[[File:Urltooth.png|260px|thumb|right|The Animal fur often extends just below the neck and collar bone, but can go further.]]
[[File:Urlasia.jpg|260px|thumb|right|While Urlan personalities are fairly flexible, vanity in appearance is always consistent.]]
[[File:Urlclothing.png|260px|thumb|right|Al-Urlan continue to wear Ailor-style clothing usually.]]
[[File:Urldrink.jpg|260px|thumb|right|Urlan are very avid drinkers, loving alcohol even more than some Ailor cultures.]]
[[File:Vainurl.png|260px|thumb|right|Most Urlan are immensely vain and proud of their appearance.]]
[[File:Notallhoves.jpg|260px|thumb|right|Not all Urlan have their hooves out all the time, but some do to help communicate and move faster.]]
[[File:Oozyurla.png|260px|thumb|right|Not all Urlan horns point forward. They can curl, point backwards, and also sideways.]]
[[File:Warpaint.png|260px|thumb|right|War paint is a common Urlan body decoration.]]
[[File:Urlhunt.png|260px|thumb|right|Urlan are known to be the best hunters, capable of tracking prey for long periods of time.]]
[[File:Sfaf.png|260px|thumb|right|Many Urlan are Velheim, purely because Velheim live close to large concentrations of Oorl Worms.]]
[[File:Urølinrel.png|260px|thumb|right|Urlan are surprisingly welcome in Regalia, enjoying various rights other races do not have.]]
[[File:Skinaaa.png|260px|thumb|right|Urlan do have strong healing abilities. If however an Urlan takes a particular wound they want to remember, they can choose to leave it scarred over.]]
[[File:Manulr.png|260px|thumb|right|Baal-Urlan frequently wear their trophies on their clothing, including but not limited to skulls and fur.]]
[[File:Urlhunt.png|260px|thumb|right|Urlan love to hunt, especially in the cold and when chasing a dangerous or agile prey.]]
[[File:Warpaint.png|260px|thumb|right|Urlan enjoy the use of warpaint and tattoos to decorate their often exposed skin.]]
[[File:Urlfur.png|260px|thumb|right|Many Urlan keep their pre-Symbiosis skin on their torso and limbs, but many also choose full-fur.]]
[[File:Tata.png|260px|thumb|right|Tattoos had before Symbiosis remain even after Symbiosis on the skin of the Urlan.]]
[[File:Urlamo.png|260px|thumb|right|Urlan consider the direction of their horns an expression of personality. Forward means "back off"; backwards means "welcoming".]]
[[File:Skinaaa.png|260px|thumb|right|Despite their skin healing away scars, Urlan can still lose parts of their flesh that will not grow back, producing scar-like healing.]]
[[File:Oroll.png|260px|thumb|right|Captured and experimented upon Urlan exist in the world, and are a sore topic.]]
[[File:Urlup.png|260px|thumb|right|Sometimes, pre-racial features will persist in Urlan, like Nelfin ears changing the way the animal ears look.]]
[[File:Osrickbhgjkkhjgb.png|260px|thumb|right|Immediately after Symbiosis, Urlan are confused and fearful of their own body, but pride eventually takes over.]]
==Physical & Mental Characteristics==
From the far north stampede the Urlan, a Race of beast-men 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, despite the fact that the Urlan have been around for millennia. Many regions in Jorrhildr have been declared off-limits by a couple of nation states like the Regalian Empire, as the Urlan Throngs roam these lands and rule them, smashing any military force sent to try and compete them out. Some, however, wander to Regalia, called by adventure, or to settle to eternal struggle in their mind where they are torn between their beastly wild mind, and their old life. With great physical prowess and a stoic demeanor, Urlan are seen as the most stalwart and strong warriors, able to rival the Eronidas shocktroopers of the Regalian Empire and surpass them. Any self-respecting hunting guild contains at least a few Urlan, and Urlan have also become a staple in the Regalian Military due to the inclusion of the Urlan Legion under the previous Emperor Cedromar I. One of the fastest-growing Races in Aloria, the Urlan have yet to find their place in the world, whether to embrace the call of the savage wilds or to try and hold onto their old lives, as well as settling their own self-worth and identity of a soul in turmoil.  
To call Urlan a Race is not exactly right. While all other Races are born from two people of that Race reproducing, most Urlan are actually made through a process of Symbiosis, where an Oorl Worm invades (or is invited) into a host, and merges with the body to change it. Urlan appearance may as such vary, as visual aspects of the original person are adopted into what the Urlan eventually looks like. There are some common traits however that allow the Urlan usually be recognized. The best way to describe them is as humanoid half-bull-people, with the upper body of a humanoid, the head of a bull or deer-like beast, and the lower legs of such a beast also. There exist three distinct Clades of Urlan, the Northern Clade dominant in Jorrhildr and [[Ellador]] and all surrounding lands, the Midlands Clade dominant in [[Essalonia]] and the [[Regalian Archipelago]] and in between, while the Warmland Clade is active mostly in the north of Ithania and Nordskag. The Northern Clade Urlan have heads shaped like those of Wild Cattle, Bison, or Buffalos, while Midlands Clade Urlan have heads shaped like those of Elk, Megatherium, [[Deer]] or Ancylotherium. Finally, the Warmland Clade have heads shaped like Woolly (domestic) Sheep, Goats, Ibex, Mouflon, and Argali. Additionally, Urlan can be divided based on what Race they were prior. If an Urlan was the result of a Symbiosis between [[Ailor]], [[Sihai]], [[Qadir]], [[Songaskia]], [[Altalar]], [[Dwarf]], [[Cielothar]], [[Avanthar]], [[Isldar]], [[Kathar]] or [[Maraya]], then they default to the Vitality Urlan, the most common Urlan type. Vitality Urlan set the default standard for all other types, with a beast-like head and two large horns (and potentially smaller bones along the brow-bone), fur that extends down to the shoulders and chest, and bovine lower legs with some variety. It is however also possible for an Urlan to accept a more bestial nature of themselves, and for the fur to cover more parts, or even their entire body. There exist also other types of Urlan however: Brandor Urlan that are created from a Symbiosis by Eronidas, Bested Urlan  from [[Asha]], Scaled Urlan from [[Slizzar]] and [[Allar]], and Verdant Urlan that are created from Symbiosis with a [[Yanar]], or Symbiosis with any Race but with an Oorl Worm that can only be found in a Garden of Vol, tended to by a Cult of Vol. Below is a table that shortly summarizes the differences per Race depending on the Symbiosis gained from different Races.
 
{| class="wikitable"
==Core Identity==
|- style="font-weight:bold; text-align:center; background-color:#c0c0c0;"
The Urlan are, at their core, a Race of large beast men with all the muscle and horns to fight, but the willpower and restraint to fight only when they have to. Anyone would look at an Urlan and say they are savage beasts, but rather than solving every problem in the world with violence, Urlan instead use reasoning and diffusion. This inherent unwillingness to give into their most basic of instincts gives the Urlan their gentle giant thematic appeal. Urlan are called by the Wild Hunt, the idea that they have an itch that needs to be scratched, a need to feel like a predator and to catch a fierce or agile prey to boast about. Urlan are also constantly torn between worlds, between the urban and the wild, between the free and the constrained, between the sensible and logical, and the chaotic and unruly. Each Urlan is in themselves an identity crisis, learning more about themselves as much as they learn about the world around them.  
! Race
 
! Urlan Term
===Split Identity===
! Eye-Color
Because (non-born) Urlan are made through Symbiosis between a host and a parasite, each with their own mind which fuses and forms a single consciousness, each Urlan struggles with their identity caught between worlds. Each Urlan struggles between the memories of their old life as well as the memories of the parasite overlapping theirs, and how to console them to form a new personality that takes aspects of both. There are yet also Urlan who reject their parasite presence, and continue their exact personality before Symbiosis, but also those who allow their entire personality to be usurped by the parasite, thus letting their old self die. Many Urlan experience the world anew, even if they once did the same things and saw the same views. Through new eyes and a new perception of the world, they have to re-learn what certain things mean, and how they feel about them.  
! Description
|-
| style="background-color:#decdbd;" | Ailor, Sihai, Qadir, Songaskia, Altalar, Avanthar, Isldar, Kathar, Maraya, Dwarf, Cielothar
| style="width:6%;" | Vitality Urlan
| Orange with specks of red and yellow, with dark-gray eye-whites.
| Default Urlan appearance. Skin color is inherited from the original body and slightly darkened, while hair color is inherited and becomes the fur color, with additional fur discolorations and patterns possible.
|-
| style="background-color:#decdbd;" | Yanar, or Symbiosis on any Race but with a Oorl Worm from a Garden of Vol (see [[Cult of Order]])
| Verdant Urlan
| Green with specks of white and green, with dark-gray eye-whites.
| Skin color based on the prior Yanar skin color, with potential for the growth of patches of moss, lichen, and occasional flowers. The Verdant Urlan have a fur-like moss or grass texture on the spots where fur would be. Instead of normal top hair, they may also have vines growing, or retain normal hair. Ears also appear less bovine and more Nelfin-like pointed. Horns may also be made of wood-like or antler-like branches.
|-
| style="background-color:#decdbd;" | Allar, Slizzar
| Scaled Urlan
| Yellow with specks of green and orange, with dark-gray eye-whites.
| Black (if Slizzar) or original scale (if Allar) scales where humanoid skin would be for Vitality Urlan (but still have fur where all Urlan also have fur). Additionally, Scaled Urlan have a forked tongue, slitted eye pupils, and instead of top-head hair they may have medusa-like snakes, or just normal fur-hair.
|-
| style="background-color:#decdbd;" | Asha
| Bested Urlan
| Orange with specks of red and yellow, with dark-gray eye-whites.
| Instead of humanoid skin that Vitality Urlan would have, their entire body is covered in fur. Instead of an optional tail from Symbiosis II, they permanently keep their Asha tail. Instead of hooved feet, they are Asha-like feet with claws. Bested Urlan never have tusks, they always have sabre teeth.
|-
| style="background-color:#decdbd;" | Eronidas
| Brandor Urlan
|  Orange with specks of red and yellow, with dark-gray eye-whites.
| Skin color is inherited from the original body and slightly darkened. Brandor Urlan can never have sabre teeth, they must always have at least one set of protruding tusks. Brandor Urlan in general have more exaggerated tusks than other Urlan types that may sometimes even curl.
|-
| style="background-color:#decdbd;" | Half-Races
| -
| -
| Pick one of the parents, then choose the corresponding Urlan Type above.
|-
|}
===Urlan Personalities===
Urlan personalities have some room for variation because not all Urlan properly mentally integrate with the Oorl Worm after Symbiosis, but some traits are shared. Primarily, Urlan are stoic giants who feel and perceive a lot, but so not express their emotions outwardly at all. They speak very little, and use body language more frequently to communicate, but are also very sensitive (if they want to be) to the feelings and emotions of others, even if one can go through their whole life never seeing an Urlan expressing a single emotion, which they consider a private matter. Urlan, unlike Slizzar however, do not intend to use the information gained from this natural Empathy, but rather use it to better understand the position or rhetoric a person is making, or to be a good mentor for someone who struggles with inner demons. Indeed, Urlan are so proficient at taking away the pain of others and taking it upon themselves, that Urlan have become a common sight in post-battle medical tents, aiding doctors by accepting the pain of their patients so the medical staff can better tend to the wounds while the Urlan suffers through the agony. Urlan can also be very philosophically inclined as due to their lack of constant dialogue, they have a more calm perception of the world around them, and spend longer time thinking over how to react or respond to something, and the deeper implications of subtext and nuance in their responses. Urlan are generally the kind of beings that would in most cases turn the other cheek, being very aware of their innate strength in comparison to other Races, and generally not wishing harm on others unless pushed into a corner. Urlan can however also have their temper broken, and be unleashed in fits of rage. A great way to aggravate an Urlan to anger is to compare them to simple cattle and call them stupid farm animals. Urlan that have found inner peace are very vain in their appearance, and consider Symbiosis the greatest gift ever bestowed on them in their life. Then there is a small minority of Urlan who have become bitter and angry with the world for rejecting them. This often happens to Urlan who have somewhat accepted themselves as Urlan and found inner peace when it comes to what they are, but also face severe rejection or disgust towards their old life. A good example of this is an Urlan who is happy being Urlan, but is utterly rejected by their family and called a monster and mongrel, or a warrior who finally feels the adrenaline of battle again, but is now disgusted with the weakness and frailty of his former comrades in comparison to himself. These Urlan are Reenhaarn, often forming Throngs that go out of their way to attack other Races purely for not being Urlan, but also don’t Symbiosis anyone they come across unless they take a personal liking to them. Even outside of these common traits, there is a great deal of variance, especially among Ulrof who are unable to console their body and fused Oorl mind with the past. Their personalities tend to be more unstable, with bursts of their old self coming through brighter than they would be if the Oorl’s soothing effect on personality and temper was more constant and stronger.  


===Symbiosis Process===
===Evolution through Symbiosis===
The act of Symbiosis can occur in two manners, peaceful and hostile. When a person accepts peaceful Symbiosis, they must be aware of what will happen, and be at peace with, or want this decision. It involves cradling the Oorl Worm gently to the exposed chest, after which the Oorl Worm will painlessly merge its way inside, beginning the process of Symbiosis that occurs in a matter of minutes, and proceeds peacefully and painlessly. When it concerns a hostile symbiosis however, an Oorl might feel threatened by the person in its natural habitat, or be forced onto a person by a third party (Urlan or otherwise) by pushing the Oorl Worm against a person’s chest. A hostile symbiosis disregards armor or clothing, whatever obstacle, an Oorl Worm will find its way inside in a painful manner. Then, the Symbiosis process proceeds over the course of several minutes in a painful manner as the host feels all their bones snap and re-mend and their organs rearrange in real time. Either way, when Symbiosis is complete, the Oorl attaches itself to the host’s heart, and continues to live separately from the host but merging minds. Oorl are not exactly people with a full sentient personality, but they do have personality quirks. Generally speaking, Oorl Worms are calm and have a very kind disposition. What this usually does to angry and violent people during Symbiosis, is to temper their rage with stoic control and passiveness. The original personality of the host is not overwritten as such, but rather just nudged into a different direction, not necessarily limited to calming effects however. The Oorl might also embolden the host with a new found pride, vanity, bravery, resolve, stubborn-ness and life-lust. That being said, most freshly made Urlan exist in a very chaotic state of mind for some days or weeks, as they adjust to their new personality and body.  
Urlan are produced by a Parasite called an Oorl Worm fusing with a host, both mentally and physically. This process is either voluntary or involuntary depending on whether the Oorl Worm feels threatened, using Symbiosis as a defense mechanism. Regardless of how the Urlan or others feel about the person having been changed into an Urlan, from a purely scientific point of view, Symbiosis confers many physical advantages. The host becomes much stronger, more agile, more durable, lives longer, remains combat ready for longer, and generally has a more balanced temperament. The Urlan without exception agree that Symbiosis is wholly positive from a physical standpoint, even if they may disagree on the mental aspect of things. Even if they hold the belief that they did not consent to the changes, they cannot deny the sheer benefit the changes manifested in them. The ones that do accept the mental benefit also, are of the opinion that Symbiosis should be spread to remove physical flaws in other Races, as a form of forced (or willing) evolution, which is part of their ideology.


Not all Urlan enjoy Symbiosis after the fact. While there is not a single Urlan or reversed Symbiosis person that cannot deny that Urlanification has absolute physical benefits in terms of lengthening someone’s life-span, returning lost limbs, giving the person greater strength and willpower and generally making them much healthier than their Race could ever be, some Urlan cannot find inner peace or balance between the old life and the new life, and start self-rejecting. When self-rejection occurs, the Oorl can detach from the heart and find whatever way necessary to leave the body, before quickly slipping away while the host’s changes revert in a fairly painless but exhausting process. Oorl rejection can happen at any time, but must only happen a minimum of 5 days after Symbiosis, as the Oorl is not able to detach from the heart before that. Reversed Symbiosis as such can occur a week later, or a month later, or even years later. Some Urlan have even been known to finally reject Symbiosis 30 years after the fact. Urlan sympathize, but don’t always empathize with those that do, and their responses vary radically based on how the person reversed Symbiosis, or who the Urlan is. While rejecting Symbiosis is not an absolute death sentence and reason to hate a person, Urlan do become hostile towards someone who trivializes Symbiosis, ridicules it, or treats Symbiosis like an aesthetic to switch in and out of at leisure, instead of treating it like a major life-changing situation or decision with respect. In some cases, Urlan can even be convinced to help others temporarily be Urlan, even if they would much rather those who undergo Symbiosis stick with it. Urlan who are comfortable post-Symbiosis or have reached a point of balance and peace are called Urlanaan, while those who are in a state of chaos and inner conflict are called Ulrof. Even among Urlanaan and Ulrof, there exist the Baal-Urlan which are Urlan who reject their old life completely and fully immerse themselves into the Urlan Throng life, and Al-Urlan which are Urlan who manage to find a balance between their old life and their new life as an Urlan. Al-Urlan for example retain their old name and dress with enlarged but similar clothing as they did before, while trying to hold onto old customs, while Baal-Urlan dress more like traditional Throng Urlan, adopt a new name or shorten their name, and take on new behavioral quirks.  
===Wild versus Urban===
Many Urlan also struggle with very basic considerations of their lifestyle, like where to sleep, what to wear, or what to eat. This is generally the mental struggle Urlan have to figure out for themselves, whether they prefer the freedom of the wild, or the abundance of civilization. Each Urlan has a thrift for the hunt and to be free in the wild, but many are also called to the structured life of civilization. As such, they struggle to choose between wearing as little as possible and only in the hides of their prey, or to wear the next seasonal brocade fit for their bodies. They might struggle to desire raw meat on the bone, or a succulent spiced and cooked steak with vegetables. They might desire to sleep under a bridge in the cold morning air, or to have the luxury of a house bed. Many Urlan frequently switch between wanting either, both, or neither, struggling to settle, and changing their moods with the seasons.  


===Symbiosis Possibilities===
==Design==
Symbiosis can be undergone through all manner of different ways. You may write Symbiosis into your Character Application backstory, or acquire Symbiosis IC through a variety of methods. Symbiosis is particular popular among Velheimers and Caeren cultured Ailor, especially those too scarred or wounded by warfare or too frail and old to be of any help to their clans. Urlification is seen as a way to rejuvenate the body and enter a new stage in life, while within [[Old Gods]], Urlification is considered a double-edged knife-gift from the [[Union of Air]]. With Regalia, particularly in [[Vultdragon Unionism]] (based on Horopadosi sentiments), Symbiosis is seen as one of the acceptable ways to force evolution upon the Ailor Race to better serve the Unionist Spirit. There are also Baal-Urlan Throngs that are very hostile to other Races, engaging in raids particularly in Jorrhildr and Ellador where they raid towns and choose the strongest of those that survive to turn into Urlan while killing the rest. Peaceful Urlan also exist anywhere however, who might always be willing to share on Oorl Worm of themselves, as Oorl Worms create young Oorl Worms inside Urlan hosts that can perform Symbiosis on others when given or forced on them. Furthermore, the Regalian State also has a supply of Oorl Worms available in a habitat somewhere on the isle, which are reserved in particular for saving the lives of soldiers who accept Symbiosis on the field of battle when they are inches away from bleeding to death due to catastrophic internal damage or loss of limb. Finally, there are always those who found what birth gave them insufficient to satisfy their ambitions, hearing tales of the strength and power that Symbiosis brings, thus actively seeking out the Urlan Throngs to convince them to allow them to Symbiosis with an Oorl Worm. Not all these challengers are given what they want, as Urlan tend to be apprehensive to those actively seeking out Symbiosis for power hunger. Urlan that perform peaceful (or hostile) Symbiosis on others usually stay with them while they undergo the process of Symbiosis. This process can both be enlightening, or traumatic, or both, so there is usually a special connection between the person who performed the Symbiosis, and the person who became an Urlan in the process, especially if the Symbiosis was performed with an Oorl Worm from their body. This special connection can vary wildly from a near worship level of deference for granting a gift, to absolutely loathing a person and wishing to violently end their life. Some Urlan that undergo Symbiosis together or at the hands of each other hunt together for life, and try to teach each other new things, mentor to student, and student to mentor. Hunting together is one of the greatest ways for Urlan to bond, especially if it concerns an Urlan showing the ropes of how to be an Urlan to one fresh from Symbiosis. The only time when Symbiosis is not allowed to be implied in Backstory or with NPC Urlans, is if your Character was introduced as non-Urlan in Roleplay/Character Application. If you choose to Urlanify a Character after some time, you have to seek out an actual Urlan in-roleplay to get an Oorl Worm from, or petition the government, or the Vultdragon Celatcy.
===Mental Characteristics===
Urlan do not have any set personalities or mental traits, rather, as a Race, they are the most inconsistent by mental characteristics. The Symbiosis Parasite is called an Oorl Worm, which by nature has a very docile, curious, skittish, cowardly, thoughtful and philosophical mind. The host may have similar traits, but more often than not has opposite traits, belonging to for example violent and brutish Velheimers, vain and self-assured Eronidas, or dogmatic Teledden. Putting their personality traits together with Oorl Worm personality traits in a hat can result in truly random personalities, but may also result in more controlled personalities as the Urlan leans their self identity more towards the Oorl Worm, or more towards their previous life.  


===Oortaal===
===Physical Characteristics===
Urlan do not have a racial language of their own, but do have a few words that they have learned from the Oorl, who do have a telepathic way of communicating with each other while outside of any potential host. Oortaal is not a formal language, and as such does not require Proficiency points. Every word that exists in this “language” is presented in the bullet point list below, and anyone who learns these terms from an Urlan in roleplay may know them from that point onwards.  
The Urlan are not exactly a Race in the way that most other Races would define them, but they are not an Affliction either because they can reproduce normally like all other Races after Symbiosis occurs. Urlan, are at a base, other Races who have their bodies willingly or unwillingly invaded by a Parasite that then merges both its body but also its mind with the host to fuse both, causing a number of rapid mutations in the host to produce a new Urlan. Urlan are at a base, reminiscent of minotaurs, with the body of their previous Race (though often bulked up and made much stronger), with the head of a variety of animals. There are a couple of different head shapes, but they are not considered subraces. Urlan keep the eye color they had prior to Symbiosis, unless they were born Urlan in which case their irises are either blue, green, or brown, with a gray sclera. Urlan who reproduce with other Races or other Urlan always produce full-blood Url, it is not possible to be Half-Url. Urlan heads follow specific Clade groups that are classified based on the rough area where their Oorl Worms can be found:
*Tokrok are Urlan who force other Urlan through hostile Symbiosis.
* Northern Clade Urlan are found in Ellador, Jorrhildr, and the further cold lands. Their heads are shaped like those of Wild Cattle, Bison, and Buffalos.
*Katrok are Urlan who only perform peaceful Symbiosis and resist Hostile Symbiosis.
* Midlands Clade Urlan are found in the Regalian Archipelago and Ithania. Their heads are shaped like those of Elks, Megatherium, Deer or Ancylotherium.
*Baal-Urlan are Urlan who believe in rejecting their old lives and the past, and becoming a new person.
* Southlands Clade Urlan are found in Daenshore, the Allorn Empire, Hadar and Farah’deen. Their heads are shaped like those of Ibex, Sheep, Goats, Mouflon and Argali.  
*Al-Urlan are Urlan who believe in maintaining the past and letting their old lives be the defining feature of their new.
Beyond their head however, Urlan bodies look the same as their previous Race besides some modifications. For example, an Asha who had Symbiosis happen to them still has a furred Asha body with tail, claws and digitigrade legs. An Allar who had Symbiosis happen to them still has scaled skin with a tail and raptor claws. An Ailor who had Symbiosis happen to them still has a pinkish skin tone, and their normal legs and arms. There are however notable changes that occur as a result of Symbiosis:
*Teek-Urlan are Urlan who are born from two Urlan parents as a natural born Urlan.
* By far and large, the most obvious change is that the host becomes much bigger. They easily grow a foot taller, and gain much more muscle and body mass.
*Tegh-Urlan are Urlan who are born from Symbiosis in a Hostile manner.
* Their body becomes hairier, and if they had feathers or fur already, all of this is transitioned to fur instead, and made longer or more prominent but they can change this.
*Aart-Urlan are Urlan who are born from Symbiosis in a Peaceful manner.
* Their nails grow more claw-like, while they may also optionally have hooves for feet, though they are able to change this with their Specials just like their body hair.  
*Teel is a term used to describe any non-Urlan. This is generally seen as vulgar or ridiculing. Teeling is also a variant of this.  
*Baant is a term used for Urlan outcasts who are expelled by a Throng for crimes against the Throng or Oorl. This is an insult.
*Ehr is a term used to describe the concept of Urlan honor. Urlan have a comparable reverence to honor to Eronidas.
*Tarlok is a term used to describe the Urlan concept of Self-value and Self-respect.  
*Rentar-Tarlok-Vheer is a term used to describe an Urlan who has a lot of respect as dignified from their Urlan peers.
*Rentar-Saak-Utar is a term used to describe an Urlan who other Urlan see as a guide or mentor for their inner conflicts.
*Thron-Saraak is a term used to describe an Urlan who commands a Throng, comparable to a chief for the Throng.
*Hertok is a term used by Urlan to define cleansing themselves of any disdain of a particular person.
*Wartaal is a term used by Urlan to define a specific Urlan as a mentor. This is more personal than Rentar-Saak-Utar.
*Tarlok-Vheer is a term used to describe a honor duel between two Urlan, which can also be used to settle a dispute.
*Rektaal is a term used by the Urlan that is defined as “enemy”. This is generally used to deject those marked as enemies of Throngs.
*Reenhaarn is a term used to describe an Urlan who has a seething hatred for their past life or treatment, becoming bitter at the world.
*Urlanaan is a term used to describe a state of being in which an Urlan has found inner peace with themselves and the past.
*Ulrof is a term used to describe a state of being in which an Urlan cannot accept their identity as Urlan and has conflicts mentally.


==Summary of Racial Abilities==
==Summary of Racial Abilities==
All Abilities are listed in detail on the [[Ability List]] Page. Additional rules applied to those Abilities are recorded in the table below. Aesthetics for Abilities may be dictated by the players, as long as the Ability Name is mentioned in the Emote, which is mandatory for Ability use. The following Abilities are what is considered a Racial Ability Set. Meaning, that none of these Abilities attribute Aberrant status to any individual, even if they are classified like they would. Only additional Abilities gained from outside of this Racial Ability Set can attribute Aberrant Status.
Racial Abilities are generally a set of unique powers and effects that all peoples of that Race all innately have, while Specials are more passive, aesthetic focused capabilities. Specials are defined per-page, while Abilities can be searched on the Ability List page to determine their generic function. Urlan have mostly Specials because we want to discourage heavy emphasis on Combat Roleplay, but they still have some Abilities and Specials that should help them stand out in a crowd.
{| class="wikitable"  
 
===Abilities===
{| class="wikitable";
|- style="font-weight:bold; text-align:center; background-color:#c0c0c0;"
|- style="font-weight:bold; text-align:center; background-color:#c0c0c0;"
! Ability Name
! Ability Name
Line 114: Line 68:
! Ability Range
! Ability Range
! Ability Description
! Ability Description
! Modifiers
|-
|-
| style="background-color:#decdbd;" | Omniaware 1
| style="background-color:#decdbd;" | Eternal Durability
| Constant Passive
| Constant Passive
| Self
| {{#simple-tooltip: Self | Self Range means that it applies to the user themselves, or something they can directly touch after casting it.}}
| Grants the user {{#simple-tooltip: Omniaware 1 | The user cannot be taken by surprise from behind, below, the sides, above or from far away. If any (Mundane) attack or harming Ability is used on them, a sixth sense will trigger making them aware of an attack that would otherwise take them by surprise. This does not grant additional dodging or avoiding mechanisms or guarantees, so standard Combat Roleplay Logic must still apply to dictate whether or not the user would be able to fairly block or avoid an incoming attack. This Ability purely gives the knowledge of such an incoming attack.
| Grants the user {{#simple-tooltip: Eternal Durability | The user is immune to any damage inflicted with the Unarmed Pack in Melee Weapon Point Buy. Additionally, any Mundane Techniques in Defensive Point Buy do not require a Shield to use, instead allowing the body of the user to be used. If this is done, these Mundane Techniques still hurt them, but do not produce wounds.  
}}
}}
| N/A
|-
|-
| style="background-color:#decdbd;" | Body Morph 1
| style="background-color:#decdbd;" | Limb Recovery
| Toggle Passive
| Self
| Grants the user {{#simple-tooltip: Body Morph 1 | The Character can activate internal body processes to rapidly grow or reduce muscle-mass over the span of several seconds. This allows the Character to change their Body Shape at will, while also granting access to the “Musclegod” Body Shape, a Body Shape that can only be used through this Ability and is not innately available in the Proficiency System. Musclegod is classified as above Strongman, but with such muscle-size that is so large, one would think the person has trouble moving around in an efficient manner. This Ability has no Cooldown and can be used mid-combat.
}}
|-
| style="background-color:#decdbd;" | Body Morph 2
| Toggle Passive
| Self
| Grants the user {{#simple-tooltip: Body Morph 2 | The Character can self-change Physical Stat in a matter of seconds. Taking the Physical Stat derived from Character Application, the Character can increase or decrease their own Physical Stat by -20 or +20. These changes do not break the Physical Stat Limit for the Character. This Ability can also be used with Body Morph I (if available) at the same time for visual telegraphing of the Ability. Additionally, the character can down-scale themselves to any size smaller than their natural height, limited to 5 feet and 8 inches. This Ability has no Cooldown and can be used mid-combat.
}}
|-
| style="background-color:#decdbd;" | Gate Smash 1
| Trigger Passive
| Direct Touch
| Grants the user {{#simple-tooltip: Gate Smash 1 | The Character can muster all their strength and smash through a metal or wooden gate or door that is locked or barred. This Ability does also work on cell gates in the Regalian Prison. This Ability can be used once per day. And produces a lot of noise, thus requiring the actual Ability usage to be done in announce emote (+h). Because of the size and bulkiness of the Character however, they are also permanently incapable of dodging or side-stepping any Mundane or Ability based Projectile attacks.
}}
|-
| style="background-color:#decdbd;" | Pure Body 1
| Constant Passive
| Self
| Grants the user {{#simple-tooltip: Pure Body 1 | The Character is immune to Afflictions. Any type of Affliction simply fails to infect them, even if it would come at the end of an Ability. Some Event Characters like Arken may have the Ability to negate this effect. Additionally, the Character is unable to learn or use Sorcery, if a Character gains Pure Body 1 at a later point in time, they lose their Sorcery or Magic and do not get Proficiency refunds.
}}
|-
| style="background-color:#decdbd;" | Hunt Sense 1
| Toggle Passive
| Self
| Grants the user {{#simple-tooltip: Hunt Sense 1 | The Character has permanent Night-Vision in dark or night-time locations, thus being able to see through Mundane Darkness, but not Ability based Darkness. Additionally, if the Character has tasted or smelled freshly drawn blood of an individual within the last 30 minutes, are able to track their location wherever they are in Regalia proper. If the target leaves to a Clandestine Base or Noble Estate however, the tracking ends. While tracking, it's not allowed to use fast travel or sprint, the distance must be walked.
}}
|-
| style="background-color:#decdbd;" | Great Force 1
| Constant Passive
| Constant Passive
| Self
| {{#simple-tooltip: Self | Self Range means that it applies to the user themselves, or something they can directly touch after casting it.}}
| Grants the user {{#simple-tooltip: Great Force 1 | If at any point within 7 blocks of the user heavy objects are falling (for example, a collapsing roof or beam, or a large boulder) the character can brace the falling objects and hold them up long enough for nearby others to escape or not be harmed, and also create an escape for themselves. This Ability cannot be used for any Combat advantage.
| Grants the user {{#simple-tooltip: Limb Recovery | The user has extreme body-loss replenishment. So long as their head and torso stay relatively intact, they can regrow any lost limb in 48 hours, including eyes, tails, horns, fingers, a tongue, all of it. The Character can still pass out from pain or blood loss, but cannot die from injuries unless the brain or the heart is destroyed or severed from one another. Smaller wounds like cuts and gashes close in 10 minutes, though re-open if the user enters combat again within 1 hour. After the hour has passed, those wounds heal.  
}}
|-
| style="background-color:#decdbd;" | Empath Sense 1
| Trigger Passive
| Direct Touch
| Grants the user {{#simple-tooltip: Empath Sense I | The Character is able to absorb all of the pain of the Target person and feel it themselves instead, for as long as Direct Touch is maintained. The target whose pain is being absorbed may not be in combat, otherwise this effect does not work. Additionally, the Character becomes immune to passing out from pain or going into shock.
}}
|-
| style="background-color:#decdbd;" | Empath Sense 2
| Trigger Passive
| Emote Distance
| Grants the user {{#simple-tooltip: Empath Sense 2 | The Character may blank their own emotional state while focusing on a single person within Emote Distance. As long as focus and a stare is maintained, the Character will duplicate the emotions and feelings of the Target and feel them, themselves. For example, extreme grief or joy, or heartache and melancholy. This does not explain why they feel that way, it simply copies the feeling to the user without altering the feelings of the Target.
}}
|-
| style="background-color:#decdbd;" | Empath Sense 3
| Constant Passive
| City Wide
| Grants the user {{#simple-tooltip: Empath Sense 3 | The Character has an enduring mood-effect based on the psyche-empathy of the society they exist in. While the Character lives and works in Regalia, they feel a radiant effect on their mood depending on Server Progressions (Forum Progression Posts and in-game Events). If good things happen to Regalia, the Character feels more joy or calmness, and if bad things happen to Regalia, the Character feels more sorrow or anger. These are not strict moodlets, but more like hints and flavor.
}}
|-
| style="background-color:#decdbd;" | Empath Sense 4
| Constant Passive
| Emote Distance
| Grants the user {{#simple-tooltip: Empath Sense 4 | While the Character is within Emote Distance of corrupted nature or destroyed Flora, they experience a heightened sense of rage and sadness. If the corruption is very profound, it may cause them to go berserk, even attacking allies until they can be drawn or lured away from the corruption, or the corruption is removed. If the Character is affected by Vile Vine 1, they instead go into a permanent berserk state, even attacking allies and unable to reason and speak, until Exorcism I is used on them.
}}
|-
| style="background-color:#decdbd;" | Empath Sense 5
| Constant Passive
| Emote Distance
| Grants the user {{#simple-tooltip: Empath Sense 5 | While in any area that major events took place in the past or repeated emotions were felt, for example battle-fields, graveyards, burial sites, hospitals, celebration halls, throne rooms, etc, the Character is able to detect the lingering emotions that were felt in these areas. They are not strong enough to affect the Character’s own psyche, they are just able to feel the lingering emotions of centuries past. This is only felt in areas where lots of people come together to do a similar thing, or hundreds of people felt a similar thing at the same time.
}}
|-
| style="background-color:#decdbd;" | Empath Sense 6
| Toggle Passive
| Self
| Grants the user {{#simple-tooltip: Empath Sense 6 | If any Abilities are used on the Character that would read their emotional state, the Character becomes immediately aware of who is prying into their mind, as long as they are within Emote Distance. Additionally, any such information retrieval is blocked, thus making the Character’s emotional state unreadable, though the user may toggle this on and off at will. The only Ability this does not work on is Empath Sense 2, which always breaks through Empath Sense 6 and is also immune to its detection mechanism.
}}
|-
| style="background-color:#decdbd;" | Symbiosis 1
| Trigger Passive
| Direct Touch
| Grants the user {{#simple-tooltip: Symbiosis 1 | The Character is able to change the head shape they have as Urlan within the compliant clades and animal heads held there-in. This Ability does not count as disguise. Even if logic would dictate that an Urlan who once had a Buffalo-head now has a Deer-head and should thus not be recognizable, they can still be identified as the original appearance. Additionally, the Character can change between normal plantigrade legs and feet with Human skin, or hooves on digitigrade legs with fur up to the knees. They can also choose to keep the fur at the knees, or raise the fur up to the waist. They may also choose to have a cow-like furred tail that is controllable, but not capable of holding things and does not reach to the ground. Finally, the Character may use /trait add Jump2, as Urlan are able to jump twice as high as all other Races, and is immune to Mutations.
}}
|-
| style="background-color:#decdbd;" | Symbiosis 2
| Toggle Passive
| Self
| Grants the user {{#simple-tooltip: Symbiosis 2 | The Character can force a hostile Symbiosis on a Target as long as both the user and the Target are out of combat, and the Target is restrained and unable to fight back. Hostile Symbiosis turns the Character into an Urlan for at least 5 days. After 5 days or any length of time, the Character can reject the Oorl Worm and return to their normal self. While they are Urlan, they gain all Urlan Racial Abilities and lose all their previous Racial Abilities as well as Sorcery or Magic. When returning to normal, all Abilities are returned. If the Target had any missing limbs or body parts, they are reformed during Symbiosis, and lost when Symbiosis is reverted. There is no deadline before which Symbiosis must be rejected before it becomes final, it can be a week, a month, a year, whichever, only the first 5 days are mandatory. Rejecting the Oorl will also not result in this Ability no longer being usable on the Target in the future. Urlan do however look down on people who trivialize Symbiosis and treat Symbiosis like a new fashion topic to own for a week and then discard. Urlan can accept others' rejection of Symbiosis and sympathize to their reasons, as long as they feel the reasons are grounded and valid. Symbiosis 2 does not work on Characters who have an Affliction present. It does work on all other forms of Aberrancy however. WARNING: This is a Consent Ability, which is powerful, but requires absolute OOC written consent from the other party. Further information can be read on the Ability List page.
}}
}}
| {{#simple-tooltip:Urlan Modifier |Urlan Modifier: Urlan need to consume meat before their lost limbs can regrow. They do not simply regrow on their own.}}
|-
|-
|}
|}


==History==  
===Specials===
Urlan history is considerably shorter than that of the other Races, largely because the Urlan are still few in number outside of Jorrhildr. In many ways, they retain their old persona and identity, thus becoming part of the history of their original respective Races unless they choose to become Baal-Urlan. Oorl Worms similarly have a history of barely existing in the world. Some historical references of goat-faced [[Nelfin]] existed in the early [[Allorn Empire]], thus creating the impression that Urlan have existed for at least as long as the Elves have. Through the faster spreading of information during the rise of the Regalian Empire however, Urlan have taken a more public role in the world. Despite their legal status though, many still distrusted them. Prior to the education of the masses to the legislation that Justinian introduced, goat faces were often used to identify evil or demon-corrupted Ailor. This in itself was an old folk-tradition based on an [[Old Gods]] festival called “The Bleating Man,” a long festival involving consuming goat products with the thematic undertone that goats are probably evil because their bleat is both loud and annoying, and that they stink. While their heads aren’t actually shaped like goats, but rather more like bulls, many Regalians still call them goat-folk as an insult.  
* '''Physical Prowess:''' Urlan as a Race are some of the most physically capable and developed people in the world. While other Races invest their Proficiency normally, Urlan gain bonus for investing in Strength and Constitution. For every 3 Proficiency Points spent in Strength, they gain +1 Strength (which cannot be spent on Point Buy) up to a maximum of 2 gained extra. For every 3 Proficiency Points spent in Constitution, they gain +1 Constitution (which cannot be spent on Point Buy) up to a maximum of 2 gained extra.
* '''Wild Training:''' Urlan are some of the most physically active people in the world, constantly on the move and with an itch to hunt. Urlan may choose two Training Point Buy Packs for free without Proficiency Point investment.
* '''Horned Mastery:''' Urlan have physical control over their horns on their head. They may grow more horns, increase the size of Horns they already have, shrink them, change their shape, texture, and color at will. This process is somewhat slow, but completes within a day. The horns can also be aesthetically used as Unarmed Weapons, but do not confer any particular combat advantage. Horns can be cut off, but always regrow in a matter of days, and are extremely tough, only cracking at the highest of pressures.
* '''Physical Mastery:''' Urlan are capable of increasing their size nearly instantaneously. As opposed to Eronidas merely changing the density of their mass, Urlan can add mass rapidly and change their Body shape to any desired shape. Additionally, they can increase or decrease their height at will. While they can never become taller than 8 feet tall, that is an upper limit, while 6 feet is the lower limit.
* '''Hide Mastery:''' Urlan are capable of changing the fur covering on their body. While by default only their head and neck are furred and have an animal-like appearance, they can extend this fur to cover their arms, chest, legs, their whole body, or only from the waist down. Additionally, they can choose to keep their legs plantigrade with feet and toes, or replace their feet with hooves, and switch between them at will.
* '''Creation Particle:''' Urlan have a very advanced set of protections against the Occult because of the Oorl Worm’s effects. Primarily, they are immune to any Affliction, with the sole exception of Archon. Secondly, Urlan cannot use Magic Point Buy. Any Point Buy or Proficiency enabling their Point Buy may be refunded and re-spent when a Character is made Urlan. Lastly, Urlan are immune to Blood Sickness or Soul Sickness, caused by Vampire and Cahal feeding.
* '''Beastmode:''' Urlan can increase their muscle mass and size to such a degree that their torso becomes too heavy to support on just their hind legs, forcing them to move around like a gorilla. This does not confer any combat advantages, and is purely aesthetic, and disallows the usage of conventional weapons bar Unarmed. This Special can also be used as a stand-in mount for someone who does not have one in progressions, though note that Urlan are very vain and would not just tolerate just anyone to use them as a mount.
* '''Hunt Sense:''' Urlan have night vision in dark environments and at night, giving them perfect vision in darkness. This allows them to see even in low light environments inside, but does not protect them against Ability based Darkness. Additionally, Urlan are unrivaled hunters, able to gallop to chase a Deer, and to go toe-to-toe with a Bear. Urlan may hunt such wild animals, though only off the Regalian Isle, as the Regalian Isle is over hunted and those animals have gone extinct.
* '''Sympath:''' Urlan have gained a number of empathic Abilities from the Oorl Worms. Firstly, they are able to absorb all physical pain felt by a person through Direct Touch. Secondly, they can duplicate the feelings another person is feeling onto themselves by focusing on them. Thirdly, tragedy or extreme victory by others in Progressions are felt by the Urlan, allowing them to feel the radiant mood of Progressions. Lastly, Urlan when entering areas (both in roleplay and progressions) where important events have taken place, can feel an echo of that event giving them information others may not be able to pick up on by just purely seeing what is left.
* '''Symbiosis:''' Urlan can perform Symbiosis on others just as Oorl Worms do. When an Urlan is made, they develop an organ that acts like an Oorl Worm hatchery. Urlan can produce Oorl Worms themselves and give them to others, allowing for willing Symbiosis. Urlan may also force an Oorl Worm on another person, though this requires OOC consent and is not reversible, changing the other person into an Urlan permanently.
* '''Wild Predator:''' Urlan have the unique ability to avoid detection despite their size, but only when traveling in the wilds. Urlan can avoid being detected by enemy patrols and effortlessly infiltrate any nation in Progressions to explore any wild area without being seen. This effect is removed the moment they enter an urban or populated area, and cannot be conferred onto party members, it only works for the Urlan themselves.
* '''Avoid Occult:''' Oorl Worms will refuse to perform Symbiosis whether aggressively or peacefully on anything that is Occult, like a Mage, Silven, Yanar, Kathar, Vampire, or Cahal, including Archon and Primal Mages. Urlan can however be made Archon after they have had Symbiosis take place.
* '''Manifest Balance:''' Urlan normally don’t need a balancing tool, but can choose to manifest a tail, either a long furred tail like an Asha’s, or a short bovine tail with a tuft of hair on the back, useful for providing quick galloping direction adjustments by redirecting weight. This tail is entirely optional however.


In spite of tradition, public opinion is starting to shift due to the changing liberties of other Races, and how valuable Urlan have been to the Empire. Their hunting abilities, their military service, and their far more reserved behavior as well as acknowledge of Ailor customs and culture means they integrate well into society. In fact, many of them don’t need to integrate at all, as they are native to the societies they reside in. The last major event that resulted in nation-wide acceptance of the Race as an (ironically) symbiotic relation between Urlan and Ailor was during the [[Deathling Crisis]] in the [[City of Regalia]]. When the demonic forces of the [[Primex]] roamed the countryside, the Urlan rose to the challenge to fight these wolf-men. Solitary Urlan hunters based in the countryside of the [[Regalian]] [[Crown Isle]] hunted day and night to capture or slay the wolf-men, keeping Ailor safe. The Urlan were also noted for assisting the rebellion against the [[Deathling Queen’s]] control of the city. Their loyalty and support of the state caused public opinion to become very favorable to them, though some still distrust them. Furthermore, while Regalians can support the existence of the Urlan in their society, they still do not welcome Symbiosis and consider it a corruption of body to be feared, even if they won’t say it directly to the Urlan that live among them. While Urlan may only function as footnotes to the histories of the other Races, some notable Urlan have and may one day pass into legend as the most ferocious and skilled hunters. The Urlan residing in the lands from which the Oorl Worm come may yet choose to have a bigger role in the world’s history.
==Language==
The Urlan as a Race do not have a formal language, the closest to a formal language to them is Skodje, and only because the majority of Urlan in the north are Velheim, and already knew Skodje before Symbiosis. The Oorl Worm in theory has a language of its own, but this is entirely lost in Symbiosis as they are presumed to communicate to telepathy, but this ability is lost when the Oorl Worm fuses with the host’s body. Urlan do use a minor form of body language, for example, an Urlan yanking another Urlan’s right horn is a sign of greeting, while tapping the hooves or feet on the ground is a sign of excitement. Urlan naming as such is also nonexistent, simply keeping the name they used to have before Symbiosis, and naming any Urlan children based on their old language. Some Urlan have however started adopting names that they feel are right, but can never quite explain why. It is thought that these are vestigial Oorl language words, though they are only chosen as a way of a new name by Urlan who either accept the merger of Oorl and person into a new person, or wish to abandon their old identity completely.  
* Names for Male Urlan: Torrok, Tarlok, Tarman, Taromt, Taqarm, Talaar, Teghem
* Names for Female Urlan: Reen, Rentar, Renven, Rektee, Reenhar, Ralla, Rasma
* Names for Non-Binary Urlan: Ehr, Ufr, Aram, Orm, Eret, Alq


==Culture==
==Religion==
The vast majority of Urlan exist in Jorrhildr, though some also spread across the world to seek out the thrills of the Nature Hunt, a practice all Urlan engage in, while many also remain part of the societies they originally came from. The Urlan engage in a practice called the Beast Hunt where they target the largest and most dangerous creatures in an attempt to slay them to prove themselves. The reason behind this is unknown. It is speculated that this is a latent desire of the Oorl Worm to experience the thrill of being a predator, thus compelling the fused Urlan to seek out the thrill of the hunt. Urlan frequently showcase their hunts to others, decorating their clothing with skins, furs, teeth and other memorabilia, for both Al-Urlan and Baal-Urlan, though Al-Urlan also combine these trophies with traditionally civilized clothing. Urlan are inherently solitary creatures, though they form relations with people where necessary, and can fall in love with others. Curiously enough, the vast majority of the romantic relationships Urlan engage in, are of their original pre-symbiosis Race. For example, once an Ailor, the Urlan will frequently seek out Ailor partners. Even more curiously enough, Urlan that mate with members of their original Race (or others, where racial interbreeding permits it), can give birth to very normal and healthy individuals that show no sign of Urlan physiology. Urlan are also known to bond with other Urlan (particularly Baal-Urlan) which give birth to Teek-Urlan, less muscular and large Urlan which have a predisposition to be born female.
Urlan society in general is very split. Many Urlan stick with their old religions, this is why many Urlan are Unionist, Old Gods worshipers, or Estel worshipers. There is no common trend among these Urlan, some of them are Urlan who reject the Oorl, some who accept the merger, and some who accept the Oorl as the dominant role in their identity, but still stick with their old Religion, However, there is also an Urlan specific religion called the Call of Haarn. The Call of Haarn is part of the category of Draconic religions in that it has some tangential relation to Dragon Worship, but cannot truly be part of Dragon Worship. In the Call of Haarn, a single deity is recognized, Haarn the Beast-Dragon (known as Palin the Magenta Will Dragon in Dragon Worship). Call of Haarn is incompatible with other Dragon Worship faiths because the Urlan reject other Dragons as godly, believing that Haarn as a Dragon is only worthy of worship, because she made them. Haarn is often depicted as a Dragon made of wicker and branches and twigs, decorated with furs and bones, and the head shaped like that of a bull. Haarn is a god of freedom, revolution, advancement, evolution, the wild hunt, power, and fertility. The Urlan perform offerings in her name, usually beasts they have hunted and slain, or just their teeth and horns, by adding them to the effigy of Haarn. The most important aspect about Haarn is that the Urlan believe she put them on the world, or rather, created the Oorl Worms to correct a deficiency in the design of other Races. They believe the Oorl Worms are a divinely designed intervention by Haarn meant to make a superior being that can resist the corruption of what they call The Infection, which is generally understood to be anything from the Void or Exist planes. Their religion is not so much strictly genocidal towards all things Magical, it is rather more a form of protected apathy. The Urlan believe that Magic can no longer infect them due to the blessings of Haarn, and are as such content to let Magic slowly die out if it no longer has a host to manifest into. Call of Haarn does profess the need for, eventually some day in the future, all Races to be united in Urlan, and be given Symbiosis. Urlan do not feel particularly rushed in this objective, though some Haarn fanatics do consider forced Symbiosis a great way to weed out the weak, and thus go out of their way to force Symbiosis on as many non-Urlan as possible. They are called Baal, which is a term to define the aggressive Urlan who despise other Races as being physically inferior, or pity them for being weaker, and thus want to force everyone to evolve into Urlan.  
====Urlan in Regalia====
Urlan who were once Ailor exist in a rather interesting position in the Regalian Empire, where they remain legal and even enjoy a specific arrangement where their love relations or marriages may continue under the [[Horned Stipulation]], an obscure law that offers Urlans who were once Ailor almost Ailor-like rights for specific services. Urlan who reside in Regalia and live up to the Horned Stipulation (which is only applicable to native Ailor-Urlan) are expected to, much like Eronidas, serve in the Regalian Military, [[Regalian Guard]], or a Noble House Guard. Additionally, these Urlan must present themselves to the [[Regalian Scholar’s Court]] whenever necessary to be studied in their physical capacity as well as mental processes, and hand over any and all creatures they have hunted (bar from a trophy tusk or fur) to the Regalian State for further research in dissection and taxidermy. Finally, they are expected not to be public about their relations, and are not allowed to engage in intimacy with anyone in public either, while they are also expected to keep a low profile by avoiding public physical altercations. In this way, Urlan serve a very useful role as mercenary-hunters extraordinaire in Regalia, and enjoy more personal liberties than other Races. They are in fact the only of their kind (an Ailor that is somehow changed to no longer resemble an Ailor) that is accepted by common Ailor people due to their history in the Empire. Urlan who break the laws of the Horned Stipulation are denounced as savages and have their rights stripped.
====Urlan Customs and Traditions====
Urlan are honorable creatures who prize their own dignity, but also the dignity of others. They become less inclined to pay attention to a person if they see them surrender to degradation or self-loathing and self-pity. They call pride or self-value “Tarlok”, and it is considered “Urtaal”, or dishonorable, to pay attention or respect to anyone who does not have Tarlok. Furthermore, they challenge other Urlan or large Races whom they consider worthy foes to a wrestling duel of honor, a practice called “Tarlok-Vheer”. Urlan consider honor a quantifiable substance that is gained and lost from duels with others, though also something that should be observed. Urlan are more inclined to simply ignore a person if they feel disrespected than to actually attack them, though continued pestering will eventually cause short temper to explode very aggressively. Urlan that have considerably high Tarlok are considered Rentar-Tarlok-Vheer, or masters of the honor duels. These Urlan are treated with much respect by other Urlan, and even members of other Races.  


Urlan have curious cultural practices. An Urlan greets another Urlan by roughly yanking their right horn downwards. This is not an attack or an insult, rather it is just the way the Urlan greet each other. If the left horn is yanked instead however, an Urlan disavows another, which may result in a Tarlok-Vheer. While Urlan are quick to anger, their anger towards a person never lasts more than a day. They have a practice called “Hertok” where they mentally cleanse themselves forcibly of disdain towards another person. Hertok can be applied three times to a specific individual before they are declared “Rektaal”, or enemy. At this point, said person should endeavor to hide, as Urlan consider it a possibility to simply eat them to solve the problem of their existence. Urlan family relations are very complicated. A fused Urlan may deny familial relation to their old families, as they are biologically different than one-another. All Urlan, regardless of whether their Symbiosis is forceful or accepted, share a sense of kinship with all other Urlan, though also a form of brotherhood or sisterhood with any Urlan who were involved or nearby during their Symbiosis. This way, Urlan still maintain some sense of family even if the individuals in the Race are barely blood-related to one another, a sentiment more powered by cultural norms than actual logic. Urlan rarely switch Throngs, unless they consider another throng more honorable or dignified, and their current Throng is engaging in dishonor.  
===Baal Symbiosis===
The matter of Symbiosis is quite controversial among scholars both from a scientific and a moral standpoint. Symbiosis can occur in one of two ways, peaceful and voluntary, or forceful and involuntary. With peaceful and voluntary Symbiosis, the host has a welcoming attitude to the Oorl Worm, not triggering its defensiveness, and allowing it to remain docile. The host then simply ingests the worm which slides down their throat and then painlessly worms its way to their heart to merge with it, causing the mutations to take place, their minds and bodies to be fused, and the Urlan to be born. In the case of hostile and involuntary Symbiosis, the Oorl Worm was given some reason to be scared of the host, or forced onto the host that was scared of them. Unless the host is exactly welcoming and has kind intent towards an Oorl Worm, the worm can telepathically sense disgust/fear/revulsion, and trigger a defensive mechanism that causes them to attack the would-be host. This is how most Urlan are created in the northern regions, because they accidentally run into an Oorl Worm, or think it can be used as bait for bigger animals to hunt. If the Oorl Worm feels threatened, it will latch onto the host’s sternum and bite its way inside. It is not possible to detach an Oorl Worm once it has latched onto the chest of its target, and will burrow inside and then merge with the heart to begin Symbiosis. In case of a more violent Symbiosis, this experience is painful and takes longer than a peaceful Symbiosis. Regardless of the pain however, the Oorl Worm corrects perception of the event afterwards by convincing the host that the pain endured made them tougher, and many Urlan see this pain as part of the procedure, feeling that peaceful Symbiosis leads to weaker Urlan who do not appreciate the gifts of the Oorl Worm. The act of cornering a person and forcing an Oorl Worm on them is considered Baalaan, the act of what Baal Urlan do to others. Many Urlan play god however in this aspect, choosing only specific people for Symbiosis that they are impressed with, or think deserve Symbiosis. Other Baal Urlan engage in forcing Symbiosis indiscriminately, letting the Oorl Worms sort out the weak.  


====Cultures of Al-Urlan and Baal-Urlan====
==Families==
Urlan who remain in their respective societies and try to adapt their old lives to their new physiology and mindset often still form strong bonds with other like minded Urlan in the same area. Urlan in Regalia form Throngs, which can be loosely interpreted to be groups of friends, comrades, or a brotherhood of Urlan where Urlan seek the companionship of other Urlan. This is largely because Urlan, regardless of whether they adapt well within their old society, always feel some need to commune with other Urlan due to a lack of understanding of their new being from their old society. As a result, these Throngs form as quasi-hunting guilds where Urlan frequently gather and discuss either the Beast Hunt or military matters. Alternatively, these meetings also have frequent Tarlok-Vheer or other means of boisterous or masculine behavior. While they are very competitive, the Urlan involved still meet with a camaraderie undertone. Throngs often gather in specific buildings, through open-air Throngs are also frequent, where the Urlan gather once a week in a specific location in the countryside. Occasionally, the Regalian authorities permit the Urlan to use this Throng location as a base to operate from, and engage in limited bear-hunting in the countryside.  
Urlan families are somewhat flexible. Many Urlan are monogamous, and many Urlan just continue their relationships they had prior to Symbiosis, even if this requires some adjustment on the part of their partner (and does not always work). Some Urlan however also see Symbiosis from Oorl Worms from their own body as a form of polyamory. Indeed, Symbiosis performed by Oorl Worms created by specific Urlan tend to create complicated feelings in the new Urlan towards the Urlan who created the Oorl Worm that made them. Even if there is complete resentment at having consent taken from them, they can never deny the ultimate draw they feel towards that Urlan, which does not necessarily have to be intimate, but often is. It is not uncommon for an Urlan chief, especially in the wilder lands, to have a larger harem of other Urlan that they helped Symbiosis for. Urlan are never repulsed by Urlan heads even if as an Ailor they were prior not attracted to Urlan (no anti-furry virtue-signaling self-loathing please!). Urlan children are raised in much the same way the children of their previous Race, though with some changes. Urlan have similar gestation periods as Ailor, but Urlan children grow very rapidly. Within a matter of days they become independently able to walk, eat, and speak, and in a matter of several years, they are fully grown to adult and have an adult mind also. As such, childhood does not really factor in much with the Urlan, they very quickly treat their children like adults, and more often than not are children even treated more like siblings to their parents than actual infants meant to be doted on or disciplined. Within family relations, Urlan can both be very cooperative and kind, but also very hostile and violent to correct unwanted behavior and habits.  


Urlan that abandon their old lifestyle often have trouble finding roots elsewhere around the world beyond Jorrhildr. It is not unheard of for an Urlan to become Baal-Urlan and then decide to become Al-Urlan again, though this process is often difficult and requires a lot of outside help from Al-Urlan to complete. Urlan recognize the possibility for other Urlan to become their mentors, a process based on age but also experience where they recognize another Urlan as “Wartaal”, or mentor. As can be evident from the terms above, Urlan have a vocabulary of useful terms to describe situations and individuals, but it does not actually become its own language until they are Baal-Urlan. In spite of different lifestyles, this vocabulary comes naturally to all Urlan. It is theorized that this is based on what Oorl language sounds like, though it doesn’t become commonly spoken until a Baal-Urlan abandons their original heritage, refusing to speak their old language and instead using verbalized [[Oortaal]], the Oorl language. Baal-Urlan also frequently tattoo their own body or cover it in war paint, or at the very least, the blood of their prey.
==Politics==
Urlan politics, like one might expect, are very split between the continuation of old traditions, and the creation of new ones. Many Urlan in the Regalian Empire still function within their positions. Several Urlan have very high positions in the Imperial Court and the Empire in general. Notable Url are 2nd Prince Frederick, the Emperor’s second oldest son who became an Urlan to convince the Jorrhildr Urlan to join the Regalians in their war against the Isldar in Ellador, Prince Taldemarr who became an Urlan during an exploration voyage, and several Counts and Barons in Mannadh Alba, Clannadh Alba and Gallovia who became Urlan due to an explosion of Urlan in the region. Equally however, while such high ranking Urlan exist in the Empire, Urlan form their own clans called Throngs with chiefs called Artok. The Artok is usually the biggest and meanest of the Urlan who forces others to be their Throng members, or performs Symbiosis on many other Urlan, thus inducing them into the Throne. Urlan can move between Throngs at will, and many Throngs are also based around the Artok just being a wise and old Urlan who aids the other Urlan in accepting themselves and forming their new identity. In Regalia, several Artok exist at any given time.  


Primal Baal-Urlan that live among the other Urlan in Jorrhildr are considerably more tribal and savage than Al-Urlan. The Urlan that live there in these communities are loosely bound together by what they call the Horned Throng, a confederate state of various tribes loosely allied. The problem with Urlan society is that it lacks centralized leadership. They all commonly have a vague understanding of what is necessary to move forward in the world, but lack the centralized leadership of other states to achieve it, or even make any steps towards it. There is a semblance of culture, though many would reject it purely because of how otherworldly their customs are. The Urlan, in their natural homeland, barely wear clothes if any, and have only the basest of semblance of civility and etiquette. They unite in warbands that all commonly roam the countryside to create a Throng base, though often venture out alone when the Beast Hunt calls them. Practically every asset of their culture is congested in oral survival of stories of great Beast Hunts, ferocious foes and great deeds by Hero Urlans in their own stories. Urlan often depict these situations in wall paintings drawn from earthen pigments or often also beast blood, painting all over ancient [[Seraph]] tombs or abandoned Nelfin outposts. Their purpose no longer survival-driven, the Urlan in these warbands create a strong bond of brotherhood, even if the original hosts or Oorl Worms had no family relations to one another.  
===Urlan in Regalia===
The Urlan in Regalia have a unique position. Much like the Eronidas, Urlan were effectively a shunned Race for much of their existence in the Empire, until the Imperial House Kade came to power. Imperial House Kade started strongly championing the cause of the Urlan to exist both in their old lives, but also as entirely new people in their own right, and gave them citizenship rights. Emperor Cedromar I Kade went even further and accepted a series of laws called the Horned Stipulations, that gave Urlan wide civil liberties, beyond even what some of the Races who had lived in the Empire for centuries enjoyed. While Symbiosis is still very strictly regulated and illegal to perform in a forced manner without consent, the state houses warehouses with Oorl Worm samples and offers generous Symbiosis compensation schemes for Regalians who wish to escape poverty, accept Symbiosis, and join the Regalian army as shock troopers. This is especially useful because Symbiosis corrects any lost limbs or amputations the host suffered in their prior life, thus making it a very attractive option for veterans who lost arms or legs during wars. It is also exceptionally functional in re-introducing retired warriors (as Symbiosis resets the Urlan’s aging and makes them young again) and citizens who are simply too frail to be warriors, by using Symbiosis to quickly and efficiently boost them up to the level of Eronidas and making them dangerous on the field of battle even without military training from essentially nothing.
 
===Fashion===
Urlan fashion, not to beat a dead horse, is equally at odds with its own identity. Many Urlan in Regalia wear the products of the hunt, trying to be self-sufficient and making their own clothing. As one might expect of the more beastly Races, they do not enjoy wearing too much clothing, and find clothing on fur very suffocating because it does not allow them to move as freely, or become overheated. Equally however, many Urlan wear clothing of Regalian design, some even of the more upper class Regal designs. Especially Regal clothing styles have become popular among Urlan, the full-black or full-beige tones with minimal color and lots of silver or gold thread lining and patterning. Urlan rarely if ever wear shoes, and sometimes their physiology requires unique clothing tailoring, especially if they choose to make use of their ability to increase height and size, and want to avoid tearing out of their clothing. Some specialty shops have sprang up around the city, advertising their ability to produce size-fit Urlan clothing which accommodate body growth as well as unique physical features like the wider Urlan necks and their legs and hooves.  
 
==World View==
*Urlan nations do exist but they do not exactly have sovereign borders. There are so called Throng Confederacies in Jorrhildr and Ellador, large groups of large Throngs that loosely unite, Artoks acting as a general council to determine foreign relations and domestic policies. These nations however don’t have formal taxation or cities, and mostly roam around, which proves a problem for states like Regalia who love drawing borders on a map. These Throng Confederacies largely adopt Velheim culture, as the majority of the Urlan are Velheim there, and only have Velheim culture as a point of reference.
* Urlan who aren’t actively hunting engage in whatever hobbies that their past lives endeared them to. Curiously, all Urlan discover that out of nowhere, they suddenly have a craving and great love for making and painting small figurines. An Urlan can spend hours, hunched over with big meaty fingers controlling a tiny little pencil painting figurines of warriors and creatures for a tabletop game called the Hammers of War.
* Url are very common among the Velheim Ailor, though only because Velheim are geographically close to the regions where the majority of the Oorl Worms can be found. Velheim Ailor in general have a hard time accepting their fused identity, and mostly roam around the world, or just accept their wild instincts and join the Throng Confederacies in Jorrhildr.
* There is only one real Urlan dominated city, which is in Mannadh Alba, the regional city of Dunhan in Loch Dunhan. This city is almost entirely 95% inhabited by Urlan, and both the mayor and the Count who rules over the area are Urlan as well.
* Urlan are fairly detached from social class and understanding social class. While they have a rough understanding of it from their prior lives, even the Princely Urlan in House Kade spend more time with the poor and the soldiery than they ever had in the past, often even insisting on ignoring state protocol and behaving very un-royal in the company of other Urlan.
* Urlan usually avoid technology like the plague. Technology to Urlan is like accepting a physical weakness that one cannot overcome, and believe that whatever weakness is implied with technology should simply be trained away until it is no longer a problem. Biotic replacements for lost limbs are also not acceptable as such.  
* The Urlan are still in active military conflicts with the Dwarves and the Isldar, particularly in Ellador and with Velheim Ailor in Jorrhildr. In the modern era however, most Dwarves that would fight the Urlan have left the surface in Jorrhildr, and the Ailor Velheim settlers in Jorrhildr are practically all extinct, or have been turned into Urlan themselves through Symbiosis. Regalia occasionally is stupid enough to send an army into Jorrhildr also, causing that entire army to be lost to Symbiosis.
* Oorl Worms, besides being created inside an Urlan host passively, can also reproduce by themselves. They however reproduce asexually, and split themselves in half, creating two separate Oorl Worms. Oorl Worms that are kept in captivity or domesticated cannot divide, but also lose their defensive instincts and will not invade a host.
* Urlan are rare in other societies, as Regalia is the only real state that has accepted them as citizens. Other nations generally reject the Urlan, like the Allorn Empire which sees them as nothing but overgrown pests, and Farah’deen who consider the Urlan state a disease. The only other states that somewhat accept the Urlan are the Velheim and Ceardian states that follow the Old Gods, though it is debatable whether this is by choice or necessity to keep the peace.
* A regiment of Urlan warriors exists in Ithania called the Taureaux d’Or. The Taureaux d’Or are the Ithanian King’s personal bodyguard and a mimicry of the Imperial Guard in Regalia, 300 of them serving the Ithanian King in gold plated armor.
* A little known fact is that Urlan are capable of also performing Symbiosis on their pets. Familiars can have Symbiosis performed on them if the owner also becomes an Urlan, getting the same beast-like head, fur, and horns but smaller.
* Urlan do not consider themselves related to cattle or other bovine-like animals in the wild. They believe that the head shape similarities are purely coincidental, and do not feel insulted by being confronted with these animals. However, being compared to them is immensely insulting, because Url tend to be vain in their appearance, and proud of what the Oorl worm did to their body.
* Many Urlan who follow Unionism follow specifically Vultragon Unionism which has adopted ideological talking points on evolution and genetic enhancement. Vultragon Unionism considers Symbiosis a form of self-betterment and an act of piety, and this level of respect is carried through among Vultragon Unionist worshipers for the Urlan in general. This sentiment is also somewhat shared by the Horopadosi Evintarian Unionists, but not as strongly as Vultragon Unionists.
* Many people think Urlan decorate themselves with animal bones and other such barbaric items, but the opposite is actually true. An Urlan’s vanity comes out fully when they are able to purchase golden adornments for their horns, tusks, ears, and nose in particular. Piercings and horn decorations are very common.
* Tattoos are also very common among the Urlan, though exact styles do not matter as much. Many Urlan choose to be fully furred from head to toe, and as such tattoos become less visible. To compensate for this, war paint has become more popular among them, which is usually shaped like plant matter, vines, thorns, or circling motions.
* Despite having a religion aimed at smothering Occult things out of the world by making them all Urlan, Urlan are surprisingly apathetic to the Afflicted and other Occult. They are grossed out by Vampires, but Vampires effectively do not ever bite them, so they don’t find them threatening, and Cahal are like weaker versions of them which they enjoy beating down to assert dominance. As such, Urlan just feel apathetic to most Occult things.
* A little talked about fact is that Urlan are occasionally captured and shipped to faraway lands for nefarious research purposes. Many Allar research institutes in particular are very interested in the hormones and substances produced by the Oorl Worm, and attempt to extract parts of it while the host is still alive. This happens even in Regalia in criminal circles, as the Oorl Worm is considered the holy grail of some body-modification Alchemists to unleash all manner of enhancing elixirs.
* Urlan are considered very wild, passionate and invigorated partners, though are extremely shy to show any of it in public. In public, Urlan do not enjoy being touched, or coming too close in contact with others, and may frequently have a jumpy reaction to being accidentally touched.
* Urlan have a somewhat complex gender identity. Urlan absolutely had a gender identity and sexuality before Symbiosis, however this may change during Symbiosis, or become harder to pin down for the Urlan themselves. Many Urlan become pansexual and non-binary in gender expression after Symbiosis, especially because Urlan lack gender dimorphism and don’t have breasts for example, and are generally more attracted to power and pride than specific sexes.
* Urlan have some unique insults. A very common insult is “No Profile”, which is an insult used against those who are not muscular or large and imposing. Urlan also refer to the Eronidas as Hornless, because while their profile is much the same (including the tusks) they do not have horns.
==Gallery of Art==
Urlan are really cool and awesome, and lots of art has been made of them.
<gallery mode="traditional" widths="260px" heights="300px">
File:Urlcapture.jpg|Urlan are entirely unaffected by cold temperatures, allowing them to flourish in Ellador and Jorrhildr.|alt=alt language
File:Urlfancy0.jpg|Urlan often find difficulty getting tailors to make clothes to their size.|alt=alt language
File:Urlinwild.jpg|Regalian soldiers have described there is nothing more terrifying than being hunted by an intelligent and sentient Urlan in the wild.|alt=alt language
File:Urlmusc le.jpg|Some Urlan are so vain, they polish their horns for a more brilliant shine.|alt=alt language
File:Urlsniff.png|Even though most Urlan have brown eyes, due to their intensity and dark eye sockets, they can sometimes appear more rust-brown.|alt=alt language
File:Urlblond.png|Blonde Urlan are very rare, but they do occur, especially in the north.|alt=alt language
File:Urlelft.png|Symbiosis sometimes maintains certain looks, like this Teledden becoming an Urlan, and keeping the long ears.|alt=alt language
File:Urlcloth.png|It is often hard to tell if Urlan are annoyed or just neutrally disposed, because they always look angry.|alt=alt language
File:Urlguard.png|The Urlan serving in the Regalian Army are not part of the Tenpenny Armies, but part of the Emperor's personal army.|alt=alt language
File:Urlmomtre.png|A relatively recent development in Regalia is Urlan grooming salons, specifically made for Urlan hair and fur.|alt=alt language
File:Urlbison.png|Urlan love piercings and other decorations in their face as a means of looking unique.|alt=alt language
File:Newurlsplas.png|Urlan often hunt with little (or no) clothes on to avoid scents, much to the chagrin of their non-Urlan hunting partners.|alt=alt language
File:Urlhorny.png|Urlan horns aren't just pointy, they can also be covered in fur like this Midlands Clade Urlan.|alt=alt language
File:Urlbeari.png|Urlan really like belts for some reason. Scholars have yet to figure out why.|alt=alt language
File:Urlfancy.png|Some Urlan specific clothing styles are becoming more common in Regalia, fashion just for Urlan.|alt=alt language
</gallery>
==Trivia==
==Trivia==
*Why Urlan heads are shaped like bulls is not known, though many speculate it is because Oorl Worms used Jorrhildr pygmy bovines and goats as hosts before learning that humanoids were better hosts.
* Why Urlan heads are shaped like bulls is not known, though many speculate it is because Oorl Worms used Jorrhildr pygmy bovines and goats as hosts before learning that humanoids were better hosts.
*Urlan, when engaged in an honor duel with another Urlan, frequently clash their horns in a wrestle-match. These horns are made of exceptionally tough material that can stop a sword mid-swing and lodge it into the horn. Horns can break off when clashing with other horns, but usually regrow within some months. Horns can be prevented from growing back however by binding the top with a metal cap.  
* Urlan, when engaged in an honor duel with another Urlan, frequently clash their horns in a wrestle-match. These horns are made of exceptionally tough material that can stop a sword mid-swing and lodge it into the horn.
*When an Urlan dies of old age, their heart mutates into a cocoon that eventually bursts and gives birth to a handful of Oorl Worms. These new Oorl Worms are entirely new beings which will then bite their way out of the host corpse and live on.
* When an Urlan dies of old age, their heart mutates into a cocoon that eventually bursts and gives birth to a handful of Oorl Worms. These new Oorl Worms are entirely new beings which will then bite their way out of the host corpse and live on.
{{Races}}
{{Accreditation
|Writers = MonMarty
|Artists = MonMarty
|Processors = HydraLana, FireFan96, Lord_Immortal
}}
 
[[Category:Races]] [[category:Gorr Races]]

Revision as of 01:42, 3 May 2022

Urlan
UYrlheadi.png
Race
Pronunciation Earl-an
Classification Gorr
Subraces None
Common Nicknames
  • Beast-men (derogatory)
  • Bull-folk (derogatory)
  • Goat-men (derogatory)
Languages Dependent on Race before Symbiosis
Naming Customs Dependent on Race before Symbiosis
Racial Traits
Distinctions Symbiotic beast-men hunters
Maximum Age Symbiosis halts aging and adds another 200 years on top of life expectancy.
Height Average to Tall
Eye Colors Eye color from before Symbiosis is kept, otherwise brown, blue, or green.
Hair Colors Fur colors follow hair color before Symbiosis, and if no hair was present it defaults to brown.
Skin Tones Skin colors follow skin color before Symbiosis (also scale or fur) but can also be full-body fur.
Not all Urlan are large and bulky. Some are athletic and slender, but some definition is always found.
While Urlan personalities are fairly flexible, vanity in appearance is always consistent.
Urlan are very avid drinkers, loving alcohol even more than some Ailor cultures.
Not all Urlan have their hooves out all the time, but some do to help communicate and move faster.
War paint is a common Urlan body decoration.
Many Urlan are Velheim, purely because Velheim live close to large concentrations of Oorl Worms.
Urlan do have strong healing abilities. If however an Urlan takes a particular wound they want to remember, they can choose to leave it scarred over.
Urlan love to hunt, especially in the cold and when chasing a dangerous or agile prey.
Many Urlan keep their pre-Symbiosis skin on their torso and limbs, but many also choose full-fur.
Urlan consider the direction of their horns an expression of personality. Forward means "back off"; backwards means "welcoming".
Captured and experimented upon Urlan exist in the world, and are a sore topic.
Immediately after Symbiosis, Urlan are confused and fearful of their own body, but pride eventually takes over.

From the far north stampede the Urlan, a Race of beast-men 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, despite the fact that the Urlan have been around for millennia. Many regions in Jorrhildr have been declared off-limits by a couple of nation states like the Regalian Empire, as the Urlan Throngs roam these lands and rule them, smashing any military force sent to try and compete them out. Some, however, wander to Regalia, called by adventure, or to settle to eternal struggle in their mind where they are torn between their beastly wild mind, and their old life. With great physical prowess and a stoic demeanor, Urlan are seen as the most stalwart and strong warriors, able to rival the Eronidas shocktroopers of the Regalian Empire and surpass them. Any self-respecting hunting guild contains at least a few Urlan, and Urlan have also become a staple in the Regalian Military due to the inclusion of the Urlan Legion under the previous Emperor Cedromar I. One of the fastest-growing Races in Aloria, the Urlan have yet to find their place in the world, whether to embrace the call of the savage wilds or to try and hold onto their old lives, as well as settling their own self-worth and identity of a soul in turmoil.

Core Identity

The Urlan are, at their core, a Race of large beast men with all the muscle and horns to fight, but the willpower and restraint to fight only when they have to. Anyone would look at an Urlan and say they are savage beasts, but rather than solving every problem in the world with violence, Urlan instead use reasoning and diffusion. This inherent unwillingness to give into their most basic of instincts gives the Urlan their gentle giant thematic appeal. Urlan are called by the Wild Hunt, the idea that they have an itch that needs to be scratched, a need to feel like a predator and to catch a fierce or agile prey to boast about. Urlan are also constantly torn between worlds, between the urban and the wild, between the free and the constrained, between the sensible and logical, and the chaotic and unruly. Each Urlan is in themselves an identity crisis, learning more about themselves as much as they learn about the world around them.

Split Identity

Because (non-born) Urlan are made through Symbiosis between a host and a parasite, each with their own mind which fuses and forms a single consciousness, each Urlan struggles with their identity caught between worlds. Each Urlan struggles between the memories of their old life as well as the memories of the parasite overlapping theirs, and how to console them to form a new personality that takes aspects of both. There are yet also Urlan who reject their parasite presence, and continue their exact personality before Symbiosis, but also those who allow their entire personality to be usurped by the parasite, thus letting their old self die. Many Urlan experience the world anew, even if they once did the same things and saw the same views. Through new eyes and a new perception of the world, they have to re-learn what certain things mean, and how they feel about them.

Evolution through Symbiosis

Urlan are produced by a Parasite called an Oorl Worm fusing with a host, both mentally and physically. This process is either voluntary or involuntary depending on whether the Oorl Worm feels threatened, using Symbiosis as a defense mechanism. Regardless of how the Urlan or others feel about the person having been changed into an Urlan, from a purely scientific point of view, Symbiosis confers many physical advantages. The host becomes much stronger, more agile, more durable, lives longer, remains combat ready for longer, and generally has a more balanced temperament. The Urlan without exception agree that Symbiosis is wholly positive from a physical standpoint, even if they may disagree on the mental aspect of things. Even if they hold the belief that they did not consent to the changes, they cannot deny the sheer benefit the changes manifested in them. The ones that do accept the mental benefit also, are of the opinion that Symbiosis should be spread to remove physical flaws in other Races, as a form of forced (or willing) evolution, which is part of their ideology.

Wild versus Urban

Many Urlan also struggle with very basic considerations of their lifestyle, like where to sleep, what to wear, or what to eat. This is generally the mental struggle Urlan have to figure out for themselves, whether they prefer the freedom of the wild, or the abundance of civilization. Each Urlan has a thrift for the hunt and to be free in the wild, but many are also called to the structured life of civilization. As such, they struggle to choose between wearing as little as possible and only in the hides of their prey, or to wear the next seasonal brocade fit for their bodies. They might struggle to desire raw meat on the bone, or a succulent spiced and cooked steak with vegetables. They might desire to sleep under a bridge in the cold morning air, or to have the luxury of a house bed. Many Urlan frequently switch between wanting either, both, or neither, struggling to settle, and changing their moods with the seasons.

Design

Mental Characteristics

Urlan do not have any set personalities or mental traits, rather, as a Race, they are the most inconsistent by mental characteristics. The Symbiosis Parasite is called an Oorl Worm, which by nature has a very docile, curious, skittish, cowardly, thoughtful and philosophical mind. The host may have similar traits, but more often than not has opposite traits, belonging to for example violent and brutish Velheimers, vain and self-assured Eronidas, or dogmatic Teledden. Putting their personality traits together with Oorl Worm personality traits in a hat can result in truly random personalities, but may also result in more controlled personalities as the Urlan leans their self identity more towards the Oorl Worm, or more towards their previous life.

Physical Characteristics

The Urlan are not exactly a Race in the way that most other Races would define them, but they are not an Affliction either because they can reproduce normally like all other Races after Symbiosis occurs. Urlan, are at a base, other Races who have their bodies willingly or unwillingly invaded by a Parasite that then merges both its body but also its mind with the host to fuse both, causing a number of rapid mutations in the host to produce a new Urlan. Urlan are at a base, reminiscent of minotaurs, with the body of their previous Race (though often bulked up and made much stronger), with the head of a variety of animals. There are a couple of different head shapes, but they are not considered subraces. Urlan keep the eye color they had prior to Symbiosis, unless they were born Urlan in which case their irises are either blue, green, or brown, with a gray sclera. Urlan who reproduce with other Races or other Urlan always produce full-blood Url, it is not possible to be Half-Url. Urlan heads follow specific Clade groups that are classified based on the rough area where their Oorl Worms can be found:

  • Northern Clade Urlan are found in Ellador, Jorrhildr, and the further cold lands. Their heads are shaped like those of Wild Cattle, Bison, and Buffalos.
  • Midlands Clade Urlan are found in the Regalian Archipelago and Ithania. Their heads are shaped like those of Elks, Megatherium, Deer or Ancylotherium.
  • Southlands Clade Urlan are found in Daenshore, the Allorn Empire, Hadar and Farah’deen. Their heads are shaped like those of Ibex, Sheep, Goats, Mouflon and Argali.

Beyond their head however, Urlan bodies look the same as their previous Race besides some modifications. For example, an Asha who had Symbiosis happen to them still has a furred Asha body with tail, claws and digitigrade legs. An Allar who had Symbiosis happen to them still has scaled skin with a tail and raptor claws. An Ailor who had Symbiosis happen to them still has a pinkish skin tone, and their normal legs and arms. There are however notable changes that occur as a result of Symbiosis:

  • By far and large, the most obvious change is that the host becomes much bigger. They easily grow a foot taller, and gain much more muscle and body mass.
  • Their body becomes hairier, and if they had feathers or fur already, all of this is transitioned to fur instead, and made longer or more prominent but they can change this.
  • Their nails grow more claw-like, while they may also optionally have hooves for feet, though they are able to change this with their Specials just like their body hair.

Summary of Racial Abilities

Racial Abilities are generally a set of unique powers and effects that all peoples of that Race all innately have, while Specials are more passive, aesthetic focused capabilities. Specials are defined per-page, while Abilities can be searched on the Ability List page to determine their generic function. Urlan have mostly Specials because we want to discourage heavy emphasis on Combat Roleplay, but they still have some Abilities and Specials that should help them stand out in a crowd.

Abilities

Ability Name Ability Type Ability Range Ability Description Modifiers
Eternal Durability Constant Passive Self

Grants the user Eternal Durability

N/A
Limb Recovery Constant Passive Self

Grants the user Limb Recovery

Urlan Modifier

Specials

  • Physical Prowess: Urlan as a Race are some of the most physically capable and developed people in the world. While other Races invest their Proficiency normally, Urlan gain bonus for investing in Strength and Constitution. For every 3 Proficiency Points spent in Strength, they gain +1 Strength (which cannot be spent on Point Buy) up to a maximum of 2 gained extra. For every 3 Proficiency Points spent in Constitution, they gain +1 Constitution (which cannot be spent on Point Buy) up to a maximum of 2 gained extra.
  • Wild Training: Urlan are some of the most physically active people in the world, constantly on the move and with an itch to hunt. Urlan may choose two Training Point Buy Packs for free without Proficiency Point investment.
  • Horned Mastery: Urlan have physical control over their horns on their head. They may grow more horns, increase the size of Horns they already have, shrink them, change their shape, texture, and color at will. This process is somewhat slow, but completes within a day. The horns can also be aesthetically used as Unarmed Weapons, but do not confer any particular combat advantage. Horns can be cut off, but always regrow in a matter of days, and are extremely tough, only cracking at the highest of pressures.
  • Physical Mastery: Urlan are capable of increasing their size nearly instantaneously. As opposed to Eronidas merely changing the density of their mass, Urlan can add mass rapidly and change their Body shape to any desired shape. Additionally, they can increase or decrease their height at will. While they can never become taller than 8 feet tall, that is an upper limit, while 6 feet is the lower limit.
  • Hide Mastery: Urlan are capable of changing the fur covering on their body. While by default only their head and neck are furred and have an animal-like appearance, they can extend this fur to cover their arms, chest, legs, their whole body, or only from the waist down. Additionally, they can choose to keep their legs plantigrade with feet and toes, or replace their feet with hooves, and switch between them at will.
  • Creation Particle: Urlan have a very advanced set of protections against the Occult because of the Oorl Worm’s effects. Primarily, they are immune to any Affliction, with the sole exception of Archon. Secondly, Urlan cannot use Magic Point Buy. Any Point Buy or Proficiency enabling their Point Buy may be refunded and re-spent when a Character is made Urlan. Lastly, Urlan are immune to Blood Sickness or Soul Sickness, caused by Vampire and Cahal feeding.
  • Beastmode: Urlan can increase their muscle mass and size to such a degree that their torso becomes too heavy to support on just their hind legs, forcing them to move around like a gorilla. This does not confer any combat advantages, and is purely aesthetic, and disallows the usage of conventional weapons bar Unarmed. This Special can also be used as a stand-in mount for someone who does not have one in progressions, though note that Urlan are very vain and would not just tolerate just anyone to use them as a mount.
  • Hunt Sense: Urlan have night vision in dark environments and at night, giving them perfect vision in darkness. This allows them to see even in low light environments inside, but does not protect them against Ability based Darkness. Additionally, Urlan are unrivaled hunters, able to gallop to chase a Deer, and to go toe-to-toe with a Bear. Urlan may hunt such wild animals, though only off the Regalian Isle, as the Regalian Isle is over hunted and those animals have gone extinct.
  • Sympath: Urlan have gained a number of empathic Abilities from the Oorl Worms. Firstly, they are able to absorb all physical pain felt by a person through Direct Touch. Secondly, they can duplicate the feelings another person is feeling onto themselves by focusing on them. Thirdly, tragedy or extreme victory by others in Progressions are felt by the Urlan, allowing them to feel the radiant mood of Progressions. Lastly, Urlan when entering areas (both in roleplay and progressions) where important events have taken place, can feel an echo of that event giving them information others may not be able to pick up on by just purely seeing what is left.
  • Symbiosis: Urlan can perform Symbiosis on others just as Oorl Worms do. When an Urlan is made, they develop an organ that acts like an Oorl Worm hatchery. Urlan can produce Oorl Worms themselves and give them to others, allowing for willing Symbiosis. Urlan may also force an Oorl Worm on another person, though this requires OOC consent and is not reversible, changing the other person into an Urlan permanently.
  • Wild Predator: Urlan have the unique ability to avoid detection despite their size, but only when traveling in the wilds. Urlan can avoid being detected by enemy patrols and effortlessly infiltrate any nation in Progressions to explore any wild area without being seen. This effect is removed the moment they enter an urban or populated area, and cannot be conferred onto party members, it only works for the Urlan themselves.
  • Avoid Occult: Oorl Worms will refuse to perform Symbiosis whether aggressively or peacefully on anything that is Occult, like a Mage, Silven, Yanar, Kathar, Vampire, or Cahal, including Archon and Primal Mages. Urlan can however be made Archon after they have had Symbiosis take place.
  • Manifest Balance: Urlan normally don’t need a balancing tool, but can choose to manifest a tail, either a long furred tail like an Asha’s, or a short bovine tail with a tuft of hair on the back, useful for providing quick galloping direction adjustments by redirecting weight. This tail is entirely optional however.

Language

The Urlan as a Race do not have a formal language, the closest to a formal language to them is Skodje, and only because the majority of Urlan in the north are Velheim, and already knew Skodje before Symbiosis. The Oorl Worm in theory has a language of its own, but this is entirely lost in Symbiosis as they are presumed to communicate to telepathy, but this ability is lost when the Oorl Worm fuses with the host’s body. Urlan do use a minor form of body language, for example, an Urlan yanking another Urlan’s right horn is a sign of greeting, while tapping the hooves or feet on the ground is a sign of excitement. Urlan naming as such is also nonexistent, simply keeping the name they used to have before Symbiosis, and naming any Urlan children based on their old language. Some Urlan have however started adopting names that they feel are right, but can never quite explain why. It is thought that these are vestigial Oorl language words, though they are only chosen as a way of a new name by Urlan who either accept the merger of Oorl and person into a new person, or wish to abandon their old identity completely.

  • Names for Male Urlan: Torrok, Tarlok, Tarman, Taromt, Taqarm, Talaar, Teghem
  • Names for Female Urlan: Reen, Rentar, Renven, Rektee, Reenhar, Ralla, Rasma
  • Names for Non-Binary Urlan: Ehr, Ufr, Aram, Orm, Eret, Alq

Religion

Urlan society in general is very split. Many Urlan stick with their old religions, this is why many Urlan are Unionist, Old Gods worshipers, or Estel worshipers. There is no common trend among these Urlan, some of them are Urlan who reject the Oorl, some who accept the merger, and some who accept the Oorl as the dominant role in their identity, but still stick with their old Religion, However, there is also an Urlan specific religion called the Call of Haarn. The Call of Haarn is part of the category of Draconic religions in that it has some tangential relation to Dragon Worship, but cannot truly be part of Dragon Worship. In the Call of Haarn, a single deity is recognized, Haarn the Beast-Dragon (known as Palin the Magenta Will Dragon in Dragon Worship). Call of Haarn is incompatible with other Dragon Worship faiths because the Urlan reject other Dragons as godly, believing that Haarn as a Dragon is only worthy of worship, because she made them. Haarn is often depicted as a Dragon made of wicker and branches and twigs, decorated with furs and bones, and the head shaped like that of a bull. Haarn is a god of freedom, revolution, advancement, evolution, the wild hunt, power, and fertility. The Urlan perform offerings in her name, usually beasts they have hunted and slain, or just their teeth and horns, by adding them to the effigy of Haarn. The most important aspect about Haarn is that the Urlan believe she put them on the world, or rather, created the Oorl Worms to correct a deficiency in the design of other Races. They believe the Oorl Worms are a divinely designed intervention by Haarn meant to make a superior being that can resist the corruption of what they call The Infection, which is generally understood to be anything from the Void or Exist planes. Their religion is not so much strictly genocidal towards all things Magical, it is rather more a form of protected apathy. The Urlan believe that Magic can no longer infect them due to the blessings of Haarn, and are as such content to let Magic slowly die out if it no longer has a host to manifest into. Call of Haarn does profess the need for, eventually some day in the future, all Races to be united in Urlan, and be given Symbiosis. Urlan do not feel particularly rushed in this objective, though some Haarn fanatics do consider forced Symbiosis a great way to weed out the weak, and thus go out of their way to force Symbiosis on as many non-Urlan as possible. They are called Baal, which is a term to define the aggressive Urlan who despise other Races as being physically inferior, or pity them for being weaker, and thus want to force everyone to evolve into Urlan.

Baal Symbiosis

The matter of Symbiosis is quite controversial among scholars both from a scientific and a moral standpoint. Symbiosis can occur in one of two ways, peaceful and voluntary, or forceful and involuntary. With peaceful and voluntary Symbiosis, the host has a welcoming attitude to the Oorl Worm, not triggering its defensiveness, and allowing it to remain docile. The host then simply ingests the worm which slides down their throat and then painlessly worms its way to their heart to merge with it, causing the mutations to take place, their minds and bodies to be fused, and the Urlan to be born. In the case of hostile and involuntary Symbiosis, the Oorl Worm was given some reason to be scared of the host, or forced onto the host that was scared of them. Unless the host is exactly welcoming and has kind intent towards an Oorl Worm, the worm can telepathically sense disgust/fear/revulsion, and trigger a defensive mechanism that causes them to attack the would-be host. This is how most Urlan are created in the northern regions, because they accidentally run into an Oorl Worm, or think it can be used as bait for bigger animals to hunt. If the Oorl Worm feels threatened, it will latch onto the host’s sternum and bite its way inside. It is not possible to detach an Oorl Worm once it has latched onto the chest of its target, and will burrow inside and then merge with the heart to begin Symbiosis. In case of a more violent Symbiosis, this experience is painful and takes longer than a peaceful Symbiosis. Regardless of the pain however, the Oorl Worm corrects perception of the event afterwards by convincing the host that the pain endured made them tougher, and many Urlan see this pain as part of the procedure, feeling that peaceful Symbiosis leads to weaker Urlan who do not appreciate the gifts of the Oorl Worm. The act of cornering a person and forcing an Oorl Worm on them is considered Baalaan, the act of what Baal Urlan do to others. Many Urlan play god however in this aspect, choosing only specific people for Symbiosis that they are impressed with, or think deserve Symbiosis. Other Baal Urlan engage in forcing Symbiosis indiscriminately, letting the Oorl Worms sort out the weak.

Families

Urlan families are somewhat flexible. Many Urlan are monogamous, and many Urlan just continue their relationships they had prior to Symbiosis, even if this requires some adjustment on the part of their partner (and does not always work). Some Urlan however also see Symbiosis from Oorl Worms from their own body as a form of polyamory. Indeed, Symbiosis performed by Oorl Worms created by specific Urlan tend to create complicated feelings in the new Urlan towards the Urlan who created the Oorl Worm that made them. Even if there is complete resentment at having consent taken from them, they can never deny the ultimate draw they feel towards that Urlan, which does not necessarily have to be intimate, but often is. It is not uncommon for an Urlan chief, especially in the wilder lands, to have a larger harem of other Urlan that they helped Symbiosis for. Urlan are never repulsed by Urlan heads even if as an Ailor they were prior not attracted to Urlan (no anti-furry virtue-signaling self-loathing please!). Urlan children are raised in much the same way the children of their previous Race, though with some changes. Urlan have similar gestation periods as Ailor, but Urlan children grow very rapidly. Within a matter of days they become independently able to walk, eat, and speak, and in a matter of several years, they are fully grown to adult and have an adult mind also. As such, childhood does not really factor in much with the Urlan, they very quickly treat their children like adults, and more often than not are children even treated more like siblings to their parents than actual infants meant to be doted on or disciplined. Within family relations, Urlan can both be very cooperative and kind, but also very hostile and violent to correct unwanted behavior and habits.

Politics

Urlan politics, like one might expect, are very split between the continuation of old traditions, and the creation of new ones. Many Urlan in the Regalian Empire still function within their positions. Several Urlan have very high positions in the Imperial Court and the Empire in general. Notable Url are 2nd Prince Frederick, the Emperor’s second oldest son who became an Urlan to convince the Jorrhildr Urlan to join the Regalians in their war against the Isldar in Ellador, Prince Taldemarr who became an Urlan during an exploration voyage, and several Counts and Barons in Mannadh Alba, Clannadh Alba and Gallovia who became Urlan due to an explosion of Urlan in the region. Equally however, while such high ranking Urlan exist in the Empire, Urlan form their own clans called Throngs with chiefs called Artok. The Artok is usually the biggest and meanest of the Urlan who forces others to be their Throng members, or performs Symbiosis on many other Urlan, thus inducing them into the Throne. Urlan can move between Throngs at will, and many Throngs are also based around the Artok just being a wise and old Urlan who aids the other Urlan in accepting themselves and forming their new identity. In Regalia, several Artok exist at any given time.

Urlan in Regalia

The Urlan in Regalia have a unique position. Much like the Eronidas, Urlan were effectively a shunned Race for much of their existence in the Empire, until the Imperial House Kade came to power. Imperial House Kade started strongly championing the cause of the Urlan to exist both in their old lives, but also as entirely new people in their own right, and gave them citizenship rights. Emperor Cedromar I Kade went even further and accepted a series of laws called the Horned Stipulations, that gave Urlan wide civil liberties, beyond even what some of the Races who had lived in the Empire for centuries enjoyed. While Symbiosis is still very strictly regulated and illegal to perform in a forced manner without consent, the state houses warehouses with Oorl Worm samples and offers generous Symbiosis compensation schemes for Regalians who wish to escape poverty, accept Symbiosis, and join the Regalian army as shock troopers. This is especially useful because Symbiosis corrects any lost limbs or amputations the host suffered in their prior life, thus making it a very attractive option for veterans who lost arms or legs during wars. It is also exceptionally functional in re-introducing retired warriors (as Symbiosis resets the Urlan’s aging and makes them young again) and citizens who are simply too frail to be warriors, by using Symbiosis to quickly and efficiently boost them up to the level of Eronidas and making them dangerous on the field of battle even without military training from essentially nothing.

Fashion

Urlan fashion, not to beat a dead horse, is equally at odds with its own identity. Many Urlan in Regalia wear the products of the hunt, trying to be self-sufficient and making their own clothing. As one might expect of the more beastly Races, they do not enjoy wearing too much clothing, and find clothing on fur very suffocating because it does not allow them to move as freely, or become overheated. Equally however, many Urlan wear clothing of Regalian design, some even of the more upper class Regal designs. Especially Regal clothing styles have become popular among Urlan, the full-black or full-beige tones with minimal color and lots of silver or gold thread lining and patterning. Urlan rarely if ever wear shoes, and sometimes their physiology requires unique clothing tailoring, especially if they choose to make use of their ability to increase height and size, and want to avoid tearing out of their clothing. Some specialty shops have sprang up around the city, advertising their ability to produce size-fit Urlan clothing which accommodate body growth as well as unique physical features like the wider Urlan necks and their legs and hooves.

World View

  • Urlan nations do exist but they do not exactly have sovereign borders. There are so called Throng Confederacies in Jorrhildr and Ellador, large groups of large Throngs that loosely unite, Artoks acting as a general council to determine foreign relations and domestic policies. These nations however don’t have formal taxation or cities, and mostly roam around, which proves a problem for states like Regalia who love drawing borders on a map. These Throng Confederacies largely adopt Velheim culture, as the majority of the Urlan are Velheim there, and only have Velheim culture as a point of reference.
  • Urlan who aren’t actively hunting engage in whatever hobbies that their past lives endeared them to. Curiously, all Urlan discover that out of nowhere, they suddenly have a craving and great love for making and painting small figurines. An Urlan can spend hours, hunched over with big meaty fingers controlling a tiny little pencil painting figurines of warriors and creatures for a tabletop game called the Hammers of War.
  • Url are very common among the Velheim Ailor, though only because Velheim are geographically close to the regions where the majority of the Oorl Worms can be found. Velheim Ailor in general have a hard time accepting their fused identity, and mostly roam around the world, or just accept their wild instincts and join the Throng Confederacies in Jorrhildr.
  • There is only one real Urlan dominated city, which is in Mannadh Alba, the regional city of Dunhan in Loch Dunhan. This city is almost entirely 95% inhabited by Urlan, and both the mayor and the Count who rules over the area are Urlan as well.
  • Urlan are fairly detached from social class and understanding social class. While they have a rough understanding of it from their prior lives, even the Princely Urlan in House Kade spend more time with the poor and the soldiery than they ever had in the past, often even insisting on ignoring state protocol and behaving very un-royal in the company of other Urlan.
  • Urlan usually avoid technology like the plague. Technology to Urlan is like accepting a physical weakness that one cannot overcome, and believe that whatever weakness is implied with technology should simply be trained away until it is no longer a problem. Biotic replacements for lost limbs are also not acceptable as such.
  • The Urlan are still in active military conflicts with the Dwarves and the Isldar, particularly in Ellador and with Velheim Ailor in Jorrhildr. In the modern era however, most Dwarves that would fight the Urlan have left the surface in Jorrhildr, and the Ailor Velheim settlers in Jorrhildr are practically all extinct, or have been turned into Urlan themselves through Symbiosis. Regalia occasionally is stupid enough to send an army into Jorrhildr also, causing that entire army to be lost to Symbiosis.
  • Oorl Worms, besides being created inside an Urlan host passively, can also reproduce by themselves. They however reproduce asexually, and split themselves in half, creating two separate Oorl Worms. Oorl Worms that are kept in captivity or domesticated cannot divide, but also lose their defensive instincts and will not invade a host.
  • Urlan are rare in other societies, as Regalia is the only real state that has accepted them as citizens. Other nations generally reject the Urlan, like the Allorn Empire which sees them as nothing but overgrown pests, and Farah’deen who consider the Urlan state a disease. The only other states that somewhat accept the Urlan are the Velheim and Ceardian states that follow the Old Gods, though it is debatable whether this is by choice or necessity to keep the peace.
  • A regiment of Urlan warriors exists in Ithania called the Taureaux d’Or. The Taureaux d’Or are the Ithanian King’s personal bodyguard and a mimicry of the Imperial Guard in Regalia, 300 of them serving the Ithanian King in gold plated armor.
  • A little known fact is that Urlan are capable of also performing Symbiosis on their pets. Familiars can have Symbiosis performed on them if the owner also becomes an Urlan, getting the same beast-like head, fur, and horns but smaller.
  • Urlan do not consider themselves related to cattle or other bovine-like animals in the wild. They believe that the head shape similarities are purely coincidental, and do not feel insulted by being confronted with these animals. However, being compared to them is immensely insulting, because Url tend to be vain in their appearance, and proud of what the Oorl worm did to their body.
  • Many Urlan who follow Unionism follow specifically Vultragon Unionism which has adopted ideological talking points on evolution and genetic enhancement. Vultragon Unionism considers Symbiosis a form of self-betterment and an act of piety, and this level of respect is carried through among Vultragon Unionist worshipers for the Urlan in general. This sentiment is also somewhat shared by the Horopadosi Evintarian Unionists, but not as strongly as Vultragon Unionists.
  • Many people think Urlan decorate themselves with animal bones and other such barbaric items, but the opposite is actually true. An Urlan’s vanity comes out fully when they are able to purchase golden adornments for their horns, tusks, ears, and nose in particular. Piercings and horn decorations are very common.
  • Tattoos are also very common among the Urlan, though exact styles do not matter as much. Many Urlan choose to be fully furred from head to toe, and as such tattoos become less visible. To compensate for this, war paint has become more popular among them, which is usually shaped like plant matter, vines, thorns, or circling motions.
  • Despite having a religion aimed at smothering Occult things out of the world by making them all Urlan, Urlan are surprisingly apathetic to the Afflicted and other Occult. They are grossed out by Vampires, but Vampires effectively do not ever bite them, so they don’t find them threatening, and Cahal are like weaker versions of them which they enjoy beating down to assert dominance. As such, Urlan just feel apathetic to most Occult things.
  • A little talked about fact is that Urlan are occasionally captured and shipped to faraway lands for nefarious research purposes. Many Allar research institutes in particular are very interested in the hormones and substances produced by the Oorl Worm, and attempt to extract parts of it while the host is still alive. This happens even in Regalia in criminal circles, as the Oorl Worm is considered the holy grail of some body-modification Alchemists to unleash all manner of enhancing elixirs.
  • Urlan are considered very wild, passionate and invigorated partners, though are extremely shy to show any of it in public. In public, Urlan do not enjoy being touched, or coming too close in contact with others, and may frequently have a jumpy reaction to being accidentally touched.
  • Urlan have a somewhat complex gender identity. Urlan absolutely had a gender identity and sexuality before Symbiosis, however this may change during Symbiosis, or become harder to pin down for the Urlan themselves. Many Urlan become pansexual and non-binary in gender expression after Symbiosis, especially because Urlan lack gender dimorphism and don’t have breasts for example, and are generally more attracted to power and pride than specific sexes.
  • Urlan have some unique insults. A very common insult is “No Profile”, which is an insult used against those who are not muscular or large and imposing. Urlan also refer to the Eronidas as Hornless, because while their profile is much the same (including the tusks) they do not have horns.

Gallery of Art

Urlan are really cool and awesome, and lots of art has been made of them.

Trivia

  • Why Urlan heads are shaped like bulls is not known, though many speculate it is because Oorl Worms used Jorrhildr pygmy bovines and goats as hosts before learning that humanoids were better hosts.
  • Urlan, when engaged in an honor duel with another Urlan, frequently clash their horns in a wrestle-match. These horns are made of exceptionally tough material that can stop a sword mid-swing and lodge it into the horn.
  • When an Urlan dies of old age, their heart mutates into a cocoon that eventually bursts and gives birth to a handful of Oorl Worms. These new Oorl Worms are entirely new beings which will then bite their way out of the host corpse and live on.