Homebrew Corgian Species Details

You should see the corgians at sunset in the grass. Quite content to ignore and be ignored by the wide world - Astaril being, after all, full of strange creatures beyond count. Corgians must seem of little importance, being neither renowned as great warriors, nor counted among the very wise.

They waddle about their villages or scamper through the rolling hills of their cold northern homes. They will insist on being taken seriously, but their rotund furry forms and zest for life make even their fiercest of "warriors" utterly and unfailingly adorable. They have the sunniest dispositions even through great hardships, and gods know corgian courage far surpasses their stature. They spend the day patrolling, playing, and hunting, and then come in and recline by the fire like a ring of fluffy rolls. 

— Tasche Tu-Dor, Of Astaril's Less Traveled Paths

A constant air of activity pervades the hills and forests where corgians form their packs. Waddling across the countryside, playing, hunting, and testing themselves, corgians take delight in life, enjoying every moment of exploration, investigation, creation, and play.

Vibrant Expression

A corgian's energy and enthusiasm for living shines through every inch of his or her tiny fluffy body. Corgians average slightly over 3 feet and 5 inches tall, and weigh 40 to 45 pounds. Their furry faces are usually adorned with broad smiles (beneath their prodigious snoots), and their bright eyes shine with excitement. Their fur has a tendency to puff up in every direction, as if expressing the corgian’s interest and appreciation of everything around.

Male and female corgians are near indistinguishable from one another to other races but for the relative softness of the females' features, and the higher, softer pitch of their voice. A corgian’s clothing, though usually made in modest earth tones, is elaborately decorated with embroidery, or embossing.

Lively Little Guys

As far as corgians are concerned, being alive is a wonderful thing, and they squeeze every ounce of wonder out of a mere 50 years of life. All sentient races wonder about their eventual deaths, but corgians seem thoroughly unconcerned with it.

Corgians are easily distractible; especially by things they like: food, small animals like squirrels or rabbits, and new unfamiliar things. They love deeply and easily. Their fury is not easily stoked, but should be feared. While they don't like hurting others outside of hunting, sharp fangs are a powerful tool.

Though corgians love jokes of all kinds, particularly puns and pranks, they’re just as dedicated to the more serious tasks they undertake. They are some of Astaril's hardiest hunters, athletes, and protectors. They’re willing to make mistakes and laugh at themselves in the process of perfecting what they do, taking bold (sometimes foolhardy) risks and dreaming large.

Pack Your Bags

Corgians make their homes in hilly, grassy lands. Being primarily hunter gatherers, corgians live a nomadic life. Their encampments, composed of a collection of woolen yurts, are easy to assemble and disassemble, and highly portable. Most packs have set territories where they migrate to with the change of the season, but some smaller ones might seek to live and hunt in the territory of a larger pack in exchange for a small percentage of their proceeds. While territorial disputes are not uncommon among corgians, they rarely end in violence - the corgians having left behind their primal canine savagery centuries ago.

Corgians are seldom seen in settlements of larger folk, preferring instead to keep to their own. However, some occasionally trade with various settlements, and on rare occasion the lure of adventure is more than the pack can contain. Either way, corgians are seasoned travelers and are more prepared than most for the hardships of the road.

Corgian Names

Being canine, the Corgian language is a series of barks, nips, yips, yaps, and whines. As such, many of them use these sounds in various combinations for names; however, contact with humans and other races have taught the corgians the sensibility of adopting the names common to the folk of the Norland Isles, of which the corgians are natives.

Male Names: Alston, Alvyn, Barnabas, Bothelm, Brocc, Burgell, Cadwyn, Dalvin, Eadred, Eldon, Fjol, Frug, Gregor, Goodwyn, Gudram, Gruffin, Kellen, Moritz, Orryn, Runar, Svend, Sindri, Theobald, Warryn, Wrenn

Female Names: Aelflead, Breena, Caryl, Cothi, Donella, Duvamil, Ella, Ellyjobell, Elly, Freyja, Lyris, Lorilla, Mara, Nissa, Oda, Orla, Roywyn, Shamil, Tana, Waelyn, Zanna

There is a small number of Major packs, but also a large number of small clans.
Major Pack Names: Pembrok, Cardig,  Shelti, Corkie, Corman, Huskorg

Seeing the World

Curious and impulsive, corgians might take up adventuring as a way to see the world or for the love of exploring. Regardless of what spurs them to adventure, corgians who adopt this way of life eke as much enjoyment out of it as they do out of any other activity they undertake, usually adorably.

ALWAYS APPRECIATIVE

It’s rare for a corgian to be hostile or malicious unless he or she has suffered a grievous injury. Corgians know that most races don’t share their sense of warmth and companionship, but they enjoy anyone’s company just as they enjoy everything else they set out to do.

 

Pack Lineage

Corgians live and always have lived in packs. As such, many of these packs have developed distinct appearances.
The Major clans wandering the countryside of the Norland Isles are the Pembrok, Cardig, Shelti, Corkie, Corman, and Huskorg.

The Pembrok exhibit physical traits of Pembroke corgis. They have coats of fluffy fur ranging from the tans, to the coppers, to the light browns.

The Cardig exhibit physical traits of Cardigan corgis. They are very similar in appearance to their Pembrok counterparts, but unlike the Pembrok, the Cardig's coats are sleeker than fluffy, and the Cardig stand a few inches taller on average than their broader Pembrok cousins.

The Shelti are similar in appearance to the Cardig, but their fur grows longer, stringier, and appears even less fluffy - even terrier-like. They stand a few inches shorter than the Pembrok on average, and their coats range from the tans into the greys.

The Corkie are the smallest of the corgian people, standing at little over 3 feet. They are similar in appearance to the Pembrok, but their coat is short and sleek, and maintains a coloring of lighter coppers and oranges.

The Corman are, in stark contrast to the Corkie, the largest of the corgian, standing firmly a few inches above 4 feet. They exhibit physical traits of both corgis and German shepherds. Their fur is short and comparatively coarse, and its coloring is deeper browns, muted bronze, and dark greys. At a glance, they appear gruffer and more muscular, and their ears point straight up toward the sky, as opposed to the relative sprawl of most corgian ears. They are the most prone to violence among the corgians, but this stems from the values of loyalty and communal responsibility, which are shared by all corgians.

The Huskorg are arguably as unique as the Corman. They exhibit physical traits of huskies, and as a result, are very fluffy. Their coats are colored white and dark greys, and unlike many of their cousins, many Huskorg have icy blue eyes, and a wolf-like appearance. They are tall like the Corman, but leaner, and are far better at cross-country running and surviving in the cold. As a pack, they inhabit the northernmost regions of corgian lands.

Corgian Traits

Your corgian character has certain characteristics in common with all other corgians.

Tooth and Claw

You have sharp claws and fangs at your disposal. These act as natural weapons, and can be used to make unarmed weapon attacks.

Experienced Traveler

Living a life a of travel and braving the wilds of the world has allowed you to pick up some special skills. you may choose a feat.

Ability Score Increase

Your Dexterity and Constitution scores increases by 1.

Age

Corgians mature at twice the rate humans do, and most are expected to settle down into an adult life by around age 15. They can live roughly 50 years.

Alignment

Corgians are most often good. While most are chaotic in tendency, corgians do adhere to a social hierarchy, and many will adhere to laws if presented to them. In this sense they teeter on neutrality. Corgians are good-hearted, and even the nippy "bad eggs" among them are more loyal than individualistic.

Size

Corgians are between 3'5" and 4'5" tall and average about 40 pounds. Your size is Small.

Speed

Your base walking speed is 30 feet.

Languages

You can speak, read, and write Common and Gnoll.