Homebrew Elgur Species Details

ELGUR           

            The men smiled as they placed their traps, already counting the gold that awaited them, for the pelts of the snow foxes and hares fetched a hefty price these days in the market. Thus far, the legends of the two-headed giants that roamed the Kalt Wood had proved to be just that, tall tales proclaimed by old men over cups of ale in dusty taverns. Still, they kept one eye to the tops of the tree line, just in case one of the monsters stirred from its cave; that is, if they even existed at all.

            Watching the men at work, Dineega chewed her pondweed, and felt her anger rising. She'd heard rumors of poaching parties entering the forest at the last assembly gathering, but had not encountered any herself this season. The human settlements of the northern lands had crept closer for decades, worrying many of the Elgur. She watched one of the men rig the deadly steel teeth of a trap, and her blood began to boil, quite a feat for a race so adapted to the cold. A mere 30 yards away, the man glanced in Dineega's direction and, for a minute, the two locked eyes. He rose transfixed, only seeing her face through the thick brush, and thinking of how much gold he would get for the fur of such a fine animal. He turned to reach for his bow and quills behind him; it was a fatal mistake. Her hackles raised, Dineega lowered her head and charged. Whipping around to the sound of her thundering approach, the last the man saw was the terrifying site of not a moose but an Elgur at full sprint; the last he heard, the whir of two short swords. Terricus would not be collecting his bounty this, or any other, hunting season.

            -Tales of the Northern Forests

           

Lore has it that the Forest Father, the god of nature, created the Elgur to guard the northern forests. For hundreds of years, while relatively few in number, Elgur have protected these forests from the encroachment of civilization, particularly humans.

 

Tall and Powerful

Elgur look very much like moose standing erect in a humanoid form, with dark brown fur and hooves on their bottom legs, though they have humanoid hands. Males are distinguished from females by their broad antlers. Both are strongly built, standing between 5-7 feet tall, and weighing 300 pounds or more. Elgurs generally prefer earthy tones in clothing, primarily brown, black, and green.

 

Solitary, Sedentary, but Snapish

Elgurs are usually solitary, preferring independence over a close-knit clan or kin grouping. There are no large settlements or cities of the Elgur. They live mostly in singular huts in the forests, although they occasionally gather together in small numbers, and meet for monthly assemblies to discuss the state of their forest.

A practice for many generations, during their mating season—in September and October—female Elgurs will produce wail-like sounds and males will produce loud grunting sounds, as a call to each other. Often, male Elgur will fight to prove their worth, primarily with their antlers, as part of their mating ritual. Although traditional—and many would argue instinctual—some Elgur have abandoned these practices in recent years as outdated relics of the past.

Elgur often appear to be slow-moving and sedentary, but can move quickly and are surprisingly agile. They are also strong swimmers. Their vision is limited, but they make up for this deficiency with keen senses of smell and hearing.

Elgur are generally a peaceful race. However, they can be provoked easily. Elgur will often give a warning sign, including ears laid flat and back; prolonged eye contact; and raised hackles, which may indicate an imminent charge.

 

The Cold of Home

Elgurs prefer the cold areas of the north and avoid at all costs hot climates. They are cold-adapted, and suffer greatly in the heat. Elgurs are herbivores, and are notorious for their constant eating, which some like to grazing.

Elgurs rarely leave the northern forests to adventure. If they do, they usually become clerics, druids, or rangers, traveling to engage in shepherding or to protect other forestlands against encroachment and poaching.   

Elgurs are often distrustful of humans due to their increasing settlements, but have a natural affinity for forest-dwelling elves. Elgurs have a long history—mostly good, but occasionally contentious due to subsistence of forest land with underground mines—with the dwarves of the north.

 

Elgur Names

Male Names: Alnis, Briedis, Eland, Elsdyr, Losy, Milu, Tarandos

Female Names: Alces, Ayal, Dineega, Ealga, Hirvi, Moz, Tantua

Elgur Traits

Your Elgur character has a variety of natural abilities, bestowed by the Forest Father.

Ability Score Increases.

Your strength score increases by 1, and your Constitution by 2.

Age

Elgurs reach maturity around 20, and can live up to 400 years.

Alignment

Elgurs value independence, so they lean strongly towards the gentler side aspects of chaos. Above all, they value the protection of nature and other animals, and are usually good.

Size

Elgurs range from 5 feet to 7 feet tall, and have strong builds.

Speed

Your base walking speed is 30 feet.

Cold Resistance

You are resistant to cold damage.

Antlers

Your antlers are a natural weapon that can be used to make melee weapon attacks. If you hit with your antlers, you deal 1d6 piercing damage.

Nature Proficiency

You have proficiency in Nature.

Hoofsure

You ignore the effects of difficult terrain consisting of ice or snow.

Languages

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

Poor Vision

Elgurs have poor vision, and disadvantage on checks related to vision.

Keen Sense of Hearing and Smell

Elgurs rely heavily upon their strong senses of hearing and smell. You have advantage on all hearing checks, and advantage on smell checks for detecting animals.

Hot Locations

In hot locations (80 degrees Fahrenheit or higher), your base walking speed is reduced to 25 feet, and you have disadvantage on every third attack.