THE CROMIRS OF MADORIA

GORZA

Gorza is an Elder God of the Shard of Moragg. The Elder Gods are those immortal entities that we often think of as abstract concepts. They are fundamental to the workings of the universe. Gorza is subordinate to the Elder God Moragg who is also called Eimragh, the Creator, and the rightful ruler of the Shard of Moragg, according Celestial Law. In a primordial age, Moragg used Gorza to populate Madoria (his “Chosen World”). She bore him three clutches of offspring. The First Brood were poorly made, and hideous to behold. Moragg banished them from his sight, so that they could live only in hidden places. The Second Brood were the powerful Daimons, and Moragg was pleased with them. The chief Daimon was a dragon and fathered the Cromirs. Moragg showed them great favor. He made them rulers over the Manifest Lands. The third clutch of Gorza she kept secret, for she feared what Moragg would do with them now that he had established his favorites.

CROMIRS

The prime intelligent species of Madoria, these are the native dominant creatures of the world, the grandchildren of Gorza. The father of the Cromirs was a dragon, and the mother looked like a giant bird of prey. The place where the dragon and the bird mated (the “Great Nest”) is sacred to the Cromirs, and possibly located in the distant land called Hragerzom.

Back in those days, the Cromirs were dwarfed by the First Brood and the Daimons. They were not among the largest of creatures as they are today. As millenia passed, the Cromirs developed intelligence and learned to survive amongst predators. They developed language and culture, built civilizations, and so grew to dominate all of the other species of Madoria.

Further millenia went by and the Cromirs became decadent. There were fewer and fewer Cromirs as their fertility waned. Lesser creatures grew to prominence. Eventually the sole remaining Cromirs were their immortal wizards. These Elder Cromirs nurtured the lesser races — the Cromirlings — that they believed would eventually replace them.

In general, the Cromirs look like a cross between the Dragon and the Raptor that began their line, featuring an overall humanoid shape, with scales, feathers, and toothed beaks. They are bipedal, standing perhaps six metres tall. They do not breathe fire, but they use magic and have a natural regenerative ability as long as they remain in contact with the earth. Each of the Elder Cromirs has lived for centuries. They are treated as demigods by the Cromirlings.

CROMIRLINGS

Cromirlings are possibly relatives of the Cromirs, but in general are considered subject peoples of the Cromirs. The Elder Cromirs have claims over the world, and any and all beings living within those claimed areas are subjects. The Cromirlings are in essence all intelligent creatures who traditionally acknowledge that subjugation.

BEAST-MEN

Dumb, not particularly brave, humanoids of bestial countenance. It is thought by some that the Beast-Men are feral humans, who living outside the comforts of civilization have become tempted by the dark secrets of the earth. Others believe they are a cross between Cromirling and Man.

Regardless of the truth, it is believed that long ago, whole tribes of humans abandoned their gods and lived wild. In the wilderness they were corrupted by dark Cromir magic in an event called the Reclamation. They took on bestial features and slowly became almost unrecognizable as humans. At the same time they grew closer to Gorza, and became servants of the Cromirs.

There are many types of Beast-Men. There are different types for different climates, from the shaggy white Beast-Men of Braghan to the red-and-black Beast-Men of Kameree. Roughly man-sized, they can be tall or short, strong or weak.

Some Beast-Men are born genderless, as the corruption destroys their genital organs. These are rare, but they have the benefit of heightened magical perception, making them potential magicians. Most Beast-Men groups will have one or more of these witchdoctor-types.

Beast-Men occasionally raid human villages for food and women. The offspring of human women and Beast-Men produce another breed, the halfbreeds. These are stronger, more virile, and more intelligent than ordinary Beast-Men. If they survive past childhood they often become leaders.

In contrast, the further removed from pure human heritage a Beast-Man is, the larger, stupider, and more bestial it gets. The most bestial of Beast-Men (“brutes”) are little more than animals, used like wardogs to hunt, guard, or fight in battle alongside an appointed master.

GRUESLIN

Three-metre tall bipeds with scaly hides, toothed beaks, and feathered crests. Grueslin are solitary or live in small groups under the leadership of a Younger Cromir. Grueslin are pretty stupid but quite vicious and, unlike Beast-Men, fearless. The regenerative capability of Grueslin is far superior to that of other Cromirlings.