Ûlstrwar (Oolst-rwar)

(Concept Sketch by Joe Shawcross)

Height: 7’8” (male) 7’6” (female)
Build: Husky
Hair: Blacks, White, gray, Silver fur
Eyes: Green, Black, Yellow, Orange, Blue
Lifespan:  50-60 years
Decoration: Dying their fur in war patterns is quite common, limited simple jewelry, such as arm and leg bands.
WeaponPreferences: War Bows and long bladed weapons.
Language:  Strwar
Currency: Barter system, adopting coins of other nations at bullion values until finally striking a deal with the Omogoru to favor the gold Towûn in 483 F.E. By 1000 F.E. they also accept the Silonê Rîk at full value.
Religion: Tark-Krûn (The Spirit Pack)
ReligiousTolerance:  Lenient

The Ûlstrwar are an intelligent bipedal people who strongly resemble wolves, mostly traveling as bipeds but capable of quadrupedal bursts of great speed. They are undoubtedly one of the most powerful and dangerous (individually) peoples of the world, with their massive frames and unbelievable strength combined with powerful jaws capable of crushing the bones of buffalo, and the largest Ûlstrwar able to fit a man’s head in their jaws. They are capable of wielding many of the two-handed weapons of men in one hand and two-handed weapons they create are typically unable to be wielded by  humans. Likewise, their extremely powerful war bows that are as long as 8’ with 250 lbs draw weights are beyond typical human usage. While physically strong the Ûlstrwar are not naturally adept at channeling Elemental energies, and this makes them susceptible to attack from more Elementally advanced cultures.

The Tark-Krûn is a rather tolerant religion based around the worship of an ancestral Spirit Pack headed by Môlstrang, the Howling Father, and Sestrwer the First Bride who are the only figures directly worshipped. Direct ancestors who have passed from the world to the Spirit Pack may be solicited in prayer to seek greater favor from the Father or Bride but they are not directly asked for gifts. Various tribes and families claim to be related to various brides, with the Father of the Spirit Pack having eight wives. The worldly religion is headed by a loose organization of Shamans with leaders in each individual tribe without a central leading figure. Religion is but rarely a driving factor in any of their wars (at least on their side) and they have no trouble accepting another's worship of different gods and in fact they would find it a bit repulsive for an outsider to worship the Tark-Krûn.

The tribes are located south of the Orstân Rift and hunt the peaks and valleys of the Dragon Span Mountains as well as the plains north. Because of this they do have more direct dealings with the Eight Kingdomer dwarves than most other peoples and are therefore better armed than one might suspect, considering that their own skills in the craft of smithing are limited, and they do not mine ores themselves. Much of the exchange is out of gratitude for the Ûlstrwar keeping the exterior mountains safer for dwarven forays into those wilds as well as keeping the secret of entries into the dwarven halls. The Tek nations to the north of the Ûlstrwar tribes are their mortal enemies as the two peoples often compete for hunting grounds where the mighty buffalo migrate.