Karhu

Basic Information

Anatomy

Karhu are large sentient bear-like creatures that when standing on their hind legs, are anywhere from 6 to 10 feet in height.  There are three types of Karhu: the agile but smaller black Karhu, the strong and powerful brown Karhu, and the rare, but majestic white Karhu.  Karhu are generally bulky and robust with short tails and a heavy coat of fur.  They have short, rounded ears and a short snout.  Karhu can walk on all fours or stand upright like the other Heritages.

Genetics and Reproduction

Karhu reproduce sexually, with a gestation rate that lasts 6-9 months depending on the subspecies of Karhu.  Karhu typically have only one cub at a time, but twins is not unheard of.

Growth Rate & Stages

Infant Karhu learn to move on all fours within 2-3 months of birth, and begin to talk before 18 months.  Karhu reach maturity by 11 years.  Karhu have an average lifespan of 50-55 years, but certain Karhu have been reported to live up to 75 years.

Dietary Needs and Habits

Karhu are omnivores.  They eat several times a day, but if necessary can go up to 12-14 hours without food.

Additional Information

Perception and Sensory Capabilities

Magical ability among Karhu is exceptionally rare.

Civilization and Culture

Common Customs, Traditions and Rituals

The Karhu have a reputation for being calm and pensive but terrifying when provoked or angered. Karhu can walk on all fours or stand upright like the other Heritages. They tend to wield no weapons (even though they can), but often can be found using armor.

History

Karhu believe they were created by Korax the Dominator at the beginning of the Great War of the First Age. Despite this, the Karhu rebelled against their creator and ultimately fought for the Army of Light led by Clea. As a result, many Karhu venerate Clea, not Korax, as the liberator of their Heritage. Others have adopted Timmorn the Hunter as their patron deity, based on his patronage of all hunter animals.
During the Second Age, Karhu were among the people who raised kingdoms only to have them fall back into ruin. By the end of the Second Age, after the Lost Years, most Karhu had settled in a confederation of clan villages in the lands that are now Erynland.
During the Third Age, the Karhu clans slowly came under the dominion of the human King Brenton the Black, first king of Rosalind. Some villages were persuaded by the promise of riches and trade, others fell to the sword, but by Brenton's death, nearly all of the Karhu clans had pledged fealty to the Rose Kingdom. In the decades that followed, the Karhu watched as Rosalind treated them with a sort of benign neglect, demanding their taxes but otherwise letting the villages and clans govern themselves. Only when clans went to war did Rosalind rouse itself to tighten its grip on its nominal subjects. Meanwhile, trade between the provinces of the Rose Kingdom brought new prosperity to Karhu clans. Thus did the Karhu become citizens of Rosalind and inhabitants of its newest royal province, Avernin ("of eagles" in the old tongue).
That changed with the rise of Matriarchy. Karhu had never been particularly devout towards Raya, preferring Clea or Timmorn, so when royal decrees required Raya's worship or higher taxes, Karhu began to grumble. That grumble turned into roars of anger when King Barnard the Pious conscripted Karhu into an army for the first (and last) holy crusade into Aurulant. When clan leaders attempted to object to conscription, soldiers were sent into to induct young Karhu by force. This led to the infamous Massacre of MacBeith, wiping out an entire clan of white Karhu. Secret reports from those who had been drafted to fight told of incompetent leaders, corrupt commanders, horrible living conditions, rampant famine and disease, and humiliating losses.
Karhu clans began rebelling against Rosalind's authority, first in small ways, such as hiding their young adults from draft officials and delaying tax levies. In secret meetings between the clans, then including several of the Dwarven enclaves, an organized resistance began to form. While they made painstakingly thorough plans, the rebellious Karhu and Dwarves were caught by surprise when Prince Baldwin the Just, a nephew of Rosalind's king and Lord Governor of the Province of Avcarias declared the province in revolt and a free nation, Carador.
The resistance in Avernin quickly joined the revolution of Avcarias/Carador, naming Brann MacMuffyn as their war leader. Brann had lost his daughter Scoon in the Crusade and was more than eager to break away from the Rose throne. The Independence Wars, as those from Erynland and Carador came to know them, and the Betrayal Wars as the Rosalinders called them, resulted in Karhu once again being in charge of their own destinies once more.

Common Myths and Legends

Karhu tend to venerate one of three deities:  Clea, as the liberator of their Heritage; Timmorn the Hunter, based on his patronage of hunters and predators; or Capressa, the Weeping Maiden.  Most Karhu respect Capressa's sacrifice and celebrate her holy day.

Interspecies Relations and Assumptions

Karhu tend to get along with all other Heritages.

Lifespan

50 years

Average Height

6-10 feet

Body Tint, Colouring and Marking

Karhu have three distinct subspecies - black, brown, and white, which describes the color of their fur.  Black are typically the smallest and most agile of the Heritage, while white Karhu, often called winter Karhu, are among the largest Karhu.