Ur'Ghkar

The Ur'Ghkar are the indigenous people of the eastern mountains and hills of northern Veraqez. Until the signing of the Armistice of Larksberg which ended the War of Federation, most of the Ur'Ghkar living on Veraqez were forced into bonded servitude in both the nation of Tierra Ug'eres and in the Southern Fringe. Since the War, many Ur'Ghkar have relocated throughout the newly born Republic, moving far from the places they were held captive for generations. In large part because of new found civil liberties, most Ur'Ghkar are huge proponents of the Republic and take their civic responsibilities very seriously.

Standing over seven feet tall, the Ur'Ghkar are easily identified by their powerful builds and grey skin. Both men and women among the Ur'Ghkar have strong square jaws and often have protruding lower incisors or "tusks" as they often referred. The men of their race rarely grow beards or much body hair on the torso but thick dark hair is common on the legs and arms of both men and women. While dark hair and eye color is most common, fair colors of both are not unheard of among the Ur'Ghkar. Because their have been so many demeaning and racist caricatures made of Ur'Ghkar, many people from the more isolated parts of the former

Klavian Protectorate mistake pureblooded Ur'Ghkar for robust half-elves or humans until they get a good look at the Urg's face and especially their tusks.

Naming Traditions

Feminine names

• Y'maz
• Vim'Sok

Masculine names

• L'rok
• Vos'Kal

Unisex names

• Grym

Family names

While the Ur'Ghkar were keep as slaves by the Enlightened they were not allowed to speak of or take family names. Since their liberation, many have chosen to take the surnames of their former masters and so many Ur'Ghkar today have elven, human, or even halfling names. Even though there were some dwarven and gnome slave holders, the Freestone Movement meant they were few and far between and so it's quite rare to find an Ur'Ghkar with a dwarven or gnomish surname.

Among the small number of freeborn Ur'Ghkar and those who managed to keep their family histories alive through oral tradition, culturally Ur'Ghkar surnames have begun to resurface. The common convention was to have the honorific "Ur" prefix followed by the name of the village or region one called home. If an Ur'Ghkar had a known heroic ancestor or renowned craftsperson or leader from whom they had descended, the "Ur" would be followed by that individual's given name. Some examples are:

• Ur'Klasal
• Ur'Mokep
• Ur'Roqark
• Ur'Qil
• Ur'Krym

Other names

• Urg (a common shortening used by many people living in the Unified Republic)
• Orc (a racial slur; considered extremely demeaning and aggressive)

Culture

Culture and cultural heritage

So much of the Ur'Ghkar culture was systematically erased by the Enlightened Races as a means of control and oppression that little of it is left. Today, most of the Ur'Ghkar culture which has survived takes the form of songs, poems, and elaborate dances which have been handed down for generations and could easily be carried with them.

While before the War of a Thousand Tears there were almost as many Ur'Ghkar cultures as there were peaks in the Voroks, it is now more of one unified Ur'Ghkar culture. Together this united people do share many common myths and stories from ancient times and their languages have blended together into one tongue called simple "Ur'Ghkar" or "Urg".

Shared customary codes and values

Certain values have also grown among the clans, qualities seen as honorable, kind, and inspiring among these oppressed people. Ur'Ghkar consider it of the utmost importance that everyone receives an equal seat at the table and an equal share of the food at each meal, including guests. This generosity extends to items like clothing and a place to sleep within the home but it is accompanied by an acute awareness of the need for a guest to be gracious and not overstay their welcome. In a similar vain, it is considered polite for a guest to offer whatever they do have to share with their hosts, however meager that may be.

Stoicism is a common demeanor when dealing with non-Urgs. Because of the massive oppression imparted on their people, Ur'Ghkar adopted an impassive facade to mitigate a violent outburst or punishment from their slave masters. It is very common when speaking to an Ur'Ghkar for them to hold one's gaze without reacting or even blinking as they listen. Non-Urgs can find this

Lying is not only disrespectful among Ur'Ghkar but is considered a sign of spiritual weakness. Paired with the importance of stoicism, Ur'Ghkar are far more likely to simply stay quiet and refuse to incriminate a loved one or friend. Stonewalling is common tactic among Ur'Ghkar witnesses to crimes in the Northern cities.

Average technological level

While the Enlightened would refer to the technology of the Ur'Ghkar as "Stone Age" at best, before the War of a Thousand Tears the empire of Krym'Galar was extremely complex politically, socially, and culturally. Stretching the full length of the Vorok Mountains, Krym'Galar spanned a region approximately 1,200 miles from North to South and about 600 miles wide at Garl's Pass, the widest point in the range.
The empire was presided over by a hereditary empress but because of the rugged terrain separating the numerous communities throughout the Vorok range, each peak was treated as a kind of county unto itself, with the leaders of largest village or city on a mountain's slopes serving as governors and magistrates on behalf of the empress. Each village did pay tithes to the throne and in exchange the empire maintained an expansive network of mountain trails and bridges, a system of couriers, and a standing army which also served as a national police force.

Art & Architecture

Because so much of the physical representations were destroyed by the so-called Enlightened Races, most Ur'Ghkar culture and history is handed down today in the form of songs and epic melodic poems. Some groups of Ur'Ghkar still practice a form of martial arts disguised as a spinning, dueling dance called Kort'Al but this is mostly among the southernmost communities of Ur'Ghkar and those small clans who still roam across the  Scarlet Wastes.
Among the artifacts found in ruins of Krym'Galar villages, stone sculptures representing stylized Ur'Ghkar, birds, alpacas, mountain goats, and bears.

Warning: The following article contains discussions of racial discrimination.