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So, I've done a lot of thinking about this race. Also a lot of background planning and making things up as we go. I will post the relevant game info that I've come up with.
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Thought to be of otherworldly origin, the Ursai of Blackmoor are massive bear-like humanoids. They are becoming the most populous of the beast men in Blackmoor because of their solitary and friendly attitude. When they began to be noticed, they were pressed into service by the Elves and Dwarves and used to help build massive fortifications, mining, and as armed heavy infantry regiments in conflict.
PERSONALITY
Theirs is a very clan and family oriented society. These are the veritable gentle giants. A visitor may expect to be treated well and fairly in almost any Ursai village and given anything that they might need. However, the Ursai also believe that the same is true in reverse and may ask any visitor to give anything needed that they might do without.
The accumulation of wealth is generally unimportant to them. If they need something, they will work towards attaining it.
They are generally very easy going, placid and slow to anger. However, they are a terror to behold once they perceive a threat.
Ursai are not well skilled in fine crafts and live very plainly.
PHYSICAL DESCRIPTION
Ursai are tall, powerfully built, with bear-like heads and fur covering their entire bodies. Adult males are powerfully built (many over 8' tall) with enormous upper bodies and long, powerful arms. Their colourings are much the same as their animal cousins, ranging across the brown spectrum all the way from black to white. They have large bearish faces, somewhat less flat to accommodate their larger brain. They have a thick hide and tend to not wear much in the way of clothing aside from vests and kilts or skirts, with voluminous cloaks in the harshest winter. They don't have retractable claws, so these are usually kept trimmed short. Barbarian warriors may grow these out and sharpen them for use as a natural weapon.
HISTORY
It is difficult to say when or where the Ursai came from, but they came into the knowledge of Blackmoor as the slaves of the Elves and Dwarves. If either of these races has more information, they are keeping tight lipped about it.
They have no need or little thought of anything beyond their small geographical area of knowledge.
They are not long lived, so they tend to live their lives very hard. An Ursai will mature to breeding age in about 10 years and will come to its full size by 14. They have an average life span of 40 years, but this number is meant to increase since some of the tribes have quit their nomadic ways and are living more full and rich lives.
Their population was kept low due to the way their Elven masters tended to squander them in battle. Now that the Elven debt is paid, they may begin to be a problem as their numbers increase and they begin to spread out.
They are adept at hunting and fighting and have taken up the trade of house and castle building. These skills are often traded with larger communities for foodstuffs, fine crafts and other necessities of life.
Being of large size, they have some difficulty living in human or elven populated cities. Most cellared or multi-story buildings with a wooden floor will not hold their weight and having dealings inside is difficult.
ALIGNMENT
Ursai lean towards Neutral alignment.
LANDS
They tend toward more northern climates, but have been spotted as far south as Northern Thonia. They prefer forested lands and hills. Previous to their release from the Elf/Dwarf racial debts, they were confined to Blackmoor. With their freedom, only a few bands decided to leave and all but one of those moved to the Skandaharian Jarldoms where they were greeted as brothers. The last band was lost somewhere along the Hak and never heard from again.
RELIGION
They took an instant liking to the Skandaharian people and did a good deal of trading with them. Their concepts of the gods have been heavily flavoured by these people. Odir (LG), Hella (NE), Baldin (NG), Tyrhm (CE), Elgath (CN) and Surt (Zugzul, LE) all have a place in their mythology and none are worshiped exclusively.
LANGUAGE
The Ursai people have a gutteral language of their own that is bestial in nature and difficult to understand, even for determined scribes. There is no native written language. Early on, they took a liking to the concepts and language of the Skandaharians and can learn that easily. Their debt to the Elves taught them a great deal of that language and having lived a long time amongst other giants and in the shadows of dragon-infested mountains had taught them some of those tongues as well.
NAMES
Ursai names tended to be gutteral translations of important concepts in their language. They were believed to have great power once the concept of naming came to them.
MALE NAMES
Traditional: Grrm, Bllg, Nrmb
Modern: Robert, Gerard, Valok, Gerson
FEMALE NAMES
Traditional: Aald, Uom, Imli
Modern: Marion, Kendra, Valah, Dion
URSAI AS PLAYER CHARACTERS (3E)
• +2 Strength, +2 Constitution -2 Charisma.
• Large size.
• An Ursai’s base land speed is 40 feet.
• Automatic Languages: Common (Thonian), Ursai. Bonus Languages: Draconic, Elven, Giant
• Favoured Class: Barbarian
• Level adjustment +1.
The Giant template is used as appropriate, with the changes noted above. Often a character may start with several levels of Giant before taking a secondary adventuring class.
URSAI AS PLAYER CHARACTERS (Classic D&D/OD&D)
TBD
Note: the Ursai first appeared in the Last Fantasy Campaign. They were created by Rizak the Really Horrible and Rafael.
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