The Bursk

From BluWiki

Inhabiting the frozen and rocky region which extends for many hundreds of miles around the base of The Great Mountain, the Bursk people are tough and relatively primitive. Seeming more bestial than the southern human races they nonetheless have an impressive culture; grand cities carved out of the mountains themselves have provided near impossible defence against invading armies; assisted by the dwarves with whom the Bursk share this arid region.

The average Bursk stands tall for a human, around 6�4�, and they put on muscle almost twice as fast as normal. These combined make the Bursk a formidable looking foe but can often be misleading as many focus more on their intellect than their appearance might make you believe.

[edit] Bursk Society

The Bursk capital, Ursa, is named after their God and, legend has it, creator; the myth says that Ursa, part-bear, part-woman, descended from the crest of The Great Mountain at the beginning of time and seeing the bears on the plains as nothing but animals granted them the power to walk, talk and craft. The small bears became the dwarves and remained in their caves; the large bears became the Bursk and started forging out their kingdom; bears are hence sacred animals for both the Dwarves and the Bursk; bears are not allowed to be killed and the skin of any naturally dead bear can only be worn by a Chief or a Priest.

Within the city of Ursa is the high temple, home of Ur-Primus the Bursk�s leader. Ur-Primus was the first bear Ursa transformed and so was given her kingdom when she ascended again. He has lived for a combined life of 3000 years; when Ur-Primus dies his spirit migrates to the frozen peak of The Great Mountain where it inhabits a great white bear which returns to the temple and transforms into a new, human body.

[edit] Bursk Priests

Bursk society is run primarily on strength; Ursa decreed that the best warrior would be the best leader, and the Priests of Ur are the epitome of that, able to channel the strength of the bear into their body and, according to outside superstition, able to transform into a bear. The colour of the bear is said to change with rank:

Ur-Secundus= There are 3 of this rank of Priest, one for each third of the year, and they inhabit the high temple with Ur-Primus.
Ur-Tertius= There are numerous of this type of Priest; they are the leaders of the temples in each city.
Ur= This is the lowest type of priest and they work in every temple (there are often 3 or 4 Ur-Priests to a temple).

Religion is a major part of Bursk life; there are minor rituals for everything (especially combat) which all Bursk must follow if a Priest is to be able to grant them power in battle.

The story of the Bursk�s creation, even if not true, has its feet founded in the Bursk�s physical characteristics; as well as their physical build and heightened strength, the Bursk have tough skin (it has been known to stop an arrow on occasion) and a heightened sense of smell. In combat, the Bursk favour axes or hammers, which add to their already considerable strength, and wear light armour so that they can keep their speed. Preferring close-combat over ranged the Bursk have not developed blackpowder weapons (in contrast to their dwarf cousins) and indeed, are further behind, technologically, than nearly all of the other nations. What they lack in this though they make up for in brute force and numbers; the exact population of the Bursk isn�t known but it is estimated to be higher than 90 million.

[edit] Characters

[edit] Bursk [30pts]

Attribute Modifiers: ST+1 [10], ST+1 (Only whilst fighting alongside an Ur-Priest, -70%) [3]
Secondary Characteristic Modifiers: HP+2 [4], Will+1 [5], Low TL 1 [-5]
Advantages: Fearlessness 3 [6], DR 1 (Tough Skin, -40%) [3], DR 1 (Tough Skin, -40%; Impaling only, -40%) [1], Acute Taste and Smell 2 [4], Hard to Kill 1 [2], Hard to Subdue 1 [2]
Disadvantages: Disciplines of Faith (Ritualism) [-5]

[edit] Bursk Ur-Priest Lens [+47pts]

Clerical Investment [5]
Religious Rank 1 [10]
Healing (Injuries Only, -20%; Own Race Only, -20%; Limited Use: 4 times a day, -20%) [12]
Animal Empathy (Bears only, -60%) [2]
Alternate Form: Ur Bear Form (Only During Battle, -40%; Limited Use: 1 time a day, -40%; Reduced Time 2 (3 seconds), +40%) [18]

[edit] Ur Bear Form [40pts]

ST 14; DX 11; IQ 6; HT 13. [10]
HP 16; Will 12; Per 10; Speed 6; Dodge 9; Move 7. [59]
SM 0; 500lbs.

Traits: Blunt Claws [3]; DR 2 [10]; No Fine Manipulators [-30]; Semi-Upright [-5]; Sharp Teeth [1]; Temperature Tolerance 2 [2]; Bestial [-10]; Hidebound [-5]; Penetrating Voice [1] [-33]
Skills: Brawling-13 [4]

The above Ur-Priest package is for an Ur level Priest; an Ur-Tertius Lens is 46 points more and has Religious Rank 2 [+10], Reduced Time 3 (2 seconds) on Alternate Form [+3], No Limited Use on Healing [+6], and the Bear Form has ST 15 [+9]; IQ 8 [+18]. The Bear Form also weighs 700lbs and is visibly bigger than the Ur-Priest�s form (as well as being a different colour) but not enough to warrant an SM.

Ur-Secundus and Ur-Primus (being of finite number) are not generally available as PCs.

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