The Horde
Zrū is a Dwürden word that means “The Defiled”. The Dwürden suffix -ur usually indicates a member of a natural race. The reverse of -ur indicates a member of an unnatural race. The root word Zuur means defiled. The combination originally appeared as Zuuru, but later shortened to Zrū.
The Zrū are unfortunate mishaps of magic and nature, one mercy killing away from setting things right. The Zrū however never travel alone. These abominations travel in numbers, corrupting everything in their path. The more that are contaminated by their energies, the more Zrū there are to join the Horde.
Zrū are altered creatures whose sole purpose is to disject the “blessing” of Chaos. Every member of the sterile Zrū once belonged to another race until it was warped by Chaos into a mockery of its former shape. Warping is not a conscious process, directed by some engineer of flesh and blood; warping is a random effect initiated by a force that abhors beauty, symmetry, function, and purpose. It is not surprising that many amorphic Zrū are “created” unsuitable for life (e.g., breathing creatures without a nose or mouth).
The degree of variation found among the Zrū is startling. When considering how the Zrū might appear, it may help to refer to the works of Hieronymus Bosch.
Physiology
Although it is impossible to describe all the mutations that might occur as the result of Warping, there are weaknesses common between all Zrū. The most common limitation among the Zrū is sterility. Zrū cannot beget other Zrū without exposing creatures to the transformative powers of Chaos.
Psychology
The mind of the Zrū is a shifting landscape that flows from one emotion to another when left to navigate on its own. Solitary Zrū have a tendency to slip into a mire of self-loathing and despair that can lead to hopelessness, ennui, catatonia, or suicide. In numbers, members of the formless Horde are very different. The more Zrū that are concentrated in an area, the more purposeful and directed their actions become.
Zrū that possess active Odðyryd are able to maintain a stable psyche whether part of a Horde, or not. It is these fortunate creatures that are the leaders, learners, and magicians of the race.
Ervan stared across the plain. He could remember green grass, blue skies, and gentle white clouds passing overhead. It was a distant memory, but one that he summoned from time to time. The world looked much different now. Ervan stood upon an outcropping of rocks near the ruins where they’d spent the night. His clothes lay about his feet as his eyes strained against the dim twilight, trying to catch a glimpse of the faraway caravan from Fvehēr. Ervan’s head was filled with a hundred images that his brain could scarcely interpret. Each image was fed to his brain from a separate eye, blinking and staring from his face, his chest, his arms and legs. His body was covered with the obscene orbs, all of different sizes, types, and colors. Each eye blinked and glanced independently from its socket. Some perceived the world in distorted colors while others interpreted the world as monochrome, shades of gray, blobs of heat, blurs of motion, and other visions that Ervan could not comprehend. This was his duty to the Horde, but there was nothing to see. Slowly, he pulled his clothes back on and dozens of his eyes closed. Before heading back, he closed his eyes one more time and remembered what it all used to look like.
The physical changes of Warping are self-evident, but how changed is the mind of the victim? The most accurate answer to this question may be that it varies. Some Zrū individuals seem to have almost total recall of their previous lives, others seem to start from scratch once the Warping is complete. Perhaps the only mental change within the Zrū that is constant throughout the “race” is the supplanting of the victim’s native language with an understanding of Odáradic. Knowledge of secondary and tertiary languages, if remembered, seem unaffected by the Warping. All Zrū however, seem to lose an understanding of their native tongue. This bizarre constant has led many to speculate that the Warping is not a product of Chaos at all, but rather evidence that a darker force may be at work.
Culture
he Horde exist to increase their numbers. All other activities and goals are secondary to this purpose. To increase their numbers, Zrū expose targets to the Warping energies of the Chaos. This can be done by carrying Odðyryd, or by bringing targets to areas where the Chaos is particularly strong.
Organization among the Zrū is nearly impossible without the structure and direction imposed by the Dark Gods. An added advantage to religious influence is the use of unholy sites in conjunction with Warping (rf. Associative Chaos). This form of Warping has a better chance of creating viable Zrū, rather than those that are too deformed to be anything but a burden on the Horde.
Newly created Zrū that are unable to function are usually devoured by their kin. In this manner, the weak are culled from the Horde and the race becomes stronger with every Warping.
Language
While most Zrū understand the strange tongue of Odáradic, not all can speak it.
Religion
Although some Zrū often find their way to worship Dark Gods (e.g., Agârkrauk, Zeyir), most simply worship the Chaos that shaped and delivered them from Mortality. To these converts, the greatest possible gift is to share the “blessing” of Chaos with those who have not been touched by its revelations. For this reason, it is not uncommon for groups of Zrū to carry Odðyryd, in the hopes that their numbers may be increased.
Magic
The Zrū suffer the same magical limitations as all Odárad.
Characters
Zrū are not appropriate player characters.
Goat Template
The basic template for Zrū-Goat characters is 3 CPs. This template includes:
Advantages
- Strength +4 (BASp15) 40
- Health +3 (BASp15) 30
- Damage Resistance: Tough Skin +2 (BASp46) 61
- Fearlessness +2 (BASp55) 4
- Night Vision +5 (BASp71) 5
- Striker: Crushing (Horns) — (BASp88) 22
1 BASp46 Damage Resistance; 10 pts (Base) -40% (Tough Skin) = 6 pts
2 BASp88 Striker; 5 pts (Crushing) -20% (Clumsy, -1) -40% (Limited Arc) = 2 pts
Total = 83 CPs
Disadvantages
- Intelligence -2 (BASp15) -40
- Appearance: Monstrous — (BASp21) -20
- Hidebound — (BASp46) -5
- Social Stigma: Monster (Odárad) — (BASp155) -15
Total = -80 CPs
Hog Template
The basic template for Zrū-Hog characters is 106 CPs. This template includes:
Advantages
- Strength +10 (BASp15) 801
- Health +5 (BASp15) 50
- Hit Points +10 (BASp16) 162
- Size Modifier +2 (BASp19) 0
- Damage Resistance: Tough Skin +3 (BASp46) 93
- Fearlessness +2 (BASp55) 4
- Night Vision +5 (BASp71) 5
1 BASp15 Strength; 100 pts (Base) -20% (Size Modifier +2) = 80 pts
2 BASp16 Hit Points; 20 pts (Base) -20% (Size Modifier +2) = 16 pts
3 BASp46 Damage Resistance; 15 pts (Base) -40% (Tough Skin) = 9 pts
Total = 164 CPs
Disadvantages
- Intelligence -1 (BASp15) -20
- Build: Fat — (BASp19) -3
- Appearance: Monstrous — (BASp21) -20
- Social Stigma: Monster (Odárad) — (BASp155) -15
Total = -58 CPs
Options
A selection from the following template options are appropriate.
Advantages
- High Pain Threshold — (BASp59) 10
Disadvantages
- Bad Temper — (BASp124) -10
Nomenclature: Zrū Dekàlic: Zrū (race), Zrūnàri (pertaining to), Zrūnyn (individual), Zrūnyr (multiple)