Horag

The horag is a very rare crossbreed that arises from a union between an exceptionally large ogre and a relatively small hill giant. They associate with either hill giants or ogres, acting as somewhat more effective tacticians for the former and thundering damage-soaking behemoths for the latter.

A harag takes features from both of its parents, resembling a typical ogre in most cases but with a greater height, long arms, and stooped shoulders of a hill giant. Most horags weigh in at about 1,000 pounds, and almost 90% of them are male. A horag speaks ogre or hill giant, depending upon which group it was raised with. They live for about 100 years (only slightly longer than an ogre) and cannot use clerical or priestly magic. A horag’s natural AC is 6, although the skins and piecemeal armor that most of them wear reduces this to AC 4.

Combat: A horag either uses its great fist to inflict incredible crushing wounds (1d12 damage) or uses ogrelike weapons such as huge swords or clubs (which inflict weapon damage +6 for Strength). They affect disdain for missile weapons, preferring instead to close with prey and destroy it with their bare hands or hand-held weapons. However, when a horag is advising a group of hill giants it will recommend that the giants strike with thrown rocks before moving in for melee; the truth is that horags are not quite shong enough to use boulders as an effective missile attack and hide this shortcoming by ferocity in melee.

Habitat/Society: Most horags will be found with either ogres or hill gmnts – their immediate relatives. Those that live away from their blood kin tend to he loners, and prefer medium-sized open caves in hilly areas. These caves will often be partially blocked by loose rubble and large stones, as the horag will take pains to conceal and protect its lair. As there are so few of their kind, most horags end up mating with ogres or hill giants, the offspring being a somewhat odd-looking but essentially normal member of the other parent’s race.

Ecology: Horag are much like their giantish parents – omnivorous but preferring meat, occasionally raiding humanoid settlements or trading with another humanoid race. They have even been known to hire on as mercenaries to evil armies, although in those cases they only truly feel comfortable if ogres or half-ogres are present.