Ogres

"They're solid, stubborn, and liable to roll over you if you're in their way, but they're not entirely unreasonable. The key is to appeal to their sense of fairness, or if you fail at that, appeal to their stomach."

— A veteran adventurer, on the topic of an ogre's obeisance

 

The Forest Bed

  Ogres are creatures of contradictions, as much a part of the wild as the thorns and brambles that tangle through their forest homes. They are massive, hulking figures, their skin the colour of dark clay or mossy stone, their muscles gnarled like the roots of ancient trees.   They are not stupid, despite the tales. Ogres are slow thinkers, yes, deliberate in their thoughts as if chewing over each idea before swallowing it. This gives the impression of dullness, but it's a mistake to equate slowness with simplicity. They are creates of instinct and appetite, and their tempers are as volatile as their hunger. They value strength above all else, and this applies not just to their bodies but to their will. To face an ogre is to face something overwhelming and relentless, much like an avalanche crashing down a mountainside.  

A Dead for a Dead

  Despite their fearsome reputation, ogres have a peculiar sense of justice. It is primal and raw, like everything about them, but it is there. They believe in balance, a life for a life, a debt for a debt, and they honour it with the gravity of ancient law. Those brave or foolish enough to bargain with an ogre may find themselves bound by an unbreakable promise, for an ogre's word, once given, is as solid as the mountains.   Their homes are simple but effective; dens dug into hillsides, caves lined with scavenged treasures that glitter dimly in the firelight. They hoard not for greed, but for the satisfaction of possession, of gathering what the world has carelessly left behind.   Ogres are not part of the world that builds cities or writes books. They are the remnants of something older, something that watches from the edges of the firelight and remembers a time when strength alone ruled the Eight Lands. And perhaps, deep down, they miss it.