Species Name: Enduk, Sky Bulls
Like the Enduks, the Enduk race came about following experimentation on Greek humans by the Olympus Pantheon as an attempt to create warriors who had greater strength and constitution.
Type: Humanoid Bull
Physical Traits: Their bodies are covered with short fur ranging from black to light brown. The head of an Enduk resembles that of a bull – with horns, a square muzzle, large, heavily-lidded eyes, and a strong mouth filled with large teeth. Long, coarse hair tufts at the throat and shoulders, running in a mane the back. The head of an Enduk is most often spotted and splotched with white and black, though features such as the eyes and muzzle are highlighted in brown. Enduks also possess huge, powerful wings. A typical Enduk wingspan measures from eight to ten feet, and when folded, the wings reach from the ground to one foot over the enduk’s head. Feather colour varies from white to black, including various shades of grey. The underside of an enduk's wings usually bears a design that they show off by spreading their wings when on the ground. These marks tend to be genetic and can convey information about an Enduk’s family. Their bull head has horns which do D6 goring damage each. They can fly at a speed of 20 kph with a ceiling of 8 kms.
Height: 6-7 ft and wingspan of 20 ft
Weight: 200-250 lbs
Abilities: Nightvision. Enhanced resistance to diseases and poisons. Vision is double normal.
Mobility: Legs and wings
Sensory Organs: Visual
Communication: Vocal
Reproduction: Sexual
INT: 3D6, WIS: 3D6, STR: 4D6, DEX: 3D6, CON: 4D6, CHA: 2D6, MR: 3D6/flight 15D6, HPs: CON +D20
Orbit/Climate: See Earth
Feeding Habits: Omnivore
Lifespan: 200 years
Technology: 2
Culture: Standard. Diversified mix of kind and evil people. The Enduks have always been a simple, trusting people with a system of deeply felt religious beliefs. The Enduks put family ahead of other concerns. Enduks take a mate for life, rarely taking a second even if the first dies. A couple will average one child every few years - four to six young over their lifetime together. Normally one Enduk represents the entire extended family for purposes of organized government, whether it is a local organization or a temporary clan-council responsible for matters concerning all Enduks. This leader is generally an Enduk who has lost a mate, or never took one, and has embraced a more martial and possibly religious lifestyle. Sometimes, a mated pair will devote their lives to such pursuits, both becoming leaders for the family. Enduk are typically stoic creatures unless enraged. They get along well with all other races except the manscorpions, who have possibly earned the eternal animosity of the Enduks. Their philosophy demands an ascetic life of peasantry, which ties in with the Enduk religion.
The Enduks would like nothing more than to live in peace with their neighbours, raising crops and hunting for meat as needed. The Enduks are natural metalsmiths, making some of the best tools and weapons available. Enduks do not make items specifically for trade with other races yet, so most weapons and tools are created for Enduk physique. Still, these items are gaining a following in the surrounding lands as trade items. They live in stone structures close to the ground. Their homes are simple and practical but tend to be large, with huge doorways, because of the Enduks' size and wingspan. Enduk buildings have doors, but these are left open unless strangers are present or in the case of some threat. Most Enduk structures also have trapdoors on the roofs. Enduk priests choose lifemates for their people. An initial "marriage" takes place when the Enduks are about 12 years old, though the pair can put off cohabitation for as much as two decades, to give them time to get to know one another and to seek adventure if they so desire. Once the final ceremony takes place, the Enduk couple bonds for life. Any children are cherished and raised in a loving, deeply religious household.
While on foot, Enduks can attack with any weapon allowed to their class. They prefer weapons of 12 pounds or less, as these can also be used while in the air. Because their size and strength allows them to wield it one-handed with full effect, the two-handed bastard sword is one of their favourite weapons. A few Enduks can even wield two of these swords at once, making them fierce and dangerous warriors to contend with. Enduk gain a +2 damage bonus for all normal melee weapons because of their upper-body strength. Enduks do not use regular bows, but they sometimes use heavy crossbows, firing twice per round. In the same round as a melee attack, Enduks may attempt to gore opponents with their horns; a successful attack causes D4+1 points of damage. An Enduk that makes multiple melee attacks in one round cannot attempt to gore. Enduks prefer fighting on the ground because they suffer a -2 penalty to all attack rolls while airborne. Weapons must weigh 12 pounds or less to be used in aerial combat, and while crossbows can be fired from the air, the Enduk must land to reload. Enduks may not hover, and so they are restricted to passing attacks, sometimes gaining the advantage by gliding down on an unsuspecting enemy. They can land and quickly spring to the attack, gaining a +1 bonus on their surprise rolls.
A flying Enduk can cover 180 feet per round at level flight; one half of their
movement must always be committed in a forward direction. Ascending is a
strenuous task because of the bulk they are trying to raise. The Enduk can
ascend only 30 feet for every 90 feet of forward movement. Descending, the Enduk
can glide their full movement both forward and downward, 180 feet each
direction. If diving hard, they can double their movement rate to 360 feet
forward and 360 feet downward, never diving at a steeper angle than 45 degrees.
Armour does not restrict movement rate or manoeuvrability; however, armour does
apply toward the maximum weight that can be carried in flight.
While Enduks might be limited in their ascent, their strong wings can bear a
great deal of extra weight without further penalty. Enduks can carry 200 pounds
plus 10 pounds per point of Strength. If an Enduk attempts to carry more than
this, its movement rate gets cut by half, but manoeuvrability remains at C. The
maximum weight an Enduk may carry and still retain the power of flight is 200
pounds plus 20 pounds per point of Strength. However, they can carry up to
30 pounds per point of Strength and still glide.
Winged Enduks must make a Constitution check after every turn of continuous
flight. Failure indicates that the Enduk must glide downward and land, resting
one turn for each two turns previously spent flying. Constitution checks are
subject to a penalty of -1 for every 100 pounds of weight carried above the
initial 100 pounds. A further -1 penalty applies at heights above 5,000 feet.
Enduks can never rise above 10,000 feet. Under favourable wind conditions, they
gain a +2 bonus to their Constitution check.
Direct damage to the wings affects an Enduk the same way it affects an ee’aar.
For example, an Enduk warrior with 40 hit points takes 23 points of direct
damage to its wings and 8 more in general body damage. It has lost more than 50%
of its total hit points in wing damage and more than 75% total, both of these
losses keeping it from flying. Even if healing spells bring the Enduk back to
full hit points, ready to enter battle again, the damage to its wings still
prevents flight. After one week, the Enduk regains 4 hit points (10% of 40 total
hp), bringing the wing damage down to 19 points, allowing the Enduk to glide.
However, as this total is still greater than 25% of the enduk’s hit point total,
actual flight is impossible. The Enduk still requires two more weeks of healing
before the feathers have grown in enough to allow full flight.
Government: Tribal
Population: 160,000