Misery Ascendant - Curr; Curr, High

Curr

Climate / Terrain:	Any Land
Frequency:	Uncommon
Organization:	Tribe
Activity Cycle:	Any
Diet:	Carnivore
Intelligence:	Low (5-7)
Treasure:	C (K)
Alignment:	Lawful Evil
# Appearing:	20 - 200 (2d10x10)
Armor Class:	6 (10)
Movement:	12
Hit Dice:	2
THAC0:	18
# Attacks:	1
Damage / Attack:	By Weapon
Special Attacks:	Nil
Special Defenses:	Nil
Magic Resistance:	Nil
Size:	M (6’-7’)
Morale:	Steady (11-12)
XP Value:	35

Appearance: Curr are a hairless bodied humanoid race that looks very much like a Neanderthal man, with low jutting foreheads, wide noses, and arms that hang almost to their knees. Their skin ranges from dark browns to a deep green and a dusky grey. Curr’s hair is almost always black, although some shades of brown have been known to occur. Their mouths are wide and filled with small jagged teeth. Their eyes are human-like in appearance, with a reddish tint that sometimes makes them appear to glow red when they reflect dim light sources in near darkness. This is actually part of their optical system, a pigment that gives them infravision. Most Curr wear little clothing, usually a breach cloth, and no shoes of any kind.

Combat: Curr are constantly involved in combat and have been known to use any weapon they can find. Most prefer to wield a large cleaving or crushing weapon, and carry a dagger at their side. Curr have infravision at a range of 60 feet. Most Curr encountered, whether of the fighter class or a rogue class, will be able to climb walls as if a thief of the same level. In small numbers, Curr fight as unorganized individuals, but groups of twenty or more will have a leader, and groups of thirty or more usually include two leaders and a chieftain. Leader Curr fight as four hit die monsters, and chieftains fight as sixth level monsters.

Habitat / Society: Curr will live in any number of places, with some living beneath the lands of the suns in the dreaded Underdark, some living in caves alongside mountains, or in nomadic tribes on the Broken Plains. Some Curr have even been known to live in swamplands, although these reports have been rare. Curr war with themselves as well as any other human or humanoid race. Curr worship no god of their own, but sometimes worship orc or goblin gods, although their worship is far from demanding. Curr will mate with anything that moves, but can only breed with orcs, hobgoblins, and other Curr. Curr speak their own version of Orcish, and often learn other humanoid languages.

Ecology: Curr have an average lifespan of forty years. They have gestation periods of five months, and can produce up to three offspring per birth. Infant mortality is high. Most Curr encountered will either be of the rogue or warrior class, and can reach up to the twelfth level as either of these. The highest level warrior Curr in a tribe will most often be the chieftain. Curr have a fascination with shiny objects and are not above thieving such items to attain such baubles.

Curr, High

Climate / Terrain:

Any Land

Frequency:

Very Rare

Organization:

Solitary

Activity Cycle:

Any

Diet:

Carnivore

Intelligence:

Very (11-12)

Treasure:

M (Q)

Alignment:

Lawful Evil

# Appearing:

5-12 (1d8+4)

Armor Class:

6 (10)

Movement:

12

Hit Dice:

4

THAC0:

17

# Attacks:

1

Damage / Attack:

By Weapon

Special Attacks:

Spells, Psionics

Special Defenses:

Spells, Psionics

Magic Resistance:

Nil

Size:

M (6’-7’)

Morale:

Elite (13-14)

XP Value:

120

Appearance: The high variant of the Curr is a slightly weaker variant of the Curr that has become more adept at the uses of the mind. High Curr appear much like their lesser variants, save that they are slightly more human-like in appearance, with a much less broad face, a larger brain cavity, and far more intelligent eyes. High Curr are apparently frail when compared to lesser Curr, with a much smaller muscle mass, and lighter bones. Unlike Curr, the high variant almost always chooses to shave its head bald, and the use of clothing is more common. Male high Curr will usually wear dark robes which shield their eyes from the suns, and the females are apt to wear more concealing clothing as well.

Combat: High Curr are rarely found in the midst of combat and rarely wield more than a dagger at any given time. Male high Curr devote their time to either the study of magery or the devotion of psionics. Female Curr are the shamans or witch doctors of the tribe. Like Curr, the High Curr has an infravision, although theirs is more highly advanced, allowing them to see distances of 90 feet in darkness.

Habitat / Society: High Curr are usually the advisors to the chieftains of their tribes, partly because they have no interest in leading the lesser beings. They also serve as the tribe’s diplomat and messenger, due to their ability to speak the common language of the lands under the suns. Unlike the females of their lesser cousins, who are treated with little respect and it is believed that they are only fit to bear children and to nurse them, High Curr females are treated with more respect, as they are the tribes only source of shaman magic. High Curr worship the same gods as do lesser Curr. Most male High Curr choose to be psionicists or dual-classed mage/psionicists over mages. Usually the only single classed mages are those High Curr whose ability scores are not high enough to become a psionicist.

Ecology: Despite the short life span of their lesser cousins, High Curr can live up to seventy years before dying of old age. Male High Curr can reach twelfth level as both a psionicist and a mage, and may specialize in any of the schools of magic, although they usually choose from among the schools of Enchantment/Charm, Alteration, and Illusion/Phantasm. Female High Curr are able to reach ninth level as shamans or as witch doctors. They are allowed access to the major spheres of All, Healing, Necromantic, and either Elemental Earth or Plant; and have minor access to the spheres of Combat and Protection. Of course, specialty priest shaman are allowed access to whatever spheres their god of choice normally grants their followers.