Savage and brutal, the Khorgrohk are infamous for their warlike ways. The cities and villages that have suffered raids decades past are still spoken of in fearful whispers as if they were only recent. Khorgrohk stand at an imposing height, with fearsome horns jutting from their thick skulls, elven adventurers are always wary of any signs of them, as they often favour ambushes and guerilla tactics over upfront confrontation, possessing a savage cunning that their opponents begrudgingly would call honorless. Though they should not be confused as mere beasts, centuries ago their kind built grand, albeit crude monolithic cities, the ruins of which are still observable where they have not been pillaged or destroyed by the weathering teeth of time. Now they are reduced to little more than scavengers and raiders, something which they excel at, owing to their immense physical strength and sheer resilience. A lone Khorgrohk is enough to cause even scouting parties to think twice before engaging, and a rallied conglomeration of their united tribes is something even most armies dread.
The Khorgrohk are tall, muscular humanoids with a beastly air to them, males frequently stand at an impressive 7-8 feet tall, with females being marginally smaller, and in fairly low numbers. They possess a wiry, sinewy strength, markedly visible through their thick hides. Their colouration varies between charcoal black, to granite grey, and their coarse horns are a giveaway that few would mistake for anything but a trueborn Khor. They place much pride in their horns, if a male possesses weathered and battle-scarred horns, it is often seen as a sign of experience and seniority, being called a smooth-horn is a vicious insult among their kind, as it implies cowardice and femininity.
Once a people at the cusp of technological breakthrough, with a complex writing system and scholarly records, they have all but been reduced to nomadic scavengers. After the sun-elves drove them off the vast, fertile plains that were once the home of their grand cities, their people were forced into exile in the arid wastelands further north. This sudden act of violence forced them to adapt, adopting a fierce warrior culture with little room for weakness or softness. Though often considered savage and bestial by the elves, they have a complex code of honor among themselves, a Khor will never lie or gain advantage through deceit, considering intrigue and scheming a sign of weakness. Though the complex rites that surrounded their worship of Agham, the fire god, have long since fallen into myth and legend among their people, their respect for the element remains. Anywho handle fire, like a smith or a fire tender is seen as almost holy in their mission, and willfully extinguishing a fire is considered a grave offense among them. Likewise, they pay much respect to stone formations, often setting up their camps nearby stone formations that are given significance by their Shamans.
Though their written language has long since been forgotten, runes of the past live on in intricate tattoos and facial markings, often bestowed upon a Khor when he passes his rites into adulthood by vanquishing a foe in unarmed combat. Having no writing system to call their own, and scholarly pursuits having little value for a people living off of scavenging and raiding, they have nonetheless developed a rich oral tradition, a storyteller is granted much prestige for captivating an audience, and tales of battle and honor are lasting motifs in the more popular legends. Having few females among their own, the act of taking captives during raids is not uncommon, with elves often being forced to adapt to their wild and untamed lifestyle. Dragonborn females are considered valuable and are almost romanticized among them, the draconic heirs being looked upon as ideal trophies for males seeking to rise through the ranks of prestige.
Khorgrohk are not orcs or beastmen, though they are nonetheless savages. They should not be roleplayed as dimwitted or taciturn brutes, as they possess a keen cunning. Though they may often come across to other races as little more than bestial wildmen, they place great importance on protecting their clan and tribe, showing loyalty towards their own, and having a society based upon merit and capability, rather than hereditary titles. The son of a chieftain is not considered above the others, and there is no guarantee that he will be the next leader of the tribe, a tribes council, often consisting of the shamans and the wives of the warriors, elect candidates for a trial by combat, where a fight between the candidates ultimately determines who will become the next leader. A chieftain who leads his people into disaster is often cast out by his own people, becoming lone wayfarers that may take up the life of a mercenary, or lone thug.
Khorgrohk will often dress in furs, hides, or crude metal plate, considering function and utility much more important than aesthetics. Oddly enough they will rarely even touch gold or silver when raiding, considering these metals useless for their minimalistic lives. Khorgrohk do not use magic or have much connection with the ancient arcana, the only caster class available to them being the Druid.