"Hot water, good dentistry and soft lavatory paper..."

BARBARIAN (#23/29, #54/365) [POT]

SKILL: 9

STAMINA: 8

ATTACKS: 1

WEAPON: See below

ARMOUR: See below

DAMAGE MODIFIER: None

HABITAT: Hills, Wilderness, Mountains, Dungeons, Ruins, Towns

NUMBER ENCOUNTERED: 1-2 or 4-24

TYPE: Humanoid

REACTION: Neutral-Unfriendly

INTELLIGENCE: High

Tribes of humans living in the wilder areas of Allansia, Khul and the Old World respond to the dangerous conditions in various ways. Some revert to primitivism, such as the Wild Hill Men of the Moonstone Hills. Others use horses or camels to transport themselves through the wilderness, like the Nomads of the Flatlands. One group however, has become more war-like and aggressive in response to their environment, until their whole culture is a celebration of might and strength. These are the BARBARIANS of Titan!
 
Barbarians are tall, muscular humans with a mane of long black or brown hair and skin bronzed from countless seasons spent under the outland sun. They disdain the use of armour, preferring to wear furs or leather hide, and wield enormous two-handed swords and battle-axes in combat. To determine the various weapons and other equipment and abilities of a Barbarian, roll on the following tables:

Main weapon table:

1-2: Greatsword

3-4: Battle Axe

5-6: Greathammer

Sidearm weapon table:

1 Throwing Hammer

2 Chakram

3 Throwing Axe

4 Javelin

5 Spear

6 Trident

Armour table:

1 Chainmail Cuirass

2 Leather Cuirass

3 Leather Jack

4 None

5 Armoured Fist

6 Great Helm

Talent table:

1 Survivor

2 Hunter

3 Strongarm

4 Combat Reactions

5 Lightning Strike

6 Robust

Barbarians gather together in tribes and can be found living in many areas across all three continents of Titan, including: the eastern hills of Lendleland, the wastelands bordering the city-state of Kish, the rocky margins of the Craggen Heights, and northern Allansia from the Pagan Plains through the steppes of Kay-Pong to the foothills of the Icefinger Mountains and beyond. Noted tribes of Allansia include the Stormchild, Frostwind and Bloodied Eagle clans, the latter being infamous for their hostile attitude towards outsiders.
 
Each tribe will have a small well-hidden settlement of timber huts housing four to twenty four warriors (both male and female), and a further four to twenty four non-combatants (including children, the elderly, and some captives). This settlement serves as a base for launching raids against other tribes, conducting daily hunting expeditions into the wilderness, and sending forth traders to visit towns like Ismater and Zengis in northern Allansia to sell furs and ivory. A Barbarian tribe is led by its chief, who is the most powerful warrior (SKILL 10 STAMINA 10), and who is advised by the village wiseman, who is usually the most elderly and learned individual present. Other important people in the tribe include the blacksmith, whose forge makes the great axes and swords for the warriors to use as weapons, and the shaman, who provides a link to the gods and who may have lycanthropic powers and be able to change into a bear or wolf!
 
Some tribes are known for their ability to train savage beasts; various clans of the Moonstone Hills occasionally capture Griffin eggs and raise the hatchlings into ferocious battle steeds. Similarly, the Frostwind tribe of northern Allansia have an entire sub-clan of warriors known as Skyriders, whose mounts are shaggy-furred cold-adapted Pegasi. Barbarians sometimes trade the young of such creatures, in addition to their other wares, but their most infamous creation is akvavit, a throat-searing iced clear spirit flavoured with caraway seed, and served in hollow walrus tusk goblets. Anyone drinking a moderate amount of this spirit gains 5 STAMINA immediately, and a +1 SKILL bonus for the first combat after drinking it. Wandering Barbarians will often carry a flask of it with them, along with travel provisions that consist of dried meat sprinkled with healing herbs (which add 3 STAMINA when consumed).
 
Barbarians have excellent hearing and vision, and tend to fight first and ask questions later. They strongly dislike all sorcery and wizardry, though they may wear simple charms and amulets designed to give them luck during battle or while hunting. Through the shaman of the tribe, Barbarians venerate the spirits of their dead ancestors above all, but they also acknowledge mighty deities whose powers align with their beliefs, such as Farigiss, god of ice and snow, Sukh the Storm God, and Lorodil the god of volcanoes. Verlang, patron of blacksmiths, is also worshipped, likewise favoured demigods of the Animal Court, including Gurrang the Bear God, and Almor, Lord of Wolves. Each Barbarian warrior will usually carry a small totem or symbol of their chosen deity while they are hunting, travelling, or adventuring. It is perhaps thus not surprising that many Barbarians have gone on to become famous adventurers, and a list of such notables would include Ulrik Wolfsbane and Axel Wolfric from northern Allansia, Blacksand-based Vartan the Swordsman, Grunch of the Outlands who patrols the road between Warpstone and Salamonis, Anvar the Barbarian (from Kakhabad), and Krom the Mighty and his younger brother Throm, who was last seen entering Baron Sukumvit’s Deathtrap Dungeon.

(Much of this taken from Beyond the Pit)