Sodiur
Efficient and zealous, the magically created Sodiur are the most ruthless hunters of Gargoyles and Undead in all of Amroth. As the remnants of the fallen civilization of Hyrathia, the Sodiur fight every day to fulfil the purpose of their creation: complete and utter destruction of Gargoyles and Undeath. The Sodiur will pay any cost to complete their mission, even if that cost is their own mutual destruction.
Ancestries
Sodiur
Efficient and zealous, the magically created Sodiur are the most ruthless hunters of Gargoyles and Undead in all of Amroth. As the remnants of the fallen civilization of Hyrathia, the Sodiur fight every day to fulfil the purpose of their creation: complete and utter destruction of Gargoyles and Undeath. The Sodiur will pay any cost to complete their mission, even if that cost is their own mutual destruction.
Costuming & Makeup
The colors of the Sodiur army are cornflower blue, black, and grey. Sodiur division uniform, presented with sharp military precision is an almost universally recognizable squared tabard of cornflower blue and black. (The tabard is worn with the blue on the left side of the body and black on the right.)
Requirements:
Sodiur have a metal-like faceplate covering part of their head. Minimum 1/3 and maximum 1/2 of the face must be covered in a "metallic" faceplate on the right side. This can be either with a physical mask or makeup. The faceplate color must be gray or a similar iron-like color.
Advantages
Sturdy build:
+1 Strength
+5 Body to max.
Built to Destroy Necromancy:
May purchase Resist Necromancy (5 build, Every 5th level)
Undeath Bane: At 25th level, a Sodiur may call the “Magic” tagline against Undead creature types.
Disadvantages
Built for battle:
Pays double cost for purchasing Read/Write.
Sodiur may only be Earth/Celestial Generalists. They may never specialize.
Location
Sabir:
The old kingdom of Hyrathia is no more, but the Sodiur remain. Prior to their time in temporal stasis, the vast majority of the Sodiur lived within the small kingdom of Hyrathia, but they spread out quickly in order to more effectively combat the Star King’s forces. Most of the Sodiur had no permanent residence as their war-filled lifestyle did not allow for it. However, many of the Sodiur made semi-permanent dwellings near the volcanic peaks that the Gargoyles claimed as a homeland. The old city of Sabir, an ancient ruin in the northwest corner of the Plains of Lostariel, is slowly being rebuilt by the Sodiur in an effort to re-establish a home for themselves in Amroth.
Legends & Folklore
The First Sodiur:
The first Sodiur was the first successful creation of the cabal of mages to create their new race of soldiers. However, since this First Sodiur had been a servant of the Star King it was put to death immediately. Prior failed attempts to create a Sodiur were performed on prisoners and captured enemies. These failed experiments were also disposed of in the same fashion. Were all of these failed experiments really killed? Do some still exist today? No one knows for certain.
Culture
It was the height of the war with the Star King. The small human kingdom of Hyrathia was besieged by the Star King’s Gargoyle servants. The Hyrathian soldiers experienced catastrophic losses and the kingdom had been reeling from the devastation. In this dire time the king, Kareth I, sought assistance from a secret cabal of mages; a group that he turned to only in times of extreme need. The mages began experimentation to create a new race: one which would be bred solely to fight the Star King, the Gargoyles, and their Undead minions. Using captured servants of the Star King, the mages began their methodical trial and error process to create the new race. Working diligently, the mages poured all of their knowledge into their experiments, creating many successes and just as many failures. The trial and error process was a long one with many missteps along the way.
Eventually, the mages were able to create the “perfect soldier”; a hybrid of flesh and magical construct arts. This first success was immediately destroyed, since it was a servant of the Star King. With the experiment a success, the mages began accepting volunteers to undergo the procedure. The mages poured the kingdom’s resources into the first generation and were able to mass produce a fighting force, which they named the “Sodiur.” Shortly after their creation, the Sodiur were unleashed upon the Star King.
Seeing how powerful this new race was, the Star King devoted innumerable resources to the destruction of the cabal of mages to ensure that future mass production of such a devastating force could not happen again. The Star King then attempted to find a way to stop the Sodiur at all costs. After another thirty years of fighting, the Star King was able to find a magical means to neutralize the Sodiur by putting the entire race into a form of temporal stasis. With the Sodiur removed from the battlefield, the kingdom of Hyrathia soon fell to the might of the Star King.
Due to the nature of the stasis, it is unknown how many of the Sodiur were alive when the race was imprisoned. However, most estimates place the number somewhere around 6,000. The most recent War Against the Star King was hard on the Sodiur as they were always where the fighting was thickest and most deadly. By the end of the war, every Sodiur eight years of age or older had been pressed into military service. At that time, the Sodiur population was reduced to only 1,200 soldiers. Four years later (617 Tyrran, 4 ASK Amrothian), the Sodiur number at just over 3,000 in total population. Now that the Star King is dead the Sodiur’s only other mission is hunt down the remaining Gargoyles and exterminate undeath from the land.
Daily Life
Sodiur have a natural hatred for undead and Gargoyles. They will actively seek to destroy them as quickly as possible, often even at the cost of their own lives. This compulsion has been magically bred into the hearts and minds of each and every Sodiur. Sodiur have a strong affinity for camaraderie and structure. If these aspects are absent in their environment, Sodiur may feel sullen and counterproductive. The Sodiur live in a military hierarchy and are known for following this hierarchy to the letter. They are led by their Field Marshal, followed by a strict military chain of command. Rank insignias are commonly worn on Sodiur clothing since all members of this race are part of the military in some way.
Punishment for infractions are often doled out in military fashion. From physical labor for minor mistakes to lashing and execution for major infractions, punishment is swift and efficient. Physically, the Sodiur mature at nearly double the rate of a standard Barbarian or Human, meaning that they reach fighting age by eight years of age. They also have a lifespan that is slightly extended from that of normal Humans, with the eldest Sodiur expected to reach around 150 years. The Sodiur maintain a strict breeding program within family units consisting of three males and seven females. Offspring are raised and nurtured by the entire family unit. Sibling groups almost always train together from a young age for future military service in the Sodiur army.