Uss

Uss are a race of humanoids which live in the north of the Twin Isles. They are referred to as Armenthians by the Im.

Arctic Training
The Uss have spent such a long time in cold climates that they are very well adapted.

Uss add +2 to Fortitude saves from cold and may ignore the first non-lethal damage they suffer from being in a cold environment.

Beast Hunters
''The Uss grow up in an environment predicated on hunting wild beasts to survive. Thus, even the most inexperienced Uss still knows how to track and hunt wild animals.''

Uss may treat Animals as if they had the Ranger's Favoured enemy ability. An Armenthian that gains Favoured enemy from class levels may not select Animal, but may choose to increase their Animal Favoured Enemy bonus.

Tribal Traits
Uss from different tribes gain additional bonuses depending on which tribe they come from.

Andrus
The Andrus are the plains hunters of Uss. They are the most nomadic tribe, moving from place to place as the season changes. Each Andrus Warrior is placed with a great-cat, tamed from the wild after their spirit quest and the two form a life-long bond.
 * Andrus gain 'Nature Soul' and 'Animal Ally' feats (even if they don't meet the prerequisites). They may only choose a Snow Tiger as their animal companion.

Benthos
The Benthos are the spiritual guides of the Uss. They are the ones who facilitate the spirit quest that all Uss males must undertake. Peaceful and meditative, the spirit animal of the Uss is the Ictor, a snow-bound pig-like creature which is known for its ability exhale a icy blast upon its enemies. The Benthos tribe live deep in the Great White hills in a chain of villages, each led by a different shaman.
 * Benthos gain +2 to Will saves vs Charm and Compulsion
 * Benthos gain +2 to Heal, Knowledge (Nature) and Survival checks.

Morbi
The Morbi are the tribe of the Bear. They dwell deep within the cavern network of the Great White hills, though many also live above ground in small groups. The Morbi, though outwardly peaceful are the true defenders of the Uss people. They are in constant training and Strength and Ferocity in combat are the most favoured traits. The tribe gets its name from the great warrior Morbi, who single-handedly slew the great monster from the south (known in the empire as the abomination).
 * Morbi gain proficiency with Great Axes and Uss Direaxes.
 * Morbi gain +2 to Climb, Intimidate and Survival checks.

Xibus
The Xibus live amongst the very peaks of the Uss mountains. Their spirit totem are the great birds of prey which find their winter nests amongst the peaks. The Xibus favour agility and cunning. The Xibus are trained the use of a special kind of throwing axe which allows them to strike their enemies from afar with great skill.
 * Xibus gain proficiency with Throwing Axes and treat them as if they had a 20ft range increment.
 * Xibus gain +2 to Climb, Heal and Survival checks.

Physical Description
The Uss are tall, muscular and lean. Standing at an average height of 6’2”, Uss dwarf all except the Ogrim. Their skin is pale blue and their hair ranges from white through light blues down to navy and black. Their eyes too follow this trend. Uss have thick hair that covers most of their bodies except their hands, feet and faces which is usually white or light blue in colour and provides them protection against the harsh cold in which they live. The Uss have a extended jaw line and prominent teeth indicating their Canine ancestry. Their eyes are very front-set and their ears are usually pointed skyward.

Culture and Society
The Uss predominantly hail from small nomadic tribes. These family-based tribes can consist of up to one hundred or more individuals. Each group identifies as belonging to one of the great four tribes and as such, different family groups may meet up for cultural events.

It is traditional for Uss upon coming of age to go on a spirit quest. During this quest, they aspire to come in contact with their guardian spirit. This will determine which tribe that Uss truly belongs to and may require them to make a pilgrimage to their new homeland.

Social Hierarchies
Each tribe of the Uss are usually governed by a council of elders comprising many of the oldest members of the tribe. It is usual for these councils to consist of ten members, five males and five females. However, there are tribes that flout this tradition being made from all men or all women. While most tribes have a nominal leader of far younger age who is responsible for administration of the village, it is the council of elders who have the final say.

Language
Each Uss tribe has its own dialect, making learning 'Uss' a challenging task. Most Uss speak only two of these dialects, that of their mother tribe (the tribe into which they were born) and their spirit tribe (the tribe into which they were led).

Religion
The Uss do not follow the same religions as the Imran. Certainly the twelve have little influence north of the Imran border. Instead, the Uss follow the teachings of the elders within their village who seek guidance from the spirit animals which act as spiritual guardians for the Uss.

History
No one really know when or where the Uss came from. Within Uss folklore, they have always inhabited the great frozen mountains of their homeland. Since their first contact with the other races, the Uss have been nomadic warriors that hunt wild game to survive. The Uss are people of few words in general social circumstances but have a grand oral tradition consisting of stories passed down through generations.

The most important story told is that of the great warrior Morbi. With the arrival of the Imran empire, which sought to colonize wherever they went, Uss society were thrown into upheaval. They seemed to garner no respect from these newcomers who sought again and again to trespass upon Uss lands, renaming it Armenthia. The Uss and Imran fought on their borders for many years and the Uss were driven back into the mountains losing the plains which served to sustain them during the cold winters when food was scarce. Many within Uss society wanted to fight the newcomers and declare a full-scale war, but the wisest among the spirit guides knew that that path was covered in blood and led nowhere. So the Uss endured for many years, keeping the Imran from entering the mountains, but unable to reclaim the lowlands.

However, all that changed with the coming of the great monster from the south and the rise of Morbi. Morbi was an ordinary child. If anything he was considered a young weakling among his peers. However, upon his spirit quest instead of encountering a great cat, bird or ictor on his spirit quest, Morbi instead encounter a great and fierce bear. The spirit of the bear is said to have imparted itself upon Morbi who when he reached adulthood stood no less than nine feet tall and with arms as thick as the branches of a tree. It is unknown what the bear spirit told Morbi, but after his spirit quest Morbi seemed driven to become the strongest warrior in Uss history as if preparing for the coming darkness.

When years later, the abomination was summoned at the summit of Glory Peak, Morbi having heard the call of his destiny traveled south through the Imran lands. He was attacked by soldiers of the empire numerous times, but his sheer size, speed and ferocity were too much for simple Imran warriors. When he reached the Glory Peak, the abomination was already upon the plains wreaking havoc upon the armies of the empire. Morbi fought the creature for five days before finally standing victorious above its broken body. This allowed wizards of the empire to yet again bind the abomination and return it to the abyss from which it came. This act of a single Uss created a debt that lingers to modern times. The Armenthi Lowlands now is a shared province where the nomadic Uss are free to hunt. Those from that province buried their long held enmities and now generations later, the two people have a shared understanding with the Imran and Uss fighting side by side against their common enemies.