Ogres
Ogres are violent and clumsy creatures who are a sort of middle ground between goblins and giants.
Habitat
Ogres are hardy, and resourceful enough to survive in most terrain. Both the Empire and the Kingdom of Avernum have undergone efforts to kill ogres, or drive them from their lands. As a result, ogres tend to survive in small, isolated tribes. Relatively large ogre populations exist in the Honeycomb and on the Isle of Bigail.
Physical and Mental Traits
Strong, tough, clumsy, stupid, and hairy are words that describe ogres well. They are significantly bigger and taller than humans, but are not well-coordinated. They are talented at bashing things, but more complex tasks — even something like shooting a bow — are beyond them. Ogre skin may be one of various dull colors.
A significant exception is the ogre mage. Ogre magi are as strong and lumbering as regular ogres, but are quite intelligent, and are skilled in the use of magic. Additionally, their skin is always a shade of blue or purple. It is not known how ogre magi come to be, and whether they are born magi or undergo some kind of transformative process.
Society and Behavior
Although ogres have characteristically nasty temperaments and some delight in raiding the settlements of goblins, humans, and other races, some tribes subsist on farming and prefer to keep to themselves. Besides fighting, favorite ogre pasttimes include eating and gambling.
Although all ogres are natural fighters, ogre society does have gender roles. When domestic inconveniences such as children appear, women are expected to take care of them.
Ogres often raise giant lizards for food.
Religion
Ogres appear to have some kind of religion. They are known to practice ceremonial burial, and often construct totems, a practice they may have borrowed from the nephilim.
Relations with Other Races
Humans and nephilim are among the favorite prey of ogres, and are often used both as food and as slaves. Goblins are also sometimes used for these purposes. Rarely, individual ogres have integrated with human society, usually in its fringes — for example, in the Abyss, or more commonly, among groups of bandits. There is also one recorded instance of ogres and slithzerikai banding together, in Upper Avernum.
In Valorim, ogres have been known to hunt alongside bears, under the influence of powerful ursagi. More commonly, however, ogres have been enlisted as slaves of giants.