Occult Brawler

Ogryn are not known for their intelligence, and while most can't spell the word 'occult' let alone describe it, some become entangled in its web. Many of these Ogryn are known as Occult Brawlers. An Ogryn able to comprehend the sorceries of Siroth is easily seduced by them and they come at a cost. Spitting certain utterances or carving particular sigils into their tough flesh can enhance an Ogryn's strength and dispel their pain, but less appreciated is the long-term degradation of body and soul that these rituals engender. In their quest for power, Occult Brawlers have often experimented with fleshwords — spells from ancient Narbukian tomes which they carve into their skin. But the price of using fleshwords is pain and disfigurement, as the body eventually twists into a monstrous form. By the time they realize that evil has taken hold of them, it is far too late for a Brawler to turn back, though many have tried. A Brawler typically starts out as an apprentice to their tribe's shaman, though there are other ways — Ogryn living in more settled lands in Anhelt, for example, may encounter sorcerers and wizards from other species. Sorcerers sometimes employ Ogryn as cheap labor and are later surprised by the interest that the creatures take in their work. Dren Hellgut, however, became an Occult Brawler by way of a chance discovery. Once a mercenary, Dren was part of a band hired by a Banner Lord to slay a Demon-worshiping sorcerer by the name of Felbane. Dren dispatched the wizard and set his tower alight, but as he left the building, the young Ogryn heard a chilling whisper. Dren followed the sound into the burning building to its source, Felbane's blasphemous library. An open tome lay on a table, illuminated from within yet untouched by the roaring flames. Dren took it. In the months that followed, Dren became enthralled with the book and experimented with the incantations within it. As his power grew so did his appetite for more, and in exchange for strength and powers of self-healing, Dren scarred his flesh with the indelible marks of Siroth. Months passed and as the seasons changed, Dren realized that he had lost himself entirely to this bloody work. Dren burned the arcane tome as it should have burned in the fire, and ever since the Ogryn's life has only one purpose — to cleanse his body and mind of dark magics. In this he is often steadfast, but when left with no choice, Dren uses his powers to defend himself, using fleshwords to strengthen and toughen himself. It is a power that has saved him many times, but that always sets his mission to purify himself back.