| “ | Barbarism is the natural state of mankind. Civilization is unnatural. It is the whim circumstance. And barbarism must always ultimately triumph.
— Robert E. Howard
|
” |
Neanderthals[]
| “ | Neanderthal man listened to stories, if one may judge by the shape of his skull
— E. M. Forster
|
” |
Neanderthals are our closest extinct human relative. Some defining features of their skulls include the large middle part of the face, angled cheek bones, and a huge nose for humidifying and warming cold, dry air. Their bodies were shorter and stockier than ours, another adaptation to living in cold environments. But their brains were just as large as ours and often larger - proportional to their brawnier bodies.
Equipment[]
- Spear: Neanderthals often used simple but deadly stone headed spears. These spears were quite solid melee based weapons being around 5-6 feet long, having a stout shaft and a flint head. While mostly a melee weapon, it seems they could have been thrown.
- Hand Axe: Neanderthals used hand axes, a large wedge of sharpened stone used in a similar way too a large knife. These axes were sharp on all edges and were often used to chop through meat and remove pelts, and could easily be used in melee to kill.
- Fire: Neanderthals did use fire for both cooking and lighting, but also seemed too use it as a weapon in hunting. While it was probably used as a weapon to corral large beasts, it was still fire, meaning it could still easily would and kill a person if it gets into them.
Traits[]
Enhanced physical fitness: When compared too a normal human, Neanderthals were a very physically powerful primate. There bones were denser and thicker, and had short but very well muscled limbs and massively broad shoulders. They seemed to adept sprinters, though generally considered average long distance runners due to their shorter legs.
Enhanced physical recovery: Many Neanderthal remains sport healed physical injuries too the skeleton. This means that the Neanderthals themselves were able too survive severe injuries, having thier bones broken and cracked, and recover well enough too go off and fight again.
Low light vision: Neanderthals had large eyes suited for seeing both far and in the dark, making them more suited too surviving the long nights of northern Europe.
Grimlocks[]
| “ | The degenerate subterranean Grimlocks were once humans, but their worship on the mindflayers over generations of of prowling the Underdark transformed them into blind, monstrous cannibals.
— 5th Edition Monster Manual
|
” |
Grimlocks were a group of blind subbterranean humanoids native too many crystal spheres within Dungeons and Dragons, but were mostly focused in the Forgotten Realms. Originating in the AD&D Fiend Folio, Grimlocks were described as being brutish and blind humanoids who see with blind sight and who prey upon human travelers.
Equipment[]
- Stone axe: Grimlocks have been shown carrying large axes with rough stone heads. These axes were roughly 3 feet long and could be used one or two handed. The Axe could deal solid amounts of cutting and impact damage, but was also very head heavy.
- Spike club: Grimlocks are very often shown using clubs made from femurs with bone shards fitted into it. It could likely deal a solid wallop, along with cause piercing and lacerating wounds. It would’ve been just under two feet, as they seemed to usually be humans femurs (20 inches).
- Natural weapons: Grimlocks naturally had sets of weapons. They had a mouth full of gnarly shark like teeth and long, black claws in place of finger nails.
Traits[]
Blind sight: While Grimlocks have no eyes, they have incredibly well attuned senses of hearing and smell, making them more suited for travel underground. They could effective see up to 30 feet with their hearing and smell too a comparable level too a normal human, and could seemingly echo-locate over a greater distance.
Natural camouflage: Due to their gray skin, Grimlocks naturally camouflaged in with rocks and the dark tunnels of the Underdark very well.
Enhanced physical strength: Grimlocks were physically much stronger than the average person, having well developed muscle groupings and a large, sturdy physical frame. This like came from their reliance of melee combat and high protein diet.
X-factors[]
Fitness: Neanderthal 91/83.[]
While both Grimlocks and Neanderthals are likely around the same strength level, Grimlocks lack the increased physical hardiness and increased mobility which are often attributed the Neanderthals.
Tactics: Neanderthal 70/Grimlock 49.[]
Grimlocks were far from completely dumb, but there tactics lacked finesse. They could set up ambushes and raids, but they often fought in unorganized, chaotic gaggles. Neanderthals used moderately refined hunting tactics, and seemingly fought in organized and synergistic ways.
Experience: Neanderthal 78/Grimlock 89.[]
While Neanderthals did fight against other Neanderthals and early Homo Sapiens, most of their fighting experience was against game animals. Grimlocks mostly preyed upon humans and regularly came to blows with Drow and Duergar, along with many terrible monsters which are comparable if not even worse the nthe mega fauna of the paleolithic era.
Scenario[]
The fight will take place with a cave near the surface. After a long hunt, a gorup of Neanderthals will take refuge in what they believe too be any empty cave in a cliffside. However, what they don’t know is that this cave does in fact continue on through ancient and forgotten tunnels into the Underdark. During down, a group of Grimlocks hear the sounds of voices and the smell of both raw meat and human, prompting them to move in for an attack. Both groups will meet in the cave and come too blows.
There will be 5 Grimlocks and 5 Neanderthal.
Prologue[]
A group of 5 hunters trekked over the windswept, rocky slopes of the Klaga, hide packs carrying the rewards of their successful hunt. These hunters were human, but not Homo Sapiens. They had short, thick limbs, a broad barrel chest, and a thck ridged brown. Neanderthals, natural hunters and trackers within this cold northern world.
The man spear heading the group scanned the darkening horizon for shelter. They needed a place to make shelter soon, before the night fell, and the wolves came and snows fell. Out on the distance, near the base of a black slab of a cliff, was a small cave enterance, with no sign of habitation. “Cave ahead! We sleep well tonight!” he said, before leading his men towards the caves entrance.
The cave was itself uninhabited, as the Neanderthal had expected. It wouldn’t make for permanent hold, but it could easily last them for the night. The men quickly unloaded their bags and laid down hide blankets for rest. Quickly, a large bonfire was made near the center of the cavern, and the hunters were roasting meat. “Quagga” the chief said too one of his men. “Inspect the cave, take watch for bear or wolf.” Quagga nodded before grabbing his hand axe and a torch.
Deep within a dripping cave tunnel, 5 gray skinned humanoids moved silently. They were all human in shape, but had monstrous teeth and flat eyeless sockets. They all clicked softly with their tongues, echolocating. At the front was the largest, who after a short moment stopped. “What smell?” one gurgled in undercommon. “Man flesh.”
All 5 of the stood there a moment, licking at their brown and green fangs, before beginning too shuffle off towards source of the sounds and smells. It didn’t take them long before the lot of them came to a deep crevice in a small, with each of them sliding in one by one. They all stood there, taking in the sounds of the cave around them. In this distance, they could all heard the crackling of burning wood and smell both men and cooking meat. But something was closer too them, like a feint flapping of feet on rock.
Battle[]
TBW
Conclusion[]
TBW