Hagspawn

Hagspawn were outcast creatures, the sons sired from the mating of hags and humans. Often abandoned at birth, the all-male progeny of an all-female race inherited the worst traits of their mothers but received the moral malleability of their fathers.

Description
At first, hagspawn appeared to be big and brutish human men. They had a hunched posture yet a tall, powerful build, with long muscular arms and large hands. Their hair was usually long, limp and black and their eyes glowed red with malice. Their skin tone was usually tinged to be like that of their mother.

Personality
Hagspawn inherited their mother's tendencies towards savagery, spite and short-temperance, quickly overreacting to any perceived insult. Their irritability only served to create a feedback loop of mistrust between them and others and several of them viewed allies as temporary things to be discarded whenever convenient. At the same time, their natural bias towards such behavior was a mere predilection and many managed to shrug off the evil influence of their ancestors.

Evil or not, hagspawn were tirelessly laborious, working without fail to accomplish their goals regardless of risk and hardworking in the face of hardship. Those that overcame their base natures were also less emotionally insecure, remaining patient and straight-faced when confronted with prejudice. Rather than complain, they applied their determination to earning the trust of their neighbors. They were often sympathetic to other beings judged by their heritage, like half-orcs and tieflings.

Abilities
While not necessarily worse at magic, hagspawn were no more likely to possess a talent for using it than other races. Instead, they inherited the freakish strength of their forebears and particularly hardy hides, along with a resistance to magic.

Combat
Favoring physical combat both in mind and body, hagspawn made natural barbarians. They were also known to be excellent fighters and rogues given their gravitation to thuggery and violence, and some took up roles as rangers. Regardless of the type of warrior, they preferred large weapons and showed a reckless lack of care for their own lives, relying on their strength and resolution to get them through battle.

Society
Hagspawn often had little hope of assimilating into ordinary societies and were far more likely to be loners than leaders, most living as mercenaries or brigands that used their obvious strength to intimidate the weak. Most were unable to stay in one place for too long before, whether justifiably or not, they were accused of some crime and rallied against by the locals. The societies of demihumans like dwarves, elves and halflings, or human societies were they were more obscure, typically those that judged by actions rather than lineage, were likely to accept a hagspawn unless they caused trouble. Overly lawful societies were likely to pre-judge a hagspawn even if they had tamed their aggressive side and in regions like Rashemen their infamous reputation was normally too widespread for them to avoid stigmatization.

Religion
Hagspawn clerics often worshiped deities of malice and violence. Bane, Cyric, and Shar were common patron deities for the hagspawn, appealing to their bitterness, loneliness and vindictive nature. Some were known to adopt worship of Talos and Tempus, the former for his combat prowess and the latter for his raw, elemental fury. Hagspawn of good alignment were the most flexible, adopting the deity of wherever they chose to settle.

Language
Hagspawn often knew Common and Giant, as well as the human language of their native lands, their names normally being simple ones common to the area. Those uncaring of their ancestry took on the name of their mothers or "Hagson", while others used the surname of their fathers.

Ecology
Hags usually used charms and/or coercion to get male humans to mate with them, often killing and eating them afterward. Though male or female offspring could result from such a coupling, female children inevitably became hags while male children became hagspawn.

Hagspawn were common in regions where hags were abundant but their numbers were kept low by the fact that many died young. They reached adulthood at 15 years and had a lifespan that reached its maximum at 120 years.

Notable Hagspawn

 * Hagar Hlutwigsson was the son of Hlutwig Long-throw, last chieftain of the Blue Bear Tribe, and the annis Tanta Hagara.


 * Losk, a warrior-mage whose band of brigands took over the Fortress of the Half-Demon.


 * Vosthor was an egotistical wizard-lord and master of the vale of Mettledale.

Appearances

 * Adventures
 * Dungeon #137, "Man Forever"