Balakor

Description

The Balakor is a race that takes great pride in their mental and physical strength. At around 7’ tall and possessing little fat, it’s easy to see that they are extremely physically fit. However, it doesn’t stop there. Their belief system is based on the fact that the mind and body are linked.

Unlike many races in which the weak are culled out, the Balakor learns to compensate any physical weaknesses by improving the mental abilities. It is unknown what happens to those who cannot meet the requirements of both states but there are tales that indicate that they are killed. The thought is that those who are eliminated are agreeable to the treatment since they have a hard time living with them not meeting the base requirements of their village. Other tales say that there is a remote location that they are exiled to. However, no one has ever found it and, since the village always seems to have strong and healthy people, the first rumor is usually the one that persists.

As many other races have noticed, the mental and physical strength of the Balakor have caused them to be a bit arrogant. Overall, the race does not go out and boasts of their feats since they believe that actions are more important than words. However, it can be seen in their eyes and how they carry themselves. When dealing with other races, they will only defer to those individuals that are stronger or more intelligent than they are. If not, then that person is generally ignored.

Interaction

As mentioned earlier, the Balakor is a very proud race but will learn from others who are stronger or smarter than they are. When they first meet someone, they will size up the other person and see if they are worthy of further communication. If the person is not worthy, then they will ignore them.

However, it should be noted that they aren’t ignoring them. They understand that their evaluation could be based on incomplete information. So, if they spend some time with someone, they may, later, test that the person is smarter or stronger than they first appear. Initial communications are slow as they try to determine whether the person can be respected or not.

Combat

Although the Balakor will use standard armor or weapons, their favorite method of fighting is hand-to-hand. As with many earth elementals, they can shift a portion of their body into different instruments. For the most part, they will shift one of their hands into a shield and the other one into a sword or an ultra-strong spike.

During combat, their favorite tactic is to use their attacking hand as a putty-like soft mace and, when it strikes their opponent, their hand transforms into a set of ropes. By shifting their great weight backwards, they are able to surprise their opponent and pull them off of their feet. They then transform both hands into spikes and engage in close combat. This is effective maneuver for their bulk and speed.