Orlan

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Orlans are the smallest of the kith races, though many cultures don't consider them to be civilized at all. Also notable for their large ears, two-toned skin, and hirsute bodies, orlans are commonly found in Eir Glanfath, the Ixamitl Plains, and parts of the Dyrwood. They are known for their mental intensity and quickness.

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Orlan are one of the civilized races that inhabit Eora. There is great ethnic diversity between orlan in different regions of the world. In Pillars of Eternity two sub-races of orlan appear, namely wild orlans and hearth orlans.

Orlans are found mostly in northern, temperate climates of Ixamitl Plains, but also as far south as the Free Palatinate of Dyrwood and Eir Glanfath. Physically, they are notable for their small stature, two-toned skin, and exceptionally large, hair-covered ears.^[1]^[2]

Overview[ | ]

Orlans are relatively short (50-60% human-size) humanoids. Physically, they are notable for their small stature, hair-covered bodies, two-toned skin, and exceptionally large, hair-covered ears. They are also, by nature, nocturnal, though most orlans living among other races adapt to a diurnal schedule. The natural lifespan of an orlan is typically between 50 and 80 years.^[3]

Due to their size, orlans have been victimized and marginalized by most of the cultures with whom they have come into contact. As a result, it is rare to find large communities of them and they have progressively retreated into heavily wooded environments over the last few centuries.^[3] Many orlan communities have also adopted brutal guerilla tactics including heavy use of traps and poison in the surrounding environment. As a result, even orlans raised in urban cultures often share their rural kin's nasty reputation^[1] as being these bloodthirsty, murderous savages.^[4]

In the Eastern Reach, the only area where orlans are on equal social footing with other races is in Eir Glanfath. In Glanfathan legends, orlan and elven tribes both took the same vow to defend the Engwithan ruins within Eir Glanfath. Since then, the tribes have intermingled to such an extent that despite the physical differences between them, Glanfathan elves and orlans treat each other as equals.^[5]

Hearth orlan[ | ]

So-called for their relatively sedentary nature, “hearth” orlans originated from the same place as their “wild” kin: the forested parts of the continent to the north of Readceras. While the wild orlans have stayed deep in the forests and jungles of the continent, hearth orlans progressively moved closer to lands settled by other races and established semi-permanent communities. The differences are not just cultural; hearth orlans have a thinner coat of fur and are notably less hairy than wild orlans, and generally more accepted by other races because of it.^[3] They have tufts of hair on the ears, but otherwise their face is covered with hair much like a typical human. ^[6]

Wild orlan[ | ]

Wild orlans are only rarely found in established communities. They are the “original” orlans who lived (and continue to live) in the deepest forests and jungles between the tropics. The most obvious difference between hearth and wild orlans is that the latter are almost entirely covered with inch long coat of hair (or fur, depending on how you look at it). The face and neck of a wild orlan are covered with hair as thick as any other part of their body.^[3]^[7]

Wild orlans in the Eastern Reach are typically found in the deepest forests of Eir Glanfath. In recent centuries, the biases of surrounding colonial cultures have driven them even farther from new settlements. Considered savage and uncontrollable by many Dyrwoodans, Vailians, and Readcerans, Wild Orlans often find interactions with outsiders strained, if not outright violent. Many colonists pre-judge all Orlans as untrustworthy and bloodthirsty, but within that vein of racism, they often classify Wild Orlans as "the bad ones". Given the difficulty of concealing their hirsute bodies and faces, prejudice follows them in most colonial areas. ^[8]

Gameplay[ | ]

Orlan are known for their mental intensity and quickness, and gain:

In addition, each orlan sub-race gains a different racial ability:

In Pillars of Eternity

Hearth orlan - Minor Threat: +10% Hits converted to Crits when attacking same enemy as an ally
Wild orlan - Defiant Resolve: +10 to all Defenses when targeted by a Will attack (10 second duration)

In Deadfire

Hearth orlan - Minor Threat: 10% of Hits converted to Crits when attacking the same enemy as an ally.
Wild orlan - Defiant Resolve: Resistance to Resolve afflictions.