Hraun

Description
The hraun is an eight foot tall frightful creature of the elementals. Its sharp lines and ridges skin give it a look of natural ferocity. Its frozen blue skin is almost as hard crystal and grates on the nerves of any who can hear when it moves. Grinding its joints together almost as if it intended to cause audible pain for those who were near enough to hear. As a rake on a board for chalk, the sound bites deep and chills any who have the misfortune of hearing it.

The most individual marks about them are their crown, their forehead and head design. While for the most part their bodies are similar, either having some form of spikes, ridges, squared edges, or some form of natural looking ice formation; their head crown is unique. From smooth and round, to high and flat, to long and wide. Each one shows a uniqueness that shows individuality.

The hraun are an oddity among the elemental world. They are a cross breed of that of an elemental of air and of water. The breed that binds when born, the chill and frigid air and the coldest waters from the deepest depths create the unfortunate hraun. They are cold like their physical form and uncaring of any around them. When they are conceived they are left behind by their ashamed parents, unwanted and forgotten. They grow in an unforgiving environment and fight for every piece of luxury they gain.

Unlike their parentage they are bipedal, an advantage to the breed. They can walk on land and delve to the depths of the deepest oceans having no fear of the deep cold but of the crushing depths. On land they do not fear the heat of the sun as their body counteracts the warmth but over exposure to extreme heat has been known to cause the strongest to turn in fear.

While on their own area of existence (for those who choose can use an alternate plane such as the DnD setting of Planescape), they are looked down on by the true elementals of all kinds whether they are of their kin or not. They are a blight to the harmony of nature and are treated as such. Arrogant elemental lords can often be found hunting down any upstart hraun or koori that try to take too large a claim to their world. Because of this, their cold nature is born and they inflict as much pain and suffering on those that they can. The weaker the better as they wish to torture them quickly and move on to the next.

While on the world (enter any setting here) they can often be found with followers of the ignorant and naive kind. Claiming to be some sort of elemental god come from on high to test their worth.

Oddly enough that the true elementals have such a large contempt and dislike for the cross breeds, they still continue to mate. They do not do this often, once or twice every few decades, but it is enough to raise questions among the hraun wondering why they continue to mix breed if they do not like the end result. The only answer that a few of the longest living hraun have determined to be the final answer is that they were originally breed for servitude but broke their chains of slavery eons ago. Now they are breed more for the silent enjoyment of torture and the unknown.

Relations
While being a cross breed they have a lot of issues when dealing with their parent kin and others of their true kind, however, when dealing with their own kind they tend to be aloof. They view their parent kin and other true elementals to be somewhat arrogant and undeserving of their attention. An eye for an eye type of mentality for them is, you treat us bad and with disdain we do the same for you. Created elementals are seen as an insignificant creature that can entertain as a pet if they can be found but nothing more.

Their own cross breed kind are seen not as an equal but as an outsider like themselves, giving them a little more respect as they understand the hardships they were forced to go through as well, but also question their ability wondering if they will try to use their knowledge of each other for their own personal gain. They are untrusting to the last, even of their own mates.

While they do mate for personal enjoyment, they can not breed or reproduce for very long after they reach a certain age. One in every hundred or so hraun can actually breed, and the result is often a misshapen form of crumbling ice that lasts for no more than a few years.

Abilities
While they are part of the elemental personae, they do not have the range of abilities that their parent kin possess. Which brings about more frustration and ostentation from others. They can throw a form of iced projectile at their opponents with a certain letter of accuracy. These small spears of ice pierce the body and seem to freeze the soul. Despair and uncertainty seep into the victim until the ice spear can be removed or it melts. If waited to melt, the effects last much longer and can sometimes be permanent.

Other Information
While they seem almost unstoppable and indestructible, they are very vulnerable to certain forms of weapons and attacks. While edged weapons designed to slice and pierce does very little injury to them, smashing weapons do the most of any physical weapon could do. Sending cracks spiraling up their form injuring them more permanently then they would have ever thought possible.

Heat from a fire or flame whether magical in nature or not worries them. All flame will hurt them twice as much as normal but does not cause reoccurring damage as once the flame is removed the injury ices over and stops seeping their life fluid, which looks more like murky, congealed sea water.