Ursans or Bear Folk are scattered across Arda in isolated, small populations with local species developing in isolation from one another, but normally in close contact with other demihuman races in their region. Ursans have a complicated and troubled history with other demihuman races due to their physical similarity to other bearlike species that come into conflict with demihuman civilizations, such as Dire Bears, Owlbears and Werebears. Ursans are also physically distinct from species of sentient bear known to exist in the wild that have been magically uplifted or gifted with sentience and speech. Ursans are demihuman and bipedal with opposable thumbs.
Polar Ursans[]
Polar Ursans comprise one of the largest known populations of Ursans - living mainly in the cold, northern regions of every major continent in Arda - notable communities exist on the Noldari Coast, Skaldia, the Halicarax and Teleria. Polar Ursans have the white appearance of a Polar Bear and are distinct from other subspecies of Ursans, in that they are accomplished mariners, feared seaborn raiders and possess a distinct metallurgic-based magic which centers on combat-boosting abilities infused into their armor and weaponry. Surprisingly, the closest relatives of the Polar Ursans are the Nords of Skaldia and Wittan. This is because the Polar Ursans were originally Nords who crossed the Halicarax with the Noldar exodus. They developed a culture niche in service to the early Noldari Princes around hunting direbears and werebears that plague the early settlements in the first generations after migration. They wore the pelts of these large bears as totems they believed granted them the spiritual powers. As bear populations thinned - initiates travelled farther afield to acquire these pelts and began killing populations of sentient Ursans by raiding their coastal settlements. This drew the ire of the Ursan war god, Naljuk - thought to be a maiar in service to Vaiar Orome. Naljuk cursed the these Nords in retribution causing the skins they wore wrap around them, consume them and turn them into a new species of Ursan. The Nords retained their culture - including seafaring and raiding - as pentance for this curse they adopted Naljuk as their primary diety, Naljuk saw their contrition and granted them access to the craft to Spirit Smithy. This binds a portion of their soul to their armor, making it so that only the owner of the armor or weapon, those related to the owner, or those trusted by the owner to access its special abilities. It also allows the Polar Ursa to infuse their metalwork with animistic forces found in the environment in which it was crafted. Unlike other Ursa, the Polar Ursans tend to live, travel and operate in small bands when interacting with outside societies - often as a war band of hired mercenaries, pirates or reavers. It is common for Skaldic Princelings and Shackleborne to hire a crew or two to form the backbone of a raiding party.
Black and Brown Ursans[]
Black and Brown Ursans resemble species of black and brown bear, but are demihuman, standing upright and have opposable thumbs. According to their traditions their hero ancestors, Uuse and Luudne, from which all Black and Brown Ursans are descended were supernatural companions of the Ursan diety, Naljuk. Naljuk, considered a be a war god by the Ursans and a minor Maiar who accompanied Orome as a huntsman in his Wild Hunt. Uuse and Luudne served as trackers helping Naljuk scout ahead of the hunt and drive out prey, especially great fey creatures and monster of power during the ages before the sun when the Valar still roamed the land. It is from this special role that Uuse and Luudne played that Black and Brown Ursans inheritage their tradition of beastmastery and monster hunting. Black and Brown Ursans live on every major continent and tend to live solitary, migratory lives, rarely crossing other Ursans. Despite seeming to be loners, these Ursans are very attuned to other Ursans in the region, who they consider to be part of their clan. Loose networks of clans make up tribes and loose confederacys of tribes make up nations. These Ursans, who live long lives are very connected with their clan and kin through deep emotional, social and spiritual bonds that transcend time and space in ways that are not clearly comprehended by outside societies and races. What is know is that they visit each other and commune through dreams, visions and are known to engage in astral like projection to stay in contact. Many Ursan children are Dream Children who are conceived in during these visions. Their clans are matrilinear with with most shaman, healers and seers being female. They serve in the role of judges, lawmakers and overseers of key rites of passage, traditions and religious practices. Males serve in roles of prominance as war leaders, but are elected by the clan's female elders to lead the mobilization of the clan in a specific task. Once the war leader or cheiftain's commission has been fulfilled, their role is relinquished. Cheiftain are elected to preside over religious rights, to mobile the clan for war, to represent the clan at tribal parleys or parliments that are called by the whole nation. Outside societies find Ursan intriguing, mystical and otherworldly. They are also are talked about in the legends of more sedentary societies as suddenly appearing in a great host to raid, only to melt way into the wilds leaving no trace. This likely has some foundation in reality as clans are known to mobilize and muster for war quickly coming from great distances, only to disband quickly once the limited aims of the agreed venture are accomplished. These Ursans are known for their close connection to animal companions of strength and power. It is not unusual for one to travel in the company of a griffon, grynn or direwolf. Marjor taboos exist related to hunting or bonding with other bearlike creatures. A major rite of passage for adolescents is to locate, tame, slay or capture a dangerous creature. It is for this reason that many sedentary communities seek the services of Ursans living in the area to help deal with troublesome monsters that are plaguing their villages. Black and Brown Ursans commonly have pelts of sold black, sold brown or a pattered pelt of brown and black. The most common patters are spotted, striped, piebald, marbled and clouded.
Kodiak Ursans[]
Kodiak Ursans are a rare substock of Black and Brown Ursans that occasionally arise within a local tribe (very rare). They are considered a large-sized as opposed to medium-sized, growing up to 10-12 feet in stature in late adolesence. They also possess extraordinary beast taming abilities that allow them to calm, speak to and command creatures CR 5 and below. These Ursans have a special place in society - often being elected as chieftains or war leaders and being initiated to serve as elders upon initiation into adulthood. They are believed to be Dream Children of Uude or Luudne and a Black and Brown Ursan. For this reason - female Kodiak Ursans may manifest a gift of foresight, instead of beast mastery upon adolescence.
Sun Ursans[]
Sun Ursans are slighter in build and in height to their cousin Ursan species. They are also distinct, in that they have longer forearms and claws in proportion to their bodies. This is because they are arboreal living most of their lives in the dense forest canopies of Ch'Kellek. They are dexterous climbers, able to maneuver acrobatically through the treetops. They are also distinct for their light, tawny hide and distinct pectoral markings that are said to resemble a pictogram of the sun. Sun Ursans are culturally adjacent to Brown and Black Ursans, in that they tend to live solitary lives and are socially tightly connected with their kin and clan through mysterious dreaming. They do not manifest the same abilities as Black and Brown Ursans, rarely having aptitude for beast mastery or foresight. They venerate Uude and Luudne as hero ancestors, but not as dieties. Instead, they honor Niljuk as a Prime Protector of their kind - seeking to avoid violence outside of the hunt. Sun Ursans have never been known to mobilize beyond their immediate clan to engage in organized activities. Often, this involves as group hunt or a religious observance - but occasionally involves mobilizing with a nearby Black and Brown Tribe as it goes to war or in times of extreme emergency. Sun Ursans believe that their kind arose from a blessing recieved by the Valar, Orome in the early ages of the world before the waking of the Elves. Orome, while leading his Wild Hunt encountered two bears cubs basking in the sun. He had pity on them, not only sparing them, but blessing them to be transformed into the first Sun Ursans. In this way, Sun Ursans are distinct from magically uplifted bears, because they are anatomically and metaphyiscally demihuman.
Pandarins[]
The Pandarins are only known to live deep in the swamplands and forests of Ch'Kellek in small settlements and village- the only Ursans who are both sedentary and communal. They venerate Niljuk as their prime diety, but endeavor to walk a path of contemplation, peace, discipline and temperance. They see him as a force of protection, stewardship and self-defense. Their villages are communal in property, resources and childrearing and labor. Outside societies often mistake them for monastic settlements - but the Pandarin live under no formal rule, observe no code. Their way of life is more fundamental and programmed into their social norms and culture that drive their daily lives. There is a subtle philosophy that underlies it that is animistic and sees the world in terms of spiritual forces of cause and effect. Pandarin society largely believes it is better to direct spiritual force, as opposed to effect, initiate or hinder it. For this reason, Pandarins are considered uniquely susceptible to producing Ashari children. What makes these Ashari children exceedingly unique is that they are also Dream Children and possess metaphyiscal connections to the Dreaming as well as phyiscal elemental connections to the Prime Material. Pandarins are the only Ursans who are not omnivorous - instead, they are herbivores, especially perferring mandrake fetched from Ch'Kellek swamps. For this reason, their settlements are often in marshy islands centered deep in swamps - surrounded by mangrove groves cultivated by the clan. Pandarins are known to go as far as to construct platforms of organic material in the center of the marsh on which to build their settlements in order to get a prime location for cultivation. The biggest delecacy is a Moongrove fetched directly from the Dreaming - a very hard task to accomplish.
Ch'Kellek[]
The dense and vibrant swamplands and forests of Ch'Kellek are thought to be the location where Orome, Niljuk and the Hero Twins, Uuse, Luudne legends may have occurred, due to the high concentration of Ursans. Sun Ursans and Pandarins live exclusively here. Significant populations of Black and Brown Ursans live within and in nearby regions.
The Dreaming[]
The Ursans speak of an existance they can sense and are tied to call the "Dreaming." They believe they exist simulatously in the Prime Material and in the Dreaming, a place of spirits and are able to navigate their conscious fluidly between these realities. They belive that the dreaming is a place where the animistic forces of all things ebb and flow together in a dreamscape marked with sacre places of power. This includes the spirits of places, creatures and natural phenomena. The Ursans also believe that all animistic forces dwell together in the dreaming all at once. In this way, the are simultaneously interconnected with the wisdom of their ancestors and the foresight of their descendants - whom they commune with across space and time. In this way, Ursans believe that they have always existed as a spirit within the Dreaming and for a short time are destined to become a Dream Child and pass into the Material Plan for the span of a lifetime and return. Leaving as a descendant and returning as an ancestor. They believe this simultaneity and flow between realities is true for all spiritual forces and explains the generation of natural and supernatural phenomena - from birth to weather to magic and prophecy.
Dream Lines[]
Ursans also believe that places where the simultaneity breaks down in the Dreaming causes natural ebbs and flows - or currents that follow the natural spiritual and sacred contours of the dreamscape. These currents are known as Dream Lines and have a variety of interesting properties. They provide Ursans with a sense of natural orientation and aid in their navigation within the Prime Material. They also flow along similar paths to known laylines and feylines in the mystical landscape - but in the opposite direction, operating as some kind of undercurrent.