The Urakabrameel'im.
Strength, power, courage and the oath are the staple hallmarks of the children of Urakabrameel. If anything, they can always be counted on to keep their word, perhaps even to a fault. However, it was not always so.
In the time before the flood, the Urakabrameelim were warlords without peer. In those days they were called the “Gibborim’ or ‘giants’, a name that many others still derogatively call them to this day. They ruled over many kingdoms, fought incessantly, feuding over power, land, and slaves, all in the name of their patron Urakabrameel. Their wars with each other and other Nephal made them many enemies, of which some still harbor sinister hatred for them to this day. It was the antediluvian of this lineage who forced the two Estates of the Rafiam to join together in the hopes of survival. Many Rafiam ancients still seek vengeance for the decimation of their brethren. And it was a Urakabrameelim who Hivvah faced when his brother Hiyyah fell in his place.
This Estate did not know unity until the great flood, when they themselves were forced to unite in order to survive against a force that even their incredible strength could not bring down. The children of Urakabrameel had no choice but to change their ways, their insistent warlike ways could not have sustained them for long with so many of their brethren destroyed. There had to be more than just victory, something greater than the hollowness of perpetual war. Within their questions they found a deeper meaning and they were born anew. Honor was not born to the Urakabrameelim, but it has come to grow upon them. Yet ever present is their bloodlust, laying just below the calm surface, forcing them to struggle with their inner rage each waking day.
The Urakabrameelim of today are not so different from the power hungry warlords of the ancient days, but they are trying. Wars have ravaged their people and the dream of having a place to call their own grows stronger within the hearts of each passing generation. But always, the clash of weapons and cries of victory call their names, beckoning them to war. Always, there is the lure of brute power and dominance.
Inter-Estate interaction is based on age, status, honor and battle prowess; all are signs of rank. Urakabrameelim of any generation are granted equal opportunity to prove themselves in combat. Power structures are based on a very loose war council comprised of warriors and chieftains who are led by a king. In times of peace, interaction within the Estate itself is kept at a minimum to avoid feuds. Word of mouth makes up for the greater part of information relay. During times of war however, the warriors mobilize and the Estate becomes an army of frightening power. One would be wise to think carefully before inciting this Estate to war.
Their interaction with mortals is simple, family are treated as such and fiends as friends. Most know that their Nephal family members are special, but few are told the full truth. War plays a central part in the life of these people. They firmly believe that righteousness permeates the true warriors who know the value of their own strength and strive to bring honor to their familia’s name. However, once an oath is given, an Urakabrameelim must never break it, whether it leads to victory or their fall. In the past this has been used against them, for if bound by oath and their word given, they are honor bound to see it through. But be warned, should the task at hand be completed and the oath fulfilled, an Urakabrameelim is also bound by Covenant to make restitution for their deeds, should they have been less than honorable.
Many argue, and none more so than the Asaelim, that the children of Urakabrameel have no honor and that their word is as easily broken as the bread at a man’s daily meal. One should note that each of the instances whereas the Urakabrameelim have broken their oaths, it was in response to trickery and oppression and not out of maliciousness or political intrigue, as some Estates do.
It is fair to say that there is no love lost between this Estate and the other, after all, old wounds do not heal well when rubbed with salt.
The Urakabrameelim are truly giants, even as children they are always of above average height, build and strength. Most will easily measure a height of six feet or more as young adults. They have dominant features, exhibited in pronounced brows and jawlines, high cheekbone structure and scolding eyes.
An emphasis on skills pertaining to combat and survival is primordial but not always the norm. Regardless of the great efforts the Urakabrameelim take during the course of their lives to reach their dream of establishing something of lasting value for themselves and their people, they are filled with righteous anger and pride, preventing them from truly achieving their Redemption. It is their fate that they cannot escape their warrior natures, and until they fully understand the duality of their being, they will remain unfulfilled. They are powerful, and that power seduces as readily as any other weakness would. They are thus constantly struggling to keep their darker selves in check.
Urakabrameelim begin the game with 4 points of Redemption and 5 points of Sin, to reflect the struggle they face within.
The Tutelage:
Urakabrameelim warders can be hard taskmasters indeed, for they are charged with instilling onto younger generations an understanding that only those who are strong of mind and of body will survive to carry on the ways of their people. For three years or more, young wards are expected to travel with their warders and learn the arts of war as well as lessons of courage and strength.
In the war-torn lands of the world, finding a place to teach is easy enough. At the end of the tutelage, when the warders have deemed their students ready, they will ask them to go out alone and prove themselves with a test of their strength and courage. They are not to return until their task is complete and those who fail, are deemed cowards and are banished. Some do not return at all, and this may seem harsh, but it is meant as a lesson in reality. The Urakabrameelim have many enemies, none of which would show an ounce of mercy to them even if given the chance.
If an initiate is to survive in such a world and become a warrior amongst their people, they must prove their fealty and their worth to those they will stand shoulder to shoulder with in the battles to come. Some do not survive the tutelage, but those who do proudly bear the scars of their tests, a testament to their people that they will always defend their way of life.
The Goety of Urakabrameel:
Urakabrameel was blessed with a strength said to allow him to level mountains. His children are equally blessed, allowing them a strength that even surpasses that which is already possessed by some Nephal. This phenomenal power can be called upon to perform acts worthy of legend and mythical tales. One would do well to avoid the harsh blow or crushing grasp of an angry Urakabrameelim.
They also possess a minor Goety which allows them to ignore wound penalties much more readily than other immortals. To this effect, they can decrease all minor and lesser damage penalties by –1 per dot in their minor Virtue, potentially negating any and all penalties they might receive.
Urakabrameel’s Curse:
Urakabrameelim are bound by oaths from the day of their tutelage, and this is reflected in their ways. Should one of them break their word or oath, the entire Estate will turn their backs on the individual until restitutions have somehow been made and their worth restored. This is a fundamentally accepted code, and breaking it repeatedly can lead to serious repercussions. However, the true curse of the children of Urakabrameel lies in their greatest asset: their greater Goety. It pulls at them, gnaws at their soul, reminds them of the power they have but must use carefully. Each time that an Urakabrameelim is faced with a situation where they “could” use their strength to their benefit and they do not, the rage in them grows, regardless of the circumstances.
Consider them to accumulate a temporary penalty to their difficulty markers equal to their age modifier on all rolls each time where such an occurrence arises. This penalty will remain active until the Urakabrameelim use their strength in such a situation.