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"Until you learn otherwise, it's best to assume that everyone you meet intends to rob you, enslave you, or eat you" -- Zandar, mul mercenary.

A Mul is an incredibly tough crossbreed of a human and dwarf (a half-dwarf). They retain the stature, agility, and mental flexibility of humankind, coupled with the physical resilience and endurance of their dwarven heritage --a rare combination of qualities that makes muls more than a simple blend of the two races.

Because they are strong, tough, quick, and blessed with fantastic endurance, muls are high prized as slaves. In fact, most muls are born into slavery, products of the slave pits —owners recognize the muls' assets as gladiators and laborers, and so order the births of as many muls as can be managed within the ranks of their slaves. Muls are born sterile —they cannot perpetuate their kind.

Born as they are to lives of slave labor, with the taskmaster's whip taking the place of parents and family, muls are given to a gruff personality and violent reactions. Understandably, many never seek friends or companionship but live out their lives in servitude, driven by hatred and spite. Most, however, learn who to trust in the slave pits and who not to, gaining favor and reputation among the other slaves.

Many slave muls have either escaped or otherwise won their freedom and now live independent lives all over Athas. Of these, a large percentage have bartered their combat prowess, making their way as soldiers or guards. A few others, given to more cerebral pursuits, have turned to priestly devotions or the mental disciplines of psionics. 

Muls 01

Battle slaves muls

Muls are half-dwarves, a cross between a male Dwarf and female Human. Because of their large bone structures, the pregnancy is hard on both the mother and Mul, usually resulting in the child having to be cut from his/her dying mother's body.

2nd Edition[]

A player character mul may become a Cleric, Druid, Fighter, Gladiator, Psionicist, or Thief.

When created, the player must decide if his mul character will be considered a demihuman or a human character. As a human, the mul character can have unlimited advancement in any class and become a dual-classed character later in his career. As a demihuman, a mul can become a multi-classed character in accordance with the multi-classed combinations table in Dark Sun Boxed Set. Once the decision is made, the mul character will forever be considered either a human or demihuman in all ways.

Adjustments: +2 Strength, +1 Constitution, -1 Intelligence, -2 Charisma.

A mul character adds two to his initial Strength score and one to his initial Constitution score. While often cunning and bright, a mul's training rarely encourages the mental disciplines, so mul characters subtract one from their initial Intelligence scores. The rigors of their upbringing in bondage makes them sullen and difficult to befriend —mul characters subtract two from their initial Charisma scores.

Mules are able to work longer and harder without rest than are most other races. 

Regardless of the preceding type of exertion, eight hours of sleep will let a mul become fully rested, ready to begin work again. 

4th edition[]

Tireless and unyelding, born to fight.

  • Average Height: 5' 8" to 6' 4"
  • Average Weight: 120 - 150 Kg (240 - 300 lb).
  • Ability Scores: +2 Constitution; +2 Strength or Wisdom.
  • Size: Medium
  • Speed: 6 squares.
  • Vision: normal.
  • Languages: Common, Dwarven.
  • Skill Bonuses: +2 Endurance, +2 Streetwise.
  • Born of Two Races: Select either human or dwarf. You can take feats that have your choice as a prerequisite (as well as those specially for muls), as long as you meet any other requeriments.
  • Mul Vitality: Increase your number of healing surges by one.
  • Tireless: You need to sleep 6 hours in a 72-hour period (instead of 24-hour period) to gain the benefit of an extended test.
  • Incredible Toughness: You have the Incredible Toughness power.
  • Racial Paragon Path: The mul battle slave is the epitome of the race he/she represents.

Incredible Toughness[]

Mul Racial Power. Through dogged determination, and sheer physical hardness, you shrug off an effect that would daunt a lesser person.

Trigger: You start your turn.

Effect: You end any ongoing damage or any dazed, slowed, stunned, or weakened condition currently affecting you.

Physical attributes[]

Mul Gladiator

Gladiator Mul

Muscular and fit, muls resemble powerfully built humans. Although one might expect muls to average somewhere between dwarf and human stature, they are taller than most humans. Male muls have truly heroic proportions --broad shoulders, narrow waists, powerful thighs, and thick arms. Female, while not as heavily muscled, are tall, strong, and athletic.

Many muls of both sexes are hairless, although some grow topknots of dark hair. Their faces hint at their dwarven ancestry, with strong, stern features and small, swept-back ears that come to subtle points. Mul skin and eye colors are as varied as they are in humans, but many muls have a copper or deeply bronzed complexion, and a few have eyes of a startling honey-gold or green-gold color.

Muls have little collective racial identity and adopt the dress and fashion of their homes. However, they are fond of tattoos and favor simple geometric patterns rather than depictions of creatures or objects. In this way, they honor their dwarven heritage with designs reminiscent of dwarven motifs.

Mul laborers can perform heavy work for days at a time without stopping. Muls have stern facial features. Most muls, whether male or female, have no hair or beard.

Muls have life spans comparable to those of humans.

Roleplaying[]

Mul2

Athasian Mul

Play a mul if you want...

  • to be tough as nails.
  • to play a hero who fought his or her way out ot the bonds of slavery.
  • to be a member of a race that flavors the fighter, barbarian, and battlemind classes.

Muls begin their lives as slaves, true, but when they are doing well in the arena, they are the most pampered slaves.  It is expensive to generate and maintain a stable of muls, and their owners protect their large investments with special treatment and considerations. It's rare that a mul who does his work well receives particularly harsh treatment as a slave. Thus, they often don't see their slavery as all that bad a deal. Of course, when their arena or work performance is lacking, discipline is cruelly reinstated.

Slaveholders throughout the Tyr Region have long known that tremendous hardiness and stamina result from mixing human and dwarven lines. Muls make outstanding gladiators, slave warriors and heavy laborers, enduring toil and hardships that could kill lesser folk.

Like their dwarven parent, a mul who sets his mind/heart on freedom or disruption among the other slaves is rarely kept in chains. They most often are sold or traded from owner to dissatisfied owner until they are eventually relegated to harsh labor in a remote area or sent to the gladiator pits. Some escape tot he wilds and become raiders or join tribes of ex-slaves, whereas other who escape become mercenaries and sell their fighting skill to whomever they can.

Muls who don't flee captivity can win their freedom in the arena or by completing a dangerous task for their masters. A few highly prized gladiators receive so many privileges and comforts that they are effectively free, enjoying great latitude to go where they want and do as they wish.

2nd Edition[]

The notes given on roleplaying each race are also very important, since a character earns additional individual experience point awards when played according to these racial descriptions.

4th Edition[]

The Dungeon Master might have mult heroes start the campaign as slaves. If not, assume thet your mul character has already won his or her freedom by the time the game begins.

Muls are hard, driven, pragmatic folk with little remorse or sympathy in their hearts. Many grow up under the lash, having been taken from their parents while very young and subjected to brutal training for the arena or grinding toil in fields or quarries. Consequently, muls have a hard time offering friendship and trust to anyone. More than a few muls, scarred by the hardships of their upbringing, spend their days as bitter, violent misanthropes. Others are suspicious, grasping mercenaries who have learned never to lift a finger on behalf of another person without establishing what the will gain from providing aid. Despite their tendency to be sullen or self-centered, muls can learn to work alongside others. Growing up in the slave pits and the underclass of society taught them how to forge alliances and understandings; their survival demanded nothing less.

  • Mul characteristics: Angy, blunt, callous, driven, fierce, honest, skeptical, stern, stoic, stubborn.
  • Male names: Aram, Borthomar, Bost, Darok, Darus, Durn, Eben, Erekard, Gard, Harask, Marok, Morg, Rikard, Rikus, Sanozar, Uskan, Zedath, Zorus.
  • Female names: Aisa, Aivel, Brithis, Callia, Demosis, Elina, Faivel, Himithis, Laivi, Narisel, Niva, Raina, Reshel, Saditha, Tirshel, Uisel, Zerima.

Why are they called Muls?[]

The word mul is derived from the dwarven term mulzhennedar, which means strength. Pronunciation varies throrough the Tyr Region; the word can be pronounced as mool, mull, or mule, although this last cariation is considered derogatory and might start a fight. Given the derivation of the name, sages who care about such matters regard mull as the most accurate pronunciation.

Sources[]

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