The sorcerer kingdoms of old often carried in their royal bloodlines the power of demons and spirits, and few were content to let that power wane as generations passed. The pitiless rulers of these ancient realms sought often to understand and refine the blood of the otherworldly among their subjects, turning to an abominable mixture of selective breeding and dark alchemy. The results of these experiments were varied, but most produced gigantic, swollen brutes with great stature but limited intelligence – the hulkers.