Sanare tribe

I was wondering how my character Tandy got to be that way, while I wait for the right moment to post the next chapter. Well, the easiest way to make a background is to just say "he's like vanilla ice cream to his people". So here we go... they are like neko "lite", with 50% less reliance on being superhuman.

I also thought we needed more on how to not just survive, but thrive too.

Sanare Tribe

The Sanare tribe is a tribe of nekos living partly in Nekomura, but mostly in the forests around it, south of the Jewel River. They survive mostly by way of being very pragmatic and having nerves of steel.

Physically, the Sanare have shorter tails than other nekos, and very dull colors. Black and brown hair are the most common colors, and very rarely do they have eyes any other color than brown. Those who do are considered, well, really exotic. They are also shorter and thinner than many other races of nekos (though still slightly taller on average than humans). They are also noticeably slower, weaker, and have less balance than other kinds of nekos. This, coupled with their dull coloration, makes other nekos think of them as kind of unattractive lesser kin, closer to humans than to real nekos, but their size makes them just "cute enough to eat right up", as the joke usually goes. The Sanare, needless to say, aren't amused.

Mentally, what sets them apart is their endless patience, and their legendary nerves of (drop-forged tungsten-doped) steel: much larger and stronger nekos seldom match the composure of a Sanare in the face of danger. They can bargain for their children's lives with near absolute calm even with a hungry (and short attention-spanned) predator. To the Sanare, the world around them slowly degenerating into insanity is no reason to shout, at least, not at first. More than one of them faints right after realizing they just escaped a larger monster without so much as batting an eyelash. Other breeds of nekos quickly learn not to look down on a Sanare if they ever get to see their true mettle... or end up growing distrustful, but mostly afraid, of the little unfazeable buggers.

The Sanare are more cooperative than most other breeds of neko, even to complete strangers. Most Sanare move around in small groups to avoid predators or depleting their supplies, but the most iconic characteristic is that they stablish small supply spots, where a small, periodically rotated staff aids the nomadic groups of their own kind that find them (and if they want to, nekos of other species too). A traveler who finds such a place can expect a chance to catch their breath: also you can expect to meet one or two traders in each hidden spot, maybe travelers like you, maybe a resident Sanare alchemist, maybe just the local quartermaster who thinks he can spare thirty or so man-days of rations. They also often keep logbooks on who uses their hideouts: if you want, they'll leave a written record of how far you got into the forest and when. They're not the world champions of hospitality, but the intent is still there and they will greet you with a smile. They're aware of the possibility that predators may lie in wait outside of their tunnels, specially if someone decided to tell one where they were. That's why they don't just tell anyone. In case the information leaks out somehow, they keep conscientous surveillance of all spots around their tunnel entrances. And just in case, they keep nearly a dozen entrances, that way it takes a larger group of predators than usually possible just to keep them from leaving. When that happens, they calmly out-wait the predator with the food they stored beforehand: being smaller and less voracious than any other neko is an advantage in that aspect.

Hollow trees are their favourite hiding spots in both Chidokai and the Dridder Forest, though they often reinforce the trees' insides, just to gain a couple seconds in case a giant naga feels like just tearing down the tree to get to their hideouts, and they sometimes build a tunnel held up by the roots for use as an escape route. Tolmeshal makes it more difficult to hide without a thousand hiding places, but they make do: using half-buried, kensha-hollowed noghdongh shells, for example. But it's still a little more troublesome... fairies love the Sanare. Not because they taste better, it's just they put so much effort into survival that the look (or lack thereof) in their faces is priceless, and if it weren't so, then just the bragging rights make them worth it. Accordingly, the Sanare give them a wide berth at any chance, favor areas with the lowest possible mana, set traps on their tunnels, and add sufficient smaller escape roads throughout their hideouts, to escape unfollowed if they're shrunken. (This system's functionality depends on the writer's mood.) They do tend to give their position away by the proximity to a water source, though...

Also, from their closeness to Negav, the Sanare have adapted better to technology than some other tribes, "better" in this context meaning they know what to use and what not to use. The Sanare rarely use firearms (as they have few enemies the right size), or bows, which they find unwieldy in the rainforest, but they are well versed in the use of the slingshot as a hunting weapon (they call it "the lunchbox"). They also excel in the use of optic devices, such as spyglasses, small round mirrors, and glue (so that the mirrors stay in place). While they don't carry around a mirror each, they know very well how to place one in the forest to get the best look they can get, covering it carefully so that the glare doesn't give it away. Also, they've found some use for mannequins and such things. They are also less exhibitionist than any other breed, often covering themselves from chin to toe (though they often find ways to be revealing even that dressed), with light clothing they can tear off if need be, just for the slug girl trails, but change them often: not long after they "ripen", they enough leave them somewhere so that their smell draws predators away. The Sanare have forgotten than anyone'll ever know, even if they aren't as nimble, swift, or strong.

It is said Locust, founder of FOOD, spent two years with the Sanare and that they taught him everything he now teaches. The Sanare, in general, smile at this comment and say it actually kind of goes both ways, but it's mostly true.

Interesting enough....