Rezec's ideas

Rezec wrote:

gt500x wrote:

The Red Scorpions sound pretty good. Though I am having a hard time seeing how they could still be healthy after going a month without food or water. I don't know, I'm not an expert. Bottom line, cool idea.

I've got concept from KKnD series. I just luw those little red mutant bastards too much)

And don't forget: they are animals of wastelands. Steppes, deserts, etc. They can't find food (and ESPECIALLY water) everyday, which is why their metabolism pretty slow. +, as I said, they are "slow" creatures in general, the only thing they can do fast - dig in and from surface during hunt.

bottom line? what are you talking about?)

Nothing my friend. Absolutely nothing.

Important: like all anthropomorphic kangaroo-like creatures from GRF, this tribe are mix between "normal" kangaroo and some random alien-ish beings with humanoid\humanoid-ish features. The conteption of those Kangaroo was based on the fact that there is pretty big open spaces, which could be used by some "sentient, but still wild creatures". Not as smart as humans, elves, or nekos, but neither stupider than semi-creatures (nagas, harpies, dridders, etc). Just like tribes of savages on Earth, which are still "wild" even in 21 centure.

Depending by tribe, their form can vary in many ways.

Gurrarra tribe, due to evolution decision, divided by two form, for males and females, which mean despite some noticeable body otherness (don't chuckle, read below!), they are same subspecie, or "tribe" as those kangaroos tend to name themselves. Mystery of nature, or sort of.

Also, please notice that all kangaroo's features have a reason for existence.
For instance, almost all tribes have some kind of tribal clothes, and mostly they wear those covered by sacred images, runes and cuneiforms clothes not because they embarrassed by natural nudity (although some tribes do believe that nudity allowably for feral animals, not for sentient beings like kangaroos), but because clothes with those symbols and signs keep evil steppe spirits away, as shamans can swore about it, and etc.
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The most instable at current location (most "nomad-ish") kangaroo tribe - Gurrarra, "those ones, who spend most of time by ride on some beasts"

Allies to: Pogonshi,
Friends to: Mbaara,
Neutral to: Barakha,
Enemies to: Nudoobo, Trekere,

Totals ~ 25 000 groups (GRF and other "open" zones).


Males: 17~18.5 feet,
Short tails (0.6 of body length, can use as limb for sitting on ground but unable to balance at tail and hit with legs due to "erectly" body anatomy) and ears, short snouts, most "humanoid" upright look among all tribes. Can move in both "walking" and "skipping" ways, but prefer first one due to anatomy of their bodies.
Excellent eyesight, can observe and visually differentiate lots of targets from miles.
Normal hearing,
Big "horse-ish" teeth, sensitive nostrils (their sense of smell is one of the best ones among tribes),
Have strong long well-developed arms (they can even shut steppe kensha's (a.k.a latran) or horned jumping coyote's jaws for some short time) and torso muscles. Have a highly developed musculature in general.

They prefer vegetarian food (especially edible roots and wood fungi), but have no problem to eat any kind of flesh and\or boiled\fried meat.

Have a tradition to organize lift\carry\throw weight competitions with prizes in order to keep themselves in good shape.

So, they can launch some object, like spear, at very impressive distance with good accuracy, which mean that typical gurrarra male can (or try to) hit any weak point of giant predator with their big bows, so sentient predators usually keep some distance during daytime, unless they want to try their hunting skills on gurrarras or they have numerical advantage and\or they are confident in victory.


Clothing: heavy darkish brown tough leather jackets and pants, thick skinned swathes on arms and legs, slouch hats with colorful plumage of steppe’s birds, brown thick skinned boots, ritual tribal face bandage and\or masks.


Usually, male gurrarra walk on foot rather slowly (It's noticeable when gurrarra and non-gurrarra have a walk together), can't run very fast too long distance (in compared with other kangaroo tribes), and they can "perform" themselves at day time much better than night time (good eyesight).

Normally, they ride hardy tamed steppe's kensha beasts (latrans), have a friendly temper, and like to jape each other while they having rest at camp\settlements all over GRF.

Adventurers tend to say that gurrarra sense of humor rather rude, but they never try to be really mean. It's part of their reckless culture.

In short, they are soft-spoken guys with rather "tough" sence of humor, they act friendly toward most harmless sentient creatures, during their booze they usually drink alcohol (such as "Mbaara moonshine" and others steppe-made alcoholic drinks) and fool around when they can have some fun\rest time in their camps and settlements. They are rather cocky - most of them do like to bet about something pointless, like who can stand on their hands longer, or who can pull someone's kensha's tail and run from it's jaws, and etc. But all bets will be gone, if they caught some "toys" to play with (usually - humans), and despite their friendly nature, most of captured creatures didn't survive those boozes...

Nevertheless, they are not very pleasant with rude strangers, especially armored ones, but still they are quite polite with polite\shy people, especially women or children.


They use "hit and run" or "sniping from far distance" tactics, attacing enemies from good distance with tribal long-range bows using charmed ammo (magic fire or very bright light arrows), but in case of close combat they use their big tribal knives and fire\light "gaboom" stones ("gurrarra's fire\light grenades, created by shamans", read below) with notable success, though they will not fight in close combat with giant creatures unless it's ambush.



Females: 12~14 feet,
Unlike males, they look more like kangaroos than humanoids, with some reptilian (long spiked tail, 1.4 of body length, read below) and canine (sharp fangs) appearance. Can move in both "walking" and "skipping" ways, but prefer second one due to anatomy of their bodies.

Long spiked tails, 3 pairs of curved forward wide sharp blade-like spikes (using as piercing and cutting melee weapon), and 7 short wide protective spikes on upper side of tail, from middle section to the tip of tail (prevents the catch of tail by kangaroo rival or giant predator).

Long sencetive ears ,excellent hearing, can detect and shoot down tiny-sized steppe moskito in full darkness from 50 feet distance,
Agile and thin fingers can bend backward,
Normal eyesight,

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Fairly long sharp canine teeth:
Unlike most other tribes gurrarra females has noticeable prominent canines and incisors and many other small predatory features in general, which is why some steppe rumors are exist about insidious gurrarra females, who spend night with males from other tribes and then devoir their exhausted bodies while they sleep. All gurrarra felames can swear that they never did so, and all of those silly gossips are from envious females from other tribes.

Nevertheless, there were some cases all over Great Rocky Fields and other locations when non-gurrarra male disappered after spending night with gurrarra female in her yurt (small multipurpose tribal tent, usually using as field negotiations room for belligerents between different tribal groups during endless skirmishes, but can be used in many other ways), and on next morning unlucky kangaroo male was simpe gone, and nobody ever seen that person.
This unexplained phenomenon have no any logical esplonation, and give gurrarra females mysteriously frightening reputation, which is why, despite "the heavy risk", spending night with them considering by males from other tribes as one of the best way to prove their courage and fearlessness, to great joy of some gurrarra coquettes...
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Unlike males, they prefer to eat flesh and\or boiled\fried meat than vegeterian food, especially preferred saiga fresh meat. There is rumor that gurrarra female can eat as much meat as she weigh herself during mating season, but this common myth is false - gurrarra tribe don't have any mating season. However, females prefer to eat at night time because of some nocturnal peculiarity of behavior.

Gurrarra females don't like smile at all, because normally it cause fear at some non-gurrarra tribes or human sized creatures, especially humans. Go figure why.

Have a thin musculature in general, rather weak physically compared with males, but have much stronger stamina and good pain threshold(they can move even when they heavily injured for hours without any rest),

They are not good at sniping, but their rapid archery can impress even best archers from other species. They normally can "launch" about ~100 arrows per minutes (at night time, if they shoots at target by light\fire arrows, it's remind a multiple rocket launcher).

Some of females can shoot even faster, like legendary Gakada (ancient gurrarra folk tales heroine, nowadays - goddest of rapid-shooting among gurrarra females), who could launch more than 250 arrows per minute.

Despite the fact that their precision are not their best feature, their "arrow rains" are very dangerous to any giant creature. Even centaurs, sphinxes, and low-flying harpies.



Clothing: darkish brown thin leather jackets and short shorts\skirts (for run sake), thin skinned swathes on arms and legs, wide slouch hats with lots of colorful plumage of steppe’s birds, brown thin skinned boots, lots of ritual tribal face bandage and\or masks.


They can "outrun" any humans and most of animals (exept giant centaurs) on foot, they can jump at 95~99 feet long and 25~29 feet above ground at full speed (males can't make this moves), their thin muscles are very flexible, and their long tails not only allow them to change the direction of running in a jiffy or use tails as limb for manipulating objects, but also can be used as efficient melee weapon; If adult gurrarra female hit the human with her tail - the human not only lost all ribs, but also will fly horizontally about 15~20 meters or even more, and if other proportional feral animal try to attack gurrarra female, she can use her lateral spikes on tail as natural weapon and make terrible triple wounds to intruder with one strong hit.


They use smaller version of tribal bows, designed for rapid shooting, and smaller knives\throwing knives. Despite not impressive accuracy at archery, they can throw knife at good distance almost always right on target, sometimes they even organize competitions with prizes.

They have two common tactic:
1) "Preliminary bombardment" - shooting at location or target to allow other gurrarra deal with enemy. One single hired gurrarra female mercenary platoon can change the course of battle by one deadly bombardment, so other tribes (and other human sized creatures as well) hire them in order to have "advantage in artillery" or so. In fact, those female gurrarra platoons never show any mercy to enemies, the only exept - lone\few members of own tribe, though not always.
2)"Dogfight", while they ride\jump (riding on bo'khas) around target and keep firing untill they run out of arrows or target is dead\neutralised. Usually, they keep lots of arrows with them (about several hundreds), and their arrows are smaller and easier than arrows for big bows, so it's not big problem to carry ammo on pet-coyote. They are not good at using "gaboom" stones though.

They can "perform" themselves at night time much better than day time due to nocturnal habits (some of gurrarra females are especially sleepy during day time and hyperactive during night time), excellent hearing, which helping to detect fearsome "creatures of night" from far away distance, and also they are very good at making night ambushes.

Normally, they ride tamed steppe horned jumping coyotes ("Bo'kha"), have a rather friendly temper as well, and they do like to talk. A lot. There is countless jokes among other tribes about gurrarra female mount, most of them are not pleasant to hear for gurrarras, but they do heard some of them, and even find some of jokes quite funny. Female gurrarra, unlike males, don't bother about bets and drinking parties. They just enjoing themselves too much, but that doesn't mean that they can't have fun with reckless males during another festivity. Although it'd better to keep females away from any kind of alcohol due to "unpredictable" nature of drunk females of tribe...



Location - no stabile location, countless amount of small neutral tribal instabile settlements spreaded everywhere in GRF. About 25 000 small travelling groups (about 50~150 each) , spread on opened spaces (not only GRF). Most of them - quite friendly, but there are dangerous bandits, marauder, assassins and even slave-sellers. Gurrarra tribe rather unpredictable...

Rate of shamans – about 33%, magic elements – earth, fire, light (bright flash spells). Non-shamans can cast spells too, but their spells are much weaker and almost useless.
Based on “neutral” magic – some mind control spells; smell, hearing, eyesight increasing\decreasing spells.

Special skills of shamans:

"Mind break" – famous gurrarra’s technique for taming beasts, using by close physical contact with target (forehead to forehead).

“Wrath of beastmaster” – another mind-control spell, using in order to startle any domesticated raging beast. Very risky spell, if shaman does it wrong – it would cause big problem by increasing beast’s madness. However, the Chief can use it even on wild beasts with notable success.

“Same blood” – medical spell, allow shaman take part of pet’s pain in order to heal injured pet much more efficiently or even safe pet’s life. This spell doesn’t work with random animals, although gurrarras are good veterinarians in general.

"Bow down" - shrinking\enlarge spell, allow gurrarra beastmasters ride any kind of pets by making their size as big\small as needed. For instance, most latrans (steppe kenshas) are 26M\24F feet, so before use them gurrarra shamans cast permamently shrinking spell. That spell take some time to work, and it usually take a week to turn feral stubborn 26 feet latran into obedient 16-18 feet "gurrakomo" or "gurramoko" pet, safe even for children.


Weapon - primitive range weapons: Bows, slings, throwing spears\javelins and etc. Special weapon -

Great skills and ammunition, sharmed by shamans, allow gurrarra use their range weapons with notable success in many tipes of dangerous situations. Even during range combat with nudoobo or with angry spirit, elemental and other immaterial being.


Clothing – darkish brown tough leather jackets and pants[/color], thick skinned swathes on arms and legs, slouch hats (those hats are most important part of gurrarra's tribal affiliation. Young gurrarra get their personal slouch hat at fifth year of life, when he or she gain "true name") with colorful plumage of steppe’s birds, brown thick skinned boots, ritual tribal face bandage and\or masks.


other descriptions:

Typical beastmasters and tamers, who brave and\or desperate enough to tame many types of dog-like creatures. Kenshas, jacals, coyotes, other dogs and wolves - there are no canine species which weren't tamed by gurrarra's stubborn tamers.


Because of gurrarra's quite low height and weight (it helps them ride tamed dogs and shoot at wild ones by their long-range bows with magic arrows from long distanses with great accurateness and good rate of attack), and even more because of their "natural gift of persuasion" (read below) they always reach big succes in this deal. Also, they have "crafty sneaky mind", which allow them find an exit from most bad situations.


They tend to trade their "broken" animals (ex-wild ones, which were "mind broken" by shamans) to others tribes, which allow them to be "wanted guests" during warfare between other tribes.


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Find a gurrarra's slouch hat in the middle of GRF.
It's believed that if some lone gurrarra left his or her nominal slouch hat (which supposed must be with every gurrarra for entire life) - most likely something bad happend. That gurrarra may be ambushed and even killed (or worse - eaten), captured by enemies, disillusioned with life, or something even worse.

In any case - bring this hat to nearest gurrarra's group would be good idea: adventurer can gain good reputation amoung tribe, and as prize adventurer can take something with him\her: tribal weapon, some clothes (human sized slouch hat quite popular in steppes due to smart ventilated design of those hats), domesticated horned jumping coyote or steppe kensha's puppy, and etc.

But, gurrarra tribe quite suspicious with lone human-sized strangers, which mean there is huge chance that they will "keep" messenger with them for some time: usually about several weeks while groups of scouts searching for lost one by adventurer's information. There is some chanse that when they couldn't find lost one, they will "doubt" messenger about reliability of the information, and thus some of gurrarra shaman can make a little "interrogation" in order to gain "concealed information". Those adventurers, who survived after gurrarra's interogation tend to say that the best way to behave during that very unpleasant procedure (in fact - it's very painful when shaman "digging" in memory) - keep telling the truth. In case if you are innocent - shaman will see it in your mind soon or later, and release you with mumbled apologises. Not always, though.

Needless to say, gurrarra's judicial system are the best in steppes - guilty person simply can not hide crime, and thus all hearings usually last several minutes, while mind-reader shaman searshing in memory of a suspect person for "data". Other tribes using gurrarra shamans as judges sometimes, but because of danger of going mad during this interrogation, most of suspects tend to give a confession about their crimes. Even about those ones, which were in far past.
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The most popular gurrarra's child's play - "Garr-ga-khorrt", or "Bite my tail" - one person must catch others by "biting" their tail by gurrakomo or gurramoko's jaws. "Biting" kangaroo or "biting" gurrakomo (males) or gurramoko (females) - there is no difference for gurrarra children's point of view.

Gurrarra's youth spend lots of lots freetime by cathing each other in that or similar ways, which is why they have to learn how ride gurrakomo or gurramoko with more efficient (by learning some acrobatic, taming, tactic, and others tricks in order to win in games). The champions usually become best gurrarra riders, so if gurrarra youngling cannot "bite" anyone or cannot save his\her own tail - it means that young one haven't masterd elemental riding skills, which is very "not approved" amoung tribe. That doesn't mean that others gurrarra will not help with it, but still - it's like "mental mark of shame" for entire life for gurrarra.

Basicly - it's first taming examinations. Very important part of young gurrarra's life.
There is other "taming games", but they are rather cruel, so many adventurers didn't described them well. Only at basic details with few words.



Taming
Generally, they use three way to tame:

1) "Easy" way, encouragement or threats ("carrot and stick"), just like any other tribal society. Those dogs are quite common in tribe, but they are "lower class", and treated like livestock for sale.
2) "Usual" way, by using their shamans. Shaman "connect" with mind of some stubborn captured creature with strong will, and "persuade" it to obey. Most of captured, of course, tried resist, but always failed. After that rather painfull "brainwash" procedure even most indomitable steppe dogs gave up, and so they allowed to be pet-guards of gurrarra children. Those dogs reseive much better food and care in general, and when new gurrara kangaroo become adult enough, his or her pet become personal gurrakomo or gurramoko, "brother" or "sister" in animal embodiment for entire life.
3) Rough way. Some of creature's mind cannot be break by shaman, cannot be "persuaded" to serve by encouragement or threats and etc.
In short, they simple don't want to be tamed.
In this case, the Chief himself take care over those stubborn kenshas\coyotes\jacals. This include many of "not pleasant thing", which you can figure out by yourselves. In the end, most of creatures with indominate spirits become part of chief's pack of beagles.


Other information
This tribe could be one of the most prosperous, but because of some reasons (like endless skirmishes among most of groups and etc) they suffer hard times pretty often. This can't break their iron will though, but it's still annoying. They tend to travel a lot, looking for new creatures to tame, and sometime went into ambushes of other, much more mightier beasts.

Nowadays, gurrarra tribe are known as good mercenaries, stubborn tamers, and sneaky scouts. Not the best ones, but quite better than most others.

As mercenaries, they tend to offer they services to anyone, who can pay enough. But they still have their "very own" principals. For instance - they will not attack any member of their own tribe, they will not go on certain suicide mission, and they will never desecrate the sanctity of any other tribal totem. At all other cases they will choose right arrows, and most likely - reach the success.

As tamers they can give a guarantee that they will tame almost any dog-like and alike creature in short time for client. Or catch some other species and bring them to client.
Sometimes, they even can catch some person for client, if they gained enough fee.

As scouts they can give to the client accurate information about any region of GRF or sub-zone, most likely they will collect information imperceptibly, without spotting from anyone else. Plus, this kind of servise quite cheap, so many experienced adventurers order fast "reconnaissance" from gurrarra's scout before traveling through GRF.

The most traditionalistic tribe - Barakha, the gardeners of Steppe's rivers
Allies to: Mbaara,
Friends to: Trekere
Neutral to: Gurrara
Enemies to: Nudoobo, Pogonshi

Totals ~ 30 000, 9-13 ft. tall


Males:

Females:


Location - spread by many settlements onto Tec-khucha and other rivers banks. Small settlements near to steppe's lakes and oases.

rate of shamans - 10~15%, magic element – water, air, illusion (self-protected spells, deceptive tricks with predator's senses)
Based on “neutral” magic - hallucination, distracting, mental intimidation and other spells based on simple mind-controll elements.

Special skills of shamans:

"River's call" - strong mind-controll spell, make wild animal drown itself in near river. Doen't work with sentient species and most giant predators.

"Now you see me, now you're not" - common distraction spell based on masquerading under the locality. This spell allow baracha retreat from predator's eyesight in cases when between shaman and target exist some distance (about ~20 meters). It doesn't work when distance is less than 10 meters due to "predator's sense".

" "




History

According to own ancient chronicles, Barakha tribe was founded by Brakhadak and his followers, (one of the ancient kangaroo city's headman) near to one of steppe's river 4612 years ago.

Historically know that he was from Sakhray, the ancient kangaroo's city, and when that city suffered hard time due to terrible events, he suggested to his family and friends to settle in somewhere else, in order to suffer city's crisis in safe place and eventyally come back, or at least found place, where people can wait untill as much time as need. Some of compatriots went with him, and because most of them were farmers, it took important spot in Brakhadak's settlement's future.



Basically, it was time when most of steppe's kangaroo living in main continent (current available one, there are several other way bigger ones, which exist in...somewhere) lived in one big settlement named Sakhray, with population about 25 000, and they even reached good civilization level (steppe's version of late Mayan Civilization).
Because of unknow reason, steppe's spirits came to the city once, and demanded to leave that place immediately, without saying why exactly they must do it.
Most of inhabitans didn't payed enough attention, continued discuss spirits demand unhurry until spirits came again, and wiped out about 3% of inhabitans. City's mages and warriors couldn't resist such power, and moreover, many of them got injured during useless fight back. After second warning all inhabitants understood that they shoud evacuate untill they can determine the cause of this sudden aggression from ex-neutral spirits.
Several group leaved city, some of them didn't reach succses and died during traveling by many causes, others reached friendly settlements (mostly - human sized) and started their new life in there, but most survived ones found new villages in fairly far distance from city, and soon, due to degradation, most of advanced villages turned into tribe's settlements, with primitive culture and wild way of life.



Brakhadak, one of the famous city's headman, with one thousand followers tried to made a journey through dry steppes searching for good spot, but he hadn't reached success relative long time. He went in meditation state again and again, but somehow steppe's spirits kept silence.

His hopes began to leave him, but one day, when he washed his face in cold rill, he saw a vision:

Big town on both sides of some slow wide river, populated with kangaroos in cian clothes with round cane hats, walked on noisy narrow streets and bright wide squares. It seems that they are were busy, each one of them rushed to somewhere.
The town was stretches along unknown river, Brakhadak surely didn't know which one of steppe's river it was.
There were majestic buildings, impressive three-storey mansion, stone bridges, and many other things which ex-headman had never seen before. During vision, Brakhadak's spirit wondered, what town is this, and where he can find it, but when he saw his own big statue on central square, he understood that there is his future "safe place to live", which he kept dreaming about some time.

All of sudden he woke up, and immideatly returned in camp. After short brifing Brakhadak sent scouts to south direction due to his sense about location of that river. Three small team of scouts went out in short time, and after two months of searching, they finally found mentioned big slow river, named by local jerboa tribe as "Tec-khucha". When travelers came at river, they all were disappointed; that river was slow and wide, indeed, and there were lots of opportunites to built settlement. But there also were endless amount of weeds, and according to local Tec-kha jerboa tribe's information, in near giant thickets (which grew along to river) existed many wild predators, most of them more than dangerous to 15ft kangaroo.



It took long time to Brakhadak to convince his people stay at place, and moreover, he had to pacify some of river's nagas and mermaids, who saw big group of kangaroos as new food sourse. According myths, Brakhadak fought with most wild ones all by himself, and made deals with sentient ones. How exactly it looked like - nobody knows, but after those events Brakhadak's followers could found new settlement on right bank of Tec-khucha river.



There were many other events, which new city had to suffer through, but with Brakhadak's command talant, new city slowly became safe place to live, but still at the end of every week about five inhabitants usually were caught by local animals or died by other causes.
Rating of losses was low due to good system of outposts, talent of city's guard teams, and hired local "sentient " predators. All went good, but new city will never be "new Sakhray".



Degradation got citizens about 3500 years ago, when Brakhadak died in battle with giant dridder hunter. His heirs, who replaced him short time after, weren't as talanted as himself, so they couldn't kept development of the city, which is why they decided to built a huge stone 77ft stone wall around city and try to survive in this way. Undoubtedly, that wasn't the best idea, and soon many giant predators attacked "new Sakhray", again and again. Heroic sacrafices of city guard teams and some of hired predators, who knew Brakhadak personally, gave the setllement opportunity to survive long enough to adopt in new conditions...



Other information
In present time, ex-"new Sakhray", now known as "Brakhadak's town" or "Barakha" (local jerboa's nickname for settlement, which was accepted by Brakhadak himself in order to evade badluck of Sakhray) represent the main Barakha's tribe village, along with many smaller villages all over on Tec-khucha's banks.


How exactly ex-civilizated kangaroos changed to present level - no one of Barakhatribe know surely, but it seems that their entire culture transformed complitely less than 2 000 years. Long life near to warm wide slow river, filled with nutritious fishes and seaweed, growing many types of plants on arable fields, and, of course, stand more than 4 500 years on new place changed them permanently.

Now they are agrarian semi-civilized society, their clothes, tools, manners, household items, rituals and etc are different from any other tribe, and moreover, their "civilization" remind ancient asian civilizations (chinese, korean, vietnamese, etc), which make them look rather "inappropriate" in comparison with most other tribes from steppe. Still, they made many trade deals with neighbors, not only other settlements but some predators too, which mean they in relative safety now.

...


(... Aaaaand cut! That's all for now. To be continued someday, folks (2nd part of this tribe and two more others). As for now - I'd like to know, what you guys think about my "open spaces savages" and stuff. And please - don't be greedy at words. Constructive criticism and other stuff are welcomed! )
(oh, and sorry for crappy grammar. English isn't mah first language)

BTW, I HAVE REACHED MAH 20 LEVEL IRL!!!)) gettin' older and older...)

I'm sorry to have not read those new additions sooner ^^;
I think you have some nice and original ideas of traits here, about custom and culture ( like that absence of humor for the mbaara for example ) but I'm not sure the race as a whole really fits the rest of the world.. I have really a hard time visualizing those intelligent an sentient kangaroos going around, organizing themselves in tribes and so...

Karbo wrote:

I'm sorry to have not read those new additions sooner ^^;
I think you have some nice and original ideas of traits here, about custom and culture ( like that absence of humor for the mbaara for example ) but I'm not sure the race as a whole really fits the rest of the world.. I have really a hard time visualizing those intelligent an sentient kangaroos going around, organizing themselves in tribes and so...

No need to sorry, Karbo)

well, as I said, GRF and other "open spaces" are pretty empty. There are c-taurs, p-taurs and other taurs on surface, but still, there is some free place to others. Those "kangaroo" tribes, mix between african and north\south american tribes, can fit it perfectly when I will reach ballance between kangaroos and other beings (and I really need some help here) ...

as for now, I didn't finished them at 100%.

as you can see, I added some "history" about one of the tribe, and I think I'll make same with others. I will explain (soon or later, maybe with someone's help) how they lived before, and how they are living now. Cultural and other stuff kept changing with time, so this is gonna be interesting!)

After all, I'm gonna make huge amount of stories about steppe's life ))


oh, one more thing, what do you, Karbo, thing about existing 19 different tribes on Felarya? Not only on GRF and Ivokan savana, of course! (there is other, much bigger continents, so... you know, as soon as I can, I'll add more tribes, much bigger than this ones)

The safest tribe - Mbaara, "the Wisdom of Steppe"

Allies to: basically, almost every tribe, except wild Nudoobo
Friends to: almost all tribes, exept Nudoobo
Neutral to: Trekere
Enemies to: only wild Nudoobo

Totals ~9500; 70%F \ 30%M

Males: 7~9 feet,

Females: 6~7.5 feet,

Location - Makacha village, Mtachi outskirts, GRF, human-sized settlements, other places.
Makacha village - big Mbaara settlement between Mbaafa and Mbaava lakes, surrounding by Mtachi jungle (one of the name for common steppe's concentration of trees, about 2-3 miles of 70~90 ft trees and many types of 2~7 ft thickets around big water sources) with high ~350 ft wooden ritual tribe wall. The wall doesn't look aggresive though, but mbaara don't tell anyone, why they erected this painted by many tribal symbols, sings and scary looking beast faces wall with wooden statues of not-friendly-looking creatures.
In short, ~70% of tribe population live here, in big steppe stronghold, which make "350ft wooden fence" between Mbaafa and Mbaava lakes. About ~5% live in other tribes, ~3% live in human settlements, ~2% live alone in some random locations as hermits, and about ~20% have no stabile location at all (nomadic groups).

Rate of shamans - over 90%. Magic element – earth, water, air, life (read below)
Based on “good” magic – “good” spells, life-enhancing spells, relieving from curse spells, etc.
Special skills of shamans:

"pacifying ray" - reduces or takes away the urge to fight

"cheering rain" - give an energy to friendly living beings and make not friendly ones lose their control and laugh madly without any reason (This spell have several side effect, on of them is: it could be used in order to grew quickly some steppe's fruit plants and many kind of flowers. Other side effect - it could change mood of living beings randomly, from "negative" to "positive". Always randomly. There were many cases, when some nekos, who were under those rains once, started behave themselves unnaturally friendly toward tinies. Some time past, all of sudden, this side effect gone, and then... well, try to figure out, what would happen with all tinies around that neko at that moment...)

"Clear sky dance" - short weather-control spell with dance elements, could be used in order to disperse overcast, even in "all-time-stormy-regions". Can be used backward, which usually lead to strong downpour.


Weapon - Magestaffs, slings with charmed rocks as rounds, little heavy wooden ritual hammers with bone spines.

Clothing – white thick garbs, neckties under upper clothes, patterned belts, soft fabric fingerless gloves with tribe’s symbols and sandals covered by mantras texts. Have pockets in clothes. Their white clothes are often washed, which is why mbaaras always emits aroma of fresh fields grasses.




Mbaara is peaceful tribe of kangaroos living between Mbaafa and Mbaava lakes (they came here from somewhere 4114 years ago), two famous steppes lakes located between Vish's outpost, Sandfall maze and Orelock plateau. This tribe built only village onto separating isthmus, and giving the size of those lakes, their village can be considering as "comfortable shortcut wtih safe inns and pleasant local folks". They will not accept any material values from adventurers as fee because it's pleasure for tribe to help "brave steppe's travelers", as they tend to name any human-sized living beings.
Although, mbaara don't mind to offer "spend the night" inside of their village even for giants; mighty mbaara's totems could not only be "source of peace of mind" but strong defenders as well (for instance, when centaur Rodrak with his gang tried to attack mbaara's village 167 years ago, he was burned alive less that 5 second to ash, which forced others non-friendly centaurs retreat immideatly).


Mbaara are not too chatty with strangers or guests, but quite talkative with those ones, whom they know as good people.
All of mbaara can communicate with their brethren and the dwelling nearby elementals by meditation, even non-shamans.
(it's not like "dryad's network" exactly, but same on some details).

Their tradition of hospitality to weary travelers, which including arranging a good meal for them, bath, and even quiet sleep, during which entire tribe is currently quieter than usual, brought to mbaara very good reputation among inhabitants of steppes.
After all, it is believed that the spirits of travel, living in every traveler, will help those mbaara who will decide to investigate the steppe, and spirits of travel will protect them, and thus nothing bad will happen. This old tradition has four thousands of years old, and considering the fact that even lone mbaara rarely get in trouble, probably, it still proves that they have some superstitions that basis.
However, if visitors have got bad, kangaroos most likely will contact with the nearest spirit or elemental in order to give to magical being some bad-mannered person.


Mbaara tribe's kangaroos are quite friendly, rather curious, good mannered, and pleasant creatures in general, and given their low height (8 ft is most common) they have no problems in most human-sized settlements during their explorations.
Also, they are incredibly good at making food and hooch (a.k.a "Mbaara's moonshine"), which is why have a mbaara chef is honor for any inn or eatery.
If any adventurer could try some fried chuchudra (one of land-terrain flightless birds species from GRF) with garnish kep-kep weeds (special plant grown by barakha tribe farmers), covered by firmly mbaara's "maseb" sauce and pinch of sliced dried laxas leaves (rare spice plants from akaptor desert) - most likely, it would be the best thing, which could be found on GRF and surrounding areas. Most likely, that adventurer will never forgot the taste of that.
Undoubtedly, mbaara's chef's culinary delights bring good reputation to entire tribe, but that doesn't mean that all mbaara love cooking. Or making hooch.


However, mbaara kangaroos have one most important feature - never, NEVER try to fool any of them.
Even in order to make a joke or surprise.
Because of some reasons, they just don't get this kind of humor (actually, all kangaroo tribes has their own unique incomprehensible sense of humor, non of them could be understood by other living being). Despite of their low height and not impressive muscles, they are quite dangerous enemies in human-sized fight. Especially when someone got them angry near to Mbaara's totems (don't forget, they have very special link with many of spirits of steppes).
That doesn't mean that Mbaara haven't sense of humor in general, especially after long-long time in non-mbaara village.

The most dangerous tribe - Nudoobo, "the headache of the Steppes"
Allies to: their own might patron spirits
Friends to: No one to entire tribe, but anyone, who can beat lone adult Nudoobo in fisticuff.
Neutral to: Trekere and other semi-bandit tribes
Enemies to: All tribes

20-30 ft. tall
Their number constantly changing from 200 to 600 individuals, depending on the rate of reproduction and the number trapped in the slavery of females from other tribes.

Rate of shamans about 5%. Magic element – fire, earth, sound (deafening spells).
Based on “bad” magic – darkness spells, curses, etc.

Special skills of shamans:
"Bloody cloak" - voodoo magic, based on control the blood of captured human-sized creatures by giving them spoiled with spell water. Right after that, the victim usually spend hours by tearing own skin because of unbearable itch. Thus, after some time, when victims mind gave up, they usually covered by their own dried blood, which is why this spell named "bloody cloak".

"Walking shadows" - simple tricks, make quite plausible illusions in order to distract enemy or prey during combat.

"Nudoo's call" – war-cry, make all nudoobo warriors obsessed with fights, decrease their sensitive to pain and increase their rage.


Weapon - many kinds of cutters, axes, swords, spears and other primitive weapons. Also bows and short throwing spears.

Clothing – red bone helmets and armors, bloody loincloths, bloody shoulder straps with skull of some mighty enemy, bone earrings, amulets and other ritual accessories. Fastened sharp bone spikes on tails, almost all the time covered by dried blood.



This is a terrible tribe, which does not have a lot of shamans, but it has a very skilled savage warriors, whose skills with the primitive but dangerous weapon could become a big problem for those who are caught in their path. Bloodthirsty and hungry, they often attack other tribes, always group to group, in pursuit of some unknown purpose "to show them" in front of their evil patron-spirits, whom they offered their preys on bloody altar of sacrifices, and then eats the dead body of the victim.


Other tribes have long wanted to destroy them all, but since Nudoobo enlisted the help of some higher power, it’s not so easy. Steppes spirits and elementals fundamentally do not interfere, saying that "elemental should not fight with other elemental due to non-elemental”. Given that the warriors of Nudoobo tribe are very skillful, cunning, quick and deadly, they rarely lose battles with neighbors and proportionate to the creatures, so they are a "headache" of Great Rocky Fields.


Tamed some steppe coyotes and kenshas, which are used to protect their parking lot when all males go off to war or during hunt, using coyotes as hounds.

Also tamed red scorpions (rising to 20 feet) from Akaptor desert, which are used during ambushes for their ability to instantly dug and dug out from many types of earth, sand and rocky soil, and sprinkle the sticky poisonous acid from the tail.


Nudoobo devour everything alive. Literally. Particularly fond of meat kin from other tribes. The bodies of their dead, in other matters, also eat with great gusto. Needless to say, that if the groups of unarmed travelers encounter a detachment Nudoobo, the days of their lives are over.


Important addition: Nudoobo shamans are very skilled in "voodoo" magic, which included zombies of their not-devoired-victums.
Mostly - human-sized "preys". Neko warriors or humans soldiers, for example, are most common.

They are not undead, ( because of Felarya soil ) but not completely alive. Something between two stages. Each shaman have his own "army" (50-250) of those slaves, and, because of Nudoobo society, this is only way to protect themselves.
Nudoobo warriors disapprove this kind of "unnatural things" and some of them time to time try to wipe out all of someone's zombies. Usually - unsuccessfully. Which mean that those zombies have some fresh kangaroo flesh sometimes...
Despite common assumptions, zombie can be turned back into person, by some other kangaroo shaman. That's would be not easy, but also not impossible.

(26.02.2011)

another important addition about Nudoobo:
1)
Nudoobo shamans work alone. Each of them (the only except - hunt time, when they "make" themselves to work with warriors in order to get some fresh meat to entire tribe). This is quite risky, but their oversized ego cannot accept thought about work in group. Even with other shamans. Sad but true for them. It's about 5% of nudoobo are shamans, which is why they are so cocky.
In other hand, Mbaara, the Wisdom of Steppe, have 90% of shamans, and they are quite more friendly than their warriors. Even by their standards.

2) Because of shaman's ego, Nudoobo warriors hate them all. Without exceptions. Despite the fact that Nudoobo warriors are douchebags as well, they HAVE a reason to hate their own shamans. Go figure.

3) There is NO L4Dness in Felarya. Those zombies AREN'T dead in common term, they are alive creepy humanoid monsters under shaman's control. For example, in present time, each shaman have 50 ~ 250 of them, but most of shamans have about 50-125, two twin shamans have 150~175, and only the First Shaman, their informal leader, has 250. And believe me, you all don't want to meet guy during his hunt...

4) Those "zombies" are slow and stupid humanoids. They aren’t big problem for anyone, who can use weapon. Not only guns, but also swords, or two sharp daggers can help to deal with it. Even someone who has black belt also can beat them all. Well, maybe not all of them, though...
Still, they are perfect "sitting ducks". Nudoobo shamans even use them to make ambushes for hunt centaurs and harpies! Actually, there is nothing more dangerous in GRF than sneaky Nudoobo shaman with his own "army" of zombies plus some of red scorpions as "Glue cannons", and some warriors to injure and kill they prey, no matter how big it is.

5) How shamans keep their "servants" under control all the time? Voodoo mind control. That’s all.

(21:44 28.03.2011)

The most taciturn tribe, Pogonshi, the whistling shepherds
Allies to: Gurrara
Friends to: Mbaara
Neutral to: Barakha, Trekere
Enemies to: Nudoobo and all other, who dare attack Pogonshi’s livestock.

Totals 695 (+\- 20), 39-43 ft. tall
rate of shamans - 19~21%. Magic element – air, sound (read below), earth.
Based on “neutral” magic - stunning, distracting, stopping and calming spells.

Special skills of shamans:
“Empty air” – area-hitting spell, which make air in chosen area unusable to breathe. Unlike common air magic, this spell “close” any sounds as well, which mean target cannot call for help.

“Follow me” – mind control spell, allow Pogonshi to lead entire herd, no matter how big size of that herd or how big animals sizes.

“Bleeding ears” – based on air and sound element, this special spell with whistling element can break the eardrums of target from good distance and cause unbearable pain. Because of “directness” this spell , it could be use against certain victim, and not bother other ones.


Weapon - long spears, whips, sharp ropes, and other shepherd inventory.
Some of them have quite advanced weapons like crossbows, halberd, long swords, and some primitive firearms, gained by trade operations with advanced races (human-sized and\or giants), but because of unusualness of those "alien" weapon they rarely use it due to not the best skills on GRF and other steppes. though not all of them so incompetent in this craft.

Clothing – long olive-color hooded cloaks, tribe pants, sacred fur swathes on forearms.



If you want to meet someone, who knows all open spaces of Great Rocky Fields, Ivokan Savanna, and many other open places – try to ask any Pogonshi’s shepherd. Those hooded by long olive-color cloaks taciturn creatures keep silent almost all the time when they keep an eye over grazing domesticated saiga antelopes.

None of Pogonshi will talk to human-sized strangers first, even if intruders will try to make harm to their livestock in order to attract kangaroo’s attention – most likely those kangaroos just knock the off their legs with a strong burst of wind or by throwing rocks right onto the human-sized pesky trouble-causers. That would be the first and the last warning from 40 ft stoic kangaroos. If intruders didn’t get it, there is highly chance that they will be captured, and will be sold as Pogonshi’s livestock to other tribes or somewhere else, including predators settlements.

Because of relatively closed Pogonshi society, there is not many information about them. Historically known fact says that this tribe is old, and some scientist assuming that they can be the oldest kangaroo tribe which was discovered on Felarya. Descriptions of “not talkative meat-sellers from endless steppes” could be found almost everywhere, from Negav’s libraries to ancient Sagolian’s graffiti amoung Ur-Sagol’s ruins. Dridder Empire, Fairy Kingdom, and many other countries, which were existed or exist now, had or have trade deals with them, but none of them even mention that those kangaroos ever said sentences, longer than 5-6 words.
There is hypothesis that their abstinence from speak caused by ancient testament from Pogonshi’s patron spirits, but there is no solid proof yet.


Usually, they evade clashes with any other material and immaterial creatures, but if they do, they fight until all enemies will be dead.
No exceptions, no mercy, no negotiations.
That doesn’t mean that Pogonshi are heartless, but it’s really difficult to piss them off THAT badly. And if they are angry, causers are in big trouble.


This tribe have one interesting feature – according their second name, they use whistling as method of communication with each other from great distances. They use lots of whistling variations, which allow them have “full talk”. Actually, Pogonshi are quite chatty, especially young ones, but most adventurers don’t know it, and often tend to think that "Those freaking kangaroos are hunting on us!!".
But that’s not true.
If Pogonshi have chat with his\her brother or sister, or any other Pogonshi, who sit miles away, it mean that that Pogonshi is calm, and there is no way that kangaroo could attack strangers, unless they shoot at livestock. Other tribes often ask Pogonshi to send a message for great distance in certain direct, and despite of “not friendly” stereotype, they rarely ignore any kangaroo’s request (most likely because no one will bother 40ft severe taciturn shepherds with unnecessary asks).


The objects of their trade activity are barter and services. They have many type of money from human’s settlements, but they prefer to trade on something more useful like:

Gurrara’s hired security guards with full ammunition astride on war-kenshas and horned jumping coyotes.
Mbaara’s cooked food and "magic moonhooch".
Barakha’s sea, lake and river algae and fishes.
Trekere's wood crafts, firewoods, jungle healing plants and berries.
and etc.

There is some human’s devises in Pogonshi tribal villages, (big magic\solar-powered refrigerators and microwave ovens are quite useful during hot daytime and cold nighttime), and often some of captured human's technicians and\or mages can trade their life by fixing those devices, but if they broke them, wrath of Pogonshi would be awful.

Pogonshi tribe have contacts with many great GRF and other open spaces predators, which is why most centaurs, pantaurs and other sentient beings haven’t big problem with pogonshi’s herds on their territory. Trade and old treaties have important weight among steppe’s creatures.

The only problem – harpies, who tend to bother Pogonshi pretty often by stealing antelope’s cubs because of small size of some domesticated antelope’s breeds (for example, duiker-like sepssa’s cubs are 7-9 ft height, and any harpy could gulp it in a wink). Kensha and manticores usually keep distance, if herd are secured by Gurrarra riders armed by their legendary bows. But there are exceptions during nighttime, and of course, there is humans with firearms on vehicles, and that's Gurrarra problem - they simply cannot "outrun" machine gun in firing.