yamamura
Mar 20th, '05, 07:36 PM
Yay post 996, only four to go.
Back in the nineties I came up with this race for a world that would exclude the standard fantasy races. Yes I know with their ears they somewhat resembles elves, but I hope they are enough different not to be too close. Also I was reading Mercedes Lackey (and other fantasy authors of her ilk) at about the same time and aspect of the race might be influenced by that. I apologize for the length in advance.
Jandas
This is the name of the cat-like race of the high plains. They have pointy ears with very short fur on the outside of the lobe and slit eyes (with green and amber being dominant). They have longer canines then human due their carnivorous ancestry even though they have long since become omnivores. Hair tends to be tawny in colour with shades of black and white appearing. They have fixed claws at the ends of their fingers and toes and have long since developed a fighting style that makes use of these. Their build tend to lean with well defined muscle tone.
Racial Template
Ability
+3 to DEX 9pts
Night-vision 5pts
+1 to Hearing and Smell/Taste Groups 4 pts
Claws HKA ½d6; Reduced Penetration (-¼) 8 pts
Disadvantages
Colour Blind (Infrequently, Slightly) 5pts
From time to time there is born amongst the Janda, a child with white hair and blue eyes. Unlike most of its kin, this Janda can actually see colours (though they are also known to go blind as they get older and their night vision is not as good). Most with these gifts become shamans of the tribe and are viewed to be marked by the Janda tribal spirits.
Culture: In their culture, we find a group orientated philosophy with a free love outlook. Children are raised as a group by their local tribe and hunting is done by any capable adult who chooses the life of the hunter. They consists of six nomadic greater clans; Dionet, Haget, Kin’da, Linady, Torag and Vonay. Even with this division, the Jandas recognizes the High Father of the Kin’da as the leaders of all of the Jandas. It is he that settles inter-tribal disputes and regulates how hunting grounds are to be divided up. Jandas tribes are known to work together to ensure a successful hunt.
Another aspect of the Janda that differs from most human culture is the almost total lack of sex roles and of sharing of sex. Janda do not marry. That does not mean bonding ceremonies don’t exist amongst the Janda. From time to time, two Janda or even a Janda and an outsider will take the oath of caring called Kastin dri hu Pental (translates as either child of my heart or first in my heart). This oath once taken denotes that the two are special friends to each other. Also a human taking this oath is considered to be a member of the tribe his partner is from.
Janda enjoys a good party. In fact they view it as another chance to join in community event. Most Janda celebration involves a lot of food, wine and free sex that would make most monks blush. The two greatest festivals of any Janda are the Adon Vorn (Moon’s day) and Nav Vorn (Sun’s Day). Adon Vorn is celebrated on the night of the first full moon after the spring equinox. The day honours all the women and female spirits of the clan. Also on this date all women are considered a year older. Nav Vorn happens on the day after the Winter Solstice and honours all the men and male spirits of the clan, and are considered a year older.
Names: Janda names follow this pattern; Tribal name, next their local tribe name (varies based on floral or fauna, though it is often dropped except in ceremonial purposes or when Janda of two different tribes meet), then either dro (son) or dram (daughter) and finally their personal name. Personal names have no meaning (unless by accident) in the Janda’s language as most Janda will tell you. All personal names follow one of two pattern constant-vowel-constant or vowel-constant-vowel (with Gyn and Sil not being used as personal names).
Shaman and tribal leaders names are slightly different. Leaders substitutes either edro (father) or edram (mother) instead of the normal dro and dram to denote leadership. While shamans takes the name of the either of the two great spirits and place it in front of their tribal name for example Gyn Kin’da dram Vor or Sil Torag dro Dav (more on shaman in the religion section).
Finally Janda also have a true name. These they only share with those they deeply care for and acquire after seeking solace in the wilderness for a week or longer once they come of age. Before that they carry a child’s name given to them by their mothers. For those who wish to become shamans, must wait upon a vision by one of the two great spirits and only then do they gain their true name.
Religion: Janda are animistic though they do honour two spirits above all others. These the Janda believe created the world through an intricate dance. Janda believe that the dance is the balance between creation and destruction, male and female and birth and death. The male aspect of this duo is known as Sil dro Janda and the female is known as Gyn dram Janda. There name sometimes changes based on the manifestation of the spirits. If they appear as youth then a ka is placed before the dro or dram for example Gyn kadram Janda, if they appear as matured individual then it’s either edro or edram and finally if they appear aged then it is tredro and tredram. Also only these two spirits uses their personal name first, all other spirits put Janda first.
Janda are a firm believer in reincarnation. They see life as a cycle and a cycle that they are part of. What once was will return again is a favourite Janda saying. They also believe living a good life ensures great things not only in this life but their next. Honour, truthfulness and loyalty to the community are also traits that the Janda hold dear and raise their children on. Many of their tribal ceremony and tales put forth these truths.
One last thing to mention about their shaman, a male Janda can become a shaman of Gyn and female Janda a shaman of Sil. When they do it they change their second part of their name to the proper gender, for example when Haget dro Fen gets a vision from Gyn and becomes one of her shamans, he takes the name Gyn Haget dram Fen.
Glossary
Adon: Moon
Dionet: The northern Janda tribe whose name means swift one
Dram: Daughter
Dri: Of
Dro: Son
Edram: Mother
Edro: father
Haget: southern Janda clan whose name means spotted one
Hu: my
Kast: Youth often shorten to ka as a prefix for dram or dro
Kin’da: the middle clan which translate to grey one
Linady: Eastern tribe whose name means hawk
Pental: Heart
Torag: Western Janda Clan whose name means of the shadows
Trest: Elder shorten to tre as a prefix for dram or dro
Vonay: the lost Janda tribe whose name means striped ones.
Janda Martial Arts: The Janda practice two unarmed fighting styles called Sil’s Dance and Gyn’s dance, though for all practical purposes they are basically the same. The two styles actually compliment each other when sparring and can form an intricate dance. But don’t let the pretty moves fool you; both styles can be quite lethal in combat. Weapon Element: Claws is assumed in both Styles.
Sil/Gyn Dance
Cat’s Claws ½ phase 4 pts +0 OCV and +2 DCV +2 DC
Cat’s Kick ½ phase 4 pts -2 OCV and +1 DCV +4 DC
Cat’s Dodge ½ phase 4 pts - OCV and +5 DCV Affects all Attacks, Abort
Grab ½ phase 3 pts -1 OCV and -1 DCV Grab Two Limbs, +10 to STR for Holding on
Squirm ½ phase 4 pts +0 OCV and +0 DCV +15 STR vs. Grabs
Skills
KS: Sil or Gyn’s Dance
PS: Dancing
G
Back in the nineties I came up with this race for a world that would exclude the standard fantasy races. Yes I know with their ears they somewhat resembles elves, but I hope they are enough different not to be too close. Also I was reading Mercedes Lackey (and other fantasy authors of her ilk) at about the same time and aspect of the race might be influenced by that. I apologize for the length in advance.
Jandas
This is the name of the cat-like race of the high plains. They have pointy ears with very short fur on the outside of the lobe and slit eyes (with green and amber being dominant). They have longer canines then human due their carnivorous ancestry even though they have long since become omnivores. Hair tends to be tawny in colour with shades of black and white appearing. They have fixed claws at the ends of their fingers and toes and have long since developed a fighting style that makes use of these. Their build tend to lean with well defined muscle tone.
Racial Template
Ability
+3 to DEX 9pts
Night-vision 5pts
+1 to Hearing and Smell/Taste Groups 4 pts
Claws HKA ½d6; Reduced Penetration (-¼) 8 pts
Disadvantages
Colour Blind (Infrequently, Slightly) 5pts
From time to time there is born amongst the Janda, a child with white hair and blue eyes. Unlike most of its kin, this Janda can actually see colours (though they are also known to go blind as they get older and their night vision is not as good). Most with these gifts become shamans of the tribe and are viewed to be marked by the Janda tribal spirits.
Culture: In their culture, we find a group orientated philosophy with a free love outlook. Children are raised as a group by their local tribe and hunting is done by any capable adult who chooses the life of the hunter. They consists of six nomadic greater clans; Dionet, Haget, Kin’da, Linady, Torag and Vonay. Even with this division, the Jandas recognizes the High Father of the Kin’da as the leaders of all of the Jandas. It is he that settles inter-tribal disputes and regulates how hunting grounds are to be divided up. Jandas tribes are known to work together to ensure a successful hunt.
Another aspect of the Janda that differs from most human culture is the almost total lack of sex roles and of sharing of sex. Janda do not marry. That does not mean bonding ceremonies don’t exist amongst the Janda. From time to time, two Janda or even a Janda and an outsider will take the oath of caring called Kastin dri hu Pental (translates as either child of my heart or first in my heart). This oath once taken denotes that the two are special friends to each other. Also a human taking this oath is considered to be a member of the tribe his partner is from.
Janda enjoys a good party. In fact they view it as another chance to join in community event. Most Janda celebration involves a lot of food, wine and free sex that would make most monks blush. The two greatest festivals of any Janda are the Adon Vorn (Moon’s day) and Nav Vorn (Sun’s Day). Adon Vorn is celebrated on the night of the first full moon after the spring equinox. The day honours all the women and female spirits of the clan. Also on this date all women are considered a year older. Nav Vorn happens on the day after the Winter Solstice and honours all the men and male spirits of the clan, and are considered a year older.
Names: Janda names follow this pattern; Tribal name, next their local tribe name (varies based on floral or fauna, though it is often dropped except in ceremonial purposes or when Janda of two different tribes meet), then either dro (son) or dram (daughter) and finally their personal name. Personal names have no meaning (unless by accident) in the Janda’s language as most Janda will tell you. All personal names follow one of two pattern constant-vowel-constant or vowel-constant-vowel (with Gyn and Sil not being used as personal names).
Shaman and tribal leaders names are slightly different. Leaders substitutes either edro (father) or edram (mother) instead of the normal dro and dram to denote leadership. While shamans takes the name of the either of the two great spirits and place it in front of their tribal name for example Gyn Kin’da dram Vor or Sil Torag dro Dav (more on shaman in the religion section).
Finally Janda also have a true name. These they only share with those they deeply care for and acquire after seeking solace in the wilderness for a week or longer once they come of age. Before that they carry a child’s name given to them by their mothers. For those who wish to become shamans, must wait upon a vision by one of the two great spirits and only then do they gain their true name.
Religion: Janda are animistic though they do honour two spirits above all others. These the Janda believe created the world through an intricate dance. Janda believe that the dance is the balance between creation and destruction, male and female and birth and death. The male aspect of this duo is known as Sil dro Janda and the female is known as Gyn dram Janda. There name sometimes changes based on the manifestation of the spirits. If they appear as youth then a ka is placed before the dro or dram for example Gyn kadram Janda, if they appear as matured individual then it’s either edro or edram and finally if they appear aged then it is tredro and tredram. Also only these two spirits uses their personal name first, all other spirits put Janda first.
Janda are a firm believer in reincarnation. They see life as a cycle and a cycle that they are part of. What once was will return again is a favourite Janda saying. They also believe living a good life ensures great things not only in this life but their next. Honour, truthfulness and loyalty to the community are also traits that the Janda hold dear and raise their children on. Many of their tribal ceremony and tales put forth these truths.
One last thing to mention about their shaman, a male Janda can become a shaman of Gyn and female Janda a shaman of Sil. When they do it they change their second part of their name to the proper gender, for example when Haget dro Fen gets a vision from Gyn and becomes one of her shamans, he takes the name Gyn Haget dram Fen.
Glossary
Adon: Moon
Dionet: The northern Janda tribe whose name means swift one
Dram: Daughter
Dri: Of
Dro: Son
Edram: Mother
Edro: father
Haget: southern Janda clan whose name means spotted one
Hu: my
Kast: Youth often shorten to ka as a prefix for dram or dro
Kin’da: the middle clan which translate to grey one
Linady: Eastern tribe whose name means hawk
Pental: Heart
Torag: Western Janda Clan whose name means of the shadows
Trest: Elder shorten to tre as a prefix for dram or dro
Vonay: the lost Janda tribe whose name means striped ones.
Janda Martial Arts: The Janda practice two unarmed fighting styles called Sil’s Dance and Gyn’s dance, though for all practical purposes they are basically the same. The two styles actually compliment each other when sparring and can form an intricate dance. But don’t let the pretty moves fool you; both styles can be quite lethal in combat. Weapon Element: Claws is assumed in both Styles.
Sil/Gyn Dance
Cat’s Claws ½ phase 4 pts +0 OCV and +2 DCV +2 DC
Cat’s Kick ½ phase 4 pts -2 OCV and +1 DCV +4 DC
Cat’s Dodge ½ phase 4 pts - OCV and +5 DCV Affects all Attacks, Abort
Grab ½ phase 3 pts -1 OCV and -1 DCV Grab Two Limbs, +10 to STR for Holding on
Squirm ½ phase 4 pts +0 OCV and +0 DCV +15 STR vs. Grabs
Skills
KS: Sil or Gyn’s Dance
PS: Dancing
G