THE AKKARI

Introduction

The Akkari inhabit a wide swath of northern Fronela, from Winterwood to the foothills of the Grey Mountains. They have generally been avoided by other cultures, and as a result remain the most populous 'minor' Hsunchen race in Genertela, numbering as many as 30,000 individuals.

Unlike their totem, the Akkari are a reasonably sociable people, at least with each other. They live in matriarchal groups of up to three generations, including children. Several such groups combine together to form a clan of a hundred or so adults, centred about a shaman and her family. Marriage is always outside the clan, and is monogamous although a wife may readily divorce a husband she feels is unworthy. One of the better kept secrets about the Akkari (presumably because nobody really wants to know) is that they are passionate lovers, sometimes rivalling followers of Uleria in skill and especially stamina [1].

The Akkari survive primarily by hunting, with a relatively small amount of vegetable matter in their diet. However, only men may hunt and women are employed in rearing children, leatherworking and other sedentary tasks. For most of the year, family groups are semi-nomadic, setting up tents wherever the prospects for food or other resources appear best but always remaining within a few days travel of the shaman's shrine. During the winter, the entire clan moves to prepared earthwork dens near the shrine and settles down to sleep. Unlike some other Fronelan hsunchen, at least some male hunters remain awake to guard the dens and shrine, except in the most severe of winters when food is especially scarce.

All Akkari shamans are female, but they carry out only male roles, hunting to provide food, and leading the fight in times of war. Since shamans live in only nuclear families, and since the husband will also be a hunter, they rely on the rest of the clan to gift them with other food and goods. In return they provide leadership and magical support. They live permanently in an earthwork den near the home of some significant nature spirit, such as a small lake, waterfall, rock formation or the like.

Appearance

A Wareran people, the Akkari are very pale skinned, with jet black hair and dark eyes giving them a very striking appearance. In both men and women, the sides of the head are shaved, leaving a strip of hair a couple of inches wide running across the centre of the head. Men are clean shaven, and keep their hair relatively short, while the women let their hair grow as long as possible. Akkari women are in fact notably attractive, and contrary to popular belief, none of the skunk people are normally smelly [2].

Clothes are composed of furs, taken from a variety of Fronelan animals and chosen for a multicoloured, decorative effect. Ivory and stone talismans, necklaces and similar decorative items are common, often decorated with runes or simple pictures. Both sexes wear long tunics hanging to the knees, furred leggings and ankle-length boots. Hooded cloaks are usually added in winter.

SKUNKS

Mephitis mephitis

Natural habitat: Forest, hills, prarie
Distribution: Fronela, Ralios, Peloria, N Seshnela
Male adult size: 68 cm head/body length, 1.5-3 kg

This is the largest and commonest of the many species of skunk found throughout western Genertela and Peloria. The fur is black with a distinctive pattern of white stripes along the back and tail. Skunks mate in late Stormseason and give birth to 3-9 young in early Fireseason. Skunks are primarily nocturnal, and in Fronela will den through the winter. They are non-territorial, and the males and females live apart outside of the breeding season, so that the male takes no part in raising the young. They mostly eat insects and small mammals, but will eat grubs, eggs and even fruit if their favoured food is scarce.

Stats

RQ3

STR	1d3	2		Move 3
CON	3d6	10-11		HP 8
SIZ	1d3	2		Fatigue 13
INT	4	4
POW	3d6	10-11
DEX	3d6+3	13-14

Spray   SR3   75-6%   special   Effect R: 2m   Max R: 6m

Armour: None
Skills: Smell 35-5, Listen 30-5, Hide 25+11, Sneak 35+11
Hit locations as a typical quadruped.

While skunk spray does no damage, if it hits the target in the head, they must make a POW x2 roll (POW x4 if wearing a full helm) or be blinded for 25 combat rounds. If the spray hits another part of the body, or they pass the roll, they will merely stink for the next 1d3+1 weeks. During this time any Hide or Sneak rolls to evade a target with a sense of smell are made at one fifth normal chance, and effective APP is reduced to one quarter normal value (round up). Any clothes they are wearing on the affected part will be ruined, and they are liable to suffer social embarassment and ostracism.

GURPS: (see GURPS Bestiary p31)

[1] For whatever reason, skunk copulation is unusually prolonged.

[2] because neither are skunks, unless they've been having a fight. And if you're wondering, yes, it does suit my sense of humour that the one race that most people really want to avoid meeting, let alone get intimate with, are in fact both beautiful and passionate.