Island Hopping

The Tagata Halflings of Minata

I’ve done a few of these non-human racial ethnicities over the past two years, but each of them was written from a small snippet deep in some book about an existing subculture of a race. This time around I went off on my own to add a new culture of halflings to the world of Golarion. You will not find these halflings mentioned in any of the splat books for Paizo’s campaign world as they are fully created by me. Halflings that have roots in what would be real world Polynesian culture have always been something I wanted to create and so I present to you the Tagata.

History

For many years people thought that halflings were native only to Avistan. When the Chelish colonizers came to Sargava and found that there were tribes of savage halflings roaming the jungles that myth was proven false. Halflings have actually spread out all across the face of Golarion, although in areas where they haven’t attached themselves to human society and culture like Avistan they sometimes go unnoticed.

Although the northern islands of Minata are well explored and trade with the Tian-Xia mainland, much of the southern reaches remains a mystery. The Rendah Pulu region is feared for its demon worshiping humanoids, many of whom are thought to be cannibals. Because of this lack of extensive explorations, the halflings of the region – who call themselves the Tagata meaning “the people” – have gone all but unnoticed.

Most of the history of the Tagata is held in verbal accounts and seems to back up the legends of the Minata region. As the story goes, they migrated with the humans known as the Taumata when the region was one giant landmass that led to Sarusan. When Hei Feng destroyed the mass because of the arrogance of the humans he scattered the remaining islands all across the sea. With everything destroyed the Tagata were sent nearly back to the stone age and were unable to return to their homeland.

The halflings of the islands of Minata very quickly learned to sail and navigate (mechanics note: Tagata halflings replace the Luck racial trait with the Wanderlust racial trait). Many of their number set sail on va’a tele, the great seafaring versions of their outrigger canoes known as va’a. None of these great sea goers ever returned and so the Tagata made a life for themselves hidden away on the islands.

Physiology

For the most part the Tagata halflings are no different from their kin in Avistan or Garund. Their time in the sun and at sea means their skin tends to be darker and more weathered, but that’s about the extent of their physical changes. They still retain grace and strong-will halflings are known for, as well as the keen ears of their people across Golarion.

Society

There are three main parts to the Tagata society: faith, family, and music. The family is regarded as an integral part of a one's life. The aiga, or extended family, works and lives together. Elders in the family are shown great respect and hold the highest status. This may be seen at a traditional Sunday umu, a gathering to eat around the earthen oven known as the umu.

The family lives in a fale, which is a massive wooden structure that has no walls. As many as twenty halflings sleep under the canopy of the fale, representing the entirety of an extended family in many cases. The fale is also used for chatting and relaxing during the day making it a central part of the Tagata family life.

Tattoos play a large role in the Tagata society. Although there are tattooist on each island and even within each tribe, there is but one master tattooist or tufuga ta tatau. The title of tufuga ta tatau is a hereditary one in the clan called the Matai. The Master tattooist is afforded high social status –rivaling that of a chief – and legendary prestige due to his important role in Tagata society.

The traditional tattoo that covers from the waist to the knees worn by the male is called a pe’a. Those halflings who have the full tattoo soga'imiti and are respected for their courage. Those who have yet to begin the tattooing process are called telefua, which literally translates to naked. If one starts the tattooing process and bows out due to pain, or for inability to pay the tattooist they are given a mark of shame and called pe'amutu.

The traditional female tattoo is called the malu and covers much less space and typically has finer and more intricate designs. Originally these tattoos were only for the chief’s daughter, and still to this day the malu given to the daughter of shows her importance to the village. In recent generations other women have also gotten the malu, but this is mainly an excuse for young apprentice tattoo artists to get experience.

Music is also an important part of the Tagata society. Songs are sung and dances performed at almost every important tribal function. Music also finds its way into everyday life and almost every Halfling can be found singing either loudly or to themselves while they perform their work for the day.

The music of the Tagata is heavy on drums as well as a traditional instrument – a rolled up mat beaten with sticks – called the fala. In private for individual amusement small groups will play the jaw harp, raft panpipe, or a nose-blown flute. These instruments are also accompanied by choral singing.

Although most dances are done to some kind of music there is one done without such accompaniment. Fa'ataupati or slap dance is traditionally performed by groups of men. The men clap in sync with each other and this slapping, clapping, and foot stomping replaces the need for instruments. Because of the slapping this dance is usually done after the dancers are covered in coconut oil.

The Tagata hunt and gather on the islands which they reside, but their real love is the sea. Fishing isn’t just an occupation, it is a way of life. Every Tagata learns to sail and fish at an early age. The halflings also do a hefty amount of crabbing for variety. The ocean also supplies shells which are used in art, as trade items, and crafted into musical instruments. Some halflings take up pearl diving supplying their tribes with a means to trade outside of the Tagata culture, as well as for decorations for high ranking members of the clan.

Alignment and Faith

For the most part the Tagata halflings try to live a life at peace with themselves and nature. They are much more worried about their day to day lives than the eternal battle between good and evil or law and chaos. After the destruction of Minata when it was a land bridge they decided not to take sides and remain mostly neutral.

The Tagata worship some of the Tian deities, and pay homage to others as not to upset them. The tribal halflings also worship many tribal spirits alongside the gods of the land. Hei Feng is the most respected deity among the Tagata, both because they fear he could wipe out Minata next time and because he is the god of the sea. The shamans and medicine men of the tribes tend to venerate Qi Zhong for his domain over magic and medicine. Sun Wukong is evoked at almost all celebrations where the Tagata enjoy drinking and the occasional practical joke.

Lady Nanbyo and Yamatsumi aren’t so much worshiped as placated. The region has a few active and dormant volcanoes and earthquakes happen from time to time. The Tagata make sacrifices to both of these deities in an attempted to minimize the destruction they might cause.

Relations

Few if any of the modern Tian people known as the Tian-Sing have had any contact with these halflings. Many think that they are just a myth although the reed boat making Taumata who descended from the original Taumata people of Sarusan do trade with the Tagata halflings. The halflings also have some dealings with the reclusive Wayang who inhabit some of the islands in the Rendah Pulu region.

Many of the other humanoids in the area are dangerous and hostile. Years of sailing around the islands have given Tagata a good idea of which islands are safe and which are leaga, or evil. Some of the halflings have left markings on trees near the shores of these islands to warn away others who may not know of the dangers.

Adventurers

Although the Tagata rarely get beyond the southern reaches of Minata  there is still plenty of places for the young and the brave to find adventure. When the evils of the other islands rises up, Tagata parties will move head first to stop them. Ancient ruins of patently non-tian design have also made their presence known – especially after earthquakes – and young halflings will gather to explore their depths.

Those adventurers with magical might tend to be nature based casters. Shaman, witches, and druids are the most common casters among the Tagata. On occasion oracles and sorcerers will show up in a clan as well. Wizards, arcanists, and magi are almost unheard of. Some worshipers of Qi Zhong focused on natural medicines may become alchemists.

Among the more martial minded hunters, barbarians, rangers and straight-up fighters can be found in abundance. The Tagata have an unarmed style of fighting which mostly deals in hit and run tactics against larger opponent’s knees. Masters of this art becomes well renown brawlers.

Music being a central part of the Tagata cultures means that the halflings of the Minata islands see many bards and skalds among their ranks. Some skalds have mastered the Fa'ataupati and made it into a dance to intimidate any foe. Tagata war singers are often found on the frontlines on the rare occasion the halflings war, and they are a welcome addition to any adventuring party.

What kind of cultures for other races would you like to see? Would you add these halflings to your Golarion campaign? Would you adapt them to your homebrew world? This is just a short write-up, but what other information would you like to see about the Tagata?

The music of the Tagatahalflings is the music of creation, much like the CRB. If you’ve enjoyed this write-up please consider becoming a contributor. Monthly donations of as little as one dollar can be made to my Patreon. A one-time donation can easily be made to my Paypal. Every bit helps me keep the lights on so I can concentrate on bringing you the content you deserve.

The CRB has been growing as a community on social media. Please join us on Facebook, Google+, Tumblr, and Twitter. My inbox is open on all forums for questions, comments, and discussion. If you don’t want to miss a beat make sure you sign up to have the CRB pushed directly to your e-reading device with Kindle Subscriptions through Amazon.

No More Monkeying Around

The Orang-Pendak

This week’s random roll gave me the opportunity to explore a new race. The orang-pendak were introduced in the Bestiary 5 and were given stats to build as a playable race. When I went looking, however, I realized that the only information that was available for these sasquatch cousins was in said bestiary. So to properly write up this week’s background it falls upon me to expand upon the lore of these gentle and reclusive ape-men.

History

The history of the orang-pendak is little more than tales passed down from storyteller to storyteller. The jungle dwelling ape-men keep no written histories of their travels. Because they are also reclusive creatures there is little known about them outside of their people. Even those orang-pendak that leave the tribe to adventure speak little of their past.

Some common themes of their history told by their song makers is that there was a great exodus from the north. Although an accurate calendar isn’t kept by the ape men, the tales told of the time of the exodus correlate with events that happened during earthfall. Many tribe of sasquatch – of whom the orang-pendak are most likely related – fled from their homes when the skies turned black and the spirits began to scream.

The orang-pendak crossed over what would become Thuvia and traversed the barrier wall, ending their flight on the Mwangi jungle side of the mountain range. This is where many of the tribes would remain, although others would eventually range farther, making homes in wooded areas of both the Shattered Range and the Bandu Hills. There was more than enough land that wasn’t seeing use for the tribes to live solitary lives for millennia.

When the Shory Empire arose the orang-pendak found it harder to keep their existence a secret. The flying cities brought the humans everywhere and the civilizations lust for knowledge meant they left few stones unturned when trying to catalog the world. The Shory scholars learned of the orang-pendak, although most of their knowledge died with the crumbling of the flying cities. Those who have found bits of information on the ape-men often confuse them with the beginnings to the monkey creatures that would serve the Gorilla King of Usaro.

After the fall of the Shory empire the orang-pendak returned to their reclusive ways, hoping that the humans had forgotten about them completely. Although rare, occasionally a young tribe member seeks to set out on his own path. This has become less and less common as the orang-pendak are often mistaken for the Gorilla King’s minions and killed before any questions can be asked. The usually docile orang-pendakhave grown to hate the Gorilla King and some of the more aggressive tribe members wish to seek him out and destroy him.

Physiology

Like the sasquatch, orang-pendak look like a cross between humans and simians. In the case of the orang-pendak they resemble orangutans and gibbons more than they do gorillas. They are bipedal, although they walk hunched over which often gets them mistake for actual apes. Their skin is somewhat leathery, but not enough to provide any real armor, and most of their body is covered in hair that ranges from light brown to red.

As they adapted to their new home, the orang-pendak have become smaller than their ancestors and now stand on average at about four feet tall. Their smaller stature belies the fact that they have retained much of the strength of those that came before. The orang-pendakare generally gentle creatures but when one is angered it could theoretically rip leather armor asunder with its bare hands.

One of the reasons they remain mainly undetected in their homes is that orang-pendak are mostly nocturnal creatures. Being active at night has acclimated their eyes to seeing clearly in the starlight. As such they have low-light vision allowing them to see the hazards of the forest under the night sky.

Society

Orang-pendaklive in a nomadic tribal society. They wander from location to location usually, in a set seasonal path so as not to use up all the resources in one place. Occasionally events will occur that force the ape-men to adjust their migration pattern, but this only happens rarely.

Each tribe has a different structure although most are led by a council of elders and not one leader. The council generally consists of a spiritual speaker, a lore singer, a wanderer, and a spearman. A council may have more or less members but these four are traditionally the core elders. Each elder is considered the authority on their area of expertise and his or her word is considered with greater weight when dealing with matters of that variety. However the council must come to a consensus before a decision is made.

The ape-men are more gatherers than hunters but they will occasionally eat meat. Their impressive strength sees them able to take down animals even larger than they are purely on the force of one of their thrown spears. Meat is reserved for special occasions only and part of any event that sees meat eaten is a ceremony to thank the spirit of the beast for giving of itself to the tribe.

In the tribe family is very important. A familial unit will usually consist of a mother, father, a child, and perhaps grandparents. Orang-Pendak numbers are small because bearing children doesn’t happen often. An orang-pendak mother rarely gives birth to more than one child her lifetime.

Orang-Pendak society often integrates actual apes into itself. These creatures are sometimes companions and familiars to those with a deeper connection to the creatures of the land. Often the ape-men will take in young orangutans and baboons who have lost their own troops or have been left for dead. Outsiders may think that the orang-pendak keep these creatures as pets, but in truth they are considered valued members of the tribe.

Alignment and Faith

The orang-pendak tend toward neutrality. Not so much wishy-washy or indecisive as they are “go-with-the-flow” types. They believe that the spirits will help provide for them, so they don’t often get to worked up one way or another about good and evil or chaos and order. Those that stray from this middle-of-the-road path are often the types that become adventurers.

Spirit and ancestor worship are the most common forms of religion among the orang-pendak. Their religious figures include shaman, witch doctors, medicine men, and spirit speakers. Every event is overseen by a spiritual leader; from a hunt, to a birth, to meeting with another tribe. The spirits must be consulted on almost every decisions and milestone in life.

Oddly, although they are not fey, many of the orang-pendak worship the fey Eldest. The priests of these divine beings worship these creatures as aspects of the spirit world and the Eldest to nothing to correct this misconception. The only member of the Eldest that isn’t worshiped is Ragadahn, seeing as there are no oceans or linnorm where the orang-pendak dwell. Tricksters who worship the Lantern King – called the Wisp Lord by the ape-men – are especially revered teachers.

Relations

The orang-pendak have few if any relations at all. They remain as always reclusive and steer well clear of the human lands. Those few that do trade with others never speak their homes or tribes, but their general laid back manner often sees them accepted by races that aren’t on their own xenophobic.

The one group that the orang-pendak actively hate is the Gorilla King and his minions. Although they also remain hidden from the despotic follower of the Demon Lord Anghazhan, shadow scuffles often go on for the hearts of the simian species that inhabit the jungles of Mwangi. If anything could drive the ape-men to a full-fledged war it would be the predations of the Gorilla King.

Adventurers

Few if any orang-pendak set out into the world as adventurers. Those that do adventure often have vocations of a natural or spiritual bent. Rangers, druids, shaman, and hunters are probably the most common classes taken up by the ape-men.

Most magic users among the orang-pendak are divine casters. The aforementioned druid and shaman appear with the most frequency but oracles and the occasional cleric have been known to happen. The only arcane caster that is common among the orang-pendak is the bard. The ape-men keep all of their lore in the form of stories and oral histories. No orang-pendak who has remained among his tribe has ever become a wizard, but rarely witch or an unlettered arcanist my spring up among them.

Of the rest of the classes, rogue and brawler are the only other ones that pop up with some frequency. Fighting tends not to be a lifestyle many orang-pendak strive for and they aren’t often emotional enough to build up a barbarian’s rage.

What kind of cultures for other races would you like to see? Would you use this outline of the orang-pendak in your Golarion campaign? Would you adapt them to your home brew world? This is just a short write-up, but what other information would you like to see about the orang-pendak?

The orang-pendak maybe be reclusive but the CRB aims to bring them into the light. If you’ve enjoyed this write-up please consider becoming a contributor. Monthly donations of as little as one dollar can be made to my Patreon. A one-time donation can easily be made to my Paypal. Every bit helps me keep the lights on so I can concentrate on bringing you the content you deserve.

The CRB has been growing as a community on social media. Please join us on Facebook, Google+, Tumblr, and Twitter. My inbox is open on all forums for questions, comments, and discussion. If you don’t want to miss a beat make sure you sign up to have the CRB pushed directly to your e-reading device with Kindle Subscriptions through Amazon.

Children of the Mithril Tree

Jinin Elves of Tian-Xia

This week we continue to take a look at some of the lesser known subcultures of non-human races. Last time we explored the orcs of the Mwangi Jungle and we’ve already looked at the snowcaster elves, cannibal halflings, and desert dwarves. In a reddit discussion about the jungle orcs a commenter mentioned the Jinin elves. Now I had never heard of them, so I looked them up and found an interesting group of lawful elves who live by the samurai code. So this week, we will take a look at the elves in the Jinin province in Tian-Xia.

History

The history of the elves of the Jinin province goes far back to the ancient – and now overrun – city of  Celwynvian in the Mierani Forest in Varisia. When the earthfall was imminent the elves of the region did not flee to their off-planet home, but fled into the Darklands with a number of other elves. But unlike the elves that would become the drow, those that became the Jinin elves would follow a vein of mithril back to the surface of Golarion.

It took almost a thousand years, which saw two generations born among the long lived elves, before they would rise from the bowels of Golarion and into the Dragon Empire. The forested land into which they arose they claimed as their own and named it after the oracle who led them to the light, Jininsiel. Influenced by their travels through the underground they would be further changed by the societies that surrounded them.

When the elves first emerged they found themselves in a lush forested land. Their numbers were small and thus they did not spread far at all. There were new terrors to deal with, including the horrific oni, and so the Elves were insular and spend much time reinforcing their homeland.

The Dragon Empires were far less affected by earthfall, but the elves of Jinin remembered it well. Some two millennia after they surfaced,  the great mountain Shibotai erupted and sent waves of terror through the people of Jinin. They feared that they would once again have to travel into the darkness to save themselves. Luckily the long-lived elves take much time to discuss anything and the ashes dissipated in a few months, allowing them to breathe a sigh of relief.

It was nine thousand years before the elves of jinin truly met the rest of humanity in Tian Xia. Minkai explorers –  who were expanding the Lung Wa empire – made contact with the elves and there was a mutual understanding made. The people of Jinin were impressed with the honorable and powerful samurai, and in a surprisingly speedy manner adopted many of the Tian-Min traditions and declared themselves a shogunate.

A thousand years later, spurred by the death of Aroden, which was felt even in Tian-Xia, the Imperial Lung Waempire collapsed. Jinin remained steadfast in its defense of its people, although to the south the region fell to banditry and the Hobgoblin tribes to the north began to organize into their own official empire. The southern region would eventually reach a form of stability under the guiding hand of a small detachment of the Taldan Military, becoming the nation of Amanandar, and the hobgoblins would unite in their own military controlled empire, christened Kaoling.

Physiology

The elves of Jinin are incredibly similar to their forbearers from the Mierani Forest. Tall and slight the years of scant resources in the Darklands have made the Jinin elves frames seemingly leaner than most elves. Many of the elves also have slightly paler skin, in some cases almost appearing translucent. One physiological difference between the Jinin and the Avistani elves is that some of them retain the darkvision that the third generation of travelers began to develop. These elves, however, are also blinded by brighter light.

Mechanical Note: Some of the Jinin elves replace their low-light vision trait with the darkvision trait

Family

Family is extremely important to the Jinin elves. Every elf is a representative of his or her family and to bring dishonor to oneself is to bring dishonor to one’s family. Although love and respect for one’s family has long been an elven tradition, the adherence to family honor is something that has been added to this dynamic with the appropriation of much of Minkai culture.

Although most of the lower class families see little more three generations within its walls; grandparents, parents and children, noble families tend to be much larger. Traditionally in Minkai the eldest male below what could be considered retirement age is the head of the household. But the elves are a lot more egalitarian in their stance on gender roles and it may be either the eldest male or eldest female.

Families go beyond those that are living. The Jinin elves have taken up a form of ancestor worship. Small shrines to revered ancestors are kept somewhere within the household. The elves will also set a place at the table for any unnamed ancestral spirits that wish to visit for dinner. For the elves, family is important even after death.

Society

The Jinin elves have adopted much of the societal structure from their Tian-Min neighbors. The have a very strict hierarchal society led by a shogun, currently JininsielRyukiatsu. They have not only blended much of the Tian-Min culture into their own, they have also adopted their name conventions and many of the family names of the Jinin elves are actually Tian inspired.

The class structure starts with the nobles. The shogun is the leader of the people of Jinin. Unlike the Minkai emperor, who is seen as almost the equivalent of a god, the shogun is still just a mortal although hereditary leader of the elves. The elves use the title of shogun because they were originally beholden to the emperor of the Lung Waempire, but when that fell the shogun became the defacto ruler of the sovereign nation of Jinin.

Although often synonymous with each other in Minkai, the Daiymo ranks under the shogun and controls individual territories within the nation. The Daimyo rule over the samurai clans which, although respected and romanticized among the elves, are the lowest ranking nobles.

The farmers, artisans, and merchants make up the common man or peasant class. The divide between the commoners and the noble classes is not as stark as it is in some cultures, but it is still there and the peasants know it. For their part, mistreatment of the peasants within their domain is considered dishonorable to both a noble and their family.

Art is still a major part of the lives of the Jinin elves. However, their creations tend to be far less experimental than their capricious kin in Avistan. Mastery of artistic precision is the most sought after quality in an artist. Being technically proficient is preferred over all else. This is shown off especially in JInin architecture which often includes designs made in mithril for the wealthiest patrons of the arts.

Alignment and Faith

Most of the noble houses of the Jinin elves live the by rigid traditions of the samurai code introduced by the Tian-Min. The society as a whole tends to be lawful good, but like most races there is some variance among the people of Jinin. Although, even with a less capricious lifestyle, they still retain a love of art and beauty.

A belief that many of the gods abandoned them, which is why earthfall happened, means that the Jinin elves have turned their backs on many of the deities they worshiped in Avistan. The samurai of Minkai brought the worship of Shizuru, who is now considered the official patron of the state. The elven alliance and friendship with the samsarans has made their patron deity Tsukiyo, husband of Shizuru, also common. The elven penchant for magic use has made Qi Zhong popular among spellcasters of the region.

Of the gods not in the Tian pantheon, Desna remains revered as the elves believe she aided them in their travels and Shelyn is still popular among artists. Yuelral is the only purely elven deity still worshiped among the Jinin people for her use of crystal, which is mined alongside the mithril that infuses the land beneath the elves’ feet. Lastly there are small sects dedicated to the Empyreal Lord Benorus as the god of hidden wonders and mines, who some believe lent the elves protection in their time in the Darklands.

Relations

The people on Jinin have little to do with Taldan military state of Amanandar to their south. Although both peoples originated in the west, the Jinin have acclimated themselves much more to the culture of their new homeland than the Taldans have. This sometimes leads to contention but not outright hostility. The Jinin elves will trade with the people of Amanandar as long as the westerners don’t press their borders. The mithril mined by the elves is worth much to the military state and so they keep open, if cool, relations.

To the north is the hobgoblin empire of Kaoling. Although brutal, the hobgoblins are far from barbaric. Their culture is a strict bureaucracy that answers to military leaders. Although not officially at war, the hobgoblins and their allies – ettins, ogres, and giants of all sorts – sometimes raid the borders of Jinin for slaves. Kaoling officially decries these actions a s they wish to trade with the elves for their mithril. Sadly they have their eyes set on the lands of Zi Ha, home of the elves’ samsaran allies, which leaves relations strained at best.

Although the immediate border between Jinin and Zi Ha is the monster filled so-called ‘Wild Peaks’, the region is actually controlled by the blue-skinned samsarans. The elves of Jinin happily trade with the enlightened samsarans, with whom they feel some amount of kinship. Even though a full samsaran life is shorter than elves – although longer than a human’s – their memories of their reincarnated lives means that they remember about as much as one single elf lifespan. Their goodly and spiritual nature, a well as a traditional love of magic, means that the samsarans and the elves have much in common.

Adventurers

Between being beseeched on two sides by aggressive forces and the elven romanticized views of the noble samurai, there are many warriors among the elves of Tian-Xia. Samurai, fighters, cavaliers, paladins, and rangers are all common adventurers among the Jinin. Even if one is not of the samurai class many call themselves samurai and almost all follow a code of honor regardless of class.

Even before returning to the surface, those with attachments to the divine have been well respected among the elves. Clerics were very common and continue to be so. Because of their savior from the dark Jininsiel, oracles are revered. Although they live in the forests of Tian-Xia the Jinin elves have all but abandoned the ways of druidism and the green faith, however there are many spirits in this land and shaman taken the reigns of the elves’ connection to the natural and spiritual world from druids.

Magic is now and has always been popular among the elves. Wizards and arcanists abound, and many elves are born with one form of magic in their blood or another. Elves have traditionally found a way to blend magic and swordplay together. Among the elves are a tradition of magi who mesh the arcane with the ways of the samurai, including following much the same code of honor.

What kind of cultures for other races would you like to see? Would you use these Jinin elves in your Golarion campaign? Would you adapt them to your homebrew world? This is just a short write up, but what other information would you like to see about the elves of Tian-Xia?

Has the CRB expanded your views on what an elf can be? Consider becoming a contributor. Monthly donations of as little as one dollar can be made to my Patreon. A one-time donation can easily be made to my Paypal. Every bit helps me keep the lights on so I can concentrate on bringing you the content you deserve.

The CRB has been growing as a community on social media. Please join us on Facebook, Google+, Tumblr, and Twitter. My inbox is open on all forums for questions, comments, and discussion. If you don’t want to miss a beat make sure you sign up to have the CRB pushed directly to your e-reading device with Kindle Subscriptions through Amazon.

The Rainmakers

Jungle Orcs of the Mwangi

Like many races in fantasy we see orcs as being homogenous, all the orcs worldwide are the same with the same basic stats, same basic culture, same basic everything. On Golarion we’ve learned that there are cultures among elves, dwarves, and the other races just like there are humans. I’ve already looked at the snowcaster elves, desert dwarves, and the cannibal halflings of the Kavaa Lands. Today I want to look at one of the many cultural variations of the orcs.

There are a number of variations in the orcish culture. The most commonly known orcs are the plains and hill dwelling ones of The Hold of Belzken, but there are orc all over – and under – Golarion. There are the darklands orcs who returned to their underground home, the desert orc of northern Garund and Qadira, the jungle orcs of the Mwangi Expanse, the mountain orcs of Western Avistan, and the winter orcs native to the crown of the world. Although these separate cultures are touched upon in both Orcs of Golarion, and their half-orc children in Bastards of Golarion, there is actually very little information about them.

The ones that most interest me are the jungle orcs of the Mwangi Expanse. So this week I am going to expand upon their lore.

History

As the dwarves pushed the orcs up into the world above they came out onto the face of Golarion in a few places. Although most of the paths through the darklands led to Avistan – particularly in the northern regions – a few groups that were separated from the greater horde came up elsewhere. One of these groups, which consisted of only three small tribes, found an unused route to the surface that let out in the steaming jungles of the Mwangi.

Without the numbers of the horde, the tribes that would become the jungle orcs did not have the ability to subjugate the other sentient beings around them. They spent their first years above ground trying to scratch out territory for themselves in an area already ripe with many deadly predators. During this early time they also sought a trail back through the darklands to their brethren. Many of the scouts never returned and rather than lose more of their number, the orcs settle into their new home.

Although of one people each of the three tribes demanded their own territory and dispersed to make their own claims on land for themselves. The human tribes of the Mwangi, still reeling from earthfall and the long night that still reigned over the sky, were of little consequence to the orcs who stole pieces of their ancestral lands. The humans could do little to fight back at the time.

The orcs survived in the darkest part of the jungles even after the dust covered sky of earthfall cleared up. The tribal humans began to reassert themselves but gave the orcs a wide berth. By this time the jungle orcs lost the paths into the darklands and they began to lose bits of their own history as older generation died out and newer ones forgot the stories of the past.

The first threat to the orcish tribes, which now numbered maybe a dozen from the original three, was the rise of the Shory Empire. The humans had grown in magical and technological might and began to retake the lands around them. Many of the humans held to their tribal ways as the orcs did, but the leader of the Shory began to tame the land, which included removing threats like the orcs.

By the time the last of the Shory flying cities failed, the jungle orcs were in even more disarray. The tribes had lost many of their numbers and even more of their already vanishing lore. But orcs are survivors if nothing else and they began to rebuild. They had other peoples to contend with now for territory. Tribes of savage halflings and reclusive jungle elves began to flourish alongside the humans of the Mwangi. This is when the orcs began developing their own culture to compensate for the loss of their darklands traditions.

Although fierce, the orcs did not remain the most feared predators of the Mwangi Expanse. As the worshipers of the demon lord Angazhan gathered in the city of Usaro and the fierce Gorilla King lashed out in primal rage from his throne, the jungle orcs took up a defensive posture against this new enemy. With the coming tide of the Gorilla King’s forces the jungle orcs even made deals with the other non-orc tribes around them, who would occasionally come to breed orc stock into their tribes by mating with the porcine beings.

Now neither friend nor foe, the jungle orcs are considered a natural part of the Mwangi Expanse. As long as their territory is respected they keep to themselves. Some small amount of trade is done with the humans, elves, and halflings. It is now not unusual to see one of the jungle orcs on the streets of the trade city of Kibwe, or any of the other major cities in the Expanse.

Physiology

Jungle orcs have the same physiology as their other orcish kin. They have thick muscular builds and porcine features. Oversized pointed teeth fill their mouths, even to the point of having tusk-like protrusions. Although still somewhat aggressive they do not hold to the constant warlike tendencies of their kin and as such have lost their ability to stand in battle while grievously wounded.  What they have gained is the great olfactory senses, which aid them immensely in their jungle homes.

Mechanical Note: Most jungle orcs give up ferocity and weapon familiarity and gain the smeller alternate racial trait.

Family

Although the jungle orc society is slightly more egalitarian than the more well-known plains orcs, it is still a patriarchy. The family unit usually consists of a male and his mates. Since males have as many mates as they can take, you can tell the most powerful male by the number of females he surrounds himself with.

Jungle orcs do not seem to be as fecund as their other kin. That combined with the many dangers that orcs must face every day, from both their environment and other jungle dwellers – particularly the worshipers of Angazhan – means that each child is important, male or female.  Even half-orc children are given much more respect than half breeds of other orcish communities.

Some families also include human members, warriors of other tribes that come to breed half-orcs for their own people’s protection. These human family members are perhaps treated the worst – especially the females – as a means of showing they are worthy of the orcish blood their tribes seek. Regardless of how the orcs within the tribe treat the human “family member,” the orcs would never let outside forces bring harm to these temporary kin.

Society

The tribal society of the jungle orcs is very insular. They are exceedingly territorial and take great pride in what land they can claim and hold. Because of so many outside forces are aligned against them, the orcs still have a war-like attitude and all members of the tribe are trained for battle. This tends to be more defensive than offensive, although some of the larger orc tribes still raid the lands around them.

The society is highly patriarchal and all the chiefs and warleaders of the tribes are male. Most of the warriors are male as well, although some females – usually those who cannot bear children – may become powerful warriors in the tribe. Unlike other tribes, where the roles of females are limited to breeding stock, the jungle orc women are not tossed aside as easily. Some even become prized with doctors and shaman.

Tattoos and piercings play a large role in the society of the jungle orcs. When jungle orcs reach maturity they get their first tatto,o which is more like a series of elaborate and excruciatingly painful markings. These tattoos denote that the young orc is ready to become a full-fledged member of the tribe and is of age to begin mating.

Jungle orcs will add to their initial rite of passage tattoo as they perform great deeds through their short lifetimes. You can tell a jungle orc has lived a life of great meaning – to the orcs at least – by the number of tattoos they have. Some of the greatest chiefs and warleaders are covered head to toe in body art. And in places where tattoos are not present an orc may decorate themselves with horns, thorns, or wooden pins thrust through their body.

Strength rules all in the jungle orc tribes. Cheifdoms are not passed down through family lines, they are taken by the next strongest successor. Usually a chief will die in battle, most often against the minions of the Gorilla King,  but some chiefs live to an older age and will see their right to lead challenged by younger, stronger orcs. When a chief can no longer hold his own in battle, he is no longer chief and he is usually dead.

Alignment and Faith

Because the jungle orcs have by necessity been forced to actually deal and even trade with many of the other races of the Mwangi Expanse, their need to kill for killing’s sake has dwindled. Although on the whole the tribes will never be considered good, they also are not wholly evil. Chaotic Neutral tends to be the most common alignment among the jungle orcs for that reason.

Beings separated from the greater orc horde and the loss of their history has turned the jungle orcs away from the traditional orcish god. Many of the tribes worship Gorum as the deity of strength and battle, paying particular care to appease him before battle with the Gorilla King’s forces. Mostly, however, they have turned to animism as a form of religion.

Orc holy men tend to be witch doctors and shaman who pray to the forces of the world. The uses fetishes and totems to bind spirits and gather power for their tribes. These spirit talkers are both respected and feared for the power they can wield. Unlike other positions of power, women and half-orcs often become powerful religious guides for their tribes.

Relations

Jungle orc’s dealings with the other inhabitants of the Mwangi jungle are strained at best. Sometimes they war and sometimes they trade. Usually, as long as they come peacefully, jungle orcs are allowed into some of the larger human settlements to trade. Even then they are given a wide berth by most and are watched carefully by the city’s guard.

Each tribe will have its own relationship with the other orc tribes, and non-orc tribes. So to say the jungle orcs are friends with this group and not with that does not truly encapsulate the varied of relationships that can be had. The closer a group is to the territory claimed by a jungle orc tribe the more likely that tribe is to be met with hostilities.

The only truly universal relationship among the orc tribes is an intense hatred for the Gorilla King and his assorted simian minions. All jungle orc tribes are prepared for battle against the followers of the Demon Lord Angazhan. If there is anything that can make the jungle orcs ally with just about anyone, it is the forces of the city of Usaro.

Adventurers

Because of the small size of the tribes, adventurers are not that common among the jungle orcs. Some young jungle orcs do feel the call to leave the tribe and seek their own fortune but these are few and far between. Those that do choose the adventuring life are often overwhelmed by all that the outside has to offer.

Barbarians and rangers are probably the two most common routes that jungle orcs take as adventurers. Fighters and more scout-like rogues and slayers aren’t unheard of. Magical acumen is not common among jungle orcs in general, especially more studied traditions such as wizards and magus. Some of the more intelligent orcs become alchemists who build on the jungle orcs tradition of poison making.

Those who can wield magic tend to be divine casters. Shaman, clerics, and druids have a deep tradition among the orcs. Because their power is so well respected, they rarely make their way out into the world. Those that do set out from the tribe find that their powers can garner them much respect in an adventuring party.

Looking for some interesting new character ideas, or enemies for your Mwangi based adventure? Now you can add the jungle orcs to that list. I quite enjoy these culturally different group of traditionally homogenous creatures and I hope you do too. I’m going to make myself a jungle orc character now.

What kind of cultures for other races would you like to see? Would you use these jungle orcs in your Golarion campaign? Would you adapt them to your homebrew world? This is just a short write up, but what other information would you like to see about the jungle orcs?

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