Hsunchen Cults

by Martin Crim

This article describes several exotic Hykim cults from all over Glorantha. The published sources mention some, namely the bat, bear, deer, dinosaur, eagle, elk, horse, pig, reindeer, sheep, tiger, and yak peoples. The sources strongly hint at the Loon, Otter, and Sea Eagle gods. The author invented the others to fill in the "other" category in the tables of population, and to provide some local color in far-off places.

All the Transform Head spells are one point, all Transform Body, two points, and all Transform Limbs, three. All Transform spells are touch, temporal, nonstackable, and reusable. The Transform spells only work on members of the proper Hsunchen tribe. To be a member of a Hsunchen tribe, one must be descended from the tribal founder in an unbroken line on the mother's side. In many parts of Glorantha, especially in Ralios, many people are Hsunchen and do not know it.

A Hsunchen can use skills gained in animal form while in human form, and vice versa. The Hsunchen must have the necessary body parts in his or her current form. Skills like Claw, Wing Buffet, and Smell do not work when the character is in human form.

Some spells provide a bonus with certain skills. For initiates of those cults, using the spell can increase those skills permanently. This is called Awakening the Beast. Some spell descriptions give a multiplier, or state that the spell gives a bonus because, for example, the fur camouflages the target. In such cases, the initiate's actual skill remains unchanged. Also, penalties to skills end when the spell ends. A Hykimi shaman traditionally casts all three Transform spells upon return from awakening his or her fetch. Shamans have the spells reusably.

A Hykimi can increase by experience skills that he or she can only use while in animal form (such as Smell, Darksense, Bite, Claw, Wing Buffet, Fly or Constrict). The spells do not last long enough to allow research or training.

All skills described below receive skill modifiers. Smell is a Perception skill. Fly is an Agility skill, and works exactly like the Windchild Fly skill described in Elder Secrets. All attacks receive the normal damage modifier.

All Hykim cults have the following cult spell from Hykim:

Transform Self
2 points touch, temporal, stackable, reusable
This spell only works when stacked with the three sub-cult specialty spells (Transform Head, Transform Body, and Transform Limbs). Transform Self turns the target into a man-sized, semi-divine version of the cult animal. All the specialty spells last six hours per stacking of this spell, instead of fifteen minutes. The target gains all the normal abilities of the cult animal for the spell's duration.

SKILL NOTE: All Hsunchen characters should have the following modifiers to the normal base skills given in RQ3 (asterisks mark skills which fall to 00): Boat -5*, Ride -5*, Fast Talk -5*, Animal Lore +20, Evaluate -5*, Plant Lore +10, Sleight -5*, Track +10, Hide +5, Sneak +5. Exceptions to these modifiers are noted below.

AKKAR: skunk, Fronela
This small tribe receives deferential treatment from members of other groups. At the same time, the Akkari find that other people tend to avoid them. Thus, they are extremely clannish. They are not very violent, nor do they need to be. They eat small ground-dwelling animals, which they collect. (Hunt is not the correct term for what they do.) Akkari also use bows to hunt birds. They store roots for the winter in communal caves, which they have kept up over the centuries. They bury dead skunks with the same rites they use for people and have a taboo on eating skunk. Some wear skunk tails on their hats, however. The Akkari keep pet skunks of normal size, but rumors tell of giant killer skunks, the size of a horse.

Base skills are normal for Hsunchen, except Dodge +10. Cultural weapons include 2H Spear attack and parry 20, Fighting Claw attack 15, Self Bow attack 20.

Skunk Head
Turns the target's head into a humanoid version of a skunk's head. The main game effect of this spell is to enhance the target's sense of smell. He or she gains a Smell Skunk Food skill at 100, and a general Smell skill at 75. (The GM must modify the chance of success for wind direction, age of the smell, masking smells, and distance to source, or else Smell will become better than all other perception skills.) The target's Bite attack at 25 will do 1D4 damage. Helms will not fit, but coifs and hoods may.

Skunk Body
This spell causes the character to instantly sprout a black furry coat on the torso, with a white stripe along the spine. The target also grows a tail. If the character wears nothing on the torso, the fur adds 10 percentiles to the character's Hide.

More importantly, the character gets scent glands, which he or she can discharge with terrible effect. The spray will hit everything within a 45 degree arc and within ten meters.

Anyone hit with skunk juice must make a CON roll every round or be unable to attack that round. The multiplier starts at 1 and goes up 1 every three melee rounds after the first. After the character makes a roll, he or she need not make any more rolls. Any creature with a sense of smell can tell when the victim approaches. The spray has a smell that is unbearable at close range, and the victim will be miserable for some time. Until the victim becomes ravenously hungry, he or she may unable to eat because of the stench. As with normal skunk juice, nothing removes the smell. It fades over a period of two weeks.

Skunk Limbs
The target's limbs become hairy and change proportion to resemble a skunk's. This lets the target burrow like a skunk, which is to say, not very well. He or she can also attack with the claws, doing 1D6 damage. The Claw attack is at 25. The target can only use Manipulation and Melee Weapon skills at base percentages. He or she cannot use Missile weapon skills at all. There is a twenty percentile penalty to Climb, and the target cannot Ride or Throw.

CHROPT: bat, Kralorela & Teshnos
These rather short people live in the forests of Fethlon, mostly. They eat fruit, seeds, edible plants, and small animals, which they hunt and gather in the trees. They travel in the treetops, even crossing rivers that way. They rarely need to come to earth. They get along well with the elves of the forest, and with the Teshnans they sometimes meet. They all become Children of the Forest in Aldrya's cult so that they can learn Food Song for taking plant materials. They hate the Kralorelans, and have fought against them many times.

Males have SIZ 2D6+3, and females have SIZ 2D4+3. Other characteristics are normal. Base skills follow the Hsunchen norm above, except for Climb +10, Jump +15, Swim -10, and no bonus to Track. Cultural weapons include 1H Spear attack and parry 30, Shortsword attack 20, Self Bow attack 25, Buckler parry 25.

Bat Head
The target's head becomes bat-like, but with human hair. The target gains sonar like a bat or a troll's, a bite attack, and acute hearing. He or she gets a Darksense/Scan at 25 and Darksense/Search at 25. The character gets a 1D6 Bite attack at 25. Negative damage modifiers do not apply to the Bite attack, but positive ones do. The target also gets a 25 percentile bonus to Listen. Loud high-pitched noises may deafen and disorient the target. Also, helms will not fit, although coifs and hoods may.

Bat Fur
This spell gives the target 2 point fur over his or her entire body, and a tail. It also adds 6 to STR. Without this spell, the target cannot fly using the Bat Wings spell.

Bat Wings
This spell turns the targets' arms into gigantic bat wings. The wings gain no AP from the Bat Fur spell. The target gains a Fly skill at 25. Speed in flight is 6 meters per strike rank. Because of the fluttering motion the target uses, all missile attacks against him or her are at 1/4 normal percentage. During flight, the target must make roll for fatigue level loss as if in combat. The target's fingers become long and webbed parts of the wings. Thus, the character cannot use any Manipulation, Melee Weapon, or Missile Weapon skills. He or she has a twenty percentile penalty to Climb, and cannot Ride or Throw.

DAMAL One tribe of these peaceful folk inhabit the border between Ralios and Maniria, near the Pralori elk people. They allow strangers to pass without molestation. The other tribe live in the forests and low valleys of the Hachuan Shan and Shan Shan mountains, in Kralorela. They have historically been enemies of the Kralorelans.

Like deer, they are only aggressive in the mating season (late Sea Season), when males contend for access to the females. They slaughter and eat deer at regular intervals, following their own peculiar calendar. They tan the hides, and sell them to passing traders.

Their cultural weapons are 1H Spear attack and parry 25, Atlatl attack 25, Rope Lasso 20, and Target Shield parry 20.

Antlers
This spell causes the target's head to become cervine, and antlers sprout from the top of his head. Females grow no antlers. The size of a male's antlers depends on his age. The largest antlers sprout from the heads of males in their late twenties and early thirties, varying with the individual. Antlers do between 1D6 and 2D6+2 damage, depending on size. Targets use their normal human Head Butt skill. Both genders gain a Smell skill at 50. Hard helmets cannot fit, and soft ones fit only if provided with antler holes.

Deer Hide
This spell causes a brownish coat of fur to sprout from the target's skin. The fur adds 20 percentiles to Hide skill in appropriate cover. It acts as 1 point armor. The spell also adds 6 to STR and DEX.

Leaping Legs
This spell turns the target's limbs into deer legs. The target can Jump at +25 and, while the spell lasts, for twice the normal distance. The target can run at 10 meters per SR, with bursts up to 25. The character only needs to make half as many fatigue rolls as normal when running. The character's hands turn into hooves, and the character cannot perform any Manipulation, Melee Weapon, or Missile Weapon skills. He or she has a thirty percentile penalty to Climb, and cannot Ride or Throw.

GALANIN: horse, Ralios
This people are perhaps extinct, or rather, perhaps all of this tribe has adopted civilized ways. Still, the civilized Galanini have a superstitious belief that their chiefs can turn into horses. If any traditionalist Galanini exist, they live in Vesmonstran, the East Wilds, Pralorela, or even Wenelia in Maniria. One rumor says a clan passed over the High Llama Pass into Jonatela, and entered Charg before the Syndics' Ban. Wherever they might be, they would be hard to distinguish from other horse-riding peoples.

Since horse-riding became well-nigh universal, the Galanini have declined in numbers. This appears paradoxical at first, but shows the danger of having one's secrets broadcast.

Pollmane
Turns the target's head into a horse's. The target gains the ability to eat (and gain nourishment from) grass, hay, and uncooked grains. The target also gets a Bite attack at 40, doing 1D8. He or she gets a Smell skill of 25. The target's head gains 2 AP. Normal helms will not fit, but coifs and hoods might.

Witherscroup
Gives the target the body of a horse. This proves awkward, if the target is wearing clothes, and painful, if wearing armor. It doubles the target's STR, and adds 2 AP to the torso.

Pasternhock
Transforms the target's limbs into horse legs. The target can run like a horse. He or she can Kick at 35, doing 1D6 damage. A Trample attack will do twice the target's damage bonus, with a minimum of 1D6 damage. The target gets a bonus to Jump of +10. He or she adds 2 AP to all limbs. The target's hands turn into hooves, and he or she cannot use any Manipulation, Melee Weapon, or Missile Weapon skills. He or she has a twenty-five percentile penalty to Climb, and cannot Ride or Throw. The target can carry properly-secured loads easily, so divide ENC by three.

If the target has both Witherscroup and Pasternhock in effect, he or she can carry loads like a horse. The target can carry more weight, so divide the ENC of any load by three.

GRANDFATHER LOON
As far as the world knows, this clan is totally assimilated. Even those who have assimilated, however, retain a deep feeling for Grandfather Loon. Many members of the Ancient Beasts Society of Ralios trace their ancestry to this tribe. Myths surround the tribe, because their totem is one of the First Four Companions who aided Earthmaker. Loon brought help from the north. Tribal legends state that the tribe's ancestral homeland lies to the north, along a beautiful sea coast.

Beak
The target gains the head and beak of a loon. This is not particularly fearsome, except to fish. Nevertheless, any beak this large makes possible a Peck attack at 25, doing 1D6. Normal helms will not fit anyone affected by this spell, although soft coifs and hoods will. The target loses the power of speech while the spell is in effect, but can learn how to speak with a loon's head after a total of twelve hours of practice. The power of speech always returns when the spell ends.

Feathers
The target sprouts a coat of feathers from his or her skin. This provides some protection from cold, and 3 AP on all locations. Without this spell, the target cannot fly using the Wings spell.

Wings
The target's arms turn into wings. A Wing Buffet attack at a base of 25 does 1D4 damage. If the target also has the Feathers spell, he or she gains a Fly skill at 30. The minimum speed is 7 meters per SR. At this speed, the character must make fatigue rolls as if in combat. Faster speeds make the character make more frequent fatigue rolls, up to a maximum of 21 meters per SR and one roll per melee round. The target's hands become part of the wings, and he or she cannot use any Manipulation, Melee Weapon, or Missile Weapon skills. He or she has a twenty percentile penalty to Climb, and cannot Throw.

GYA: yak, Kralorela
These people are traditional enemies of the Kralorelans. They are a large people. An average male stands six feet tall and weighs over 100 kilograms (STR & SIZ 2D6+9). Females are only slightly smaller (STR & SIZ 2D6+7). Both genders are extremely heavy-framed, with short limbs and thick fingers. They inhabit the Shan Shan and Hachuan Shan mountains, and raid into the lowlands when they can or must. They live a harsh life, and look with disdain on the soft civilized people in the valleys. They subsist on yak milk, yak butter, yak meat, vegetables gathered in the summer, and stolen rice.

Because of the Yak Head spell below, Yak people butt heads frequently, to train their skill. (One cultural note: a Gya only butts heads with members of his or her own gender.) They thus have a base Head Butt skill of 30. Their other cultural weapons are 1H Spear Attack 30, Atlatl attack 25, Target Shield 20. They use Pole Lassoes at a base of 25.

Yak Head
Gives the target horns with which he or she can Head Butt doing 1D10 damage. Hair and thickened bone on the head gives 3 points armor and keeps the head warm in any weather. Helms will not fit, but coifs and hoods may.

Yak Hair
Causes long black hair to sprout from the target's body, and the target's torso becomes yak-like. The target gains 6 points of STR. The hair gives 5 point armor on the target's torso. The target can withstand any earthly cold while affected by the spell, but the spell will not protect extremities from frostbite.

Yak Legs
The target's limbs become yak legs. The target can trot at 6 meters per SR, and sprint at 15. Three armor point hair covers the target's limbs, and protect them from any normal cold. The target can also Kick with any limb at 35, doing 1D8 damage. If the target is also under a Yak Hair spell, divide any load by two to find the character's encumbrance level. The target's hands become hooves, and he or she cannot use any Manipulation, Melee Weapon, or Missile Weapon skills. He or she has a twenty percentile penalty to Climb, and cannot Ride or Throw.

HAZMAT: forest boa, Slon
This tribe pursues its age-old hunting culture on the fringes of the dwarf-influenced cultures of Slon, in far western Pamaltela. They make war against the Mostal-worshiping humans when necessary, but are gradually being pushed back. Of necessity, they are learning to use the higher technologies of their opponents.

Base skills are as normal, except that they have a Track bonus of +15. They know how to brew a weak plant poison, which they apply to their darts (intensity 5). Their cultural weapons are 1H Spear attack and parry 25, Dagger attack 20, Dart attack 30, Buckler parry 20.

Snake Bite
Gives the target the head of a large boa constrictor. This gives many benefits. First, it adds 2 AP skin to the head. Also, the target gains a rudimentary darksense (no Scan or Search, but can distinguish warm and cold areas occupying about fifteen degree sections of its visual field, and attacks are only -50 percentiles in complete darkness). Further, the target gains a Bite attack at 50, doing 1D8 damage plus normal (not halved) damage modifier. Normal helms do not fit, but coifs and hoods do. The target loses the power of speech while the spell lasts.

Snake Skin
Gives the target a cylindrical torso and a tapering tail, all covered with 2 AP skin. It increases height by 25%. It increases DEX by 6. The target can Constrict at 25 plus one-half his or her attack modifier, doing half his or her damage bonus as damage. This skill can increase through experience, but see below.

Slither
Can only be used if the target is under a Snake Skin spell. Causes the target's limbs to be absorbed into the body, increasing length proportionally. The overall effect is to give the target a body length double normal height. The spell also boosts STR and CON by 6 each. The target can Constrict at 50, doing full damage bonus as damage. The skill can increase through experience, but when the user has only a Snake Skin spell on, use one-half skill. The target's skin has 4 AP, and this covers the head also if the target is under a Snake Bite spell. The target can also Climb at +40, Dodge at +25, Hide at +40, and Sneak at +40. The target's limbs disappear and he or she cannot use any Manipulation skills or Weapon skills, except Bite and Constrict. The target cannot Ride.

JASKAL: dinosaur, Slon
These primitive hunters have a stone-age level culture. They live in dense jungles "Outside the Walls" of the dwarf lands. They wander from place to place, riding or following their dinosaur companions. They live on the carnivorous dinosaur's leavings, blood taken from the herbivorous dinosaur's bodies, and plants they gather themselves. They have a varied tool-kit of stone and bone and occasional cast-offs from the dwarfs. They know nothing of trade customs. The dwarfs' human slaves sometimes attack them, so the Jaskali have become wary of strangers.

Jaskali base skills follow the Hsunchen norm, except that they have a Ride Dinosaur skill with a base of 05. Their cultural weapons are Club 30, Bite 25 (doing 1D4 damage), and Thrown Rock 30. A rare individual has learned how to use a dwarf-made axe or sword.

Fangs
This gives the target the head of a carnivorous dinosaur. It gives a Bite attack at 50, doing 1D10 damage. Normal helms will not fit, but coifs and hoods will. The target loses the power of speech while the spell lasts.

Scales
This spell provides 5 AP on the target's entire body.

Thundering Limbs
This spell turns the target's limbs into the limbs of a bipedal dinosaur. He or she can move at 6 meters per SR, with bursts up to 18 meters per SR. The target's hands become small claws (attack at 30, doing 1D4) and he or she cannot use any Manipulation, Melee Weapon, or Missile Weapon skills. He or she has a twenty percentile penalty to Climb, and cannot Ride or Throw.

KLOIS: badger, Fronela
These grouchy people live solitary lives, except for mothers with children. They have a stone-age culture, but males sometimes work as mercenaries and buy metal goods. Too long an exposure to groups always drives them back to solitary life in the wilds.

Their cultural weapons are 2H Spear attack and parry 30, 1H Spear attack 20, Fighting Claw attack 25, Grapple 30, Long Bow attack 25, Kite Shield parry 20.

Badge
Gives the target the head of a badger. The target can Bite at 50, doing 1D8. He or she gets a Smell skill at 50. Helms will not fit, but coifs and hoods may.

Baggy Skin
Gives the target a loose, baggy hide. It increases the target's STR by 6. It adds 4 AP protection, and the target can wear soft armor while under the effect of the spell. The spell also makes the target very hard to catch or hold onto. No matter where one grabs the target, he or she can twist to bite or strike at the attacker.

Burrow
Turns the target's limbs into short, clawed badger legs. Digging, the target can move vast amounts of dirt very quickly. In soft loam, the target can burrow a meter in a melee round at the same cost in fatigue as if in combat. In harder soils, the distance traveled would be less, or the fatigue cost higher. The target can Claw at 30, doing 1D6+1 damage. The target's hands become clawed paws, and he or she cannot use any Manipulation, Melee Weapon, or Missile Weapon skills. He or she has a twenty percentile penalty to Climb, and cannot Ride or Throw.

LUWAZ: sealion, East Isles
This tribe lives in tight-knit colonies on the coasts of various rocky islands. Males' STR and SIZ are 1D6+13, and females' are 1D6+5. About one male in ten gets to mate, and keeps a harem of five to fifty females. These dominant males fight off rivals during the mating season (late Fire Season). Other males lurk on the edges of the village, trying to get a chance to mate. The tribe lives on seals, mollusks, crustaceans, and fish they catch in inter-tidal areas. Their boats are primitive, and make inter-island travel risky.

They have normal Hsunchen skills, except for Boat +15, Swim +25, and Track -5*. Their cultural weapons are 2H Spear attack and parry 30, Dagger attack and parry 25, and Thrown Javelin attack 25.

Whiskers
The head and neck thicken, especially in males, and long whiskers sprout from the face. Large canines give males a Bite attack at 30, doing 1D6. The target can hold his or her breath for fifteen minutes. Helms will not fit, but coifs and hoods may.

Blubber
Gives the target 4 AP in every location, and also makes him or her float. The blubber protects from cold, even below freezing, but that feature is rarely useful in the East Isles.

Flippers
Turns the target's limbs into the limbs of a sealion. The hind limbs fuse to form the two-lobed fins. The spell adds +20 to the target's Swim skill, and the target's swimming speed is 4 meters per SR. The target's hands become flippers, and he or she cannot use any Manipulation, Melee Weapon, or Missile Weapon skills. The target has a twenty percentile penalty to Climb, and cannot Ride or Throw.

MRALOT: pig, Ramalia, Maniria
The boar god is an ill-tempered beast, and his followers share his worst personality traits. They are stubborn, violent, dirty, and voracious. The rulers of Ramalia keep them under control through fear and superior magics. The rulers destroy any Mraloti shaman who seems close to being able to threaten the power structure. Many of the people are barbarian herders, but some now mix herding and farming. Others hunt the wild forest pigs as their ancestors did. The farmers confess the faith of the Invisible God, but many continue to worship Mralot.

The Mraloti raise their pigs with as much tenderness as they show to their own families. They name each pig, and women will even suckle piglets at their own breasts. Nevertheless, they kill and eat their pigs often.

Base skills do not follow the Hsunchen norm. Instead, they are human norm, except for Fast Talk +10, Animal Lore +10. Cultural weapons are given in the Players Book of Genertela. Hunters, however, have different cultural weapons: 2H Spear attack and Parry 30, 1H Axe attack 25, Self Bow attack 25, Target Shield parry 20.

Pig Head
The target gains tusks, which can Gore at 50, doing 1D8 damage. The target gains a Smell skill at 25. With a little adjustment, soft helmets will fit.

Pigskin
The target gains 4 AP hide on the torso. STR and CON increase by 6.

Trotters
The target can run like a wild pig (6 meters per SR, up to 18 sprinting). The target can carry more weight, so divide ENC by two. The target can Stomp downed foes, doing twice his or her damage bonus with a minimum of 1D8. The target's hands become hooves, and he or she cannot use any Manipulation, Melee Weapon, or Missile Weapon skills. He or she has a twenty percentile penalty to Climb, and cannot Ride or Throw.

If the target has both Pig Head and Trotters, he or she can attack a downed target with both Gore and Stomp, the Stomp occurring 3 SR after the Gore, but never later than SR 10.

OQUICDU: forest elephant, Teshnos
These people live in yellow elf forests with the sufferance of the elves. Their totem animal is a small species of the Loxodont genus, with the following stats:

STR 4D6 + 24

CON 3D6 + 12

SIZ 4D6 + 24

INT 7

POW 2D6+6

DEX 3D6+1

PRALOR: elk, Ralios
This tribe is closely related to the Damali deer people, who live in an overlapping territory. Their animal resembles the Old World elk, not the New World wapiti. Pralori culture is very much like that of the Damali, including the base skills. The main exception is that elk are large enough to ride. Thus, Pralori have a Ride base of 05. Pralor's cult special spells are identical to those of the Damali. Pralori resent being confused with the Damali, as ignorant people often do.

RATHOR: bear, Fronela
This culture is described in detail in Genertela: Crucible of the Hero Wars.

Bear Head
Gives the target a Bite attack at 25, doing 1D10. If the Bite attack gets through armor, the target can Overbear the next round in addition to the normal two actions. Hard helms will not fit the target, but coifs and hoods will fit.

Fur
Gives the target 3 AP in every location, and adds 25 percentiles to Hide. The target's STR doubles (the doubling is not cumulative with any other spell). The target does not fatigue as fast as normal when in combat.

Claws
Turns the target's limbs into bear legs. The target can make a Claw attack at 40 with either forepaw, doing 1D6 damage. He or she cannot use Missile weapon skills at all. The target can move on four legs at 5 meters per SR, with bursts up to 15. On two legs, he or she moves 2 meters per SR, or runs at up to 6. The target's hands become paws, and he or she can use Manipulation and Weapon skills only at base percentages. He or she cannot Ride or Throw.

If the target has both Bear Head and Claws, he or she can attack with both claws or with Bite and Claw, the second attack occurring 3 SR after the first.

SWAEX: moa, East Isles
These people worship the moa, a three-meter tall flightless bird that lives in light jungle lands. The moa has many peculiarities for a bird, including feathered legs. The Swaexi follow the moas, eat many of the same foods as moas, wear moa feathers, and ritually eat moa on their holy days. They imitate the walk of moas, and fashion their dances after moa mating rituals. They hunt with spears fashioned out of moa shank bones. They wear slivers of moa bone through their noses and ears. They elongate their necks to resemble moas'. They're just wild about moas.

Their greatest enemies are a species of large eagle which eats moas and humans.

The Swaexi island home is also the homeland of the Keets. The island has the peculiar magical property that any bird which lands there loses the power of flight. Most birds of that area of the East Isles avoid the place, but occasionally a bird lands there and cannot get away, providing an easy meal to the natives.

Bird Neck
Causes the target's neck to elongate to about three times its normal length, while the head shrinks down somewhat to compensate. The target's nose turns into a beak, with which he or she can Peck at 25, doing 1D6 damage. Damage modifier is normal, unlike a Demi-Bird's. The target cannot wear a normal helmet, and loses the power of speech while the spell lasts.

Feather Down
Covers the target's body in soft, fine brown feathers. Adds 10 percentiles to Hide and Sneak, and provides 4 AP protection.

Stilt Legs
Turns the target's arms into moa wings and his or her legs into long, gangly moa legs. The wings provide balance only. The target can move 7 meters per SR, with sprinting speeds up to 21. The target can carry properly-secured loads easily, so divide ENC by two. The target can kick at 30, doing 1D6 damage. The target's hands become part of his or her wings, and he or she cannot use any Manipulation or Weapon skills, Ride, or Throw.

TNAP: sheep, Seshnela (formerly) & Maniria
This much-dwindled people live in pastures and meadows in Tarinwood and on the coast to the south of Tarinwood. One clan of them lives in Pralorela.

Throughout history, they have been very passive, even more so than the Damali. They made excellent slaves for the Slontans, and the tribe was on the verge of extinction when the drowning of Slontos inadvertently saved them. A few who had been enslaved not long before the cataclysm escaped and rejoined the tribe.

The escaped slaves brought with them a hatred previously unknown to the Tnap. With their new-found militancy, they organized the tribe, chose a king, and slaughtered Slontan refugees who tried to pass through their territory. Now the Tnap have a ruling warrior class, descended from these escapees. The rulers patrol the fringes of Tnap lands, attacking anyone they perceive as an enemy. They especially hate Malkioni.

Base skills are as normal for Hsunchen, except Conceal +10 and Track +15. Cultural weapons include Head Butt 30, 1H Spear attack 25, Target Shield parry 25, and Thrown Javelin attack 25.

Horns
Causes the target's head to grow sheep horns. The target can Head Butt doing 1D8 damage.

Fleece
Makes the target flocculent. The wool gives 4 AP protection in every location, and protection from cold.

Hooves
Turns the target's limbs into sheep legs. The target can move at 6 meters per SR, with bursts up to 18. The target can carry properly-secured loads easily, so divide ENC by two. The target can kick at 25, doing 1D6. The target's hands become hooves, and he or she cannot use any Manipulation or Weapon skills. He or she has a twenty percentile penalty to Climb, and cannot Ride or Throw.

UDRA: otter, Ralios/Maniria
This tribe inhabits the Noshain River in southern Ralios, from its higher reaches down almost to the city of Handra in Maniria. Myths surround this tribe, because their totem is one of the First Four Companions who aided Earthmaker. Otter brought help from the west. Udrai claim to have migrated from the west, and scholars have found pre-Dawn references to them in documents from the Neliomi sea region.

The Udrai live by fishing and collecting small animals in the shallows, and by gathering plant foods. They are not warlike, but will unite to defend themselves. They use a one-person boat like a coracle.

Base skills follow the Hsunchen norm, except for Boat +5, Swim +25, and no bonus to Track. Cultural weapons include 1H Spear attack and parry 25, Net attack 25, and Thrown Javelin attack 25.

Diver
Allows the target to remain underwater for five minutes at a time, with only one minute needed to fully recharge the lungs. It also gives the target 2 AP fur on the head. The target can Bite at 25, doing 1D4 damage.

Sleekness
Gives the target the sleek, water-shedding fur and long, flattened tail of an otter. This protects from hypothermia underwater, and provides 2 AP protection. The target gets a +25 bonus to Swim skill, and can swim at 1 meter per SR (instead of the normal .5 m.).

Webs
Causes the target's fingers and toes to become webbed like an otter's. This gives a 10 percentile penalty to Manipulation, Melee Weapon, and Missile Weapon skills. The target gets a +25 bonus to Swim skill. The spell adds 1 meter per SR to the target's swimming speed.

If the target has both Sleekness and Webs, his or her Swim skill doubles or increases by 50, whichever is better. Only Sleekness can Awaken a character's Beast.

UNCOLING: reindeer, Fronela
This people worship the mighty reindeer of the northern plains. They follow that animal's migrations, and have gradually changed the reindeer spirit so that the animal will move together in large herds. Their culture is strong and wide-spread. Their base skills and spells are essentially the same as the Damali's. Like the Pralori, they ride their beasts, and have a Ride skill of 05.

VRIMAK: eagle, Kralorela
One branch of this tribe lives in mountainous regions of the Shan Shan and Hachuan Shan. They live in small groups, called eyries. They hunt primarily with bows, taking birds and other game. They have good relations with the Pentan nomads, with whom they trade trained hawks for metal. This branch receives an additional cult special spell, Speak with Raptor.

The other branch lives on islands and beaches in southeast Kralorela and some of the East Isles. Myths surround this branch, because their totem is one of the First Four Companions who aided Earthmaker. Sea Eagle brought help from the east.

Their cultural weapons are Bow attack 30, 2H Spear attack and parry 25, Fighting Claw attack 20.

Eagle Eye
Turns the target's head into an eagle's. The target can Peck at 40, doing 1D8. His or her Scan and Search skills double. Normal helms do not fit, but coifs and hoods can, if specially adapted. The target loses the power of human speech while the spell lasts. If the target has the Speak with Raptor spell in effect, he or she can communicate with raptors at double normal communication skills (Orate, Fast Talk, etc.).

Eagle Feathers
Gives the target 2 AP of feathers in all locations except the legs. The feathers protect against cold, and also make it possible to fly with the Eagle Wings spell.

Eagle Wings
Turns the target's arms into eagle wings, and his or her legs into eagle legs with talons. If the target also has Eagle Feathers in effect, he or she gains a Fly skill at 40. The target can fly at seven meters per SR, and stoop at up to thirty. Talons can Rake at 30, doing 1D6 damage each. The target's hands become part of the wings, and he or she cannot use any Manipulation, Melee Weapon, or Missile Weapon skills. He or she has a twenty percentile penalty to Climb, and cannot Ride or Throw.

Speak with Raptor
2 points touch, temporal, nonstackable, reusable
Allows the target of the spell to talk with any hawks or eagles, including falcons but excluding nighthawks. The target can persuade the creature with Orate, Fast Talk, Intimidate, etc., or Speak Firespeech (which works just like Orate or Fast Talk). The spell does not bestow greater intelligence on the raptor. Thus, it can only relate what it has observed and understood, and can only do things that begin now, not at some point in the future.

YAAB: fox, Fronela and Kralorela
These people are characteristically sly, shy, and solitary. Some of them try city life for a while, but always return to the country after a year or two. Yaabs have normal human statistics, except for SIZ 1D4+6 for males and females, and DEX 3D6+6.

Their cultural weapons include 2H Spear attack and parry 25, Bow attack 25, Dagger attack 25.

Fox Head
Gives the target a Bite attack at 40, doing 1D6 damage. It also gives a base Smell skill of 35, and 1 AP on the head. If the Bite attack gets through armor, the target can Overbear the next round in addition to its normal two actions.

Fox Tail
Gives the target the body and tail of a fox. The spell increases DEX by 1/2, adds 1 AP to the torso, and gives a 10 percentile bonus to Hide. He or she gains a Smell skill at 35.

Fox Legs
Gives the target the legs of a fox. He or she can trot at 7 meters per SR, and sprint at 21. The character gets bonuses to Dodge (+20), Jump (+10), Swim (+10), Hide (+25), and Sneak (+25). The target can attack with a Scratch at 25, doing 1D4 damage. The target's hands become paws, and he or she cannot perform any Manipulation or Weapon skills. There is a twenty percentile penalty to Climb, and the target cannot Ride or Throw.

If the target has both Fox Head and Fox Legs, he or she can attack with two Scratches or with Bite and Scratch, the second attack occurring 3 SR after the first.

ZUZIM: tiger, Kralorela & Pamaltela
These people are the most secretive of the Hsunchen. They live in deep jungle, where they hunt individually or in small groups. Outsiders know little about them. Neighboring tribes believe they always turn into tigers every seventh night. Many have dealt with them without knowing they were Zuzim. We know this because people have seen their old friends turning into tigers. Also, some individuals mysteriously disappear on Beast Night. Zuzim do not appear to be evil or chaotic, but act rather odd. Unlike some other Hsunchen, they have never fought for the Huan To of Kralorela.

Zuzim show up in all the parts of the Fethlon jungle open to humans. The elves refuse to say if they haunt the places they prohibit. Zuzim turn up in Teshnos, Trowjang, the Hachuan Shan mountains, and in the Kralorelan provinces of Wanzow and Boshan. Many of them speak the languages of the neighboring humans, but none speak Aldryami.

In Pamaltela, the Zuzim live in the eastern jungles within a hundred kilometers or so of the coast. Individuals range westward and southward into lightly-populated areas, as far as Umathela and the eastern plains. There are a few small groups throughout the Errinoru Jungle, except where the elves are hostile to all humans.

A Zuzim, whether male or female, has the following statistics:

STR 2D6+6

CON 3D6

SIZ 1D6+12

INT 2D6+6

POW 3D6

DEX 2D6+6

APP 3D6

Their cultural weapons include 2H Spear attack and parry 30, Kick attack 25, and Thrown Javelin attack 25.

Zuz Head
The target's head becomes much like a tiger's, with large fangs. The target gets a Bite attack at 40, doing 1D10 damage. He or she also gets a base Smell skill of 40, and 2 AP on the head. If the Bite attack gets through armor, the target can Overbear the next round in addition to the normal two actions. Normal helms will not fit, but coifs and hoods will.

Zuz Prowess
Gives the target the body and tail of a tiger. Multiply the target's STR by 2 1/2 and add 2 AP to the chest and abdomen. (The multiplier does not apply to STR increase from any other spell.) The camouflage pattern of the fur adds 15 to Hide.

Zuz Claws
The target's limbs turn into tiger's legs. The target's normal move in combat is 5 meters per SR, and he or she can sprint at up to 20. The target can Claw with either foreclaw at 40, doing 1D8 damage. If the target hits with both claws in one round, he or she can rake with the hind claws in the next. If the target is supine, he or she can rake immediately. The Rake attack is at 50, and does 2D6 damage. The target gets a 20% bonus to Jump. He or she gains 2 AP on the limbs.

The target's hands become paws, and he or she cannot use any Manipulation or Weapon skills. The target has a 10% penalty to Climb and Dodge, and cannot Ride or Throw.

If the target has both Zuz Head and Zuz Claws, he or she can attack with both claws or with Bite and Claw, the second attack occurring 3 SR after the first. If the target has both Zuz Prowess and Zuz Claws in effect, he or she loses the penalty to Climb and gets bonuses to Swim (+15), Hide (+20), and Sneak (+20). The bonus to Hide is in addition to the camouflage bonus. A Zuzim must cast both spells to Awaken the Beast.

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