I've taken some liberties in extending the Khu'lu culture a bit, so I'm obviously open to feedback as to whether it meshes with your vision for them. I've left the gear section as a placeholder for now, as that will need some thought being that it's primitive and will be a very different set of belongings that what others might have. I didn't want that to delay feedback on the other bits, though, as I'm sure they'll need revision. I intend to fill that section in shortly.
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Name: Nix'ta (pronounced Nish ta)
Age: 23
Nationality: American (North)
Ethnicity: Mixed-unknown, probably includes Latin American or possibly Arabic
Sex: Female
Appearance:Appearance among the Khu'lu is complex and influenced by a number of things, making it highly variable. Irrespective of that, Nix'ta is tall and athletically built, having a solid frame and well-muscled legs, nearly all of which is plainly visible as she prefers the stealth afforded by light dress over the protection of bone and hide plates common among Khu'lu warriors. Her hair falls in thin, dark braids mid-way down her back, each tiny rope weaved around an assortment of bone fragments, some colored and others not, that make a soft chattering when she moves. Often, they're bound atop her head, serving as the base for a headdress laced with feathers or larger sections of bone. Her eyes are an earthy shade of green, less like moss than like moss atop a bed of peat, and most often project a sense of tranquility. In the absence of embellishments, Nix'ta has a number of tattoos covering her body, with the highest concentrations on her back and face. All are in shades of charcoal and black, as they form both a sort of primitive identification system and a base for more elaborate camouflage. Nix'ta speaks softly, and typically does so sparingly, as excessive vocalizations are typically seen as a sign of weakness within a tribal unit.
Job: Shaman
Eye color: Moss green/hazel
Height: 5’ 9"
Weight: 145 lbs
Unique Physical identifiers:Nix'ta has a multitude of tattoos and piercings, though their visibility varies on the degree to which she's camouflaged or otherwise adorned. In fact, there can be such variability in the appearance of an individual Khu'lu depending on the season, nature of their most recent prey, and a host of cultural factors with associated secondary pigmentation that outsiders typically have difficulty recognizing them on subsequent encounters. Within the tribes, however, the markings come in two distinct categories - those that identify characteristics or identity of the bearer, and those used as a general base for extension via camouflage. Nix'ta's markings designate her "ordainment" as a shaman of Gaea, describe her tribal lineage, identify her tribal unit, and mark her as a practitioner of cannibalism. She has literally dozens of piercings, roughly half of which are in use at any given time. While a few are for simple vanity and decoration, the majority are more functional, serving as attachment points for bone rings to carry bits of plants and grass as a sort of natural gilly suit. Among her more pronounced permanent features are a series of raised, pea-sized ridges underneath the tattoos on her back to accent their design. Each of the hundred, or so, bumps was created by inserting a smoothed bone fragment into a small incision. As one might expect, the process is excruciating and takes several hours to complete, making it a significant rite of passage for all Khu'lu once they take their place within a tribal unit.
Parents: Father deceased, mother living with another tribal unit
Siblings: Younger sister (Petani) living with another tribal unit, older brother (deceased)
Children: None
Biography:Ebsu's children cull the weak so that the strongest among us may survive.The beasts hunt by sight, sound, smell, and instinct so the Khu'lu adapt by becoming small in number, silent, and invisible. The Khu'lu lands are dotted with a network of small tribal units, each no more than a few dozen in number, making their shelters in the forest canopy some distance above the earthbound predators and obscured by the dense foliage. Into this world, Gaea dispatched seeds to the wombs of Khu'lu women and Ebsu saw them fertilized by the tribes' strongest warriors. From their blessings, Nix'ta joined her peers, a dozen wailing infants immediately taught the virtue of silence and who would, until the time of trials, learn the ways of the tribe and the firmness of Ebsu's hand, or perish. Noise attracts predators so, as they grew, Nix'ta and her peers adapted their childish games, under harsh penalty, to operate from signs and calls. Over time, raised standards, and increased penalties for transgression, even their romping footsteps softened as they chased after one another in traditional games like tag and hide-and-seek. By adolescence, they were swift and silent, each capable of tracking and subduing their quarry, each armed with the basic tools of survival, and each given opportunity to demonstrate their aptitudes.
For Nix'ta, daughter of warrior and shaman, there was but one clear path - Gaea had blessed her with a keen intellect, a sharp eye, and a careful hand, so she was to be taught the way of the shaman, that she might protect her tribal unit with Gaea's gifts. To be marked as a shaman is one of the highest honors a Khu'lu can achieve, and Nix'ta devoted herself to the task, as she would ultimately be responsible for a tribe of her own. Each of her peers was similarly assigned and apprenticed until physical maturity, and each absorbed themselves similarly with the task lest they be sent into the wilds alone to "speak to Ebsu". At the time of trials, Nix'ta and ten of her peers were led to a small creek bed marking the eastern bounds to a large tract of virgin land and dispatched with the blessings of the gods. They would either flourish or perish, demonstrate their strength to Ebsu or suffer gruesome deaths at the jaws of his children.
Nearly a decade has passed since her time of trials, and Nix'ta's tribal unit has flourished, absorbing the remnants of two failed units to grow to three dozen in number. As was their right, they annexed the hunting grounds of the fallen units and have moved into the most remote parts of the wilderness available to them, such that their contact with other tribes and outsiders has been significantly reduced. They have a reputation as fierce hunters, even by Khu'lu measures, for having brought down several especially dangerous beasts and they've also garnered a less honorable reputation among outsiders for similar ferocity. As with many tribes born into the Khu'lu, versus those born prior to the outbreak, their interpretation of Ebsu's will is quite literal, and the weak who fall prey are consumed by the strong as a delicacy. For this reason, few outsiders attempt trade with them directly, instead preferring to work through their northern neighbors, who are considerably more hospitable and who do not practice cannibalism.
Within her tribe, Nix'ta is respected as voice of Gaea, while the strongest among their hunters speaks for Ebsu. While they share in tribal leadership, their pairing is not without substantial tension, for she sees within him an unsettling darkness of spirit. While she accepts Gaea's will that she give herself to him, she's delayed that offering time and again, citing tribal obligation. However, her position grows weaker with each refusal and soon the tribe's cohesion will suffer for it. Perhaps by Gaea's grace, trade with the outsiders via a tribal unit north of their lands recently fell silent. Scouts sent to investigate reported that either a beast of substantial size or perhaps a pack of several smaller ones of exceptional ferocity decimated that tribe, destroying most of their supplies in the process. Having little option, someone must be sent forth to trade directly with the outsiders for slush and other necessary products from the outside world. Nix'ta has lobbied successfully that it be her, and has prepared her second to lead the tribe in her absence.
Skills and Talents:
Out of necessity, the Khu'lu generally excel at all aspects of wilderness survival by comparison with their technology-dependent neighbors and Nix'ta is no exception. By outsider standards, she would be considered a powerful, athletic combatant where small blades and ranged weapons like the bow or spear are concerned. Her knowledge of local flora is extensive and includes techniques for processing and applying different varieties to exploit their distinct properties. Nix'ta is nearly as learned where local wildlife are concerned, though she's considerably more skilled at properly handling their remains than tracking them or bringing them down. As the primary camouflage specialist for her tribal unit, Nix'ta can, given enough time, render herself or another virtually undetectable to human or animal within her locale; however, maintaining stealth is up to them.
Primary Skills: Natural medicine, natural apothecary, camouflage, hand tattooing, fletching, athletic.
Hobby: Nix'ta enjoys making bone jewelry and beaded adornments, often decorating herself with her own handiwork. She's also begun keeping a record of her tribal unit's history and experiences as pictographs.
Negative Trait: She's illiterate, though that trait is less of an issue within the tribes, as it's common among the second generation, or those born as Khu'lu. She's also naturally curious, which might seem like a positive quality, but it can be exceedingly dangerous in the wilds or anywhere for that matter, given the current state of things.
Gear:Jaguar-hide cloak/wrap.
Feathered raptor skull headdress
A flatbow roughly 5' 6" in length with a finely carved and decorated bone grip with slight protrusions on either side to serve as arrow rests. The upper and lower limbs are fashioned from carefully worked and blemish-free pieces of Ipe (ee-pay) wood, backed with sinew for added strength
Bone spear/walking stick with an especially vicious-looking set of barbed protrusions around the tip.
Bone kukri carved from a single piece of bone and honed to a razor-sharp edge
Vertigo raptor nasal cavity***
Most items are individually packed as noted below and carefully arranged in a jaguar-hide pack treated with creeperseed oil for water resistance.
24 Raptor feather fletchings
24 Bone arrowheads
2 Sinew bowstrings
300' sinew* thread
100' braided sinew* cordage (250 pound capacity)
5# various types of jerky
2# assorted nuts
2# assorted dried fruits
6 eel skin tubes of slush, each weighing roughly 1#
Gourd-shell cases, each roughly the size of a fist (
see here):
An assortment of bone fishhooks, sinkers, and needles.
6 pieces of char cloth, a piece of flint.
A small wedge of steel and a sizable wad of dried, packed plant fiber.
2 prepared antiseptic poultices (need to be refreshed every 3 days)
4 smooth bone cases containing several small sealed razor-eel skin** tubes filled with processed fluids, extracts, and mixtures. Each tube is marked with a distinct color and pattern, with those in one case all marked in neon pigments. One case contains several hollow bone needles and a few different sized plant fiber brushes along with its set of eel skin tubes. Each case contains tubes grouped by purpose:
- Raw base extracts used for processing and purifying plant and animal products
- Medicinal extracts and preparations
- Toxins and toxic extracts (identified by neon markings - includes both paralytic and lethal contact toxins, as well as toxic or acidic substances used in medical compounds or camouflage pigments)
- Camouflage pigments (case with needles and brushes - the pigments can be rendered suitable for tattooing by combining with acidic treatment stored in the toxin case)
* Sinew is exceptionally light and strong, especially so among many of the world's current inhabitants. The Khu'lu use it extensively as thread, cordage, rope, glue, backing for bows, and generally anything that requires binding or reinforcement.
** The razor eel is named for a pair or razor-sharp fins on either side of its iridescent-scaled body. The skin is especially prized for its resistance to corrosion and decay, as much for the ease with which it can be peeled from the body almost entirely intact. These properties make is especially suited for storing liquid compounds and toxins.
*** While the vertigo raptor (
see image) shares its name and, to some extent, appearance with its prehistoric predecessor, the modern raptor is anatomically much different, being more avian than reptilian. Though smaller, lighter, and significantly less powerful than the original raptors, this new variant is no less deadly, being capable of forcing short bursts of air through its porous nasal cavity to produce a shrill call that can temporarily stun an impressive array of beasts. For humans, the sound is known to produce a vertigo-like effect; hence, the name. With some practice and a good set of lungs, a human can mimic the effect by blowing through the palate side of a dried and prepared raptor nasal cavity.
