Lifeforms · Intelligent Species · Forest/ Jungle
Yakaram
The children of the west know not our ability. Ironically in their arrogance they ask us for advice and use us as ambasadors often, failing to realize that al lwe are doing is learning everything we can about their kingdoms and weaknesses. They will learn, but it will be when they are kneeling before us in their own cities. -Laar Scaren - Advisor to the Kingdom of Rhomas
Race : Derevo/ Yakaram
Appearance : Almost identical to the Novotie yet their features are not as angular, seeming to be broader then their cousins.
Average Height : 6’ 2”
Average Weight : 215 lbs
Average Lifespan : 150 years
Typical Climate : Forest edge, Plains, Temperate, Tropical
Description : They are very slim and frail looking, yet are healthy and extremely physical. They can average around 210 - 220 lbs and can average to about 150 years old before they lay down and let the earth consume them. They have a human diversity in appearance where no two individuals look alike. Their hair color tends to be natural browns or blonds, with few with hair darker. Their eyes are almost a universal color green, just different shades for each individual. Their ears are smaller than the Novotie and not as pronounced, yet still stick out.
Distinguished Traits : Having an affinity to their natural surroundings they have developed a limited form of infravison They can see heat patterns that distinguish a being in the darkness. While they can not gather specifics about they person, they can tell if they are hiding. If they are very familiar with the individual then they can determine who they are. They can only see 15’ in darkness with their infravision, but can see blurred movement up to 30’ in darkness.
Personality : When dealing with the outside world, they still keep their segregated opinions that their tribe has implanted into their minds. While they will work with members of the opposite sex, they will do so under the strictest of terms and the shortest time necessary. They are cordial to other races and tend to hire themselves out as embassadors for the other races to mediate disputes. They do so only at the request of one of the parties involved and they always carry a superior attitude to these meetings. They are constant advisors to the Novotie however, and show them their utmost respect regardless of the sex of the person in question.
Home : They live in small villages on the border of the Brelean Forest. The men and woman live separately in different villages, although not far from each other, are rarely visited by either group unless it is absolutely necessary, and even then they have a meeting place somewhere not in their respective villages. They do this because they have a very segregated view of each other, willing to live separately as they have done for centuries.
Relations : They are very segregated and will rarely spend any time with a member of the opposite sex, since their culture is broken down into casts of society, then by gender. They will only spend time together during war and festivals of procreation. At no other time will they congregate, unless it is important. They are almost like two separate cultures in this respect. Their females are just as strong and as opinionated as the men, never are they subservient. They raise the male children until they can walk, then let them free. Those that find the male encampments grow strong as part of the tribe. Those that get lost in the forests are not even mourned as they were not worthy to be with the tribe.
At one point the Yakaram were very male superior. The women at home and hearth where the men worked and protected the family. During the infighting and the war between the tribes, the women were forced to protect the families at home while the men were fighting abroad. This led to a little unknown time similar to affirmative action. The women forced the men to see they were as equal as they were. When that failed they seperated. They realize that each side needs the other but refuse to give ground and admit it. This has been going on for centuries. Being that they are of the longer lived, they have time to sit back and wait for the other to see the err of their ways. They respect each other because they see a need for the others, but they also see that each group is important. Whether more important is up to individual interpretation. I hope taht helps and doesn’t raise more questions.
Religion : Each village has a High Priest that they listen to for guidance and that travel to speak with one another frequently to discuss matters of religion, but there is not one single God that they believe in more than any others except when it comes to the sex.. They respect and fear all the Gods fully, but their view on them is different depending on the individual God. The females of the Yakaram, while they respect the male Gods will not worship them outright. They may thank them in passing for an event that they know only that God could have done, but that is the extent of their belief. The men are the same, while they worship and respect the male Gods, they have a large problem believing that Idehund is a Goddess and refuse to accept her as one.
Language : Their language is very aggressive and specific, often omitting words normally in a conversation to make it shorter. This isn’t by personal choice but by having done it throughout the years they have made their language useful yet to the point of their meaning. Nothing is wasted when they speak. Their written language is the same, with only thirty character like pictures they mean multiple things when grouped together in certain patterns.
Favored Profession : While all of the Yakaram are aggressive and physically capable of physically defending themself and their culture, they tend to have softer professions. They have great success when becoming a rogue however, with their natural grace.
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This is very cool. I especially like the infra-vision bit. This would be a great twist for any PCs to deal with while going through the Yakaram's woods.
Three 'why?' questions: Why do they segregate the sexes? This seems to be a very important aspect of their soceity, but there's no reason for it. And, Why are they respectful to the Novotie alone? Do they owe them some kind of debt, or are they, as the quote above suggests, readying to take over? And: What makes them such good advisors?
The extra .5 is, of course, for their very very cool eyes. ;)
The answer to one of your questions. Why do they respect the Novotie alone can be found out by reading the History of Hewdamia threads. I don't think the third era has been posted yet but it is detailed in tehre partially why they are the way they are.
They tend to make good advisors because they are somewhere of the mindset between the two different racial cultures. The east, being their cultural mentality and the west, the humans and other races. They understand both sides of the coin so to speak but have a far better understanding on it due to their longer lifespan.
I like the 'related but different' elements to the two peoples.
I agree with krome, the eyes are a nice touch.
For me it was not their eyes, but their mentality and their culture. This race hit a chord within me. Two thumbs up!
I would like to know why they hit a cord with you specifically AG! What did it?
I like the post, but like Krome I don't understand from reading this why they segregate the sexes in such a peculiar way - it seems to me like both sexes think they are better than the other. In fact, the whole race seems very haughty and abrupt, which makes me surprised that they would be good diplomats. I see you gave some explanation of that in your replies already though.
At one point the Yakaram were very male superior. The women at home and hearth where the men worked and protected the family. During the infighting and the war between the tribes, the women were forced to protect the families at home while the men were fighting abroad.
This led to a little unknown time similar to affirmative action. The women forced the men to see they were as equal as they were. When that failed they seperated. They realize that each side needs the other but refuse to give ground and admit it. This has been going on for centuries. Being that they are of the longer lived, they have time to sit back and wait for the other to see the err of their ways.
They respect each other because they see a need for the others, but they also see that each group is important. Whether more important is up to individual interpretation. I hope taht helps and doesn't raise more questions.
its all been said and explained. I like the Yakaram. Eyes all different shades of green...nice!
The last of the derevo will be coming.
A useful race and culture is started with this entry. More detail would have been useful as well as links to the 'cousin races'. I've had trouble believing a race that abbreviates everything would make good ambassadors as the devil is often in the detail, admittedly most solutions are pretty simple. It sounds to me like they would have to have an impeccable moral compass if they were to make good diplomats as well. I enjoyed the start but feel with a little more effort they could have been fleshed out better.