So...I started posting again (with a non-human character...)
I thought you people might like some background on Tzchee-inki's race so, here goes:
Name:
Ash-en (Spider-lords in Sumerian)
Description:
Ash-en are a race of spider-like beings, found only in a small island group far from human inhabitation.
Tales of them occaisionally arise in human cities, mainly inspired by the few encounters with Ash-en by
intrepid sailors. This encounters were usually not peaceful, as men seem to have a problem with
five foot tall black and red half-man half-spiders trying to greet them.
Ash-en are, as mentioned earlier, around five feet (1 and two-thirds metres) tall, measured from the top of
their heads to the ground. They resemble the spider analogue of a centaur, although their
entire body tends towards the chitinous.
Their six legs are long and clever, and allow Ash-en to climb quickly over rough terrain and up most
vertical surfaces (if not too smooth - like glass). Including the legs, Ash-en are perhaps two metres wide, although
if they curl their legs up, they are not much wider than a human. The spider abdomen (as opposed to the
human abdomen...aghh I hate words
) contains spinnerets, capable of producing large amounts of webbing silk. This silk
is translucent, extremely strong (bladed weapons cannot cut it unless magical), and may be made sticky if the Ash-en desires.
Ash-en hunt their food by contructing hidden webs and then driving prey ahead of them into those webs. They eat their prey live...
Ash-en magic is strongly ceremonial, and is based upon the contruction of complex geometries using webbing. Such geometrical
patterns actually distort the nature of the Universe, allowing a skilled Ash-en (a so called En-keeper) to divine knowledge of the
present, past or future, or (more dangerously) subtly alter the state of the world.
(Note to all concerned: Source civilisations are (vaguely) Sumer and the South American cultures...
<addition>
Ash-en civilisation is Matriarchal, and complex hierarchical. Individuals are given powers dependant upon how many others
are influenced by them (like how many nodes they are connected to). An En-keeper (always female) is the highest authority in a given
city.
Cities are arboreal, contructed of webbing and red metal (copper, bronze), stone and living wood (trees grown into shape).
Slaves (almost always male, although females who have committed heinous crimes may be demoted to this level...) are used for
manual labour throughout Ash-en civilisation, but everyone (even the majority of the slaves) thinks this is fair and part of the
pattern of things.
Travelling.
A travelling En-keeper will be accompanied by a large entourage of Scry-princes (essentially
artist-engineers in the medium of webbing), Hunting-spinners (the highest level of warrior class
whose arts are based upon stealth, artiface and quick strikes, rather than the cruder methods of fighting known to
barbarian humans (or Urnamu as the Ash-en know them)), Slave-maniples, Slaves, and perhaps a few of the other classes.
There will be perhaps 60 individuals in the entourage, of which 40 or so will be Slaves or Slave-maniples. The rest will be
predominantly female as well...
[Edited by The_Dudester on November 18th, 2000 at 05:54 PM]
