Sahrimnae
By Heron
Singular: Sahrimn
Plural: Sahrimnae Group: Family of Sahrimnae Communication - Mindspeech Size Ranges – By Rank Colorations – Boar-like; Note war-paint Rank markings Naming Convention -- Warrior tradition or Norse tongue only; only very young don't know own name in advance |
General Information
Nobody quite knows the origins of the Sahrimnae and the simple answer is that nobody ever truly will. These apparent wild boar are no mundane animals, nor are they even the standard for the wondrous creatures of Teragaia that the natives and newcomers have long become fond of Impressing. The Sahrimnae are Teragaia itself, fey, wild, untamed spirits of the very land, an intrinsic and inextricable part of the uncultivated wilderness far beyond the walls and windows of civilization. On some level, they might even be called minor gods. Sahrimnae are fierce protectors of the land they inhabit and to which they are bound. Part of being bound to the land is the ability to influence it, bless or blight, make travel easier or harder, caretake the overall well being of the land itself. They can bless or curse those who travel through their territory, depending upon the nature of an interaction. Of course, the nature of them being minor gods means they can BE blessed or cursed in return, strengthened or weakened, endowed or sickened. As a culture, Sahrimnae prize valor, honor, and blunt honesty. They take no nonsense, nor guile, from anyone. Charm affronts them, as they are a straightforward and brusque people for whom silken diplomacy tastes of deceit and deception. Sahrimnae are passionate, some would say aggressive, temperamental and quick to react and act on their emotions. They feel powerfully and never hesitate to leap before they look. More than anything, Sahrimnae are forces of Nature itself. In their home territories, the Sahrimnae are, perhaps, the only species on Teragaia more powerful than the Illogical Field. Despite its nature, it cannot break a Sahrimn’s hold on that Sahrimn’s home. Outside of their own territory, of course, Sahrimnae are nearly powerless, but within, they are gods, and even the Illogical Field must obey. Boar-like in appearance, Sahrimnae can be differentiated from mundane boar by both their size -- ranging from just larger than true boar to much larger -- and the war paint that swirls over their bodies, patterns and colors setting them apart by rank. Sahrimnae have four wicked tusks with which to gore enemies and prey, and motes of mist swirling around their hooves and the tips of their tails. Excluding the Vaylkree, which are exclusively female, all ranks may be of either sex. Mating Information Sahrimnae are not peaceable creatures, necessarily. They are tempestuous and martial, and Sahrimn wisdom goes that even other Sahrimnae don’t really know a Sahrimn until they’ve had a good fight. When a Sahrimn is ready to mate, he or she bellows loud enough to be heard for miles, challenging others of his or her kind to gather and melee until only the initiator and one or two of the challengers are left standing, the rest exhausted and unable to stay in the fight, after which the winner and initiator leave to consummate the challenge. Bonding Information While they aren’t quite the same as the usual gamut of Impressable creatures, Sahrimnae are in fact capable of bonding to candidates they favor. What attracts them varies by individual, but they usually favor blunt honesty, acts of valor, and respect. Sometimes, however, they are contrary creatures and bond to rivalry and antagonism. As in all things, Sahrimnae are as unpredictable about bonding as they are about anything else. It should be noted, though, that on the *rare occasion* they do not know their own names before bonding (in the case that a Sahrimn may be very young), they accept names in warrior traditions or in the Norse tongue only. Ranks Iarl 10* The undisputed leaders of any given family, the Iarl is the largest Sahrimn in the bunch, and among the strongest. He or she may not be the burliest, but he or she has the right combination of brawn, intelligence, savvy, and commanding presence to keep the rest of the family in line. If the size -- a solid eight or so feet at the shoulders -- isn’t enough to distinguish them, you can always tell the Iarl from the rest by the brash gold swirls of war paint that decorate their bodies. There is never more than one Iarl per family of Sahrimnae, and any direct confrontation between two Iarls will result in conflict if there is not a standing arrangement in place where they have agreed to meet. Such a meeting is called a Moot, and arrangements are made via emissaries for Iarls to meet on neutral ground when such a meeting is necessary. Thain 9* Second in command to the Iarl, the Thains hold the second most power, as one might expect. Their main duties are to carry out the will of the Iarl they serve, and thus it is the Thain’s duty to be both loyal and fairly savvy, inasmuch as a reactionary creature like a Sahrimn can and will be savvy. Their position in the family is one of near-administration, keeping the lower ranks in line with the Iarl and counseling the Iarl when the Iarl is amenable to being counseled. A Thain’s war paint swirls in patterns of stately forest green, and they tend to stand between seven and seven and a half feet at the shoulder. When Iarls need to Moot, they tend to send their Thains as emissaries. Huskarl 8* Every Iarl and every Thain has a Huskarl. The Huskarl is sword and shield, loyal servant and fierce warrior, the right and left hand of his or her appointed protectee. No Sahrimn knows loyalty like the faithful Huskarl, whose life is dedicated to service and protection, devoted and eternal. Their authority is the extended authority of the Iarl or Thain they serve, and the position of Huskarl is one that is greatly respected amongst the Sahrimnae. A Huskarl can be recognized by their size, nearly seven feet tall at the shoulder and four or so feet wide there too, and the bright swirls of bronze war paint that decorate their bodies. Woden 7* The family would not be defenseless without its elite warriors, no Sahrimn ever is, but the Woden make the front line of the family’s defenses in times of war and combat, usually against rival families of Sahrimnae. Occasionally against interlopers who cause harm to the land, Void Kitsune in particular, rarely mortals. Painted in swirls of brilliant blue, the Woden are unique in that their warpaint is known to protect them from physical wounds and it heals what few wounds they do get at a highly accelerated rate. They can stand up to six and a half feet at the shoulder and are appropriately broad and well-muscled. Woden tend to be quiet creatures without much to say, surprisingly meditative for Sahrimnae, but to see them on the battlefield is to see gods of war in poetic motion. Vaylkree 7* Distinguishable from the family by the misty metallic silver warpaint and mist around their cloven hooves, the Vaylkree are also the most difficult to spot in any given family. Reclusive creatures who may choose to be invisible, they rarely appear to the living, choosing most often to appear to the dead and dying, as it is their job to shepherd the spirits of the dead in their territory. They respect a worthy death, dying with strength, thunder in your heart, fire in your eyes, steel in your hand. They disdain an unworthy death, one filled with shame and cowardice, a weak death. They guide dead souls accordingly. A Vaylkree will still fight when she is called to the battlefield, and at six feet at the shoulder hers is a not insignificant weight to throw around. Behrserkr 6* Any and every Sahrimn is a sight to behold on the battlefield, but the Behrserkr are an entirely different class of terrifying to witness. They are the temper of the land, prone to the strongest and most passionate reactions to any given situation. Pain and anger only make Behrserkr stronger and fiercer, and injuries have a way of speeding them up rather than slowing them down. Their muscular shoulders rise five to six and a half feet and are accordingly broad, though a Behrserkr can always be recognized even out of combat by the garish crimson warpaint. Vinr 6* Sometimes even Sahrimnae try not to be disagreeable creatures. The Vinr are the comparatively small Sahrimnae of the family whose job it is to be...diplomatic. By which it is meant they are marginally better at listening than most of their kind and are at least nominally friendlier, though they are still Sahrimnae and still reactionary creatures at best. Vinr, distinguished by the decorative purple markings and being only twice the size of ordinary boar, do at least put in the effort, however, to see all sides of a story and understand the ways of outsiders. Usually. Aukki 6* Even minor nature gods like the Sahrimnae have hard work they need done and workers they need doing it, and this is the role filled by the Aukki. They’re certainly capable of much more when they need to be, of course, but by and large they do the heavy lifting and the carrying and the manual labor. Aukki are strong, and a single one, though only five feet at the shoulder, is still capable of pulling several tons of weight alone. A team of them could move an entire city if that city offended them, and they have done so in the past to relocate entire civilizations out of their territories. Aukki are easily recognized not only by their size but by the utilitarian white markings they sport. |