Ankhana
Ankhana: The Arrival
We had seen the green and blue tale-tell signs of life and oceans as we hurtled towards this strange world, but all around our crash-site we could see nothing but a strange and desolate landscape of canyons and towering stone structures that blocked out the sun. To the north, a cliff, and from its peak, there rained life-giving water. We had thought to camp near the base of the cliff, but the water which rained so sweetly down from above disappeared into the depths, taunting us, as if life itself were rejecting our presence. Within a day, we were attacked by strange creatures with shells like steel and pincers that cut our bravest warriors in two with a single, echoing snap. So, desperate and afraid, we climbed.
Upon reaching the summit, we collapsed, nearly kissing the earth in gratitude for the fact that we yet lived and drank deeply of the sweet water that flowed from the vast river stretching out before us. When I turned to look from where we had come, I gazed in wonder at the river cutting through the hostile lands we had escaped, seeming impossibly immense and stretching for what seemed forever in any direction. After all that we had been through, I made a crude stone altar and offered to the Gods, praying for guidance and deliverance, crying out for forgiveness and longing for the home our people once had.
Day after day I prayed, making offerings to the old gods on an altar looking south towards the barren wastelands below. My people thought I was mad, and mocked me as they took shelter in the caves of the stone tower that overlooked the precipice. One evening, as the moon rose and the smoke of their offering cleared away and the fire had dimmed to sullen embers, I looked out across the southern wastelands as I so often did, and the Goddess of Hope granted me a vision. I saw a glowing light coursing through the desert flats, spreading outward from the base of the cliffs like an enormous tree branching its way between the plateaus jutting up from the earth.
As I gazed upon this tree-shaped path of light, I saw a once-vast desert turned lush and green. In that vision we found a purpose; a path to redemption that we desperately needed. We Ankhana, refugees, from a world killed by our own hands, had been delivered to the middle of this massive desert to prove if we can learn to be the stewards we should have been; to earn access to the richness of Duende's bounty through service. As tears filled my eyes, I saw her, the Goddess of Hope, the mother of our people, and as she laid her hand upon me my eyes became open and I could see the the desert as it was, full of life, full of power, and full of hope.
We named this desert Pakhrani, 'the hope that is hidden'; it is our blessing, our curse, our burden, our responsibility, and most importantly, the hope for the future of my people
Ankhana: Overview
The Ankhana are a collective heritage of mammalian humanoids from the planet Zhad'hinal. Rather than one particular species, the members of their society contain representatives of many sentient species based clans from their homeworld that are united under a single banner. (**edit individual species names** Felidae, Canidae, Ursidae, Procyonidae, Mustelidae, Mephitidae, Herpestidae, Ailuridae, and Hyaenidae.) Within each of these clans the individual members very greatly, representing the diverse biome of their homeworld.
United by a sense of responsibility for the destruction of their homeworld, the survivors that arrived on Duende instilled in their children a sense of duty to reclaim and repair the damage done the natural world when they see it. Their drive to restore the natural world does not make them pacifists, however, as the recognize that sometimes the only way to preserve the life is to fight. When confronted with a conflict that can only be overcome by force this normally peaceable people fight with a ferocity that would bring honor to their ancestors, baring tooth and claw honed by years of training within the Citadel.
Ankhana: Homeland
The Ankhana's homeland is the vast desert region known as the Pakhrani Desert, settling primarily along the banks of the Zhad'hinal River that runs through it. Along its banks they have established several Doma, each of which has been tasked with reclaiming, protecting, and expanding the region of the desert under their control. Additionally, each Doma also serve a more specialized function that is unique to them. The Zhad'hinal river flows north to south, winding its way from the Hayitese Mountains to The Citadel, the first settlement and seat of power for the The Khara Council, before disappearing over the cliffs into the ancient seabed dubbed the Shorja Al-Amel.
The Pakhrani desert, once away from the river, is an inhospitable and desolate landscape of rolling dunes, scorching heat, and deadly predators. Yet, in this desolation the Ankhana have found new purpose and a chance for redemption, seeking atonement for their careless destruction of Zhad'hinal, and have built an entire society devoted to the reclamation and restoration of their desert home. The Ankhana constructed their doma above the floodplains of the Zhad'hinal river, and as time passed, settlements grew up in the surrounding areas. In the time since their arrival, they have developed a thriving trade network that utilizes the river as their main highway through their kingdom, moving cargo and people up and down the river in low barges.
With the Hayitese Mountains on their northern border and the vast desert between their settlements and the coast, the Ankhana's settlements are well insulated from invasion by any organized military organization. That does not guarantee their safety, however. The wildlife of the desert and the oceanic planes below and powerful sandstorms provide a constant reminder that their lives hang in a precarious balance and the slightest mistake could tip the scales against them.
Ankhana: Origins
The Ankhana are a culture originally from the world of Zhad'hinal. Once a lush and beautiful planet, Zhad'hinal was slowly transformed into a barren desert wasteland as its inhabitants drained it of its mana during the centuries of war in the Era of Desolation. The Ankhana are not a single species. Rather, they are a collection of mammalian humanoids of multiple root species. On Zhad'hinal, the Ankhana were those that had evolved to the point of being capable of bipedal movement and were capable of speech. Despite their tribal like beginnings, the Era of Desolation and the nearly constant state of galactic war pushed them into banding together as a civilization.
The first of the Ankhana to settle Duende grew up in the desolation of Zhad'hinal, witnesses to the result of the transformation of their homelands. They were those left to die during the mass evacuation of their planet. It took nearly two centuries of living in the desolate wasteland scavenging the wreckage of their dead home-world for salvageable scrap before they were able to create a final evacuation ship large enough to carry the remnants of Zhad'hinal to the stars.
Unfortunately for these poor souls, their hodgepodge ark was not up to the rigors of the journey ahead of them. After losing navigation, they drifted for nearly a year before, low on fuel and food, they were caught in the bubble, drawing them crashing into ancient, dry seabed-turned-desert Duende. They had seen the green and blue tale-tell signs of life and oceans, but all around their crash-site they could see nothing but desolate wasteland and sheer cliffs. Seeing nothing to the south, they climbed. Reaching the summit, they looked down in wonder at the river cutting through a desert that seemed impossibly immense, stretching for what seemed forever in any direction.
Ankhana: Pre-Era of Desolation
The world of Zhad'hinal was a smaller world covered in a vast expanses of grassland plains that made the gently rolling landscape appear flat and feature less. From almost any point on the planet, one could look in any direction and only see the tops of the golden grasses bending and dancing in the near constant warm breezes under an azure sky. The world was not featureless, however, its golden dancers concealing the plethora of rivers, streams, and watering holes that wound their way through the landscape. Along the banks of the rivers that wound their way through the featureless landscape grew the few sparse forests that populated the world, providing the main break in the terrain apart from the rare and often singular mountains that rose off the plains, their tops disappearing into the heavens. Hidden in this serene mana rich world the endless and often violent dance of life played itself out.
For eons Zhad'hinal was untouched by the hand of sentient life, existing in it's pristine form. But, as tends to happen on mana rich worlds, sentience emerged, awakening in the minds of the planets inhabitents.
Ankhana: Era of Desolation
Once a lush and beautiful planet, Zhad'hinal was slowly transformed into a barren desert wasteland as its inhabitants drained it of its mana during the centuries of war in the Era of Desolation. The Ankhana are not a single species. Rather, they are a collection of mammalian humanoids of multiple root species. On Zhad'hinal, the Ankhana were those that had evolved to the point of being capable of bipedal movement and were capable of speech. Despite their tribal-like beginnings, the Era of Desolation and the nearly constant state of galactic war pushed them into banding together as a civilization.
Ankhana: Society
Ankhana society is unique among the races of Duende. During the centuries between when their planet was first evacuated and when they managed to leave, as well as during the journey to Duende, life was hard and the mortality rate was high. It was not unusual for young Ankhana to be orphaned at a young age. To adapt to this reality, the burden of raising the young became shared among the group, a tradition that they continued after arriving on Duende. It also became rare for couples to form permanent bonds, though not unheard of. Instead, and largely due to biological necessity, mothers tended to raise their children until they were self sufficient. When they were deemed ready, they were escorted down river to where the river disappears into the stone; to the clifftop city known as the Citadel.
The Citadel was the first settlement founded by the Ankhana when they landed on Duende, on the very spot where their high priestess had her vision. To the north, the fertile valley stretches for hundreds of miles, and to the south, more than a thousand feet below, the Pakhrani stretches as far as the eye can see. The entire edifice is built from stones carved out of the cliff as the Ankhana literally carved out their new home. After centuries of continual construction, it stands as a monument to the Ankhana's resolve and ability.
The Citadel is more than a city, however. Ruled over by the Council of Khara, the Citadel contains representatives and volunteers from the many Doma . 'The People', a literal translation of the original word Ankhana, hold an individual's service to society as a sacred duty. Second only to their duty to their people is the deep seated honor-bound need to redeem themselves as a culture. It is these tenets, in addition to basic academics, that are taught to all Ankhana during their first two years in the Citadel. Life in the Citadel is a lively affair, where the youngest arrivals are introduced to a broad range of subjects. Their mentors watch and nurture their interests, help them overcome their weaknesses, and encourage them to learn both the thrill of discovering something new and the peaceful joy of appreciating something old. Starting in their third year, the children receive self-defense training and are allowed to compete in games within the Citadel. The games for the younger children tend to be individual competitions where the child competes against their self, developing the patience and discipline to hone their skills to perfection.
Ankhana
Heritage Member Species
Heritage Features
Heritage: Ankhana
The destruction of the Ankhanan homeworld left deep cultural scars on the people, making them keenly aware of the effects of depleting mana from the world. As a result, even in Duende's mana rich environment, they are taught to be highly efficient wielders. Abilities created by Ankhana wielders start with 1 additional Efficiency rank, and efficiency upgrades are 25% cheaper.
Khipu Armor:
The Ankhana developed an intricate form of knotting that, to one trained in the art, can tell elaborate and highly detailed stories. Every member of the Ankhana is given a Khipu torc that is added to over the course of their life which indicate their Doma, profession, social standing, accomplishments, and other status indicators. The details of the armor types and ratings can be found here: Khipu Armor.
Starting Attributes and Pools:
- Hitpoints: EDD
- Stamina: EDD
- Mana: EDD
- Fade: EDD
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