As the
Kingdom of Accia continued their conquest south into
Musi Kongo, a mysterious and ferocious man from lands further south swept into the rainforest and pushed the Accian invaders back, only a small host of men to aid him.When asked who he and his men were, he would not give them his name. His men simply replied "Paymi chakuq. Ñuqaykuqa chakuqpa runankuna kayku" which they understood meant, "This is the hunter. We are the hunter's men."
Eventually, these mysterious figures learned the local language but this is how they came to be called Chakuqpa Runankuna and Chakuq
Supay.
A chakuqpa runan fights alongside
Supay the Huntsman against the Kingdom of Accia. For unknown reasons, each of these warriors possess powerful beastial and plant magic, taking on more drastic transformation than their northern neighbors have ever seen—blessed by
Banalkar.They have launched a relentless campaign against these invaders in the interest of the
Tawantinsuyu Empire but also on behalf of the local villages untrained in warfare.
Purpose and Responsibilities
These men have come far from their own homes and families into unfamiliar lands, following and fighting alongside their Chakuq, Supay. They come from the
Tawantinsuyu Empire furtherr south, who sends them suppliies and additional manpower, but the upper members of this organization are loyal to Supay alone. These men are soldiers but they also act as town guard within Pakaysacha and even as hunters, collecting food for their organization and the village they call home. After all, their leader demands they be self sufficient and finds the skills of a hunter to be essential for warfare. Their title isn't just that, each are trained by the Supay himself and are apt huntsman. This is one of many reasons they have been a terror on Accian forces. They treat their enemies exactly as they might treat prey, with clever and ruthless guerilla tactics and even traps. And of course their teamwork is just as smooth, moving and communicating with each other as one might expect from a pack of wolves.
Despite their skills and training, the enemy they face has considerable experience and superior training. The
Accian Military Training Program produces highly specialized and organized soldiers. The kingdom also has superior technology and resources. If not for the familiar landscape and the terror their leader strikes in their enemies, one might question just how long they would last. Yet the chakuqpa runankuna thrive in the dense jungles of Musi Kongo. Most often they ambush and intercept supply runs necessary for retaking the Accian fort they've captured, working in tandem with Tawantinsuyu Empire soliders which have made this fort into their base. They also make night raids on Accian military camps and respond to Bakongo villages being invaded.
Background
Not much is known about these warriors or their leader, especially to the
Kingdom of Accia. They are all impossibly tight-lipped, especially about their leader. What is clear is their apparent respect and even reverence for Supay. The oldest of these members, those among the original men who arrived with Supay, seem to have their own tales of how he won their respect. Every now and then they may let small mentions of these events slip into casual conversation with villagers. Their most famous accomplisment was the
Mauling of the Iron Fort, pushing Accian troops out of the local area and leaving them without a defensible headquarters in Musi Kongo.
Demographics
In the beginning, all of the chakuqpa runan were
Tawantinsuyu though there were a few other groups of
Beyonders mixed in. They originally travelled into the
Isthmus of the Huntsman to push back Accian invaders before they could reach their homeland, the
Continent Beyond. However, as Pakaysacha continues to grow, many local
Abantu including the
Bakongo,
Baluba and
Balunda have volunteered to join and fight alongside them. Now the Chakuqpa Runankuna possesses both Tawantinsuyu and
Abantu members.
Equipment
While they have no uniform, chakuqpa runan don't dress anything like soldiers from the Tawantinsuyu Empire. When they transform, and they will often shift from form to form depending on the situation, ordinary clothes are easily destroyed or get in their way. Rather than wearing the traditional tunic of the
Tawantinsuyu man, they have taken to wearing just a poncho on their upper body. This way, however they transform be it wings, claws, plant leaves or vines, the poncho is adaptable and comfortable. As for their lower body, they have the lower half of a tunic with open sides and secured tightly with a chumpi belt. A loincloth is worn underneath this, just in case. This accommodates any growth, tail or fur their
magic form grants them while still covering what needs to be covered. Unlike villagers, Supay insists they leave the bright and flashy colors behind in favor of stealth within the jungle but within the village they don bright colors and patterns!
Benefits and Status
All needs of the chakuqpa runankuna are provided by
Pakaysacha and the
Tawantinsuyu Empire who regularly sends supplies to support their efforts. Chakuqpa runan also receive all money gained from whatever kills they make, Supay having no interest in money himself. It isn't uncommon for local villagers or citizens of Pakaysacha to present them with gifts too, especially during festivals and the like. For this reason, Supay keeps a close eye on his huntsmen to make sure greed doesn't sneak it's way into his organization. There is nothing Supay detests more than greed. These are also highly respected if not revered men in Pakaysacha and surrounding areas, viewed as their protectors. Chakuqpa runankuna are well received by most of
Musi Kongo outside of
Ntima-Kongo where they are seen as disenters. The Kongo king has made arrangements with the kingdom, granting them the freedom to "recruit" Abantu children but has neglected to inform their widely dispersed villages. He views the chakuqpa runankuna as a threat to his treaty with the kingdom, despite their popularity with his citizens.
Recruitment[
Those who wish to become chakuqpa runan, to be counted among them, must first learn the basics of hunting. They have one elder member who gives lessons to groups of prospective initiates. When they feel they are ready, the potential recruit must demonstrate their skills by joining Supay on his nightly hunt. Supay makes a point to personally approve new members, assessing them himself. He feels he can tell all he needs to know by observing a man hunt. If their skills and integrity are satisfactory, the initiate can begin their journey to becoming a chakuqpa runan. From here they begin training more militant skills, aprenticing under a master within the organization.
Training
Despite being
Tawantinsuyu, the chakuqpa runankuna do not follow the empire's methods or organization. Instead, they have a system where elder members will take on a number of initiates as their apprentices, passing on their skills on a daily basis and from battle to battle. Gaining rank within their organization is done through either proving skill within battle or by a series of trials. Bringing back a difficult or impressive kill is a surefire path to a promotion. If an initiate manages to prove themselves honorable and wins the respect of senior members, of Supay himself, they are able to join his inner circle. The truth of their origins and purpose is shared with this initiate and they take a sacred oath. Only then can they call themselves a chakuqpa runan. Oddly enough, it is only these members which possess
Banalkar's blessings which they are infamous for. Just one more mystery from these devoted warriors.
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