Cha'ari (Cha-arr-ee)
Physical Traits
Soaring amongst the clouds of Venus, the cha’ari make their homes across Venus. Cha’ari typically stand between five and six feet tall. Even at their tallest, cha’ari tend to be lighter than the other races on Venus because of their unique bone structure. Like most avians found on Earth, cha’ari have a skeleton based around lightweight strutted bones which allow them to remain aloft more easily in the Venusian atmosphere. These bones are not the only characteristic they share with Earth’s birds as they also have wings, beaks and talons.
By far their most defining and unique characteristic is their wings. While many cha’ari’s wings easily surpass their height, this isn’t always the case. Over the millenia, different groups of cha’ari have developed different wing shapes from one another. These include large, rounded wings for soaring to sharp, angular wings for diving as well as light, tightly wound wings for hovering. However the wing shape, all cha’ari, injuries and deformities withstanding, are capable of flight.
Another feature common to the wings of the cha’ari is that each wing possesses a pseudo-thumb. While this pseudo-thumb is useless for fine manipulation, it does help with a variety of daily tasks. For more powerful and fine manipulation, cha’ari have become adept at using their powerful talons. Whether it be a spear, a bow or a quill, a cha’ari has no issue using them with the same skill that any other race on Venus would. Even though they are capable of using weapons and items developed by other species, most cha’ari typically stick with items specifically made to be wielded with their talons.
Cha’ari mating season used to be determined by time of year, but now as the seasons have halted, it's dictated by The Parliament. During designated times, many cha’ari will fly to an ancestral forest and nature will take its course. The resulting egg will be raised by both parents. If the two parents belong to separate communities, the community leaders will often negotiate in regards to where the two will live and raise the child, a common occurrence. Upon being born, the fledgling will take on the colorations and appearance of one or both of its parents, with cha’ari colorations being as varied as their wing types. After hatching, the cha’ari will continue to live at a span comparable to most humans.
History During eons past, the cha’ari were among the best suited to survive the unusual seasons of Venus. With the mountains they call home stretching so far across the globe, they were always able to migrate from one part of the mountain to another every time the wintery night began to arrive. Luckily, with different cha’ari having different advantages for climate, daylight, and landscape, even when traveling they were able to disperse enough as to not be overly crowded in one area. As this cycle continued across the ages, the migration of the cha’ari became part of the natural cycle, with other species taking notice and making migrations of their own as well. As the Atlanteans came, life changed little for the cha’ari. Even as the xyel-ya and the Atlanteans carved a path across the landscape, they had difficulties taming the mountains in ways that they would do everywhere else. In response, trades were made between the Atlanteans and the cha’ari. The cha’ari would help map paths for the xyel-ya to march through and in return the cha’ari would receive promises for autonomy and technologies. These promises were kept. Even when the globe was charted by the Atlanteans, the cha’ari were free to do as they pleased within their territory and life was easier than ever thanks to new technologies. Of course, as is always the case, this changed when Ra arrived. Once Ra arrived their autonomy was stripped. There was no formal announcement of this, just boots and vehicles ascending the mountains to take what was theirs. While some villages did fall to these platoons, others held their own against these brigades. Many that successfully defended themselves were deemed too small and unimportant to be worth the cost it would require to successfully conquer them. As a precaution, many cha’ari fled to higher peaks to make new homes that were less desirable, but much more safe. When the planet stopped, so did the cha’ari’s way of life as they had known it for millennia. No longer did they need to migrate to a warmer climate. Unlike other races of Venus, this actually benefited most cha’ari. With no need to travel large distances, they could create more permanent homes in defensible positions. Even though they must live in smaller groups to detect unwanted attention, the cha’ari of the present are perhaps more stable now than they have ever been.
Culture Separated as they may be by mountain peaks and hundreds of miles, all cha’ari share one thing in common: the hunt. A coming of age ritual that teaches self-reliance and survival skills, the hunt has remained unchanged even with the alterations of the planet. The same forest is used for modern cha’ari as was used by their ancestors and their ancestors before them. In the past there would be only a specific time of year it could be used because of the daylight hours. Now each village has a specific portion of the year in which their young are to be tested. Cha’ari hunt of course, but they also gather. While food is of course important, what is more interesting is the things cha’ari gather which are not for survival, but for enjoyment. Precious stones might be lodged into a mountain side or on a riverbed. Specific flowers or berries may be gathered because they can be used to make a peculiar dye. They will take these objects and use them to decorate either their homes, or themselves. Jewels may decorate the necks of decorated hunters or the a cha’ari may dye their feathers a hue of bright orange to express themselves. Cha’ari are particularly adept at speaking all native Venusian languages. Their vocal cords find it easy to shape into the sharp chirps of the myrtik or the harsh clicks of the kegani. Their years of migration and hunting allow them to mimic many sounds with enough training. While they do speak low Atlantean, the cha’ari do also have a native language of their own. A swooping and beautiful language, it has a sound like quality to it. One unique characteristic of it is that particular words such as “danger” or “help” have such easy whistling sounds that they can be heard from miles around with enough force and emphasis.
History During eons past, the cha’ari were among the best suited to survive the unusual seasons of Venus. With the mountains they call home stretching so far across the globe, they were always able to migrate from one part of the mountain to another every time the wintery night began to arrive. Luckily, with different cha’ari having different advantages for climate, daylight, and landscape, even when traveling they were able to disperse enough as to not be overly crowded in one area. As this cycle continued across the ages, the migration of the cha’ari became part of the natural cycle, with other species taking notice and making migrations of their own as well. As the Atlanteans came, life changed little for the cha’ari. Even as the xyel-ya and the Atlanteans carved a path across the landscape, they had difficulties taming the mountains in ways that they would do everywhere else. In response, trades were made between the Atlanteans and the cha’ari. The cha’ari would help map paths for the xyel-ya to march through and in return the cha’ari would receive promises for autonomy and technologies. These promises were kept. Even when the globe was charted by the Atlanteans, the cha’ari were free to do as they pleased within their territory and life was easier than ever thanks to new technologies. Of course, as is always the case, this changed when Ra arrived. Once Ra arrived their autonomy was stripped. There was no formal announcement of this, just boots and vehicles ascending the mountains to take what was theirs. While some villages did fall to these platoons, others held their own against these brigades. Many that successfully defended themselves were deemed too small and unimportant to be worth the cost it would require to successfully conquer them. As a precaution, many cha’ari fled to higher peaks to make new homes that were less desirable, but much more safe. When the planet stopped, so did the cha’ari’s way of life as they had known it for millennia. No longer did they need to migrate to a warmer climate. Unlike other races of Venus, this actually benefited most cha’ari. With no need to travel large distances, they could create more permanent homes in defensible positions. Even though they must live in smaller groups to detect unwanted attention, the cha’ari of the present are perhaps more stable now than they have ever been.
Culture Separated as they may be by mountain peaks and hundreds of miles, all cha’ari share one thing in common: the hunt. A coming of age ritual that teaches self-reliance and survival skills, the hunt has remained unchanged even with the alterations of the planet. The same forest is used for modern cha’ari as was used by their ancestors and their ancestors before them. In the past there would be only a specific time of year it could be used because of the daylight hours. Now each village has a specific portion of the year in which their young are to be tested. Cha’ari hunt of course, but they also gather. While food is of course important, what is more interesting is the things cha’ari gather which are not for survival, but for enjoyment. Precious stones might be lodged into a mountain side or on a riverbed. Specific flowers or berries may be gathered because they can be used to make a peculiar dye. They will take these objects and use them to decorate either their homes, or themselves. Jewels may decorate the necks of decorated hunters or the a cha’ari may dye their feathers a hue of bright orange to express themselves. Cha’ari are particularly adept at speaking all native Venusian languages. Their vocal cords find it easy to shape into the sharp chirps of the myrtik or the harsh clicks of the kegani. Their years of migration and hunting allow them to mimic many sounds with enough training. While they do speak low Atlantean, the cha’ari do also have a native language of their own. A swooping and beautiful language, it has a sound like quality to it. One unique characteristic of it is that particular words such as “danger” or “help” have such easy whistling sounds that they can be heard from miles around with enough force and emphasis.
Starting Experience: 95
Starting Skills: Flight: Most Cha’ari are capable of flight (see flying sidebar on page 100 of the genesys core rulebook).
Hollow Bones: Cha’ari are much more light than their one would expect for their size, but their hollow bones do leave them vulnerable to certain attacks. All criticals against Cha’ari receive an additional +10.
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