Girtablilu
Overview
At once fierce warriors and collaborative workers, girtablilu strike an unusual balance despite their fearsome appearances. Like a centaur, a girtablilu has the large body of a scorpion with a humanoid torso emerging where the scorpion's head would be. Traces of carapace sometimes persist along their human skin, and some even have chitinous tendrils instead of hair. Regardless of their minor variations, all girtablilu possess the powerful claws and venomous stingers of their arachnid ancestry, and with a weapon in each humanoid hand as well, a trained girtablilu warrior is one of the most formidable opponents in the Itharan wastelands.
Warrior culture is strong among the girtablilu. Their children are trained to use their claws and stingers to defend themselves, and their fighting style adapts well to the bhuj as a weapon, with its chopping and thrusting ability. Combat is a source of revelry for the girtablilu, as well: many warriors strap deeply resonant hide drums to their scorpion bodies and bang them while rythmically hissing with air from their scorpion halves' spiracles. This unique war song is not only played before and after combat as indimidation and celebration, but often in the middle of battle as well.
by Pauhami
by jdeberge
Though their culture breeds a warrior's spirit, what is more important to the girtablilu are powerful social bonds. One's reputation with one's peers is more valuable than any currency, so girtablilu instill a strong sense of comradery and loyalty in their kin. While there may be friendly competition between warriors, it is expected that every member of a girtablilu community helps one another without question, each individual supporting one another without the expectation of repayment. Some girtablilu take this mentality outside of their own communities as well, taking it upon themselves to wander the world and give aid where it is needed. Few things are more reliable than a girtablilu ally.
Civilization and Culture
Naming Traditions
Girtablilu names are usually in their own language of clicks and hisses, and forego the usual given name - family name structure in favor of one that exemplifies their ideals. Their names are structured as clan-mother-individual, and first introductions always include full names to ensure each party immediately knows one’s connections. For the girtablilu, the clan is always most important, for it shows the foundation of their strength, and is usually longer than an individual's name; the mother follows, for she carries her children upon her back for several years to protect them and show them the ways of the world; the individual is last, for they are only one part in a larger community. Exiles, primarily those who betray another family member, have their clan and mother name stripped, and they are no longer permitted to call themselves anything but their individual name. A girtablilu saying translates roughly to “I trust you as much as a man with one name” as a result.
As an example, the name Tzaah-Nak-Olm identifies the individual as Olm, whose mother is Nak, and who both belong to the Tzaah clan. If this female girtablilu had a child, its name could be Tzaah-Olm-Jek. Other examples include Vath-Kah-Zin, Mor-Ul-Rek, Kacht-Za-Cha, and Alcha-Nul-Tah.
by Cassaa
Major Language Groups and Dialects
While the girtablilu can learn and speak other languages as well as any other humanoid, their native language is composed of various glottal clicks and hisses of air from their scorpion halves' spiracles in particular sequences. These can be approximated by other humanoids without a girtablilu's specific biology. Girtablilu words are usually no more than one or two syllables, but rather than each word having an inherent meaning, they are closer to symbols that only mean anything when put together into a larger concept.
For example, the individual words for "water", "down", "future", and "day" can be put together to say "tomorrow may be a rainy day," and if the affectation for certainty is added, it becomes "tomorrow will be a rainy day."
Contents
Details
Origin/Ancestry
Aether-transformed scorpions
Lifespan
90 years
Average Height
7-8 feet
Average Length
10-12 feet
Geographic Distribution
