"The third thing you need to know about Lcha is that they can be far noisier than they have any right to be. I don't understand it. They carry these little drums around and without the slightest reasonable provocation, they'll start hitting them like they mean to go to war. It's extremely disconcerting.
Rule four for dealing with Lcha, if you hear drums, run. Their furry fists start flying, and those teeth! I really can't say enough about the teeth."
— Extract from
Travelling To Victory: An Exploration of Victalis System by
Peacekeeper V'Kly
History
The Battle Drums of the
Lcha have been a fundamental part of their culture since long before the
Peacekeepers arrived on
Laurels.
It's not certain when the first drum was made, but the story goes that before there were drums, the Lcha would pound their stomachs as a warning or as an instigator of conflict. However, when they started wearing armour, these aggressive stomach pats caused damage to their hands and their protective clothing. So the drums were invented to give them something constructive to hit.
Utility
Every male Lcha carries a battle drum and uses it to announce the beginning of a challenge. A male in receipt of a challenge will then bang his battle drum to accept it. Both will keep drumming harder and faster, until the crescendo into violence.
A challenge may be issued for any of the following reasons:
- the chance to become a consort
- right an embarrassment
- personal pride
- pride of his queen
- injury
- right a wrong
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