Kawataro

Kappas

The kappas (uhali name kawataro) are semiaquatic lutrine sophonts found across the southern continent of Sikano. Kawataro live in tribes– one or more per loch (of which there are thousands). Clans camp on the banks of the lakes and rivers they call home, but spend a good percentage of their time in the water where they hunt, farm, and forage. Most kappa tribes have domesticated the freshwater mosasaurs native to Sikano as hunting partners, mounts, and beasts of burden. They have considerable technology as well, but it is primarily wood and stone based.

Basic Information

Anatomy

Kawataro are mostly typical lutrines, with the exception of slightly longer limbs and opposable thumbs.

Ecology and Habitats

Kawataro are almost exclusively freshwater, though some tribes do live on the coast. Though they are air-breathing sophonts that are perfectly capable on land, their entire culture revolves around their chose bodies of water and thus are never found very far from a lake, stream, or sea.

Additional Information

Geographic Origin and Distribution

Kawataro tribes are found throughout the Sikanese watershed, with some individuals scattered throughout the Thalassaterrian Archipelago.

Civilization and Culture

Average Technological Level

Kawataro live a simple life, using solely natural resources to create their tools and technology. Wood, stone, and animal parts such as bone are essential components in kawataro tech.

Major Language Groups and Dialects

Each kappa tribe has its own specific subtle dialect of nikktu, the universal kawataro tongue.

Interspecies Relations and Assumptions

Kappas trade with many races, but most frequently with the marine umibōzu. In exchange for woven toolbags and building materials from far inland, the kawataro receive marine plants and other sea products otherwise unattainable by themselves.

Scientific Name

Pteronura kawataro

Origin/Ancestry

Pteronura brasiliensis

Average Weight

27 kilograms

Average Length

2.5 meters

Sapience type

quasi-collective