Bakku-Hon

The Lurkers in the Deep

It is rare to see a species that refuses the natural path of innovation and progress. It is even rarer still to see one that almost goes in reverse, just out of spite. And yet this sentence perfectly describes the Bakku-Hon, mysterious dark creatures that lurk in the deepest caves of the Begoria Mountain Range.
Only a few rumors of their existence perpetuate amoungst the human population; small, hairy, pitch-black with beady eyes that cannot see what is in front of them. The Gol-Smitts, however, the great artificers and forgers of Begoria, could tell far more of this now-forgotten race. For they were once brothers in arms, and must now watch as this once proud race scrabbles for survival in the dark.

Additional Information

Geographic Origin and Distribution

The Bakku-Hon exist solely in the Begoria mountain range, at least that's as much as the Gol-Smitts have admitted to their human allies. This being said the Gol-Smitts inhabit a very small area themselves, and considering the slow population growth it is not hard to imagine that they may not see the need to expand to the Mortal Lands at large.
The Bakku-Hon, however, have no interest in the outside world and likely could not be dragged away from the Begoria Mountain Range by a Wyrld-Walker.

Average Intelligence

The Bakku-Hon are very, very clever. This is part of the reason the Gol-Smitts refuse any modern technological aid their allies are willing to provide; it will only add more fuel to the fire. 
The Bakku-Hon are sapient species, although no man has ever delved deep enough into the mountains and returned alive to give a proper report on their intelligence. The Gol-Smitts, however, attest that the Bakku-Hon are not to be underestimated.

Civilization and Culture

Average Technological Level

The Bakku-Hon have found new ways to forge their metal, deep in the darkness. However, their isolation from other cultures save the Gol-Smitts has hampered their ability to innovate, only able to respond to that which the Gol-Smitts combat them with. Their technology has barely advanced beyond what most scholars call the 'Stone' era, when Wizards reign supreme and the common man was lucky to own a hunting bow.

History

It is said that one time, the Bakku-Hon and the Gol-Smitt were brothers, working together to fuel their forges and turn the metals of the earth into exquisite arts. Yet, at the end of the Jade era, the two were forced to choose sides. The Gol-Smitts wanted to reach out and help those who had been abandoned by Ageis after Ageia's disappearance. The Bakku-Hon, on the other hand, had been burned too many times by the human's tendency to renege on their ancestor's promises, and refused.

So the two tribes were separated. The Gol-Smitts ventured down the mountainsides to aid the humans, and the Bakku-Hon retreated further into their caves, shunning the light of day. And thereafter what had once been a bond of brotherhood now became a barb of bitter enemies. 
The Bakku-Hon, as they stayed in the shadows, became legend in all but the history of the Gol-Smitts. After all, they had not been seen in centuries. Yet they linger still, striking out at their foreign-loving brothers and fighting to take the forges of Begoria for themselves once and for all.

Interspecies Relations and Assumptions

The Bakku-Hon were once the sworn brothers of the Gol-Smitts, yet this bond was severed at the end of the Jade era. They have loathed one another ever since, striking from the shadows of the Begoria Mountain Range.

Lifespan

30 years

Average Height

3 -3.5 feet

Average Weight

60-80 lbs.

Average Physique

The Bakku-Hon, because they live in the small, dark, dank caves of Begoria, have similar small features. They are often hunched forward and use their arms as much as their legs to travel, granting them great speed and maneuverability.

Body Tint, Colouring and Marking

No living man has ever seen a Bakku-Hon, but the Gol-Smitts attest that they are often pitch black, to better blend with the eternal darkness of the caves of Begoria. If they have any distinctive markings, it has not been recorded. 
Ancient records from the Gol-Smitts indicate that the Bakku-Hon once decorated their fur with shiny pebbles interwoven in the coarse hairs, but no one knows if this tradition still holds true.