Kuru

For more information on all races, see: Races

Kuru are savage natives of the islands of the Everlight, dreadfully yet artistically mutilated physically thanks to a wide variety of cultural maxims. While most kuru live in small tribal villages in or around ruins, some choose to abandon their tribal society and seek adventure beyond the islands from which they hail, though such individuals are extremely rare.

Basic Information

Anatomy

The kuru largely resemble humans, both visually and in size, with darker shades of skin, ranging from tan to near black. Their hair is normally black or brown, growing in shaggy or wavy textures, and is often styled in braids, dreadlocks, or shaved in different patterns. They posess a mouth lined with sharp, mangled teeth, not unlike a shark's maw. Their eyes are shades of red and black in cloudy, almost demonic fashion.
Chiefly, what sets the kuru apart is their cultural aesthetics, specifically body mutilation. Many kuru take to tribal piercings and other unnatural morphing of the face, such as extending their ear lobes or lips with wooden hoops, or an abundance of facial modifications, often using bone accessories. In regards to skin, the kuru are harsh yet imaginative artists, decorating themselves with tattoos all over their bodies and faces. It is not uncommon for a kuru's entire face to be a canvas for such tattoos, incorporating swirling motifs remeniscent of water or other tribal designs. Kuru also decorate their bodies by way of scarification with knives or searing hot stones, forming patterns of scarred lines and raised bulbs of tissue.

Additional Information

Social Structure

The kuru reside chiefly in the archipelagos of the Everlight, sailing across harsh seas in hand-carved canoes, ever lusting for conquest. A war-laden people, the kuru constantly vie amongst themselves for territory and glory in battle, similar to races like the orcs. Charging into battle wielding decorative clubs, paddles with crude rocks socketed into them, and other primative weapons, their actions satisfy an innate bloodlust that lies within; a desire to consume and to prove oneself in battle.
Condemned by the majority of civilized races, the kuru partake in the act of cannibalism, both upon members of their own race and others who enter their island homes. Life is harsh in the Everlight, and nothing is wasted. Kuru who fall in battle become fuel for the next as their comrades ingest their flesh, and seem to gain unnatural hardiness from doing so. They are largely carnivorous, eating both cooked and raw meat, animal or man.
Despite their savage and hostile tendancies, the kuru practice multiple forms of artistic expression. The traditional art of wood or stone carving is honed by highly-respected spiritual artisans of a kuru community, believed to be active conduits that their ancestors speak through in the form of art. Within these carvings, stories of kuru society are told, similar to their tattoos, depicting warriors of old, beasts of the kuru mythos, and prior conquests. These carvings are found in many facets of kuru life; carved upon the facings of kuru weapons, the beams and supports of homes, the sides of their canoes, and the handles of tools. Artisans would also use bone or igneous rocks to create jewelry, hooks, needles, and tools, carving them in much the same way.
The most prominent form of artistic expression is seen in the tattoo culture of the kuru. Received at the milestone between childhood and adulthood, all kuru, male and female, undergo a series of rites and rituals in which these tattoos are earned. Males generally receive them upon their faces, chests, and thighs, while females traditionally wear them on their lips and chins. Depicting stories of kuru tradition, they are also symbols of status and lineage, with high-ranking and powerful kuru being the most ornamented of their kind. For a kuru to go without these tattoos is a sign of lower status and weakness, for it means that the kuru was not able to complete their rites.
Kuru clothing is hand-twined using the fibers of plants and other primitive materials, as they lack the technological invention of the loom. They adorn themselves in the bones, teeth, and claws of fallen prey, and the kuru have learned rudimentary leatherworking. Often times, they wear skirts or other loose-fitting garments made of straw-like plants native to their islands, or sometimes wear no clothing at all. It is not uncommon for warring kuru tribes to enter battle wearing no armor. In this way, a warrior's skill is emphasized through violent performance, rather than the quality of one's possessions.
One of the most unique aspects of kuru culture lies in its emphasis upon dance. Used in rituals, celebrations, and even before battles, kuru conduct vicious, loud, and intimidating displays of dance as a unit. Accompanied by gutteral shouts and rigid movements, they are meant to be a display of the kuru's power. Consistently, rival kuru tribes will engage in a competition of dance before a major battle, as a sign of tradition and respect for one's opponent. This courtesy is rarely, if at all, offered to non-kuru foes, who are not deserving of such respect.
Male and female kuru are equals in combat and artistry, but nothing else. As a society, female kuru largely tend to the homestead and children, acting as defenders of their livelihood in times of invasion. Men assume roles of leadership and as hunters or fisherman. However, both can become warriors and practitioners of wood carving or tattooing, limited only by their skill in the art.

Civilization and Culture

Naming Traditions

Male Names: Amiri, Hahona, Irirangi, Kauri, Mahuta.
Female Names: Hauku, Manaia, Mahuika, Pania, Tui.

Interspecies Relations and Assumptions

The island communities of the kuru are almost completely isolated to the western waters of Iolcus, a fact for which the rest of the world is grateful. For the most part, the kuru are left to their own devices by wordly societies who have discovered them, as all attempts to make contact with the primitive race have been met with hostility and bloodshed. Having not yet attained the level of naval technology to leave their archipelagos, the rest of the world's races monitor the kuru as an experiment in cultural anthropology. However, while incredibly rare, some kuru have found their way into the rest of Iolcus, encountering the plethora of other races in existence.
Orcs are regarded as worthy enemies, emboding many of the similar values of kuru society. Kuru look upon humans and elves with disgust, as their pale skin lacks any of their own ornamentation, and their conduct favors fruitless negotiation over glorious combat. Dwarves in particular, however, are seen as a prize on the battlefield. Stocky, muscular, and fond of battle themselves, the corpse of a dwarf is a succulent reward in defeat and in cuisine. For a kuru, the tougher the meat, the greater the satisfaction of having felled the creature. Despite this, other aspects of dwarven culture intrigue the kuru, such as their own artistic traditions of carving and ornamentation. Halflings and gnomes are not worth the effort, with little meat on their bones, and are notably difficult to catch with comparable nimbleness to the kuru. By far, the kuru share the most kinship with half-orcs, whose tusks and figures are similar to their own. There is at least one recorded instance of the kuru accepting a half-orc into their society after a prominent display in battle.

Alternate Racial Traits

Replaces Islander

War Dance

The battlecry of the kuru war dance strikes fear into many an enemy. Kuru gain a +2 bonus on Perform (Dance) checks, and they may use this skill in place of the Intimidate skill. Perform (Dance) is always a class skill for them. This racial trait replaces Islander.

Racial Traits

+2 Dexterity, +2 Constitution, -2 Intelligence
Kuru are abnormally fast and hardy, but bloodlust clouds their thinking.

Kuru
Kuru are humanoids with the kuru subtype.

Medium
Kuru are Medium creatures and have no bonuses or penalties due to their size.

Normal Speed
Kuru have a base speed of 30 feet.

Low-Light Vision
In dim light, kuru can see twice as far as humans.

Blood Courage
Once per day when a kuru makes a saving throw against a fear effect, he can roll the saving throw twice and take the better result. He must decide to use this ability before the saving throw is attempted.

Cannibalistic Vitality
When a kuru hits a living creature with its bite attack, he gains 1 temporary hit point by ingesting the target’s blood. This ability does not work on creatures that do not have blood.

Islander
Kuru are taught at a young age to master the waves that serve as highways between their homes. They gain a +2 racial bonus on Profession (Sailor) and Swim checks, and these are always class skills for them. They can hold their breath twice as long as normal, and spellcasters gain a +4 racial bonus on concentration checks when attempting to cast spells underwater.

Natural Weapon
Kuru possess a natural bite attack that deals 1d4 points of damage.

Voracious Appetite
With a lifestyle that often consists of hunting animals and eating them raw, the kuru stomach has adapted to become more resilient. Kuru gain a +4 on Survival checks to forage for food and a +4 racial bonus on saves versus effects that cause the nauseated or sickened conditions.

Weapon Familiarity
Kuru are proficient with the terbutje and tepoztopilli.

Languages
Kuru begin play speaking Kuru. Kuru with high Intelligence scores can choose bonus languages from the following: Abyssal, Common, Undercommon.

Average Lifespan
40 years

Average Height
5 ft. 0 in. – 6 ft. 6 in.

Average Weight
150 – 240 lbs.