Tonihmaur

Like creatures out of ancient human legends, Tonihmaurs are a nomadic bovine-like species that roam the galaxy in extremely protective herds. Their size, strength, and defensive instinct make them fierce mercenaries.

Basic Information

Anatomy

Descended from a proto-bovine animal on their ancient lost home world, Tonihmaurs have massive bull heads and muscular, anthropomorphic bodies. They possess articulated hands with three fingers and an opposable thumb, the last digitof each still encased in a rigid, hoof-like covering. They possess many characteristics attributable to their bovine heritage: a great head with wide nostrils, horns that vary in shape and length, a mouthful of large molars for grinding food, burly muscles, a coat of short hair, and a massive, four-chambered stomach that can digest nearly any organic matter. Over time, female udders have become smaller and nearly unnoticeable on fully clothed Tonihmaurs. Tonihmaurs stand nearly 3 meters tall, quite often the largest sentient being in the room.
Tonihmaur fur coloration ranges from solid colors of black, white, and brown to blotched combinations. Horns also differ in length: some long with curved tips; others shorter and more forward-facing. These characteristics vary by herd and often help Tonihmaurs identify each other’s cultural groups. Those belonging to specific mercenary units typically come from one herd and therefore exhibit similar color and horn features. Tonihmaurs must eat often to satisfy their large digestive system and great size. Luckily, they can subsist on any vegetation, even grasses that grow plentifully on savannas across the galaxy.

Ecology and Habitats

Tonihmaurs prefer wide open spaces, such as prairies, grassy hills, and savannas.

Additional Information

Social Structure

Tonihmaurs currently lead three different lifestyles among the stars. On worlds where they've found prairie territory, herds live much as they did on Arigadeen, a nomadic culture wandering to find food or settling near resource-rich areas where they can engage in light industry.
At any time, about a quarter of the Tonihmaur population inhabit immense migration vessels that transport entire herds from one planet to another in their search for grassland sanctuaries where they can live undisturbed or continue to search for their paradise promised to them by the Calling priests. Having evolved in the wide, open plans, Tonihmaurs do not endure the confines of space travel well for long periods. Most can only last six months aboard ship - even vessels with vast spaces or simulated prairie arcologies - after which they begin exhibiting various destructive behavioral disorders. Herd ships of this sort generally place their people in suspended animation through the use of stasis chambers for the long journeys.
The final group of the Tonihmaur people work as mercenaries for petty warlords, crime syndicates, corporate dirty-works divisions, or anyone else who can afford heavy muscle. Some Tonihmaurs leave their herds, settled or migratory, to join units that fight for pay sent back to their communities in need. Others simply leave the herd life, typically forming a “herd” within their mercenary unit or a group of like-minded allies.
Each herd has at least one mercenary unit working for it; larger herds have several, each specializing in a different form of combat. Females serve alongside males and receive respect as seasoned warriors. Most Tonihmaur soldiers-for-hire train on a variety of equipment: infantry firearms, emplaced guns, heavy weapons, combat vehicles, to name a few. They prefer large two-handed melee weapons such as axes or polearms.

Perception and Sensory Capabilities

Tonihmaurs have eyesight, hearing, smell and taste similar to that of Humans.  Tonihmars manifest metaphysical abilities at the same rate as humans.

Civilization and Culture

Culture and Cultural Heritage

Having evolved in open prairie, the Tonihmaur suffer from claustrophobia in space over time, which require them to make port every six months to get out into the open.
Tonihmaur operate mainly in herds. They operate under a communal property system, where anything owned by one Tonihmaur belongs in theory to the entire herd. A herd council made of elder Tonihmaurs oversees commodities and money exchanged with outsiders for necessary goods. Tonihmaurs depend heavily on technology purchased from others, particularly second-hand, refitted transport ships. They have no difficulty learning to operate these machines, but they generally do not have the capacity or the resources to manufacture ones of their own design.
Tonihmaur use their horns exclusively in ritual combat with each other. Wounds made with their horns are considered sacred, and most Tonihmaur warriors will not use modern medicines to heal the cut, instead letting the wound scar over naturally. Other species, especially humans, are considered dishonorable beings and therefore anything goes in attacking them, horns or not. Tonihmaur morals are rough overall; although they may serve a patron who has questionable motives overall, Tonihmaur mercenaries rationalize that their pay helps herds “back home.” As a result, they don't mind suspending their morals to fight and earn credits that ultimately ensure the continuation of their herds.
Tonihmaurs have no native written form of communication, conducting all information exchange and storage of their herd through speech and memory. Telling traditional stories, orally recounting news and council proceedings, and singing hymns of legendary heroes helps build verbal and mental skills. Tonihmaurs can read and even learn to write other languages, a skill often found among mercenary units required to interact with outsider worlds and technology. Despite this access to systems of writing, they have little interest in writing down their heritage.

Common Customs, Traditions and Rituals

Tonihmaur take grudges seriously. It is said they never forget a grudge. The source of the grudge does not matter so much as the fact that it is a grudge. Grudges can be ended amicably, but grudges must always be fulfilled. Modern-day Tonihmaur have a system of ranking grudges by seriousness. Minor grudges may be written on a datapad and kept until fulfilled or discharged. Serious grudges are often recorded on stone or metal disks that are then carried on a Tonihmaur’s ritual belt. Major grudges, such as the murder of a herd-kin, is scar-tattooed onto a Tonihmaur’s skin, a permanent reminder that the grudge must be paid for.

History

Tonihmaurs evolved on their grassy home world of Arigadeen. Great prairies ranging from equatorial savannas to northern tundras dominated the terrain of the Tonihmaur home world. Here they found abundant food and basic materials for crafting their roving civilization. Their communities wandered to find the best vegetation for sustenance, often confronting hostile predators or other herds intent on feeding in the same territory. Such encounters encouraged a stern defensive instinct. Protecting and providing for the herd became the primary premise upon which their society grew.
Some herds specialized in industry, settling in resource-rich areas to develop and manufacture tools and weapons. By the start of the First Breath, their civilization had developed into a bronze age culture. Human colonists, landing on Arigadeen, brought an influx of ideas, technology, and manufactured goods. The humans, allying mainly with the industrial herds, settled in resource-rich locations and lived in good society with them through the First Dark Age, which improved life on for their Tonihmaur allies.
The Second Breath came late to Arigadeen, and when it came, it came as conqueror. Berzelius "Buzz" Windrip, later Berzelius I, Warlord of the Argentian Imperium, landed on Arigadeen and began to subjugate the Tonihmaurs and their human allies. Despite earnest resistance, Windrip conquered the planet in less than one local year and enslaved the entire Tonihmaur population. Using the species as a slave race, Windrip forced Tonihmaur males to join his conscript military as scouts and skirmishers and forced Tonihmaur females to perform heavy labor on his territory worlds. The fate of the human allies of the Tonihmaur species was worse; Windrip executed them all as “race traitors” to humanity for consorting with aliens as equals.
This period of enslavement, known to the Tonihmaur as the “Time of Tears” persisted for approximately 35 years until the Argentian Imperium was defeated by the Free Worlds League, a precursor to the Galactic Republic. The Treaty of Spica ended the Imperium as a political entity and freed the entire Tonihmaur race from bondage. However, Arigadeen had become a lost world, unknown on any star charts. Berzelius was as bad at stellar cartography as he was at winning wars.
As a result, Tonihmaurs had to adapt to a space-faring life, learning to operate technology necessary to survive among the stars and seek new worlds. Over time, a new religion known as the Calling became a popular faith in Tonihmaur life. The Calling holds that a paradise waits for the Tonihmaur people, but only the truly faithful will be shown the way. Large cargo ships, filled to the brim with religious converts, explored the reaches of space, praying to find this fabled paradise world. No prophet or adherent of the Calling faith has discovered it yet, despite centuries of searching, but many Tonihmaur still cling to the religion and the hope that such a place is still awaiting them.

Attributes:
6 HPs
Tonihmaur start with two Traits:

• Grudge-bearer - Tonihmaur must attack an opponent that damaged them with their next action unless they pass a save with Disadvantage.
• Natural Weapon - Tonihmaur have horns that are a Mastered Weapon for them.  Horns are considered a light melee weapon.

Tonihmaur are Too Big for The World (equipment, including weapons and armor must be specially made and cost 120% of regular-sized cost).