Winnu

The Winnu are one species with two distinctly separate cultures. The first are the Winnaran Custodians, citizens of Mecatol Rex and guardians of the throneworld until the day when a new emperor arises. The second are the Winnu of their ancestral homeworld. The Winnaran Custodians tend to be a studious, dutiful lot, with a dour demeanor bred from millennia of caring for a shattered world. Their Winnu cousins could not be more different.

All Winnu are a bipedal humanoid species with hairless, green skin that denotes a very distant reptilian ancestry. Biologically they don’t have any particularly distinguishing characteristics; they’re omnivorous and warm-blooded, and have adapted to a range of climates. Socially, however, both Winnu cultures tend to be very strong-willed. Whether this a coincidence or evidence of some deep-seated genetic trait is up for debate. But even as the Winnu of their homeworld insist on their right to rule and call their cousins weak and submissive, they forget that the Winnaran Custodians have preserved the shattered throneworld of Mecatol Rex for over three millennia, and thus far have not relinquished it to any claimant.

Why Play a Winnu?

The Winnu can be a passionate and stubborn people, and that is reflected in their higher-than- average Presence and Willpower and decent strain threshold. They do have a rather obvious weakness: they start two characteristics at rank 1, although they trade this for two characteristics at rank 3. They also get a powerful ability that, once per session, can all but guarantee failure when your character is targeted by a check.

When making a Winnu, keep in mind that your character can be from the Winnu society on the Winnu homeworld, or they can be a Winnaran Custodian. The Winnaran Custodians tend to work with, not for, the Keleres, but there have been a few cases in which a Winnaran renounced their ties to the Custodians and joined the Keleres. Few are more dedicated to the organization than those who have done this. If you want to play a passionate diplomat, a righteous military officer, or a careful and considered scholar, then a Winnu is right for you.

Names of the Winnu

The Winnu species’ naming conventions have evolved over time. The Winnaran Custodians still use an older convention with a personal name followed by a “Di,” “Iq”, or “Il” and then a parent’s name (“Di” and “Iq” are patronymic and matronymic signifiers, while “Il” is a gender neutral alternative). However, while some Winnu of their homeworld still use this convention, most now have personal names, then a second name that is a slight variation of the first (usually the last syllable is modified). This second approach has become even more common since the Winnaran Custodians refused to grant the Winnu the Imperial Throne, as more Winnu seek to distance themselves from their Winnaran cousins.

Some examples include:

✦ Berekar Berekon
✦ Menda Mendala
✦ Perdin Perdona
✦ Kelsa Kelsorin

✦ Muad Di Faruuq
✦ Mahthom Iq Seerva
✦ Thoris Il Marithi

Winnu

Starting Abilities

2	1	2	1	3	3
BR	AG	INT	CUN	WILL	PR

• Starting Wound Threshold: 9 + Brawn
• Starting Strain Threshold: 10 + Willpower
• Starting Experience: 90

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Special Abilities

• Starting Skills: A Winnu starts with one rank in Leadership. They obtain this rank before spending experience points, and they may not increase Leadership above rank 2 during character creation.
• Righteous: Once per session when your character is targeted by a skill check (this includes combat checks and social skill checks), you may spend a Story Point to add f f f to the results.

Source

Embers of the Imperium: 35