Taloni
Taloni also known as Khaloni (Common: The Favored People) are a sapient humanoid species the native to lush jungles of Talonto. Their ancient magic complements and enhances their khardialite mastery.
Some sages claimed that they were once diverged from humans, while others maintained that their original race was in fact unknown. After they were brought to the brink of extinction when ther homeland was devastated by the arrival of humans, philosophical differences led to a bitter internal conflict, which divided the taloni into three main different races at constant odds with each other: the Khanali, the Khalimar and the Khalizrim.
Maghrians are known to refer to them as "monkeys", "savages", "the Psimians", "hostiles", or "the natives".
Basic Information
Anatomy
Their bodies have primate features such as long sweeping tails, rounded ears and pronounced jaws with flat bifurcated noses. All framed with large their, almost hypnotically, two faintly glowing eyes with green, red, blue or yellow coulouration. Bioluminescent markings that seem to follow the path of the circulatory or nervous system in the face aid in identification and mood display. All taloni have a long, and powerful prehensile tails. Along the vertebrae, emerging at the the very tip of the tail, are the nerve cords, allowing them to access their racial, khardialic magic gestalt. This gestalt is the basis of the Tshaolu. They have digitigrade legs, fur coat their broad chests, backs, legs, arms and shoulders, and narrow waists with slim midsections. The taloni posesses all the same orifices as an avarage human body. Taloni hands are notable for their variation, with some taloni having two fingers and two thumbs, and others having three fingers and only one thumb. This is a random hereditary trait among the taloni.
Biological Traits
Taloni were taller than most humans at seven to eight feet. Taloni had long tails and necks. Taloni fur color ranged from light yellow to brownish red, charcoal grey and rust brown to pitch black. Taloni eyes were round-pupilled and usually green or yellow.
Taloni were competent swimmers and climbers as well as speedy runners. They had a good sense of balance and an acute sense of smell and hearing.
The fur patterns of a taloni varied from individual to individual, and could change suddenly as they aged. Some humans considered a taloni's strong odor unbearably offensive.
Dietary Needs and Habits
The Taloni is omnivorous species. They eat meat as demonstrated by their hunting practices and pronounced canines but have also been seen to forage, demonstrating their consumption of plants and other produce. Their society includes hunters and gatherers with incipient agriculture. Taloni cuisine relied heavily on spices. Because of this, many dishes were not suitable for Humans as they could damage their gullet and stomach.
Additional Information
Social Structure
The Taloni are humanoid creatures that live in various territorial clans across Talonto. Though their culture is essentially paleolithic, they have a hierarical social organization, unusual in a society at such a stage in their development. A premium is placed upon young men and women growing up to become exceptional hunters and possibly warriors, as is necessary due to the nature of the Talonto environment and the current level of taloni technological advancement.
Average Intelligence
Despite their fearsome appearance and volatile temperament, taloni were regarded as intelligent, sophisticated, loyal and trusting
Civilization and Culture
Major Organizations
The Taloni have no far-reaching political structure on the scale of nation-states, but are organized into relatively complex clans, of which there are hundreds. Occasionally, different clans from distant areas will cooperate in times of a great crisis.
Courtship Ideals
The Taloni are monogamous creatures who mate for life. The mechanics of reproduction are similar to that of primates , such as the baboon. However, their unique physiology provides the Taloni with a level of intimacy unknown to humans. Cultural anthropologists believe that when an appropriate mate has been selected (which can take many years), the male and female Taloni will connect queues beyond the Tshaolu (called a Tsharatulu) to create an emotional bond that lasts a lifetime. The intertwining of queues is both highly erotic and profoundly spiritual, but does not in itself lead to reproduction.
Traditionally, once a Taloni male has passed the tests on the path to manhood and has been accepted into the clan as an adult, he is allowed to make his weapon of mastery and, also, is allowed to choose his woman. After the woman has been chosen, and if she obliges and accepts him the new couple mates before the gods.
Once tsharauolu, the ultimate tier of intimacy, is made between the couple, it creates pleasure that is unfathomable to humans and causes the somewhat unwilling sharing of the couple's good memories. This is considered a sign of the gods's acceptance and aproval. If a couple can be foreseen to not have a pleasant or happy future, the gods has been known to reverse the feeling produced by making tshaolu as a sign to the couple that mating would only, in simple words, ruin their lives together. This process prevents what would become an unsuccessful lifelong mating. After the resulting embracing and kissing, the couple is sent to sleep by Shiera, and the two dream hints of what their future will be together. The couple will experience the pleasure of tshaolu from the moment of connection until they awaken and have completed mating. When they disconnect and return to the clan, they are mated for life.
Average Technological Level
The Taloni no have lost their knowledge surrounding khardialite after the purge, suffered by the hands of humanity. thus modern taloni have failed to develop tools and weapons for purposes beyond possible primitive warfare with the surrounding clans and hunting/survival.
Despite the Taloni Collapse, the taloni did still persevere ancient artifacts on Talonto, though in very limited numbers. Their artifacts can be found in many places, as their abandoned strongholds are all scattered across the islands.
Major Language Groups and Dialects
Tshaoros is the language "spoken" (usually via telepathy) by the Taloni. Other races "hearing" Tshaoros being 'spoken' hear incomprehensible sounds often described as etherial whales, wind chimes and handpan music. Though taloni their language so that other races may understad them.
The taloni favors the telepathic form of Tshaoros among each other, because it comes to them naturally.
While in the company of other races taloni usually choose the voiced form of their language, so that they may be understood. It was mainly composed of a sophisticated and subtle sign language, supported by their innate telepathy, which allowed it to be understood. The language's written form is glyph-based.
Common Dress Code
Little apparel is worn by the taloni. Cloth, most likely woven from native flora of the planet is the basic garment worn by all taloni. It is possible that very little clothing is worn by the taloni because it is simply what is needed for the Taloni to work and live in their native environment. Clothes appear to show the ranking of the individual in the hierarchy of their clan. For example, the Omaticaya clan leaders, wore garments made of brilliant or precious materials in comparison to a simple clothing piece worn by other clan members. Accessories are added to a Taloni's attire as he or she moves up in the clan hierarchy. For example, Neytiri, as an low-rank clan member, wore only an undecorated loincloth and a simple top; as she learned more about the world outside Talonto, however, she wore bracelets and necklaces to display her ranking. The Tipani clan was unique in their abundant use of armor which is made from a steel-khardialite alloy.
Culture and Cultural Heritage
Taloni culture was built around core philosophies that were rigidly adhered too for over three millennium. As such, it was difficult for their society to adapt to changing circumstances.
Taloni culture had its roots in the Aeon of Strife, the period of chaos following the gods temporary abandonment. At the end of the Strife, the taloni were reunited under the precepts of the Talirek ("Path to Ascension and Enlifhtenment") as promoted by the mythical shaman Khas. Due to the natural psionic communal link Taloni society then transformed into a caste system as a result. Taloni were alegedly fanatical when it came to their religious beliefs.
Not all embraced the Talirek in the begining. Many outcasts, eventually were later banished from Talonto never to return. Female Talonto rarely attain positions of political power, except among the Khalizrim. They are uncommon among the warrior caste and were rarely part of the Khan’s Counsil. Very young taloni are referred to as "cubs."
The taloni were considered a "warrior race", although they were not constantly at war. They trained incessantly for combat, however, and prior to the Taloni Collapse warred with the goblins and "other types" of taloni. Their culture was deeply spiritual and warlike. War was seen as an essential part of life, and wars between tribes were common.Taloni had a strict code of duty and honor, and strongly believed in their responsibility to enforce it. They strived for glory in battle. For the Taloni martial might and magic prowess are the key to success on the battlefield, and dying with honor is preferable to surviving through cowardice.
The combination of their magical prowess and arrogance has blinded the Taloni (at times) to collateral harm suffered by "species of lesser development." However. The taloni have always been willing to sacrifice their lives for other members of their species and clan. Taloni revel in the glory of personal combat, and killing your enemy with a ranged attack to be less “glorious”. Nonetheless, they recognize the necessity of ranged warfare, hence the existence of technology such as the arcordial canon.
The Taloni, or at least the Khananli, do not not have a concept of luck, instead seeing "the synchronicity of events," and knowing there is a grander design behind them.
Among the Taloni, family ties are important. therefore all taloni are aware of their blood family and clan, maintaining their ties to them.
Common Customs, Traditions and Rituals
Axe beaks play a large role in the daily and national life of the Taloni; it is traditionally said that:
"A Taloni without their Axe beak is like a bird without their wings". Axe beaks were domesticated by and the favored mounts of taloni. Tribes of them were known to keep up to a hundred Axe beaks. Within their lairs taloni provided for them food, shelter, and breeding grounds. Upon hatching they would bond with a taloni, becoming both their mount and friend until death. This master took full responsibility for their welfare in turn, raising and training them. Taloni placed saddles atop the hips of Axe beaks controlled their mounts with a simple rope around their horse's neck and a small riding stick. Bridles were not an option, since axe beaks would bite through them with their sharp beaks.
History
The taloni are an ancient race, and they consider themselves to be the "firstborn" race created by their gods.
The origin of the taloni was unknown. Some sages claim that they were once a highly-civilized race that dominated much of Naghron through their khardialic magic and superior architecture, until the humans, elves, and other races broke their power. Others speculated there is still is a thriving remnant of their civilization on the island of Talonto; this theory was supported by the Taloni's agressive behavior towards seafaring humans and elves that passed by the island.
Common Myths and Legends
Aeon of Strife
The Taloni, also known in ancient texts as The Firstborn, were created by Rethlek Kapelemaka and his wife and queen Shiera Stormsong in the Dawn Age. They are the eldest of the civilised races of Naghron . They awoke in the geysers of Talonto where all four elements are united, in the Waters of Awakening, in the south of Naghron. In this age they were alone in this sea, as the Sun and Moon had yet to create the other Naghronian islands. The first Taloni to awake were three pairs: Talin ("First") and his wife Tata, Adun("Second") and Auir, and Enel ("Third") and Elek. Intrigued by the mental connection, innate magic potential and creativity of their creations the gods chose to uplift the taloni. From earth their bodies were forged, from fire their souls were kindled, from water their blood was created and from air they gained thought. Pushing the evolution of the taloni, the purity of form was achieved and the gods eventually descended to Talonto. The taloni, revered and praised the gods, empowering them with their faith, the taloni learned much from them. But in time, they began to grow wary of their creators, and rebelled from them, burning their temples and destroyed places of worship. The gods left the material plane as punishment, and taloni fell into the Aeon of Strife, a period of brutal civil war. The destructive civil war ended when Khas, using artefacts derived from the gods called khardialite crystals, re-created the psionic link and reconnected with the gods. After the the Taloni confessed their sins, the gods returned to further guide their people. This became the basis of a new religion called the Talirek. As a reward for their humility the gods granted the Taloni the rest of the Naghronian islands to populate, prosper and rule. Approximately -1500 BC by the Brandian calendar, the Talirek Templars attempted to exterminate rogue heretics who had deliberately ended their prayers to the moon and sun, rather worshiping the hunt and darkness. Their names would later be erased from history. They ordered the to execute them, but The Beastlord refused. For he became not only real, but powerful through the belief of his followers instead of killing them he taught the taloni that light and darkness needs each other and to accept all fasets of creation.Interspecies Relations and Assumptions
When the humans first arrived to Naghron it came to the taloni as a shock. The humans began to cut down entire forests, search for holysites valuables, etc. The Taloni were appalled and angered by the destruction and exploitation of their ancestral home. They saw no need for prosperity at the cost of nature and felt that the damage done by humankind in the pursuit of wealth was nothing more than senseless destruction that violated the basic tenets of their religion. They would look to their gods for help, but their faith was under attack just as their worshippers. Hundreds of thouusands of taloni perished due to the many diseases, humans bought with them. As the humans counquered and occupied their lands, their gods weakened and were "imprisoned". The two opposing ideologies and cultures resulted in thoughts on both sides that the other was inferior: the Taloni believing that the humans were an ignorant people who knew only how to destroy, and the humans thinking that the Taloni were nothing but bestial savages. These fundamental misunderstandings were, in part, responsible for the conflict between the two peoples.
Conservation Status
Taloni were sometimes hunted for their pelts. Each pelt could be sold for up to 5000 gp. other times they were hunted down for sport. And other times as pets. Young taloni could be sold on the black market for around 22,500 gp
Average Height
Skeleton is reinforced with naturally occurring carbon fiber. Average male is approximately 2.4 meters (~ 8 feet) tall; females slightly less, average 2.1 meters (~ 7 feet) tall due possibly to evolutionary "size" dimorphism. A taloni would consider a human over six feet tall to be "short".
Average Weight
Average male has a mass around 135 kg (approximately 297 pounds). Female mass slightly less, around 110 kg (242 pounds) due to lighter build and slightly shorter stature.
Geographic Distribution
Related Materials
