WORLD BOOK WORLD BOOK WORLD BOOK 0064 0064
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Human companions can find this pachyesh trait irritating, sometimes to maddening degrees. Where a human
might exploit an opportunity immediately, a pachyaura
explores all options and considers the matter more thoroughly before proceeding. Humans think of Pachyaur as
ponderous and stubborn, unwilling to accept how haste
might improve a situation. Pachyaur, on the other hand,
find humans impatient and impulsive. They always suspect human plans have flaws because humans rarely give
their plans sufficient time for careful consideration.
Memory
Pachyaur possess remarkable eidetic memories that
allow their primarily oral histories to be at least as accurate as written human history. By human standards,
they have total recall of every experience. They easily
remember details of every conversation, recall every
song ever heard, every story told, and every legend recited by their elders. They recall every path they have
ever traveled and everyone they have ever met, including names and personal particulars shared. Pachyaur
are nearly as proficient with written documentation.
They can picture every document, map, or diagram that
they had an opportunity to closely examine and study.
Pachyaur become confused when humans and others cannot demonstrate similar feats of memory. They
expect others to match their abilities and are surprised
when they cannot. They often repeat themselves, hoping to aid any comparatively forgetful companions.
Loyalty
Pachyaur also differ from humans in their concepts
of loyalty. To them, proximity confers an expression of
implied loyalty. Among their own kind, the inclusion
into a family group carries with it shared purpose and
responsibilities. They do not rely upon overt loyalty
oaths, as simply being in each other’s presence means
they will work with each other and protect each other.
Non-Pachyaur are measured similarly, so if one becomes a Pachyaur’s companion or associate, that Pachyaur expects reciprocal loyalty without exchanging any
dialogue or confirming by ceremony.
Further, Pachyaur see a betrayal of loyalty as a much
greater insult than humans. Bulls become especially
violent, tapping unwillingly into reserves of strength
and aggression once reserved for courting rivals. Visceral hatred is unleashed. Blood oaths are made, and
murderous plans put in motion. Once loyalty is betrayed, it is incredibly difficult if not impossible to win it
back. Slighted Pachyaur easily disregard many reasonable excuses that carry greater weight among humans.
Demonstrations must be numerous and consistent over
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a long period of time before one can hope to regain an
angered pachyaura’s attention, let alone any trust.
Pachyaur & the Prophet
To date, only a handful of Pachyaur have come into
contact with the Prophet. None have displayed mastery
of the magic-that-is-not-magic, though none know
whether this is simply an impossibility for them, their
race, or if it is a matter of circumstance. Rumors of the
Prophet have reached Pachyaur lands primarily through
the Watish slave pens, whose denizens welcome his
hopeful message of deliverance and peace. Spreading
that message and display of the Prophet’s iconography
are strictly forbidden there and lead to heinous punishments that often end in slave deaths.
Penmai
Penmai are commonly called the “tree folk,” and are
humans adapted to arboreal life and suited to living their
entire lives high above the forest floor (where Khitus still
has forests) or on rocky cliffs and mountain slopes.
Penmai can walk and run along the ground as quickly
as their bipedal kin, but are far more naturally acrobatic,
able to leap and jump easily twice the human norm, then
tumble and dexterously dart and dodge accordingly.
Where they are particularly adept is among trees, bushes,
and vines, gliding around with monkey-like precision.
In their natural environment, they bring all four limbs
and their tail into play to adroitly swing from branch to
branch. Penmai have complete arboreal awareness and
freedom of movement through their three-dimensional
Crag Penmai
Penmai of the mountain crags live quite similarly to
their arboreal kin, though they take certain actions
to make their habitats more livable. Since the rocky
heights offer little natural vegetation, the penmai
transplant their own, especially fruit- and seed-bearing
trees and shrubs that can be potted and easily moved
around. Crag penmai are more likely to store up food
and material possessions. Mountain terrain makes their
homes more defensible, too, reducing the necessity to
move villages around quite so quickly or frequently—
though move them from place they still do, more out
of cultural habit than true necessity.
