Menu
News
All News
Dungeons & Dragons
Level Up: Advanced 5th Edition
Pathfinder
Starfinder
Warhammer
2d20 System
Year Zero Engine
Industry News
Reviews
Dragon Reflections
Columns
Weekly Digests
Weekly News Digest
Freebies, Sales & Bundles
RPG Print News
RPG Crowdfunding News
Game Content
ENterplanetary DimENsions
Mythological Figures
Opinion
Worlds of Design
Peregrine's Next
RPG Evolution
Other Columns
From the Freelancing Frontline
Monster ENcyclopedia
WotC/TSR Alumni Look Back
4 Hours w/RSD (Ryan Dancey)
The Road to 3E (Jonathan Tweet)
Greenwood's Realms (Ed Greenwood)
Drawmij's TSR (Jim Ward)
Community
Forums & Topics
Forum List
Latest Posts
Forum list
*Dungeons & Dragons
Level Up: Advanced 5th Edition
D&D Older Editions
*TTRPGs General
*Pathfinder & Starfinder
EN Publishing
*Geek Talk & Media
Search forums
Chat/Discord
Resources
Wiki
Pages
Latest activity
Media
New media
New comments
Search media
Downloads
Latest reviews
Search resources
EN Publishing
Store
EN5ider
Adventures in ZEITGEIST
Awfully Cheerful Engine
What's OLD is NEW
Judge Dredd & The Worlds Of 2000AD
War of the Burning Sky
Level Up: Advanced 5E
Events & Releases
Upcoming Events
Private Events
Featured Events
Socials!
Twitch
YouTube
Facebook (EN Publishing)
Facebook (EN World)
Twitter
Instagram
TikTok
Podcast
Features
Top 5 RPGs Compiled Charts 2004-Present
Adventure Game Industry Market Research Summary (RPGs) V1.0
Ryan Dancey: Acquiring TSR
Q&A With Gary Gygax
D&D Rules FAQs
TSR, WotC, & Paizo: A Comparative History
D&D Pronunciation Guide
Million Dollar TTRPG Kickstarters
Tabletop RPG Podcast Hall of Fame
Eric Noah's Unofficial D&D 3rd Edition News
D&D in the Mainstream
D&D & RPG History
About Morrus
Log in
Register
What's new
Search
Search
Search titles only
By:
Forums & Topics
Forum List
Latest Posts
Forum list
*Dungeons & Dragons
Level Up: Advanced 5th Edition
D&D Older Editions
*TTRPGs General
*Pathfinder & Starfinder
EN Publishing
*Geek Talk & Media
Search forums
Chat/Discord
Menu
Log in
Register
Install the app
Install
Community
General Tabletop Discussion
*Dungeons & Dragons
[Let's Read] Nyambe: African Adventures
JavaScript is disabled. For a better experience, please enable JavaScript in your browser before proceeding.
You are using an out of date browser. It may not display this or other websites correctly.
You should upgrade or use an
alternative browser
.
Reply to thread
Message
<blockquote data-quote="Libertad" data-source="post: 7634978" data-attributes="member: 6750502"><p style="text-align: center"><img src="https://i.imgur.com/wDu1Lkt.png" alt="" class="fr-fic fr-dii fr-draggable " style="" /></p> <p style="text-align: center"></p> <p style="text-align: center"></p> <p style="text-align: center"><strong>Human Variants</strong></p><p></p><p></p><p>This entry details the twelve major ethnic groups of Nyambe-tanda. The text acknowledges that Nyambe has many more minor ethnicities (such as the near-vanished Boha-Boha) but that the twelve here are most likely to produce adventurers. Like most D&D settings humans are numerous and short-lived. In comparison to demihumans, humans have a preponderance of cultures, languages, and worldviews. Demihumans are quick to point to this diversity as a sign of strife in the manifestation of competing kingdoms, whereas the demihuman races are more monolithic among their respective peoples. There’s some implied humanocentrism and racism in said demihumans often find human lands inhospitable. Many humans reject these characterizations, couching intolerance as competition and strife as a constant desire to succeed and improve upon themselves.</p><p></p><p></p><p>What’s interesting is that each entry (both human groups and demihumans) conveys a good amount of information about various cultural aspects in a short amount of dialogue. We have sections on common religious practices, forms of government, relations with other groups, traditional lands, food, rituals, artwork, favored orisha, names, and languages all in the span of 1-2 pages, including the accompanying artwork. I won’t go over each such entry (that would amount to copy-pasting) but I will highlight what I find the most interesting aspects among the peoples. Due to the relative rarity of writing materials all races are illiterate by default and must spend 2 skill points to gain the ability to read and write any language they are able to speak.</p><p></p><p></p><p><img src="https://i.imgur.com/7zFAhTW.png" alt="" class="fr-fic fr-dii fr-draggable " style="" /></p><p><em>Azzazza:</em> The Azzazza people are native to the United Kingdoms of Taumau-Boha and were once conquered and enslaved by the Water People long ago. Most Azzazza live sedentary lives as farmers, their nation’s rich soil allowing them to grow a wide variety of crops. The preponderance of papyrus in nearby swamps generates a higher literacy rate than normal, and their society is notable for having rituals for all sorts of daily tasks to avert bad luck and invite good ones. There are rituals for activities as mundane as waking up in the morning, before having meals, or even when leaving their hometowns. They are an overall agreeable people, their only enemies of note the Shombe nomads who they’re trying to teach the “superiority” of farming over cattle-herding.</p><p></p><p></p><p><img src="https://i.imgur.com/Mfq9snA.png" alt="" class="fr-fic fr-dii fr-draggable " style="" /></p><p><em>Hutali:</em> The Hutali people have no nation per se, being semi-nomadic people living among the Giko Taaba mountain range and ruled over by the utuchekulu (detailed later). Their society encourages non-confrontational means of avoiding conflict, with many forms of laws taking the form compromises, and they go out of their way to avoid offending others. The only exception in regards to this is their practice of both male and female circumcision for coming of age ceremonies. Most other humans regard the latter to be cruel, but the Hutali steadfastly refuse to give this up.</p><p></p><p></p><p>They are nominally under the dominion of the Empire of Nibomay but do not recognize its authority; their traditional lands are close to inhospitable volcanoes, which makes enforcement more trouble than it’s worth. Their personal possessions are made to be easily carried, with goats a popular animal for raising. Hutali carry the skulls of the dearly departed to keep their ancestors close when communities travel, with said skulls housed in round wooden boxes. Those unable to produce children are regarded as having led worthless lives, and their bodies are instead tossed into volcanoes.</p><p></p><p></p><p><img src="https://i.imgur.com/SJshfss.png" alt="" class="fr-fic fr-dii fr-draggable " style="" /></p><p><em>Marak’ka:</em> The Marak’ka are another nomadic group, primarily living in the Gudu Ji Pingu Desert. They are the opposite of reserved, being encouraged to express their emotions in song, dance, and artwork, with percussive instruments being the most popular. Divine spellcasting bards known as ngnoma serve as community elders, and what few personal belongings they have are decorated with paint and beadwork once they gain enough sentimental value over time. The Marak’ka have a non-interference policy with other cultures, not going out of their way to make friends or enemies. The exceptions are the Xon’mo of Basharka who they regard as kin, and resent the Empire of Nibomay who claims dominion over the Gudu Ji Pingu Desert.</p><p></p><p></p><p><img src="https://i.imgur.com/KI3GXXF.png" alt="" class="fr-fic fr-dii fr-draggable " style="" /></p><p><em>Mbanta:</em> The Mbanta are the only human ethnicity without a homeland or nation to call their own. They used to live on an island in the southern sea, but a massive earthquake in the Middle Ages rent it asunder and forced the survivors onto the mainland. They are often stereotyped as being highly skilled with magic and strange powers, an impression they do not go out of their way to discourage. They are evenly spread out over Nyambe-tanda, deferring to the dominant laws but retaining their own cultural elements. They incorporate magical spells to enhance their cooking which places Mbanta chefs in high demand among royalty. The Mbanta are known for using complex astrological calendars they claimed to have learned from an aquatic undersea race, and they are remarkably secretive about their religious practices. What few things outsides known is that they greet the rising sun as the physical manifestation of the Overpower, kneeling before it and crying “Nyambe shall return to us someday!”</p><p></p><p></p><p>Regarding their magical reputation, the book notes that if psionics are in use that most Mbanta will be the Psion class. Which is interesting, in that none of the other races or ethnicities have a similar statement. Not to mention most of their population will be a bonafide PC class; 3rd Edition D&D has most NPCs 1st-level Commoners by population demographics. Although brought up briefly in the following chapter, the few mentions of psionics in this book are obviously artificially tacked on: there’s no mention of how it would fall into Nyambe’s cosmology, whether it is a form of magic or something entirely foreign.</p><p></p><p></p><p><img src="https://i.imgur.com/Xp3AKrg.png" alt="" class="fr-fic fr-dii fr-draggable " style="" /></p><p><em>NaBula:</em> The NaBula are native to northeastern Nyambe-tanda, concentrated in the Caliphate of Boroko. Their culture has been heavily influenced by the Near Easterners, ranging from their dress and their undefined religion to even being the only Nyamban people to employ horses in warfare. Ritualized wrestling known as Nuba is a popular sport, and many practitioners are no pushovers when it comes to actual combat. Some have even visited the nearby Kaya Vua Samaki to compete and learn from Far Eastern martial artists.</p><p></p><p></p><p><img src="https://i.imgur.com/wGqA7QP.png" alt="" class="fr-fic fr-dii fr-draggable " style="" /></p><p><em>Nghoi:</em> Natives of the bIda Rainforest, the Nghoi are best known for being allies of the wakyambi as well as being short, usually 4 feet or less. They are fans of body modification, from ritual scarring and body painting to filing their front teeth as a sign of valor among their warriors. They are highly decentralized, recognizing no higher authority than the elders of individual families, and their propensity for storytelling produces a high number of bards. A popular kind of story is known as a dilemma tale, where the narrator creates a situation and asks the listeners to come up with their own endings.</p><p></p><p></p><p>Game-stat wise Nghoi are humans, but most have the Small Stature as their racial bonus feat to grant them Small size. </p><p></p><p></p><p><img src="https://i.imgur.com/KyIlw9e.png" alt="" class="fr-fic fr-dii fr-draggable " style="" /></p><p><em>Shombe:</em> The Shombe are cattler-herders who live among the tUbi Grassland to the west of Taumau-Boha, and are known for counting the best warriors of Nyambe-tanda among their number. They relish this perception, preferring to use spears and melee weapons over ranged combat which they regard as cowardly. They have fought the entare (centauresque lion-like humanoids) for generations over cattle and territory, and their rite-of-passage into adulthood involves the hunting, slaying, skinning of a monster of the Beast or Magical Beast type. In 3.0 terms the Beast type meant either a dinosaur or fantastical animal-like creature that does not exist in real life, which means that Shombe teenagers are extra hardcore. Cattle is vital to their society, used for meat and milk for sustenance and their skin and bones fashioned into household items. Shombe live in temporary enclosures known as kraal, whose natural fence is made of thorn bushes for an effective defense.</p><p></p><p></p><p><img src="https://i.imgur.com/9JzVsDw.png" alt="" class="fr-fic fr-dii fr-draggable " style="" /></p><p><em>Tembu:</em> The Tembu hail from the Empire of Mabwe, whose central position on the continent means that they are one of the most widespread people barring the Mbanta nomads. The wealth of their nation provides a high standard of living for the populace, and even common-born citizens sport jewelry. Their domesticated elephants are one of the most feared sights of their enemies, with palanquin-bound archers raining sharp death on those their war beasts’ tusks cannot reach. Most honor the celestial orisha, the average home containing a family shrine bearing a magical statue known as a nkisi n’kondi (nail figure). When one wishes to swear an oath or seal a contract, the guest hammers a nail into the statue. Mabwe’s nobility is known for peculiar practices such as women with layers of gold necklaces which elongate their necks, or the raising wild animals not normally eaten such as fried baby crocodiles and monkey brains.</p><p></p><p></p><p><img src="https://i.imgur.com/tb2iBZ4.png" alt="" class="fr-fic fr-dii fr-draggable " style="" /></p><p><em>Tisambe:</em> The Tisambe are one of the oldest continual ethnic groups of Nyambe-tanda. They are strongly connected to the Empire of Nibomay, and are the only society which is matriarchal in nature. Women hold the reigns of business and government as well as serving in the army. Their elite Amazon units fight with signature greatbows and razor swords, the latter banned from ownership by commoners. The Tisambe’s proud history bestows in them a sense of arrogant patriotism, and they tend to look down on other cultures. Their weddings are religious in nature, sometimes planned years in advance with celebrations lasting up to a week.</p><p></p><p></p><p><img src="https://i.imgur.com/zAXIpRl.png" alt="" class="fr-fic fr-dii fr-draggable " style="" /></p><p><em>Tuslan:</em> The Tuslan are a minority group within the Empire of Nibomay, organized into seven major clans sharing a common ancestor. Due to strong cultural taboos against iron they hunt and fight with wooden and stone weapons, and are renowned for producing expert hunters and scouts. While marriage ceremonies exist, there is little taboo in divorce or for one to desire finding a new partner, even as frequently as every year. They honor all orisha connected to the natural world equally, and offer up a prayer to the spirits of any animals they kill. For this very reason they almost never hunt animals for sport.</p><p></p><p></p><p><img src="https://i.imgur.com/6ZZfv83.png" alt="" class="fr-fic fr-dii fr-draggable " style="" /></p><p><em>Xon’mo:</em> The Xon-mo are related to the Marak’ka people, primarily living in the kingdom of Bashar’ka on the continent’s far west. Their society is ruled over by a theocracy of fire worshipers who provide protection and land to the common folk reinforced by oaths of fealty. This is not a one-way street, for Xon’mo rulers who grow lax in their duties find armed revolt a distinct possibility. Xon’mo are known for employing alchemist’s fire in warfare, and their merchants sell exquisite textiles all over Nyambe. They are also the only culture which enforces monogamy. This is said to be the result of an ancient pact with fire elementals to avoid plural marriages, and in exchange the elementals bred with mortals.* Xon’mo born with bright red hair are said to have the “fire blood,” a sign of great honor.</p><p></p><p></p><p>The Fire Blood feat in a later chapter will reveal that said elementals were actually efreeti.</p><p></p><p></p><p><img src="https://i.imgur.com/OcWkuMp.png" alt="" class="fr-fic fr-dii fr-draggable " style="" /></p><p><em>Zamara:</em> The Zamara get a bad rap among other Nyambans. Their people were the backbone of the Zombi cults and later empire of the same name, and produce more mchawi wizards among their number than any others. But in spite of, or perhaps because of this, the Zamara hate arcane magic more than any other culture. Even the sorcerous sei are not immune to witch-hunts. Zamara are native to the Kaya Vua Samaki region, and their close proximity to Far Eastern traders makes various “eastern” weapons and equipment more common among their number than elsewhere in Nyambe.</p><p></p><p></p><p>As much as they’re associated with black magic, the Zamara have an order of warriors known as Magic Eaters. The “heart test” is a lethal trial by witch a suspected mchawi’s heart is ripped out. If their heart turns black after a few seconds of exposure to air then this confirms their guilt. If the heart is normal, it is returned to the body and a cleric with knowledge of resurrection magic is called for to return them to life if one is available in the region. This is not a mere “floats in water” superstition; mchawi hearts really do turn black as a result of unholy pacts subtly altering their bodies.</p><p></p><p></p><p style="text-align: center"><strong>Demihuman Races</strong></p><p></p><p></p><p>What separates a “demihuman” from other non-human beings is their ability to peacefully coexist with humans. Technically this means that races other than those listed here can qualify, but the six below are the most common in Nyambe.</p><p></p><p></p><p>Perhaps one of the setting’s most controversial aspects, the new races are technically subraces of existing Player’s Handbook options and are presumed to share (distant) lineage with their more Tolkien fantasy counterparts. The unthlatu are perhaps the only “new” race here, and some of the criticism I recall is that Nyambe did not have more “original” African-flavored playable folkloric beings.</p><p></p><p></p><p><img src="https://i.imgur.com/okod0Mn.png" alt="" class="fr-fic fr-dii fr-draggable " style="" /></p><p><em>Agogwe Halflings:</em> These short, isolated people mostly live in the bIda Rainforest, maintaining good relations with the wakyambi and Nghoi. They look like short humans with long claws capable of burrowing through the earth, and live in nomadic family units inhabiting dug-out underground shelters.</p><p></p><p></p><p>Stat-wise they are much like Halflings, save they have natural weapon claws that deal 1d4 damage, a burrow speed of 10 feet in soft earth, and can cast Speak With Animals once per day in regards to burrowing animals only.</p><p></p><p></p><p><img src="https://i.imgur.com/UKNmsEU.png" alt="" class="fr-fic fr-dii fr-draggable " style="" /></p><p><em>Kitunusi Gnomes:</em> The Kitunusi have a magical bond to shadow and darkness, and their society discourages any displays of emotion in public. Outsiders find their quiet nature disturbing, and their ancestral homes were deep underground much like the utuchekulu. Every kitunusi has a personal kente-cloth tabard which act as a symbol of rank and honor. As such they will go to great ends to recover a stolen or lost one, even those not personally belonging to them. Most kitunusi live in their own nation of Mademba, ruled over by a labyrinthine bureaucracy intentionally designed to be opaque to most people. They’re also the only culture on Nyambe which does not produce any form of artwork besides their notable kente cloth, and their only form of cuisine is a thick gruel made of grains they simply call “food.”</p><p></p><p></p><p>Statwise they are similar to Gnomes, but can cast the Darkness spell once per day, have darkvision out to 60 feet, possess Spell Resistance against divination spells which increases with level, and others attempting to use Sense Motive on them suffer a -4 penalty.</p><p></p><p></p><p><a href="https://i.imgur.com/6BIsk71.png" target="_blank">Link instead of image due to bare breasts</a></p><p><em>Ngoloko Half-Orcs:</em> Technically speaking the ngoloko are not half-orcs so much as a race of their own with kosan heritage. Whereas the kosans were slaughtered almost to the last number by their slaves, the ngoloko were half-orc children born to human female concubines and therefore ruled innocent of any wrongdoing. Instead of death they were met with exile, forming their own communities. The ngoloko are self-conscious of their legacy and tend to wear heavy, concealing clothes when among others. In spite of attempts at reconciliation, separatists which formed their own militarized communities on the Isle of Shadow led to new rashes of xenophobia. Ngoloko society is the only major culture with democratic forms of government, where chieftains are chosen via public elections of seven year terms and forbidden to run for office again afterwards.</p><p></p><p></p><p>Stat-wise they are half-orcs. No real changes from the PHB standard besides having Mchawi as their favored class and -2 to Wisdom rather than Intelligence.</p><p></p><p></p><p><img src="https://i.imgur.com/0pZK7LS.png" alt="" class="fr-fic fr-dii fr-draggable " style="" /></p><p><em>Unthlatu Dragons:</em> When disguised dragons mated with slaves of the Kosa Empire, the sorcerous sei came into being. A group of human sorcerers exiled to the Great Mangrove Marsh inbred with themselves and some reptilian swamp-creatures to the point that their more draconic features grew apparent. They are introverted and are pretty much Futurama’s Neutral Planet: they have neutral relations with other cultures and are solidly True Neutral in alignment. They bear some resemblance to humans, save that they have scales covering their skin matching the color of true dragons, and possess no body hair of any sort.</p><p></p><p></p><p>Statwise they have +2 Strength, -2 Dexterity, -2 Wisdom, a slow 20 foot base speed, 60 feet of darkvision, +1 natural armor and 1d4 natural claw and bite attacks, immunity to sleep and paralysis, and suffer -2 penalty on all skill checks due to poor education and little parental supervision. But their most notable feature is their Dragon Heritage, where they select a single true dragon type from which they derive their ancestry. It determines the specifics of their Breath Weapon and Energy Resistant racial feats if and when they’re taken.</p><p></p><p></p><p><img src="https://i.imgur.com/cfE9zf7.png" alt="" class="fr-fic fr-dii fr-draggable " style="" /></p><p><em>Utuchekulu Dwarves:</em> Utuchekulu once lived underground, but they and the kitunusi were driven to the surface from a volcanic eruption. They are primarily split into two regions; the ones in Nyambe’s Kuba Taaba eastern mountains are allied with the Empire of Mabwe, while those in the western Giko Taaba mountains distantly rule over the Hutali humans. They are dour and gruff like other dwarves, and dye their teeth blood-red with berries. One such tooth is capable of growing long enough to be a veritable weapon. The utuchekulu are ruled over by absolute dictators who are regularly overthrown by coups every couple of decades which leads to a rather unstable system of government. They are not automatically evil, but practice some immoral traditions such as honoring fiendish orisha (out of respect if not agreement) and non-consensual ritual cannibalism where they feast upon the flesh of fallen warriors in the belief that this will keep their ghosts from returning to enact vengeance.</p><p></p><p></p><p>Stat-wise they are dwarves but gain a 1d6 natural bite attack. They do not begin play speaking Kordo, the “common tongue” of Nyambe, and must purchase it as a bonus language which can be awkward for some PC parties.</p><p></p><p></p><p><img src="https://i.imgur.com/jI3oPzL.png" alt="" class="fr-fic fr-dii fr-draggable " style="" /></p><p><em>Wakyambi Elves:</em> Our final entry, the wakyambi were once the favored slaves of the Kosans. When they too rose up, they sought to shed the stigma of traitors by expressing even more hatred than usual against ngoloko and other creatures with orcish ties. But otherwise they are benevolent and nurturing, sometimes to an annoying extent in patronizing others of failures. Wakyambi appear as humans with pointed ears and fleshy tails, and their black hair gradually turns white as they approach adulthood. They have a knack for climbing in trees and make their homes among the treetops of the bIda Rainforest. One of their religious traditions involves anonymous gift-giving, where they may covertly slip some of their own cattle into a human farmer’s herd or leave a pouch of coins where a beggar may find it.</p><p></p><p></p><p>Stati-wise they are much like elves, save they do not gain immunity to sleep spells and instead have a Climb speed of 20 feet (along with a +8 bonus on Climb checks). Like utuchekulu they must learn Kordo as a bonus language.</p><p></p><p></p><p style="text-align: center"><strong>Alternate Races</strong></p><p></p><p></p><p>Our final very short entry talks about other non-human races in the core rules and their place (or lack thereof) in Nyambe. For one, the standard 6 non-human PHB races would be foreign immigrants if they do show up at all, while bugbears, kobolds, orcs, goblins, and hobgoblins similarly restricted. Planetouched, on the other hand, are people possessed by spirits while still in the womb and born with supernatural powers. There is no distinction between aasimars and tieflings or even half-celestials and half-fiends, all collectively referred to as <em>n’kaa.</em></p><p></p><p></p><p>Additionally, this was touched upon back in Chapter One but I wanted to detail it here on account that the human ethnicities and demihumans were listed alongside them in the introduction. The <strong>Savage Races</strong> of Nyambe are self-centered and evil humanoids who are impossible for others to peacefully coexist with in any reasonable fashion. The below list is by far not exhaustive, but evil humanoids not listed here tend to be far smaller in number and thus more secretive. The most well-known savage races include:</p><p></p><p></p><p><strong>Entare:</strong> centaur-like lion people of the tUbi grassland who live in an honorable and organized Klingon-like fashion.</p><p></p><p></p><p><strong>Getiet:</strong> deformed and stupid kosan descendants who operate as bandits across the continent.</p><p></p><p></p><p><strong>Ingogo:</strong> smaller, weaker, and more primate-like kosan descendants who are the most hated of all the savage races for their propensity at throwing their own highly-diseased feces at people.</p><p></p><p></p><p><strong>Kosans:</strong> this ancient race of ur-orcs possessed great arcane power and once ruled over all of Nyambe-tanda and lands beyond. They are (canonically) extinct in the present setting.</p><p></p><p></p><p><strong>MbUi:</strong> Gnolls, need i say more?</p><p></p><p></p><p><strong>Silwane-Manzi:</strong> shark-like amphibious cousins of sahuagin who live in sunken ruins off Nyambe’s northern coast.</p><p></p><p></p><p><strong>Yuan-Ti:</strong> Far Eastern immigrants setting up shop in the western bIda Rainforest, searching for the remains of an ancestral civilization.</p><p></p><p></p><p><strong>Thoughts So Far:</strong> I do like the in-depth look at the various ethnic groups and demihuman races. The six new demihumans felt distinct enough mechanicswise but a bit too close to their PHB counterparts; the unthlatu is the only real novel edition. Due to being 3.0 races they are underpowered by more modern Pathfinder standards.</p><p></p><p></p><p><strong>Join us next time as we cover the Core Classes of Chapter Four!</strong></p></blockquote><p></p>
[QUOTE="Libertad, post: 7634978, member: 6750502"] [CENTER][IMG]https://i.imgur.com/wDu1Lkt.png[/IMG] [B]Human Variants[/B][/CENTER] This entry details the twelve major ethnic groups of Nyambe-tanda. The text acknowledges that Nyambe has many more minor ethnicities (such as the near-vanished Boha-Boha) but that the twelve here are most likely to produce adventurers. Like most D&D settings humans are numerous and short-lived. In comparison to demihumans, humans have a preponderance of cultures, languages, and worldviews. Demihumans are quick to point to this diversity as a sign of strife in the manifestation of competing kingdoms, whereas the demihuman races are more monolithic among their respective peoples. There’s some implied humanocentrism and racism in said demihumans often find human lands inhospitable. Many humans reject these characterizations, couching intolerance as competition and strife as a constant desire to succeed and improve upon themselves. What’s interesting is that each entry (both human groups and demihumans) conveys a good amount of information about various cultural aspects in a short amount of dialogue. We have sections on common religious practices, forms of government, relations with other groups, traditional lands, food, rituals, artwork, favored orisha, names, and languages all in the span of 1-2 pages, including the accompanying artwork. I won’t go over each such entry (that would amount to copy-pasting) but I will highlight what I find the most interesting aspects among the peoples. Due to the relative rarity of writing materials all races are illiterate by default and must spend 2 skill points to gain the ability to read and write any language they are able to speak. [IMG]https://i.imgur.com/7zFAhTW.png[/IMG] [I]Azzazza:[/I] The Azzazza people are native to the United Kingdoms of Taumau-Boha and were once conquered and enslaved by the Water People long ago. Most Azzazza live sedentary lives as farmers, their nation’s rich soil allowing them to grow a wide variety of crops. The preponderance of papyrus in nearby swamps generates a higher literacy rate than normal, and their society is notable for having rituals for all sorts of daily tasks to avert bad luck and invite good ones. There are rituals for activities as mundane as waking up in the morning, before having meals, or even when leaving their hometowns. They are an overall agreeable people, their only enemies of note the Shombe nomads who they’re trying to teach the “superiority” of farming over cattle-herding. [IMG]https://i.imgur.com/Mfq9snA.png[/IMG] [I]Hutali:[/I] The Hutali people have no nation per se, being semi-nomadic people living among the Giko Taaba mountain range and ruled over by the utuchekulu (detailed later). Their society encourages non-confrontational means of avoiding conflict, with many forms of laws taking the form compromises, and they go out of their way to avoid offending others. The only exception in regards to this is their practice of both male and female circumcision for coming of age ceremonies. Most other humans regard the latter to be cruel, but the Hutali steadfastly refuse to give this up. They are nominally under the dominion of the Empire of Nibomay but do not recognize its authority; their traditional lands are close to inhospitable volcanoes, which makes enforcement more trouble than it’s worth. Their personal possessions are made to be easily carried, with goats a popular animal for raising. Hutali carry the skulls of the dearly departed to keep their ancestors close when communities travel, with said skulls housed in round wooden boxes. Those unable to produce children are regarded as having led worthless lives, and their bodies are instead tossed into volcanoes. [IMG]https://i.imgur.com/SJshfss.png[/IMG] [I]Marak’ka:[/I] The Marak’ka are another nomadic group, primarily living in the Gudu Ji Pingu Desert. They are the opposite of reserved, being encouraged to express their emotions in song, dance, and artwork, with percussive instruments being the most popular. Divine spellcasting bards known as ngnoma serve as community elders, and what few personal belongings they have are decorated with paint and beadwork once they gain enough sentimental value over time. The Marak’ka have a non-interference policy with other cultures, not going out of their way to make friends or enemies. The exceptions are the Xon’mo of Basharka who they regard as kin, and resent the Empire of Nibomay who claims dominion over the Gudu Ji Pingu Desert. [IMG]https://i.imgur.com/KI3GXXF.png[/IMG] [I]Mbanta:[/I] The Mbanta are the only human ethnicity without a homeland or nation to call their own. They used to live on an island in the southern sea, but a massive earthquake in the Middle Ages rent it asunder and forced the survivors onto the mainland. They are often stereotyped as being highly skilled with magic and strange powers, an impression they do not go out of their way to discourage. They are evenly spread out over Nyambe-tanda, deferring to the dominant laws but retaining their own cultural elements. They incorporate magical spells to enhance their cooking which places Mbanta chefs in high demand among royalty. The Mbanta are known for using complex astrological calendars they claimed to have learned from an aquatic undersea race, and they are remarkably secretive about their religious practices. What few things outsides known is that they greet the rising sun as the physical manifestation of the Overpower, kneeling before it and crying “Nyambe shall return to us someday!” Regarding their magical reputation, the book notes that if psionics are in use that most Mbanta will be the Psion class. Which is interesting, in that none of the other races or ethnicities have a similar statement. Not to mention most of their population will be a bonafide PC class; 3rd Edition D&D has most NPCs 1st-level Commoners by population demographics. Although brought up briefly in the following chapter, the few mentions of psionics in this book are obviously artificially tacked on: there’s no mention of how it would fall into Nyambe’s cosmology, whether it is a form of magic or something entirely foreign. [IMG]https://i.imgur.com/Xp3AKrg.png[/IMG] [I]NaBula:[/I] The NaBula are native to northeastern Nyambe-tanda, concentrated in the Caliphate of Boroko. Their culture has been heavily influenced by the Near Easterners, ranging from their dress and their undefined religion to even being the only Nyamban people to employ horses in warfare. Ritualized wrestling known as Nuba is a popular sport, and many practitioners are no pushovers when it comes to actual combat. Some have even visited the nearby Kaya Vua Samaki to compete and learn from Far Eastern martial artists. [IMG]https://i.imgur.com/wGqA7QP.png[/IMG] [I]Nghoi:[/I] Natives of the bIda Rainforest, the Nghoi are best known for being allies of the wakyambi as well as being short, usually 4 feet or less. They are fans of body modification, from ritual scarring and body painting to filing their front teeth as a sign of valor among their warriors. They are highly decentralized, recognizing no higher authority than the elders of individual families, and their propensity for storytelling produces a high number of bards. A popular kind of story is known as a dilemma tale, where the narrator creates a situation and asks the listeners to come up with their own endings. Game-stat wise Nghoi are humans, but most have the Small Stature as their racial bonus feat to grant them Small size. [IMG]https://i.imgur.com/KyIlw9e.png[/IMG] [I]Shombe:[/I] The Shombe are cattler-herders who live among the tUbi Grassland to the west of Taumau-Boha, and are known for counting the best warriors of Nyambe-tanda among their number. They relish this perception, preferring to use spears and melee weapons over ranged combat which they regard as cowardly. They have fought the entare (centauresque lion-like humanoids) for generations over cattle and territory, and their rite-of-passage into adulthood involves the hunting, slaying, skinning of a monster of the Beast or Magical Beast type. In 3.0 terms the Beast type meant either a dinosaur or fantastical animal-like creature that does not exist in real life, which means that Shombe teenagers are extra hardcore. Cattle is vital to their society, used for meat and milk for sustenance and their skin and bones fashioned into household items. Shombe live in temporary enclosures known as kraal, whose natural fence is made of thorn bushes for an effective defense. [IMG]https://i.imgur.com/9JzVsDw.png[/IMG] [I]Tembu:[/I] The Tembu hail from the Empire of Mabwe, whose central position on the continent means that they are one of the most widespread people barring the Mbanta nomads. The wealth of their nation provides a high standard of living for the populace, and even common-born citizens sport jewelry. Their domesticated elephants are one of the most feared sights of their enemies, with palanquin-bound archers raining sharp death on those their war beasts’ tusks cannot reach. Most honor the celestial orisha, the average home containing a family shrine bearing a magical statue known as a nkisi n’kondi (nail figure). When one wishes to swear an oath or seal a contract, the guest hammers a nail into the statue. Mabwe’s nobility is known for peculiar practices such as women with layers of gold necklaces which elongate their necks, or the raising wild animals not normally eaten such as fried baby crocodiles and monkey brains. [IMG]https://i.imgur.com/tb2iBZ4.png[/IMG] [I]Tisambe:[/I] The Tisambe are one of the oldest continual ethnic groups of Nyambe-tanda. They are strongly connected to the Empire of Nibomay, and are the only society which is matriarchal in nature. Women hold the reigns of business and government as well as serving in the army. Their elite Amazon units fight with signature greatbows and razor swords, the latter banned from ownership by commoners. The Tisambe’s proud history bestows in them a sense of arrogant patriotism, and they tend to look down on other cultures. Their weddings are religious in nature, sometimes planned years in advance with celebrations lasting up to a week. [IMG]https://i.imgur.com/zAXIpRl.png[/IMG] [I]Tuslan:[/I] The Tuslan are a minority group within the Empire of Nibomay, organized into seven major clans sharing a common ancestor. Due to strong cultural taboos against iron they hunt and fight with wooden and stone weapons, and are renowned for producing expert hunters and scouts. While marriage ceremonies exist, there is little taboo in divorce or for one to desire finding a new partner, even as frequently as every year. They honor all orisha connected to the natural world equally, and offer up a prayer to the spirits of any animals they kill. For this very reason they almost never hunt animals for sport. [IMG]https://i.imgur.com/6ZZfv83.png[/IMG] [I]Xon’mo:[/I] The Xon-mo are related to the Marak’ka people, primarily living in the kingdom of Bashar’ka on the continent’s far west. Their society is ruled over by a theocracy of fire worshipers who provide protection and land to the common folk reinforced by oaths of fealty. This is not a one-way street, for Xon’mo rulers who grow lax in their duties find armed revolt a distinct possibility. Xon’mo are known for employing alchemist’s fire in warfare, and their merchants sell exquisite textiles all over Nyambe. They are also the only culture which enforces monogamy. This is said to be the result of an ancient pact with fire elementals to avoid plural marriages, and in exchange the elementals bred with mortals.* Xon’mo born with bright red hair are said to have the “fire blood,” a sign of great honor. The Fire Blood feat in a later chapter will reveal that said elementals were actually efreeti. [IMG]https://i.imgur.com/OcWkuMp.png[/IMG] [I]Zamara:[/I] The Zamara get a bad rap among other Nyambans. Their people were the backbone of the Zombi cults and later empire of the same name, and produce more mchawi wizards among their number than any others. But in spite of, or perhaps because of this, the Zamara hate arcane magic more than any other culture. Even the sorcerous sei are not immune to witch-hunts. Zamara are native to the Kaya Vua Samaki region, and their close proximity to Far Eastern traders makes various “eastern” weapons and equipment more common among their number than elsewhere in Nyambe. As much as they’re associated with black magic, the Zamara have an order of warriors known as Magic Eaters. The “heart test” is a lethal trial by witch a suspected mchawi’s heart is ripped out. If their heart turns black after a few seconds of exposure to air then this confirms their guilt. If the heart is normal, it is returned to the body and a cleric with knowledge of resurrection magic is called for to return them to life if one is available in the region. This is not a mere “floats in water” superstition; mchawi hearts really do turn black as a result of unholy pacts subtly altering their bodies. [CENTER][B]Demihuman Races[/B][/CENTER] What separates a “demihuman” from other non-human beings is their ability to peacefully coexist with humans. Technically this means that races other than those listed here can qualify, but the six below are the most common in Nyambe. Perhaps one of the setting’s most controversial aspects, the new races are technically subraces of existing Player’s Handbook options and are presumed to share (distant) lineage with their more Tolkien fantasy counterparts. The unthlatu are perhaps the only “new” race here, and some of the criticism I recall is that Nyambe did not have more “original” African-flavored playable folkloric beings. [IMG]https://i.imgur.com/okod0Mn.png[/IMG] [I]Agogwe Halflings:[/I] These short, isolated people mostly live in the bIda Rainforest, maintaining good relations with the wakyambi and Nghoi. They look like short humans with long claws capable of burrowing through the earth, and live in nomadic family units inhabiting dug-out underground shelters. Stat-wise they are much like Halflings, save they have natural weapon claws that deal 1d4 damage, a burrow speed of 10 feet in soft earth, and can cast Speak With Animals once per day in regards to burrowing animals only. [IMG]https://i.imgur.com/UKNmsEU.png[/IMG] [I]Kitunusi Gnomes:[/I] The Kitunusi have a magical bond to shadow and darkness, and their society discourages any displays of emotion in public. Outsiders find their quiet nature disturbing, and their ancestral homes were deep underground much like the utuchekulu. Every kitunusi has a personal kente-cloth tabard which act as a symbol of rank and honor. As such they will go to great ends to recover a stolen or lost one, even those not personally belonging to them. Most kitunusi live in their own nation of Mademba, ruled over by a labyrinthine bureaucracy intentionally designed to be opaque to most people. They’re also the only culture on Nyambe which does not produce any form of artwork besides their notable kente cloth, and their only form of cuisine is a thick gruel made of grains they simply call “food.” Statwise they are similar to Gnomes, but can cast the Darkness spell once per day, have darkvision out to 60 feet, possess Spell Resistance against divination spells which increases with level, and others attempting to use Sense Motive on them suffer a -4 penalty. [URL="https://i.imgur.com/6BIsk71.png"]Link instead of image due to bare breasts[/URL] [I]Ngoloko Half-Orcs:[/I] Technically speaking the ngoloko are not half-orcs so much as a race of their own with kosan heritage. Whereas the kosans were slaughtered almost to the last number by their slaves, the ngoloko were half-orc children born to human female concubines and therefore ruled innocent of any wrongdoing. Instead of death they were met with exile, forming their own communities. The ngoloko are self-conscious of their legacy and tend to wear heavy, concealing clothes when among others. In spite of attempts at reconciliation, separatists which formed their own militarized communities on the Isle of Shadow led to new rashes of xenophobia. Ngoloko society is the only major culture with democratic forms of government, where chieftains are chosen via public elections of seven year terms and forbidden to run for office again afterwards. Stat-wise they are half-orcs. No real changes from the PHB standard besides having Mchawi as their favored class and -2 to Wisdom rather than Intelligence. [IMG]https://i.imgur.com/0pZK7LS.png[/IMG] [I]Unthlatu Dragons:[/I] When disguised dragons mated with slaves of the Kosa Empire, the sorcerous sei came into being. A group of human sorcerers exiled to the Great Mangrove Marsh inbred with themselves and some reptilian swamp-creatures to the point that their more draconic features grew apparent. They are introverted and are pretty much Futurama’s Neutral Planet: they have neutral relations with other cultures and are solidly True Neutral in alignment. They bear some resemblance to humans, save that they have scales covering their skin matching the color of true dragons, and possess no body hair of any sort. Statwise they have +2 Strength, -2 Dexterity, -2 Wisdom, a slow 20 foot base speed, 60 feet of darkvision, +1 natural armor and 1d4 natural claw and bite attacks, immunity to sleep and paralysis, and suffer -2 penalty on all skill checks due to poor education and little parental supervision. But their most notable feature is their Dragon Heritage, where they select a single true dragon type from which they derive their ancestry. It determines the specifics of their Breath Weapon and Energy Resistant racial feats if and when they’re taken. [IMG]https://i.imgur.com/cfE9zf7.png[/IMG] [I]Utuchekulu Dwarves:[/I] Utuchekulu once lived underground, but they and the kitunusi were driven to the surface from a volcanic eruption. They are primarily split into two regions; the ones in Nyambe’s Kuba Taaba eastern mountains are allied with the Empire of Mabwe, while those in the western Giko Taaba mountains distantly rule over the Hutali humans. They are dour and gruff like other dwarves, and dye their teeth blood-red with berries. One such tooth is capable of growing long enough to be a veritable weapon. The utuchekulu are ruled over by absolute dictators who are regularly overthrown by coups every couple of decades which leads to a rather unstable system of government. They are not automatically evil, but practice some immoral traditions such as honoring fiendish orisha (out of respect if not agreement) and non-consensual ritual cannibalism where they feast upon the flesh of fallen warriors in the belief that this will keep their ghosts from returning to enact vengeance. Stat-wise they are dwarves but gain a 1d6 natural bite attack. They do not begin play speaking Kordo, the “common tongue” of Nyambe, and must purchase it as a bonus language which can be awkward for some PC parties. [IMG]https://i.imgur.com/jI3oPzL.png[/IMG] [I]Wakyambi Elves:[/I] Our final entry, the wakyambi were once the favored slaves of the Kosans. When they too rose up, they sought to shed the stigma of traitors by expressing even more hatred than usual against ngoloko and other creatures with orcish ties. But otherwise they are benevolent and nurturing, sometimes to an annoying extent in patronizing others of failures. Wakyambi appear as humans with pointed ears and fleshy tails, and their black hair gradually turns white as they approach adulthood. They have a knack for climbing in trees and make their homes among the treetops of the bIda Rainforest. One of their religious traditions involves anonymous gift-giving, where they may covertly slip some of their own cattle into a human farmer’s herd or leave a pouch of coins where a beggar may find it. Stati-wise they are much like elves, save they do not gain immunity to sleep spells and instead have a Climb speed of 20 feet (along with a +8 bonus on Climb checks). Like utuchekulu they must learn Kordo as a bonus language. [CENTER][B]Alternate Races[/B][/CENTER] Our final very short entry talks about other non-human races in the core rules and their place (or lack thereof) in Nyambe. For one, the standard 6 non-human PHB races would be foreign immigrants if they do show up at all, while bugbears, kobolds, orcs, goblins, and hobgoblins similarly restricted. Planetouched, on the other hand, are people possessed by spirits while still in the womb and born with supernatural powers. There is no distinction between aasimars and tieflings or even half-celestials and half-fiends, all collectively referred to as [I]n’kaa.[/I] Additionally, this was touched upon back in Chapter One but I wanted to detail it here on account that the human ethnicities and demihumans were listed alongside them in the introduction. The [B]Savage Races[/B] of Nyambe are self-centered and evil humanoids who are impossible for others to peacefully coexist with in any reasonable fashion. The below list is by far not exhaustive, but evil humanoids not listed here tend to be far smaller in number and thus more secretive. The most well-known savage races include: [B]Entare:[/B] centaur-like lion people of the tUbi grassland who live in an honorable and organized Klingon-like fashion. [B]Getiet:[/B] deformed and stupid kosan descendants who operate as bandits across the continent. [B]Ingogo:[/B] smaller, weaker, and more primate-like kosan descendants who are the most hated of all the savage races for their propensity at throwing their own highly-diseased feces at people. [B]Kosans:[/B] this ancient race of ur-orcs possessed great arcane power and once ruled over all of Nyambe-tanda and lands beyond. They are (canonically) extinct in the present setting. [B]MbUi:[/B] Gnolls, need i say more? [B]Silwane-Manzi:[/B] shark-like amphibious cousins of sahuagin who live in sunken ruins off Nyambe’s northern coast. [B]Yuan-Ti:[/B] Far Eastern immigrants setting up shop in the western bIda Rainforest, searching for the remains of an ancestral civilization. [B]Thoughts So Far:[/B] I do like the in-depth look at the various ethnic groups and demihuman races. The six new demihumans felt distinct enough mechanicswise but a bit too close to their PHB counterparts; the unthlatu is the only real novel edition. Due to being 3.0 races they are underpowered by more modern Pathfinder standards. [B]Join us next time as we cover the Core Classes of Chapter Four![/B] [/QUOTE]
Insert quotes…
Verification
Post reply
Community
General Tabletop Discussion
*Dungeons & Dragons
[Let's Read] Nyambe: African Adventures
Top