The Kernuar Race

With a civilization as wide-spread as the Duar, the Kernuar originated in their homeland of the Horn Forest in Greater Anár and have spread across the continent into all the wild lands. While their culture tends to have a diversity borne from the differences in the local environment, they have an essential core culture that is held sacred by all Kernuar.

The Kernuar evolved in the deep forests, prairies, and secluded alpine vallies. They have developed communities that seamlessly blend with the natural environments they inhabit, working with nature as opposed to mastering it.The Kernuar have an affinity for spaces open to the natural environments in which they dwell, integrating living ecosystems into their lifestyle.

Kernuar Culture (top)

The Kernuar culture is based on the maintenance of harmony with the cycles of nature, with the will and welfare of the community, and with oneself. The Kernuar believe they are a natural part of the cycles of the environment and world, and maintain their place within it zealously. They have a high regard for environment and strive to make certain their action within it does not unduly overburden nature's ability to maintain a positive balance. They work within the limits of nature's bounty and have grown more slowly than other civilizations that have bent nature to their will.

Second to their concern for nature as a whole, the Kernuar believe they are an instrinsic part of their communities and maintain the balance of that community with the same concern. They always consider their actions in relation to the community they will impact, and often accept the limits of their social units.

Kernuar also strive to maintain the balance within their own psyches, accepting the negative aspects of their minds and culture along with the positive. They believe in a holistic view of themselves and do not draw much separation from their outer, physical selves, and their inner, emotional and intellectual selves. In order live "right," Kernuar must respect their own biology, their own instincts, and their own desires, believing them to be aspects of the natural world expressed in flesh and mind.

For these reasons, the Kernuar are deeply spiritual, keeping spiritual concerns in the forefront of their priorities and decision. They believe that, by honoring the natural forces of the world and by acting in harmony with the spirits of nature, that they can best achieve their destinies.

For the Kernuar, the wanton destruction or exploitation of natural environments are considered the greatest evil. Doing so causes deep imbalances for the natural world, among the spiritual forces of the world, and within the individuals who dwell there. For this reason, they act as the guardians of natural environments with a zeal that often surprises other races; for the Kernuar, doing so is a spiritual mandate.

Society (top)

Kernuar society has a flatter hierarchy than most other races, as individuals are judged not by their parentage or wealth, but solely by their actions and how balanced they are among the community. Strength of character and body are valued by the Kernuar, and contests of both are often the deciding factor of social status.

The only exception to this flat hierarchy are the naturalist priesthood of the Kernuar, which hold considerable sway over all levels of Kernuar society, as they are vested with the greatest clarity on maintaining the delicate balance between an individual, society, and nature. They also serve as a conduit to the spirit world, which the Kernuar value highly.

The Kernuar family unit is also different from most, usually consisting of a Kernuar male mated with several Kernuar females, who all share equal status in the family. Decisions are made by the Kernuar patriarch, although they are encouraged to maintain unity among their family by including all points of view. Based on the enforcement of equality among most members of the Kernuar society, all the children of the all the females are treated equally; only their own strengths will afford them differentiation among their people.

In Kernuar society, a definite gender-bias exists, but both halves are treated equitably by the society as a whole. Affairs of society are divided between "male" and "female" biases, and through this natural division, society remains in balance. Male and female Kernuar are treated differently by society, both ultimately, both have an equal level of rights, albeit with differing expressions.

Kernuar Holds represent communities of Kernuar, collections of families that dwell in the same general environment. Holdings are ruled by a "Lord" and a "Lady," each representing their gender (and thus, gender-biased social concerns) and each holding approximately the same power over the community. They must act in accord for decisions to be enforced; given the Kernuar desire and trust of balance, they believe this system sponsors the greatest sense of balance for the community.

Kernuar Holds cooperate with one another to form a networked model of a nation. Each Hold maintains the authority in their area, but each set of "Lord and Lady" from each Hold advises their counterparts on issues that affect them all. The Kernuar as a race have never unified beyond this level of networking, and thus, have never chosen a "Lord and Lady" with a larger scope than a local environment.

Technology (top)

The Kernuar have a level of technology equivalent to very developed Neolithic culture and rely on hunting, gathering, and limited forms of agriculture for food production. The Kernuar are cognizant of their interactions with their natural environments and strive to take only what is needed and to do so in a manner than sponsors the natural replenishment of which they partake.

The Kernuar are master wood workers and most of their finished good production revolves around the manipulation or crafting of wooden items, although they have also become accustomed to crafting soft metals. Given that the Kernuar do not mine the earth to any great degree, their access to raw metal ores to work is limited.

The Kernuar compensate for this relatively low physical technology, the Kernuar have a highly developed spiritual technology based on the creation of art. Focusing their spiritual abilities and enfusing natural magick into art, the Kernuar are able to make up for the shortfalls in their technology level.

Kernuar Holds are very spiritually active, as the Kernuar live in harmony with the unseen world, and thus, their lives and communities are backed by powerful magical forces. The lands the Kernuar occupy are awake and aware and generally protect the Kernuar as much as the Kernuar protect it.

Biology (top)

The Kernuar race are tall, slendar humanoids that evolved from forest- and prairie-dwelling herbivores that dwelled in herds. They have differentiated into four species based on their environment and have evolved into humanoid, sentient species during the same general time-frame as the Duar. Given their common biology and their shared belief systems, all of the species of Kernuar consider themselves as a single race, no matter the gross differences between them.

The Kernuar range from 4'5" to 6'11" in height, but have lean, slender builds and a swift, dextrous nature. The males and females have similar body types, hair patterns, and physiological characteristics (other than the obvious differences in gender). Male Kernuar have a yearly cycle of growing horns, sometimes elaborate racks, which they shed in late Autumn and regrow in the Spring. The Kernuar all have medium complexions and generally have tawny brown to blond hair coloration. Different species of the Kernuar have different complexions and hair colorations.

The Kernuar are naturally quick on the feet, have extremely dextrous hand-eye coordination, and are able to leap considerable distances. All Kernuar have two fingers and thumb on each hand. As a mark of vestigal hooves, the Kernuar have hard, flexible coverings on the top of their fingers, but have also evolved delicate, sensitive pads on the underside. Despite having slender frames, Kernuar are no less strong than other races. Kernuar generally have long, pointed ears and elongated, sharp facial features.

Life Cycle (top)

The Kernuar follow a standard mammalian reproductive and life cycle. Female Kernuar give birth to one child at a time, with twins being extremely rare and more fraternal children being nearly unknown. The gestation period for the Kernuar is generally 8 months.

Kernuar move from infants to toddler within two years, but often are mobile and speaking within one. The grow to children and move through prepubescence by age 15. They then enter an intense period of adolescence that last 5 to 7 years and in which the urge to mate is nearly overwhelming; most Kernuar matings occur during this time.

Kernuar enter a more stable period of adulthood that lasts upwards of 40 years, at which time Kernuar become elders of their communities. Elder status lasts through a Kernuars later years, lasting another 40 years or more. Kernuars have a maximum life span of approximately 100 to 120 years, although some extremely venerable elders have lived to 130 years.

Attributes (top)

All Kernuar, no matter the species or the gender, share common physiological attributes based on their common genetic heritage.

Enhanced Hearing: All Kernuar have very sensitive hearing, both in terms of distance and in frequency range. This allows the Kernuar to be extremely aware of their environments at all times.
Perfect Balance: All Kernuar have excellent balance, can maneuver on tight ledges without penalty, and can leap great distances. The Kernuar are extremely light on their feet, making them stealthy in natural environments.
Spirit Friend: Because of their close ties to the unseen worlds in which they live, Kernuar, as a race, are initially trusted by nature-based spirits. Individual Kernuar can negate this advantaged based on their behavior toward spirits, but all spirits give them the benefit of the doubt.

Species (top)

While the Kernuar, as a race, share common attributes and ancestry, they have differentiated into several major species. While the various species of Kernuar move through all levels of Kernuar society unhindered, they still gravitate to the environments in which they originally evolved. Given the close ties that Kernuar hold with the environments in which they live, this isn't surprising.

Kernuar: Taking the name of the race, the Kernuar are the most populous species of the race. Dwelling in the deep forest reaches of Anár, the Kernuar have expanded to nearly every corner of the continent. The Kernuar are traditional, spiritual, and considered in their actions.
Eláhuar: The largest of species of the Kernuar, the Eláhuar dwell in the deep forests and alpine reaches, generally in the colder environs. The Eláhuar take their spiritual commitments most seriously of all the Kernuar and are fierce guardians of the Kernuar territory. They are strong-minded and strong-willed and tend to be vocal in the politics of the Holds.
Capruar: Capricious and wild, the Capruar are shorter of height and strong of build, making them tough and hearty. Their horns are thicker, curled, and are permanent once grown. The Capruar have the most contact with other races, as they tend to travel often and cross borders due to curiosity. The Capruar and mischevious, out-spoken, and quick to promote tolerance of other races.
Ôvuar: The Ôvuar dwell on the mountainsides of the continent, living in homes built on the ledges and in shallow caves. The Ôvuar tend toward aesthetic, dispassionate viewpoints and are contemplative by nature. The Ôvuar are generally the lorekeepers of the Kernuar race, and, because of where they dwell, they have the most contact with the Duar.

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