Gantu

Physical Description

       Gantu stand between 7 and 12 feet in height, the mass of their weight  seems concentrated in their powerful, and thick legs. They are further  supported by a heavy, thick tail that they can use to strike at  opponents that are behind them, as well as prop themselves upon them.  Their arms are exceptionally long and end in large, strong hands. Gantu  are often dressed in finely detailed hard-boiled leather armor and heavy  cloth.

     Most gantu are of a sandy to reddish color, they have  long dark hair, and males tend to grow tufts of facial hair extending  from their jowls.

          All gantu have ram-like horns that grow  from their brow and sweep backward over their heads. Their heads are  covered in hardened ridges that cover their powerful olfactory  receptors, some sages would label them nostrils if for the fact that  they are much greater in size than other species. These receptors grant  the gantu an incredible ability to track scents in the air. 

Personality

      Gantu are typically global thinkers with great passion for their unique  vision. They tend to be highly creative, original, and independent. To a  gantu their idea of "torture" is to be stuck in a rut, and they get  impatient with those who doubt their insights or those that want to  stick to traditional methods for tradition's sake. They tend to share  their feelings and opinions easily without forcing them onto others.  Most gantu tend to be greatly offended when others show disrespect for  the beliefs and values of others. As a general rule, gantu dislike  disorder.

    As a species gantu are inspired, not impulsive. They tend  to be cautious, deliberate and eager to make plans. Most are polite and  somewhat reserved. Generally they are quite organized and, when properly  motivated, highly productive. To most gantu their primary goal in life  is to follow through on your ideas and be faithful to your vision.  For a  ganut a great reward is to others trust their inspiration and to watch  their visions come true. 

Languages and Names

       Gantu speak a native language called Janti.  It is a deep resonating  language that is heightened by the bellowing sound from deep within  their chest.  To some there is an azhdehak quality to the speech.   Almost gutteral and chesty sounding. 

Cultural Kin and Communities

      Gantu culture is unlike many other special cultures in the Omniverse.  Gantu are essentially copies of each other within a family line and tend  to reproduce asexually, though occasionally they have been known to  reproduce with a mate. This has lead to a unique culture where gantu are  not overly concerned with competition for mates.     Gantu form  various clans through out the Omniverse and on worlds, and tend to be  aligned with a specific task or goal. Once a bloodline begins a task it  will follow it through, many times this may take several generations as  each new generation attempts to improve on the previous generations  accomplishment.

     Gantu clans are known to migrate from location to  location, often following seasonal changes in the region that they deem  as their home territory. Despite this categorization of territory, they  do not see the region as theirs and will work to share the region with  those that are non-aggressive or destructive in nature such as the okru,  and their ilk. 

    Of great significance and importance to the gantu  is the bloodline task or goal. This influence will last for many  generations until the task or goal is complete. This goal or task is  often arrived to through the influence of the dream life of the gantu.  Though some have been known for their revenge against an enemy as their  task or goal. An old gantu adage states: "In the beginning our people  had no knowledge, had no strength. They could not learn from writings  nor from teachers. All their wisdom and knowledge came to them in  dreams. They tested their dreams and in this way we learned our strength  and destiny." Gantu cultivate this ability to dream from an early age,  from childhood. They are told to try to dream and to remember what you  dream. This belief helps stimulate the imagination of the gantu on their  bloodline task or goal, or generate a new task or goal should they  finish their bloodline task or "blood tasks". 

    Gantu are known to  fast, isolate themselves, and mediate while searching for their "blood  task". Gantu say that in these dreams they are often returned to a  previous state of existence of an ancestor. It is thought that the power  these dreams is so great that a gantu is said to assume the form which  had been his in a previous existence or to the form of their bloodline  ancestor.

     Gantu also have a strong oral history when it comes to  their legends and myths. The most important story or myth of a bloodline  is the birth of the Uanti or "First Ancestor". These stories often  include references to isolation and the creation of the gantu world. The  story of the Uanti, also known by many other names within the gantu  clans, are told and retold by the older gantu of each respective clan. In the mind of the gantu Uanti is the master of life, the source and  impersonation of the lives of all sentient things, all fauna and floral  things.

     The Uanti is held up as the source of life and teacher to  all life on how to deceive its enemies and prolonging its life. It was  he who gave the gantu the first dreams of their tasks or goal.

      Because each bloodline is uniquely attached to a specific goal or task,  those tasks that have a physical component or are a creation, the  bloodlines mark each of their creations, with each generation adding to  the first ancestral mark.

     Additionally, each gantu commit to  memory the log line of their bloodline. This is called the Memory of  Ancestors and is used to list the name of each gantu before them and  their contribution to the task or goal. Each time a gantu comes of age  they are required to re-call this memory and state it out loud before the bloodlines of other clans.

     Gantu have very little use of laws  amongst the clans as gantu believe in a basic principle of a cultural  of servitude towards others. This basic principle also extends to other  species, so long as non-gantu do not show selfish, immoral or wicked  behaviors. While gantu focus predominately on their bloodline goal, they  are also well known as champions of freedom, they prefer to live their  lives not burdened by emotions. They see things as they are and act upon  each moment in whatever way they see fit. 

Gantu Features 

Species Merit Cost: 1200 

Age: 12-20, live to be over 100 yrs 

Size: Gantu tend to be medium or large creatures, (7 to 12 Feet) 

Weight: Base 450 plus 2d10x10 Vision: Gantu have night vision 

Move: Base Move of 30 feet per Movement Action 

Languages: Gantu begin play speaking Janti (Gantu Common), and Cor Shan (Ta' jahu Common), Uthai (Syliph Common), or Common 

Resistances: +10 Bonus to Fear or Horror checks 

Gantu Bonuses: +30 Fatigue Points, +300 Max Lift, +10 Perception (Smell Checks);+10' to Leap and Jump 

Gantu Attribute Modifiers: Strength, Perception, Intelligence or Wits 

Gantu Traits: 

Heavy Kick. Once per turn as a Simple action a Gantu is able to "stand" on its tail  and kick with both of its heavy, large feet.  This is considered a  "off-handed" attack. 

Epic Jump. Gantu are  able to make incredibly long jumps or leaps. So long as they can run  double their normal movement beforehand, a Gantu can quadruple its  jumping or leaping distance. 

Species Abilities Gantu  begin play with two of the following abilities: Affable, Ancient  Memories, Carrion Tracker, Curiosity, Focused Mind, Natural Magic,  Prehensile Tail, and Vitality Sense 

Species Abilities 

Affable:  You have that certain something that makes you even more likable.  Anytime you attempt to influence (typically this includes Convince,  Gaming, Haggle, Interrogate, or Leadership) other beings can make this  check twice and take the better result of the two. Additionally,  non-player character dispositions towards you always start off one level  better than normal (for example, hostile changes to unfriendly). 

Ancient Memories:  You have a strong tie to the ancient wisdom and knowledge of the world  and your ancestors. You gain four Lore skills, which also receive a +10  bonus to these skills.

Carrion Tracker: While not a  tracker by choice you have the uncanny ability to sniff out carrion or  badly wounded creatures that are within 500 yards of you (+100 yds per 3  ranks). You can track down undead and corpses with ease as well as  track down badly wounded creatures (battered status). You may be subject  to Perception checks as dictated by your surroundings (raining,  snowing, windy etc.) 

Curiosity: You’ve a  strong, natural inquisitiveness about the world. You gain +10 bonus to  any fear checks. Should you begin the turn affected by fear, you are  able to reduce the severity of the fear effect from frightened to  scared, and scared to trouble. You also have a tendency to end up with  other peoples things; you gain a +10 to the Sleight of Hand skill.  Additionally, while in an urban setting, once per day you may roll on  the Minor Art Items treasure table to determine what small item you may  have picked up. 

Focused Mind: You gain  +10 cumulative bonus for every hour you concentrate on any next  non-combat skill check. You may only focus for 1/2 your Stamina modifier  in hours to gain this bonus. During combat as a Simple Action you gain  +10 bonus to any next non-attribute check that you make. 

Natural Magic:  Among your species you are known for your connection with the great  weave of magic. The use of the spells is less taxing on you than  normal.  The cost of fatigue for spells is reduced by 2 per Power Rank  of the spell to a minimum of 1. Thus, a Power Rank of 3 spell normally  costs 9 fatigue, now costs only 3; where as a Power Rank 6 spell  normally costs 54 fatigue points (9 fatigue per rank) now only costs 42  fatigue points. 

Prehensile Tail: Your  long tail is highly flexible and you have mastered its control. You can  use it to retrieve small objects, hold onto small objects and be able  carry these small objects as easily as if they were in your hand.      

Vitality Sense:  You have the unique ability to determine the health of another being  simply by looking at them. Beyond visual cues of bleeding, you can see  the true status of a specified creature that you focus on for 1 turn.  With this sense you can determine how hurt they are by poisons,  diseases, or determine how badly hurt they are. You can also easily  sense whether they are undead or of another plane of existence.