Maghashi

Amongst the flows of mana ride the peaceful spirits of the maghashi (singular: maghashi, adjectival: maghashi). They enjoy a tribal existence and celebrate a rich heritage of herbalism and magic. Having a maghashi as a friend grants a you a wise, loyal hard-worker who excels at talking you out of bad ideas.

Physiology

Maghashi are unguligrades — they have hooved feet, reminiscent of bipedal bulls or goats. They have large, curling horns like a ram's which protrude from the crown of the head. Their ears are short and resemble those of a deer or a lamb. They have a slender, flat nose, and almond-shaped eyes which come in colors from dark brown to bright gold. As natural herbivores, the maghashi have flat teeth. Either gender could be found with long wavy or curly hair, which is almost always brown, but there have been some with black and auburn. Maghashi have sleek fur covering their lower halves. Males tend to have beards, especially elders. Young maghashi bear freckles on their face and shoulders, and spots on their leg fur. These markings begin to gradually fade once the bearer reaches adulthood, which is around 15. Maghashi live just slightly less than humans on average, usually not more than 70 years.

Size

Their stature is slightly taller than a human's: males are on average 6′4ʺ, females 5′9ʺ. In addition, the maghashi that call mountainous terrain their home tend to be slim and agile, while the maghashi that live in the plains and lowlands are often very stout, tall, and strong. All maghashi are considered Size 0.

Appearance

The maghashi are forbidden to wear the hides and furs of animals. The clothing they do wear is predominantly cotton, linen, hemp, or silk. The typical maghashi is found wearing a loincloth. Some wear vests, and many females can be found with a simple band around the chest. In cold weather, a maghashi enjoys a scarf or a mantle. They prefer jewelry of solid metals, like iron, copper, silver, and gold. The maghashi are especially fond of piercings, most popularly the ears and septum. They have no use for footwear as their cloven hooves are suited to any terrain.

Personality

Maghashi are calm and very often wise. Their culture is built on the traits of respect, willpower, patience, and peace; they make excellent arbiters. A maghashi usually loves friendly challenges like sports, competitions, and games, and you'll likely not find one a sore loser. They love good, hard manual labor and cheerfully do so for those in need, especially loved ones. They are discouraged by those who don't pull their own weight. In fact, most of their morality comes from fairness. The maghashi's noted calmness and precise beliefs often keep them from being the life of the party, but they excel at close friendships. It is very difficult to raise a maghashi's ire, but once done, revenge will come — all things in life are worth the wait.

Habitat

A tribe of maghashi can be found amongst a semipermanent or permanent settlement. The most popular form of architecture amongst these villages is the wigwam, a wooden domed structure providing excellent refuge from all types of weather. The maghashi of the plains tend to cover their wigwams of reeds and brush, whereas the mountainous maghashi prefer fir boughs and bark. In the lowlands, these settlements are built adjacent to crop fields. In the mountains, the villages are interspersed amongst terraced beds.

Diet

Maghashi are brought up to unconditionally respect wildlife and don't domesticate or hunt animals. While they don't chastise other races for their use of animal goods, they would almost universally refuse goods derived from an animal (here, we really only mean vertebrates) unless it meant life or death. Maghashi subsist on anything they can grow: mostly fruits, vegetables, and grains.

Society

The law system of maghashi is one founded on reciprocal justice. Perpetrators of crimes receive punishments equal to the severity of their offense. Fairness and equality are important to maghashi. Each tribe elects a leader for a fixed period who enacts decisions made by the tribe in a direct democratic way.

A few maghashi marriages are arranged, especially between tribes. Most maghashi, however, marry for love, and do so for life. Most families try for 1–3 offspring. Feasts are held to celebrate a new birth in a village. Death rituals are an important part of maghashi culture for many reasons. First and foremost, maghashi honor their ancestors as powerful spirits, so a tribe member's death must be met with proper respect. The dead are buried with important possessions and gifts from loved ones. Many tribes believe the dead actively protect and watch the living.

Language

The Maghashi written language is logographic; there exist nearly 1,000 characters that each represent a single word. Each character is pronounced in one to three syllables. The spoken language is described by non-native speakers as ornate and specific. Many healers and herbalists learn the Maghashi language to be able to research their craft, as some medicinal secrets are recorded in maghashi tomes.

Relations

Their peaceful nature grants good rapport with most of the other races. They think of some humans as far too warlike. They disapprove of the evengar love for battle, but they do appreciate their sense of family and honor. Kulgeris are particularly troublesome to get along with, both for their aggressive nature and their dining habits.

Romances with non-maghashi are rare, but have happened with humans and apsarava, and if you can get over the size difference, vidari. Naturally, none of these unions can produce offspring.

Occupations

Renown for their mastery over the chemical and medicinal properties of plants, fungi, and minerals, the maghashi make excellent herbalists, chemists, apothecaries, and healers. Their rustic lifestyle makes them well suited to wilderness craft, and might partake in the livelihood of a guide, porter, or ranger. You might find a few maghashi in the ranks of the Wilders. Their love of hard work makes them natural farmers or laborers.

Combat

The culture of the maghashi is interwoven with magic and many have an aptitude for the arcane, particularly Perceptive magic. They are a peaceful people, but many are taught forms of martial defense. Maghashi have been noted to wield bludgeoning weapons, especially wooden ones. They also employ their horns and powerful legs for close-quarters combat.

Motivations

A maghashi might leave his tribe to refine his character or perfect his trade. Good motivations for a maghashi might pertain to herbalism or medicine, such as curing a rare affliction, or formulating the perfect drug. Others might look to peace and wisdom, such as uniting warring factions, or serving as a sage.

Max Caps

• Insight 12
• Cunning 8
• Charm 8
• Self-Control 12

Powers

• Horn Player: A maghashi's horns can be used to ram opponents. This is a hand-to-hand attack with a Harm of 3, usually as part of a charge. A horn bash used to destroy an object grants an additional +2 bonus to the Might check.
• Hustle: Maghashi have powerful, hoofed legs. They gain a +2 to Dash checks.

Origin Powers: Choose one of the following:

• Beefcake: Maghashi of the plains receive +2 to Might checks when pushing, pulling, or carrying a load.
• Going Up: Maghashi of the mountains receive +2 to Grip checks when climbing rocky surfaces.

Societal Powers. Choose one of the following:

• Doctor. Doctor.: Maghashi know their way around the medicinal arts. They receive a +2 to any Craft or Healing check that deals with a medicinal compound, like medication, antidotes, or anti-venoms.
• Infectious Opinion: A maghashi's sense of peace and natural inclination for wisdom grants her an innate knack for getting someone to see her way. Add +2 to any Negotiate check to change another's mood.
• Sane Defaults: A maghashi remains rooted in the simple joys of life. They receive a +2 to Sanity checks as they realize that the uncommon is just another facet of existence.