Unlike many other Verdimm clans, Verachka are not hunters and are not highly regarded for their group tactics. But as individuals they are powerful, and when provoked, fierce fighters. Since Verachka are primarily vegetarians, they pose little threat to most Crinos natives, and are therefore regarded as one of the most peaceful of all clans.
Generally, the clan's internal business is peaceful in nature as well -- gather food, eat, and move on. Few serious conflicts erupt, but displays of power are common when quarters become too close, food becomes scarce, or when two members are competing for the same mate.
Among Verachka, members of both sexes seek powerful individuals for procreative purposes. This is because they believe that strong parents are more likely to create strong offspring. This behavior creates relatively stable child-care dyads which are paired according to strength.
These dyads are thought of as a 'legal' sharing of responsibilities toward the child(ren). Personal relationships between adults are highly influenced by the dynamic of the child- care dyads but many Verachka maintain strong relationships with clan members other than their dyad partner. Outside of the mating season (which is all winter), many personal lifestyles and romantic interests are pursued.
Verachka value and care for the natural environment of the tropical jungle. A healthy, bountiful jungle is their surest means of survival. They therefore live very close to the land and are sensitive and responsive to any changes in the ecosystem. They build only temporary shelters on the forest floor using broad, sturdy tra'bani leaves and especially woody bamboo. Verachka are skilled and efficient weavers when it comes to making their shelters.
The Fihasado (Clan Sage) is primarily responsible for acquiring, recording, using, and passing on clan knowledge. This position's practical duties include providing medical treatment and technical information to clan members (especially the Elgatado).
The Shamado (Clan Shaman) is primarily responsible for the spiritual health of the tribe and its members. Duties include interpreting omens, leading spiritual celebrations, and casting the most powerful sorceries or enchantments.
The Damido (Clan Ranger) is primarily responsible for conducting scouting and policing operations within guidelines set by the elgatado. Specific duties include ensuring clan security and parlaying with others in Crinos and the jungle.
In addition to Luna, the Verachka worship the mountain jungle under their collective feet. According to their myths, the Midland Mountains grew from the constant addition of aged Verachka bones. When too old or burdensome for the clan, a good Verachka goes to 'join with the mountain', a form of ritual suicide where one makes a final contribution to the tribe, by adding their body and spirit to the mountain. Verachka then call upon the spirits of their ancestors as a source of Sha'crin power and do so on a daily basis in order to include them in their daily life.
The Verachka Khiulnter form is that of a mountain gorilla which is five to seven feet tall when sitting on its haunches. This is the preferred form whenever the clan is going about its normal activities in the jungle. Especially strong Verachka are marked with gray or silver hair on their backs.
The Dimoh form of the Verachka is 'human' in appearance. Adults are seven to nine feet tall, and about three to four feet broad at the shoulders. Verachka generally use their Dimoh form when travelling out of the jungle.
The Dimoh-Khu form of the Verachka is virtually unknown. Among other Verdimm it is said that Verachka in this form are hideous in appearance, looking more like huge monsters than anything else.
I don't know the MUSH name of the person who supplied this:
+sheets
Follow general guidelines for making any Crinos native keeping in mind the following distinctive characteristics of the Verachka clan. Verachkas are BIG. Most closely resembling a mountain gorilla, they weigh between 300 and 500 pounds. Verachkas are therefore extremely strong and should have at least Amber-level strength. Within the Verachka clan, high strength brings many privileges. Often questions of dispute are settled by physical contests such as wrestling. Additionally, Amber-level psyches among Verachkas are not uncommon. A Verachka's first line of defense or assertion technique is almost invariably non-violent, perhaps persuasion or magical in nature depending upon the situation.
This does not mean that all Verachkas must have high strength and psyche. This means, however, that an adult Verachka with chaos-level strength would be unexpected and regarded as weak (for a Verachka). And one with low strength and low psyche would seem particularly feeble to other Verachkas. Sorcery is well-regarded among Verachkas and occurs at the average frequency for Crinos natives. Powerful sorcerers sometimes use their magic to gain the favor of politically powerful members of the clan but generally they aim to please the shamado (clan sage) who tutors them in spells which may be used for the betterment of the entire clan and who may choose one of them as her successor.
CULTURE
Overview
Unlike other Crinos natives, Verachkas are not hunters and not highly regarded for their group tactics. But as individuals they are powerful, and when provoked, fierce fighters. Since Verachkas are primarily vegetarians, they pose little threat to most Crinos natives, and are therefore regarded as the most peaceful of all clans.
Generally, the clan's internal business is peaceful in nature as well-- gather food, eat, and move on. Few serious conflicts erupt, but displays of power are common when quarters become too close, food becomes scarce, or when two members are competing for the same procreative mate. Among Verachkas, members of both sexes seek powerful individuals for procreative purposes each spring. This is because they believe that strong parents are more likely to create strong offspring and Verachkas want the very best for and become very attached to their children. Outside of the mating season, however, many personal lifestyles and romantic interests are pursued. Jungle Agriculture
Verachkas value and care for the natural environment of the tropical jungle. A healthy, bountiful jungle is their surest means of survival. They therefore live very close to the land and are sensitive and responsive to any changes in the ecosystem. They build only temporary shelters on the forest floor using broad, sturdy tra'bani leaves and especially woody bamboo. Verachkas are skilled and efficient weavers when it comes to making their shelters. Verachkas move seasonally through the jungle, up the mountain in the spring, and back down in the fall. Before they leave a particular area, they 'restore' the area by removing their shelters and preparing thousands of 'mounds' of earth, which contain a mixture of seeds appropriate to the particular altitude. When the Verachkas return the following year, edible crops should be ready to be harvested. Their diet consists mostly of bamboo and tropical fruits and greens. Occasionally, they will eat insects and worms as well.
Labor
Work is not segregated by biological sex in this clan; females and males share equally in all labors (shelter building, planting, harvesting, childcare, warfare and leadership positions, to name a few). As a result, there are no significant differences in the enculturization of members across sex. And most significantly, in a culture which correlates physical power with political power, there is not differentiation of physical strength or martial skill across gender.
Tool Use
The Verachkas use agricultural tools such as shovels, spades and rakes. Such tools are made from tree branches and large split bamboo trunks (for spade and shovel blades). Some tools, such as knives, are made from sharpened stone as well. Many varieties of vines are used to create ropes or cords for various purposes. Verachkas do not make tools out of bone and have never worked metal.
Leadership
The Elgatado (Clan Leader) is primarily responsible for the welfare of the clan as a whole. This position's duties include arbitration of internal conflicts, expelling or accepting members, directing the activities of the clan as a whole and formally representing the clan to outsiders and to other clans. Within the clan, the elgatado should be obeyed without question. To fail to obey the elgatado invites the application of physical force up to and including life-threatening injuries to particularly obnoxious individuals or expulsion from the clan to rebellious or worthless individuals.
The elgatado is likely to be the physically strongest member of the clan. Since strength increases with age, it is unlikely that a clan leader will be a particularly young or inexperienced member.
An elgatado is replaced when another member of the clan defeats her in singular combat, or successfully drives her away. It is particularly risky to challenge the elgatado in this way for if one is unsuccessful in doing so, one surely faces expulsion or just as likely, a brutal death within the fight. In the case where the challenger wins, he assumes power immediately and decides the fate of the deposed leader.
It is important to realize that the elgatado's position is a highly political one, requiring tact and sound judgment. As long as the clan leader is popular with the clan, she is likely to be secure in her position. Often, a potential challenger will not make his move to depose the incumbent until the elgatado makes a particularly unpopular or questionable decision. Then, necessity often moves one to take action.
The Shamado (Clan Sage) is primarily responsible for acquiring, recording, using, and passing on clan knowledge. This position's practical duties include providing medical treatment to clan members, providing technical information to clan members (especially the elgatado) on common or rarely encountered species or artifacts, casting the most powerful sorceries or enchantments for the benefit of the clan, and quickly acquiring and/or interpreting information about new or foreign elements in the region. Finally, the shamado is responsible for choosing and qualifying her replacement (the shamado-ji), who will carry out the duties in the shamado's absence and assume them upon her death.
The shamado operates outside of the strength-governed power structure. This does not mean that the shamado is not physically powerful; it means that she may not be challenged by nor may she challenge others in the clan (including the elgatado) to contests of strength. This does _not_ mean that the shamado may do whatever she wants. Her freedom is checked by the elgatado who may still expel her from the clan for any reason. But often the shamado does successfully operate independently of the political structure of the clan. When doing so, often the greatest strides are made in the acquisition of knowledge.
Although the shamado need not fear challenges from other clan members, she does face many occupational risks. This is due to the fact that the shamado is looked upon as resourceful and knowledgeable of the world beyond the jungle. She is often expected to make first friendly contact with strangers (who may not turn out to be so friendly) and to discover the secrets of new and potentially dangerous species or artifacts.
The Damido (Clan Ranger) is primarily responsible for conducting scouting and policing operations within guidelines set by the elgatado. Specific duties include preceding the clan by several hundred paces when the clan is on the move; detecting trespassers in the jungle; and parlaying with, trapping or killing trespassers or dangerous creatures (at the discretion of the elgatado). Because the Verachkas are generally a peaceful clan, the clan ranger has rarely even one other clan member at his command and full warfare operations are almost unheard of. In the event, however, that another clan or a dangerous beast moves into the jungle or threatens the clan, the responsibility of organizing and leading the clan to protect it's territory would fall upon the damido.
The damido is appointed by the elgatado and is often one of the remaining strongest members of the clan. However, he should also be skilled in the finer aspects of warfare: the ability to assess tactical situations quickly and to detect and stage ambushes, traps and surprise attacks using the natural cover and concealment of the jungle. The clan ranger is often skilled at moving his great mass through the jungle quietly and without being noticed (cantrips are handy devices for this).
Good damidos are rare; damidos typically lack experience, are difficult to train (they often rely upon the shamado for training), and often hope to live long enough to be the elgatado one day. A successful and brave damido is often the single greatest asset to his elgatado. But he is also the greatest potential threat to the elgatado's hold on power, for he may some day move to challenge the elgatado in singular combat.