Bakhyar

The Bakhyar, often referred to as Beastmen, are a race of humanoids with bestial traits. In days of old, people believed that the Bakhyar were cursed humans – men who had angered the gods and were changed into beasts. This is a myth. In fact, the Bakhyar are one of the oldest races in Calamia. They lived in the central lands long before humans and eventually began migrating across the sea. They’re a strong, proud, closely-knit group of people, who take great pride in their land, families and way of life.

The Bakhyar are bipedal beings, large in frame and body. The smallest of their kind stand around 5'6" while the tallest are about 7'8". Their bodies tend to be thick, heavily muscled, and broad, though females have slighter frames than the males. All have thick, leathery skin that is usually dark in coloration – ranging from shades of bronze to dark beige, brown or black. Lighter shades, such as light brown, honey, crème, tan or gray, are uncommon and it is unheard of to see a white or albino Bakhyar. Their facial structure is quite similar to a human’s. However, their noses are animal-like and are often a shade of brown, black, beige or dark peach in color. Bakhyar commonly have round eyes, sometimes narrow, which show no whites, only the iris and pupil. Eye color can vary, though average shades are brown, gold, hazel or green. Blue, gray, violet or dual toned eyes are uncommon. Their eyebrows tend to be thick and the hair sometimes grows long towards the temples.

Along certain sections of their bodies lie patches of fur, often similar to their skin coloration, with highlights. Some Bakhyar have spotted skin and multi-toned fur, making them look sort of ‘calico’ in appearance. For males this fur tends to grow on their chest, down the center of their abdomen and tapering off towards the groin. It also grows on their backs. They also have fur on the back and sides of their forearms and elbow, off the backs and outer sides of their thighs and calves, and on the top of their hands and feet. Males also grow this hair from around their jaw, which can grow quite long. Females lack the chest and overall facial hair, though they do have a light patch down the belly and a slight tuft at the base of the jaw line, by the neck.

Just like many humanoids, the Bakhyar have hair that grows from the top of their head, looking more often than not like a lion’s mane, and can grow quite long if not trimmed properly. This hair is typically thick, often a bit coarse or wiry. Men like to wear it long and loose, while some pull it back into a high ponytail, others opting for braids. Women are seen putting beads, metal clips, ribbons or leather cording into their hair, braiding it into intricate styles.

All possess some form of under bite, where their lower canine teeth tend to stick out and up over their top lip. This bit depends on the tooth size, some having smaller teeth than others, but even the smallest of teeth show. Their ears are situated in nearly the same place as humans, but are shaped quite different. Many have ears similar to a dog, being wide and slightly pointed, where others have ears shaped similar to a bears which tend to be more rounded.

An uncommon occurrence in the Bakhyar is the growth of a pair of horns. These horns are not overtly large and serve no real purpose. They tend to be short, sticking out from just above the eyebrows near the temples, and resemble those of a young goat. Others have horns shaped like a ram’s, which curve back and around, growing from the same position.

A rural people, the Bakhyar usually like to wear furs and leather armor, though some do wear metal armor, which they fashion themselves. Because the Bakhyar live off the land they have a great respect for nature and try to utilize everything they harvest, grow, or kill. So it isn’t uncommon to see objects made of metal, bone, wood, stone, or shell, used in every day items. Bakhyar are also noted for making excellent pottery, firing it in stone furnaces. They grow most of their own food and are particularly found of worshiping the Goddesses Fedora and Udine. Humble yet honorable temples for both deities can be found within their villages.

The Bakhyar are not a unified people; each village is independent of the others. Most tribes respect one another’s autonomy and quarrel rarely. Villages will often come together for feast days, especially during the fall hunts. Only the Hidokyn (he-doe-kin), wandering groups of barbaric Bakhyar, are treated with hostility. These outsiders possess no honor and suck up resources wherever they go. The Bakhyar settlements refuse to trade with them, and will often go to war or kill any Hidokyn that enter their territory.

The Bakhyar do not automatically attack foreigners, as many believe. In fact they invite others within their communities openly so long as they appear good-natured, and are very warm and friendly. They enjoy showing off the fruits of their labors, offer trade with visitors, and give food and shelter to them for a day or two. Of course, they expect to hear stories of their guest’s travels. Bakhyar love to hear tales and news from the outside world, as well as fictional stories. They are great storytellers themselves and admire anyone that can spin a good yarn.

Within Bakhyar society, prowess determines ones rank in society rather than gender. Therefore, a skilled female warrior will always outrank a less skilled male. Skill is not based on strength alone, but a combination of strength, cunning, intelligence, and wisdom. For the Bakhyar, this does not mean that one individual is more important than another. In fact, they respect diversity and believe that all people have a place in society. Among the Bakhyar, the skills of every individual are precious and considered a boon that will help their clan succeed. The chieftain is always the main decision maker of the clan, and is always the highest ranked of all the Bakhyar. A Chieftain can be male or female, so long as they established their rank.