Athiggnus
The people that follows the moon, the Athiggnus are the most widespread nomadic people of Attelius. Seen by many as vagabonds and criminals, the Athiggnus have a rich and vibrant culture and a deep connection the the strands of Fate that bind all the living beings of this world. Or, at least, that’s what they believe.
These men and women of short stature, deep dark hair and ebony eyes, are a superstitious folk. They carry on their traditions with a rich oral culture of songs, stories and poetry. Art is very important to them, as it’s their main form of experience, since they do not have a written language.
The children of this people live as servants of their clan until the reach the age of twelve, when they undergo the ritual of passage to become adults, having their destinies read in the stars by the clan’s oracle. Many do not accept their lot and leave their families to forge their own path, becoming pariah to them.
Athiggnu Characters
Athiggnu characters can roll on this table to generate random aspects of their characters to inspire their character’s Concept. Referees can also use these table to quickly come up with characteristics of random NPCs.
d20
|
Male Names
|
Female Names
|
Characteristic
|
Occupation
|
Curiosity
|
1
|
Allifayr
|
Aishe
|
Greasy hair
|
Storyteller
|
Lies compulsively
|
2
|
Babik
|
Begonya
|
Sunken eyes
|
Hunter
|
Looks for a legendary creature they are certain to exist
|
3
|
Corauny
|
Charan
|
Dwarf
|
Trader
|
Tricks others to gain advantage
|
4
|
Donani
|
Darena
|
Sepia eyes
|
Dancer
|
Believes everyone deserves a chance to prove their worth
|
5
|
Elopus
|
Everilda
|
Heavy makeup
|
Tattoo Artist
|
Pretends to be someone else
|
6
|
Fawny
|
Fifika
|
Tawny skin
|
Minstrel
|
Hides a birthmark that symbolizes a curse
|
7
|
Gillie
|
Gildia
|
Body paint
|
Courtesan
|
Has a dangerous affair
|
8
|
Hanzu
|
Haedji
|
Piercings
|
Oracle
|
Has promontory dreams of other people’s deaths
|
9
|
Jeta
|
Jaelle
|
Golden teeth
|
Vagabond
|
Terrified of settling in and getting old
|
10
|
Khulai
|
Khostana
|
Seductive
|
Weaver
|
Trying desperately to avoid their believed destiny
|
11
|
Leysho
|
Lillay
|
Silky voice
|
Leatherworker
|
Secretly practices witchcraft
|
12
|
Majaris
|
Morijana
|
Aloof
|
Fortune teller
|
Tells others what they want to hear for approval
|
13
|
Orchilio
|
Ostelinda
|
Friendly
|
Herbalist
|
Has a secret garden with flowers he believes can hear them
|
14
|
Patrino
|
Pobeya
|
Athletic
|
Apothecary
|
Has dead animals in small jars to stare at them
|
15
|
Ruslo
|
Rukeyla
|
Lazy
|
Astrologer
|
Has a star map showing constellations from another time
|
16
|
Stabelli
|
Shofranka
|
Mysterious
|
Priest
|
Secretly worship forbidden deities
|
17
|
Timbor
|
Tsura
|
Many-sided
|
Wainwright
|
Makes statues of monsters they seen in their dreams
|
18
|
Vano
|
Virya
|
Questioning
|
Scout
|
Has an imaginary friend
|
19
|
Yoskir
|
Yavila
|
Uninhibited
|
Horse trainer
|
Likes to run anywhere he goes to
|
20
|
Ziroli
|
Zujenka
|
Lustful
|
Assassin
|
Always looking out for possible escape routes
|
Athiggnu’s Cultural Traits
A character from this culture rolls a d6 to determine their initial Cultural Trait.
d6
|
Athiggnu’s Cultural Traits
|
1
|
My fate is in the stars
|
2
|
May the gods curse your soul
|
3
|
I see the path laid before you
|
4
|
Gods, show me the path
|
5
|
I know someone that might be of help
|
6
|
The darkness has its own brightness
|
What’s Happening with the Athiggnus?
In order to make the game more alive and real, the Referee can roll on the following table to determine recent events affecting members of this culture. This can lead to adventure hooks or can just be used as narrative scenery.
d12
|
What’s Happening with the Athiggnus?
|
1
|
The moon in Attelius assumes a greenish hue, and the Oracles of the Athiggnus claim thatbthis signifies the awakening of a great evil that will corrupt the soul of those in power. The position of the moon dictates the location of this vile entity.
|
2
|
A City-State declares all Athiggnus as pariah and enemies of their state. Soldier and bounty-hunters now prowl the region hunting down these men and women. Some are killed, some are sold as slaves. Some have a destiny unknown.
|
3
|
A great gathering of Athiggnus happens every 10 years in the longest night of said year. The night of the new gathering is approaching and the Great Oracle is promising a great revelation that will change the destiny of their people forever.
|
4
|
No Oracle seems to be able to predict anything about the future in the last couple of weeks. Something or someone is interference with it. The elder’s best guess is that a new falling star that has been in the skies for these same weeks has been interfering with the strands of fate.
|
5
|
A big group of Athiggnu children participating in the ritual of passage to become adults in the whispering glade disappears out of nowhere. Their footstool go towards a gigantic dead tree in the middle of the glade and simply disappear.
|
6
|
A great community of Athiggnus is forming around the free city of Esperas and many of them are quitting the nomadic lifestyle. This is making many of the elders of this people concerned with their traditions and with the will of their gods. Some of them are even thinking about a way to change this.
|
7
|
The Athiggnus speak of a legendary deck of cards that if laid out in the lights of certain stars can alter the destiny of any men or women. Now, a vagabond exiled from his family has returned after years in the east, bearing a deck of cards he claims to be the one the legends talk about.
|
8
|
A new drug developed by an apothecary of a distant family is becoming a sensation between young Athiggnus. Now, half of the clans are having difficulties to deal with these members, some of them are even becoming violent.
|
9
|
A series of murders are happening in the biggest Athiggnu caravan that roams Arthasia. The victims are always found with strange alien characters etched on their skin, but no visible wound or readily identifiable cause of death. Many are thinking about disbanding the caravan, but that would mean great financial losses to the caravan masters and the merchants that ride with them.
|
10
|
Many young Athiggnus are abandoning the ways of their people and settling in City-States, especially Esperas and Mezzanthia. They are being influenced by a trio of young brothers and sisters who insist that their old ways are uncivilized and will lead them to become the pariah of all men and women. The elders suspect they are under the influence of an supernatural entity they banned to the Abyss thousands of years ago.
|
11
|
Dark clouds are appearing over all the major camps, caravans and nomadic groups of Athiggnus all over Anttelius and they see this as a terrible omen. It’s believed they are now cursed by the Sisters of Fate and have to find a way to please them or untangle the strands of destiny that is causing this curse.
|
12
|
A large group of people from other cultures are trying to join the nomadic communities of Athiggnus. The elders and the young members of the culture are debating if they should allow it or not. Some fights occur and things are starting to get out of hand.
|
If you like what you've just read, check out my books over RPGNow and Lulu.