Meet the Thk’kok – Part 2

(Having trouble with the pronouns? Check out this post, and be sure to tune in to the latest episode of the podcast while you’re reading it!)

Sean again. Earlier this week, I told you about the thk’kok. Now let’s look at some of the traits that you’ll use to make them in Covenant.

Keep in mind, by way, that these traits, like everything else on this blog, are subject to frequent and massive change. Take a look at this post on how character traits are classified, in case you forgot.

Species Trait: Thk’kok
Thk’kok are about six to seven feet long and about four to five feet tall (size 5). Their four arms and four legs let them make more attacks and help them climb and wrestle. This trait is worth 1 advantage to bids that can benefit from a large number of hands or limbs.

Gender Traits: Depends on Age
Thk’kok can choose Male, Female, or Transition for their gender trait. I was going to have each gender give its own advantages and disadvantages for thk’kok characters, unlike most sapient species. However, I’ve decided to shelve this bit and do some research on gender – especially how to handle this correctly in a game – before proceeding with this part of their design.

Outlooks:

• Wild: Pastoral thk’kok are called “wild” by their city-dwelling brethren. Wild thk’kok tend to be traditionalists and to wrap much of their identity in their nation. They take the complex web of alliances and rivalries between thk’kok nations very seriously. They also tend to hate the human invaders of their homeworld, as well as the thk’kok “traitors” who live amongst them (sometimes against their will). This trait is worth 1 advantage for stealth and survival bids.
• Tamed: Thk’kok who have chosen to live amongst other species are called “tamed” by pastoral thk’kok. They prefer the advantages of living in a technologically advanced civilization. Some prefer a multicultural society, while others adopt the culture of their alien neighbors. Tamed thk’kok are terrified of wild thk’kok. They view pastoral thk’kok as savages and often hate them more than their human neighbors on Slice o’Heaven. This trait is worth 1 advantage to technology bids and bids to deal with other species.
• Neutral: You don’t really care what species your neighbors are. Choose 1 general trait or 1 ability.

Nations
The thk’kok have a unique set of traits called nations. These are ethnic groups with a cultural identity that is far stronger than anything seen in humans. Each nation has its own set of abilities that are only available to its members or to characters who are “adopted” into it. These nations will include:

• People of the Rock Lodge: A sedentary nation in Slice o’Heaven’s Red Zone. Known for their elaborate stonework and buereaucracy, as well as their ability to play the other nations against each other. The self-styled leaders of the thk’kok resistance against the human invaders.
• White Hands: A nomadic nation in Slice o’Heaven’s Yellow Zone. Includes large numbers of exiles from other nations. Kicked out of the Red Zone by the People of the Rock Lodge. Known for their diplomatic skills.
• Invariably Dominant in All Things: A sedentary nation in the Red Zone. A warrior nation known for its underhanded tactics. Forced out the Broken Lances to become the People of the Rock Lodge’s goon squad. Known almost universally as IDIATs.
• Broken Lances: A nomadic nation in the Yellow Zone. Known for their tactical expertise and their use of berserkers. Exiled from the Red Zone by the People of the Rock Lodge.
• People of the Black Stone: A nomadic nation in the Asgard Mountains between the Red and Yellow Zones. Specializes in mountain living, fighting, and smuggling. Will sell their services to the highest bidder.
• People of the Burning Tower: A catch-all “nation” comprised of thk’kok voluntarily or involuntarily assimilated into human society.

Domains:

• Old Empire: This trait is worth 1 advantage to bids involving the history, law, and politics of the Old Empire. In addition, chose 1 of the following traits, based on your station:
  • Retainer: You are a commoner or a member of a minor noble house working for a Great House. This trait is worth 1 advantage to two bids of your choice (e.g., fighting, investigation, bodyguarding, medicine, etc.) that would be useful to a Great House.
  • Merchant: You are a business-owner and a provider of goods and/or services. This trait is work 1 advantage to social and purchase bids.
  • Machinist: You are a skilled worker and one of the essential freemen that keeps the Old Empire running. This trait is worth 1 advantage to building and repair bids.
  • Conscript: You are a peasant who was conscripted to serve the Old Empire. This trait is worth 1 advantage to fighting and defense bids
  • Peasant: You are a farmer or a factory worker employed by a merchant or noble. This trait is worth 1 advantage to two of the following bids of your choice: farming, operation, repair, building, athletics.
  • Outlaw: You are a criminal, beggar, or anyone else that has fallen through the cracks of society. This trait is worth 1 advantage to two of the following bids: stealth, social, intimidation, deception.
• Covenant: This trait is worth 1 advantage to bids involving the history, law, and politics of the Old Empire. In addition, chose 1 of the following traits, based on the region of Cadelle that you came from:
  • Rethenne Lowlands: Home to a number of major schools, universities, and research facilities, as well as commonwealths serving refugees. This trait is worth 1 advantage to two of the following bids: social, education, medicine, technology.
  • Star’s End: A major mining and manufacturing region with a thriving music scene. This trait is worth 1 advantage to two of the following bids: building, repair, operation, entertainment.
  • The Land of Sun and Stone: Mountainous, sparsely populated region with philosophical, inward-looking inhabitants. This trait is worth 1 advantage to two of the following bids: education, survival, defense, resist.
  • The Shashenne: Densely urban region where much of the business on Cadelle gets done. This trait is worth 1 advantage to two of the following bids: social, purchase, building, repair, technology, medicine.
  • Qoros: The breadbasket of Cadelle, supplmented by a growing manufacturing sector. Major passtimes for kids here are cars and making homemade explosives out of fertilizer. This trait is worth 1 advantage to two of the following bids: building, repair, farming, operation, demolition.
  • The Green-and-Gold: Heavily forested area. Home of the very thick and very dangerous Cathedral Forest, as well as calerre trides that want nothing to do with modern life or outsiders. This trait is worth 1 advantage to two of the following bids: medicine, education, survival, stealth.
  • Seventh Continent: A huge habitat ring orbiting Cadelle and connected to the surface by massive orbital elevators. So-called because it is large enough to be a continent in its own right. The citizens of Seventh Continet constantly experiment with both their society and their own bodies. This trait is worth 1 advantage to two of the following bids: medicine, education, operation, social.
  • The Islands of Steel and Fear: The remnants of a defensive Dyson sphere that the calerre built against a thk’kok invasion that never came. It has since been colonized by various weirdos, loners, and misanthropes who have a single common cause – to be left alone. This trait is worth 1 advantage to two of the following bids: survival, operation, repair, defense.
• Archimedean Confederation: This trait is worth 1 advantage to bids involving the history, law, and politics of the Confederation. In addition, chose 1 of the following traits, based on your role in the Confederation:
  Executive: You have a fairly high position in one of the Confederation’s company-states. This trait is worth 1 advantage to social and purchase bids.
  • Corporate: You are a scientist, engineer, or manager employed by a company-state. This trait is worth 1 advantage to building and education.
  • Security: You are either a freelance security contractor, or you do security and military work for one of the company-states. This trait is worth 1 advantage to two of the following bids: investigation, fighting, intimidation.
  • Contractor: You are part of the army of poorly paid contractors that keeps the company-states going. This trait is worth 1 advantage to two of the following bids: building, operation, repair, medicine.
  • Unclassified: You are someone who doesn’t fit into the company-state’s neat classifications of corporate citizens. You may be homeless, a pirate, an escaped slave, or simply unemployed. This trait is worth 1 advantage to two of the following bids: stealth, deception, intimidation, sabotage.
• Terran Federation: This trait is worth 1 advantage to bids involving the history, law, and politics of the Terran Federation. In addition, chose 1 of the following traits, based on your role in the Confederation:
  • Citizen: Somehow, you have gained the Federation’s grudging trust, though you are still the target of anti-chiroptim bigotry on a daily basis. This trait is worth 1 advantage to two of the following bids: education, medicine, building, repair.
  • Trooper: You have decided that the best way to gain the Federation’s acceptance is to join the military. This trait is worth 1 advantage to fighting and intimidation.
  • Criminal: You are homeless, unemployed, a pacifist, or anything else that the Federation has criminalized. This trait is worth 1 advantage to two of the following bids: stealth, deception, intimidation, sabotage.
• Dominion: This trait is worth 1 advantage to bids involving the history, law, and politics of the Dominion. In addition, chose 1 of the following traits, based on your role in the Dominion:
  • Proscribed: Aliens like you don’t appear in the Bible, so your very existence is an affront to God. It’s almost impossible for you to have any other kind of role here besides a criminal and exile. This trait is worth 1 advantage to two of the following bids: stealth, deception, intimidation, sabotage.

That’s about it for the thk’kok. Come back next week for everyone’s favorite bunch of survivalists, refugees, and religious fanatics. That’s right, we’re going to see how humanity has fared in the 28th century.