Otters
The Otters of Iyfav Utl Oufaym are, naturally, quite similar to those of
Earth, save for being much larger. An aquatic people, they have developed
boats superior to those of the other inhabitants of their world to make
long journeys by sea easier and have also begun using their boats for both
commerce and raiding.
Physical Characteristics
Frame Value: 3, Average Variation
Height Value: 3 (4'0"), Low Variation
- Appearance:
- Dark brown to black fur, basically look like giant otters,
but with slightly enlarged forepaws.
- Resilience:
- Highly resistant to cold, tire relatively quickly.
Lifespan: 8-11 years
Background Development: 2 years
Gender Ratio: 66% Male
Background Aspects
- Inherent Aspects:
- Ambidexterity 9 (Full Hand-Leg), Tolerance of Extremes 2
(Temperature), Accelerated Metabolism 2, Short Attention Span 3
- Recommended Aspects:
- Light Sleeper
- Unique Abilities:
- Otters have (Endurance) minutes after becoming Exhausted before they
begin to drown and the Difficulty of Hardiness Trials to resist damage from
drowning only increases by 1 per (Endurance) Action Intervals rather than
each Interval. They also move at full normal movement rate when swimming.
- Inherent Expertises:
- Physical (Swimming) 4, Language (Otter) 5, Language
(Artorian) 2, Language (Ousaav) 1, Language (Thanonshad) 2
- Recommended Expertises:
- Manipulation, Stealth
- Profile Restrictions:
- None
- Minimum Attributes:
- Agility 5, Manual Dexterity 4, Quickness 5
- After purchasing Attributes, increase Agility by 25%, increase Manual
Dexterity and Quickness by 50%, and reduce Strength and Willpower by 20%.
- Environmental Adaptation:
- Prefer warm water climates, but have High
adaptablity to both land and water temperature variations, though food
intake increases dramatically in colder water. Low tolerance for high
altitudes.
Culture and Social Interaction
Dominance: Competence in chosen area of endeavor
Heritage Orientation: Acquisition (Wealth - esp. Shiny Things)
- Lifestyle:
- While the Otters live in small communities, they lead largely
independent, anarchic lifestyles. They frequently venture ashore to
investigate anything which may catch their interest.
- Family:
- Symbols and Creative Arts:
- Otter art consists of arranging rocks and Shiny
Things in patterns they find attractive. No consistent sybolism has yet
appeared.
- Clothing and Decoration:
- While their physical structure does not lend
itself well to clothing, Otters will frequently wear simple harnesses to
which they can attach a variety of carrying pouches or baubles.
- Religious and Magical Considerations:
- Otters have too little organization
to have anything recognizable as religion (though there is some reverence
for those who have accomplished great things before dying), though they
have a notable affinity for manipulative magic.
- History:
- The Otters have developed from normal sea otters fairly recently
and still share most of their ancestor's tendencies. Their primary contact
with other species to date has been with the Oufusav, which has gone very
poorly, and the Artorans, with whom an alliance has been formed.
Gadflies will also often seek out Otter mages when they venture onto land
and they have established a presence among the Lashad as well.
- There is currently a split forming in Otter society, with approximately
40% of the population turning to trade and attempting to form good
relations with the land-dwelling races and the other 60% staying on the
coast, building boats and raiding any targets which may appear.
Last updated 6 June 1995 by Dave Sherohman
Dave Sherohman is dave@sherohman.org