It's Not a Skirt!

It's a Zkoot!

By Eli

My background in gaming starts as an RPG guy and this has stuck with me all along. I usually end up on the GM side of things and as such world building, character developing and background fluff are sort of second nature to me. This comes out in my miniatures projects as well whether it is my own gaming or designing stuff for release by LNG.

When developing the Ikwen, it was important form to manifest some sort of cultural elements in their designs. One of the easiest ways to do this in miniatures is through distinctive articles of clothing. In the Ikwen this came out as a sort of ceremonial cloth worn around the waist called a "Zkoot". 

Every Ikwen receives a Zkoot at birth. It is the first and last thing they will ever wear. The Zkoot is tied into their belief system and the Ikwen believe that they record the events of their life to be proclaimed when they enter the afterlife and join their ancestors. To die without a Zkoot is to be denied the afterlife. 

Zkoot are worn tied around the waist in a way that allows a wide panel to hang between the legs. This panel displays patterns and symbols that identify the family ties, community and even nationality of the Ikwen wearing it. The Zkoot is worn at all times except when being washed or repaired and even then certain rituals must be upheld in the way it is maintained including restrictions on materials, folding and storage. Holy men among the Ikwen do not wear the Zkoot around their waist. Instead they wear their sacred cloth draped over their head and shoulders, shrouding their faces. In this way, interaction with the holy men is not with them but directly with the lineage displayed on the Zkoot and thus the ancestral line of the Ikwen.

Because of the connection with the afterlife, the absence or loss of a Zkoot is a serious crisis for Ikwen. Those born outside of traditional family bonds or who are orphaned often have no Zkoot and live marginalized lives. Those without Zkoot or "Hadzakoot" are often looked on as untrustworthy, false, even corrupted as they are seen to have no accountability. It is no surprise that Hadzakoot are often involved in criminal dealings and other undesirable lines of work. It is possible for a Hadzakoot to acquire a Zkoot in some cases such as adoption, special religious rituals and high-level political decree. It is considered an incredibly solemn and selfless act to bequeath one's own Zkoot to another Ikwen and thus surrender ones chances at an afterlife.

Ki-Ki-Zkoot

There are few instances where the Zkoot plays directly into the actions of Ikwen as in the case of the Ki-Ki-Zkoot, a sect of fanatic warriors. Ki-Ki-Zkoot have always existed among the Ikwen but have always risen in numbers during times of great conflict when there is a need for those who are willing to do the things that would shame their lineage.

Ki-Ki-Zkoot surrender their sacred cloths in a ceremony in which they pass them on to an unfortunate soul, bringing them into their families to replace them. While this frees the fanatic of his obligations to his ancestors, it also indentures the recipient of the Zkoot to the great responsibility of not only fulfilling his obligation to his new family but also honoring the warrior who's place he has taken. The recipients known as Yotzkoot often go on to be civic leaders, frequently rising as priests, teachers, or other mentors to their communities. 

Once they have shed their Zkoot, these fanatics are unfettered by societies rules and expectations. They are now ready to fight an unrestricted battle and it is expected that they will do anything and everything to win short of suicide. While sacrifice and extremes are the stock and trade of these fanatics, to waste their lives and the opportunity needlessly is still looked on as taboo. Ki-Ki-Zkoot are often scarred and marked, showing their savagery in open displays. They often carry multiple weapons, including melee weapons.

Mugoda

Every society has it's rebels and those who buck convention. Among the Ikwen, these are the Mugoda or "Shadowy Ones". These Ikwen live by a different set of rules within  proper Ikwen society. They are a sort of under-society that exists to function where a society needs them to - breaking rules, while adhering to their own. In many ways the Mugoda are the organized crime syndicates of this alien culture. 

Like the Ki-Ki-Zkoot they exist to do things that polite Ikwen society does not look fondly upon. Unlike the warrior fanatics, these Ikwen have not surrendered their Zkoot but instead wear theirs proudly and garishly, attaching charms and trinkets, trophies and other embellishment to what is normally a very modest attire. They also pierce their skin with obvious signs of wealth and wear jewelry. To the Mougoda, it's best to live life well because the afterlife is not going to be pleasant. Mugoda afterlife is an eternity of low service and drudgery. It is also worth noting that dealing with Mugoda is allowed by common Ikwen belief as the layer of detachment absolves one of any real guilt. 

The Mugoda figure prominently in the Ikwen's fight as their underworld enterprise allows them access to materials and resources not available to those among regular society. This has allowed them to stockpile weapons and armor, fighting with gear that is often far more sophisticated than the rest of the Ikwen militias. In this way, these criminal syndicates provide a much needed backbone to regular militia, though often at a cost.

Chuhuac Support Units (Part One)- Battlesuits

Sheshrawl felt the hum of his battlesuit around him. Eyes darted about, keying in status checks as the on board AI analyzed the battlefield below. Firmly ensconced in the carry bay, he and his packmates were on their way to the ground to assist several other packs of the Caltheed Herd. 

The herd had been pinned down by their enemies and his saurian brothers were unable to maneuver away and make use of their speed. The AI on his suit had already received drop zone data from the AI on the Chathra dropper and he was figuring the best drop pattern to deploy his pack in. He would have to make sure that they didn't drop into the field of some of those big pulse cannons but he was going to make sure the enemy would start to pay it's tole as soon as claws hit ground. Nine and one enemy packs and one hand (3) of pulse cannons would have to be dispatched for optimal effect, but there were many more on the ridges overlooking the settlement where the Caltheed Herd had been ambushed. 

A klaxon sounded inside his armored cocoon, signalling the dropper was on final approach. His battlesuit AI warbled indicating it had completed its analysis and transmitted the data to his packmate's suits. Their combined AI network would maintain constant real-time analysis of their battle, feeding information to their pilots for optimal effectiveness on the field. Sheshrawl, felt his tail twitch, housed in the tail of the battlesuit and felt the feedback systems confirming his input, despite the tail being held by carry clamps. 

With the battlefield rising in his optical feeds, the sound of his packmates began to click and whistle. Thrask, goggled and clucked one of his usual jokes and the hissing and guttering of the packmates could be heard in appreciative response. Then, as quickly as the mirth had come, all went silent, the cunning minds of the predators in their metal avatars honing in on the imminent task. 

Lurching into a tight banked turn, the dropper's engines rose up in a growling cadence that vibrated through the hull and into the battlesuits it carried. Grav drives working overtime to bring the dropper into a controlled hover. Clamps released and freed the battlesuits in their carry bays, the only grip that of their talonned feet and the molecular adhesive pads in their soles and as the bays opened from beneath them, the battlsuit dropped down onto the battlefield amid theh ail of fire both friend and enemy...

CHUHUAC BATTLESUITS 

GENERAL DESIGN

Like many other Chuhuac designs, their battlesuits capitalize on their advanced technology and unique approach to the ergonomics of their species. At first glance, the battlesuits appear to be nothing more than large approximations of the species that constructed them, and this would not be an unfair assessment.

These weapons are designed to augment the abilities of the Chuhuac in ways that even their advanced biomechanical augmentation can accomplish. Incredible strength, heavier body armor and power enough to move at a speed comparable to that of Chuhuac infantry on the ground. Sensors and an on board AI, make the battlesuits incredible agile and aware, able to take in and process data at the speed of thought,s sometimes faster. Interpretive reflex systems, help protect pilots, kicking in intuitively when the AI detects a threat missed by the pilot. 

WEAPONRY

Weaponry is made up of two standard rapid-fire plasma guns, similar to those carried by the infantry as SAWs and two hard points on the back. These hard points can be given any number of loads to carry or left empty if a lighter mission role was desired. Standard weapons include: 

Heavy Plasma Cannon - Essentially a scaled up version of the infantry weapon, this weapon is capable of rapid-fire, launching scores of powerful plasma bolts down range to pin down the enemy, chew up light cover and destroy lighter vehicles and structures.

Particle Accelerator Cannon - The heavy-hitter for the battlesuits, this weapon fires an incredibly powerful beam of charged particles moving at near relativistic speeds. The impact caused by these particles is so great that they can disrupt the molecular bonds of a target. The resulting release of energy is usually rather dramatic and produces a spectacular light show as the target is rendered to pieces. 

Drone Missile Launcher - The primary indirect support weapon used by battlesuits in support of infantry, drone missiles are guided by the battlesuit's AI. through this control, the missiles can be directed to move around intervening terrain and impact in a variety of nearly limitless patterns. The payload on the missiles is also variable and consists of a flexible sort of proto-matter that can be set for varying degrees of solidity and instability. In this way, a single drone is capable of being used for anti-armor, high-explosive, fragmentation, air-burst and other roles simply by the pilot designating the needed mix of material properties.

OTHER SYSTEMS

The versatility of the Chuhuac battlesuits is one of their greatest attributes and in addition to the more common weapon loads, there are a host of other options utilized for specialize missions. Sensors, stealth systems, even gravitic jump motors have all been utilized in one mission or another. In space, they often employ thruster packs to allow for greater maneuverability. 

Happy Nesting Day

"It is that time of year when all Chuhuac turn their memory to the time when the Great Star Mother came to rest on Sherawl and laid The First Egg from which all others came. It is Nesting Day.

Nesting day is the most profound day among the Chuhuac. It is a time for remembrance and for reestablishing family bonds. All Chuhuac celebrate in one form or another whether it is through the traditional hunts and contests of ability or the simple setting out of family/unit icons and trophies. Gifts are often exchanged between households, reinforcing bonds between families and community.

The most devout make a ritual pilgrimage to the First Nest where the ruins of the The First Egg can be found. It is a place of great reverence and historical import to the entire Chuhuac species. It represents both scientific and religious proof of their off-world origins."

The Holidays are upon us and as such it is time for all Chuhuac to remember their coming to their new home and for the people of Earth to celebrate peace and brotherhood in its many forms.

Here at Loud Ninja Games we all wish you a very Happy Holidays and look forward to growing with you in the New Year.

Please enjoy this preview of the Chuhuac Recon Bioform, a sort of cybernetically enhanced flying reptile used as a drone by Chuhuac Data/Comms Specialists. One of these will be included in in each Command Pack as the "other half" of your Data/Comms.

Thank you,

-Eli

Kickstarter Backers Name The Chuhuac APC

The Kickstarter campaign has produced a wealth of feedback and input on the Chuhuac as a whole and so when it came time to name their APC, we thought it'd be fun to put the task to those who backed the campaign. There were a lot of good ideas, and ultimately we went with a combination of some of my favorites with a sprinkling of a little of my own stuff.

Here is what we came up with... 

SIRRUSH "SLASH-CLAW HEN"

The Chuhuac have named this APC after their protective mother hens, a formidable icon in their culture. Even in modern Chuhuac society, mother's are generally absolved of any violence, up to and including murder, when it occurs in defense of young. 

The relationship between Chuhuac warriors and their APC and its crew (often female) mirrors the family bonds of mother and offspring. APC crew are often referred to as"mother", even when male, and take pride in delivering their "clutch" safely to their deployment zone. Warriors are often hyper-protective of their crew and crew seldom pay for meals or entertainment on leave. Nobody messes with a pack's crew.

Humans, having difficulty with the Chuhuac language have named the rig the Trilobite, a name they consider derisive. Even still, this high-brow nomenclature is often abandoned on the battlefield where other terms like "Lizard Limo" and "Pill Bug" are more common.

Equipping The Chuhuac

As has been mentioned in prior posts, the Chuhuac are an advanced alien species. This technological sophistication reflects in their battle gear as well. Listed below are some of the concepts I had in mind when developing the look and personality of the Chuhuac...

BATTLE DRESS

The standard Chuhuac battle take the form of a tough body glove made of an ultra-strong, reactive nano-fiber. Not only does this provide insulation and protection from the elements, but it also contains sophisticated bio-monitors that constantly read body functions and vital signs. These systems are an extension of an auto-doctor system housed in the back plate of the armor. When medical issues are detected, the Chuhuac can receive basic first aid and some paramedic care without the need of a medical specialist.

The interlocking plates of the Chuhuac battle dress are designed to protect the aliens' spine and torso on the back while allowing maximum flexibility. The large plate on the shoulders contains not only the auto-doc systems mentioned above, but also a micro plasma generator with several universal power converter sockets. These sockets are used to power the various special weapons as well as other specialized and even mundane field equipment. Every Chuhuac soldier is equipped with such a power source, allowing any trooper to power weapons and contribute to the power supply of any encampment or special duties.

Both the body glove and armor plates utilize advanced materials that are light, resistant to extreme temperature, corrosive and fire resistant. The materials also have limited self-healing abilities, allowing them to close minor gaps and tears on their own. Application of special materials can accelerate this process, making the suit of armor a Chuhuac is issued likely to be the only one he'll ever need.

The final features of the basic battle dress are a comms system and built in holsters on the hip armor for additional plasma charges for their basic combat rifle. The comms system allows each trooper to access the greater command and control network. An antenna on the back provides both local communications and satellite uplink. Information from this tac-comms system is accessed through a monocle HUD attached to the impact-resistant headset system that also provides specialized optics.

WEAPONS

Chuhuac weapons technology is based around the use of charged plasma. They have learned to adapt the various characteristic of plasma to provide for a number of tactical roles on the battlefield. While heavier weapons utilize the power packs built into their battledress, smaller weapon tend to use self-contained, interchangeable power clips.

Infantry Plasma Rifle

The standard issue weapon for the Chuhuac forces is a compact plasma rifle. This weapon fires powerful bolts of plasma utilizing a select fire option to provide for single shot, controlled bursts or full automatic fire. The weapon even includes an overcharge mode that allows it to fire a powerful charge of plasma at a reduced range, functioning much like a grenade. The power clips for the weapon each carry enough of a charge to provide approximately 100 shots before reloading. This may be reduced due to insufficient maintenance, damage or over-use of the heavy fire mode.

Squad Automatic Weapon (SAW)

The Chuhuac refer to these weapons as "tactical support weapon". Effectively a higher-powered, higher rate of fire version of the Infantry Plasma Weapon with enhanced coolant systems and the capacity to draw power from the universal power port on the battle dress. These weapons fire as a staggering rate but can also be fired selectively, if need be. They do not have a heavy fire mode like the plasma rifles. Their primary purpose is to provide covering fire for advancing and maneuvering troopers. There are independent power packs available for this weapon as well, allowing them to be used by Chuhuac outside their battle dress or by non-Chuhuac soldiers.

Heavy Plasma Gun

Instead of missiles and rockets, the Chuhuac continue to utilize their plasma technology to fulfill the role of heavy squad support. The heavy plasma gun take a similar system as the tactical support weapon but refocuses and calibrates the output into a dedicated heavy fire mode. The result is a weapon that is quite capable of defeating power armor, light vehicles and hardened structures. Like the tactical support weapon, the heavy plasma is also able to use independent power packs.

Body Modifications

Though a natural weapon, Chuhuac soldiers undergo bio-mechanical and bio-chemical therapy to enhance their natural anatomy. Mainly this consists of immune boosters, adaptive digestive enzymes and nano-tech toxin screens. One additional element to these sophisticated medical procedures is the introduction of bio-carbon fibers to the their bone structure. These enhance their frames, making them less vulnerable to fractures and debilitating injuries that would hamper their fleet-footed battle strategies. So enhanced, the Chuhuac needn't worry as much about an occasional careless misstep crippling them. These same carbon fiber deposits are used to enhance the strength and cutting characteristics of their natural toe claws, a hold over from their predatory ancestors. These modified claws can cut through hardened materials and slice effortlessly through flesh.

Who Are The Chuhuac?

Sherawl showing its two rings.

Resembling the Dromaeosaurs of the Earth's prehistoric past, the Chuhuac are a species of warm-blooded saurian aliens hailing from the world of Sherawl. The name Chuhuac is a simplification   in the common language of the greater galactic community, the actual tonal and vocal pronunciation being a distinctly saurian sound with avian overtones. Properly pronounced, the species name sound something like, "CHOO-Hwaaaaa-k-k-k". The word starts with a low, guttural chuffing sound that trails into a low keyed whistle and ends with a three beat clucking/clicking sound in the back of the throat.

The exact origins of the Chuhuac are unknown, even to the species themselves. According to their historians, they were "nested" upon their home world of Sherawl by a great Star Mother who laid her celestial eggs on the world where she would watch over them until they hatched and then disappear into the stars. This myth and archaeological evidence would indicate that the species is not native to the planet but rather was seeded or came to the world of their own volition eons ago.

Examinations of the archaeological evidence indicates that at the time of the first signs of culture on the planet, the technology level of the world was actually much higher than it currently is but, declined suddenly and then had to work its way back to its current level. Culture also seems to have dwindled and then rekindled itself, suggesting that perhaps the Chuhuac did indeed come from some other place but for whatever reason were not able to maintain a society. 

The history of this saurian species mirrors that of most intelligent species with the notable exception that occasional bursts in the species' development occurred as bits and pieces of ancient technologies were recovered from the various ruins of their ancestors. Discovery, war, famine, enlightenment and near apocalypse are recurring themes throughout the thousands of years of continuous growth from their clouded past. Dating technology indicates that Chuhuac habitation on Sherawl may date back tens of thousands of years farther than their recorded history. Unfortunately none of the artifacts recovered from the original "nesting" sights has revealed any definitive data on where they came from or why they came to the planet or even if it was their intended destination.

The modern Chuhuac are an advanced culture with high level of technology that includes a mastery of nanotechnology, artificial intelligence, intergalactic travel and a host of other sophisticated sciences. A part of the greater galactic community, the Chuhuac possess energy weapons as well as force field technologies and have vehicles that use gravitic drives both in military and civilian applications. Though they do trade with other species, these saurians are mostly insular and distrustful of outsiders. This has led to more than one conflict with neighboring systems including a nearby collection of systems populated by various saurian species known to the Chuhuac as "The Prey Worlds", a name that is accurately indicates the relationship between the Sherawl and these other worlds.

Image from public domain sources.