Adventures in Arcadayn
Sakan (The Sakani Clans)

By Tim Emrick

The region of the Outlands immediately north of the Twin Passes is known as Sakan, and the clans who live there as Sakani. These clans thrive on warfare and banditry, and pose a recurring threat to northeastern Arcadayn.

Sakani within Arcadayn are treated universally as barbarians (-15 point Social Stigma). Due to their recurring raids through the passes, Sakani are rarely welcome within the Kingdom of Visala. (This can be treated as a bad Reputation, an Enemy, etc., if the character is obviously a clan warrior.) In other lands, they are treated no worse than other outsiders, and some have been genuinely welcomed in the Bogmoors (where the Sakani warrior Sezeraku Lis has united the tribes under his rule).

Ruler: (No single ruler; one chieftain per clan).

Capital: (No single capital).

Symbol/Arms: (No single symbol; one totem per clan).

Culture Level: Barbarian.

Currency: Barter only.

Divisions: The Sakani are believed to have eight clans (known as Thoki), only two of which have any regular contact with Arcadayn: Thok Mystha (beyond Eastpass) and Thok Vainiman (beyond Westpass).

Government Type: Varies, usually Autocratic.

Languages: Sakan (M/A, one dialect per clan, defaulting to each other at -2).

Population: Unknown.

Racial Stock: The Sakani are believed to be a mixture of eastern Anidel men and some branch of the mysterious Fodal men (the northernmost Pilgrim race). They have light brown (approaching golden) skin, brown or black hair, brown or gray eyes, and sharp, angular features.

Geography: Little is known in Arcadayn of the land of Sakan. The "Ocean of the Far Reaches" begins some hundred leagues to the northeast of the Twin Passes, and the land in between is primarily rugged hills and badlands, with scattered forests and swamps.

Climate: Generally warm with dry winters near the southern mountains, cool and rainy near the ocean.

Agriculture & Resources: Crops: (few above subsistence levels). Animals: horses, sheep. Resources: copper (Mystha & Vainimen), fish (coasts and rivers); some more distant clans may have access to iron, potash and other resources.

Religions: The Bloodletter Cult has a strong following among these warlike barbarians, as do some of the Demon Cults. (At least one clan is known to be ruled by priests of Zukuvor.) Druids and Elemental Priests might also exist here, among the less blood-thirsty clans.

Military: The common warriors of the Sakani are of two types: Irregular Infantry (II) using padded or no armor, and either great axe or bastard sword (and sometimes slings); or Light Cavalry (LC) using light warhorses, scale mail or padded armor, short bow, lance and axe (or great axe). Noble warriors may be Medium Cavalry (MC) using medium warhorses, scale mail, large shield, broadsword and lance, or Heavy Cavalry (HC) using medium warhorses, bronze platemail [Dendra Panoply, p. CII 42], cloak (bearing clan and family badges), broadsword, mace and lance.

Nonhumans: Some unseelie sidhe and elfkin dwell in Sakan, and the werewolves of Feria almost certainly have kinfolk here. There are legends of a race of snake-men ("linthoka") who dwell in secret places in the northern wastes.

Other Special Groups: Sakan cultural skills include (* are required): Animal Handling*, Boating, Heraldry (Sakani), Orienteering, Riding* (horse), Survival* (mainly hills or mountains), Tattooing, Teamster. Favorite weapon skills include: Axe/Mace, Broadsword, Two-Handed Axe/Mace, Two-Handed Sword. Most clansmen live by a code essentially identical to the Pirate's Code of Honor, with allegiance to the clan and family.

Males of all ranks shave their heads and faces, though warriors are allowed to leave a queue at the base of the skull. Women grow their hair to a length determined by rank--longest for noblewomen, short or shaven for servants and slaves. Both genders mark tattoos on the left half of the face and scalp to show clan and family affiliation, status within those units, profession, and any special earned honors. Tattooing one's head beyond the amount proper to one's station is punishable by branding (to remove the offending marks), but decoration below the neck is almost entirely free of strictures. Heraldy (Sakani) will allow a character to identify a Sakan's cla and station by his or her tattoos.

The Sakani travel by horse (light to medium warhorses), boat (canoe, raft, rowboat), wagon, and cart.

Sakani warriors often taken scalps in battle. Survivors (see Scalped, p. CI 84) rarely live long; at TL3, they quickly die of disease.

Gudzini: (See description as the end of this file.)

Holy Slayers (Tomakuti): Some Sakani warriors devote their lives to the perfection of the arts of killing, far more than the average warrior. These assassins are called "Holy Slayers" by the Visalan frontier troops, but the Sakani name for them ("Tomakuti") translates loosely as "right-face": they are the only Sakani who tattoo the right half of their faces--usually in a skull pattern. They must have Combat Reflexes, one or more Acute Senses, and high skill with Stealth and at least two weapons (usually axe or sword, plus garrote). They tend to have many other thief/spy skills as well (note, however, that Disguise is useless). The Tomakuti serve as assassins, shock troops, and bodyguards to the Khazi. Some have developed a unigue Sign Language.

History: Visalans know next to nothing about Sakannish history, beyond the records of the many battles between the Twin Passes garrisons and the Sakani.

Names: Sakannish words and names alternate single consonants and vowels, and have a predominance of the following consonants: D, G, K, L, M, N, S, T, TH, V, Z. Given names are 2-4 syllables long (rarely over two for commoners), ending in -u for men, -a for women. The given name is followed by a family (Kin) name of 1-3 syllables. Outcasts and slaves lose the privilege of using a family name.

The Gudzini are gypsy-travelers who have a genetic kinship with the Sakani, but live a radically different lifestyle. They are nomads who travel in small, family-based wagon caravans throughout Sakan and occasionally even into Arcadayn (though they face the danger of being taken for Sakani). A typical caravan has 1d adult men, 1d adult women, and 1d children, with one wagon and 1-4 horses per 2-3 adults. Many families keep dogs as pets or watchdogs.

These nomads have a largely anarchic society, with a liberal attitude towards property that makes many outsiders view them as thieves, beggars and tramps. They simply feel that they are skilled scavengers, and that other cultures are narrow-minded materialists. Women are equal in status to men, but gender roles are somewhat rigid: many skills are "men's work" or "women's work," and anyone (Gudzin or outsider) violating those roles will earn reaction penalties. Men raise the animals, drive the wagons, trade with outsiders, and use weapons to defend the family; women care for the children, tend to the injured, preserve oral history, and use magic to tell fortunes and defend the family.

Skills allowed to both genders (* are required): Acrobatics, Dancing, Musical Instrument, Riding (horse), Scrounging*, Singing, Survival*; Knife.

"Men's work": Animal Handling*, Merchant, Teamster; Bow (short), Brawling, Knife Throwing, Sling, Spear, Staff, Whip.

"Women's work": Bard, Bardic Lore*, Fortune Telling, Occultism, Thaumatology, medical skills.

Gudzin mages are rare, and almost all are women. (Male mages are thought to be "unnatural".) They may have either normal or Limited Magery (especially the Dance, Musical or Song varieties). They only learn spells immediately useful to the family, mainly those concerning healing or knowledge. While Gudzini have a profound reverence for nature and the elements, they have no organized worship, and never have clerics.

The Gudzini have their own language, called Gudzipoatyki (M/H), which is related to no other known tongue. They avoid using this language in the presence of outsiders--doing so risks a bad reputation and worse luck. They have a knack for quickly learning the languages of the regions through which they travel, but scorn and mistrust written language. (Assume all Gudzini have at least one level of Language Talent, but are always Illiterate.) These gypsies are also renowned for their musical skills (and have at least one level of Musical Ability).

Unlike Sakani, Gudzini dislike tattoos. The men trim their hair and beards short, while the women grow their hair long.

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