|
The House of Body dwells in the mystery of the World.
Mages of the House of Body immerse themselves in the physical and momentary world. Eschewing abstract flights of metaphysics, wands and potions, they train their whole bodies, brains included, to be here in this instant, attending to every detail, reacting to every nuance. Then, one day, their relationship with the universe changes. Not only can they dance up a mountain, hide for a month in a shadow and then strike like a rattlesnake: in an instant, without thinking, they can grant these abilities to others. The great Cyclops people follow the Mages of Body, live with them and learn their ways.
"If our minds ever shut up a moment, we find we are capable of marvelous things."
- Jom of Bolit
Gender: Male and female
Height: 7 - 20 feet tall
Weight: 200 - 2000 pounds
Features: Cyclops have glistening orange skin, a single wide eye with a tall red oval shaped iris. A triangular brow juts out over the eye, and the huge facial bones give cyclops an oddly angular appearance. Their jaws are huge and hold a crooked array of sharp teeth that can grow into huge tusks. They paint themselves in blue woad.
Attire: Skins, furs and leather.
Ability: Cyclops are so strong that they have 9 hit points.
Foes: The djinni and the Lords of the Mind.
Favored Materials: Animal hide, bone, blood, wood and stone.
Symbols: The all-seeing eye, wode.
Culture: Nomadic, tribal, matriarchal and shamanic, each tribe follows a female shaman until her death. Women are revered for their ability to create life and perform the most complex body magic. Men are very useful as hunters, and they are most often asked to pass through the dangerous Rite of Growth. When cyclops attain their full height, they most often serve as guardians and bearers for their tribe. Shamans usually have a single great one (as the largest cyclops are called) as a manservant. Most tribes number 12 - 20 members and include 1 or 2 great ones. Some great ones become hermits and live out their days in secluded caverns and distant valleys. If a great one dies in service to the shaman, he is eaten by his tribe in the powerful Ritual of Eucharia. Mages of Body may also be called: Shaman, Physomancer.
Arts: Woad, tattoo, petroglyphs, tribal scarring and piercing.
Props: Spears, boulders, animal hide, tents, yurts, caves, charcoal, bones, skulls, claws, obsidian, flint, feathers, needles, bows and arrows.
Homeland: Plains and steppes are the cyclopean tribes' home. They are fierce game hunters and travel in pursuit of the migratory herds of bison. Even the largest has no trouble finding enough meat to live on comfortably. The great ones carry their tribes' supplies easily enough from place to place.
|
