G'haans

Physical Description
          The basic form of a g’haans is humanoid with stocky, flat cylindrical  legs, large humanoid torsos, arms and fingers. They have a broad chest  and shoulders that support a nearly neckless elephantine shaped head.  They have a powerful trunk and huge tusks. Most g’haans stand between 8  and 15 feet in height and are anywhere from 3 to 5 feet across. Their  coloration ranges from a blue-green to black. Their eyes have no pupils  and range from red to deep blue, purple or golden.

Personality
      Those that first meet a g'haans will find them highly organized, nearly  militaristic in their thinking.  Most g'haans are peaceful, and prefer  to avoid overt conflict when possible.  However, in situations where  they are unable to achieve a peaceful resolution, they are known to be  incredible brawlers, in some cases highly skilled warriors, and are able  to use their massive frames to cause a great deal of havoc and  carnage.   
     In general most g'haans are slow to anger, and while  they can sometimes exhibit a violent temper, they can employ their  powerful personalities to humble unwanted intrusion.   When a g'haans  sets its mind to something, it won’t waver in its commitment until the  task is completed. Their intelligence -- combined with a formidable  personality -- gives them a terrific advantage in many affairs, while  their communication skills make them first-rate leaders. Trustworthy and  honest, g'haans always let others know where they stand with regard to  their feelings.     When it comes to love and friendship it’s not just  their size that impresses others. G'haans inject a great deal of  emotional and physic energy into a relationship that friends and allies  find so compelling.   G'haans have a great and deep passion for the arts  -- particularly history, and find enormous value in the lessons of the  past. Most seek mates who appreciate their gentle sensitivities, yet  strong enough to keep pace with their powerful personalities.

Languages and Names
      G'haans speak a natural language called Ghantal. While it contains a  deep lexicon of words, which many other species can learn to speak, it  is the deep rumbling which often occurs at such a low sound that most  species simply cannot hear.  These rumbles, which can be used without  speaking, is used to communicate more effectively with each other.  Each  family unit has their own rumbling forms, similar to accents of other  languages.

Cultural Kin and Communities
      G'haans society at its core is based on family, kin and clans. Their  society is based on matriarchal leadership in nearly all aspects of  life.  Most families consist of related females and their young, males  tend to be insular though they are a part of the family, but are often  found living alone or within small, all-male groups known as a githaz.   Within the githaz they form long lasting friendships, although these are  looser arrangements than they do within their family.  A matriarch,  usually the oldest and most respected female, leads each family.  Families may consist of as few as two or as many as ten g'haans.
     Above the level of the family is the kin and is made up of three to five  families. Where family ties are strong within a kin, ties between  individuals within a kin are not as strong, individuals have close and  friendly ties. Every few years large families break up along matrilines,  with the oldest daughter of a family forming a new family of her own,  which often includes her daughters and sons, and her mated partner.  While they are a new family its these groups that form the kin.
     The cohesion of different families and kins vary significantly and  depend upon a number of factors, including personalities, the degree of  relatedness and friendship between individuals, the strength of the  matriarchs' leadership, historical events such as deaths of important  individuals, and more.
    Clans are made up of five to ten kins,  which are ultimately made up three to five families and can have  anywhere from 30 to 500 individuals.  Although clan membership is  relatively static movement between clans is not unusual or unheard of.  Individuals can change clans, change kins and even change families!  While movement between clans and kins occur frequently, it is often  after dramatic and dynamic changes in the lives of these individuals for  them to even contemplate moving families.

G'haans Features
Species Merit Cost: 2000
Age: 25, live to be over 200 yrs
Size: G'haans are large to huge (8' to 15')
Weight: Base 900 plus 5d10x10
Vision: G'haans have normal vision
Move: Base Move of 35 feet per Movement Action
Languages: G'haans begin play speaking Common and Ghantal
Resistances: None
G'haans Bonuses: +600 Maximum lift; +10 Alertness
G'haans Attribute Modifiers: +10 to any two: Strength, Stamina, Intelligence, Willpower or Charisma
G'haans Traits:  Ram.  G'haans can use their huge bodies to ram a foe — or several, if they’re  small enough. They must have at least 5 feet to run with. They can ram  two large-size foe, four medium ones (if they’re standing next to each  other), or 6 small ones. Ramming requires an Agility check and is a Move  action. Those that are targeted by a ram must make an opposed Strength  or Agility check. Those that fail their check are knocked down, knocked  back and suffer the attackers Strength Modifier in damage.
Sweeping Attack.  G'haans are able to strike at multiple opponents with any melee attack  so long as the targets are smaller than they are (Large, Medium, Small,  Tiny, etc.) and they are within their strike range, and can be hit. The  g'haans melee attack score is reduced by -10 for each individual they  are attacking above the first. The player must make a single attack  against the group with the appropriate penalty. Thus, attacking 4  creatures in front of them, the g'haans must make a single attack with a  -30 penalty.
Trumpting. G'haans are  able to trumpet loudly.  All non-allies within a 10' radius must make a  Willpower check at TS of 2.  Those that fail suffer a -10 to all thier  checks for the next turn.  This costs 10 Fatigue per use, can be used  once per day per Stamina Modifer and is a Simple Action.
Species Abilities G'haans  begin play with two of the following abilities: Ancient Memories, Bonus  Ability, Endurance, Greater Trumpeting, Hardy, Natural Armor, Size  Alteration, Stomp, and Survivalist

Species Abilities
Ancient Memories:  You have a strong tie to the ancient wisdom and knowledge of the world  and your ancestors. You gain four Lore skills, which also receive a +10  bonus
Bonus Ability: You begin play with 1 additional General Ability that does not have a prerequisite other than an Attribute.
Endurance:  Your are more athletic than normal and gain +20 bonus on any Stamina  checks to avoid exhaustion, as well as, the effects of forced marches,  starvation, dehydration and conditions in heat or cold. They also do not  suffer Fatigue Loss for moving faster than normal (hustling, running,  sprinting).
Greater Trumpeting:  This trumpeting sound transcends the normal trumpet that all g'haans.  All non-allies within 30’ radius must make an opposed Willpower check vs  your Stamina check or suffer a -25 penalty (this increases by -5 every 3  ranks, maximum of -80) to their Skill and Defense checks for the next  d10+1 Turns. This trumpeting costs 20Fatigue Points and is considered a  Move Action. This can be used three times per day.
Hardy:  You are unusually hardy and are immune to types A, B and C Poisons,  gain +10 Magical Defense against one elemental type (Earth, Air, Fire,  Water, Spirit or Essence); and are immune to non-magical diseases.
Natural Armor: You have a naturally thicker skin gaining +10 Natural Armor Absorption.
Size Alteration  You are able to change their size by 2 categories downward from your  original size. This does not include your weapons, armor, clothing, and  other equipment. When altering your size, only your Physical Attributes  change to match the new size. This difference is done in positive or  negative modifiers (if they are small and increase to a medium creature,  they would add 10 to their current Strength and Stamina, but subtract  10 to the Agility and Perception. When reverting back to their original  size, these modifiers are lost.). The change takes up a Full Action.  During this alteration time they can do nothing else. The alteration  will last for 1 hour per Stamina Modifier three times per day.
Stomp:  With this ability you are able to stomp the ground. Stomp can effect  all those that are smaller than you. It has an area of effect of 180  degree arc in front of you up to 10'. Targets in this area must make an  Agility check at a TS of 1 per 2 Strength successes or be knocked prone.  This ability is a Move Action.