Muurun (muu-run)

Known History

Beginnings

An expansive and notorious species across Veltrona, the muurun are a proud people as honorable as they are belligerent. Descendants of cat monsters, they're no less agile and cunning despite their incredible size and physical power. In many respects, historians are not at all surprised they spread to every corner of the world, nor command respect in those same corners.   While there are many possible cultures to draw upon for study, dragon scholars consider the desert muurun of Sa-kemet as their ancestral progenitors. There is some contention over if Sa-kemet is truly their homeland, or simply noteworthy because of the once-feared Great Khanum who led the muurun there. Nonetheless, as it provides the longest thread of recorded history, it remains a front-runner in consideration.   The fiery deserts and barrens of Sa-kemet have always been a punishing place to live. Fresh water scarcity forced fierce competition, and those who controlled the precious oases and small—often temporary—rivers became rulers of the land. Often fiercely contested by the other denizens, such as the mertakan and nebusah, the muurun proved their might and magnanimity in equal measure time and time again. Though derided as warlike, their natural ferocity bore a boldness of mind and capability that simply often overshadowed others.   However, if they would survive in their homeland, the muurun understood violence couldn't be the first answer. The burgeoning Sa-kemet Tribes, as the great muurun families would eventually be known as, all sought their own means of survival. With territorial boundaries shifting as endlessly as the sands, the great tribes migrated with the seasons and years across the deserts. As time, success, and failure bore their weight, they learned and overcame the hardships that continually tore away at them.    

Family and Desert

While the Sa-kemet Tribes might be called one of the great powers of Sa-kemet, their actual power was not always consistent. Upstarts frequently struck out, either from within their own ranks or by competitors both domestic and foreign. The push-and-pull of these dynamics eventually led to the consolidation of the many muurun factions into the twelve distinct tribal forces they've hence been known as. Somewhere between territorial power and unlanded nation, the Sa-kemet Tribes migrate along ancestral paths and lands as both weather and natural resources allow.   Unerringly prideful, the various tribes cooperated with, and warred against, each other (and anyone who intruded) with regularity. Conflict in the deserts could spell the end of everyone involved, and so ritual combat and honor became paramount. These rigid customs soon spread to the muurun's allies and enemies, becoming a pivotal cultural force across Sa-kemet at large. One that would butt heads with an ancestral enemy-friend, the nebusah, who constantly struggled for dominance in Sa-kemet.   The history between the two species is deserving of its own detailed consideration, but suffice to say it is a pivotal one. Unlike the tribes, the nebusah themselves settled down around precious but sustainable resources. With such a backbone, they threw great effort into creating ever more sustainable growth. Though the tribes often held greater power and richness, their dominance was slowly but surely waning. The advent of Atenkhet from a small settlement into an ever-increasing mega-city spelled the end of tribal dominance over southwestern Sa-kemet.   While Atenkhet itself was never expansionist in a traditional sense, it provided a stable power for many other forces to ally with. Though such a thing merely meant the Sa-kemet Tribes need only rally greater armies to fight, such wars were prohibitively costly. Whereas other continents may have seen a swift change in the balance of power, it's difficult to overstate the cautiousness of Sa-kemet's denizens. Centuries of time, circumstance, and effort saw the tides shift ever so slightly, yet inevitably.   Perhaps if it weren't for Tafsalam'a, the Great Khanum, that strange peace may have persisted longer.    

The Muurun Horde

No one is entirely certain where Tafsalam'a came from, but her first agreed upon appearance happened within the Korim Tribe in southeastern Sa-kemet. The Korim, famously militant even among the muurun, placed great value upon honor, conquest, and power. Tafsalam'a, having notoriously won a bloody combat trial to become khanum of the Korim, remained unsatisfied. Her gaze drifted upon the rest of Sa-kemet; a land full of challenge and conquest.   Having already accrued a number of victories, both internal and external, few within the tribe had the clout or ability to contest her. > Her charisma, while much less refined in those days, motivated the Korim with tales of conquests and greater glory yet to gain. Leading at the fore, Tafsalam'a speared the Korim Tribe northward, and her infamous trail of war and victory began.   Tafsalam'a's policies as a warlady saw that everyone before her, in some form or another, would serve her somehow. For some, this meant defeat in battle became eventual slavery. Others, having no ability to resist, were placed as middlewomen for the horde's growing logistical needs. Much to the aggravation of her enemies, Tafsalam'a possessed a rare combination of capability, charisma, and forward-thinking know-how to reach her ambitions. For whatever faults she had, she was soon to overcome somehow.   Within the decade, she'd swept through Sa-kemet, acquiring the allegiance of nearly every muurun tribe in the deserts. The notable outlier, the Ahdarqi, are a heavily religious tribe located in the inhospitable heart of Sa-kemet, and so cared little for outside affairs. Since they wouldn't be a problem either way, Tafsalam'a had secured what no other thought possible: a unified tribal landscape. Still, she wasn't satisfied.   With what enemies that remained soon out of her way or, in the case of Atenkhet, mysteriously ignored, Tafsalam'a's gaze turned once more. Akpahm and Temu, both smaller continents with their own issues, didn't interest her. Immensio, however, very much did. Such vast and fertile land offered similar, but infinitely more hospitable living conditions than Sa-kemet. Whether confident or stricken with unbridled arrogance, Tafsalam'a turned the tribes' path of conquest to new lands, promising unimaginable wealth and opportunity.   Many were reluctant, or refused outright, to leave their ancestral lands. Many more were interested in easier life, especially with abundant water that need not be rationed. Their Great Khanum's promises dazzled many, and for a woman who'd done the impossible once, twice didn't seem so hard anymore. Many of the Sa-kemet Tribes marched at Tafsalam'a's order, and so the horde migrated.   Between Immensio's massive size and well-seasoned populace, the tribes' took years to make headway. Favoring steady progress over sprints, Tafsalam'a continued her battle-proven methods of securing gains while positioning for advances. The tribes flourished as riches did indeed flood them all. For many, it even seemed Immensio was the paradiso Sa-kemet should've been, but never was. Years of campaigning saw countless muurun settle in their new lands, or at least try to. New lands and new ways confounded them greatly, but they weren't lacking in spirit.   While Tafsalam'a never fully took Immensio, she effectively gained control over at least half of it. The remaining half lacked in meaningful opposition, at least as any historical record could determine. Whether or not she'd be successful is a topic of interesting speculation as, unfortunately, Tafsalam'a met a dragon Veltrona would soon never forget. Unknown at that time by any measure, her notoriety began at the pivotal moment of confronting and defeating Tafsalam'a directly in battle.   Thus was Imperious born.    

Age of the Imperium

Having battled the muurun for some months, the hence-unknown Imperious proved resilient, adaptive, and worst of all, determined. Her strength reached heights of horrifying impossibility, surmounting even martial war goddesses and Immortal Body cultivators in direct combat. The Sa-kemet Tribes, though highly capable, weren't equipped to fight someone so utterly ridiculous. Historians still struggle to conceptualize Imperious' power, for truth and embellishment blend together wherever she was concerned.   In the aftermath of their final confrontation, where Tafsalam'a and much of her personal guard were apparently slain, Imperious had been taken by new ideas. Or, at the least, as was very typical of her, she learned all of Tafsalam'a's cunning designs and took them for her own. With their Great Khanum no more, the muurun tribes fell into disarray. Technically, they had lines of succession and a reasonably stable central command structure. While there were people who saw opportunity for their own greatness—particularly among the Korim, who'd just lost their khanum—these were expected to be resolvable problems.   Sadly, the few years it took them to work it out meant Imperious had already begun her own schemes.   Unusually for her, Imperious manipulated many other dragons who'd been wronged by the muurun's brutal advance. Alone or in small groups, they'd lost to the muurun, and their pride at such failure stung heavily. Corralled by Imperious, and motivated by her hateful tongue, they soon fell upon the tribes still busy with their succession crisis. Thus began what would be the historical first act of the nascent Imperium, a ruthless culling of the muurun and anyone else in the dragons' way.   While Imperious' schemes and machinations are deserving of their own attention, for the muurun, none of them were good. With coordinated dragons shoving them back, the tribes found themselves ill-equipped against such vastly superior foes. Other foes whom the muurn fought, foolishly, saw the weakening tribes as an opportunity to strike back, unaware of the evils of the Imperium. Though it took nearly a decade, the unified tribes were eventually forced out from Immensio entirely. The muurun who remained hid themselves away, migrated to Nemma or Lophern, or faced worse fates. By such a point, tribal leadership elected to retreat to their ancestral lands entirely.   Imperious, seemingly satisfied, reigned in the dragons coming under her control. She turned her attention eastward, pulling her pawns across Immensio to strike at other, more interesting targets. Some argue the muurun tribes 'got off easy' from the endless horrors of the Imperium, but such views dishonor the many that did die. For some tribes, nearly three-fourths of their strongest and able bodied people perished on campaign or fighting the dragons. Though they'd sent much wealth home, few returned to live in the glory they'd gained.   The Korim, especially, had been humbled in a way they'd never suffered before. Dishonored before the other tribes and severely depleted in number, they barely managed to maintain any cohesion in the following centuries. Their militancy and honor changed greatly from such troubles, and though Tafsalam'a remained respected, her thirst for endless conquest became a sign of great evil. Such an epochal time changed the Korim from rugged marauders to stalwart, if competitive, protectors and honor-bound warriors; at least by muurun standards.   The Ahdarqi, in a rare moment of outward-facing diplomacy, left Sa-kemet's heart to petition Atenkhet itself for aid to the tribes. Though the exact dealings of such is unknown to public record, Atenkhet did provide the aid requested and then some. As the one who was, effectively, the uncontested power of Sa-kemet at that point, they saw no reason for belligerency. In fact, Atenkhet's own self-satisfaction with its domestic production is largely considered why it never cared for expansionism. That, however, is a different topic.   For the muurun tribes, they'd survived, but it would be many centuries for them to return to the strength they once had.   All the while the Imperium they'd inadvertently helped make tore through the other side of the world with horrors yet unspoken.    

The Great Darkness

By the end of the Imperium, a few centuries had passed since Tafsalam'a's defeat. All too aware of the horrors further eastward, the topic of the Imperium greatly shadowed the minds of tribal leadership. The Korim, especially, felt responsible for its creation because of their failure. Many warriors left, never to return, and fought in the ruthless war against Imperious' deranged ambitions. In that way, at least, the Korim found some redemption, if never closure. Others did join them, insofar as those who once fought alongside Tafsalam'a, but only the Korim kept the tradition going.   When the World Gate exploded, despite Sa-kemet being on the other side of Veltrona, the shockwaves rattled the desert just as hard. Soon after, the terrible clouds of debris and destruction billowed through the skies, drowning even the fiery, luminous deserts under darkness. Though capable survivors, the ensuing darkness pushed even the venerable muurun tribes far beyond the breaking point.   As with many other accounts of the time period, little certain information exists. Oral traditions attest to strange changes happening: the deserts warping beyond recognition, monstrosities never seen before emerging, terrible storms warring with each other, and more. If other lands merely suffered oppressive gloom, Sa-kemet raged like a war zone of unimaginable proportions. Both tribal and Atenkhet records, supplemented by those like the mertakan, generally agree on this sentiment, but the specifics always vary.   The muurun tribes emerged from the darkness with terrifying scars and few of their number remaining. For a people served not one, but two devastating crises, it's miraculous anything of theirs survived to the modern day. If anything useful came from their struggles, it was a renewed sense of kinship and mutual honor among the tribes. Though distinct in their own ways still, they forged lasting bonds of ethnic unity with their fellows like they never had before.    

From the Sands

Perseverance is in the blood of the muurun, and hardship the whetstone by which they honed themselves upon. The survivors, though worn down, nonetheless carried on the bold spirit their people have ever been known for. Starkly aware of many shortcomings to their livelihood, however, change was not only coming, but desperately needed. What form that change would take remained a divisive problem unto itself.   Atenkhet's continual growth as a continental power in Sa-kemet did not go unnoticed, either. For one their ancestors once considered surmountable, the tribes knew they'd lost the race for supremacy. If at any point Atenkhet began throwing its weight around, they would have little recourse to deal with it.   But, it was that same sense of foreboding hardship that pushed them onward.   The tribes struck out into the wilderness, confronting old and new problems alike. They trained themselves, honed their ways, and innovated new solutions. Refusing to play the same game Atenkhet did, they stuck to tradition as much as it broke it apart. In a sense, they were vitalized with the same grand spirit that Tafsalam'a once inspired in them all. Yet, it wasn't a singular leader anymore, but for all of them that they strove so hard for. Something almost impossible to lose, and a dramatic departure from their historical cultural lines.   To the modern muurun of Sa-kemet, the future yet waits for their glory, and their people to go ever higher.      

Biology

Anatomy and Physiology

Muurun are sexually dimorphic humanoids with a head, torso, two arms with five-fingered pawhands, two digitigrade legs with five-toed pawfeet, and long, distinctive tails. In general, females are larger and physically powerful, have enlarged breasts, wider hips, and encompassing furry fluffiness. Males have sleeker fur and, while shorter, tend to also have respectable physical prowess.   Their heads have two expressively round eyes, two triangular and pointed cat ears atop their skulls (with the base slightly toward the back), broad and/or sculptured noses, and reasonably wide and encompassing lips. Long, prominent hairs emerge from the upper lips but below the nose in the form of 'whiskers'. These multi-inch sensory organs usually detect minute changes in the air and ambient mana, providing important pieces of information. In some bloodlines / variants, whiskers may also emerge out from the eyebrows, giving a 'long brow' appearance.   Owing to their monster heritage, muurun 'fangs' are elongated, saber-like teeth that protrude from their mouths and down the front of their lips. Their necks are somewhat thicker than average, supporting additional muscle power that drives their impressive bite strength. Their multi-inch saber teeth are weapons unto themselves, though rarely utilized in combat and more decorative than functional most of the time. Their protrusion reshapes the mouth structure somewhat: more prominent lips, as well as defined musculature in their jaw. Their expressions tend to be fierce and cat-like depending on their whims.   Muurun ears, similar to the nebusah, are situated atop their head and slightly toward the back. Their triangular shapes are both flexible and adaptive, letting them hone in on sound with capable ability. These cat ears are also an important part of muurun emotive language, displaying a wide range of meaning as much separate as with their facial expressions.   Hair and fur are prominent features of the muurun body. Their head hair, in particular, is voluminous and expansive, creating a prominent presence. Its fibers are notably thick and wavy, giving them a distinct look and texture compared to body fur. The body fur itself is quite varied: at its lowest concentration, it occupies the 'cool' areas and outer edges of the body, similar to scale-bearing species. At its highest concentrations, usually for cold-climate dwelling muurun, it will cover their entire body in varying layers of thickness. These layers themselves can have sturdy, insulating fibers, while the softer areas have fluffier, almost down-like, fibers instead.   The different muurun peoples have long adapted to their environmental differences. Hot, arid dwellers have finer and denser fur, while cold, freezing dwellers feature stronger insulation and thicker formation. Tropical feature a balance of skin-to-fur ratio, while semi-aquatic have an altogether different fiber structure. Much like how humans may identify skin tone for ancestral habitations, muurun identify fur density and formation. This can put those with seasonal adaptations, such as less fur in the summer and more in the winter, in an awkward spot sometimes.   Muurun hands and feet are referred to as 'pawhands' and 'pawfeet' due to their structure. While they have animalistic features, their pawhands are more human-like with four fingers and a thumb, and can exert great force. But, muurun are usually middle-of-the-pack or lower for hand dexterity, making tool and fine manipulation tricky. Their fingers have thick but short claws, ideal for rending flesh. Their pawfeet have different claws that are more sturdy and blunted, as muurun use them to help 'grip the ground' when digging their pawfeet in. Such added anchoring gives them great staying power when physically wrestling, shoving, or other full-body motions.   The muurun tail, as with many other bipedal species with tails, emerges from above the buttocks. The length varies, but most muurun at least reach the floor, if not longer. While it does help in some forms of balancing, most muurun consider their tail a decorative and social-oriented limb. Those who do some forms of training may weaponize it into a blunted, simplistic club of sorts, but they're usually an exception.    

Appearance

Feline elegance and bearish power have always intertwined together in the muurun form, creating a compelling presence wherever they go. While the nebusah are considered their historical counterpart, the muurun and ruvenek share just as much. Where the latter is bulkier in form and weight, the muurun edge ahead in agility and flexibility. The two together tend to be the front runners in their weight-size category, even among other monsterkind.   The duality of skin and fur is a persistent detail among the muurun. Their genetic lineage usually influences the ratio, with colder environments usually encouraging more fur and hotter with less. However, this isn't a fixed rule, and there are great variances even within these logical averages. A muurun, however, is never without fur on their pawhands, pawfeet, tail, and at least part of their torso. Females in particular have a fluffy 'mane' from their shoulders and collarbone, which terminates down their chest and upper back. It is normally of the soft fur variety, and so inherits those colors in contrast to their protective fur.   Muurun eyes have white sclera and colorful, striking irises that surround vertically slitted pupils. Their eyes are unusually affected by genetic variance, making them easily adopt colors and characteristics of other species. Fur and hair coloration, as well as patterns, are nominally indicative of lineage, featuring strong adaptations toward their environment. Many muurun swing between 'functional camouflage' and 'decorative presentation' in their patterns depending on bloodline conditions. Though there are often attempts to change or breed in new or different patterns, it is surprisingly resilient against such crude efforts.   Overall, their fur tends to exhibit two-to-three complimentary color ranges, such as hues of orange, red, and brown toward white, gray, and yellow for desert dweller muurun. Alpine muurun may have mountainous grays, icy blues, and white complimenting darker gray, woody brown, or conspicuous blues. Actual fur patterning will vary even more, with even those sharing the same ancestry and region having different appearances. Patterning as a whole has lost some of its function as optical camouflage, instead serving a more eye catching or attention grabbing purpose for social functions. Muurun are apex predators of a kind, so care little for ambush tactics.    

Natural Abilities

Apex Huntress – While the top of the food chain is a contentious position, the muurun are descendants of those who fought for that throne routinely. Their instinctual awareness, cunning, and natural ability to hunt are impressively grand.   Parabolic Metabolism – Muurun curve between moments of peak performance and languid relaxation on a fairly regular cycle, as cats are wont to do. While not an extreme 'start-stop' response, they gravitate toward certain activities over the day, alternating between rest and work.   Heightened Senses – While overall higher in sensitivity and capability through their main senses, the muurun aren't supernatural with them. The senses particularly relevant to hunting, such as smell and sound detection, are where they're strongest.    

Diet

While omnivorous, the muurun have a greater emphasis on their carnivorous requirements than others. Meat, or at least complex proteins, are important to their high-demand physiology and capabilities. They will, however, incorporate nearly anything desirable in their cuisine, particularly those adapted to wilderness living. In that respect, there's little they won't eat, and their stronger jaws and thicker teeth mean they can even eat the likes of bones directly. Most don't find that particularly savory unless prepared for explicitly, though.   Because their caloric intake can be quite high, muurun concern themselves with high density foods. Hunting big game, ranching plentiful farm animals, and/or expansive fishing operations are cornerstones of their food systems. These are then supplemented by gatherers or farmers acquiring everything else, typically nuts, berries, fruits, vegetables, and the like. Their preferences tend to be toward anything flesh-like in texture, or a hardiness reminiscent of bone.   Muurun cuisine trends toward being quite complex, particularly in layering flavors, preparation methods, and manner of consumption. While relaxation times are important, they're often annoyed at 'doing nothing', and so ritualistic eating is a fancy way of occupying themselves while also resting. Because of this, they often create elaborate and sometimes inane ritualistic forms to eat, show off, and compete at the same time. Their chefs, understandably, rise to this challenge with great enthusiasm, and create even more insane procedures or meals for their fellows to consume.   Competitive or sporty eating are one thing, then there is what the muurun do, and they do it in a league of their own. No one can say they make bad food, though; muurun chefs are some the highest sought after in the world.    

Life Cycle

Newborn muurun are bundles of furry fluff who, despite their large size for a newborn comparatively speaking, are unusually flexible and clingy. Usually born in groups of 2-to-3, the newborns are situated upon their mother's chest, where they'll cling onto her fluffy mane and be migrated as needed for feeding. They'll remain largely incapable for around a year, but develop mobility and curiosity toward the end of the second year as they become toddlers.   With a natural (if adorable) fierceness and desire to know everything around them (particularly what's edible), toddler muurun are delightful creatures of agony and parental worry. Their only survival instinct being 'run toward mom', they'll otherwise bite off more than they can chew quite often. Not to mention their absurd habit of climbing everywhere, sometimes leaving them stuck in very unfortunate places.   Childhood brings on even more capability and the beginnings of huntress training. Many denote childhood's beginning when the downy fluff of infancy is shed and their permanent 'adult' fur grows in. For the physically minded muurun, it's also when many of their aspirations of greatness, exercise, and personal achievement begin. With all the surging strength of growth and none of the wisdom of age, muurun children cause endless amounts of trouble as they figure out the world around them.   Adolescence and its puberty is a period of rapid physical growth and change for the muurun. Females, who might already be larger in weight than their male peers, dramatically increase in bone density and muscle mass. Hormonal aggression is common among both sexes, and physical confrontation through contact sports (wrestling, martial practice, etc) is a common outlet. This time period is also where many muurun cultures begin ascribing adult responsibilities, or at least the training thereof. For those dwelling in the wilds, capable pawhands are always needed in the tribe.   Adulthood is usually achieved somewhere between 19-and-21 years, though physical growth or refinement may continue until the 30th year if nutrition is steady. At such a state, a muurun has figured out their (initial) place in their culture, practiced much in physical work, and learned the vital know-how to live safely in their land. With full expectations of involvement in their tribe's affairs, they must balance personal ambition with societal and familial responsibility. Many of those not in an arranged marriage of some sort will begin open courting seasons to attract desirable partners.   The breadth of a muurun's physical prime ranges from ages 25-to-80, with old age beginning in their 80s. With an average life expectancy of 100 years, muurun physical decline is markedly quite low. Metabolism becomes the true issue, as their nutritional needs remain high but take much longer to process. Many elderly muurun take to lower stress activities to manage their slower nutritional absorption. Though they will, as circumstances dictate, bring their seasoned might to bear.   Final death is a matter of cultural preference among the muurun. Those desiring one final moment of glory will, often with other elders, depart on one more hunt that targets the greatest and fiercest of challenges. Win or lose, the exertion of that confrontation pushes them over the edge, and death invariably catches up when their adrenaline crashes. Those succumbing to old age will perish as their metabolism and vital functions cease while resting among family and friends.   Either way, the dead are often ritualistically cremated and their ashes spread as either tradition or last request dictates. It's considered good to burn quality food and symbolic weapons, so that in their next life they start with bountiful harvest and strong arms.    

Anaxials, Hybrids, and Variants

Anaxials

Combining the best of both worlds, muurun anaxials are often veritable powerhouses with a strong, lasting metabolism to fuel them. While their nutritional needs are impressively high, their strength and endurance is no joke. As such, they're often highly sought after as warriors, guards, adventurers, and anything physically challenging.   Unfortunately, their anaxial nature means their physical composition can be quite varied, and many end up discriminated against because of their 'ugliness'. Generally this means mismatched or asymmetrical features, such as one cat ear and one human ear, half their jaw supporting a sabertooth but the other not, and so on. The patchwork ensemble of skin-to-fur ratio also tends to be polarizing, particularly to the muurun.    

Hybrids

Muurun hybrids usually display prominent features from their sire's side. Colors, patterns, and scales are strong contenders that easily show, intertwining with existing fur or replacing it outright in some places. While iris color and patterning may readily change, their pupils maintain their vertical slits.   Hybrid inheritance tends to be more narrow, focusing on physical or body-related abilities. Exotic abilities by their definition are usually magic or extra-limb related, such as baarham inheritance conferring the possibility of small horns, magical talent, extended lifespan (if not immortality), etc.    

Variants

While there is some minor debate about muurun in different environments, they're ultimately not divergent that much from the nuclear concept of a muurun. There are incidental arguments over tangentially related wild species, like the tagraxi, who may manifest into sapience sporadically. These rare individuals usually do not have a broader species or cultural history, and slide into muurun cultures fairly easily. Technically they would be separate species, but lacking both the number and identity means most sweep them under the muurun umbrella.      

Sociology

Cultural Universals

Many such words come to mind where the muurun are concerned: imposing, arrogant, brutish, condescending, prideful, and so on. They're many ideas wrapped together in one package that ensures a simple truth: nothing steps down upon them. Their refusal to allow those they see as undeserving or unworthy to lady over them has brought conflict time and again throughout their histories. All the more importantly, this means their respect and acknowledgement is a high mark of one's esteem and legitimacy.   Perhaps even greater than their sense of pride is that of cleanliness. Muurun hate filth to an almost obsessive degree, and will spend great effort in cleaning themselves, their homes, and anywhere they find important. Entire forms of cleaning and cleansing happen throughout their daily life, and different cultures ritualize the order of operations in their own ways. Cleaners, janitors, and similar jobs are ranked highly in their cultures because of this fact—no one wants to deal with filth, so those who do are more respected for their heroic sacrifice. Those proficient in homekeeping magic, especially, command great prices for their services.   Their playfulness can be surprisingly pervasive: muurun seek attention, stimuli, or some form of amusement on the regular. This can range from pranks, practical jokes, to full on spontaneous wrestling, play-fighting, martial exchanges, and the like. Spontaneity is the norm where they're concerned, and many grasp at the sudden opportunities with excessive quickness. For some species, it's rather alarming when it happens and they see hundreds of pounds of muscle bolt into action.    

Lingual Characteristics

Muurun have particularly deep voices with capable projection qualities, enhancing their sense of presence and audible reach; most noticeably in muurun women with their larger and commanding stature. Because their ears can detect higher and lower ranges of sound, their vocalizations can stretch into ranges other species don't audibly perceive. Mostly a lower-range feature, which coincides with the muurun capability to 'purr'.   The throaty purr (or rumble as propriety demands it be called in public) is a distinct feature of muurun linguistics. It provides a three-dimensional depth to the spoken word, carrying a lot of connotations and subtext in dialogue others cannot reproduce themselves. In fact, the muurun are one of the few species close to speaking bieneren 'buzzing language' because of it. While not as finely controlled as the bieneren buzz, muurun have long figured out how to interpret their otherwise esoteric language.    

Arts and Beauty

Performance defines muurun beauty and art, combining the exquisite grace of form and the primality of physicality. Perhaps no different than dragons in a sense, the muurun prefer to see themselves captured in moments of grandeur, accentuating their own achievements. Statues, life-like paintings, percussion instrumentation like drums, and similar venues serve as the vehicle to capture their spirit and skill. Through the centering of the self in practice, they can show all others their grandness.   Combined with their desire for play, muurun performers and performances span the breadth of possibilities. Trends rise and fall literally day-to-day, necessitating great skill and adaptability to please the audience. Sometimes the viewers themselves become part of the piece, creating spontaneous reenactments of famous battles or important theatrical plays, each one as unique as the people witnessing it. Of course, quite messy as well more often than not, but that is usually part of the fun.   Cleanly sculpted, unmarred clothing, bedazzling jewelry and trophies, and a fine body are the hallmarks for a classical idea of beauty. For the muurun, taking pride in yourself shows strength of character, and resolve to accept the pride of others who might want to be involved with you. A scholarly sort showcasing their finest writings or research materials appeals to those of that inkling as much as a warrior's finely cleaned and prepared skull trophy can. Duplicity, however, greatly incenses anyone of standing, and the muurun despise showboats without muscle behind them.    

Magic and Technology

'Functionally useful' describes the muurun approach to innovation, as many are under heavy pressure from their migratory lifestyles. The Sa-kemet Tribes, in particular, have countless innovations that improve upon the myriad number of challenges they face in their daily lives. Many of these creations are, often completely independently, recreated by other tribes elsewhere on Veltrona, demonstrating their universal desirability. There are, after all, only so many ways for an idea to persevere under the harsh demands of survival.   Skatars are one such notable idea created by the Sa-kemet Tribes. This footwear enables near-frictionless 'skating' across sandy and snowy terrain, enabling rapid mobility. It singlehandedly revolutionized movement across Sa-kemet, becoming a core technological innovation. Another, similarly mannered creation, is the 'balloon cart'. Through the usage of wind magic and crysium, a balloon can partially suspend a cart or wagon, allowing it to 'hover' across the land. In places where solid terrain is a luxury, such a creation is an important means by which cargo can move.   Where comfort prevails and stress isn't so much a concern, the playful spirit of the muurun brings them to consider many different ideas. Sports, in particular, see a lot of different attempts to create newer games and challenging rules that stoke their competitive spirit. Theatrical and musical performances, complex social dramas, and inventive narrative experiences also rank highly in their pursuits.    

Religion and Philosophy

Muurun faiths often function as exploratory vessels, confronting the unknowns of life and death. They're companions who provide stability and guidance during uncertainty, and answers where no other may have one. However, given the muurun distaste for authority, their religions do not presume positions of command or diction over their members. This means harder rules like tenets, restrictions, or requirements tend to be lax or non-existent. It is something that frequently collides with the organized religions from other species, who may expect much more demanding adherence to doctrine that muurun hate doing.   This individualistic approach is, ultimately, a very defining one for them. All the muurun do is to provide the opportunity for an individual to learn, understand, and decide for themself. Those who foray into these areas of understanding do so to satisfy their own interests, and only share them when others, too, show an interest. Proselytizing is contentiously looked down upon, for the difference between helper and controller is often a subjective view.   In many ways, muurun philosophy and popular thoughts survive the simplest, yet most demanding, trial of all: proof of success. Should it work for one, then it is fine. If it can work for many more, then it becomes good; and all that is good soon spreads among others. An answer that does not work should be challenged, and if it has merit, it will pervail. If it does not, a better answer shall replace it. A mirroring, of a sorts, of the brutal demands that migratory life forces upon a person.    

Science and Spirituality

Curiosity is the heart of exploration and the muurun embody it fully. Their incessant desire to know more compels them to study things in great detail. The lucky ones become satisfied, and so look elsewhere for different entertainment. Others remain hungry and so study, study, and study more. Scholars, warriors, artisans; it matters not, for they all feel compelled to push their boundaries. The scientific method is merely one way of doing so, albeit one that provides reliable reproduction and record for others to study upon themselves.   Perhaps, unsurprisingly so, explorers, scholars, inventors, and similarly challenging intellectual fields are popular among the muurun. Aggravating just as much, for not all curiosity is easily sated nor are answers found. The usefulness of such roles always wax and wane in migratory lifestyle, so they often blend together with other professions. Something that suits the muurun well, though city-dwellers tend to obsessively specialize when given the chance.   Where the likes of the unanswerable mysteries, and things beyond knowing, are concerned, the muurun don't agitate themselves too much. In part due to their physical-minded ways, recognizing their limits is a very real and practical concern. They'll still mess around with the unknown quite frequently, though, making spiritual beings somewhat leery about interacting with them.      

Psychology

Rest and Sleep

It can be difficult finding rest for a people often used to confrontation and danger. Muurun awareness is usually on a hair trigger, ready to respond to any threats or surprises. While places of safety help, such relaxation can struggle to reach a truly restful state. It is more a difference between 'doing something' and 'waiting to do something'. While perhaps comparable to anxiety after a fashion, and closer to the baarham than dragons, this awareness is not inherently distressing. It simply means more work must be done to quiet it down for actual relaxing rest.   As such, security both real and imagined are very important for the muurun. Their first concepts of a 'guard' are often syntactically intertwined with 'sleep' and 'watcher'. Such ideas are synonymous with trust, for the muurun must trust whoever watches over them while they sleep explicitly. While everyone might understand that idea to an extent, they perhaps do not fully comprehend the gesture's significance in a muurun context. One of the highest positions of honor to obtain involves being a sleep guard quite often.   To an extent, aromatic herbs can help sooth muurun to sleep. A famous expression that often arises in all their cultures is the power of a loved one's scent. Whether cuddling them directly or hoarding something covered in their pheromones, it has a massively powerful calming effect on a muurun when trying to sleep. Some of the most blissful sleep possible for them happens as a result of such aromatic companionship.    

Consciousness and Thought

The muurun mind cognates with the gracefulness of three-dimensional awareness and predatory senses. It paints an accurate, trustworthy understanding of their environment that relies heavily upon all their senses. Vision is a great component, but their grasp of most everything around them can seem almost like an entire sense unto itself. So it is, it's rather difficult to ambush a muurun who is paying attention.   Some mistake this awareness as a kind of enhanced cognition, but that isn't true. A closer, more natural practice with one sense's and how to use them does capture the idea better. A human martial artist who has spent decades practicing can, in theory, match the awareness level of an average muurun warrior; even exceed them, in some cases.   This is most notable in that the general cadence of muurun thought—acquiring information, conceptualizing meaning, translating into output—is on par with most other species. It leads many to a strange misconception of muurun reacting to information faster than normal, when really it's simply instinctual behavior triggering. In the realms of abstraction and complexity, they may visualize a mental image easier, but working through the thought is what it is.    

Motivation and Emotion

There are some arguments if curiosity is, itself, simply a manifestation of the muurun desire for 'play'. The simplicity of the term being one thing, it does broadly capture the muurun desire for engagement, fun, and triumph of a sort. Unsurprisingly often intertwined with their love of sports activities, hard work resulting in worthwhile reward is the distilled essence of it all. While not dissimilar to something like human motivation, the muurun's physical capability means their definitions are decidedly different.   Yet, play itself is just a component of a more complex emotional webwork. The desire for family, their safety, their proximity, one's recognition within the family, one's grandeur from personal accomplishment, etc, all become part of a muurun's sense of self and pride. For a people who can take physical punishment and shrug it off like nothing, insulting such things can lead to explosively deadly outcomes. In many ways, their public face and honor are grave matters of import and not lightly insulted.    

Sexuality and Love

While bisexuality itself is a general norm across Veltrona, the muurun have a greater variance due to their innate gender imbalance. Generally, men rely more heavily upon each other for romantic needs, while women face pressures to ensure the bloodlines continue properly. Often, the muurun are under heavy scrutiny by their tribe or local culture, which creates a divide between migratory and sedentary muurun who end up with very different ideas on the matter. In a sense, 'society/familial responsibility' is where contention centers upon.   It is an often ironic, as much as painful, subject between the individualistic muurun and the culture they live within. Most compromise with the concept of 'once obligation is fulfilled, I can do whatever I want' to varying degrees of success. There are those who staunchly reject treating themselves in such a manner, which is where unrest boils over. Whether it be compromising in another way, or even leaving the tribe behind, such issues are a constant sore spot.      

Society

Social Mannerisms

Respect—and honor often by association—is an incredibly prevalent aspect of muurun social behavior. By respecting others, they themselves are respected, creating a self-feeding cycle that doesn't offend pride nor honor. Various permutations of this idea exist, but a knowledgeable sort pay attention to it where the muurun are concerned. More than one diplomatic incident has happened when a slight passed by under breath and a muurun demanded a duel to settle the wrong. Of course, duel for them is more 'ritualized beat down' than something formally lethal, but confusion abounds sometimes.   Confrontation is not an evil idea to the muurun, and it often runs paw-in-paw with solution-oriented thinking. Many of life's problems are to be tackled head on, and if they can't be, then prepared for in some manner. Some might regard the muurun as lacking empathy in some contexts, but it is not as if they cannot listen or simply vent frustration. They do prefer to take action whenever possible, and the concept of 'waiting' can be aggravating to them. In a way, it does emphasize the earnesty of their passions and commitment, especially wherever loved ones are concerned.   In such a light, perhaps the often explosively eventful muurun cultures make more sense. If propriety itself becomes a means of oppression, they will despise and violently overthrow it. If honor becomes a chain used by tyrants, they will shatter it without question. Yet, at the same time, they'll honor agreements even from generations ago and see that no untoward disrespect happens. For some, it seems paradoxical if not outright contradictory, yet follows a consistent sense the muurun understand well.   Perhaps nothing shows this better than the muurun regard for the infirm, disabled, and otherwise misfortunate among them. While everyone must, by necessity, contribute to the good of the tribe, that contribution comes in many different forms. Food and defense are easy ones to point toward, but ideas like cultural teachings, socialization, knowledge retention, and many other facets elude any effort to categorize them. To even attempt doing so is, itself, incredibly inappropriate.   Instead, the muurun shoulder and support their less fortunate, treating them no less respectfully than they would any other. It is inconceivable to their minds to be disrespectful or even disregarding of such people out of pawhand. Certainly as people are concerned, some will not like each other and such ideas, but that is a matter of person to person, nothing more.    

Gender

Gender among the muurun is a complex topic due to their innate imbalance of generally one-to-two female/male. When compounded by women usually giving birth to two-to-three offspring at a time, a number of dynamics have arisen. The center of power, be it literal, political, or otherwise, normally rests in the pawhands of muurun women. The matriarchal heads and primary keepers of lineage, property, and wealth, it is by their whims if a man deserves to marry, romance, or otherwise, with them. Thus, the onus is commonly on men to prove their worthiness, and with so much more of them, the competition can be fierce.   This underpinning defines muurun cultures at large: the women hold the means of power and men participate at their whim. An inequality that has long been their traditional ways. While men can and do make headway in some areas, there is the constant shadow of them doing so either to impress women for marriage, or at the behest of a woman (typically a family member) to garner prestige on her behalf. It's often difficult for them to stand on their own accomplishments, for even if they are, others paint presumption upon them.   Matters complicate further when the topic of interspecies or bi/homosexual relations are concerned. It's quite common for men seeking romantic fulfillment to turn to each other, or barring that, the women of other species. In some cultures, its created a divide where women and men tend to their own spheres of influence, but only really come together for procreational purposes. These cases tend to be extreme outliers, but it does put the breadth of things into perspective. For muurun men, proving themselves worthy or finding another way are often their only choices. For muurun women, continuing the family line and, especially, bearing daughters is of utmost import.   Navigating such demands is the constant struggle their people face.    

Kinship and Ethnicities

Ethnic identity among the muurun is normally identified by two parts: fur pattern / color, and the 'accent' of their purr / voice. Given how many tribes follow a migratory lifestyle, there can also be an element of knowledge about critical details that are passed down in the tribe. The muurun are, however, not generally xenophobic, so their ethnic identifications are a lot more flexible. Other factors, like men commonly going out of the tribe for marriage, means they may have blood ties to a lot more people than even they fully know. Anaxials, or even other species who may have joined the tribe, usually have to identify through means of clothing or iconic wear.   Rivalry among the muurun tribes themselves tends to be more of a direct issue. That is, flying tribal colors and identity near a rival means the two are bound to collide in some form. While it always depends on how severe such a rivalry is, most resolve it through competition of some form or another. It's rare for open bloodshed to happen, as it can drag the tribes into war very easily. Understanding the risks, elders in the tribe are quite stern on warning the hotblooded youngsters about starting something.   More often than not, if one can speak the language of the muurun and get on with their sentiments, they're often considered friendly, if not part of the group as a whole.    

Governments and Politics

Functionally, muurun tribes operate on something resembling a representative system: veterans, socially prominent figures, and other influence-holding persons attract similar people under their umbrella. These significant figures collect the opinions and votes of those who trust them, then bring it to the central leadership. This method works well in the larger tribes, where potentially hundreds or thousands of representatives may be at work. As is often the case, anyone can become a representative leader, they just need the votes of confidence from enough people to do so.   Generally, the tribe itself subdivides into various clans, which then manage their own affairs from top-to-bottom. These smaller administrative units let them effectively handle their needs, while also creating identity politics within the greater tribe. It often engenders volatile situations, especially when competition is the only resolution possible. Clans, however, will set aside their disagreements when outside threats face the tribe as a whole. Those that don't will soon find themselves without a tribe otherwise.   For practical purposes, as much as the sheer accomplishment (or ego), a singular leader is often chosen; typically, a tribe khanum. Her principle job is to manage the representatives and heads of family, keeping them all in line and getting things done. What other duties she takes on differs from tribe-to-tribe: a spiritual leader, a war heroine, an accomplished philosopher, etc. Even in the same tribe, each generation of khanum can be very different from the other. The singularly important part is that everyone is willing to put weight behind her decisions. When they are not, the unity of the tribe can be paralyzed.   But, if there's nothing muurun love more, it's a good reason to have a fight over something.    

Trade and Economics

While lacking the benefits of static industry, the muurun tribes' sense of innovation and functional usefulness means they're not slouches by any measure. As is often the case, entire families and specific persons within them have cultured all sorts of practical knowledge through the generations, iterating on one idea or another. Skatars is one such innovation commonly pointed toward, as it may have arisen from a children's toy that was amplified for greater usage. Medicine is another such innovation as muurun healers have frighteningly deep knowledge on a vast array of herbs and materials.   The core issue remains that since there is no large, unified industry turning this knowledge to product, everything is pawhand crafted by artisans. Their quality varies, even if it is often good, and they're limited to the whims of whatever artisan is making something. Money, as a concept, is of often limited usefulness, so favors or materials are the currency of choice. Bartering, as a whole, is the lifeblood of the muurun tribes, and one's reputation is the bank by which they can do business.   When the tribes migrate toward or near settlements, they can often end up disrupting the economy in unexpected ways. Since they care more about material goods than money, the transfer thereof is the most important aspect. When needs are more pressing than wants, they may end up trading away more valuable but useless materials in exchange for what they need. Small villages and hamlets have, on the occasion, blown up with incredibly monetary value by engaging in such trade. Which then wreaks havoc on the currency economy of their own broader civilization.    

Interspecies Relations

To say the muurun can be contentious is an understatement. Their forward, and often uncompromising, attitude easily offends and rankles the sensibilities of many other cultures. Those especially reliant on hierarchical piety, such as the nebusah, especially find it it aggravating. In many ways a freedom loving people, the muurun despise that which demands them bend the knee, or become subservient. Many queens throughout the ages have found more than one of their socially-stratified cultures undergoing revolution because of muurun sentiment.   It can be of no surprise that most sources with noble ties (either literally or financially) decry the muurun as agents of chaos, barbarian, destructive, and many other derogatory terms. Those closer in understanding, and benefiting from their strength of spirit, often look upon them favorably instead. Wherever they go, trouble of some form is bound to follow. Those who are worthy may yet find themselves coming out ahead in such circumstances.   The historic tensions between the individualistic muurun and pack-oriented nebusah are perhaps, fairly understandable. Humanity is a species that loves as much hates the muurun, and the two have a turbulent and 'very fun' history together as well. The likes of the baarham and dragons tend to be enemies, if only because those have stronger, dominating ways that don't mesh with the muurun. They do, however, get on quite well with the shermadi and larmedi, who tend to rule their aquatic domains. Since the muurun themselves don't live in water, they don't really have direct conflict, and the two frequently establish relations of some kind.      

Associated Articles

Notable Civilizations

Sa-kemet Tribes

 

Notable Characters

Tafsalam'a, the Great Khanum

Kosark

   

Design Notes