Alaghi

Alaghi tend to be shy and peaceful and kill only for food. They can both move silently and can hide in natural surroundings well. They are capable warriors, however, and fight with great cunning if attacked or panicked. An alaghi’s huge, muscular fists can decent damage. A typical alaghi hunter or warrior carries a stone knife or hand axe, and three or four wooden javelins that the creature can hurl with great force. If forced into combat, a group of alaghi scatters and hides. Thereafter, the individuals come out of hiding one at a time to hurl missiles or melee while their fellows circle to the rear, moving silently

Most alaghi are semi-nomadic huntergatherers who travel as small families. They are usually encountered on the move, but when encountered in an encampment, a group of alaghi has up to 3 youngsters. These youngster’s combat ability, however, is limited to normal pummeling or wrestling attacks. Very rarely, 15-20 alaghi lay permanent claim to a particularly bountiful area and settle down to live in crude huts or large cave complexes. Such communities are always led by an elder more than 100 years old who has the ability to cast spells related to plants, animals, healing and divination. Such communities are generally feared and mistrusted, for the individuals in them begin to show unwholesome traits. Although willing to trade pelts, game, and ores for manufactured goods, sedentary alaghi do not hesitate to slay and eat unwary traders or travelers in their midst. Even more rare are the hermitic alaghi. These hermits are adults at least 50 years old. They are solitary vegetarians and philosophers and follow the path or the druids. Though shy, they are curious and helpful, and they love riddles and games of strategy, such as chess, which they play mentally. A human or demihuman who can beat an alaghi hermit at chess is rare indeed. All alaghi speak their own language of hisses, hoots, and grunts. Sedentary alaghi also speak common and usually the language of any creatures living nearby. Alaghi hermits are loquacious if befriended and can speak with any woodland creature or animal and several other languages as well. 

 Nomadic alaghi travel throughout most of the year, going wherever the game and wild plants provide the best living. In places where the winters are cold, these alaghi winter in natural caves or protected valleys. Nomadic alaghi do not necessarily live in harmony with nature, but they respect it and know how to use it without destroying it. Sedentary alaghi live much like primitive humans, but they tend to be greedy and are quite capable of depleting the resources around them to the point which their communities must resort to raiding to survive. Hermitic alaghi live in complete harmony with nature and are always on good terms with their woodland neighbors.