Helakans

Half Nāktihariks

by

Finley Vorden

The horns, vibrant skin hues, and occasional tails of Helakans are the visible markers of an ancient pact struck with Ytīa. Some eight centuries past, when famine had ravaged the northern territories for nearly a decade, Helakan ancestors, then indistinguishable from Ārdans, faced extinction.

With crops failing and children starving, their tribal leaders performed a forbidden ritual to contact the only deity who had not yet abandoned them. The bargain was brutally simple: Ytīa would end the famine, bringing fertility back to their lands. In exchange, every seventh child born would belong to her.

When the ritual concluded, the rains came. Crops flourished overnight; but every participant in the ritual transformed, their new appearance marking them and their descendants forever.

Perhaps as a result, the Helakan fixation on explicit consent is all-consuming. A Helakan won't even borrow your quill without clearly stated terms. The phrase “may I have your permission to...” practically functions as their cultural greeting.

With lifespans of 80-100 years, Helakans often find kinship with Ofydiks (who know how it feels to be judged by appearance), and form careful alliances with Ārdans who've moved beyond cultural biases.

• Folk Talent - Ancestral Power: Once per Sequence, you may roll Power with a +2 for a single roll.
• Folk Talent - Heat Resistance: You take half damage (rounded up) from fire-based attacks and ignore environmental heat effects.
• Folk Talent - Horned Defense: Once per Rotation, when you successfully Endure an attack, you may immediately make a Might attack with your horns against your attacker (if they’re within Close range).