that some parents irresponsibly leave their unwanted children out for slavers to take • Many Prajalu feel that the Dragon Kings Bhayan or Arjaloras will return to take all their peoples away with them to the heavens beyond Khitus Watu Watu are a distinct Pachyaur subrace with mildly different physiology and its own unique culture As a slave-owning, agricultural society, the Watu dominate the verdant plains and forests of the eastern Equatorial Basin, closest to the Old Countries and the Krikis Hivelands The most common Pachyaur for humans to meet face to face is a Watu Watu are arrogant by Pachyaur standards They view themselves as the dominant, superior culture, deeming their Brachachon neighbors foolish for not engaging in the lucrative, agriculturally necessary slave trade Watu teach their young from birth that their culture’s destiny is to one day dominate the entire equatorial band of Khitus, which they will turn into a gardened paradise of fat, rich shamabas between verdant forests Any slave races will be relegated to the polar regions to toil against the ice and rocks and supply labor for their Watu masters Physiology & Appearance Other than the differences noted below, Watu appear similar to other pachyaur Of course, the Watu insist they are far from normal Watu are recognized from afar by their darker hides and wider ears Watu coloration ranges from gray tinged with a slight-olive green to a rich, charcoal, sometimes with streaks of lighter gray along the back and foreshoulders, and possibly a swath of near-white along the underbelly A Wat’s ears are thin and wide enough that they cannot be pulled completely flat against its head, leaving ears forever at the mercy of the breeze Compared with its Brachachon kin, Watu shoulders and back are wide and flat, a physiological characteristic that makes it easier for them to carry objects there without lashing them in place; a Wat pachyaura’s arms can reach behind to hold cargo on its back “in place,” as well Older Watu grow hair along their sides and bellies, which they often cut or braid to keep it out of the way History Since the schism among the Pachyaur that splintered them into Brachachon and Watu factions, all pachyesh histories either seek to rationalize slavery or demonize 76 it while simultaneously lauding the accomplishments of the Pachyaur While each bwasana’s collective remembers its own individual history, there are still shared legends and myths that underscore the foundations upon which Watu society rests Watu legend provides a cautionary tale reinforcing handling slaves with unwavering strength In the ancient times of the early Classic Age, Beberu was a bwasana especially lenient with her slaves She employed few kenyaga, tolerated gaiety and sloth among her slaves, and left many of the responsibilities of her shamaba’s administration to the more learned among them In time, slaves staged mass escapes, leaving Beberu’s shamaba, without laborers, to its failure Beberu and her entire family group died in poverty More elaborate recountings of the Beberu legend suggest that her escaped slaves populated the rest of Khitus with humans and the other races, where it was presumably devoid of such creatures previously Thus, most Watu see their own activities less as active slaving and more as “property reclamation and restoration.” Ranks & Types While Watish society shares the same distinctions and matrilineal organizations as the Pachyaur of old, there are a number of additional distinctions useful in their slave-based society Like other Pachyaur, the bwasana, or matriarch, manages the shamaba (see “Customs & Culture” below), making core decisions on what crops to embrace, details of the harvests, constructing buildings and walls, and acquiring and dispersing slave laborers Lower females tend to the operational details, such as processing, storage, and transport of materials, general provisioning, maintenance, and so on Males gain rank by their prowess in battle or as breeding stock As there are only so many positions needed for fighters and fathers, many male Watu become either slaving caravan drovers and organizers or wanderers in other lands away from their home shamabas Warriors & Protectors Bwasana employ male warriors to protect their shamaba and keep order Among these warriors are mercenary kanyaga, known among humans as tramplers They specialize in using their enormous bulk and powerful legs to crush smaller foes, a skill especially useful against massed formations of vidijo troops While often unnecessary, some kanyaga choose to wear metal-reinforced boots to make their trample attacks more painful or devastating to those in their path