Character Summary: Kalu

This is a race of the "Venture" series. Below is a general overview of the race.

Appearance

The Kalu are comparatively smaller than other races, usually not exceeding 6 feet tall, but no less capable than other races. Their eyes are completely red or black, and their skin is usually a grey or black colour. A certain cannibalistic tribe of Kalu known as the "Kashikiri" (A word from an old Kalu dialect meaning "pure") retain the bat-like appearance of their ancestors. Most Kalu have a natural hair colour of black or grey. A popular fashion among Kalu females is to wear feathers in their hair.

Origin

The Kalu are a very cultured and often curious race deeply mired in ancient tradition and politics. Their ancestors resembled feathered bats, known as Kalu'vinn (A phrase from a Kalu dialect meaning "The People Before"). These Kalu'vinn could fly and hunted in hordes, often preying upon weaker Kalu'vinn swarms. Many weaker hordes began hiding in caves and on the surface. Eventually, evolution traded the Kalu'vinn's wings for tools more suited to a life on the surface: arms and longer legs. The fighting between hordes never stopped, however. Kaluva lacks an abundance of species, and the Kalu, traditionally being carnivores, often found themselves consuming the flesh of other Kalu. This practice was abolished by the Vard and remained so after the liberation of Kaluva, but not all Kalu factions approved of this.

Factions

In order to be anything on Kaluva, a Kalu must become a member of a faction. Each faction has very different morals and beliefs, which often leads to conflict amongst Kalu officials. Most Kalu factions have willingly disposed of their violent, cannibalistic past, substituting armed conflicts for political debates, or even strategic war simulations. Either way, the wisest faction typically comes out on top. Despite the successfulness of these nonviolent resolutions the largest and most powerful faction among the Kalu remains the Kashikiri. They do not abide by these peaceful means of negotiation, and have forcefully made their way to the top influentially. Still the traditionalist cannibals that their ancestors were, these Kalu remove their competition from power by force, and no other faction is powerful enough to stop them. Thus, many Kalu factions have little choice but to comply with the Kashikiri when they get involved.

Diplomacy

Despite their poor reputation, the Jincar have made many attempts to resolve their disagreements with the Kalu over the years to little avail. Though the official language of Kaluva is Kalu'shoski (The People's Voice), many different factions choose to speak their own dialects, making communication between Jincar and other factions problematic (with over one hundred factions on Kaluva, it is virtually impossible to learn each and every dialect in use today). A diplomacy effort lead by Jessan Vos, the Jincari Emperor's third son, is currently underway on Kaluva, though very little positive progress has yet been made.