17 Adventures on TSCHfU by Steve Winter and Forrest Johnson In the years 1968-70 Jack Vance a crystal which grows only in the uran­ swords, spears, and so on. In addition, wrote four books - City of the Chasch, ium-rich soil of the Carabas. A full there are at least two weapons peculiar Servants of the Wankh, Vie Dirdir, and nodule yields 282 sequins. to Tschai: The Pnume. These are two-fisted adven­ A sequin's value is determined by its Hand Catapults. These are basically ture stories set on the planet Tschai. color. Immature crystals are clear, and upgraded slingshots, firing feathered They are full of aliens and exotica, larded progress through the colors of the spec­ bolts. Treat a catapult as a sporting cross­ with violence and well-nigh choked with trum as the node matures. Once harvest­ bow. detail . . . in short, perfect for Traveller. ed, sequins do not change in color. Clears, Sand Blasts. A sand blast accelerates therefore, are the basic value sequin. electrostatically-charged grains of sand to Tschai is 212 light years from Earth. Values of the other colors are: near-light speeds. Treat as a light machine It was, amazingly enough, discovered 1 Milk = 5 clears gun, but weight is double. during the initial period of Solomani 1 Sard (light blue) = 10 clears exploration. Even more amazingly, one 1 Blue = 20 clears expedition member, Adam Reith, sur­ 1 Emerald = 25 clears vived and returned to Earth. A second 1 Scarlet = 50 clears expedition was planned, but the First 1 Purple = 100 clears Interstellar War intervened and the pre­ 1 Bice = Fragment, 1/6 cise location of Tschai, with many other of a clear records, was lost during the hostilities. The economy is not controlled in any It is generally presumed to lie somewhere way. Anyone may enter the Carabas, rimward of Earth. or Black Zone, and harvest chrysophine Tschai's profile is 967670. It orbits nodules if they can (a) locate the nodules a K2 star, and has two small moons, among the gullies and rocky hummocks called Az and Braz by the natives. There of the Carabas and (b) escape or evade are a number of starports on Tschai — the Dirdir hunting parties from the camp Hei and Ao Hidis must be reckoned as at Khusz. An average day in the zone nets Class A - but none are open to strangers. a group about 400 sequins. In fact, it is not even safe to orbit the Prices on Tschai are variable. If a buy­ planet. For each day in orbit, roll two er looks wealthy, the price goes up. The dice; on 8+ someone has fired 1-6 nuclear following is offered as a general guide: sfcMP*LA' missiles at die ship, a token of Tschai Decent meal: 1 sequin. hospitality. Frugal lodging: 5 sequins/day. Tschai is the home world (and presum­ Simple durable clothing: 10 sequins. ably the only world) of the Pnume, who Sailing ship passage: 4 sequins/day. still live in secret cities beneath its surface. Caravan passage: 1 sequin/3 km. About 7 million years ago, it was con­ Unskilled labor: 4-6 sequins/day. quered by the Shiwan, followed by the Devices of tech level 7 or higher will Gjee, the Fesa, the Hsi, and so on. Noth­ be of alien manufacture, expensive when ing remains of these races but ruins. available at all. Obvious off-world tech­ The oldest invading race still on Tschai nology will arouse wonder and suspicion. is the Old Chasch, which has been there for a mere 100,000 years. There also exist Weapons colonies of Blue Chasch, Dirdir and Wankh. An uneasy peace prevails. Gunpowder is rare on Tschai. Aliens

8. Wankh 9. Humans Events DMs: Kislovan+1 Kachan/Rakh/Vord +2 Charchan +3 There will be 1-6 passengers. If the race is Parties travelling on Tschai should check the Ocean alien, on 7+ there will also be 1-6 passengers of following tables daily: 1. Nothing 5. Pirates a servant race. 2. Nothing 6. Storm Aliens. 1-6 Pnume, Chasch, Dirdir or Wankh. Steppe Jungle 3. Nothing 7. Settlement If the party is trespassing, they will attempt to 1. Settlement 1. Heat 4. Air/Raft 8. Wankh detain on 5+, otherwise ignoring on 4+. 2. Nomads 2. Animal Encounter DMs: Seacoast+1 Chasms. This terrain is completely impass­ 3. Air/Raft 3. Marshmen Kachan/Rakh/Vord Seacoast +2 able to ground travel. It will take all day to go 4. Animal Encounter 4. Ruins around. 5. Storm 5. Settlement City Dirdir Hunting Party. 3-5 Dirdir, attack on 6. Ruins 6. River 1. Slavers 5. Servant Race 4+. 7. Green Chasch 7. Swamp 2. Thieves 6. Aliens Green Chasch. The party encounters a tribe 8. Green Chasch DMs: Seacoast+1 3. Police 7. Aliens of Green Chasch. Roll for reaction at -2. DMs: Dead Steppe+2 4. Patron 8. Aliens Gullies. This terrain is highly eroded. Halve DMs: Alien City+2 travel distance today. Desert Heat. The jungle is even more sweltering 0. Settlement 6. Gullies than usual today. Each character must roll en­ 1. Ruins 7. Dirdir Hunting Party Explanation durance or less on two dice or become pros­ 2. Chasms 8. Dirdir Hunting Party trate. DMs: Medic, Survival. 3. Air/Raft 9. Prospectors Air/Raft. An air/raft is flying in view. It Marshmen. 10-60 marshmen lie in wait with 4. Storm DMs: Seacoast: -1 will investigate a spacecraft on 5+, otherwise their spears and clubs. 5. Animal Encounter Carabas +3 passing by on 4+. Check for occupants: Nomads. The party encounters a nomadic 1. Blue Chasch tribe. Roll for reaction. Mountains 2. Blue Chasch Patron. Someone attempts to hire the party. 1. Animal Encounter 5. Chasms 3. Dirdir Check Book 3, p. 22, or 76 Patrons. 2. Settlement 6. Storm 4. Dirdir Pirates. A galley with 10-60 crew attempts 3. Ruins 7. Snow 5. Dirdir to overtake the vessel. It will attack on 11+ if 4. Gullies 6. Humans the potential victim is obviously well-armed, DMs: +1 if north of Jalkh or south of Hei 7. Humans otherwise on 5+. Police. 1-6 local police, armed with cata­ pults and swords, attempt to interrogate the Encounters party. Roll for reaction. Prospectors. The party encounters 1-3 humans who are looking for sequins. Roll for Steppe reaction. River. A river obstructs ground travel. Roll Animal Weight Hits Wounds Weapons Armor Reaction 8+ hourly to find a ford. Ruins. The party finds a ruined city. Roll 1.1 Intimidator 400 21/10 11 claws none A7F9S2 for origin: 2.20 Grazers 200 15/ 9 6 hooves none F6A10S1 -1. Wankh 7. Old Chasch 3.1 Hunter 50 19/ 5 1/3 hooves/teeth cloth A8F5S2 0. Wankh 8. Old Chasch 4.10 Pouncers 25 13/ 8 4/3 claws/teeth none A4F6S3 1. Humans 9. Blue Chasch 5.12 Nighthounds 100 17/12 5/4 hands/teeth mesh A8F7S2 2. Unknown 10. Dirdir 6.1 Killer 100 22/ 6 8/8 claws/teeth mesh A3F9S2 3. Pnume 11. Dirdir 4. Humans 12. Humans Jungle 5. Unknown 13. Unknown 6. Pnume 14. Pnume 1.12 Gatherers 6 6/10 3 as body pistol none A6F7S3 DMs: Kachan/Rakh/Vord -2 2.5 Grazers 25 11/10 5 teeth none F7A6S1 Kotan +3 3.1 Filter 1 1/ o 1 teeth cloth A9F9S1 Kislovan +8 4. 1 Trapper 12 6/10 6 as blade none A5F7S2 A solitary Phung will be present on 8+; an 5.8 Nighthounds 100 17/12 5/4 hands/teeth mesh A8F7S2 animal encounter will occur on 11+. 6.3 Amphibious hunters 100 18/ 9 5 teeth none A8F4S1 Servant Race. 1-6 Pnumekin, Chaschmen, Dirdirmen or Wankhmen. If the party is tres­ Desert passing, they will attempt to detain on 6+, otherwise ignoring on 4+. 1.1 Trapper 12 10/ 7 8 teeth none A4F2S1 Settlement. Here is a town of 100-600 souls. 2.10 Flying sirens 3 6/ 1 2 as dagger none A5F2S1 Alien on 10+. 3.13 Intimidatois 6 5/12 3/1 teeth/hooves none A8F6S3 Slavers. A gang of 2-12 slavers eyes the 4.4 Hunters 25 10/12 7 stinger none A7F9S2 party as potential merchandise. 5.10 Nighthounds 100 17/12 5/4 hands/ teeth mesh A8F7S2 Snow. Heavy snow delays ground travel. 6.8 Eaters 3 5/ 3 4 stinger none A6F10S1 Halve travel distance for today. Storm. Swirling winds buffet the party for Mountain 1 die x 8 hours. Ground and air travel are im­ possible. At sea, the captain must roll 6+ to 1. 1 Grazer 1600 29/ 5 17/12 hooves/ teeth none F9A11S1 avoid damage to his vessel. If he misses by 2 2.22 Grazers 6 6/ 5 1 hooves none F6A12S2 or more, there is a shipwreck. DMs: Water Craft. 3.5 Hunters 50 18/ 7 2 teeth none A9F9S1 Swamp. The ground here is very marshy. 4.9 Chasers 50 16/ 7 3/1 claws/teeth none A5F8S3 Halve travel distance today. 5.10 Nighthounds 100 17/12 5/4 hands/ teeth mesh A8F7S2 Thieves. 1-6 thieves attempt to rob or swin­ 6.2 Intermittants 100 17/ 6 7 stinger jack A7F3S2 dle the party. Wankh. A Wankh is observed swimming be­ (Note: Nighthounds can occur in any terrain. They are nocturnal, wolf-like creatures closely low the surface with water jets. He will ignore related to the Pnume. Nighthounds can be recognized by their characteristic wailing.) the party in 3+. iy

Here are the races of Tschai ... the Pnume, Phung, Old Chasch, Blue Chasch. Green Chasch. Dirdir. and Wankh. A UPP is given for each. The UPP may be used directly if it is necessary to generate a Peoples of Tschai character in a hurry; otherwise it may be used to obtain die modifiers for charac­ ter generation. For example, the Pnume as patrons or as enemies. Hoch Hars. Tech 1. A primitive people have an average strength of A, so give a Some of the aliens have servant races who live east of Cath and hate all Yaos, generated Pnume character a +3 modi­ of humans, inbred over the millenia to ostensibly for having destroyed the an­ fier for strength. (A = 10. 10 - 7 = 3.) resemble their masters. There are many cient Hoch Har empire. If this process results in a characteristic other races of men on Tscahi. The major Lokhars. Tech 4. People of central less than 1, raise it to 1. ones include: Kachan. The men dye their skin black The given tech level is the level each Nomads. Tech 1. Their tribes ride end­ and their hair white, the women the op­ race maintains on Tschai; home planet lessly across the steppes. Some are canni­ posite. Many are employed by the Wankh tech levels are higher. Tech levels vary a bals; all practice banditry. Tribes include as technicians. good deal because of trade. The tech lev­ Xiss, Emblem Men, Yellow-Blacks, Mad Dugbos. Tech 1. A ragged, gypsy-like el of the Pnume is unknown because the Axes, and Kite Fighters. people said to have psychic powers. Pnume are a mysterious race, and it is Marshmen. Tech 0. A dwarfish, yellow Khors. Tech 3. A strange, slender, hard to tell the full extent of their re­ people who live among the reeds. They al­ mustard-yellow people living in north sources. ways attack if surprise is possible, and the Kislovan. Khors wear black gowns and The listed skills are those a typical in­ enemy is not too numerous. tall hats. They follow rigid customs and dividual might have -- the civilized spe­ Grays. Tech 3. A widespread, stocky, taboos. In combat, they throw iron darts. cies have a considerable variety of skills yellow-gray race. Grays tend to be tol­ Thangs. Tech 4. An avaricious people available. erant, commercially-minded and rather of northwest Kislovan. They consider Note that some of the listed aliens - fatalistic. cheating and deception normal business particularly the Phung and Green Chasch Yaos. Tech 6. The most technically practices. Their greatest town is Urmank. — are not suitable for player characters. advanced humans of Tschai. Yaos are the Kabs. Tech 5. A slender, alert people Also, no Pnume, Chasch, Dirdir, or predominant race of Cath. They are ob­ of southern Charchan. They have brown Wankh is likely to deal with humans as sessed with elaborate etiquette and punc­ hair, wide cheekbones, and black eyes. as equal unless he is himself an outcast or tilio. It is dreadfully easv to offend a Their thieves are deft; their marital cus­ fugitive. Aliens will appear more often Yao. toms, bizarre and dangerous. \ 1 The Pnume GPP: A78688 concealed passages and immense cham­ Population: 150-160,000 bers is a society complete with industry Tech Level: Unknown and trade. Pnume society is secretive and Skills: Rccon -2, Leader -1, Admin. -1 stratified; an individual's knowledge de­ Special: Bare hands treated as club, skin pends on his social standing. The Pnume as mesh. Because of their decentralized rarely carry (or need) weapons. nervous system, Pnume cannot be The Pnume are obsessed with history. knocked unconscious, only killed. They observe everything, frequently seiz­ ing "exhibits" for their museum, Forever- ness, which details seven million years of The Pnume are natives of Tschai. They Tschai history. Restraint and unobtrusive- are about two meters tall and slightly ness are primary Pnume virtues. They built, though quite heavy (100 kg). Their have one-track minds, and no amount of white, expressionless faces are the cast reasoning or pleading will sway a Pnume and color of a horse's skull, with compli­ from its purpose. Captive enemies are cated rasping and chewing parts beneath. dropped into deep pits, if they are not A Pnumc's legs are jointed the reverse of needed as crystallized exhibits in Forever- a human's. Traditionally, Pnume dress is ness. a black cloak and floppy black broad- Pnumekin, humans living among the brimmed hat. The Pnume are closely re­ Pnume (UPP: 687744), have evolved psy­ lated to nighthounds (see Animal Encoun­ chologically toward the Pnume, They are ters) and to Phung (see below). The three introverted, timid, fearful of open spaces, creatures appear to be physically similar fatalistic and naive. Diko, a hormone sup­ and mutually tolerant, but the exact re­ pressant which prevents the onset of pu­ lationship is unclear. berty, is a regular part of their diet. They The Pnume live in a network of under­ scrupulously avoid "boisterous activity," ground tunnels and subterranean rivers which includes physical contact, noise, crisscrossing the entire subsurface of sudden movements and being seen with­ Tschai. Within these dimly-lit corridors, out a hat. iy

Here are the races of Tschai . . . the Pnume, Phung, Old Chasch, Blue Chasch, Green Chasch. Dirdir, and Wankh. A UPP is given for each. The UPP may be used directly if it is necessary to generate a Peoples of Tschai character in a hurry; otherwise it may be used to obtain die modifiers for charac­ ter generation. For example, the Pnume as patrons or as enemies. Hoch Hars. Tech 1. A primitive people have an average strength of A, so give a Some of the aliens have servant races who live east of Cath and hate all Yaos, generated Pnume character a +3 modi­ of humans, inbred over the millenia to ostensibly for having destroyed the an­ fier for strength. (A = 10. 10 - 7 = 3.) resemble their masters. There are many cient Hoch Har empire. If this process results in a characteristic other races of men on Tscahi. The major Lokhars. Tech 4. People of central less than 1. raise it to 1. ones include: Kachan. The men dye their skin black The given tech level is the level each Nomads. Tech 1. Their tribes ride end­ and their hair white, the women the op­ race maintains on Tschai; home planet lessly across the steppes. Some are canni­ posite. Many are employed by the Wankh tech levels are higher. Tech levels vary a bals; all practice banditry. Tribes include as technicians. good deal because of trade. The tech lev­ Niss, Emblem Men, Yellow-Blacks, Mad Dugbos. Tech 1. A ragged, gypsy-like el of the Pnume is unknown because the Axes, and Kite Fighters. people said to have psychic powers. Pnume are a mysterious race, and it is Marshmen. Tech 0. A dwarfish, yellow Khors. Tech 3. A strange, slender, hard to tell the full extent of their re­ people who live among the reeds. They al­ mustard-yellow people living in north sources. ways attack if surprise is possible, and the Kislovan. Khors wear black gowns and The listed skills are those a typical in­ enemy is not too numerous. tall hats. They follow rigid customs and dividual might have — the civilized spe­ Grays. Tech 3. A widespread, stocky, taboos. In combat, they throw iron darts. cies have a considerable variety of skills yellow-gray race. Grays tend to be tol­ Tliangs. Tech 4. An avaricious people available. erant, commercially-minded and rather of northwest Kislovan. They consider Note that some of the listed aliens - fatalistic. cheating and deception normal business particularly the Phung and Green Chasch Yaos. Tech 6. The most technically practices. Their greatest town is Urmank. — are not suitable for player characters. advanced humans of Tschai. Yaos are the Kabs. Tech 5. A slender, alert people Also, no Pnume. Chasch, Dirdir, or predominant race of Cath. They are ob­ of southern Charchan. They have brown Wankh is likely to deal with humans as sessed with elaborate etiquette and punc­ hair, wide cheekbones, and black eyes. as equal unless he is himself an outcast or tilio. It is dreadfully easv to offend a Their thieves are deft; their marital cus­ fugitive. Aliens will appear more often Yao. toms, bizarre and dangerous. The Pnume LTP: A78688 concealed passages and immense cham­ Population: 150-160,000 bers is a society complete with industry Tech Level: Unknown and trade. Pnume society is secretive and Skills: Recon -2, Leader -1, Admin. -1 stratified; an individual's knowledge de­ Special: Bare hands treated as club, skin pends on his social standing. The Pnume as mesh. Because of their decentralized rarely carry (or need) weapons. nervous system, Pnume cannot be The Pnume are obsessed with history. knocked unconscious, only killed. They observe everything, frequently seiz­ ing "exhibits" for their museum, Forever- ness, which details seven million years of The Pnume arc natives of Tschai. They Tschai history. Restraint and unobtrusive- are about two meters tall and slightly ness arc primary Pnume virtues. They built, though quite heavy (100 kg). Their have one-track minds, and no amount of white, expressionless faces are the cast reasoning or pleading will sway a Pnume and color of a horse's skull, with compli­ from its purpose. Captive enemies are cated rasping and chewing parts beneath. dropped into deep pits, if they are not A Pnunie's legs are jointed the reverse of needed as crystallized exhibits in Forever- a human's. Traditionally, Pnume dress is ness. a black cloak and floppy black broad- Pnumekin, humans living among the brimmed hat. The Pnume are closely re­ Pnume (UPP: 687744), have evolved psy­ lated to nighthounds (see Animal Encoun­ chologically toward the Pnume, They are ters) and to Phung (see below). The three introverted, timid, fearful of open spaces, creatures appear to be physically similar fatalistic and naive. Diko, a hormone sup­ and mutually tolerant, but the exact re­ pressant which prevents the onset of pu­ lationship is unclear. berty, is a regular part of their diet. They The Pnume live in a network of under­ scrupulously avoid "boisterous activity," ground tunnels and subterranean rivers which includes physical contact, noise, crisscrossing the entire subsurface of sudden movements and being seen with­ Tschai. Within these dimly-lit corridors, out a hat. 20 This map, from the Imperial archives, is said to have been pieced to­ gether from smaller maps brought to Earth by Adam Reith. The original maps were evidently based on a variety of scales and cartographic theor­ TSCHfil: ies. Information taken directly from Adam Reith's memoirs is often vague, contradictory, or incomplete. Some geographical features cannot be located with any accuracy. A comprehensive survey of Tschai is not The Map available. The scale is approximately 1,000 km/hex.

Ferrain Key

Desert Jungle (Av> Mountains Seacoast Steppe/Ocean '*) Old Chasch City NW(6) NE(1)

A> Blue Chasch City W(5) E(2) ' Human City Dirdir City SW(4) SE(3) \®) Wankh City \ 21 Travel on Tschai The chief overland mode of travel is population. through a hole drilled in the skull. A leap- the caravan — consisting of 10-60 motor The standard riding animal is the leap- horse is a gatherer, about 200k, with drays, of which at least 1/6 mount sand horse, a cantankerous creature which horns and armor as jack. blasts. Motor cars and trains are common jumps around on its oversized hind legs. Sailing ships are standard for ocean trav­ in certain limited areas. Air/rafts are al­ To control one of these beasts, it is some­ el. Sometimes motor ships are available. ways scarce, at least among the human times necessary to thrust a control bit

1 l\IVYI 1 1111%i m (hours per hex) Steppe Mountain Desert Jungle Ocean Walking 190 300 220 250 — Leap Horse 150 250 200 220 — Caravan / ATV 20 35 20 75 — Air/Raft 10 14 10 10 10 Sailing Ship — — — — 100 Motor Ship — — — — 30 22 The Phung

UPP: EBC542 tion for their behavior is that all Phung Population: 4-5,000 are totally insane. They usually are seen Tech Level: 0 dancing in and out of shadows, but are Skills: Recon -2, Brawling -2, Survival -2 just as likely to leap into a whirling, thrash­ Special: Bare hands treated as cudgel, ing attack as they are to stand motionless skin as mesh. Phung share the decen­ while they are chopped apart. tralized nervous system of the Pnume. A Phung may pick up a weapon, if They cannot be knocked unconscious, its use is both obvious and imminent. only killed. However, it does not regularly carry wea­ pons, preferring to crush its enemies or Like the Pnume, Phung are native to tear them apart. They can throw rocks at Tschai. They resemble the Pnume in build short or medium range for 4 dice damage. and dress, having a similar, half-human, A Phung is adept at dodging; it is -2 ver­ half-insect appearance, and wearing the sus any missile weapon. usual black cloak and hat. However, they A Phung which encounters a Chasch, are larger than the Pnume, standing over Dirdir, Wankh or human will give some two meters tall, and they wear high boots. thought to killing the prospective victim Their appearance suggests a grasshopper with as much artistry as possible. It will in an assassin's cloak. then confront, terrify and slaughter its Phung are solitary, living in caves and foe, not always in that order. It appears ruins. It is not known how they repro­ to take more pleasure in its victims' fear duce. They appear to be intelligent be­ than in their pain, and does not care at ings, but never communicate with other all for its own safety. creatures and display no rationality or There is no human subspecies associ­ logic. The most widely accepted explana­ ated with the Phung. /JU3 CHfiiSZH Old Chasch

UPP:585778 Once a grand race, the Old Chasch re­ Population: 2-3,000 tain only a shred of their former magnifi­ Tech Level:8 cence. They manufacture drugs and cloth, Skills: Liason -2, Carousing -2 trading them for perfumes and scents. Special: None They love to play pranks on humans. Sometimes they are cruel, sometimes only mischievous. Stories are told of un­ wary travelers with new features grafted on their faces and new memories implant­ ed in their minds. Anyone valuing his san­ Tschai fell under the heel of numerous ity is advised to stay out of the low white off-world invaders before the arrival of domes and parks of the Old Chasch. the Old Chasch 100,000 local years ago, Old Chaschmen (UPP: 758633) are But the Old Chasch have the longest res­ slight and stooped with gray wrinkled idency of all the alien races currently oc­ faces, bulging foreheads, puckered mouths cupying the planet. They spent much of and no chins. They wear false scalps which that time feuding with their cousins, the jut over their brows and rise to a point, Blue Chasch, and later with the Dirdir, simulating the shape of an Old Chasch but they have been no threat to anyone cranium. Their skills are the minimum for 20,000 years. necessary to serve their Old Chasch mas- Old Chasch resemble large silverfish tes as porters, freighthandlers and techni­ with arms and legs. Their skin is like min­ cians. They may be the butt of Old Chasch utely-scaled ivory satin. They have fragile jokes, when other victims are unavailable. bodies and eyes like small silver pellets The Old Chasch live in West Kotan. that move independently. Their only known city is Golsse. 23 Blue Chasch

UPP:758778 still maintain missile pits to threaten their Population: 300400,000 old enemies, the Dirdir. Tech Level: 10 Blue Chasch have a highly developed Skills: Streetwise -2, Laser Pistol -1, ATV sense of smell. With it they can identify -1 men and their possessions and can follow Special: Skin treated as jack a trail if it is less than one day old and doesn't cross water. They use artificial amplifiers to detect fainter traces. The Blue Chasch are at once whimsi­ cal, harsh and devious. They love to bar­ gain, but prefer to cheat. They hate bore­ dom. They entertain themselves by, for Blue Chasch have short heavy legs, a example, putting an enemy in a glass powerful wedge-shaped torso and chitin- maze with a tormented Phung. ous shoulder-plates curving into a dorsal Blue Chaschmen (UPP: 768743) are carapace. Their skull rises to a bony point, short and stocky with bowed legs and with a heavy brow over glittering metallic blunt, chinless faces. They wear Chasch- eyes and a complicated nasal orifice. like skullcaps which rise to a point and The Blue Chasch invaded Tschai 90,000 overhang the brow, and believe them­ local years ago, fighting their racial kin, selves to be the first stage in the Blue the Old Chasch. Since then, their tech­ Chasch life cycle. nology has declined, and they have lost Blue Chasch cities consist of spacious all zest for space travel. However, they do gardens, with low white domes. Green Chasch

UPP: C7A522 Green Chasch broadsword is too heavy Population: 80-100,000 for a human to wield. Tech Level: 1 The life of a Green Chasch is nasty, Skills: Survival -2, Hunting -1, Broad­ brutish and short. A tribe of Green Chasch sword -1, Catapult -1, Recon -1, Tac­ will accept terrible losses in combat, re­ tics -1 treating only when there is no longer any Special: Skin as jack prospect of success. Even when the en­ emy is fleeing, the Chasch will continue to attack out of sheer ferocity. To replace their losses, Green Chasch pilgrimage to a breeding area northwest of Jalkh; during Green Chasch are seven to eight feet this period, they are relatively peaceful. tall, massive and thick-limbed, with clear­ Except for that, Green Chasch seem to ly defined glistening green scales. They take no pleasure in anything but slaughter. have the characteristic jutting brow and Green Chasch are telepathic among pointed scalp of all Chasch. their own kind, giving them superb battle­ Green Chasch are the barbaric descen­ field coordination. They use colored ban­ dants of hybrid warriors brought to Tschai ners to communicate with outsiders, vari­ by the Blue Chasch to serve as shock ous combinations signifying such things troops against the Old Chasch. Harboring as willingness to trade, bloodlust or the a fierce hatred for the Blue Chasch, they desire to pass through quietly. They have roam Kotan in bands of 50 to 1,000, raid­ no language. Green Chasch become le­ ing caravans and human settlements. They thargic at night, but will defend them­ fight from the backs of their giant leap- selves if attacked. horses with broadswords, picks, cross­ There is no human subspecies associ­ bows and the Tschai hand-catapult. A ated with the Green Chasch. 24 The Dirdir UPP:787769 eaten. The victims, often human, are kept Population: 250-350,000 alive until needed for food. They are con­ Tech Level: 11 trolled with electronic pain inducers. Skills: Hunting-2, Brawling-2, Survival-1, In their hunting parks and preserves, Laser Pistol-1, Air/Raft -1 Dirdir hunt unarmed and on foot. Away Special: Claws; skin as jack from their preserves, Dirdir hunt from air/rafts with laser pistols, swords and in­ frared and electronic sniffers. They carry Dirdir average two meters tall, are slight shields which give the same protection as and wiry and move "like lizards on a hot cloth armor. day." Their hard skin has the appearance The principal Dirdir city is Hei, which of polished bone. They have deep-set eyes is connected to the (human) island city in vaguely human faces, and their heads Sivishe by a causeway. At the center of are topped by antennae which glow when Hei is a glass-enclosed park eight km long, they are excited. (These antennae are re­ five km wide and 300 meters high. It is moved if a Dirdir becomes an outcast.) surrounded by spires which house the nu­ The Dirdir came to Tschai 60,000 years merous Dirdir clans and castes and remind ago, during a period of aggressive expan­ them of the hollow-tree dwellings of their sion. They fight occasional skirmishes with home planet Sibol. The park is a hunting Chasch and Wankh patrols, but take more preserve built to simulate Sibol's cool des­ pleasure from searching out hidden Pnume ert environment. Inside, human criminals tunnels and flooding them with poison are hunted in ritual fashion before specta­ gas. tors. Dirdir are descended from carnivore Dirdirmen (UPP: 777767) are tall, pale chaser-killers. Their savage heritage is evi­ and completely hairless. They believe men dent in their ritual hunts. When hunting, and Dirdir are two branches of the same Dirdir become animals; reason is subor­ evolutionary stock, and revere Dirdir as dinated to instinct and aggression. Prey is the higher form. The Wankh UPP:967778 rectangles, each corresponding to a chime. Population: 4-5,000 Humans can learn Wankh only with long Tech Level: 12 and difficult study. No Wankh under­ Skills: Pilot -2, Navigation -1, Communi­ stands any human language at all. cations-!, ATV-1 In general, the Wankh are so alien that Special: Amphibious the Pnume, Chasch and Dirdir seem almost neighborly by comparison. However, the Wankh are far from being as furtive as Slightly larger than a man, a Wankh the Pnume, brutal as the Chasch or ra­ has a heavy dark torso, squat head, short pacious as the Dirdir. They come and go legs and splayed-web feet. In place of openly, not seeming to care if humans eyes they are equipped with two black stare at them. They prefer understanding lenses which emit pulses every half-sec­ their enemies to killing them out of hand. ond. They wear no clothing. (However, the Wankhmen are noticeably The Wankh arrived on Tschai 10,000 more quick on the trigger.) Captives are years ago (13,000 Earth years) during a sent to work in the mines; stubborn cases war against the Dirdir, and built forts may be subjected to the mysterious on Kachan, Rakh and Vord. They remain "black boxes." on Tschai to keep watch on the Dirdir Wankhmen (UPP: 777777) are self- but they have little interest in the affairs centered and ruthless, serving as spies of men. They are rarely seen outside their and lackies for the Wankh. They hire stem, black-glass towers. Lokhars to perform menial and technical Wankh architecture is stark and laby­ work. Wankhmen serve their own interests rinthine, based on concepts imcompre- first, and those of Wankh second. They hensible to humans. The Wankh language are the only humans that can speak is likewise incomprehensible, pictograms Wankh, and they use this ability ruthless­ conveyed by single chime-like sounds. ly, translating and mistranslating as seems The written language is a series of shaded expedient.