Kuulik

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Kuulik
Kuulik.png
A Kuulik Trader - Original Art by Robyn Blaber (2024)
Race Kuulik
Subraces Uris
Patron Deity Woden
Diet Omnivorous
Lifespan 40-80 years
Location Kuulik Trade Company, coastal cities
Language Common, Kuulik
Climate Any
Terrain Any near the sea
Height ~4' (122 cm)
Weight ~60 lbs. (27 kg)
Skin Color Green with reddish features
Hair Color Black, grey, white
Eye Color Yellow to red
Build Slight, petite
Distinctions Short, agile, greenish skin, pointed ears
Inspired by goblin, historical goblins, endless fantasy goblins

The Kuulik (🔊 Koo-oo-lihk) are a diminutive race of wize and industrious people. They are green-skinned of various shades, some with touches of red or pink and sport long pointed ears. A bullied strain, out-competed for lands by the war obsessed Grendel and dismissed as savage creatures by humans, they flipped the playing field.

Early Kuulik scavenged battlefields for weapons and armor, which they would in turn sell to the side they disliked least. Over time, nations began to realize that they could equip entire batallions with enough coin by contacting a single Kuulik merchant. The Kuulik became very well connected and masters of logistics, able not only to source goods, but to find the right buyer and deliver to anywhere in Otan.

In modern Otan, enmity with the Kuulik could sink an empire. Their goods and services could make or break an entire nation if denied when needed. For an individual who has wronged the Kuulik, they might find themselves out of luck when dealing with local merchants, Kuulik, Human or otherwise, for who would risk a vital relationship with the Kuulik by trading with one of their enemies?

Kuulik Variants[edit]

Sawdager[edit]

A Sawdager trader.

The Sawdager (🔊 Saw-dah-gur) are perhaps among the most ambitious people in all of Otan. While even the simplest creatures understand basic trade, the Sawdager have perfected trade into an artform. A regular Human will understand that goods can be exchanged for pieces of gold, for example. A Sawdager will understand so much more.

A Sawdager will understand that goods have a cost of production, production durations and completion schedules, cost of transport, logistics costs, insurance, and of course storage. This is only to get the goods to a wholesaler, where they must now consider distribution to retail outlets, maintain customer relations with retailers, handle special circumstances and requests, and manage the localization issues with distributing products in foreign lands.


Tenizi[edit]

A Tenizi sailor.

If ever a buckle was swashed, a Tenizi (🔊 Teh-neet-see) a swashbuckling Tenizi probably swashed it. Their brand of Kuulikishness made fishermen and seafarers of them all. It would be as unheard of for a Tenizi child to grow up away from the water as an Ungir child who would not play in the dirt. The Tenizi often form tight communities with their Sawdager cousins as the swashbucklers often provide a means of distribution for their trade-hungry kinfolk.

Tenizi ambitions are somewhat different than the rest of Otan as well. While anyone from a noble Human to a revered Grendel will think about acquiring a large keep with many servants and tracts of land, a Tenizi dreams of more assets at sea. The very richest of the Tenizi create huge floating fortresses that are sometimes found circling the coastal waters of Otan. These fortresses often provide tax-free refuges for their Sawdager kinfolk and are often sought after as excellent opportunities for trade (particularly trade for rare items).


Uris[edit]

An Uris warrior.

For anyone who's had an older sibling, they'll have some insight as to how the Uris (🔊 Oo-riss) Kuulik blend into Kuulik society. Their unique, quick-to-anger temperment in Kuulik society is not condusive to cross-breeding, keeping the substrain relatively isolated. When not setting of the tempers of one another, their favourite past time is clobber "outsiders" who would do other Kuulik harm. They are very effective, and regularly form guilds and factions dedicated to the elimination of threats to the Kuulik Trade Company.


Half-Kuulik[edit]

An Half-Kuulik warrior.


Kuulik Countries[edit]

KuulikiFlag.png

Kuulik Trade Company, Home of the Kuulik.