The Shiku are a proud nomadic warrior race, millennia of selective breeding have made the Shiku taller and stronger then all other races on Realm (Save Ogres.)
Besides being tall and strong all Shiku have a special connection to horses, they brought the first horses to Realm when they came from their home Planet Jupiter, they left because living conditions became unbearable, even for them, coming to Realm so long ago that only they remember that the Shiku were once Jupitarians.

    Shiku have incredible endurance and fighting capability, they can stand up to pressure one hundred times the normal gravity and run at high speeds for days on end without stopping for rest.
Shiku move around allot, not because they don't wish to settle down, but because when the herd of horses their caring for grazes all the grass in the area the horse is going to move to get some more grass, this is the reason that most people scoff at the mental or physical abilities of this race, how powerful can someone whose life is dictated by a horses stomach be a threat?
The Elves thought this, they soon realized their mistake when an Elf lord tried to prevent the Mar'Shik tribe from moving onto his land and letting their horses graze there.
For lack of a better word the Mar'Shik explained it to him in very clear words and tones, he soon found himself befret of property and running back to his mother in the capital.
The Shiku often hire themselves out as mercenary soldiers to the highest bidder, their services are well sought out all over Realm for they are reputed fighters and obey orders with alacrity.
But a Shiku's true loyalty is to his tribe and if he is called back for any reason he will turn and leave the commander that hired him without a thought, this is why they aren't very dependable, but they still make the best soldiers, some Human or Elf lords have been known to "purchase" a Shiku baby and raise it on their own making the Shiku totally loyal to him, these Shiku usually grow to be a little shorter and less strong then their nomadic counterparts and are called by others tribesmen Del'Shik's.  The word Del'Shik meaning "Slave Warrior", all Del'Shik wear a collar with their owners insignia on a metal broach to be easily identified.

    There are four Major tribes of the Shiku nation, legend has it that the four sons of Shiku,
Nar'Tas the clever, Dar'Tas the strong, Mar'Tas the angry, and Kar'Tas the quiet are the founders of each separate tribe, passing on their own attributes to each of their children.
The four tribes are:  The Dar'Shik who live with the Nar'Shik on the Island of Shiku, the Mar'Shik and the Kar'Shik share the plains near the Dengar Woods.

    The Dar'Shik are most probably the strongest tribe in terms of physical strength, they live in the cold mountains of Shiku, and the horses they breed are lean and nimble.
 
    The Nar'Shik are the dominant Shiku, all are part of the royal bloodline of Jupiter from so long ago, when the Shiku go to war they are at the forefront giving the orders, all other tribes answer to them.
They are also adept sailors since they rule and island nation.
 
    The Mar'Shik are probably the most volatile, they anger easily and try to find any excuse to get into a fight.

    The Kar'Shik don't talk very much, they prefer to watch and learn first, then speak, they are extremely silent and make good scouts, they can run for three days straight without rest or food.

    The current high king of the Shiku is a battle hardened old man named Nar'Rengah, he is wise and clever but pretends otherwise to throw his enemies of track.
 

Nickname: Horse Lords, Mercenaries, Barbarians, Pirates.

Character Creation: Depending on what tribe you come from will dictate your characters outlook on life.  A Nar'Shik will prefer mental or social attributes above all while the Dar'Shik would take physical and social, the Mar'Shik prefer Physical and the Kar'Shik would take Mental.
You could be a Del'Shik or slave Shiku, or one who was released or his master killed, or you killed your own master its up to you.  Perhaps you would prefer to be a mercenary but always remember that all Shiku love their horses and all are loyal to their tribes to a fault.

Appearance: All Shiku are tall and well built but each tribe has its own physical attributes.

Nar'Shik: Shorter then other Shiku, they are known more for their mental attributes then physical ones, they make great leaders and generals and are the royal line of the Shiku nation.
They usually have bronze skin and black hair with white tips.
Dar'Shik: The Dar'Shik spend most of their time in the frozen wind torn mountains of Shiku, they don't see the sun very much and have pale skin and white hair with black tips, usually ice blue eyes come with the package.  They are the tallest of all the tribes and the strongest too.
Mar'Shik: Theses Shiku make up most of the brunt force of their races army, their fighting abilities are un-matched.  Their skin is a healthy bronze and they have flowing red hair with dark green eyes.
Kar'Shik: The quiet ones, they prefer solitude above all things and make excellent scouts and spies.
They spend allot of time outdoors training and watching the herds so their skin is a dark brown/black color, their hair however is as golden as the sun with gray eyes like the clouds, it is jokingly said by the other tribes that this is an affect of laying on their back and staring at the sky too much, which is what they do when they're watching/tending the horses.  Most see this as idle laziness but the Kar'Shik often ponder many things when they have the time, and they have a lot of time, horses don't really need to be watched, they just make sure no colt strays too far from the herd.
A Kar'Shik doesn't do anything without thinking it through first.
Del'Shik: The slave tribe, they are bought and spread throught the tribes and used as servants or squires, even horse tenders.  The majority are sold to be mercenaries though.
They often resent the way they are treated and have a bad habit of killing their masters, this is the paramount reason they are usualy sold outside of the tribes.

Starting Stats: Each tribe is different.
Nar'Shik:  2 in Willpower, 4 Ability Points and 3 Anger Points, plus one extra dot for Intelligence.
Dar'Shik:  4 Willpower Points, 4 Ability Points and 4 Anger Points, plus one extra dot for Strength.
Mar'Shik:  3 Willpower Points, 3 Ability Points and 6 Anger Points, plus once extra dot in Stamina.
Kar'Shik:  5 Willpower Points, 5 Ability Points and 4 Anger Points, plus one extra dot in Perception.
Del'Shik: 3 Willpower, 4 Ability and 3 Anger.
All get 15 freebie points for generation.

Life Span: 120 years.

Weakness: Each tribes weakness differs, but all Shiku hate closed spaces.
Nar'Shik: They are clever, maybe too clever for their own good, they thrive on conspiracy theories and intrigue, diplomats at heart, they always try to get the upper hand in a deal, sometimes they lose sight of the real goal occasionally the GM can make you role Willpower difficulty 8 to control this, but you can never conquer it.
Dar'Shik: The Dar'Shik don't see much sun, their skin is almost white and it burns easily, their eyes can't stand bright light for very long, all in all they get a minus one to all rolls when exposed to bright light.  Un-like the Drow affliction this can't be rectified with a dark cloak unless it is magickal, and most Shiku have a supreme distrust for Magick.
Mar'Shik: They anger easily, the slightest thing can set off a Mar'Shik but they also have a great sense of honor so they try to keep in under control.  Still they receive a plus 2 chance of Berzerking more then other Shiku.
Kar'Shik: Very quiet and un-obtrusive, they think things through, though this trait is admirable it can get them in trouble, they have a strange impulse to stop in the middle of a battle and think up a strategy.  This can be very hazardous to ones health.  You can spend a Willpower point or make a roll difficulty 8 to avoid this but it can never be truly stopped.
Del'Shik: Their weakness is obvious, they are slaves and may never, NEVER, be truly free.