Sa-khui Tribe

The Sa-khui are modified Sakhs living on Not-Hoth. They are descendants from survivors of the crash landed ancient Sakh ship. The name means 'People of the Khui'. They currently make up a large portion of the population of Croatoan, which also includes humans and human/sakh hybrids among many others, and a small portion of Icehome Village.

**For the current distribution the sa-khui tribes members see: Croatoan Tribe and Icehome Tribe**

**For a list of all known Sa-khui see: Sa-khui Characters**

## Physical Description

Sakhs have soft, suede like, blue skin. They have coarse straight black hair that grows only on their heads and the tufts of their tails. They have large horns that come in a variety of sizes and shapes that grow from their hairline. When embarrassed they flush a darker blue at the base of their horns. If a horn is damaged they can grow back very slowly.

They have long prehensile tails, the underside of which is very sensitive. Ridged cartilage like plating covers their foreheads, noses, upper backs and chests, including nipples, as well as the exposed outer sides of their arms, legs, stomach and hands. Their tongues are also ridged. They have two fangs where their canine teeth would be, though the rest of their teeth are human like.

They have three fingers and a thumb on each hand as well as three toes on each foot. Their feet are broad enough for them to walk through most snow without snowshoes.

Male Sakhs average over seven feet tall. They have a spur, a straight thumb length piece of cartilage, above their ridged genitals used to deposit scent. Females average over six feet tall. They also lack clitorises, though there is a spot deeper inside that acts similarly, and have small breast that swell only during nursing.

### Sa-khui specific

Sa-khui, a specific group of Sakh, have further unique features created by the Khui that lives inside them. Their temperature runs much higher. They have longer lives, living well into their late 100s. They can be reproductively active from their 20s to their late 90s. They also heal faster. However, senses like taste and smell are dulled. The most notable feature are their eyes. The khui causes them to glow completely blue, with a darker shade for their pupils.

## History

*For a more detailed timeline see: Not-Hoth Timeline*

At least a thousand years prior to the series there was a large space faring Sakh Empire. All sakh on other planets, including the Mesakkah and the sa-khui, are descended from people in that empire.

A ship,the *Se Kilahi,* now call the Elders Cave,landed on Not-Hoth at least a thousand years prior to the series beginning seeking shelter from a solar storm. Upon landing the pilot suffered from congestive heart failure. There was no once else able to pilot. A distress signal was sent but it malfunctioned.

The survivors eventually took khuis and became the sa-khui. A group of them broke off and mated with the People, the natives of Not-Hoth, making the Island Clans.

Fifteen years prior to the series, a khui sickness took hold of the tribe killing a large portion of the population leaving a large disparity between the numbers of young men and women.

### Present Day

The series begins when a group of human women crash land on the planet and attempt to escape from slavers. They are taken in by the tribe and eventually all resonate to one of the single men. Over a year later they further rescue two sisters after killing the returning slavers.

During the events of Barbarian's Taming a volcano erupts, causing earthquakes to destroy the Tribal Caves. The earthquakes revealed the abandoned village, later named Croatoan, where the tribe moved to live.

Some years later the Mesakkah cargo ship, The Tranquil Lady, landed on their planet, Not-Hoth, for repairs. The ship later returns with more human slaves bought with money found on the second crashed slaver ship. After leaving, the ship was boarded and the crew was killed. The new crew, made up Szzt slavers, returned and attempted to abducted both humans and Sa-Khui. They were killed and twenty new slaves were discovered in stasis pods in the cargo area.

The tribe opted to awaken the new slaves. Not long after there was another volcanic eruption. These new slaves as well as refugees from The Island create a second tribe, called Icehome, that fell under the Croatoan tribe's leadership.

## Culture

### Resonance, Families and Mating

Resonance is a huge feature of sa-khui life. Reproduction is impossible without it and the sa-khui have come to accept it as almost a force of nature. They see no point in fighting against it, even if they don't like their chosen mate. However, most matings are happy.

Not all resonate, and other types of matings are recognized. Pleasure-mates and heart-mates (this terms can be interchangeable) are recognized, though resonance can break up these matings. Sometimes this is very upsetting to one or both parties involved. When all parties are willing, both relationships are maintained, allowing the pleasure-mating to continue. Often both males will be considered as a father to the child (a male with two females has never happened, due to the biological tendency for there two be more males born than females among the sakh.)

The biological tendency toward monogamy in Sakh is enhanced in the sa-khui by their khui. They become incredibly possessive and protective of their mate. Resonance is only possible with one person. While a sa-khui might have many partners before resonance, it is uncommon for them to have partners after a mate dies.

Resonance are the only cause for celebrations. While the sa-khui do have songs, they are not considered good singers. Commonly they use drums for music and dance. Traditionally they paint each other during celebrations and drink sah-sah.

Sa-khui revere life, especially children, and see them as a gift. After a birth the father takes the birthing cloth and the after birth and buries them far from the cave. After four days, the tribe then goes on a Sa-kohtsk hunt, the traditional animal for gathering a khui. They believe the Sa-kohtsks have the strongest khui. Participating in the Sa-kohtsk hunt of a former rival (presumably for the birth of his child) is outward showing that all is forgiven and the loss of the wanted female has been accepted.

### Religion and Death

When someone dies there are grieving songs, unique for the person relationship with them. The mourner kneels and pours snow over their forehead while singing. They also cut marks into their horns to mark the death. The dead are left to nature.

They do have gods, as they are mentioned by Vektal in Ice Planet Barbarians, but they are rarely mentioned.

### Hunting

When they hunt they use all parts of a kill, though they rarely take the meat of the sa-kohtsk because it tastes poor. They do processes the hide and bones and will use this meat in baits. The hunt during the bitter season and cache much of what they don't need to last the tribe through the brutal season.

The caches are spots below trees where kills are buried. They are noted by a bone marked with blood and a noches. This shows who made the cache and are unique to each hunter. The kills are marked on the tree, and crossed out when removed.

In hunting they use slings, knifes, and spears. They also fish with nets, both in the rivers and the ocean. When hunting together they use bird calls to signal to each other.

The elders and women often help with processes kills and smoking excess meat for eating later.

### Daily Life

The sa-khui wear white and grey leather clothing. They do decorate these items with dyed quills, patterns sewn in, furs, and other methods. In the bitter season they often wear nothing but loin cloths. In the brutal season they have cloaks, fur boots (which lace up the calf), leggings and shirts. They also have snow shoes if necessary though their wider feet mean they are often fine without. They are very comfortable with nudity. They bath regularly and clean their teeth with small twigs.

They common wear their hair in elaborate styles, putting braiding in feathers and colored bands.

They decorate their dwellings with paintings and patterned hangings. They use leathers to make thick woven mats, and furs to sleep on. The dwellings, which traditionally were caves, are closed off with the use of privacy screens. Scratching at them is the correct way to knock, though politeness dictation usually avoiding the dwelling completely when the screen is in place.

A number of activities take place around the fire. They are often tripods setup for cooking and melting snow. They also have racks set up for drying wet furs and drying herbs and roots.

They largely eat uncooked meat and a kind of heavily spiced meat trail mix called Kah.

During large snow falls they younger members of the tribal often play a game called 'story spinning.' The story teller is given a topic or a series of words around which they create a story. Misbehaving children might have their tails tugged on by a parent.

Another form of play is head butting between males. This is usually done to impress unmated females.

### Post-Human

Humans have changed the sa-khui culture in a number obvious and subtle ways. The most obvious changes are the addition of the holiday No-Poison Day and the creation of a school. Less obvious is the idea of choice regarding resonance. The main idea, 'you can't fight' resonance is still there, but so is the idea that acceptance of resonance may take time and require courtship. Their ideas about the intelligence of Metlaks is also shifting due to Lila's encounters with them.

Other changes are smaller. The introduction of other cultural ideas like Valentines day, games like dreidel, chess and football. Pets are another idea, with three pets now living in Croatoan.

Sa-khui encounters with humans and other life forms have lead to the acceptance of a wider world beyond Not-Hoth and a wariness towards strangers.

## Technology

Technologically the sa-khui are at a neolithic level. Most of their tools are made from bone as they lack easy access to wood. Presumably the cold and the large amounts of snow limits their ability to find clay, workable stones and metals.

Using bones they can make shallow drinking cups, bowls, plates, spoons, knifes, spears, sewing needles, awls, bracelets, necklaces and chamberpots. There is even one mention of a bone sword.

They only have leather cloth. They have a deep and rich understanding of working and tanning leather. Several tribesmen focus their time solely to the task. Leather bags is the main way they use to warm water and other liquids.

The lack of plants makes plant based cloths impossible, or very difficult. Wool based cloth isn't used either. This is either because they knowledge of the tools needed to process wool (or the materials to make those tools) or the wool of the animals is difficult to work. They use animal sinew as cord and thread.

They do know how to create fishing nets, ropes and baskets. It is unknown if they can weave anything else, like items of clothing or cloth if they had access to the correct materials.

They make candles using tallow.

They did not have any form of agriculture. This is probably do to the difficult conditions for growing and their dulled taste causing them not enjoy the flavor of plants. They also do not eat eggs (even unfertilized ones) as all children are precious. Tea is a very important part of sa-khui life.

### Post-Human

The humans have changed the technology of the Sa-khui in a number of way. The most obvious is the addition of the bow made from the stalk of the face eater fish. There is also the use of pillows, which sa-khui don't use for sleep due to their horns. Very recently Tiffany invented a way to spin wool into yarn.

Less physical, but also hugely important, is farming. The humans of the tribe now farm and grow tubers and the fruits discovered in a cave near the tribal caves. The sa-khui have also been introduced to cooking, though most still prefer their food raw. Though there has been a greater acceptance of cooked and seasoned meat and meat pies. Sweet food has also been introduced by is only eaten by humans and sakh/human kits.

Writing is another huge development brought by the humans along with new words and concepts. In that vein, humans carry with them a knowledge of the outside world, and a scientific understanding of the natural world.

## Members at the start of IPB

This is a list members of the tribe at the start of the series and prior. To see a list of all sa-khui characters (both living and dead) see: Sa-khui Characters.

### Male

* Aehako
* Bek
* Borren
* Cashol
* Dagesh
* Drenol
* Dreyan
* Ereven
* Haeden
* Harrec
* Hemalo
* Hessan
* Kashrem
* Oshen
* Pashov
* Raahosh
* Rokan
* Rukh
* Salukh
* Sessah
* Taushen
* Vadren
* Vaza
* Vektal
* Warrek
* Zennek
* Zolaya

### Female

* Asha
* Esha
* Farli
* Kemli
* Maylak
* Sevvah

### Deceased

* Adash
* Azak
* Daya I
* Derlen
* Eklan (Alive until Barbarian's Taming)
* Gashta
* Holvek I
* Hashala
* Hektar
* Koloi
* Nashak
* Vaashan
* Vika
* Zalah