Alaghi

Alaghi are stocky, barrel-chested humanoids related to yeti, with almost no visible neck, broad flat heads under sloping brows, long powerful arms, short thick legs, and very large hands and feet. Their whole body wears a dense coat, most often charcoal gray, reddish brown or blond; blonds tend to have green eyes and a greenish sheen to the fur. Adults stand about six feet, weigh around 330 pounds, and live 75-85 years.

They are timid and kill only to eat, with a 75% chance to hide in natural surroundings and 80% to move without a sound. Provoked or panicked, they fight cleverly. A fist does 2d6, and a typical hunter is armed with a few hard-thrown wooden javelins, three or four, plus a hand axe or stone knife; it can strike with a weapon and a free fist in the same round. A threatened group scatters and hides, then members pop out singly to throw or strike while the rest creep silently around behind.

Most are semi-nomadic family bands, met traveling 80% of the time. A camped group (19%) has 0-3 (1d4-1) young of 3 HD who share the adults' stealth but only wrestle or pummel for 1d6/1d6.

Some 15% of camps are permanent villages of 15-20 in huts or caves on rich land, led by an elder over 100 years old with 10 HD, high Intelligence, and daily priest spells (five 1st, five 2nd, two 3rd level) drawn from seven spheres: all, animal, plant, charm, healing, combat and divination. These settled alaghi grow yeti-like and distrusted: they trade pelts, game and ore for goods, but readily kill and eat careless visitors.

Rarest (1%) are hermits, neutral good vegetarian loners, 50 or older and exceptionally intelligent, with 11 HD and full druid powers of 11th level. Shy but curious and kind, they love riddles and strategy games such as chess played in their heads, and few humans or demihumans ever beat one.

All speak a tongue of hoots, grunts and hisses. Settled ones add Common and usually a nearby neutral or evil race's language; hermits talk freely once befriended, speak with any woodland animal, and know 2d4 other languages.

Nomads follow game and wild plants most of the year and winter in caves or sheltered valleys where it gets cold; they respect nature without quite living in harmony with it. Settled clans live like primitive humans and often exhaust their surroundings until raiding is their only option. Hermits live in perfect balance with the forest and its creatures.