Devanu

Pronunciation: deh-var-noo

Devanu have long been thought by the fubarnii to be a broken race. For so long they have scavenged at the edges of the Empire. Most devanu tribes choose to avoid conflicts with the civilised fubarnii, and prey on the large migratory herds. Occasionally a powerful devanu will seize control of his tribe and choose to break the uneasy truce and attack travellers, or besiege outlying settlements. The tribe has much to gain, feeding on the pack beasts, or the lean fubarnii flesh, and refreshing their ever diminishing supply of tools and weapons. The reaction of the Empire to this sort of incursion has always been swift and effective, with great forces of Knights riding into the area with orders to put down the threat by killing the kopa, crushing the nests and driving away the remnants of the tribe. Recently the response has been less swift, and the devanu have not failed to notice this. A number of tribes have risen up, growing in number and power and once again making travel across many parts of the Empire dangerous.

Devanu are predatory creatures that once ruled the known world, enslaving and hunting the diminutive fubarnii. The were overthrown during the Great Revolution when the Fubarnii Empire was formed. They now live a dispersed existence, mostly outside the realms of the empire in wastelands and difficult conditions. They long to once again be able to freely roam their lands.

The devanu are terrifying, predatory creatures, with adults standing at least 7 foot tall. Their strong claws propel them across the plains at huge speeds, with their powerful tails stretched behind them for balance. The devanu have long been vilified by the fubarnii as vicious, powerful hunters and pitiless killers.

Legends tell that it is the devanu who first forced the fubarnii’s ancestors to hide in the dark places, to dig tunnels and to fear the daylight. It is certainly true that the devanu once ruled over most of Anyaral, enslaving the primitive fubarnii.

Devanu towers were once seen across the continent of Anyaral, but only rarely do devanu tribes grow powerful enough to erect such large, permanent structures.

But that was long ago, many generations have passed. Dressed in scraps of armour scavenged from dead fubarnii, or handed down through the generations the devanu now scrape for survival around the edges of the Fubarnii Empire, driven from one clan’s territories to the next. Individually they are still powerful and very dangerous, but struggle when faced by the numerous fubarnii.

Devanu markings are sometimes found scraped into trees or rocks.

Then it came to pass that the God Grak became discontented, and he went to Garen and said, Why do your people not worship me alone, their creator?

And Garen said, They are no longer the beasts that you created, for they see themselves, and have a voice. So Grak went among the creatures he had made, and found the strongest and fastest and most intelligent of these, and was well pleased with them. So he put into them the Spark, that they might learn to worship him. But Grak was young, and the Spark was weak, and the beasts he had chosen did not worship him, or see him walk among them, nor did they heed him. But they saw themselves, and they had a voice, and they were able to enslave the people and bring terror to their hearts. Then Garen saw the fate of his people, and he sent a message to them through the prophet Kalrah, saying I cannot undo what has been done, but with my help you will overthrow the beasts and drive them away, and these lands will be yours alone.