Amalj'aa

See also: Amalj'aa Daily Quests and Beastmen

Lore

The Amalj'aa are a race of nomadic beastmen who make their home in Paglth'an. Every member of their species is trained in the arts of combat and hunting, and any who stand in their way are scourged with fire and steel. Each generation of Amalj'aa makes a pilgrimage to their holy lands in Thanalan, which brings them into conflict with the inhabitants of Ul'dah. On The First, they are known as the Zun.

Physical Traits

Upon reaching maturity, these bipedal, lizard-like beastmen tower over even the most hulking Roegadyn, their impressive musculature matched by an endless stamina. Known for thriving in arid environments, Amalj'aa physiology allows them to survive on comparatively miniscule amounts of water.

Diet

Amalj'aa consume mainly animal flesh, and have few preferences for the source-be it beastkin, scalekin, or vilekin-and will feast on antlings and drakes just as readily as antelope on aldgoat. With their nomadic lifestyle, Amalj'aa also find it convenient to preserve portions of their kills, and are known for the unique taste of their smoked and jerked meats.

Leadership

The war chiefs of the seven dominant tribes convene in a tribal council to debate and decide matters of import. In times of war or crisis, one of these seven elders is chosen to serve as "war marshal" for the entire race, a position of great honor and unquestionable authority.

Society & Culture

The Amalj'aa are oviparous, with eggs requiring an incubation period of around seven to ten days. When a mother lays a healthy egg, the father selects the finest of their livestock for slaughter, and holds a feast for the clan. The bones of the animal are burned and used to coat the skin of the newborn. This is said to recreate the ceremony in which the Lord of the Inferno Ifrit blessed the Amalj'aa with sacred fire, this ritual prayer for Ifrit's benediction also serves the purpose of protecting new-formed scales from the harsh glare of the sun. Amalj'aa young are not raised by their birth parents alone-each generation of hatchlings is gathered together and nurtured by the clan as a whole. When the young come of age, they are assigned a place in the social hierarchy based on their individual traits. This hierarchy is comprised of seven distinct tiers, with an Amalj'aa's name indicative of their position in the tribe's society.

Nomenclature

The highest tier of Amalj'aa society is occupied by its war chiefs, identified by the suffix Zoh. Two more tiers-the advisors Koh and lesser bureaucrats Teh -join the first to comprise the three layers of command. The following four tiers are common soldier classes: the ritualists Chah, the troopers Gah, the enforcers Roh and the builders Boh. In times of peace, the members of each tribe carry out their individual duties as they follow in the wake of the herds, but when battle threatens, every adult Amalj'aa-male and female-takes up arms on the field. After their tiers have been assigned, Amalj'aa young are placed under the tutelage of a teacher, who instructs them with the knowledge and skills they will require to fulfill their role. Once decided, an Amalj'aa remains in the same tier for life-the only exception to this rule occurring when a war chief is promoted from a lesser class due to the death or voluntary retirement of the present leader.

Primary Industry

Livestock

In their ancestral lands on the plains of Paglth'an, the Amalj'aa pursue their nomadic customs, with each tribe following a carefully maintained herd of sheep or scalekin. Camps shift locations with the seasons as they seek out fresh pasture or sources of water, and competition with fellow Amalj'aa or other races will many times lead to bloodshed.

Smithing

The few permanent encampments of the Amalj'aa are equipped with fores, where a long tradition of metalworking produces tools for the hunting and butchering of livestock. Amalj'aa smiths are also particularly skilled at forging the weapons their tribes bear into battle.

The Amalj'aa and Drakes

In their homeland of Paglth'an, the Amalj'aa live as nomads, migrating with sheep and drakes across the grasslands. They value the large scalekin not just for their utility as beasts of burden, but for their role in warfare as well, and have been known to augment their cavalry drakes by engraving defensive runes into their scales or outfitting them with inwardly spiked bangles to provoke them to violence.