Pygmy Folk

Pygmy Folk (Nininyál)
(Tsolyáni: Nininyál ‘the Little Ones’; Yán Koryáni: Nyenu)

“To bargain with a Pygmy is to lose one’s purse” Tsolyáni proverb.

- Empire of the Petal Throne by M.A.R. Barker, ©1975

The Pygmy Folk are generally friendly to man, but can sometimes be cruel, are often capricious, and are renowned for their greed and avarice. They are ferocious opponents if attacked and will fight to the death, but will resort to traps and ambushes to avoid battle if faced with a larger group.

Physical Attributes
Small, only about 3 feet tall (.43 to .91m) and rodent-like, the Pygmy Folk possess a sharp-featured face, large ears, greyish or blackish fur, two muscular rear legs, two upper arms with three-fingered claw-like hands (plus a thumb), and a vestigial tail. Their sight and hearing are excellent—they can see easily in pitch darkness. There are three sexes: males (55 percent), females (15 percent) and hermaphrodites (30 percent), who dwell in families but produce no offspring. Their communal life is both complex and intense.

Enclaves
Subterranean burrow-like towns in the northern plains of Yán Kór.

Names Hrágga-Da, Thpá Qrr-rh, Pak, Cha-latk-ku, Thu'n, Kir-Chu-La, Pomo-Tar, Kleet'un.

D&D 5th Edition Rules for Tékumel
Source: EPT5e - Changadésha's Handbook

Pygmy Folk Traits

 * Ability Score Increase:Your Dexterity ability score increases by 2.


 * Age. Pygmy Folk mature around closer to their 20th year, and aren’t considered old until after 70 years. They live just over a century.


 * Languages. You can speak, read, and write Pygmy Folk and one human language, usually Tsolyáni. Interestingly the Pygmy Folk mimic human languages flawlessly. The same cannot be said of humans trying to speak the reverse; humans cannot speak Pygmy Folk at all.


 * Size. You  are about 1’5” to 3’ tall and weigh between 30 and 80 pounds. Your size is small.


 * Speed.Your base speed in 25 feet.


 * Skills: You gain proficiency in the skill of Stealth.


 * Darkvision: You have superior vision in dark and dim conditions. You can see in dim light within 60 feet as if it were bright light, and in darkness as if it were dim light. You can’t discern colour in darkness, only shades of grey.


 * Lucky: When you roll a 1 on an attack roll, ability check, or saving throw, you may reroll the die and must use the new roll.


 * Ninínyal Stealth: You can move through the space of any creature that is of a size larger than yours. Additionally, you can attempt to hide even when you are obscured only by a creature that is at least one size larger than you.

Ninínyal Lineages

 * Kobald (VGtM)

D&D 3rd Edition Rules for Tékumel
Source: http://tekumel.com/downloads/EPT3e.zip
 * Pygmy Folk (Nininyál)
 * These creatures stand only about three feet in height. The Tsolyáni call them Ninínyal, "the Little Ones" (Yán Koryáni Nyéna). They have greyish or blackish fur, sharp-nosed faces, sharp teeth, round ears that project upwards These beige or brownish snake-like creatures are covered from their skulls, with sharp little rodent-like faces, large with protective scale armor. They range up to 10 feet in round ears, and large eyes set one of each side of their length. heads. They are bipeds, with two muscular rear legs, two upper limbs with three-fingered, claw-like hands, and a vestigial tail. Their sight, smell, and hearing are excellent. They see easily in pitch darkness and can hear faint sounds even through thick stone walls.


 * • Dexterity +4, Strength –2, Charisma –2


 * • Small sized, base movement is 20 feet, 40 feet in narrow tunnels and caverns (they can scurry)


 * • +4 racial bonus to listen checks


 * • +2 racial bonus to appraise, bluff, climb, sense motive, and swim checks


 * • Gain scent as a racial ability


 * • Expanded Field of Vision: Páchi Léi have a 270-degree sphere of sight, allowing them an almost perfect view of creatures that might otherwise flank them. Thus, flanking opponents gain only a +1 bonus on their attack rolls, and anyone is denied their sneak attack ability because they do not lose their Dexterity bonus (but they may still sneak attack them if they are caught flat-footed). Their Spot and Search checks gain a +2 enhancement bonus. Concurrently, they take a –2 penalty on saves against all gaze attacks.Darkvision 30 feet


 * • Immune to sleep spells. Pygmy folk do not sleep (they are too wary for that) but must spend 4 hours a day relatively quiet. They are immune to sleep spells.

AD&D 2nd Edition Rules for Tékumel
Source: http://www.weirdrealm.swifthost.net/tekumel/dl/addept.pdf


 * Pygmy Folk: -1 Str, +2 Dex, -1 Con, -2 Cha*, base AC 11, 1/2 HD. They can see in the dark, and have better hearing than the Pe Choi, although at short range.