Kai Horses

The Kai Horses ridden by the Kai are of especially superior pedigree. The Kai have been husbanding their horses carefully and masterfully for the last twelve or thirteen generations. Trading particularly fine stallions every year at Kai-Lai to perfect their line, and they are particularly proud of what they have turned out. Each of the Kai tribes has bred a particular kind of horse, and each is known for particular traits and easily identifiable by their colouration and markings so that the Kai can easily identify horse thieves. In addition to being well bred the Kai are also master trainers, and their animals are some of the finest to be had anywhere. As a result there are several special rules applied to a steed of Kai rearing:

  • All Kai steeds use the ‘elite’ statistic line listed for horses as a basic
  • All Kai steeds have a Ride skill of 5 (usable only in a complimentary skill check).
  • Due to Kai superstitions, no Kai steed can ever be persuaded to cross any body of water.

In addition each tribe trains something especially useful into their horses, and each has abilities and functions associated with it as follows:

The Ann breed a sleek, red-brown horse. They are excellent warhorses and are impossible to spook and easily controlled even by an inexperienced rider. Ann warriors often sleep in the saddle on long journeys. Any Ann bred steed benefits from a +1 bonus to Bravery and has been trained in the Discipline Skill of level 2 to 3.

Lam-Ki horses are light animals, fast and very sturdy legged they are usually a rich chocolatey brown, sometimes with a honey-yellow or whitish muzzle and hooves. They are fantastic and tireless sprinters, gaining a +2 bonus to their Constitrution.

The small dark grey steeds bred by the Khan are known for lightning speed and the Khan can use them very effectively in lightning raids, ambushing their enemies and fleeing before they have a chance to retaliate. All Khan bred steeds gain a +2 bonus to their Agility, and of course their movement statistic will be re-calculated accordingly.

The Haro horses are popular amongst the people of the southern coast, especially valuable as plough and packhorses. Their distinctive red-brown coats, dappled with pure white also make them a useful status symbol among farming communities, but they remain as useful and effective a mount as any other Kai steed. All Haro horses have a +1 bonus to their Strength and the Brawn Skill at level 3 or 4.

Particularly famous for their horses, even other Kai admire the talents of the Mai trainers. Rather then maintain a distinctive colouration, the Mai have concerned themselves with their husbandry to perfect their mounts talents. All Mai horses gain a +1 bonus to their Agility and Initiative but suffer a -1 penalty to Endurance. Mai are also particularly well regarded for their finest steeds, those only available to members of their tribes, these steeds can be persuaded to perform any feat, from moving on two legs or making great jumps. Particularly talented Mai riders even comepete, making their horses dance.

The golden brown Kama breed are excellent sprinters, but tend to tire easily, still none match their speed in a race. They gain a +1 bonus to Agility and a +2 bonus to their Running Skill, but suffer a -1 Constitution penalty.

Badh war-horses are also excellent pack animals, they are particularly large, broad and muscular animals and are usually a light mottled grey with white mane and tail. They gain a +1 bonus to Endurance and to their Brawn skill but their size causes them to suffer a -1 Initiative penalty.

The horse archers of the Lai-Ka breed a particularly savage war horse, which attacks in close combat to save the warrior on their back from needing to draw a weapon in skirmishes. They range from a dark russet to an almost bloody sclaret and gains a +2 bonus to their Unarmed Combat skill.

The Cha-La breed a particularly manouverable and fast steed, particularly light weight and usually a very light grey with white mane and tail, they can twist and wend with a rider on their back through even the roughest terrain. Cha-La horses gain a +1 Agility bonus and a further +1 bonus to their Dodge Skill, but their small stature causes them to suffer a -1 endurance penalty.

The Ru are especially fond of their horses, believing that in a fight warrior and steed become one, so their shadowy grey horses are trained to work with a warrior, they are fiercely independent, useful to Ru riders but somewhat of a problem to anyone else trying to control them, the Ru tend to let the horse have a lot of freedom. Ru steeds gain a +1 bonus to their Unarmed Combat and Discipline skills and a +1 to their Will statistic.

Ha-Rei mounts are enormous heavy limbed chestnut creatures able to carry huge burdens seemingly unhindered. They gain a +2 bonus to their Brawn Skill.

Finally the strange mounts of the Sodo make fantastic mounts for scouts or outriders. Trained to move silently through the grasses of the Corwyn Hai they are unshakable and obey their rider’s every tiny command. They are even bred in a honey-brown to better camoflage with the yellowish grasslands of the flatlands. The Sodo use these animals to lethal efficiency, and a mounted Sodo war party can come within feet of a traveller practically unnoticed. This gives them a bonus to their Sneaking Skill of +2 and +1 to the Camouflage Trait, and also a +2 to Bravery, but -1 to Strength, Endurance and Will.