The G'ecko

The G'ecko are a diminuitive species of anthropomorphised Leopard Geckos. They are the native inhabitants of the Great Desert. They are often known colloquially by the various Canid villages they interact with as "The Children of the Sands" or "Desert Children."

The G'ecko are an eclectic mix of hunter-gatherers, traders, trappers, herdsmen, cultivators, entertainers, and craftsmen. Some tribes will specialize in a particular economic lifestyle, while others will exhibit several of these categories within their tribe. The G'ecko are known to trade with the Canids who live to their north and west, as well as with the Felids and each other. Being the only species capable of actually crossing the Great Desert, the G'ecko are the only source for a variety of spices, herbs, incence, medicines, reagents, and minerals for all of their neighbors and trade partners. Traveling G'ecko "carnivals" are also quite popular, especially amongst Canid children. These traveling bands of entertainers can feature bards, musicians, dancers, jugglers, clowns, and sometimes even host massive gambling tents.

With all this in mind, one could be forgiven for thinking that the G'ecko must be an extremely wealthy people. This is not the case. The concept of money is not a universally accepted idea amongst the G'ecko. Many tribes prefer a barter system or utilize a system of informal social contracts, with members/tribes trading "favors". Those tribes who do engage in currency, are often those who regularly engage with their Canid and Felid neighbors and as such, these tribes are often more likely to experience the predations of theives, raiders, and slavers. Some G'ecko tribes do manage to achieve some level of wealth, but this is not common across all of the tribes.

The G'ecko do not maintain any form of military. That being said, almost every G'ecko is trained in some form of combat from a very young age. Due to their psychological taboo against the killing of sentient life, this training usually revolves around the use of non-lethal weapons and tactics. The G'ecko are known to be quite skilled martial artists, wrestlers, and weilders of staffs. They also make use of ranged weapons such as bows & arrows, slings and spears. G'ecko shamans will also bring their magic to bear in order to protect their tribes. These shamans can conjour up sand-storms, fearsome elementals, and often times make use of illusions to thwart those who would seek to harm them. Relative to this, the G'ecko consider themselves to be exceptionally gifted at playing tricks. Every G'ecko enjoys a good practical joke and tribes often brag about finding new ways to trick or deter hostile forces from attacking them. Some examples common to many G'ecko tribes are spontaneous disappearances, or the spontaneous appearance of some unexpected element.

This is the timeline of the G'ecko species. It is still a WIP, but from here you can see a basic overview of many events in the story of the G'ecko species.