Gwani
| Gwani | |
|---|---|
 Gwani, from Ultima VII Part Two manual | |
| Only appearance: | Serpent Isle |
Gwani are peaceful inhabitants of the ice regions of the northern Serpent Isle.
Description[edit]
Gwani are an intelligent species; a civilization of their own with language and culture. Gwani believe magic corrupts the balance of nature, thus to Gwani, the best and only way to live is in harmony with nature. Their social order is interesting in that chieftains are always female in Gwani society. However, their species is in danger as they are hunted for their fur by trappers, who deny to acknowledge their sapience so that they could treat them as mere beasts. The constant danger and deaths of comrades have made them mistrustful of outsiders, causing them to adopt a kill-first attitude in order to protect themselves.
In the end, a massacre performed by Hazard the Trapper brought them to the brink of extinction, from which there is possibly no hope of recovery.
Gwani are found in the cold north of the Serpent Isle, west of the Skullcrusher Mountains as well as within the mountains themselves.
Gwani Language[edit]
The following are a few 'barks' lifted from Serpent Isle:
- Noo Koomba!= hello?
- Atala dak! = goodbye?
- Gruk!
- Barama tu!
- Aruk nok!
- Raag!
- Noocha Ta!
- Botoka na guta!
- Umgabar fotuba na Gwani!
- Rrrow!
- Meteka Gwani adu laseka!
- Soko terama dok!
While some of the Gwani words and expressions seem to have their roots in other languages such as Hungarian, Malay and some African dialects, they seem to follow no system or rules and are just randomly chosen words.
Gwani Names With Translations[edit]
- Myauri = "Blizzard"
- Neyobi = "Little Dew Drops"
- Kapyundi = "Little Glacier"
- Mwaerno = "Rain Clouds"
- Gilwoyai = "Of the Wind"
Lore[edit]
| “ | These white-furred creatures appear to be a cross between men and apes. Despite their unusual form, the combination seems more natural than magical and I have seen no evidence they have any familiarity with magic. There is some element of civilization in their culture, however slight, for I have seen them entomb their dead in the icy lands that they inhabit. If such is possible, I hope to find a way to communicate with them soon. |
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| “ | There were times I thought I'd never see another living being and would even have welcomed a Gwani or two. This thought quickly vanished from my mind, however, when I came across the Gwani caves. I sat, hidden in the shadows, watching for several hours, trying to raise my courage enough to walk into their midst. They were large and fierce looking. The cold, however, and the smell of roasting meat finally overcame my fear and I walked in among them. – from Balancing the Scales (Ultima VII Part Two)
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Notable Examples[edit]
- The Avatar meets a number of Gwani, all with varied personalities. However, the most important one is Yenani, their leader. She helps the Avatar through a number of quests, and is one of the few to survive Hazard the Trapper's attack on the tribe.
Other Gwani include:
- Baiyanda: the healer, Mwaerno's mate
- Bwundai: elder
- Gilwoyai: hunter
- Kapyundi: hunter, Yenani's son
- Mwaerno: hunter, Baiyanda's mate
- Myauri: hunting master, Yenani's mate
- Neyobi: daughter of Yenani and Myauri
Trivia[edit]
- Referred to as savage, fearsome beasts by the Monitorians, their pelts are highly prized. Gwani pelts are exotic furs and hard to come by. Apart from the fact that the picture of the Gwani is plain wrong, it is telling that people wear the skin of intelligent beings. The Gwani themselves are offended if one is spotted with such a cloak.
- Gwani have a death temple west of the Dragon Isle. They entomb their dead there in ice.
- There are Gwani in Skullcrusher whose minds were enslaved by Vasculio.
- Unlike other people in Ultima VII Part Two, Gwani do have non-dialogue narration in their dialogues (something the game normally did away with). That's because they have difficulties speaking English and there is no other way to convey the conversations properly.
Gallery[edit]
Yenani the Gwani
