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 "A creature who had not known hatred, lust
and terror, I suspected, would be ill-fitted to
understand the Kur, or men."
                         (Tribesman of Gor, p. 218)

Kurii GOR
 

author:
DevanaPerun / Lliure

  Gor is not safe. Neither is Earth. An alien race, the Kurii, wish to conquer both worlds. "Kurii" is a Gorean corruption of their own name for themselves and in Gorean it means "beasts." "Kur" is the singular form of this word. They are also sometimes called the "Others" by those less familiar with them. There are two primary types of Kurii, those of the Steel Worlds and those living on Gor, some which are now native after several generations on Gor. The Kurii are the great enemies of the Gorean series and serve as villains in a fair number of the books.

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   The Kurii have had a civilization for about one hundred thousand years, much longer than mankind has had such. Kurii legends state that many thousands of years ago, in internecine wars, the Kurii destroyed the viability of their native world. There is no reason given for these massive wars between themselves. Their sun was a yellow, medium-sized slow-rotating star with a planetary system, one small enough to nourish life but large enough to have a suitable habitable zone. Maybe forty thousand years ago, the Kurii possessed incredible technology, far beyond what they have now. But most of this technology was destroyed in the wars among themselves. Their civilization has regressed in some ways and appears on a technological decline. At least twenty thousand years ago, the Kurii possessed a deep space capability.

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   Once they arrived in our solar system, the Kurii came into contact with the Priest-Kings and war was the result and has been ongoing for almost twenty thousand years. We have no information on this first contact. We do not know how the Priest-Kings initially treated the Kurii. We do not know if the Kurii met force from the start or if the Kurii were the first to use force. Based on our knowledge of the two races, it is more likely the Kurii were the initial aggressors. The Kurii have been driven from our solar system eleven times but they always eventually return. They refuse to close with the Priest-King ships because they know that their own ships are no match for the superior weaponry of the Priest-Kings.

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   Some Kurii ships have crashed on Gor over the years. The Priest-Kings will destroy the ships but they do little about any Kurii who escape from those ships. As long as these Kurii obey the Technology and Weapon Laws, the Kurii are allowed to remain on Gor. Generally, these Kurii degenerate quickly to a state of barbarism and anarchy. Some Kurii have lived on Gor for several generations and know little, if anything, of the Steel Worlds. They usually live in isolated areas of Gor such as the frozen wastes of the north. The Kurii that live in the cold north live in field shelters made of skins and furs arched over bent saplings. Kurii do not like sleeping exposed. In an open field, they will burrow into the ground. These northern Kurii commonly wield great axes. White-furred Kurii are called ice beasts by the Red Hunters of the polar basin. These Kurii hunt from ice floes and have an affinity for water unlike other Kurii. There are few Kurii in the Barrens and Tahari as there is too little cover, the summer heat is too severe and game is scarce in the winters.

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   Kurii usually range from seven to nine feet tall and weigh from seven to nine hundred pounds. Their arms are longer and larger than their legs. Their biceps are commonly about eight inches wide and their wrists are about five inches wide. Their hands are clawed and pawlike with six digits, extra-jointed, and almost like tentacles. These hand claws are usually filed allowing them to better able use tools and technological items. Most Kur are right-handed as the left hemisphere of their brain is dominant. Their hind legs are eight to ten inches wide. Though their legs are short, with their arms they can move on all fours rapidly like an ape. For short distances it can even outrun a tarsk. They are also excellent climbers. The claws on its feet are retractable, usually not filed and over four inches long. Their most common fur color is dark brown though they can also be brownish red, sable or white. A mottling of white in their coloration commonly denotes disease.

   Their heads are the width of the chest of a large man with a mouth large enough to cover a man's head. The mouth contains two rows of fangs, four being prominent in the position of canines. The upper two canines are long and curved. Its tongue is dark. Their eyes are large and round, with black pupils and a yellowish cornea. They have excellent vision in the dark and their eyes adjust to light changes quicker than humans. Their ears are large, pointed and wide. They can be laid back flat against its head. Its snout is wide and leathery with two slitlike nostrils. They have a tracking capacity, including both smell and hearing, equivalent to a larl though not as good as a sleen.

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   Their blood is red but the plasma has a very high percentage of salt that acts as a protein solvent. This means that they can eat vast quantities of meat, which would kill a man who tried to eat a similar amount. They also have a second stomach, a storage place where food is not digested. The food can be moved at will to their true stomach, or chemical stomach. They usually do not carry excess food and water unless when they are anticipating a time of scarcity. Additional food is a weight burden and impairs their performance. Kur also have good metabolic control and can slow or speed their digestion at will.

   They speak with rumbles, snarls, growls, and half roars. Though it may sound like animal noises initially, once you listen to the noises they do form the rhythms of a language. Kurii phonemes for the most part elude representation in the alphabets of men. No known Gorean can speak the language of the Kurii. Kurii find it difficult to speak Gorean and most do not speak it. When they do speak it, it is a horrifying approximation. It does not actually hurt them to speak Gorean, it is only difficult for them to do so. They prefer to use translators when dealing with Goreans. This produces a flat, mechanical form of speech that is often awkward and choppy. Translators are notorious for being too literal at times due to the limitations of the translation.

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   Most Goreans, if not all, would either attack or flee when confronted by a Kur. Kurii do not walk the streets of Gorean cities. They may sometimes be hidden within buildings in some cities but they do not walk around freely, even in those buildings. Few Goreans know of their war with the Priest-Kings or much about them at all. Most Goreans would view them as animals or monsters that should be destroyed. And killing Kurii is not an easy task.

   Kurii do not make friends of humans. They use them and then eliminate or eat them. Kurii know that they cannot openly operate on Gor so they need human agents. Yet, the Kurii believe themselves to be superior to man. They would not deign to make friends with a race they consider food. The closest a Kur has come to friendship with a human has been the case of Half-Ear and Tarl Cabot. These two bonded as warriors, not as friends. They respect the abilities of each other. They understand that they will always be enemies but also know that battle joins them as brothers. They were civil and respectful toward each other in the Barrens, but they each know that they are at war. They would battle each other if necessary.

   The Kurii are the enemies of Gor and Earth.


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author:  DevanaPerun   [ Lliure ]