My Tékumel Bestiary (1): the Akáta and the Hrá

Akáta

The Akáta, as named by the Mu'ugalavyáni (Nirikáta: Tsolyánu), are what some might call the Swamp Folk's "best friend", though that race are so inscrutable it is impossible to say whether they do indeed harbour the same affection for their pets as humans do their dogs. The beasts were brought to Tékumel by the Heglethyál, as the Swamp Folk are called in Tsolyánu (A'láthish: Mu'ugalavyá), from their Home World of Unukulhai and like their masters Akáta are at home in the water. They are used for all the same uses that humans find for their dogs: hunting (and fishing!), tracking, protection and, perhaps, companionship. Any party of Swamp Folk is likely to be accompanied by one or more Akáta, even those serving aboard ships. 

The miniature is from the Pathfinder Miniatures range, by Paizo. "Akata" - without the accent - is the Pathfinder name for the creature. Nirikáta is something I came up with. It means "blue sacrifice" in Tsolyáni, assuming I've got the translation correct. I wonder why it's called that?

One of the pics is from an ebay auction. The seller, AvengersRule, is quite good in my experience (ordering from Canada). I find his name card is a helpful way of judging the size of the figure, something that is often hard to do in many auctions.

Hrá

Hrá are blood-sucking undead creatures that come in many forms. They are the creations of the Temple of Ksárul, formed to meet their needs. The figure illustrated is just one form. Some stand 10-12 feet tall. Others are created as beasts of burden, squat of form and very powerful. Many are armed: typically with mace, sword or spear. They are difficult to kill and even more difficult to lay to rest permanently. If set a task they are relentless. Priests, especially those from the Temple of Ksárul, can control them if they have sufficient knowledge of the lore; they can even attempt to control, or at least deter, Hrá under the control of another.

The miniature shown is from Wizards of the Coast: #45 - Draegloth - Underdark - Dungeons & Dragons miniature D&D. Remember that Hrá can be found in many forms. I will be writing more about them soon...

Size comparison with one of our 28mm troopers.