whoops - I mis remembered the plot (re-read the book today inbetween stints of driving my bus). The Ruml are a cat-like species, but with behaviour referred to in sideways fashion as bear-like; there are many allusions to bear-like behaviour in the book, hence my slight confusion 
FWIW, the H'Hnaarouhw grew out of necessity. I was running a game back in the mists of time in Bromley, South London, on a Sunday, iirc, in mid 1991 (odd how one remembers these little details), when two latecomers joined in, just as the party hit the starport bar.
The two newcomers were goits (gits with attitude) of the highest order, and as they didn't know what was going on, being late to the game, decided to make trouble in the bar instead of helping to back up the party.
So they began what they thought would be a bit of fun, and started throwing food. Traditional human behaviour you might think. Not so if you're H'Hnaarouhwn. Mortal insult to them. And you don't wanna fight a seven and a half foot tall bear with bloody long claws and teeth, and a bad attitude, no sir. REALLY bad idea, truth be told. Tends to muck up your whole day.
Naturally, chaos ensued. Bodies, chairs, tables, body parts, all got thrown around liberally.
Typical Saturday Night Dust Up in the Starport Cantina, really.
We all agreed afterwards that it'd been the best fun we ever had with our clothes on, truth be told.
It was, put slightly briefly, Utter and Complete Mayhem!
Chaos was alternatively beating up, and being beaten up by, a drunk in the corner, who won the argument with a bottle over Chaos's head: Chaos took no further interest in proceedings after that, it should be added.
In the mean time, the four (yes, FOUR of the blighters!) H'Hnaarouhwn had literally mopped, wiped and scraped the floor with the newcomers, who were spiralled, smudged, splattered, spindled, pulverised, ploughed, mutilated, carved, creased, disembowelled, discombobulated, and generally messed up one side and down the other. Their cleaning bill would've been massive, had they survived :devil:
What happened to the goits? They both became a good mates! Or did, until one emigrated to Poland (to teach English as a First Language) of all places, and I lost contact with him (Geoff Atkinson, mate, if you're reading this, GET IN TOUCH!). The other dropped out of contact a few years ago, I believe he bogged of back to Scotland (Colin Grey, same request!).
Hope that made you grin evilly. We were almost wetting ourselves as the mayhem ensued and the dice ran wild!
Anyhow, it started a loooooooooong chain of thought that finally coalesced recently when I found my notes on the H'Hnaarouhw - the more complete write up you see on the website, and to come, is the eventual result - hope you enjoy reading it all as I did conjuring it all up
FWIW, the H'Hnaarouhw grew out of necessity. I was running a game back in the mists of time in Bromley, South London, on a Sunday, iirc, in mid 1991 (odd how one remembers these little details), when two latecomers joined in, just as the party hit the starport bar.
The two newcomers were goits (gits with attitude) of the highest order, and as they didn't know what was going on, being late to the game, decided to make trouble in the bar instead of helping to back up the party.
So they began what they thought would be a bit of fun, and started throwing food. Traditional human behaviour you might think. Not so if you're H'Hnaarouhwn. Mortal insult to them. And you don't wanna fight a seven and a half foot tall bear with bloody long claws and teeth, and a bad attitude, no sir. REALLY bad idea, truth be told. Tends to muck up your whole day.
Naturally, chaos ensued. Bodies, chairs, tables, body parts, all got thrown around liberally.
Typical Saturday Night Dust Up in the Starport Cantina, really.
We all agreed afterwards that it'd been the best fun we ever had with our clothes on, truth be told.
It was, put slightly briefly, Utter and Complete Mayhem!
Chaos was alternatively beating up, and being beaten up by, a drunk in the corner, who won the argument with a bottle over Chaos's head: Chaos took no further interest in proceedings after that, it should be added.
In the mean time, the four (yes, FOUR of the blighters!) H'Hnaarouhwn had literally mopped, wiped and scraped the floor with the newcomers, who were spiralled, smudged, splattered, spindled, pulverised, ploughed, mutilated, carved, creased, disembowelled, discombobulated, and generally messed up one side and down the other. Their cleaning bill would've been massive, had they survived :devil:
What happened to the goits? They both became a good mates! Or did, until one emigrated to Poland (to teach English as a First Language) of all places, and I lost contact with him (Geoff Atkinson, mate, if you're reading this, GET IN TOUCH!). The other dropped out of contact a few years ago, I believe he bogged of back to Scotland (Colin Grey, same request!).
Hope that made you grin evilly. We were almost wetting ourselves as the mayhem ensued and the dice ran wild!
Anyhow, it started a loooooooooong chain of thought that finally coalesced recently when I found my notes on the H'Hnaarouhw - the more complete write up you see on the website, and to come, is the eventual result - hope you enjoy reading it all as I did conjuring it all up
