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Bodove and the Bodovians:

The country of Bodove starts on the southern border of muzin and stretches to the southern coast to the roughly half-way point where it borders mainland Lisdan. Bodove also owns a ring of tropical islands from which they harvest fruit, medicinal plants, rare stones and salt-water pearls, as well as capture birds and beasts for both trade and food. The climate is hot and breezy. The majority of the land is wide open plains and grassland, some outback and tundra, full of herd animals and ground-nesting fowl. There are several powerful rivers that run up from the south coast and cut through the land making it fertile and hearty. The few trees that grow in Bodove are of the solitary kind, a heavy solid wood that twists up from the relatively flat landscape to scrape the vaulted sky. Their cities for the most part are small and clanlike, and generally are segregated by clan. Usually the Dado clans and the Balo clans tend to prefer the company of their own kind, but they are both in fact of the same race, and do live and work together. While there is prejudice against certain groups, like the dark Gudo clan or the mischievous Vabo clan, the Bodovians generally live in peace. They have only ever had one Civil War, though it was mighty and brutal, and ended in sad tragedy. Aside from the few cities, the land is covered in tiny villages and hamlets, usually close to the rivers, where one or two clans will band together and hunt and cook in unison. The fire pitts and the rivers are the main social hubs of the culture, where women and men will chat and gossip. Children tend to roam free, but all females in the village will watch out for all children and will help and protect them all as if they were their own. While there is a high mortality rate in young Bodovians by accident, predator or disease, once the cub reaches his 5th year, chances are he will enjoy a long and hearty life.
The Clans themselves generally assume different societal roles, and both the Dado clan and the Balo clan can occupy the same positions. There are 8 clans in total, four Dado (or Dog clans) and four Balo (or Cat clans).

The Dado consist of:
The Deno - sleek and slender like dobermans, the Deno are clever, cool and collected and tend to take positions in society of administration, rule or advising. Very proud and very determined to keep their blood 'pure' by breeding only with other Deno. While they can be snobby and elitist they often are very diplomatic and reasonable.
The Vabo - the wolflike Vabo; although they tend to be solitary from the other dogs, they stick together in groups like a pack of wolves. they are strong, moderately bright, good at picking up skills and finding their way around. While the Deno assign the work, the Vabo execute it with skill and precision.
The Nivo - the largest of all Bodovians, these hyena-like dog types are massive and strong and incredibly stupid. They are loyal to a fault and obediant, but are easily tricked and goaded. As toddlers they experience the world much like a human toddler, only instead of the human practice of trying to put everything into their mouths, Nivo babies smack everything they encounter against their skull to learn of its hardness and feel and of vibration and resonation. If they cause brain damage in this act and therefore are stupid, or are stupid and therefore think it a clever idea is unclear.
The Tiao - the smallest of the dog types and often disowned as too catty, the foxy little tricksters have a love and passion of fidgeting, fiddling, poking and prodding. If you tell them not to touch it you can be certain they will touch it at least a dozen times - even if only to find out why they can't. The Tiao often end up in poverty and make a life of theft and swaggling customers.

The Balo consist of:
The Sago - equivalent to the Deno, the Sago are the rulers of the cat clans, like the King of the Wild Kingdom on earth. The lions tend to be wise and benevolent albeit sometimes too stuffy and old-fashioned. They are hearty and caring, but often too slow to make a stand or come to a desicion.
The Pero - equivalent to the Vabo, the Pero are the nobles. Aristocratic and proud, the stripey cat clan are the physically strongest of the cats, and often are talented fighters as well as powerful diplomats - usually it is the Pero that become translators for other tongues. Although stubborn and demanding at times, they are always incredibly just and fair.
The Bano - the spotty cat clan is the most agile of All Bodovians, they become the craftsmen and traders, often achieving merchant status. They also make talented performers, excelling in singing and dancing, and are renowned for their daring feats. They are brave and clever and quick to act and react. While often considered flighty or trivial, they are outgoing and friendly and easily distracted.
The Gudo - The dark and shadowy Gudo clan is the most disliked of the Bodovians. They are mysterious and shifty, slinking in and out of gatherings without anyone noticing them enter or leave. They are by far the most intelligent, and have a great penchant for prophecy and magic. However, the panthers tend to be distant and spaced-out and often talk in riddles or rhythm which further causes the other Bodovians to dislike them for their convoluted speech. The Gudo often end up as gypsies or bandits, nomads traveling the land and staying only shortly in cities. While they offer the latest news from afar, they too often include items of the distant past, near future or destined fate so that you need an interpereter to understand their message.

As for their clothes, they wear jumpers, usually shorts, and bracers on their arms or legs but no gloves and no shoes. They also love bright colours and patterns, and wear lots of bangles, beads, necklaces and sashes. They use very large buttons to fasten the straps of their jumpers because their three-toed paws are not very dextrous.
A Bodovian does not care about the economical value of money pieces, they care about the trading worth of a shell or bead or jewel by how rare and pretty and desireably it is. They trade their Pagachups-fur blankets gladly and willingly for glass beads from Suoro because they can easily make Pagachups blanekts, but they can't make glass beads, so for them it is worthwhile.

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