“Now watch carefully, cub. Your prey will indicate the direction they will run. Be certain of it before you pursue. And make sure your kill is clean. Your prey does not deserve to suffer.”

Throughout the grasslands and deserts of the Realms, the cat-like Aruna wander in small bands, following game from place to place. They have a strong tradition of hunting, of responsible care of the land, and the respect due any game. They are fierce warriors, and hold honour as crucial to their way of life.

However, they are also very welcoming of strangers, friendly, and tolerant. They recognize that their ways are not for everybody—not even all Aruna are required to adhere to their code, and many Aruna adventurers have departed their bands to seek their fortune among other peoples.

The Aruna believe that experience is the best teacher and that knowledge cannot simply be imparted by word of mouth. This tendency is aggravated by the fact that the Aruna lack the ability to learn to read. This is not a cultural problem, but a biological issue; the Aruna are simply unable to grasp the concept of the written word.

The Aruna are well-known for their openness and their agility. When you select Aruna as your ancestry, increase your Agility and Charisma by +1, but decrease your Education by -1.

The Aruna have a base speed of seven meters.

The Aruna are a bit more robust than Humans, and start with twenty stamina.

The Aruna require rather more protein than other ancestries, and this increases their cost of living a bit. When in a friendly community, an Aruna must spend four copper pennies, rather than three, to purchase a meal. A week of rations for the Aruna cost five silver pennies rather than four.

The Aruna language is called Simha, and it does not include a written form at all. Scholars who wish to record Simha must do so in another writing style, typically using the Trade Glyphs to do so. When you select Aruna as your ancestry, you begin speaking Aruna and Trade, and may select additional spoken languages equal to your Education bonus (if it is positive). You may never choose to learn a written language.

The Aruna come in three different tribes: the Baashi, the Kurya and the Shepande. The Shepande are the smallest and swiftest of the three, while the Kurya are the largest and more powerful. When you select Aruna as your ancestry, choose one of these three Tribes.

Known for their sharp senses, the Baashi gain a +1 bonus to their Foresight, and gain low-light vision. They may ignore darkness penalties up to, but not including, -10 for complete darkness. Their tawny fur is broken up by large spots, only somewhat darker than their base colour. If you select Baashi as your tribe, add one training rank to your Survival skill.

Some Baashi clans show a remarkable amount of melanism, appearing panther-like. These Baashi are called Nyeusi, and though they are viewed as a separate tribe by the Aruna, they are identical in every way except appearance to the Baashi.

The largest and most powerful of the Aruna, the Kurya gain a +1 bonus to their Body, and start with five additional stamina. Their males are known to grow large, shaggy manes, giving them a lion-like appearance, and their spots are fainter than those of other Aruna. If you select Kurya as your tribe, add one training rank to your Athletics skill.

The smallest and swiftest of the Aruna, the Shepande gain a +1 bonus to their Dexterity, and their base Speed is eight meters instead of seven. They tend to be much lighter in colour than other Aruna, making their spots and stripes stand out even more, but this gives them natural camouflague in the grasslands. If you select Shepande as your tribe, add one training rank to your Stealth skill.