 The Tanu have won the Combat without fail for the past forty years, because of their use of humanity and human innovations, such as the grey-torc shock troops and the use of horse-like chalicotheres (known as 'chalikos') as riding animals giving the Tanu cavalry that the Firvulag lack.Because the Tanu use humans to reproduce, a number of the 'Tanu' are in reality Tanu/human hybrids (e.g., Bleyn the Champion, Alberonn Mindeater, Katlinel the Darkeyed, et al.