View source for Ikarki City Zu'Aan

{{Infobox:TwilightAgeGroup  
|Type = Zu'aan city 
|Name  = Ikarki City Zu'Aan
|Parent Groups = N/A
|Descended Groups = Unknown
|Areas Controlled = [[Oikwta Forest Hills]]
|Date Founded = 4E 174
|Date Disbanded = N/A
}}




==History==

The Ikarki city zu'aan were founded by a former courtesan named Verlinglfr Aturbia who hailed from the [[Oikwta Forest Hills]]. She was one of the most famous courtesans in the then unnamed city of Ikarki where she had close contact with many of the most powerful people and officials. She regularly leveraged this position to gain information and advance herself in society. It was in this manner that she would receive vital information about an impending kin'toni invasion on their settlement. 

The information had been contained by the city's officials to allow the privileged classes to escape at the expense of the lower classes, who would be left behind for the city's defense. She refused all offers to join the escape, citing that she would rather die with the city than abandon it at its time of need. She would rise to the occasion and attempt to lead the defense of the region. She broke the news of the approaching kin'toni army to the common folk along with the treachery of the city's leaders who had abandoned them. 


She became the face of a revolution as this enraged mob picked up their weapons and waged war on the elite. The leaders and elite of the group who were yet to escape from the city would be paraded out of the city and expelled, while their act of cowardice was recorded in messages and sent to all zu'aan residents. This was the start of the Ikarki city clan. With the enthusiastic backing of the crowd, she would begin the preparation of their defenses in anticipation of the kin'toni attacks. 

Despite her inexperience, the military leaders rallied around her and advised her throughout the entire defense of the city. This would result in the city repelling the repeated kin'toni attacks and winning a morale boosting victory. Verlinglfr would abolish the class systems and hand everyone in the city the same standards of living and privilege. She would establish a new clan composed of every zu'aan living within the city that she named the Ikarki City zu'aan. She would lead them to new heights all through this turbulent phase by establishing agreements and pacts with many of their neighboring zu’aan for trade and defense. 


Architects and woodworkers from the surrounding villages world receive personal invitations from herself, to work on the beautification of the city limits. The overhaul would see the city become a center of art and design in the region and would consistently attract zu’aan tourists between the lulls in fighting. The Ikarki would remain very highly influential after the end of the kin'toni outbreak. The increased trade and contact in the region led to the spread of myths about the legendary founder and their heroic battles against the kin'toni. 

They received a lot of attention and became one of the favorite destinations of many admirers and travelers who came to view the lifelike sculptures and carved artwork commemorating their heroic defense of the city under Verlinglfr Aturbia.

==Psychology==

The Ikarki city zu'aan were founded as a result of the successful revolution led by the legendary Verlinglfr Aturbia. They were composed of the lower classes who had been left to fend for themselves when the kin'toni horde finally found their way into the region. This betrayal left them with a great mistrust of their former leaders and the privileged members. Verlinglfr would expel all of these classes from within the clan once she took over the leadership. Being raised in a poor environment herself, she could easily understand their sentiments and relate to their oppression. 

She took many precautions to ensure that this form of class differences and alienation would never occur again in their new clan. He addressed the clan's fears in public meetings where she reassured them that there would no longer be any ruling classes within the clan. She created a democratic council of elected officials who served under her and provided her advice and voted on all matters relating to the clan. However, she remained the sole leader of the clan as she saw herself as the only person capable of remaining uncorrupted by the power of her position.


The Ikarki city and its zu'aan was known for their very liberal and free principles long before the city became known as the Ikarki city. Their society was known for its very lax attitudes towards subjects and professions that were considered taboo in many other parts of the world. They were famous for their courtesans who were described to be among the most beautiful zu'aan women in the entire continent. Their love for liberty and freedom also meant that the clan did not indulge in slavery like many of the zu'aan in the neighboring regions. 

They believed in equality for all, especially after their previous experience with their ruling classes who secretly planned to save their own skins at the expense of the rest of the clan. The clan grew suspicious of such betrayals and prescribed very serious punishments for anyone guilty of betraying the clan. The Ikarki city zu'aan also prized the democratic principles that existed within their governments. They wanted the power to be able to choose their own representatives. They had very outspoken attitudes as a clan and would not sit idly if they felt they had been hoodwinked. 


This led to their rebellious attitudes when they learnt of the betrayal of their elders prior to their formation into the Ikarki clan.
Their love for freedom extended to their economy and trade. They wanted no interferences or control of the government in their economic affairs and wanted to be free to make their own money. The people also displayed a lot of pride for their ancient city which had gone through many renovation and beautification projects and was one of the most well planned and constructed habitats in the continent. 

They were even known to go so far as to pick fight with strangers and tourists who badmouthed their city. Verlinglfr would channel this passion when she named their clan after the city.

==Culture==

The Ikarki city zu'aan culture was known for their well-developed city and their advanced and free lifestyle that reflected the social progress within their city. It was founded by the early zu'aan settlers of the region who developed it into a hub for trade and commerce within the region. This trade would become a regular part of local zu'aan customs and was responsible for bringing in many goods as well as knowledge and contacts for the clan. It helped their settlement prosper from a small hilltop settlement to one of the largest and advanced cities in the continent. 

Being a trading hub, the city was famous for its embracing of capitalism and a free market economy. The traders and zu'aan were all welcome to engage in trade and there were no restrictions for all tax paying members of the Ikarki clan. This economic freedom led to the popularity of the city among merchants, businessmen and traders who all competed to own a share of this rich market. The Ikarki zu'aan culture was very relaxed and liberal. Many acts and trades that were impossible in any of the neighboring clans were normal sights here. 


This included the sale and use of intoxicants and hallucinogens, and the practice of prostitution. Their city was famous for its courtesans and many of them occupied an important spot in the region's culture. This included their founder Verlinglfr, who was herself- a courtesan before a surprising chain of events propelled her to the foremost leadership position in the region. The zu'aan settlers in the region were attracted to the ideal climatic conditions of the region that was conducive to the growth of crops as well as for zu'aan habitation. 

The zu'aan cleared large tracts of land for their cultivation activities and would establish many small farming communities in the region that blossomed into many small villages and cities. Agriculture played an important role in the Ikarki zu'aan culture and many of their culture's holidays and festivals reflected their agricultural practices. They had a festival to mark the seeding and the harvesting seasons. The fertile soil as well as the ideal conditions of the region sometimes allowed the zu'aan to complete over three crop cycles in a year. 


This fertility produced a surplus of food which became a valuable trade commodity of the region. The development of contact and trade brought the zu'aan of the region into contact with many different cultures of the world. Many residents of the Ikarki city were aware of the cultures and traditions of their neighboring regions and even borrowed many aspects of these other cultures. This was responsible for their quick advancements in terms of their technology, construction and military.

The development of a road network that led away in all directions from their city led to the quick dissemination of their culture and helped them become one of the most accessible and popular destinations. It led to the growth of a mercantile tradition among their members and made them one of the richest cultures in the entire continent.

==Government==

Before they became the Ikarki city zu'aan, the clan was led by a ruling class composed of the elite families who controlled all aspects of the clan. There was an underlying layer of corruption that existed at every level of the administration that the citizens turned a blind eye to in exchange for their freedoms. This system lasted for many years until the kin'toni outbreak when Verlinglfr discovered a hidden plot to evacuate the members of these elite while the rest of the citizenry were left to fend for themselves. 

Seizing the opportunity, she would reveal the secret plot and wind up the members of the lower class into taking part in a rebellion. This rebellion would succeed and end up destroying the age-old systems of the clan and left her free to form a new government to her liking. The participants of the rebellion were deeply touched by Verlinglfr selfless gesture in revealing the secret evacuation plots at great risk to herself. They gravitated towards her incredible story and charisma, and agreed to make her the leader of their movement. 


Her first act as a leader was to lead the defense of the city against the incoming kin'toni attack. This would be the start of her new role as the leader of the city. Despite her inexperience, the military leaders rallied around her and advised her throughout the entire defense of the city. This would result in the city repelling the repeated kin'toni attacks and winning a morale boosting victory. Verlinglfr would abolish the class systems and hand everyone in the city the same standards of living and privilege. 

She would establish the new clan composed of every zu'aan living within the city and named them the Ikarki City zu'aan. Verlinglfr maintained a deep spy network to help her control the citizens and to avoid any dissent or rebellions that might be afoot. She kept herself informed in all matters with the help of these agents who collected information from all the neighboring regions as well as within her own city. These networks were able to thwart many attempts by the expelled elites of the city to incite riots and revolutions against her rule. 


She would display her ruthlessness in dealing with anyone found cooperating with these members. Harsh punishments were not reserved only for their enemies. Even clan members who were guilty of crimes would find themselves at the receiving end of one of the clan’s punishments. She explained to the clan members that anyone who disturbed the order within their society was indirectly impeding his fellow clan members ability to exercise their own freedoms, and deserved to be punished to the full extent of their law. 

The harsh punishments had their intended effect and led to low crime rates throughout their territory. These systems would survive long after her death and would become the hallmark of the Ikarki city's government for many more years to come.

==Military==

The Oikwta region had a military tradition that dated back thousands of years age when the first zu'aan began to settle in the area. The constant battles led to the survival of only the strongest tribes and settlements within the region. The Ikarki city was one such city that survived due to its strong military tradition. These ancient battles took place at smaller scales and usually involved entire tribes with little organization. They were more reliant on their numbers and bravery to defeat their enemies. 

The zu'aan of the Ikarki city were among the first tribes to create an organized army unit who were responsible for the defense of their city. They prescribed a strict and disciplined lifestyle for these warriors who were rewarded with land at the end of their service. They trained on the regular and had no other responsibilities to distract them from their duties. This differentiated them from most of the zu'aan armies of the time who were composed of part time farmers or hunters who took up arms when called upon.


Their success led them to dominate the region and establish their great city of Ikarki. Their ranks were graced by some of the most famous zu'aan generals who developed revolutionary tactics and strategies that imposed their military dominance in the region. Verlinglfr continued to build on these historical traditions when she became the leader of the city. Her first action as a leader came during the revolution against the clan's ruling classes. She was able to gain the trust of the clan's generals who swore their loyalty to her and helped with the smooth transition of the clan's leadership.

They were appalled at the way in which the clan's ruling classes had chosen to secretly save their own skins while abandoning the rest of them to the approaching kin'toni hordes. Thus, the military played a major role in the revolution and ensured that Verlinglfr was crowned the new leader of the clan. They didn't have time to enjoy their success as the clan was faced with the incoming kin'toni hordes who intended to lay siege and capture their city. Verlinglfr would use her influence as the new leader to direct all of the clan's resources into the city's defense. 


These efforts included the construction of large defensive structures along their perimeters along with emplacement of catapults to launch rock projectiles into their advancing armies. This commitment finally paid off when the kin'toni eventually reached their borders and laid siege to their city. Using their well-trained army and months of preparation for the exact scenario, they were able to successfully hold off the attackers and lead one of the most successful defenses against the kin'toni. 

The battle added to their military's reputation and made them famous throughout the zu'aan world. The tactics and strategies that they employed during the siege would be studied and became a template for most defensive battles during this era. The Ikarki city zu'aan invested a lot of their wealth that they acquired from their thriving trade into their armies. The clan fielded one of the best equipped armies that were fully supplied with the best weapons and armor along with provisions that helped them fight at maximum capacity much longer than other armies.

==Religion==

The Ikarki city zu'aan worshipped twin gods named Bureck and Aldl. They believed that the twin gods descended from distant stars and crashed into their world when it was still barren and lifeless. According to their legends, the twins spent an eternity being stranded on their world with no hope of returning to their celestial abode. They created life on the planet along with the zu'aan, as a reminder of their lives back home. They created the zu'aan in their own image; they imparted life and the capacity for complex thoughts on them but were unable to impart their own powers. 

Thus, the zu'aan could not transcend to the position of the gods. The twin gods became part of the Oikwta forests after their death and continued to linger on among the zu'aan. They were responsible for controlling all aspects of life and exercised control over all the natural phenomena in the region. These legends originated from the earliest zu'aan settlers of the region who continually prayed to them for good luck and conditions. They would carry their sacrifices of food and livestock to the forests where they were burnt in large bonfires to appease their gods. 


Natural catastrophes such as thunderstorms and droughts were associated with the displeasure of the gods and these early zu'aan would sometimes offer themselves or their captured enemy and slaves as sacrifices to alleviate the clan's suffering. These more barbaric traditions grew extinct as the inhabitants of the region progressed and became more civilized, but other aspects of the worship remained more-or-less, unchanged.
The region contained two distinctive craters that measured almost a mile in radius.

These spots were religious sites that were believed to be the spots were Bureck and Aldl first crashed into the surface of their world. These spots had changed with time to become twin water filled lakes in the middle of the forests. They were a site of regular pilgrimage for the zu'aan inhabitants of the region. The religion was followed by most inhabitants of the Oikwta region, including the famous Ikarki city zu'aan clan. Their city had many temples and monasteries that were dedicated to the twin gods. 


Verlinglfr herself was a devout worshipper of the gods and would create many more temples and holy places after her rebellion succeeded. She maintained a close retinue of religious priests who advised her on spiritual matters and also helped her manipulate the emotions of her people. The city would slowly begin to distance itself from its religion after the death of their founder Verlinglfr. This was because of the influence of the priests who began to accumulate a lot of power and became known for their corrupt practices. 

They made a strict law to ban religious figures and heads from participating in their government and administration as well as their trade and economic activities. This led to drastic decrease in religious interests and stories of Bureck and Aldl became more like myths that were not to be taken seriously.

==Miscellany==

{{NearbyGroups
 | Centre    = {{PAGENAME}} 
 | North     = Unknown
 | Northeast = Unknown
 | East      = Unknown
 | Southeast = Unknown
 | South     = Unknown
 | Southwest = Unknown
 | West      = Unknown
 | Northwest = Unknown
}}

{{CrossSiteAttribution
| User = [https://www.freelancer.in/u/Jangou Jangou]
| Holder = Jangou S
}}

[[Category:2nd-century Twilight Age zu'aan cities]]
[[Category:Jangou S's contributions]]