View source for Uskvorim City Zu'aan

{{Infobox:TwilightAgeGroup  
|Type = Zu'aan city 
|Name  = Uskvorim City Zu'aan
|Parent Groups = N/A
|Descended Groups = Unknown
|Areas Controlled = [[Zyrulshy Overgrown Greens]]
|Date Founded = 4E 266
|Date Disbanded = N/A
}}


==History==

Uskvorim City lies within the [[Zyrulshy Overgrown Greens]]. How the Zyrulshy Overgrown Greens came to be overgrown, no one can quite remember. But they do know that Uskvorim used to be a city of scientists. There are rumors that the scientists were experimenting without care for the environment and nature struck back by growing and overrunning the city. The scientists had no choice but to flee, leaving the city abandoned for decades before the Awakening Age. 
During the Twilight Age, foragers who had become one with nature, discovered the abandoned city. They felt that it was absolutely perfect for their way of life. 

Foragers rely on nature for everything, willingly leaving their fates to it, so a place intertwined with nature seemed like a paradise to them. The city drew dozens of zu'aan on the run from the kin’toni. It was easy to settle into life in Uskvorim. All of them had already been living by the land as they traveled. They didn’t disturb the plant life that had taken over the buildings, deciding to simply work around them. They simply repaired what they could to make sure nothing would collapse. Though it was easy to settle, there were still some challenges. 


The plant life had mutated due to the experiments, so some could be very aggressive and poisonous. With great reluctance, those plants had to be cut away. They also had to worry about the animals. The city had been abandoned for decades, severely limiting the animals' interactions with the zu’aan. The zu’aan had to slowly and carefully get the animals used to them, allowing them to see that they meant them no harm. It took a long time for the animals to move away from the inner part of the city. Once they did, a harmonious relationship was forged. 

The more aggressive animals stayed out of the city. The gentler animals could be seen roaming the plant covered streets.  They decided to make a council to run the city instead of just one zu’aan. This would allow them to divide up responsibilities more efficiently. They worked well together, as each had the same beliefs about nature. There was a common ground between them. Together, they were able to create a functioning city that existed in complete harmony with nature. Many zu’aan and kin’toni tried to attack them after they had settled. They believed that they were weak nature lovers. 


It didn’t take long for them to realize how ferocious and wild these nature lovers could be. They failed to understand how fanatical they were when it came to nature. How far these zu’aan would go to protect it and their city. They were able to completely drive out their enemies, leaving a few alive to spread the word of what they were capable of. Over the years, the attacks have died out. A few sporadic attacks will occur here and there though, mainly from ravenous kin’toni who have lost all sense of reason or a few daring zu’aan.

==Psychology==

The zu’aan of Uskvorim are known for their wild, extreme, and often excessive love of nature. They have completely integrated themselves with their environment. They live by the land in every way possible, and they treat nature with absolute love and respect. The love they have for nature can be described as being fanatical. Their expectations for other zu’aan to have the same respect and care for nature is quite high. They are known to be highly aggressive and harsh towards those who don’t respect nature. They don’t understand how anyone could willingly hurt and take from nature out of selfish greed. 

How could someone kill animals for sport and display them as trophies. Or burns down an entire forest to build something for the rich and powerful to enjoy. They believe that one should only take what they need from nature, while being thankful for being able to. Nature gives you exactly what you need, so there is no need to try to take more. They only take what they need to survive. Being surrounded by nature fills them with absolute indescribable joy. They feel connected to each other, to nature, to themselves, and they feel centered.


Watching animals roam the forests with their young trotting behind them, seeing colorful flowers open up under the shine of the sun or the glow of the moon calms them. There is a beauty and sense of peace that comes with standing barefoot in the grass, the sun warming your face, and the breeze caressing against your skin. They are willing to do whatever it takes to protect that beauty, even if it means killing. They are known to be very violent and maniacal when it comes to protecting nature from those who wish to harm it and protecting their beliefs. Very easily, they can lose all kinds of reason and sanity. 

They have killed many zu’aan and kin’toni who have refused to respect nature and their way of life. They feel no guilt or remorse when they take a life in the name of protecting nature. If anything, they feel a great sense of joy and accomplishment watching life drain from their eyes. They believe that it is their duty to protect nature and all that it offers. To them, the true monsters are those who cut down trees, hunt animals for sport, and burn down forests to build concrete cities. They have been known to actively hunt down others and will gladly offer them up as sacrifices because they believe that it will appease nature.


This is not to say that they can’t be kind. They are respectful to those who show care for nature and respect their way of life. They can be welcoming to those who wish to join their way of life, as long as they genuinely want to change. With great joy, they are quite happy to show newcomers how to properly live off of the land. Newcomers have often become overwhelmed at the aggressive and passionate showcasing.

==Culture==

Nature is intertwined with everything in Uskvorim City. The zu’aan put the well-being of nature above everything else. The zu’aan here consider themselves to be foragers. Foragers are known to live completely by the land, by the nature that surrounds them. They prefer the natural sounds of birds chirping to the noisy streets of cities. To them, nature is meant to be respected and celebrated. One of the biggest celebrations that they put on for nature is the Nature Fest. While they celebrate nature everyday, this festival is a deeper celebration. 

The celebration goes on throughout the entire day and long through the night, and it lasts for several days. It’s a thank you to nature.  During this time, they still respect only taking what is needed from nature. So, while they have a grand feast, it is mainly made up of fruits and vegetables that they have grown specifically for this event. There is only a small amount of meat eaten during the fest. There’s dancing accompanied by hand made drums, a giant bonfire, and laughter. Many zu’aan can be found just lying around in the grass with content smiles on their faces. 


They don’t believe in wasting anything in their culture. They believe that everything in nature can have multiple uses. When it comes to animals, the meat is used for food, the fur is used for clothing for the winter. Even the bones are repurposed. They’ll use them for needles to thread their clothing, close deep cuts, or as weapons depending on the size. A few have been known to use them as jewelry. Waste from food, like vegetable peelings, are used as fertilizer for new crops. Seeds from fruits are planted so that the fruit can grow again. They use fallen vines to weave a variety of things from baskets to the doors of their homes, and even shields for battle. 

They often prefer to go without clothes. Winter is the only time that they’ll wear clothing at all times. They believe that nakedness is the most natural state a zu’aan can be in. Clothing separates them from nature. Without them, they can connect with nature on a much deeper level and can move about without having to worry about their clothes snagging on something. It also allows them to hunt more silently. They are able to mask their scents better, allowing them to hunt more efficiently.  Reaching maturity is considered a big deal in Uskvorim. When a zu’aan, male or female, reaches maturity, they are allowed on their first hunt with the hunting party. 


It’s up to them to lead the party and secure the first kill. Being able to do this is considered a right of passage and quite an honor. Successfully completing the hunt shows your ability to provide and your ability to survive. They put markings on their skin to showcase completing the hunt. They’ll add new markings for each successful hunt afterwards. The most accomplished hunters are seen walking around proudly with dozens of markings.

==Government==

All the zu’aan of the city come together once every five years to choose members for the council. The responsibilities of the city have been divided between five members. The first member handles the hunting. They create the hunting parties and will lead them. Their main jobs are to make sure they are able to have a successful hunt and to make sure they only kill what is absolutely necessary. The second member is in charge of the farming. They make sure the crops are growing well and that the animals being raised for things other than meat are being raised well. 

It is their job to ensure that there is enough food to go around while not damaging their environment. The third member handles the military and the defense of the city. They handle the training and the weapons. Oftentimes, the first and third members will combine the hunting parties and the military.
The fourth member handles the religious aspects of the city. They make sure that their religion is being respected and being properly used by all in the city. As they are knowledgeable about their religion, zu’aan are allowed to voice their concerns to the fourth member. 


They can come pray with them and ask advice on the best way to pray. The fifth member handles the judicial side of things. They decide on punishments for breaking the law. It’s their job to enforce the law. They allow zu’aan to plead their cases and prove their innocence. A small jury is appointed to sit in on the trial and they decide on the verdict by majority vote. Their laws mainly revolve around nature. The first law is that no zu’aan shall take more from nature than necessary. This means that over hunting and over harvesting are not allowed under any circumstances. 

It is a disgusting and disruptive practice. Nature has to be given a chance to replenish what has been taken. Taking too much doesn’t allow it to do that. The second law is that no young animal shall be hunted. Young animals must be protected to allow them to continue on with their species. Hunting them disturbs the balance of nature. They have to be allowed to grow and reproduce. The third law is that there is absolutely no hunting for sport. Hunting and killing animals is about survival. Trophy killing is highly looked down upon and punishable by death in Uskvorim. 


The fourth law is that nature must always be respected. For every animal killed, thanks must be given to both the animal and the deity of animals, Ises. For every harvest of crops, thanks must be given towards the deity of nature, Ithos. One must not take more than necessary. Those caught breaking these laws are punished with either imprisonment or death. There is only one warning given out, unless the third law is broken, before a heavy punishment is given. They believe that everyone should be given a chance to correct their misdeeds. Those who break the third law are killed immediately because they believe that there is no redemption for those who kill for sport.

==Military==

The military is run by the third member of the council. This position is usually filled by a man, but it’s not always that way. Oftentimes, the military and the hunting parties will join together. Many consider Uskvorim’s military to be an incredibly difficult force to encounter. They are wild, incredibly aggressive, and completely unpredictable. There are even rumors that the zu’aan here ride wild and powerful animals into battle. While riding animals into battle isn’t true, animals have been known to join them. The zu’aan of Uskvorim have a special relationship with the animals of the Zyrulshy Overgrown Greens. 

Animals are incredibly intelligent, more so than most seem to realize or even care to realize. It’s said that animals can sense whether someone is a good zu’aan or a bad one. They can sense the true intentions and character of someone, and they will naturally be drawn to those of good character. The zu’aan here treat animals with the utmost respect, and that respect is given in return. They hunt them for food, but there is an unspoken understanding of the natural order of things from both sides. 

This is not to say that the animals won’t attack them, it’s just that it is believed that they understand and can see the difference between those who hunt for sport and those who hunt for survival. It is natural for apex predators to hunt for survival. So, due to that, it is not unusual for animals to join the side of the zu’aan here to help protect the city. There is no order in the way that the military fights their enemies. They don’t have separate units that protect this and fight that. They don’t plan and strategize on what to do. 


There are no fancy fighting styles or complex techniques. Everyone that can fight joins the fight. They grab whatever weapons they can and aim for the first enemy they see. They’ve trained and they rely on their instincts to react when necessary. Since they are in tune with nature, they believe that they can feel and see things better than those who are not. This allows them to react faster and strike harder. Even children have been known to join the fight. Everyone trains at a young age, though training here is different from other places. 

Instead of learning fighting techniques, they learn how to listen to their surroundings. They learn to feel the air around them, the ground beneath their feet. Hunting is considered their version of training. It is the best way to train as one has to face creatures much faster and far stronger than they are. Their fierce need to protect their city and nature leads to them being incredibly ferocious warriors. They have no high powered weapons. They prefer to make their weapons by hand, using the bones of animals that they’ve hunted. After asking for Ithos’, the deity of nature, blessing, they will use wood to make some of their weapons.

==Religion==

It’s no surprise that the zu’aan of Uskvorim City has a religion that revolves around nature. They worship the twin deities, Ises and Ithos. They believe that these deities grew angry at the actions of the previous inhabitants of the city. In their anger, they caused nature to retaliate against them and take over the city. Ises is the deity of animals. Before they hunt, they pray to her and ask that she guides their hands so that they may be successful. Whenever the zu’aan kills an animal for food, they offer her thanks. They thank her for allowing them to hunt and get what they need to survive. 

They also send thanks towards the animal for giving its life for theirs. Ises is said to have two different forms, her deity form and her animal form. Her deity form is depicted as a woman with wild hair, fierce gold eyes, and dark brown skin. They say that her hands can turn into claws and her teeth can sharpen into fangs. Ises is known to take on the form of an animal more than her deity form. Every once in a while, the zu’aan will see an animal that just seems different from the rest, almost aware. They believe that it is Ises in animal form, watching over them. 


When they see what they believe to be her, they will stop what they’re doing and bow down to her. Ises understands that the zu’aan must kill and consume animals to survive. As long as they are killed with respect and for survival, she will not grow angry. Ithos is the deity of nature. The zu’aan offer thanks and prayer to Ithos every day. They believe that each day they wake up is due to him. They thank him for allowing them to live and survive within his domain. He is depicted as a man with eyes and skin like his twin. His hair is covered with nature, from green vines to bright and blooming flowers. 

The twin deities are considered to be benevolent beings. As long as you show respect, you will continue to receive blessings. Once they’ve become angry, there is nothing that can be done to soothe and stop their rage. They say that when Ithos cries, heavy rain falls from the sky, flooding the land. When he’s angry, the winds become sharp enough to cut skin. And when he’s content, the sun will shine in the sky for days. They say when Ises is angry, the animals become rabid and ferocious, attacking anything that moves. When she is sad, the animals disappear as they go to comfort her. 


When she is content, the animals appear in abundance, roaming the land in calm droves. Religion is as important as breathing is necessary in Uskvorim. They believe that they must worship Ises and Ithos. If they don’t, the deities will grow angry and strike down in anger upon them. They must show their gratitude to stay in their domain and to continue to receive their blessings.

==Miscellany==


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

{{CrossSiteAttribution
| User = [https://www.fiverr.com/janetrawaters DreamCatchie#3401 (Discord)]
| Holder = Jenetra Waters
}}

[[Category:3rd-century Twilight Age zu'aan cities]]
[[Category:Jenetra Waters's contributions]]