Stevie Lambert: (via JWB)

2026-05-10T12:40:22Z

(via JWB)

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{{Infobox:TwilightAgeGroup
|Type = Kin'toni clan
|Name = Bether Kin'toni Clan
|Parent Groups = Unknown
|Descended Groups = Unknown
|Areas Controlled = [[Elmon Red Rock Mountains]]
|Date Founded = 4E 54
|Date Disbanded = N/A
}}

==History==

Bether Adontria was an zu'aan in the year 4E 32. He was an traveler and on one of his journeys, he was bitten by a kin'toni. After his harrowing, week long turning, he fled into the wilds in mourning for the life he had lost. Traveling by night and seeking shelter from the deadly rays of the sun during the day, he eventually found himself near the base of the Acleve mountain range. There he found a network of caves that led into the heart of the mountain range, and it was within the walls of these caves that he made his home.

The meadowlands surrounding the foothills were rife with every manner of creature to which Adontria could feed. While the blood of these creatures were not as nourishing as the blood of the zu'aan, it was enough to keep him alive and in rare circumstances a wondering tribe of zu'aan would pass through allowing him to feast. It was during the passing of one of these wandering tribes that Adontria found himself in the presence of another of his kind, a survivor of the Great Escape.

He was young, barely in the world long enough to see fourteen summers, and had no memory of before. Andontria was hiding within the long grasses, awaiting the perfect moment to enter the camp of the wanderers when he saw the young one. His initial intention was to simply watch and allow the young one to take what he wanted and leave, but realized almost immediately if the young one continued in his apparent path, the entire camp would become aware of his presence and the meal would be in jeopardy.

Andontria moved from his location to intercept the young one and was able to pull him away silently enough to not alert the camp. He realized immediately how gaunt the young one was and took great pity on him. Taking the young one back to the caves, Andontria had the young one wait while Andontria himself went back to the camp and took one of the zu'aan in silence. After returning to the cave with his prize, he allowed the young one to feed while he went and quickly took another slumbering zu'aan for himself.

This was the beginning of the Bether kin'toni Clan. Over time it continued to grow until it numbered nearly 20. Fashioning crude stone tools, the clan continued to survive off of the meager meals supplied by the surrounding creatures and the occasional, more filling meals of passing tribes. Adontria was selective of the kin'toni he brought into the clan, understanding that not all were like him. Many were full of blood-lust and rage and those he let pass without giving himself, or his clanmates away.

They listened to the news brought by passing tribes and knew from the stories that there were many other clans in many other areas, most much bigger than their own. Understanding that they faced danger not only from the passing tribes, but also from the other clans, they chose to remain small in number and in so doing, remained much closer to each other with bonds as strong as any family.

==Biology==

The Bether kin'toni Clan, unlike many of the other clans the evolved after the Shattering has kept most of their zu'aan features with some notable exceptions. While the skin of the Bether kin'toni remains pale as life outside of the sun dictates, it also has an ashy tone, slightly mottled with blue. The skin is also translucent enough that the veins running close to the surface are visible, running as deep purple branches most visible under the thinnest areas of the forehead, backs of the hands, and tops of the feet.

When the Bether kin'toni have received a meal that completely fulfills their nutritional needs, these veins pulse beneath the skin as the nutrients are carried throughout their system. Because the Bether kin'toni only allow themselves full nutrition on occasion, they remain gaunt to the point of emaciation. Standing over six and a half feet, there joints appear sharply underneath the the skin and it takes very little to cause the skin in these areas to rupture, causing the bone to become visible.

The bone itself is black, hardened as a side effect of the virus that changed them into the beasts they became. It is nearly unheard of for a Bether kin'toni to break any of their bones. Their teeth are created from the same dense bone and are narrowed to a point. While they drain their prey for the Clan to feast as a whole, the teeth can be used to locate the best artery to let the blood of their prey.Due to habitation in the caves, the Bether kin'toni have exaggerated hearing. This ability has evolved over time and as the ability evolved so did the actual structure of their ears.

The ear canal receded inward, while the shell of the ear extended outwards, cupping itself in order to funnel sound toward the ear canal more efficiently. As the decades have rolled forward, their ears have continued to evolve and orient themselves to the best positioning for hearing in a cave environment, allowing them to sift through the echoes to locate the source of the noise.The darkness of the caves have also altered the eyes, although not enough to allow the Bether kin'toni to see in total blackness, they have evolved enough to see in extremely darkened conditions.

The pupils have the ability to open to nearly the size of the entire eye in order to focus the faintest of light into the optic lens. The pupils run in vertical slits surrounded by a purple-red sclerae that matches the hue of the veins under their skin. Despite their emaciated stature, their strength is equal to 20 zu'aan. This strength allows them to hunt prey large enough to feed the Clan. It also allows them the speed to cover large distances in short times, as well as the stamina to follow if the hunt results in a chase.

==Psycology==

The Bether kin'toni have no drive to perpetuate the virus that has devastated the land. They wish only to co-exist with the natural world as it is now. They are aware of the near total destruction of the world around them and of the ultimate war fought between the kin'toni and the zu'aan. But they are also aware that the coming of the great ice sheets creates a larger picture than what others see. Because most of the kin'toni and zu'aan are caught in their struggle against each other, they fail to see the true threat that is approaching.

The Bether kin'toni are very aware and because of their relationship to nature, they have already begun to see changes. The season of cold has begun to last longer and the storms that form are much more destructive and powerful than at any point in known history. The crops which which they subsidize their nourishment have begun to yield less and less and some of the species that they have existed with for many decades have begun to move on, away from the coming ice. Unease has become part of their daily lives but many discussions on the subject have failed to yield any true results.

They continue to monitor the night sky, charting and calculating, counting the time they have to make a true decision.There is a familial comradery between members of the Bether kin'toni Clan, unlike many of the other kin'toni clan that exist across the land. The young one that Adontira took became like a son to him and despite the effects of the virus that changed them, the ability to feel a connection with other kin'toni was not lost and as the Clan grew, the connection strengthened.

This ability to connect, although not expressly limited to the Bether kin'toni, is still very rare among the kin'toni in general. The ability to curb the desires of the bloodlust is also rare and it is a daily challenge. The occasional zu'aan that they take to maintain their minimal nutrient requirements is enough to control their desires and they treat the body with respect. The Bether kin'toni are of high intelligence and keen memories. This is underscored by the drawings and calculations that they have decorated the caves with.

Their intelligence allows them to assess situations and events at a much higher level than most of the other kin'toni clans. Although their resources are basic, their weapons and tools are more advanced than expected and on the rare occasion they are required to battle, either with passing zu'aan or nomadic kin'toni, they are able to win mostly through the use of their intelligence as they are lacking in brute strength. They have mastered the art of trapping and use this for both battle and the collection of smaller creatures.

Their intelligence has increased through the decades, rising higher with each new zu'aan that is turned. Adontira is aware of this peculiarity and will consult with those of higher intelligence than himself without hesitation.

==Government==

The Bether kin'toni Clan has no formal governmental hierarchy. Clan numbers remain low even after all of the decades that have passed since the Great Escape. Bether Adontria leads the small band of kin'toni and serves as mediator during the rare moments of disagreement among the clansmen. While ultimate decisions remain at the discretion of Adontria, major decisions concerning the Clan are typically discussed among the group until a common agreement is made.

Smaller groups have been created amongst the Clan consisting of those specialized subsets of clansmen most knowledgeable in the agricultural aspects of clan life and those that are more adept at hunting and gathering needed resources. These two groups, while working independently of each other, still maintain the connection to the Clan as a whole when it comes to making decisions. In more recent years, as the time of the Ice Age grows nearer, Adontria has begun to allow some of the Bether kin'toni Clan to travel outside of their safe harbor in search of other clans that may hold the same ideals as their own.

There is a concern that grows larger with every passing year that the Clan may not be able to survive the coming ice. Adontria understands the delicate balance that must be met if they are to not only survive, but to keep their ideals intact. Several other clans have been located in the surrounding areas, but have offered anything that suggested an allegiance would be beneficial. Some of the Bether kin'toni have suggested they try to migrate, away from the coming ice, in an effort to locate potential allies.

To date, Adontria has denied this suggestion and preferred to continue sending out scouts, however, he can feel the tensions that rise as the years pass. The time for decision will be soon but until then, the Clan continues in the path they have created for themselves. Although the situation rises infrequently, a council of five Bether kin'toni was set into place by Adontria to serve as justice for the Clan. The council is convened only when circumstances require a hearing.

To date, it has been convened a total of 10 times. Of those, only one resulted in the death of a clansmen, voted on by all five of the council members. Due to the infrequency of need, a set statute of laws was never laid out for the Bether kin'toni Clan. Moral code, however, ranks very high, requiring every member of the Clan to curb their bloodlust as much as possible given their biological makeup post-virus.

==Military==

Because the Bether kin'toni rely on their intelligence and have a tendency to keep themselves nutritionally starved, they cannot fight battles with sheer brute strength. Instead, they rely on their cunning and their ability to create ranged weapons. They have a cache of spears the have been developed to fly straight and have become experts with slingshots that fire small rocks from the nearby streams. Due to their location near the caves, true battles have been sparse.

When other kin'toni or larger tribes of zu'aan are passing through, the Bether kin'toni can seek refuge in the caves. The extent of the cave system will cause those unfamiliar with it to quickly get lost and perish. The Bether kin'toni, however, have explored every part of the caves throughout their time at the base of the Acleve mountains. They have rations located in various parts and are able to hide for weeks if necessary. If a group that poses a threat comes exploring they will find the small fields used to grow the Clan's crops and various other things that indicate the area is occupied, but they will not find the Bether kin'toni themselves.

There have been times when scouts have been sent into the caves, as it is assumed by those exploring the area that whoever lives there has taken refuge. None of the scouts ever made it back out and their death was swift and silent. When the occasional battle does erupt, the Bether kin'toni follow ancient battle plans remember from long ago, before the creation of kin'toni. These battles are few and far between but are dangerous due to the size of the Bether kin'toni tribe. Any losses they may have in a battle could devastate the small clan.

Because of this, they have trained the Vriha to scent both kin'toni and zu'aan. The Vriha are very sensitive to smells and are able to offer a very early detection of incoming tribes or clans. This early detection allows the Bether kin'toni to send scouts to assess the dangers so they can react accordingly. The Vriha have also been battled trained and they are quick enough to dodge even the fastest kin'toni. Their bite will cause immediate infection around the wound and the flesh begins to die almost at once.

While there is a treatment for this infection, only the Bether kin'toni know how to make it. The Bether kin'toni have never taken a zu'aan to turn during battle. They are aware of the virus's mutational properties and choose not to turn any they may pollute the current traits and characteristics. Any zu'aan killed during the battles are treated with the same respect as any others and the bodies are burned in a pyre. A silent vigil is held from sundown to sunup during the burning.

==Culture==

The culture of the Bether kin'toni Clan runs closely within the roots of hunter/gatherers, however, as their chosen location holds a plethora of larger creatures, they are not nomadic. The labyrinth of caves beneath the Acleve mountains offer them safety from the sun and the tall grasses allow ample camouflage for their nocturnal hunts. The founder of the Bether kin'toni Clan, Bether Adontria, remains as the head of the Clan, many of the others are those turned after the Shattering

Adontria has continued to pass along the knowledge of life before the Great Escape, passed down though generations of kin'toni, when civilized beings studied philosophy and nature. Despite the constant struggle to survive and the bloodlust the virus has caused all kin'toni, the Bether Clan has not let these studies fail. It is by Adontria's rule that they seek only zu'aan's that pass through their land, and then only to take what is needed to continue their meager existence. Perhaps the most morally conscience of all the kin'toni Clans, the Bether kin'toni try and maintain a balance between their needs and the natural world around them.

As time has passed, some of the Bether Clan have been able to master agriculture enough to allow them to further themselves from hunting by growing and processing the few foods from the old world that will offer them sustenance such as oats made into gruel. There are also several areas within their land that grows the bloodroot flower. Unlike its affects on the zu'aan, the bloodroot flower does not act as an emetic on the kin'toni, but will, when mixed with the gruel, nourish them enough to keep them healthy.

The fields remain small, easy to manage with the simple tools they have fashioned together. The caves provide them with many of the rocks they use for everything from grinding the oats and bloodroot, to turning the soil where they plant their crops. Those that remain hunters, have mastered the craft of long-ranged weapons, able to bring prey down from further away. The bodies are brought back to the caves where the body is drained and the Clan can share their meals. The remains are not simply discarded after being drained.

The Bether kin'toni will use every piece of the creatures that they can in an effort to remain in harmony with the world around them. Feathers are used for creating soft sleeping surfaces, while hides are used to create clothing. The bones are sharpened with the various stones found in both the caves and along the streams running down from the Acleves and used to help create the tools for both hunting and agricultural needs.Wood is not common in the grasslands surrounding the base of the Acleves but a tree line exists further up in the foothills of the mountains.

The Bether Clan has created a small camp in these foothills that allow them to spend brief periods away from the main caves to gather wood. By using the streams that run down the mountain and through the foothills to the grasslands below, they are able to collect wood and easily send it below. Although there is enough wood in the foothills the Clan could build houses, they prefer to remain in the caves where they can outmaneuver any enemy that may find them. Numerous traps have been set within the labyrinth and they have done there job on more than one occasion.

==Religion==

The Bether kin'toni Clan have learned to track the night sky and through this practice have begun to understand that what is in the sky, affects all that is underneath the sky. While they do not worship entities, they have come to the realization that a higher power must exist somewhere that has the omnipotent powers to have begun the natural cycles and the delicate balances that exist upon every plain of existence. It is their belief that the best way to worship this existence is to strive to understand it better.

While the technologies that once existed to study these balances no longer exist, much time is spent in retelling the oral stories that Bether Adontria first began telling when he saved the young one long ago. Interweaved with these tales is the caution against that very technology and the greed and drive for power that comes with it. There is an understanding that to worship power is to tempt fate and the tempting of fate results in destruction. There is an understanding that the virus was the result of this type of worship.

Despite the crudeness of their tools and weapons, the Bether kin'toni have been able to fashion many tools to aid in their observance of the night sky. Alters have been erected that allow them to gauge the movements of the celestial bodies throughout the rise and fall of seasons. From these movements they have gained knowledge that has aided them in the success of their agricultural endeavors as well as the patterns of the creatures that they hunt. Through their efforts to understand nature, they have foreseen the coming of the new ice age and this knowledge has led to some disagreements among the Clan as to how best to prepare.

The disagreement has not led to dissidence, but many days of meditation and discussion even as they continue to live out their existence beneath the Acleve mountains. The walls of the caves in which they live are covered with the drawings of their observances, aiding them in their quest for knowledge. The drawings allow them to see the patterns by which they live and with the knowledge passed on to the Clan from Adontria they have calculated the time they have until the ice will reach them.

With this, they have been able to deduce the tipping point to which without a plan, the Clan will not be able to survive. Some of the Bether kin'toni Clan have begun suggesting that they try to entice the omnipotent powers into aiding them with this coming disaster, and Adontria himself has spent many days in the depths of the caves meditating and listening for anything these powers may offer. Several of the others in the Clan have also begun this mediation process and Adontria, as well as the others, have felt the power of this meditation as it searches for contact with the omnipotent powers of the universe.

==Miscellany==

Because of the Bether kin'toni's oneness with nature, they, unlike other Clans, have a special relationship with several types of the creatures found in the grasslands and foothills of the Acleve mountains. This relationship has allowed them to domesticate the vriha. The vriha are furred creatures with four legs and a dusky green coat that allows them to blend seamlessly into the grasses. Through the decades, the Bether kin'toni's relationship with the vriha have strengthened to the point of near telepathy.

The vriha aid the hunters by flushing prey from the grasses and they also keep the smaller creatures from invading the crops and destroying them. There are at least two vriha for every member of the Bether kin'toni Clan and when the weather turns chill, they keep them warm during their daylight slumber in the darkness of the caves with their elegant fur.No currency has been invented for the Bether kin'toni Clan. Because the Clan has remained small in number, currency has not been wanted or needed.

The Bether kin'toni work to survive and what belongs to one, belongs to all. When favors are needed they are given without the need for reciprocation. There is a small trading circle, however, made up of the various shells found within the streams that run down from the mountains. These shells serve as decoration within the caves and trading occurs amongst the Clan for shells that are preferential for each Bether kin'toni. Once a year, during the change in seasons from cold to warm, the Bether kin'toni hold Clan games consisting mostly of good-natured competition. A

dontria organized the games many decades ago as a way to keep the Bether kin'toni Clan agile and quick-witted. The winner of the games takes possession of large piece of petrified wood that was found in the foothills of the mountains. The origin of the wood is unknown as it was found on its own laying in the shadows of ancient trees and surrounded by no other piece of wood like it. This piece of wood is the only thing that Bether kin'toni covet, but even though the games are very competitive, it never leads to harsh feelings among the Clan.

There are several Bether kin'toni that have learned to craft jewelry of sorts made from dried hide and the teeth and claws from conquered beasts. As with the shells found in the streams, these pieces of jewelry have no specific meaning other than simple decoration. The idea came from a necklace that Adontria has kept with him since before the virus and before he was forced to be a part of the testing that created it. While his necklace was made in a time where technology allowed metal working and finer touches, the jewelry created by those in the Clan are considered as decorative as his ancient necklace.

When asked about his necklace, Adontria will only smile as if in fond memory of something and shake his head.

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| North = Unknown
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{{CrossSiteAttribution
| User = [https://www.freelancer.co.uk/u/shellyschepke01 shellyschepke01]
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[[Category:1st-century Twilight Age kin'toni clans]]
[[Category:shellyschepke01's contributions]]

Bether Kin'toni Clan - Revision history

Stevie Lambert: (via JWB)