Stevie Lambert: (via JWB)

2026-05-10T12:41:05Z

(via JWB)

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{{Infobox:TwilightAgeGroup
|Type = Kin'toni clan
|Name = Kel'raku Kin'toni Clan
|Parent Groups = Unknown
|Descended Groups = Unknown
|Areas Controlled = [[Iawy Taiga Upland]]
|Date Founded = 4E 314
|Date Disbanded = N/A
}}

==History==

The Kel’raku settled in the [[Iawy Taiga Upland]] way before any other kin’toni clans. They were attracted to the area by the huge amount of trees and the lumber that they could use for themselves. The Kel’raku kin’toni built structures of impressive scale from nothing but wood, having completely mastered the craft. Their forts were protected by fences, deep pits filled with spikes and of course walls. The clan also made a network of bonfires across the Iawy Taiga, in order to keep their clan’s travelers warm in the impending ice age. It seemed that nothing could go wrong for them, until one cursed day.

Even in the darkest days of war, the rivalling kin’toni clans to the Kel’raku refused to use fire as a weapon, aware of the terrible destruction that a single forest fire may cause. Nature, on the other hand, was not as merciful. The Great Fire broke out one night, and swallowed up everything that the Kel’raku had without warning. The clan was very near total collapse, yet it rose from the ashes of the Iawy Taiga and rebuilt itself, this time on stone instead of wood. Indeed, the polished Kel’raku craft of building wooden structures was forgotten and replaced completely with the art of carving stone.

The clan didn’t want to risk another fire wiping out everything that they were proud of. Even though the Kel’raku kin’toni moved on and rebuilt, old wounds have still not yet healed. They clearly remember the day where everything they had was torn away, and are still dedicated to finding a potential culprit.
While the other kin’toni clans in the taiga were destroyed by The Great Fire, the Kel’raku accused any stragglers they found in the woods of being the saboteurs that started this horrific catastrophe.

Suddenly, a whole inquisition was put in place for the sole purpose of searching and eliminating any kin’toni who were near the Kel’raku settlements, something that earned them a fearsome reputation among other kin’toni clans, some of which were the targets of these baseless attacks. However, they could not do anything as the military of the Kel’raku was too powerful and could easily resist their invasions and sieges. Besides, the Kel’raku outnumbered all the other taiga clans combines, so they were left uncontested as the region’s rulers.

It seems that in modern Taerel, the Kel’raku clan is once again at war against nature. This time it is not the scorching heat from fires that’s the issue, but the exact opposite. An ice age is just around the corner, and even though the Kel’raku have huge networks of bonfires around the taiga, that can simply be lit by anyone wandering through, soon they are not going to be enough either. Something radical has to happen, or the Kel’raku will have to migrate further South. The clock is ticking, and the kin’toni aren’t ready for the horrors to come.

==Psychology==

The Kel’raku kin’toni are very similar to each other from a purely psychological point of view. They all seem to have the same fears, the same desires, the same likes and dislikes. It’s speculated that this is because the Kel’raku are incredibly close to each other, and have gone through many of the same things as their clanmates. The culture of these kin’toni reinforces this. Fire, for example, always takes on a destructive and evil role in the Kel’raku tales and traditions, the few kin’toni who did like fire are likely to be brainwashed into hating it, because of the unrelenting peer pressure and the general clan propaganda

However, trauma also plays a huge part in shaping the psychological traits of the Kel’raku kin’toni clan members. It should be remembered that everything they owned had been destroyed by The Great Fire. Close relations, items of sentimental value, the illusion of safety in their homes, all ripped away and gone with the wind. This is the exact reason as to why the Kel’raku became so paranoid of other kin’toni clans. There had to be a reason for the terrible struggle they had to endure, so a scapegoat was necessary for them to continue living in peace.

The Inquisition was set up, a group with the purpose of finding the arsonist who started that legendary fire which burned down over half of the taiga. Everyone caught partaking in suspicious activities on the clan’s was punished with death. Everyone advocating for, or building wooden infrastructure was also to be punished with death, despite the art of shaping and carving wood being one of the oldest crafts and traditions that the Kel’raku took pride in. Both the fear of fire and the paranoia were caused by this awful event.

Nevertheless, there is something in the Kel’raku blood that attracts them to the subtle, warm heat emitting from a controlled bonfire, some meditative calm in the act of touching a sculpture they carved from wood. Stone, while being a safe material, is cold, unwelcoming, dead. Wood, on the other hand, feels completely different to the Kel’raku. It feels alive. The younger Kel’raku kin’toni who have not experienced The Great Fire for themselves take great pleasure in the lulling crackling of fire, in the pulses of warmth that remove the frostbite from kin’toni skin.

A lot of kin’toni feel this way, but it’s crucial to keep it a secret from the ruthless Kel’raku government, who will stop at nothing to purge anyone who disagrees with the new way of life they propose. One might wonder why the kin’toni don’t just rebel against their government, and there are 2 reasons for it. The first is that a bunch of them have already witnessed the anarchy that followed when the previous Kel’raku government was broken down during The Great Fire. A second reason is that the majority of the clan’s kin’toni have been carefully manipulated into supporting the government via fear.

And are aware that anyone who is found guilty of plotting against them will be instantly culled on the spot, and that the Inquisition employ spies among the Kel’raku clan members.

==Biology==

The Kel’raku kin’toni are well-adapted to life in the frozen Iawy taiga. Their above-average height and robust musculature allow them to chop down the famously tough wy’il trees in less time than kin’toni from other regions of Taerel, and brute strength is always useful in a clan of kin’toni who raise tall buildings up from the dirt with nothing but their hands. Indeed, carrying large blocks of stone and wood wouldn’t at all be possible without their sturdiness. The Kel’raku clan members are pale-skinned, with their eye colours ranging anywhere between green, brown and red.

The hair of the Kel’raku is similar, being on a spectrum of light, almost reddish brown to fully black. Even though it may sound like the Kel’raku clan members all look incredibly similar to each other, that’s not really the case. They think of their appearance as a form of expression, so it’s not uncommon for them to style or dye their hair for example. Both the heights and shapes of the Kel’raku kin’toni vary, but there are a couple of qualities that are consistent. All Kel’raku are taller than the average zu’aan, and also more powerful. There are also qualities unique to the Kel’raku that aren’t visible from the outside.

The kin’toni are in possession of a heightened sense of smell, which allows them to sense both zu’aan and members of rivalling kin’toni clans through large areas of the dense taiga, something that has allowed the Inquisition to remain a threat to any kin’toni wandering though the Iawy region, even if peaceful in reality. Much like a lot of other clans in the North, the Kel’raku are more resistant to the effects of the ice age than other kin’toni. Their skin doesn’t get hit by frostbite as quick, and their bodies are amazing at keeping them warm.

Nevertheless, the Kel’raku are not invincible to cold, still requiring fire and clothing to survive in the merciless Iawy taiga. Their pale skins are something else that helps the Kel’raku, as a way to blend in with the winter’s snow and ice. Their hair stands out radically though, so it’s common to see Kel’raku warriors dye their hair white or cut it off completely. Still, there is a long way to go for the Kel’raku kin’toni before they can consider themselves fully adapted to the winter in Taerel’s North.

Something very critical that animals in the taiga have that the Kel’raku do not, is fur, something that helps with both camouflage and staying warm. Therefore, the kin’toni slaughter the taiga’s animals for their fur, which they use for the creation of clothes and blankets. It is no coincidence that the Kel’raku are tall, like the majority of the North’s kin’toni. Bergmann’s rule states that larger species are more likely to be found in colder climates, and it’s a rule true for the kin’toni as well.

Being larger, and thus radiating less body heat per unit of mass, is something that’s advantageous for survival during the ice age that will plague the whole surface of Taerel before long.

==Culture==

The culture of the Kel’raku is something really unique among the Northern clans. Instead of valuing war, brutality and strength as virtues a kin’toni seeks to possess, the Kel’raku consider craftsmanship and art to be signs of a well-developed respectable kin’toni. Their buildings are one thing the clan are really proud of, and while they may not be the architectural marvels you would see down South, the structures that the Kel’raku kin’toni build are functional and beautiful in their simplicity. Ever since the dawn of the clan, wood was the material of choice for Kel’raku kin’toni.

It was always plentiful in the taiga, worked really nicely with Kel’raku-style buildings, and was also faster to turn into a finished product than stone. After The Great Fire though, the use of wood for creating houses and similar structures was completely abolished by the Kel’raku government, much to the dislike of the average kin’toni. Some were obviously greatly traumatized and wanted to see wood go away, but the vast majority didn’t want to lose their clan’s primary craft and artform, especially after all their works were demolished and burned down by nature’s mighty fists.

Why did the kin’toni not argue against this controversial ban? It’s quite simple actually. The culture of the Kel’raku kin’toni considers obeying authority as something incredibly important. If a government member made a choice that will impact the rest of the clan, the respectful thing to do is to follow his lead. Arguments and discussions are seen as impolite and bad-mannered, agreement is gold according to the Kel’raku. Unfortunately, certain members of this aforementioned Kel’raku government have exploited this belief rooted in traditions and culture, in order to gain a huge amount of power for themselves.

The establishment of the Inquisition was done single-handedly, without asking the clan members for their opinions. After The Great Fire, a couple of cultural norms among the Kel’raku have changed. Paranoia and a distrust of others were suddenly normalized. Something inside the society stirred its ugly head, the belief that anyone could potentially be a saboteur, betray the clan and completely destroy it. This shift in trust didn’t just happen because of the tragedy that the Iawy taiga endured, the propaganda and fear that the clan leaders spread definitely played the biggest role in this development from friendliness to irrational hate towards strangers.

This wasn’t the only norm that the Kel’raku government put into place, some others are arguably way more damaging. Discussion of The Great Fire is locked behind a powerful taboo, so is the discussion of the government’s political decisions. While the Kel’raku kin’toni are complacent with the crimes and oppression that their government is doing around Taerel, some have refused to remain quiet. Hushed whispers in the corners of Kel’raku houses talk about overthrowing the dictatorship and going back to the clan’s old ways, when fire was their companion and lifesaver, and the veil of paranoia around the clan was gone.

They call for family and friends to trust each other once again, and for free speech to become the new standard in the Kel’raku clan. So far, it is unknown if they will be successful in the long run.

==Government==

Before The Great Fire broke out, the Kel’raku kin’toni employed a democratic government system. Every single kin’toni had a say in the laws, even if this say was relatively small. There was no defined hierarchy, everyone was equal when it came to solving the clan’s various problems. Alas, that system of government crumbled together with the clan itself during The Great Fire, and while the majority of the clan’s traditions and culture were preserved when the clan rebuilt itself from the ashes, the government did not. A new system took over, one that did not value the Kel’raku way.

Kel’uzat, the leader of the Kel’raku kin’toni who shambled out of the destruction caused by the fire, the one who organized the clan’s efforts towards rebuilding, it was him who usurped the power afterwards, becoming the dictator of the Kel’raku clan. He did not reign completely alone, appointing a few kin’toni he had close relationships with to the lesser government spots. This act would normally cause a backlash in any other kin’toni clans, but the Kel’raku kin’toni were both exhausted from trying to reforge the clan from the ground up, and wanted to show respect to Kel’uzat, without whom the clan would likely collapse.

That could easily be the happy ending for the Kel’raku. However, Kel’uzat got even more bold and greedy, so he set up a group of kin’toni called the Inquisition. He justified this action by claiming that the Inquisition would be the clan’s military force, designed specifically to fight off and prevent potential arsonists and saboteurs, like the one who (according to Kel’uzat himself) started The Great Fire in order to weaken the Kel’raku. Soon, this group of kin’toni got absolutely out of hand. Building things out of wood, something that literally defined the Kel’raku clan, was made illegal and punishable by death.

As anyone making use of wood for anything beyond basic survival bonfires was apparently a dangerous arsonist to be eliminated at all costs. Any kin’toni found in the Iawy taiga that did not belong to the clan were saboteurs, and had to be killed on sight as well. This harmed the diplomatic relations of the Kel’raku with other kin’toni clans, but Kel’uzat didn’t care. Then, the second step of his plan came into action. Any kin’toni found criticizing the clan, him, or the government in general, was attempting to destroy the clan from within, and would also have to be executed for the crime of treachery.

The Inquisition employed spies among the Kel’raku for the purpose of ratting out anyone who spoke ill of Kel’uzat, something which contributed to the paranoia the clan now faces more than anything else. He launched campaigns that were meant to brainwash the kin’toni into supporting him unconditionally, becoming more and more daring. Fortunately for the Kel’raku kin’toni, by engaging in this mindless pursuit of power, he lost something deep within himself, something that made the clan elect him in the first place.

==Military==

The Inquisition is the only military that the Kel’raku clan has. The process of selecting kin’toni to qualify for being members of the Inquisition, or the Ilzutar as it’s called in the Kel’raku language, is anything but simple. The inclusion of every single kin’toni has to benefit Kel’uzat as much as possible, so there are two criteria that Ilzutar kin’toni are picked from. The first trait that’s looked for is loyalty, whether the kin’toni in question is willing to obey, and to sacrifice themselves for Kel’uzat and the Kel’raku clan’s future.

If a kin’toni does not meet this criterion, they are not ready to become a member of the Inquisition and receive the might and authority that each member of it is bestowed with. The second standard that applicants for the Ilzutar are measured by is their physical finesse. They must be able to overpower any other kin’toni in hand-to-hand or armed combat, even members of the Kel’raku clan outside of the Inquisition. This is a tool that Kel’uzat employs to crush any thought of rebellion among the clan, because a normal kin’toni cannot win against an Ilzutar kin’toni alone, as the latter is taller, muscular, and has trained for longer.

The result is an army of brutes who will protect the government at all cost, without hesitation. It truly is a glorious weapon for a tyrant to have in their belt. The Ilzutar kin’toni are split depending on which responsibilities they partake in. Some members of the Inquisition are guards, patrolling the taiga for any foreign kin’toni who may have trespassed onto Kel’raku territory. Anyone who is found guilty of trespassing, or anyone who resists arrest via running away, is assumed to be a hostile warrior and slain on sight. It’s a harsh policy for sure, but it has earned the Kel’raku clan the reputation of having an impenetrable defense, something that very well might prove useful in the long run.

The patrol must have a strong sense of hearing and smell, excellent vision to distinguish camouflaged foes, and be able to chase an intruder for miles without tiring out. While the requirements aren’t high for becoming one, the group of Ilzutar that is most feared is the one that takes on control of the clan’s internal state. These kin’toni have two main responsibilities. The first is to make sure that anyone found breaching Kel’uzat’s laws is punished accordingly to the law broken. Sadly for the clan’s citizens, the punishment for the majority of crimes is execution, with only some minor offenders being spared from the kiss of death.

The second responsibility that the kin’toni of the Inquisition have, is to keep up tabs on anyone who might be deemed problematic for Kel’uzat, especially these suspected of plotting to overthrow him. In practice, this means hiring spies that will give them news of the shady business going on in the clan’s darkest places, giving out bounties for anyone who finds proof of any treachery going on within the clan’s walls, and spreading propaganda that will heighten the clan’s support of Kel’uzat.

==Religion==

Much like many other clans of the North, the Kel’raku believe that nature is holy and sacred, and that the world’s driving forces are alive, deities who keep Taerel running. The creation story that the Kel’raku kin’toni believe in goes like this: Aranua, the mother of darkness, was there before any of the countless worlds came into existence. She created The Void: a vacuum, a space within which creation could take place. However, Aranua could not fill up the emptiness herself, for she was merely The Mother of Darkness, and for something to exist, there had to be light.

So she asked a spirit for help, one who lived on the same plane of existence as Aranua, outside of The Void. This spirit’s name was Vil’ata, a word that can be translated to English as “life”. Vil’ata gazed into the void and went into a trance. In this trance, she dreamt of plains and hills of land, rivers that split up the earth and allowed for some existence. The spirit imagined mighty forests that stretched across the entire landscape, gorgeous mountains in the North and soft, gentle snow that would fall from the skies. Lastly, she visualized a bright, glowing lamp, whose endless radiance would fill the void and turn it into something real.

When Vil’ata opened her eyes, this world that she crafted lay in front of her, precisely as she dreamt it. However, there was something wrong with this world, the trees she put onto Taerel were still, unmoving, as if all life was sapped out of them and they turned to stone. The creatures, instead of joyfully hopping about like she wanted them to, were instead frozen in time. Vil’ata knew what the problem was though, since while she could shape a world to her liking, one thing she could not do is create life from The Void. If this universe was to be set into motion, Vil’ata would have to make a sacrifice.

And she chose this sacrifice to be herself, letting her divine lifeblood trickle into the world and fall from Taerel’s sky. The first rain. Before long, she bled out and withered, but not before she granted the gift of life to everything that had to be alive in Taerel. In a way, she was part of the physical world now, choosing to fall from grace just to give life to her creation. Because of this story, the Kel’raku believe that everything that moves has a drop of Vil’ata’s blood inside it, including kin’toni. Of course, not everything is alive and sentient to the same degree.

And the Kel’raku justify it by saying that kin’toni and zu’aan received the largest amount of the spirit’s blood, plants and animals received less, and the earth itself barely got any. However, every object that can be found on Taerel contains at least one drop of the deity’s blood, so everything that can be found on Taerel also has a soul according to the Kel’raku kin’toni, which is also why nature must be treated with great care and respect.

==Miscellany==

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

{{CrossSiteAttribution
| User = [https://www.fiverr.com/piggytheastro piggytheastro]|
| Holder = piggytheastro
}}

[[Category:4th-century Twilight Age kin'toni clans]]
[[Category:piggytheastro's contributions]]

Kel'raku Kin'toni Clan - Revision history

Stevie Lambert: (via JWB)