Stevie Lambert: (via JWB)

2026-05-10T12:41:22Z

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{{Infobox:TwilightAgeGroup
|Type = Kin'toni clan
|Name = Sumas Kin'toni Clan
|Other Names = Unknown
|Parent Groups = Unknown
|Descended Groups = Unknown
|Demonym = Unknown
|Languages = Unknown
|Religions = Unknown
|Government Type = Unknown
|Population = Unknown
|Areas Controlled = [[Var'ik Decideous Forest Hills]]
|Allies = Unknown
|Rivals = Unknown
|Date Founded = 4E 487
|Date Disbanded = N/A
}}

==History==

The Sumas Kin'toni Clan is a breed of kin’toni with rare bio-electric capabilities and elongated, eel-like bodies. Their origins are much speculated due to these rare and unusual characteristics. Some say the bred with sea animals (which is physically impossible, since kin’toni are infertile); others think they are infested with a mutant disease; and others yet believe them a zu’aan plague experiment gone wrong. Whatever the case, the Sumas kin’toni are shunned by other kin’toni clan, considering them too far off the common anthropoid form – even though they are land dwelling and four limber like the rest of them.

Most Sumas Kin’toni did not take lightly to this exclusion, and as such the clan started to attack with a vengeance other varieties of their own species. Enemy clans believed the war would be easy and swift, since it would be the combined might of the kin’toni race against these strange and isolated outliers. The Sumas proved otherwise, however, showing an uncommon resilience, an unbreakable will to survive, and a hatred like no other. Their ability to hide on ponds and even the sea made them out of reach to all but the most determined enemies, and even these found themselves outmatched on the hostile places they needed to assault.

Due to these near insurmountable obstacles to deliver the killing blow, the most the other clans could do is drive out the Sumas from the most desirable lands. But as the war dragged on without a clear veredict of final extermination –and this seemed to look ever more impossible-, one by one the enemy clans abandoned the coalition of the “unwinnable war” in order to attend to more pressing matters in which they could reap immediate profits. And so not with a bang, but with a whimper, the war of extermination slowly ceased and the rest of the kin’toni tended to turn more and more to their own problems.

Gradually but surely, they began to lose interest in the destruction of the Sumar, and under the circumstances of general technological backwardness, most even forgot they existed. There was an enemy who refused to forget, however, and this was the Verumas tribe of the Saytai Kin’toni Clan. The Verumas felt personally slighted by the very existence of the Sumas, believing them an affront to the “purity of the Kin’toni legacy”, and vowed eternally for their destruction. Due to the existence of this unflinching enemy, Sumas lived by hiding in remote and unreachable places, in deep dark recesses and splitting into small, tight-knit “families”.

This isolated way of life reduced their contacts to the outside world to the minimum required to feed, and to turn some straggling zu’aan. The Verumas spent nearly all of their free time forming hunting expeditions to investigate rumors of those who they believed might be Sumas members, turning themselves even in mercenaries to the zu’aan in order to be able to better persecute their ancient enemies. They adopted weapons as the crossbow and non-conductive, non-ferromagnetic daggers and swords, in order to make themselves and their weaponry immune to Sumas “electrical treachery”. This enmity continues to this day.

==Biology==

By far the most prominent and unique feature of Sumas Kin’toni is the ability to chemically generate moderate amounts of electricity with their body, similar to an electric eel. This resemblance in enhanced by the fact they have fin-like protrusions in some parts of their bodies, which help streamline their shape for swimming. They are not a fully aquatic race, however, being actually unable to breathe underwater. Still, they have good flotation ability which belies the fact they may have an equivalent to a ballast organ inside their bodies.

Their preferred habitats are saltwater marshes and algae-overgrown coastal regions. These habitats are not only good for their skin, but also are the ideal sports for hiding due to their vegetation and remoteness. In addition, the Sumas kin’toni have two key uses for saltwater: As a carrier of resources they require for living, and as an efficient transmitter of electricity. The second of these characteristics is used for capturing fish, which are part of their supplementary diet in addition to zu’aan blood. Some of the algae is used as condiments for cooking as well, though most of it is left undisturbed as algae are excessively abundant.

Members of the Sumas kin’toni feature light yellow irises with black sclera and vertical beaded pupils. Their vertical pupils are especially useful when diving in the water, since they permit looking further down and further up, allowing to survey both the bottom and the top of the water body. Since algae also grow vertically, this is an essential survival feature. Furthermore, their yellow irises are connected to their nervous system, which means they eerily glow during fickle instants when they activate their electric energy. The electrical energy of the Sumas is not really as strong for itself as one might think.

Members have to coat their skin in conductive agents (such as a goo made from algae and saltwater) in order for it to be somewhat effective as a weapon outside of the water, and even then only in full-contact melee. The greatest risk to life may seem the possibility of cardiac arrest, but the real use of the “electric embrace” is to stun enemies, not kill them outright. With the muscles of the opponent twitching uncontrollably and their nervous system in shock, the Sumas troopers have precious seconds in which their enemy is helpless.

These moments are all it takes for them to slit a throat of put a dagger through the heart. More rarely, they might capture the stunned kin’toni or zu’aan with sticky nets, “saving” their prey for later consumption or profit.

==Culture==

The culture of the Sumas Kin'toni is marked, some would say even wounded, by their reclusion – which was forced, not voluntary. Since the groups of Sumas kin'toni are often very far from each other and also require to stay low in detectability, contacts between regions, and sometimes between extended families, are relatively scarce. The geographic isolation also leads to cultural fragmentation of the tribes, a dynamic in which each tribe may have a rather different cultural tradition and outlook on life compared to more distant ones.

Cultural groups do exist, but they have a lower geographic range and thus a much higher regional variance than zu'aan and even other kin'toni groups. One of the strangest of these differring subcultures is called the Cousins of Zud. They are an all-male group of about two dozen "marshmen" who live in small warrens high up in the marshes between the South- and East Emnet. They only accept converting male zu'aan, and are believed to be misogynistic to the point they consider women as always ritually impure. They have a reputation of being skilled assassins and thieves, but also as incredibly inhospitable and prone to attacking anyone they don't know.

They've been known to attack even other Suma kin'toni, especially if they are female. They also hold cannibalistic feasts in which they eat their own dead. While the Sumas range over a large area of mostly empty land between the nations, there are some communities which are beyond the borders of any known State. Small communities have grown up in the wilderness, though some are connected to bigger Suma community by a messenger called a "Lightning Courier", or the rare friendly trader. These communities are sometimes victims of raids by other bands.

May they be zu'aan or animal – and also must be alert for roaming garrisons of the various empires or republics, which are usually quick in their desire to score an "easy" victory against any small settlement of kin'toni. The Sumas have no interest in taking territory for themselves; they merely want to be left alone and defend their own. There is considerable distrust for any formal "alliance" with any government; by their very nature, governments have a habit of changing, and the last thing the Sumas want is to be caught on the wrong side when that happens.

Many of the communities are entirely self-sufficient, procuring their own food, water, and even limited trade items to sell or barter with wandering traders they don't capture themselves. Because of their mistrust of everyone else, they do not engage in the modern concept of money. Instead, they trade in a primitive form of barter, trading goods or offering services in exchange for what they want or need. Most communities have at least one "watchtower" (sometimes actually just a tall tree) from which the scouts can look out for potential threats and where they sleep during their duty shifts.

Some are very basic structures, little more than a platform with a rail around it. Others are more complex, having two levels with sleeping areas and storage rooms below and the watch area above; these towers are usually round rather than square. All of them are camouflaged with local materials to help them blend into their background and marked with woven grass mats so that those who know how can find them.

==Government==

As would be expected, the government of the Sumas clan is very fragmented and not at all unitary. Each warren has their own traditions about how power is exercised and how it is transmitted, and by whom. However, amongst this great variety, with time some distinctive currents of thought and action appeared to differentiate themselves. An important tendency about how to govern a tribe are the Seclusion Whisperers. The Seclusion Whisperers are a small but influential group of shamans that rose to prominence after the last great conflict with the Carn Clan.

During this time a great deal of research was done into old documents and past histories to try and find out why the Sumas People had fallen out of favour with their deities, and how they had offended them. Eventually a scholar called Ifni came forward with a possible explanation. Whilst it was known that the Sumas had been charged by their gods to protect the lesser clans from themselves, it was never really explained why they had been picked for this task. However Ifni posited that the Sumas, despite being tasked with defending the innocent, were actually not innocent themselves.

This led to the controversial political theory that the most innocent should rule, to purge the people from "transgression". While popular for a time, this theory has mostly fallen out of favor because it produced terrible results, from abuses of power, to ineffectiveness, to people just pretending they were pure and innocent just so they could ascend to power. Today the political practices of this faction are practically abandoned, though the theory of the gods believing the Sumas guilty of some obscure crime is still popular. Another political doctrine was called the Marsh Mission.

It stated that the Sumas had to be self-sufficient and no longer reliant on others, especially not any so-called allies. They also stated that this was probably why the gods favored the Verumas over the Sumas, because the Verumas were more self-sufficient as a people and thus were more able to carry out the will of the deities. The Seclusion Whispers accused this faction of misanthropy and xenophobia, but were mostly ignored due to their recent failings. Today this doctrine is also falling out of favor, as it produced something of a failed experiment that no one wants to repeat.

This was called the Graxis Tyranny, where a cleric tried to rule many communities with an iron fist. Though sucessful at first, the larger government was discovered by zu'aan Sun Knights who killed many, decimating the communities and making them overthrow the self-proclaimed Marsh Mission government. Whilst not a political doctrine as such, the Quiet God is another controversial belief. This is the idea that the deities, if they do exist, are never interceding in mortal affairs because they are quiet and have long fallen silent.

It is a very small faction, but it has existed since the beginning of the tribes. It states that the deities do not speak to anyone anymore, and even if they did, it would not be the Sumas Priests that they would speak to. The Quiet God Movement also tends to have an other-worldly feel to it, stating that the afterlife is nothing like what the priests preach it to be, and that there is no such thing as reincarnation. There is a lesser-known side to this belief as well, stating that the dead are not to be prayed to and should not have shrines, though this idea is mostly confined to the more radical members of this faction.

==Military==

Sumas military, insofar they can be said to possess one (since they are few and far apart), is divided into “squads”. Squads are recruited as one per tribe and gather for joint training and exercises. Sumas tradition emphasizes the need for communication between members of a squad, and between squads. This increased coordination allows them to overcome the odds when fighting much larger and better equipped opponents. The combat signaling of the Sumas Kin’toni Clan is diverse and complex. Actually, their method of communication is quite unique, since it’s based on electrical pulses and magnetic field shifts.

They can perceive these changes even at a distance, especially when underwater. This allows them to communicate silently, which is a huge if understated advantage against enemies that rely purely on sound. Sumas squads, by using bio-electromagnetic communication, can set up ambushes which others cannot hear or expect, and give the signal to attack without alerting opponents at all. The ranks of Sumas squads are made up of individuals who have proven themselves in battle, but also those with exceptional skills and abilities.

The former group consists mainly of warriors from the various tribes, while the latter includes bio-electrocutioners, weaponsmiths, and other specialists. There is no strict hierarchy among Sumas troops; each individual has his own talents and strengths, so long as he fulfills his duties to the best of his ability. The Sumas "army" is known for its discipline, which stems from a strong sense of duty to their race. It is composed of soldiers who have proven themselves through many battles and campaigns. Their combat skills are second to none, and they excel at close combat.

They fight with great skill, precision, and speed. Their armor is made out of the same material as their clothing: a dark blueish purple color with golden trimming. They wear helmets similar to those worn by the Puradan Kin'toni, though smaller and more streamlined. The Sumas' standard weapon is a short sword called a "Kanabo", which is usually carried by two hands. Some Sumas units carry spears instead, but most prefer to use their Kanabos as melee weapons. In addition to this, there are some Special Forces units that specialize in espionage and sabotage operations.

These units are known as the Shadow Squads, and they are tasked with keeping the enemy off balance and unaware of what's to come. The Shadow Squads are composed of some of the most skilled members of the Sumas military. While they don't engage in hand-to-hand combat as much, they have proven to be just as deadly as regular soldiers. The Shadow Squad uses equipment such as artisanal claws, poison bolts, captured crossbows, and other non-conventional gear to even the odds against a stronger foe. Their clothing is black, and their armor can either be a dark blue or gray.

Their helmets are similar to those worn by regular Sumas troops, though contain some extra shielding to protect against headshots. While small skirmishes happen from time to time, the Sumas have not been engaged in a proper war for centuries. This does not mean they are unprepared; the Sumas have been preparing for anything that could possibly come their way, be it a siege or an all-out assault.

==Religion==

Sumas Kin'toni religion is based on the tenet that the world started with lightning, and lightning is what will destroy it in the end. As such, electricity and all things related are sacred. Statues in warrens are often designed to be able to have sparks flowing through them when a clan member touches them, or even to be perfect spheres of pure metal. The priests of the electric god Tabuzz are known as Electronants. To increase their connection with their deity, some Electronants have had the ability to generate a small electrical current that flows from their bodies by sacrificing part of their chemo-biotic energy.

The known chemical signature of electricity in the body, to be specific a very minute amount of Chlorine (Cl), has given some in the warrens the idea that the Sumas are blessed by two deities. As such, there are some who worship both the god of lightning as well as the god of poisons, Ronadar. The religion often merges with the general outlook of the warrens, with some going so far as to worship one aspect of an element while understanding the other aspects. So while a Sumas may revere and sacrifice to Ronadar, he knows that the god is just part of the whole of the manifestations of electricity in nature.

The relationship between the Sumas kin’toni and their deities is less that of a faith and more like that of a strained alliance. Since electrical current can give life as well as kill, the gods cannot be thanked for the good things they do without offering something in return. It is for this reason that the Sumas will often sacrifice a captured zu'aan (or several) to their deities during festivals dedicated to them. Sumas' older religious texts, now forgotten, mentioned that the world was created by a being known as the "Storm Tyrant".

However, these texts were soon lost and replaced with the books that most Sumas now follow. The general theory is that those who wrote these texts were mad. The so-called Storm Tyrant is now believed to be a maleficent antagonist, the main enemy of the Sumas. However, some groups have been able to piece together texts and information about this long-lost time. They believe that the Storm Tyrant was a powerful creature from the sky who traveled in a black storm cloud and brought terrible lightning down upon the land. While at first it seems that the being was malevolent, it actually brought life and water to the previously barren land.

These two interpretations often clash, with some believing the perception of the Storm Tyrant in folklore mutated from benevolent or neural to malevolent during the War of Extermination, while others dismiss the entire being as a mere myth. Though not part of any religion, it's common for Sumas members to wear copper amulets and other trinkets believed to ward off detection. These are generally acquired from assaulting merchants, and any copper items they may carry are repurposed into such "protective wards".

==Miscellany==

One of the few products the Sumas occasionally trade with outsiders (mostly zu'aan, since they prefer to stay clear from the radar of other clans of kin'toni because of their "shared history) are diverse sets and types of salts. Sumas-made salts are renowned as cures as well as appetizers. These are some of the most famous salts the Clan makes:

* Dyyer Langos Salts: These rosy salts are believed to extend life, and to have additional nutrients. They are gathered from the long-dried remains of Langos algae, stretched to the Sun for several days (if not weeks). These are in popular use with the elderly, who believe that it will prolong their life up until a certain point. The Kin'toni Moon Knights used to use these salts in a certain ceremony back in the day, but the exact reason for this is unknown other than rumors of reconnecting with their blood-mother (the Moon).

* Clairol Salt: These pink salts are believed to "cleanse" the soul. They are made from boiling large amounts of seashells, and then getting rid of the impurities using a very complex process (which only a select few know). They are also used for cooking. These salts are rarely used outside of the Sumas nation, mostly because of their rarity and for the long work involved.

* Blith Salts: These salts are made by letting a certain type of flower (which only grows in the highest peaks of the region) steep in the salt-water for several weeks, and then carefully drying it. These are believed by many to be the best salts you can get your hands on. They are used for cooking as well as for medicine against the cold and other respiratory illnesses. They are a popular trade good, but mostly to the far south and east where it is much warmer.

* Botiki'nur Salts: These salts have a much darker purpose than the others. Its name means Corpse Water. They are made by drying the corpses of kin'toni (and even sometimes some of them are Sumas) that have died from disease. They are used both for cooking zu'aan and small rituals for the deceased, and the exact process of its creation is kept mostly secret to prevent the idea from getting out to those who would use it for other things, such as "witchcraft" (which although not really effective, does spark fear in the minds of some community members).

Salt components are never processed in bulk, but with special care, since the Sumas know of their chloride component, which makes salts sacred in their religion.

{{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/anima_u Anima_U]
| Holder = Anima_U
}}

[[Category:5th-century Twilight Age kin'toni clans]]
[[Category:Anima_U's contributions]]

Sumas Kin'toni Clan - Revision history

Stevie Lambert: (via JWB)