Stevie Lambert: (via JWB)

2026-05-10T12:40:59Z

(via JWB)

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{{Infobox:TwilightAgeGroup
|Type = Kin'toni clan
|Name = Xisskwar Kin'toni Clan
|Parent Groups = Unknown
|Descended Groups = Unknown
|Areas Controlled = [[Zaarhir Sparse Forest]]
|Date Founded = 4E 202
|Date Disbanded = N/A
}}

==History==

The Xisskwar kin'toni clan were a race of woodland kin'toni who lived in the [[Zaarhir Sparse Forest]]. They were one of the first kin'toni to break out of their facilities during the kin'toni outbreak before going on a rampage that lasted over a century. They left a trail of death and destruction across every region they passed through. Their actions earned them the nickname the crimson horde- after the crusted blood of their victims that they would leave to dry over their faces and clothes, giving them a dark red appearance. Several accounts describe their camps as places that reeked of blood.

And viscera with the bones of their victims arranged to form tall towers and pikes. The grisly displays would become synonymous with their clan and was used to mark out their presence where ever they went. The clan found pleasure in death and destruction and were known for their proclivity towards violence. They were sadistic in nature and any clan that tried to approach them peacefully quickly found out that the Xisskwar tolerated no friedships or allies. They were on their own and they preferred it to remain that way. Appart from their killings.

They would also "turn" a lot of their defeated enemies into one of them to dramatically increase their numbers in a short span of time. Most of the kin'toni chose to stay out of their way in fear of becoming their next target. The ideas of forming a coalition to defeat them had been floated more than once but many of the clans would back out when they heard of the Xisskwar's relentlessness and their treatment of their enemies. The few (independantclans that tried to go against them were wiped from the face of Taerel and all their members were either brutally murdered or "turned" into one of the Xisskwar.

As the kin'toni opposition began to wane the Xisskwar sought out new ways to fill their time and their appetite for destruction. They actively began to attack the large zu'aan encaves across Taerel. They would gather outside the wood or stone walls taunting the zu'aan inside and pulting the walls with boulders and other projectiles to bring them down. Their success was more limited in tis respect because of their unfamiliarity with sieges and the use of siege equipment. The Xisskwar would resort to tactics such as torching the fields and everything around the enclaves to deprive the zu'aan of their food sources.

And eventually force them to surrender. They would exact their revenge on the surrendered members. The news of their cruelty would spread across Taerel overnight and the zu'aan enclaves became even more determined to resist this horde of bloodthirsty kin'toni. The Xisskwar would encounter the effects of their actions in the coming sieges as enclave after enclave started putting up more resistance against them and even exacted the same brutality of the captured Xisskwar prisoners. Undettered, the Xisskwar kin'toni would continue with their usual acts for many years to come.

This is until the dramatic effect of their losses began to pile up and they were no longer able to replace their dead. Each zu'aan enclave that they capture provided little to no captives as the inhabitants were more content on committing suicide that be turned into one of the Xisskwar. With the looming threat to their numbers growing larger, the Xisskwar were forced to withdraw to a desolate section of the Zaarhir Forest to recuperate and build up their numbers.

==Biology==

The Xisskwar kin'toni were known to walk on all fours uning their four long and spindly limbs. This peculiar way of walking could unnerve people who had never encountered them before. This appearance when combined with the crimson blood that they drenched themselves in and the stench of death that followed them around made them a scary sight. The Xisskwar could stand on their two hind legs but it required more effort and their movement would take on an awkward gait with lots of jerky movements in between. Their speed was also very limited in this posture.

While they could easily keep up with the fastest kin'toni when sprinting on all fours. When standing tall, a full grown Xisskwar adult averaged a litte more than seven feet in height. Most of the length came from their long spindly limbs that had very little girth and lots of visible muscles and vein that protruded through their skin. These limbs ended in claw like fingers that could cut through skin and bone and left distinctive five inch deep footprints on the ground. Their bodies were covered in bodily hair that grew in clumps and patches, giving them an overall untidy appearance.

Their skin was naturally a light blue in color and very translucent although this was not noticable on most occasions due to the blood that their members chose to cover themselves in. Their hair was long, matted and utidy- and colored in a faint golden brown that was a product of all the grime, blood and dirt that had stuck to it. The clan lacked personal hygience and never washed themselves unless heavy rainfall or wading through a river cleansed their bodies. The Xisskwar kin'toni had green irises with white and vertical beaded pupils.

Their eyes were superior at night time but could function even during the day albeit with some difficulty. They had teh same light sensitivity that was common to most kin'toni which prevented them from moving about freely during the night. They were nocturnal beings who carried out most of their activities at night. The Xisskwar's faces were not humanoid and instead bore a closer resemblence to a bear's skeletal structure. Their faces were gaunt and had cheekbones and other facial bone structures pushing up against their skin. It gave them a malnourished look even when they were well fed and properly rested.

Their noses were colored a distinctive black to distinguish them from the other parts of their skin and was covered in whiskers and soft sensitive tissues that allowed them to sense small vibrations in their surroundings as well as sniff out scents from a considerable distance away. They happen to be more fragile then other clans and easier to kill with softer skin and weaker bones, this was part of why they lost so much of their numbers. Their healing is also slowed, healing only half as fast as other clans, this meant the clan took more time away from battle to heal then other clans.

==Culture==

The Xisskwar kin'toni Clan were known for the brutal and ruthless acts they left behind in their wake. These were nothing new for the Xisskwar whose culture encouraged brutality and cruelty. They were taught to view compassion and chivalry as signs of weakness, and to concentrate only on their goal of gaining dominance over their opponents. They were vindictive in defeat and merciless in victory. For the Xisskwar, every victory was a chance to showcase their dominance and to sow terror into the hearts of their enemies so that they would never rise again.

Their culture trained their members to be cruel from the moment of their initiation by exposing them to constant harrassment and bullying from the senior members of the clan. This was a normal part of their daily lives and a crucial rite of passage that the members had to be both willing and able to endure. This desensitized them to all the cruelty and brutality that they would go on inflict on their opponents. Torture and executions of their captives was a regular part of the clan's culture and took the form of a celebration or festival.

The entire clan would be gathered to witness and be part of these grisly acts. The most common method of torture was the flaying of their captives after which the would progressively be exposed to more pain until they were finally executed. The remains of their victims would also be collected and used to create grisly monuments and cairns that the clan used to mark their territory. The clan had no problem with viewing these monuments on a regular basis and even decorated the interiors of their camps with the blood and skeletal remains of their enemies.

Another tradition in their culture was the painting of their bodies in the blood of their enemies. This blood was never washed off and as a result the longest serving and battle-hardened warriors among them had permanent crusts of dark crimson that had formed a layer above their skin. The Xisskwar kin'toni culture maintained a class distinction between various members of their clan. This class system was reinforced by all members and breaking it could lead to expulsion from their group. The class hierarchy distinguished the different members of the clan.

This was based on their seniority and the years they had served under the clan. These senior members were allowed many privileges including the right to keep the new initiates or the lower classes as workers or slaves. The treatment meted out to the lower classes was harsh but they were taught to take it and earn their right to belong to the senior class when their time came. Most of them endured the suffering with the knowledge that they too would one day have workers and slaves working under them. The Xisskwar's cultural was severely impeded by their treatment of other clans.

They were never able to absorb any valuable practices and habits and remain stagnant in their own practices and beliefs for their entire lifetime.

==Government==

The Xisskwar government was one of the most unstable systems among all clans in Taerel. There society was symbolized by a high degree of chaos and independence, making it almost impossible to coordinate the activities of the population or get them to act in a coordinated manner. The people had a sense of privilege and narcissistic attitudes that only got worse as you progressed along the class hierarchy. The sense of entitlement was inherent and something that the clan was never able to conquer. The Xisskwar's leader had to work with this flaws.

And appease each class and appeal to the benefits that they would receive from being governed. Some great leaders would emerge from the Xisskwar clan in this fashion but for most parts the class system was the only system holding the clan together. The classes each wanted to be judged and ruled differently based on their seniority and position in society. The upper class felt that it was demeaning to be tried by the same laws that were applicable to the lower classes and demanded different laws and punishments that reflected their status within their community.

The lower class meanwhile, were one of the most oppressed sections who didn't have a voice to communicate their opinions or demands. The influence of the upper classes and their role in the clan's armies as commanders and the most distinguished warriors meant that there demands could not be taken lightly. This forced the leaders of the Xisskwar to come up with a separate form of government based on the class of an individual. The law was more lenient towards the high class and allowed them more freedoms while the lower classes were subjected to harsher punishments and placed at the hands of the high classes.

This allowed many of their cruel practices like slavery to survive even within their own communities. The leaders of the Xisskwar kin'toni clan usually rose from among the higher classes. This made them biased to the needs of their classes and led to a lack of representation of the lower classes. The Xisskwar judged their members on the basis of their class. A member of the higer class could get away with lighter punishments while the other classes were punished with harsh punishments. The leaders justified this decision by citing that every member had the opportunity to rise to the higher class.

This was through loyal service to the clan and attaining glory in combat.
The Xisskwar's laws were enforced by members of the higher class on their subordinates such as workers and slaves who belonged to the lower strata of society. They were free to use all forms of punishments to punish them as long as they did not kill them. Murder within the clan was a tabboo that was considered as reprehensible. A high class member who was guilty of such a crime was instantly stripped off his rights and banished to a lower class. This law became necessary because of the Xisskwar's dwindling numbers.

==Military==

The Xisskwar kin'toni Clan were feared for their savagery and ruthlessness in combat. Their own chaotic natures and the sight of their crimson bodies drenched in blood was enough to unnerve anyone who had never encountered them in the field before. The Xisskwar's warriors fought with their own instincts and blind courage. They rarely had any battlefield strategy or tactics to coordinate their actions. This suited the clan who were notorious for their ungovernability and their overpowering bloodthirst. Their leaders had long since given up on trying to control them in battle.

They instead encouraged them to wreak as much havoc and chaos as they could on the enemy. This freedom to act as they wished in the battlefield allowed them to unleash their inner sadistic natures and turned them into some of the fiercest warriors in the entire Taerel. Once combat began, all plans were thrown out of the window and the Xisskwar would adapt to any situation on the fly using their brute strength and bravery. The Xisskwar had very sadistic natures and were infamous for the brutal treatment of their captives and prisoners after battle.

The lucky ones were "turned" and forced into the lower ranks of their clan to work as slaves and workers while the unluckier ones were subjected to cruel torture methods such as flaying and decapitation before they were finally executed. The Xisskwar were known to bathe themselves in the blood of their enemies which they left on in their bodies to dry. The other remains such as the corpses and bones were used to create grisly displays to mark their territory. The Xisskwar fought in a ranked system with the higher classes fighting in the front of their lines where there was more opportunity for combat and fame.

With the progressively lower classes stacked behind them in order of rank. Their battles were decided by the performance of their higher classes since they fought at the frontlines of their battles. The Xisskwar were very successful in their battles against other kin'toni. They would "turn" many of these clans into members of their own. The reputation of their military would grow by leaps and bounds until the kin'toni learnt to avoid the Xisskwar and stay out of their path. This forced the clan to go after the only alternative, the zu'aan- in their large secured enclaves.

They had limited success in this venture as news of their despicable acts began to rile up the zu'aan and inspired them to resist harder. Some of their victories were also nullified by the lack of any captives who had preferred suicide to being captured by the Xisskwar. With their own casualties mounting due to their unfamiliarity with siege warfare and their refusal to learn and adapt, the Xisskwar were forced to abandon their military campaigns and retreat inland. Their military might is now a shadow of its former self but the clans reputation for brutality still holds firm and they are greeted with distasteful stares and suspicions wherever they go.

==Religion==

The Xisskwar kin'toni Clan were known athiests who did not believe in the existence of a higher power above them. This was most likely because of their own narcissism and their inability to think of themselves as subordinates to any power. They believed that they were responsible for their own fate and considered the idol worship and religious leanings of the other clans as pure foolishness. This disregard for religion affected the manner in which they were viewed throughout Taerel. Clans recognized them as Godless savages who had no morality or consciousness.

With some even going so far as to consider them as little more than the wild beasts that roamed the lands. This reputation was true to a certain degree. The lack of the religion to hold them accountable and to police their actions contributed to the savagery and brutality that was prevalent within their clan. It fostered a sense of self-importance and narcissism that was unparalleled among the clans of Taerel. Their members believed that they could act and behave in any manner they wished without being held accountable. The higher classes among their numbers considered themselves as nothing short of Gods.

And loved to bask in the attention of their subordinates and their slaves.
The Xisskwar kin'toni were known to engage in brutal and sadistic torture and executions of their enemies which would have been considered grisly and distasteful even by the standards of the most brutal clans in Taerel. The Xisskwar had no respect for any culture or people. They were a force of destruction that wanted to destroy and wreak havoc merely for their own entertainment. Nothing was sacred and out of bounds to them. They were not limited by religion or philosophical leanings.

They where capable of the most heinous violations to the dignity of others. This was a reason for their alination from other races and why they never had any consistent allies or interactions throughout their existence.
A significant attitude that summed up the Xisskwar's atitude towards religion occured during the time of their sieges on zu'aan enclaves. The battle conditions led to the rise in disatisfaction among many of their lower classes who began plotting for a way to leave the clan. This plan was driven by the conversion of some of their members to various zu'aan fates.

And the adoption of a new morality system. They decided by their own volition that they could no longer continue to live the Xisskwar lifestyle and chose to leave it behind forever. The news would be met with the fury of the higher classes who feared that such a move would threaten their unity and lead to more desertions among their ranks. The converts managed to escape but the Xisskwar pursued them relentlessly until they caught up with them. Knowing the dangers of not settling the matters once and for all, the clan decided to make examples out of all the deserters.

They were tortured in the most sadistic ways and their bodies hung in gruesome displays as an example to anyone trying to desert the clan or thinking about converting to any religion in the future.

==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:3rd-century Twilight Age kin'toni clans]]
[[Category:Jangou S's contributions]]

Xisskwar Kin'toni Clan - Revision history

Stevie Lambert: (via JWB)