Val Kin'toni Clan

History

The infamous Val kin'toni clan is widely regarded as one of the original and foremost kin'toni that were created by the Empire in the year 4E. During the cold war period, the Empire decided to start a super soldier program known as Project Bloodmoon. The efforts to create an army of super soldiers failed horribly and led to the formation of the kin'toni sickness. The first subjects to be exposed to this sickness showed signs of excessive violence and bloodlust.

The sickness soon spread, turning other people and the eventual collapse of the Empire in a series of catastrophic events which are now known as The Great Bleedout. From the ashes of this collapse, rose the Val clan which were some of the the original test subjects of Project Bloodmoon. The Vals were very different from the other kin'toni clans, but not in form or appearance, but in personality. After the kin'toni sickness spread far and wide, turning everyone into such monsters.

The Val clan assimilated under a common banner and established a small community amongst themselves. They started out as nomads, wandering from place to place, settling down for a little time, all the while hunting any zu'aan that they came across. They're ferociousness and their sense of community attracted them a lot of followers from other kin'toni clans. As the Vals moved from one settlement to another, their followers increased every time following them whenever they went.

After months of traveling and killing, the leader of the Val kin'toni clan came upon the ruins of the ancient zu'aan city of Yathar. The city was occupied by zu'aan stragglers who tried to put up a fight against the monsters. However, the strength and numbers of the Val clan and their followers provided a huge advantage for the invaders. The zu'aan were defeated mercilessly and the city was captured by the kin'toni. It is here that the Val clan, along with all their followers decided to build a permanent settlement.

After settling down, the Vals almost exclusively only used their followers to do all the work. Most of the time, the work was the destruction of the zu'aan settlements. A raiding party of a dozen kin'toni would leave the city at dusk and venture out into the outside world. They search for abandoned towns where the zu'aan populace was likely to hide. They ransacked any settlements they found and killed any human that they laid their eyes upon. They would gather all the spoils and always return home before the break of dawn; for the sun was their bane.

Some of their followers were sent as emissionaries to gather new followers. They would venture out and meet kin'toni of other clans, often searching for people who knew nothing in life except killing. These recruits were brought back to Yathar where they worked undermthe orders of the Val clan. The Vals never worked themselves, but their hierarchical system ensured benefits for them through the work of their followers. After their initial settlement in the city of Yathar, the Val kin'toni continue to live there, and continue to amass an army of followers; to what purpose, nobody knows.

Psychology

Being some of the the progenitors of the kin'toni race certainly didn't lend a sense of humbleness to the Val kin'toni. The first thing that they did after their escape from the lab was biting other people. They released their toxins into the bloodstreams of their victims, converting them into kin'toni themselves. This in turn lead to a chain reaction where people were getting converted into kin'toni left and right. What followed was The Great Bleedout.

The collapse of the Empire rendered kin'toni are the superior beings in existence. The strongest of them were the Val kin'toni. It was immediately after the Bleedout that the Vals realised the extent of their power. Not only was the Val clan superior to others in terms of strength, but also because of their personality. They rarely fight among themselves and had a strong sense of community. They soon let go of their brutal nature and adopted a more tactical and calm-minded approach in dealing with threats.

The Vals have an air of calmness around them even in tense situations and cold gazes that leave a man shivering in fear. It is perhaps these qualities that makes them good leaders along with the ability to garner following wherever they go. Since their early days, fear and respect had been plentily bestowed upon them along with reverence in their days in Yathar. It is not difficult for such people to get addicted to these plaudings. The Vals steadily craved more and more respect and more and more power. It is this god complex of the Val kin'toni that elevated them to such a high level among their followers. It is often said that the very thing will be their undoing.

Biology

Since they were ome of the the first to be directly affected by the kin'toni strain, the Val kin'toni display very unique and pronounced features as compared to the other kin'toni. They are around 8 foot tall with a sufficiently heavy built body. Their faces are almost oval, tapering towards the bottom at their sharp chin. They have a very distinct jawline that separates them from the other kin'toni. Their faces however exhibit a purple colour like most of the early day kin'toni tribes.

They re eyes are red, almost the color of blood with cat-like slits in their pupils. Some of the older Kintonis are said to have eyes that change their tinge according to the environment. Most of them have long hair but the eldest members in the clan who were the first test subjects show balding and lack of hair growth. The effects of Project Bloodmoon have their meager remnants in this clan and are a subject of fear among their followers. The super soldier, program may have failed but the effects of the experiments on the kin'toni shows themselves from time to time.

The Val kin'toni are blessed with above-average strength compared to their counterparts. It is often said that one kin'toni from the Val clan is equivalent to three from any other clan; barring some exceptions. The brutality from their earlier days still strikes fear into the hearts of the other kin'toni. It is precisely this fear that allowed the Vals to amass such an army of followers. It is not just pure strength that the Val clan is blessed with. The super-soldier program enhanced their sensory capacities as well. It is said that they can smell and hear a zu'aan approaching before he can even lay eyes on their settlement.

They are fast on their feet, and this in combination with their strength and senses, makes them a dangerous predator. They use their long fingers to grap hold of their prey. Theyre grip is exceptional and is said to crush throats when they are fighting seriously. After the prey is made immobile by their grasp, the kin'toni used their fang-like teeth to dig into the necks of their prey. The difference between the appearance of the Val clan and others is that even with a well-built body and impressive strength, their limbs get pretty bony at the ends. Their appearance does not hint at any otherworldly strength. In contrast, some less strong clans of the Zelan continent look much more fierce in comparison.

However, though lacking the look of absolute strength, the Vals exhibit an air of sophistication in their look, akin to that of leaders. Maybe, it is this look of leadership that helps them control their inferiors. Although Project Bloodmoon blessed the clan with all these powers, its side effects have taken a severe toll on their health. The Vals may have exceptional strength, but they get tired very quickly and are known to be bedridden for quite some days after a long fight.

Some are known to cough up blood after too much exhaustion. It is perhaps this limitation that has forced the Val tribe to use followers for fighting rather than their own kin.

Culture

The Val kin'toni are one of the oldest of the kin'toni clans and have witnessed history first-hand from the beginning of The Great Bleedout. They were some of the ones who were responsible for caring the sickness far and wide by injecting their toxins into other people. After the failure of the experiments the Vals went on biting other people to get them to turn into kin'toni. In other words, these few select individuals are responsible for many of the bloody and cataclysmic events that happened so forth.

The Vals also among the first ones who started hunting zu'aan not just for food, but also for pleasure. It is often believed that they were the ones who inspired other kin'toni clans to organise raids on zu'aan settlements and plunder all their loot. As time passed, the Val clan slowly lost its ferocious and bloodthirsty nature and focused more on settlement rather than nomadic ventures. After capturing the city of Yathar, they declared it as their permanent residence.

It is from this moment that a cultural shift took place in their clan. After settling down inside the city, the Val clan focused itself on the development of their tribe and left all the bloody work to their followers. Due to excessive experimentation, most of the human tendencies of the Val clan are largely forgotten. Due to that, they lack a culture of their own. Fortunately however, the followers that the Vals attracted belonged to a myriad of different clans.

Since each of them brought their values and ideals with them, Yathar soon turned into a hodgepodge of cultural activity. Each group of followers practiced their own culture in different parts of the city. From the deathmatches of the Uyrall clan, the drinking fests of the Vlakia clans, the animal races of the Voont clans, to the orgies of the Yoguru clan and the debates of the Yergha clan; all were equally accepted. The Vals took part in watching and enjoying all of this and realized the scope of their all-encompassing ever-growing community.

The Vals took great pain in creating their new culture which took from all these small sub-cultures. They created their own festivals that were derived from the culture of all the individual clans so that a sense of unity can fester during these times. These festivals were the only time where the followers actually got to properly interact with the Val clan and the other clans. After the side effects of the Project began to show, the Vals realized that their prowess wont be of much help anymore.

So, they turned their heads to the pursuit of knowledge. They read whatever books that they could find and they took a particular liking to history. It is particularly due to this inclination that the Vals started reading and learning about conquests. The thought of domination over entire empires fascinated them. Although is often speculated that it was this fascination that tempted the Vals to amass an army, it is this a matter of contention. However, one thing is aptly clear; the more the Vals delved into reading history, the more agressive they became towards the outside world.

Government

The Val clan, during its nomadic days, garnered a considerable amount of followers who stayed with them when Yathar was captured and made their capital. The followers consisted of members from various other clans like the blood-drinking Vlakias, the debaucherous Yogurus, the feral Uyralls, and many such of the like. Since, the Vals were regarded as the first kin'toni to have existed, there was an air of supremacy towards them. Zebus Rectjo, the leader of the clan commanded fierce respect and reverence from his own kin as well as his followers.

After taking Yathar as their home, the Vals established their ruling system. They considered themselves superior among the Kintonis because not only were they the original subjects, but they were also responsible for turning others into kin'toni. Therefore, they established themselves at the top of the hierarchical chain. A somewhat aristocratic rule took form where the Vals were the powerful leaders and their followers were supposed to obey them unquestionably.

In any argument, the word of Zebus Rectjo was considered the highest as he was the most senior kin'toni of the clan. Although the government resembled a sort of aristocracy, there were no rules that were set in stone that demanded obedience to the Vals. It was their stature itself that garnered the obedience and respect of the other clans. Each follower tribe was given its own housing area in the city. At the end of each month, each follower clan was expected to pay a tribute to the Val clan.

A small percentage of the plunder gathered from the raids on zuann settlements was also given to the Val clan. The rest was sent to the treasury. The followers used to readily follow this without any impudence as they held the Val clan in reverence.Very rarely it happened that one small faction of a clan opposed or took objection to the monthly tribute. These rebellions were swiftly taken care of, oftentimes by their own clan members.

The Vals built several entertainment facilities for themselves in the town center which their followers were only allowed to use twice a year, during the times of the festivals. Different public baths were constructed for the Vals near their royal residence and the follower clans in their urban neighborhoods. Despite being of nefarious repute, the Val kin'toni were never cruel to any of their followers without any provocation. They were aristocrats but never became despots.

Their exclusivity and their complete domination over the people of Yathar earned their rule a great name in the world outside. The zu'aan cities who resented this form of government grew restless as they considered the possibility of forceful takeover from the Val clan.

Military

In the early stages of their rise to notoriety, the Val clan often took place in bloody massacres and brutal killings. During their journey through the continent of Zelan they finished off any zu'aan that were ill-fated to come across their path. It was the skirmish at Yathar where their power truly shined. They fell upon the oblivious zu'aan residents under the cover of the night and captured the city in under an hour. Their mighty leader Zebus was said to have slain about 50 men alone that day; such was his might.

After they settled in Yathar, the ill effects of the experiments on them began to show and their power slowly waned away. It was precisely then that the Vals started to capitalize on their amassed followers. These followers belonged to various types of clans, each with their unique skills. The clans were a bit quarrelsome with each other at first but were brought together under the leadership of Zebus. Considered to be the strongest among the Vals, Zebus himself look into all the matters of the military.

He divided all the followers into two categories- The Raiders and The Recruiters. The Raiders consisted of fierce clansmen like the Uyrall and the Vlakia. The Raiders were sent out to find and pillage any zu'aan settlements that they could find. They were generally sent on one-day sorties and to gather as much loot and food as possible. Raiders held certain esteem among the other residents of Yathar. Many a time, the Raiders werent successful in finding any zu'aan.

It was at that time, the Raiders resorted to hunting animals. The Recruiters were a branch of the military with a very specific purpose. Their job is to venture out into the night and search the wildlands for other clans. They were different from the raiders in the fact that there mission spanned multiple days after their initial departure. They had to spend the day holed up in some abandoned shelter to protect themselves from the sun. When they found other kin'toni, their task was to convince them to join the Vals as their followers.

The new followers which were brought back were housed into their appropriate districts in Yathar. Oftentimes, the Recruiters ran into zu'aan during their journeys. Instead of killing them, they were instructed to capture the zu'aan and bring them back to Yathar. The zu'aan were then tortured by the Raiders to give out information about zu'aan hideouts. If torture didnt work, threatening to kill their family certainly did. It was this military might and brutal tactics that bolstered the nefarious reputation of the Val clan.

After learning that the Vals seem to be amassing a huge army, all the other kin'toni clans as well as the zu'aan tribes feared what was about to come next.

Religion

As it is commonly known, the scientific experiments performed on the first subjects robbed them of their previous cultural identity. This was also true about religion. When the Vals came into existence, they did not bring any gods with them from their past life. The first few years after the collapse were fraught with killed and butchery. The next few were spent in finding a permanent settlement. Such constant troubles didnt allow a religion to hold root. Things however changed when the Yathar was occupied by the Vals.

It was clear to the Vals that they did not believe in any god. In fact, if they thought about the concept of an all-powerful being, it was only their thought that crossed their mind. They were the first kin'toni to be created, the first ones to change other people like themselves, the first ones to declare war on the zu'aan, and the first ones to amass such a massive following. It is not surprising that they began to consider themselves as all-powerful gods.

Day after day, they became stronger in their conviction that they were the superior beings who were destined to rule the world. Their constant reading of history only strengthened this belief. They preached to the public that they were the true rulers who were meant to destroy the zu'aan and take all their land for themselves. The followers who were already blinded by their fear and bloodlust were attracted to this weird charisma of the Vals. They too started believing in the prophecies of their overlords.

The Vals didnt need a religion for their community; they themselves were the religion. Although no temples or shrines were built in tje name of the Vals, a huge statue of Zebus Rectjo was erected in the town centre. The raiders bowed before the statue each time before they went on a raid. Newly recruited people from the follower tribes had to forego their old beliefs or gods to be allowed entry in Yathar. This often resulted in a lot of complaining but one cold hard gaze by Zebus was enough for them to subdue themselves.

Although Zebus was pleased with the respect and reverence that he was getting, he had set his sights way beyond. He wanted the whole world to feel the reverence that he felt. Thats why gradually he started spreading his beliefs to the outside world. He made a group of missionaries to send off to far-off lands to bring them news of his dominion; even to zu'aan camps. He sensed that a time of reckoning was coming for the zu'aan who were still resisting him. For many years, the Vals continue to preach against the zu'aan and increase their armies so that they could finally show the world who the true gods were.

Miscellany

Although it is common knowledge that kin'toni rejoice in eating zu'aan flesh, it is not the only thing that their diet consists of. kin'toni can also eat animal flesh but they rarely find it tasteful and nourishing. Depending upon their environment, some kin'toni have also adapted to eating fruits that grow nearby. The incredible ability of the Val kin'toni and also most one is general, is that after a satiating meal, they can go up to days without eating anything.

This ability helped them survive the food shortage period that occurred during their rule. Due to excessive preying and fear of the Vals, the zu'aan started moving away from the outskirts of Yathar. This scarcity of zu'aan meet needed to be offset by something else. Hence, lately, the Vals began consuming more of an animal diet rather than meat from zu'aan bodies. The Val Cheif Zebus came with an ingenious idea to deal with this zu'aan meat shortage which he learned from the Uyrall clan.

He sent his missionaries to zu'aan camps and threatened the zu'aan to destroy their camps. If they wanted their homes and family to survive, they had to pay a tribute to Yathar every month with some of their best civilians. This request was hesitantly accepted by the zu'aan since it bought them some time to plan ahead. After getting the promise of tributes from dozen such camps, the meat problem wasn't as severe as it was before. Regardless, this is a temporary solution and won't provide the Vals with lasting resources if they wish to thrive.