Utaie Tribal Zu'aan

History

Before being named the Vesia Dense Forest, the region that the Utaie Tribal Zu'aan inhabit was the northern part of the Wlaic Old Taiga and was home to many lumberjacks who went to work there due to the many kinds of wood that could be found; these had all proven to be useful during the days of the Umjtia who were still trying to establish themselves. Having gone through the same history as the Wlaic Old Taiga, the region was one that experienced a need to prove themselves and even faced issues with the inhabitants of the Oughray Boreal Rockland that resided to the west of them.

These issues derived from the fact that the Oughray Boreal Rockland lacked any trees so had depended on the Wlaic Old Taiga for their needs. However, the Oughray Boreal Rockland were not able to get a substantial amount of wood from the share they had been given as a gift and hence tried to push for more in the north.This resulted in many tensions as the inhabitants in the north of the Wlaic Old Taiga wanted some help to block out the people who were trying to force their way into the region for resources; the other regions of the Wlaic Old Taiga did not offer any assistance or take action, however.

Therefore, matters were taken into their own hands as a zu'aan called Velten Wyralir, who saw it as his duty to save the region from possible conflict by making it independent so that it did not have to follow the rulings of the Umjtia clan. To do this, he proposed that the northern region is split off from the Wlaic Old Taiga into a new smaller nation called the Vesia Dense Forest, with himself being the first ruler of a new tribe called the Utaie Tribal Zu'aan. With a fear of losing large sections of land and possibly other regions following in suite.

The leader of the Umjtia Tribal Zu'aan at the time Domnius Iza tried to send forces to put down Velten Wyralir, but was unsuccessful in his attempt as foreign nations offered assistance to Velten Wyralir and were in agreement with his decisions – although it could be argued they only did so as the foreign nations saw the new clan as a pawn in claiming the northern region for themselves. With the establishment of the new Utaie Tribal Zu'aan, Velten Wyralir led a war against the inhabitants of the Oughray Boreal Rockland who called themselves the Washati kin’toni clan.

These battles and skirmishes were very ruthless and the nature of the Utaie Tribal Zu'aan's armies contrasted heavily with the armies of the Umjtia Tribal Zu'aan in the sense that they were even more vicious and deadly, as well as merciless. As the wars continued on, the Utaie clan found themselves contemplating the possibility of asking the Umjtia clan for assistance in accelerating the end of the war with an Utaie clan victory; this caused mixed opinions with one view claiming that it would look humiliating to ask for the help of the Umjtia who were once seen as an enemy for not helping in the first place.

Whilst others felt that it would be best since more of the economy would be based around letting the region thrive rather than fighting conflicts.

Psychology

A key aspect of the psychology of the Utaie Tribal Zu'aan was that they were very resilient and determined – all of them had a vision in mind, an aim, a goal; this was to make sure that the clan survived against any threats that it may encounter and ultimately become more prosperous, powerful, and successful. Whilst possessing many qualities found in the Umjtia Tribal Zu'aan – such as being very peaceful and calm towards their own people and any travellers they felt deserved to be welcomed with kindness and hospitality.

The Utaie clan were ultimately bent on the idea of proving themselves and staying safe by being very protective, as shown by how they were desperate to keep the Washati clan out of the buffer zones through many methods such as by trying to claim the land that the Umjtia had gifted to the inhabitants of the Oughray Boreal Rockland many centuries ago as their own territory and even leading military acts on all trespassers. The zu'aan of the Utaie tribe were very explicit in the demonstration of their power as well as thick-skinned nature when facing their opponents, some of these beliefs even grew into pride that was slowly poisoned by hints of arrogance.

These emotions were more apparent after Velten Wyralir had managed to become the leader of the newly established Utaie tribe, as they saw the leader as being a role model, an inspiration, a perfect person. A follower and absolute enthusiast of Velten Wyralir proceeded to describe him as being “a prophetic person for us people, showing us all the qualities we should aspire to have. He would be determined and hardworking, pushing for his aims and goals against all odds, battling the Washati clan, all for our sake, for our happiness, for our freedom and safety.

He was so admirable for this, we all must love him and show him reverence and our appreciation – we can never thank him enough. Ultimately, he was someone for us to look up to, and realise in situations that seem hopeless that we in fact could still have faith that nothing was impossible for us, the Utaie tribe.” As skirmishes continued with the Washati clan, the troops were very resolute and resilient as well as ambitious, pushing themselves to try and accelerate a victory for the Utaie clan through extra hard work and dedication.

On the other hand, the civilians tended to be very kind and welcoming to other foreign nations, providing hospitality and accommodation for migrants as well as food, drink and even clothing and gifts; the aim of this was to maintain good relations that the inhabitants of the Vesia Dense Forest believed would allow the Utaie tribe to survive after partitioning from the Umjtia tribe, as the neighbouring nations would offer support in the form of supplies, workers, imports of necessary goods like food and building resources, and much more.

Culture

The Utaie clan have adopted many cultures from their origins as once being a part of the Umjtia kin’toni clan – these include the fact that the inhabitants of the Vesia Dense Forest were also extremely talented craftsmen when it came to fashioning the wood that could be found in the region into amazing, fascinating items of furniture. Furthermore, they were also talented in architecture, constructing large wooden houses and even in some cases mansions for the wealthier individuals, all of which would be engraved with wood in such a way that it stunned many of the neighbouring nations.

Having access to parts of the Oughray Boreal Rockland, they were also capable of incorporating stone bricks to add to the durability of the housing and even allow for better insulation and protection against the elements as well as the cold, bitter winds that became common especially in the wintry season. For further protection against the weather, the Utaie clan members also tended to wear clothing that was made out of the hides and the furs of many animals found in the region, combined with leather overcoats and caps that could provide extra warmth and protection.

Food was another aspect that was very similar, and since the Vesia Dense Forest had been a part of the northern regions of the Wlaic Old Forest it was even more frequent to find juicy berries. All of these berries were commonly made into juices which were an excellent choice of beverage and was very famous to all the neighbouring regions, as well as the jams and sauces that were made which were sought out for due to their luxurious, tasty flavour. Many animals could also be found and the residents of the Vesia Dense Forest saw it as their duty to make sure that the wildlife was not severely damaged.

And that none of the species would go extinct; one factor would have been their religious beliefs, but another could also be the fact that many animals were sources of food. To have a balanced diet, the region members would not be vegetarian and make sure to consume some form of meat as the meat provided protein for them as well as many other health benefits and combined with the mushrooms a splendid dish could be easily produced to feed the people. Beehives were a common sight in the Vesia Dense Forest, with honey being a common good that all settlers would make sure to keep stock of due to its heavenly sweet taste and medicinal benefits.

However, to other regions, the honey was a luxury that was heavily sought out for, with merchants being willing to pay large sums of money for a few jars. Tapping trees were also common, with the products being sweet syrup or a resin that would be useful for many other needs depending on the tree.

Government

Having originated from the Umjtia tribe and being a part of the Wlaic Old Taiga, the government of the region used to be one that followed the rulings of ruler that was elected every five years as a result of the voting system that had been put in place; this system worked by having each community vote for who they wanted to be leader, and then the person who was voted the most in that community meant that the candidate had one representative – the candidate with the most representatives was deemed the leader. There were quite a few representatives of the region as the northern section was quite expansive and had many small communities within it.

Making this location very influential in the politics of the Umjtia tribe as a whole. Since those in the north had so much political influence, they were happy with being a part of the Umjtia tribe and accepted the rulers, until the moment when Domnius Iza denied helping them in their struggle against the Washati of the Oughray Boreal Rockland. This event was what led to Velten Wyralir coming to power, as they perceived him to be a key figure who would help them due to his status; Velten Wyralir was a powerful commander who had been leading the skirmishes to fight off the Washati kin’toni clan’s advances.

But also an ex-representative who had handed his role to others as a result of this duty – even still, he was still a skilled politician and brought many benefits to his community and the northern region as a whole, earning him a lot of admiration. He even became so respectable that there were plenty of representatives – especially in the north – who saw him as being a better option as a ruler than Domnius Iza for the Wlaic Old Taiga, which provoked Domnius Iza to such an extent that he tried to put down Velten Wyralir and publicly displayed his animosity for him, calling him tyrannical and a dangerous person who would lead the Umjtia to their demise as a result of his actions.

With the publicization of Velten Wyralir’s views that the northern region should be split off from the Wlaic Old Taiga and a new clan should form there, many were more than elated and ecstatic as they saw hope for the threat of the Washati clan being removed, whilst others – usually outside the northern region – tended to be more fearful at the likelihood of losing large sections of land; this was the last straw for Domnius Iza and led him to make the decision of trying to put Velten Wyralir down. But Velten Wyralir stood strong and in the end, the region was split off to become the Vesia Dense Forest, home of the Utaie kin’toni clan.

Velten Wyralir’s aims were to work alongside foreign nations and diminish the threat of the Washati clan, and then from there allowing for trading and relations between the neighbouring nations and the Utaie clan to take place, with foreign investors taking a part in this process to allow for the Utaie clan to thrive and expand, growing bigger than the Umjtia clan that had been its origins. Another aim that Velten Wyralir had in mind was to claim back territory that had been given away to neighbouring nations and instead make it so that they could only be rented to aid the economy.

Although Velten Wyralir’s counsel advised him to not take this action as it may be a step too far and result in conflicts where the Utaie clan could not gain assistance from foreign nations.

Military

The Utaie clan have always faced conflict even when they were the Umjtia, as the settlers of the Oughray Boreal Rockland were a source of tension due to the rulers making a push to claim more than the share of land they had been given from the northern parts of the Wlaic Old Taiga. As a result of this, a majority of the region’s population were no longer pacifist and decided to take up arms and prove that they would not let foreign nations trod over them and take their land; there was also an expectation that the other regions of the Wlaic Old Taiga would provide aid in these goals.

The residents in the north were clearly mistaken in thinking this. In fact, the hue and cry for help was completely ignored by the leader of the Umjtia clan at the time Domnius Iza which led to feelings of shock and anger as the people realised that their problems would not be fixed. Therefore, they took matters into their own hands and made Velten Wyralir (a powerful commander who had been leading the skirmishes to fight off the Washati kin’toni clan’s advances) as a leader who would make the decisions and save the communities.As a result of this, forces were sent by Domnius Iza to put down Velten Wyralir.

To which Velten Wyralir responded by having them taken hostage and ransoming them. Due to the brash nature of Domnius Iza, he was left in a state of shock upon finding out Velten Wyralir was still alive and was astonished by a letter he received handwritten by Velten Wyralir saying how he had managed to get the help of foreign nations and that if Domnius Iza did not allow the northern region to become independent the nations would unite and make Velten Wyralir the ruler of the whole of the Wlaic Old Taiga. Domnius Iza made another mistake out of arrogance by sending a few more parties to try and attack Velten Wyralir or at least weaken his influence.

But all these attacks were unsuccessful and very soon intelligence informed Domnius Iza that foreign troops had been positioned in the northern region with no hope of claiming it back without civil war breaking out. Left with no choice, Domnius Iza handed over control of the northern region to Velten Wyralir, who declared it to be the Utaie kin’toni clan and called the region the Vesia Dense Forest. Since he had managed to get foreign troops on his side, Velten Wyralir was able to use them to his advantage and had them fight alongside troops of the Utaie Tribal Zu'aan against the Washati in the Oughray Boreal Rockland.

All troops fighting for the Utaie tribe would wear a grey uniform with a black beret and a cap badge to show where they originated from, and on the battlefield would have to wear iron armour that was now affordable due to the negotiations that had been made by Velten Wyralir. Furthermore, the improved weaponry and increased number of troops was another factor that made the Utaie clan such a formidable opponent, leading to severe conflict in the Oughray Boreal Rockland with many of the Washati clan losing their lives and being forced out of their homes as Velten Wyralir began turning sections of land in the region into military bases to increase his influence and power on the borders and front lines.

Religion

The Utaie clan still decided to follow the faith of the Umjtia tribe and continued to worship the forest spirits. However, the northern regions were always known to be more commemorative of their faith with some even going as far as to be fanatics, and there tended to be less liturgical worship and more festivals and celebrations involving singing and dancing as well drinking and eating as a community, whilst also sitting down together to meditate and attempt to reach that transcendental state where they could reach the spirits and communicate with them, offering thanks and praising them for their diligent hard work in providing for the inhabitants of the Vesia Dense Forest.

Yet, whilst believing that the forest spirits had a realm to return to, they also had a belief in the idea that there was one mighty being that ruled over all the spirits and was the ultimate provider; Her name was Ylena, God of the Forest Spirits. It was believed that She had long, moss-green hair that trailed down to Her feet and that She had pale skin that had a hint of green to it. Her height was estimated to be over fifty metres tall, and Her figure was shrouded in lime, olive or sea green clothing made out of a combination of leaves from the myriad of trees in the forests.

A crown decorated Her head and was made out of the woods of the multiple trees that could be found in the region, and there was a veil of vines that concealed Her face, which was described to be as radiant as the sun; Her eyes were said to be like emeralds, shining upon those that She saw as worthy of Her everlasting blessings and mercy. To guide the spirits through the spirit realm and to the land of Taerel, She was said to have a long staff made out of a mystical wood only found in the spirit realm, and that from Her throne (constructed out of gold-like metals found in the spirit realm) She would deliver Her orders and commands to them.

The worship of other faiths was permitted with many of the migrants from the neighbouring nations coming in large communities and establishing their religion through the construction of shrines and temples to commemorate their deities and also allow the believers to have a place to stay together and pass the time. Nevertheless, some of the Utaie clan were unhappy about this and tended to be more extremist, saying that the only correct faith that should be followed was one that worshipped Ylena and Her forest spirits; many worshippers of Ylena were displeased by this and made sure to punish these fanatics.

Stating how their actions would not be praised for by Ylena and that in fact, Ylena would curse them by no longer sending Her spirits to help them. Despite this, many were still willing to go against the laws that had been established and tried to enforce their beliefs upon others through methods that may not be physical but still aggressive in nature.

Miscellany

Nearby Groups

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