Dakimonoyev Tribal Zu'Aan

History

The Dakimonoyev zu'aan clan were formed by their visionary founder and leader Leal Osgoth during the kin'toni outbreak. They were originally zu'aan settlers of the Gautarl Mudflat region who mainly worked in agriculture and supplied the entire region with food grains. Their economic oppression under the Gautarli kingdom who imposed excessive taxes led the clan to explore trade and other options to increase their wealth. The premium gained from this external trade would allow the community to thrive under the Gautarli kingdom. However, their ideal living conditions would come to an end with the start of the kin'toni outbreak.

Leal, who was the pioneer behind the community's trade practices would assume a greater leadership role and named them the Dakimonoyev zu'aan clan. She would organize their migration to the Gautarl mudflat region to avoid the common paths of invading armies and the inhabited areas. The mudflat was a region avoided by most people because of the difficulty involved in reaching it. Its ground was soft and muddy with many hazardous spots that could sink a full grown zu'aan. This isolation was a natural deterrent as the kin'toni usually attacked regions with substantial zu'aan populations.

During high tide, the entire region would be inundated with the waters of the Xamud sea. Thus, the Dakimonoyev could no longer continue their regular agricultural practices. Leal would force the Dakimonoyev to adapt to the nutritious black weed that swept in with the tide each day. They were found in plenty and their calorific value could stave off hunger for hours. The clan would also adopt the practice of building their habitats on reed platforms that could easily float on the surface during the high tide and provide a stable surface when the waters receded.

These platforms doubled as boats and allowed the clan to shift their home whenever they were threatened. Due to the unique features of their habitat, the Dakimonoyev could not maintain any static forms of defenses- like walls. Leal started the practice of a single authoritarian leader. She knew what was best for the clan and didn't want to waste her time on debates and arguments with other senior figures within the clan. She assumed total control and named herself the Ruler of the Dakimonoyev.

She would cultivate a loyal following who doubled up as her personal guards and ensured that she retained her popularity among the people. These followers would later begin to receive military training and were designated as official law-men and women with the power to maintain order and carry out her decrees. This was a necessary measure to prevent internal conflicts and dissent, and to make sure that they were strong enough to face off against the kin'toni raiders.

In times of war, every member of the clan was expected to take up arms. Each household was assigned spears and slings as defensive weapons but were expected to surrender them at a collective armory during peacetime. This was another precautionary measure that Lean introduced to avoid any violent insurrections or revolutions

Psychology

The psyche of the Dakimonoyev zu'aan clan was heavily influenced by their experiences as a clan. They were very hard working zu'aan with a particular affinity for agriculture. They had been responsible for most of the cultivation around the Gautarl region for centuries and most of their customs, cultures and lifestyles had evolved around it. Thus, the clan held the values associated with agriculture in very high regard. They valued the traits of hard work and perseverance and could be very selective when the time came for selecting brides and grooms.

They were very practical and most of the clan's actions were conducted after careful thought. Talk and debates were not encouraged and as a result were very neglected within the clan. They were people of action and were known for accomplishing tasks as soon as possible. This trait made them very punctual and reliable, and they were one of the most efficient workers among all zu'aan clans. Along with their hard work, the Dakimonoyev were also known for their occasional holidays when they would release themselves from their draining lifestyles.

They led very strict and regimented lifestyles. They were creatures of routine and rarely pursued any new activities or occupations. The clan went through lots of oppression throughout their history- from the Gautarli kingdom who imposed their crippling agricultural taxes on them, to their founder- Leal Ohstgen who ruled the clan with an iron fist and imposed many repressive measures herself. This constant cycle of oppression made the regular Dakimonoyev a naturally suspicious clan who were not very welcoming towards strangers and eyed every development with a certain amount of apprehension.

They were also a very closed off society as a result, and rarely shared their feelings and gossips outside their family circle. The clan members took every precaution to ensure their own survival in case of any emergency. They were known to hide and maintain their own secret escape boats filled with supplies and other necessary items in anticipation of kin'toni attacks as well as their leader's repressive measures. It was normal for the Dakimonoyev clan members to feel like they were always being hunted from all quarters.

The suffocating pressures that they were placed under at all times would contribute to the development of their perseverance and made them very capable and hardy zu'aan who were capable of withstanding tremendous amounts of pressure both mental, physical and in the environment. They were survivalist and could adapt to a wide variety of environments. This was visible when Leal took the clan with her to the Gautarl mudflats region that was a completely different environment than what they were used to.

They could no longer live on solid ground and could no longer carry on with their agricultural activities which they had relied on their entire lives. Despite this, they overcame the challenges and eventually found a way through sheer perseverance. They would end up living on a floating reed surface and shifted to a nutritious diet of black weed that would sweep in with the tides.

Culture

The Dakimonoyev's culture was known for its preoccupation with agriculture and its associated activities. Most of the clan's habits and needs were formed around agriculture which they had been practicing in the Gautarl region for centuries until they were forced to evacuate on the advice of their leader, Leal Ohstgen. Their holidays and celebrations were associated with many agriculturally significant dates such as the arrival of summer, when the clan would start planting their crops and the start of winter when the clan would harvest their crops.

Although they were not known for having fun and enjoying themselves, the clan would forget their usual seriousness and party with no inhibitions during these festivals. They would participate in dance and song and it was customary to drink the fermented drinks that would be made from the produce of their harvest. During the rest of the year the Dakimonoyev would put their heads down and settle into their hard-working lifestyle which consisted of back breaking work in the fields from dawn to the afternoons.

They had a high regard for family values and every Dakimonoyev would spend the rest of his free time with his family. Education was imparted to the children during these periods of rest, when the elders would return from their work in the fields. The Dakimonoyev education stressed on a teaching of the clan's values, such as the love for hard work and loyalty towards the family and clan. As the children grew older their education would happen in the fields where they would be imparted with a knowlede of the cultivating techniques and agricultural methods and timings.

Due to the profitability of their agriculture, the clan had no need to defer to other kinds of professions. Thus, a majority of children were brought up to carry on their family's agricultural traditions. The Dakimonoyev's culture was known for its very secretive traditions. There was no informal gossip and unnecessary talk which was considered dishonorable and a waste of time. It also became a habit of the clan when their leader, Leal Ohstgen started her repressive measures within the clan- shortly after she became the leader.

Secrecy was valued and an essential part of surviving their daily life. Thus, it would become a part of the culture of the region. They were not outrightly hostile but rather cold and unresponsive towards outsiders who entered the region or attempted to interact with them. When the clan migrated to the mudflats, their culture underwent major changes to accommodate their new surroundings. They lived in their floating reed surfaces that became synonymous with their culture and adapted to other forms of livelihood to sustain them in the absence of agriculture.

Some of the main forms of sustenance in this regard included fishing and gathering of the weed plants that would flood into the region in high tide. They did not abandon their beliefs in hard work and stoic morals, and the citizens were still expected to maintain a busy schedule with minimal time for resting and lazing around.

Government

The Dakimonoyev had an authoritarian form of government that was presided over by a single leader with advisors and heads of various departments serving under him/her. This form of government was introduced by their founder and first leader, Leal Ohstgen. Under this form of government, the leader had complete authority to decide the clans standing and policies with regards to all matters ranging from civil to military ro diplomacy. He was not compelled to listen to the advice of those serving under him in his government nor the citizens of the clan.

Leal introduced this form of government as she saw herself as the fittest among the tribe to lead, and thought that no other person had the insight or capacity to make the decisions that she made. She placed people who she could agree with or bend to her will in other positions of power, such as the General and judges. This system ensured her unchallenged rule and ability to make every decision on behalf of the clan. She also ensured her complete supremacy over the clan with the help of a mob of loyal supporters who she would later begin to equip with weapons and designate as a police force, in order to suppress revolts or whispers of discontentment against her.

Under Dakimonoyev's rule, the clan enjoyed very limited freedoms and liberties. They were forced to consider their speeches and talks carefully before making them, lest they got caught by the leader's spies who infiltrated all sections of society. The government controlled other tools such as taxes and recruitment policies which were used to keep the people under control and prevent them from either becoming too bold or powerful. It was mandatory for clan members to attend the leader's speeches where they would be bombarded with patriotic speeches and be read their duties towards the clan.

Due to the repressive environment, the people did not have a favorable opinion towards the government. Many sympathizers within the government would fund secret societies and orders that were committed to toppling the current regime and bringing about a change in their systems. These secret societies were also responsible for many terror attacks and attempts against the leader's life. Leal for her part was aware of the existence of these societies and actively tried to combat them through many means including the use of his loyal band of police force and other repressive measures that she initiated on behalf of their government.

She would preside as the judge when such rebels were caught, and would dole out the harshest and cruelest punishments in an attempt to dissuade further rebel activity. The government was also responsible for the planning and organization of armies during war. Leal herself would lead her troops into battle surrounded by her most loyal bodyguards. She enacted a policy of mandatory recruitment of able-bodied citizens when the kin'toni threat grew too large and paid for all their equipment with the profit that he had saved from before the kin'toni collapse.

He would always take precaution to always ensure that the citizens were not allowed to keep their weapons and had to return them back to the clan's armory after each use, in order to keep them from staging a revolt. After their escape from their agricultural heartlands, the clan was forced to rely on trade and other means to support themselves. This sector came under Leal's area of expertise and thus she put the government in charge of these affairs. The government would carry out the export and import of supplies, goods and slaves for the benefit and development of the clan.

Military

The Dakimonoyev zu'aan clan were not particularly known for their military skills. They were not aggressive and never challenged other clans or their own authorities throughout their entire existence as a clan and even before it, when they were settled as an agricultural society in the Gautarl region. This made them particularly vulnerable to military actions and limited their options in negotiations. They would rather avoid military action when they could than face combat. This was very apparent in their decision to vacate their profitable lands at the threat of the kin'toni invasions.

Their own founder, Leal Ohstgen was however cut from a different cloth. She was known for her acceptance and studies of the other clans and was even known to be an eager and capable combatant herself. She picked these skills up during the course of her studies among other zu'aan clans along with ideas for trade and interactions with outside clans to maximize her clan's profit. Both would be successfully implemented within the tribe before they formally became the Dakimonoyev zu'aan clan.

She would establish her own sect of loyal swordsmen who swore fealty to her and would help to start the clan's military tradition. Upon their escape from the region and into the mud flats, her swordsmen would protect the clan from the like of stalking kin'toni scouts and bandits who roamed the roads. Their strict loyalty to her also allowed her to ascend into a position of leadership within the clan as no one dared to challenge her and her army. After they established themselves in the mudflats, Dakimonoyev's army would grow in both size and skill.

They would train regularly and participate in many campaigns against the small bands of kin'toni raiders who would regularly make incursions into their lands. Their numbers would also see a stark increase during this period when Dakimonoyev initiated all of the bands of ruffians and thugs who were loyal to her cause into her army. She would first arm them with weapons and provide them with the training to last in combat. They would eventually become Dkimonoyev's police force within the clan- responsible for maintaining order and catching all rebels and dissidents within their ranks.

As the kin'toni raids and attacks grew fiercer and more persistent the clan's army were no longer sufficient enough to keep them at bay. Thus, Leal was forced to initiate a policy of mandatory military service for all members of the clan. They were provided with weapons and armor for the duration of the battles that were returned after combat so they were not used for revolutionary activities against her leadership. She used these armies as an auxiliary force to supplement her numbers in combat, while her trained and loyal forces were used as the main force.

With this system in place the Dakimonoyev clan enjoyed reasonable success against their kin'toni opponents and never had to fear for rebellion or defeat in the field.

Religion

The people of the Gautarl region followed the ancient religions of the land. Their gods were related to their agricultural trade and they regularly prayed and held ceremonies and sacrifices to appease them. They believed that in doing so they would earn the God's favors and in turn be rewarded with wealth and abundant harvests. These nameless gods that they prayed to were believed to be the creators of their entire universe and bestowed their favors on those who they found favorable in their eyes.

The Dakimonoyev's religion was distinct in that it had no priests or shamans who presided over the religious ceremonies. The people were each expected to conduct their own sacrifices and prayer ceremonies. They would start off their day by bringing their offerings of grain and meat which they burned in bonfires so that they would reach the gods through the smoke that extended to the heavens. These ceremonies would also be performed at a larger scale during the clan's festivals and ceremonies marking the arrival of spring and the cultivating season and the accompanying harvesting festival that marked the start of winter and the time for harvesting their crops.

The Dakimonoyev could not be classified as being overly religious as they did not give undue importance to their religion and ceremonies. There were no belief systems or code of rules and morals that had to be followed. They only believed that it was necessary to gain the favor of these gods by performing sacrifices as a show of gratitude and to assure themselves of a good harvest in the following seasons to come. The lack of rainfall, drought, infestations and low produce were all associated with the displeasure of the gods and the clan would embark on large prayer gatherings when these calamities happened.

Their religion would evolve with them and would take on a more moralistic code, once Leal Ohsten led them into the Gautarl mudflats. By this time, she was more concerned with retaining her authority and was very worried about the seeds of discontentment and revolts being sown among her members. She took many measures to combat these attitudes, some of the harsher measures including the creation of a police force that was fiercely loyal to her and used to suppress the population while the more moderate precautions included the creation of a priestly class that was secretly connected to Leal herself.

They preached many new moral principles that were directed at curbing any revolutionary sentiments. These new tenets of their religion included loyalty towards the clan and its leader and to willingly participate in the clan's military activities. All these arbitrary measures made religion a farce within the clan and the citizens only continued to participate in them to avoid the anger of the clan leader and to stay above the suspicions of their intrusive police forces. Their farming ceremonies were still celebrated in their new homeland but the people had lost much of their zeal and enthusiasm for it.

Religion became more of a chore to exhibit a feeling of normalcy and was not done out of any real belief.

Miscellany

Nearby Groups

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