Lyeunt Kin'toni Clan

History

The Lyeunt kin'toni Clan was founded by Zamradi Lyeunt, an aristocrat infected by the plague, who forced all of his servants into the same strain. He was convinced about the superiority of his own brand of disease, so much so that he turned even his wives and many children into kin'toni. This clan is highly predatory, as shrewd as it is savage, and has continued to believe in its own superiority not only to zu’aan but in regards to other kin'toni as well. They refuse to accept themselves as beasts, despite their base instincts, and will rather see themselves as sophisticated killing machines.

With a taste for the extravagant and the insane. At the death of Zamradi Lyeunt, his sons all vied for power and formed their own factions, each more twisted than the other, claiming vast swathes of land with their distinct variations of red, black and white insignias. Their flags were made with mutilated flesh and the rags of their defeated enemies, and hoisted on bone. For years these brothers squabbled and fought, each claiming with a frenzy to be the sole legitimate heir of the Lyeunt. However it wasn’t until Zamhara Lyeunt, the niece of the original Zamradi, took the reins that the things really got serious.

One by one the brothers fell to her rage and her hordes, claiming unification once more over the house. Unlike other leaders, shifty and vile, Zamhara actually managed to create a culture for her prospective empire. She wasn’t as petty as the others, and her unmatched white skin and exquisite crimson eyes captured many hearts, even amongst those as savage as the Lyeunt kin'toni. She emphatized the power of the will above all else, even above hunger if need be – that savagery needed to be tempered by restraint, and that great destruction –and great feasts- were only possible through a meticulous amount of coordination.

All sectors of Lyeunt kin'toni society listened to her words and many even came to revere her as a savior. Makeshift statues and effigies were erected and though still cannibalistic and uncanny, there was never a lack of those who would be able to revere her as a saint. But what was joy for the Lyeunt was a dire situation indeed for the nearby zu’aan fortresses, and they were laid siege by the starving armies of the Lyeunt kin'toni Clan, hungry for newly minted flesh and blood. The unification of this clan would have spelt ruin for the cities of an entire region .

If the zu’aan general Sadus Ghorkane wouldn’t have hired an assassin to take out none other than Zamhara Lyeunt herself. The horde entered an intense self-destructive period due to this void in power. Even though Zamhara Lyeunt was a martyr, nobody could claim to uphold her “cause” and the factions turned on eachother, aristocrat against commoner, tribe against tribe, and brother against brother once more. However the twisted memory of her that once brought them together never faded completely. The Lyeunt kin'toni Clan still awaits for a savior.

A “blood-covered prophet and daughter of the red moon” that will once more unite them and bring ruin to their many enemies.

Biology

They have light red eyes with white sclera and crescent pupil. They are able to leap savagely using their hands to swing from trees. The Lyeunt kin'toni Clan is vicious not only in appearance but also in fact, since they prefer to strike at night in fighting ambushes where they overwhelm their opponents with sheer numbers and force of will. The will of the Lyeunt kin'toni Clan is also biologically enhanced, and not only is it part of their mental fortitude, but also a part of their pride as a Clan. Each individual of them possesses an unnatural drive to overcome their own limitations.

A drive that is innate to all of the Lyeunt kin'toni. Beyond their drive to success is their thirst for blood, and the Lyeunt kin'toni aren’t content with just drinking it. They partake in great ravages where they eat any and al zu’aan that cross their path. They crave for this bloodied meat with wanton abandon, and have no concept of table manners or diplomacy. Lyeunt kin'toni “diplomats” are actually called Devourers, and they are special brutes with glowing red eyes and measuring over seven feet tall. Their role within the Clan is eating the emissaries of the zu’aan, and of other Kin’toni if needed.

Lyeunt kin'toni biology is accelerated compared to that of regular creatures. Their cellular processes are twice as fast as normal. Their polymerase production is quite insane, and many a zu’aan sage has tried to study these mysteries to no avail. Cellular structures of the Lyeunt kin'toni degrade rapidly, conditioning their constant need to feed – as well as their constant need for activity. There is no peace amongst those of this race, because, should they fail to find sufficient nourishment, they will turn into each other.

Each of the Lyeunt kin'toni is paranoid, suspicious of their own comrades in arms and even of the closest to them. In any second, a ravenous hunger could overtake their beloved companions and turn them against them. However, this is also a great reason for them to be always on the hunt, always on the prowl. Leaders of the Lyeunt kin'toni are rugged and ever vigilant for usurpers, their claws sharp and their wits as fast as their limbs. They are masters of survival and they are not the biggest or the strongest, but rather the most shrewd and best prepared individuals.

They know the routes of the forests and the badlands, and the cracks in the zu’aan walls – and they know how to escape if the situation calls for it. Even force of will can’t overcome certain matters, after all. There was once an abnormal Lyeunt kin'toni with deep blue irises and black sclera, called The Dire One. He exhibited all other traits of his Clan but was shunned by his own people. He fed on carcasses and corpses, which was considered aberrant. The biology of this individual is unknown, but it is speculated he was contaminated with a rare rock called Thalassite.

Culture

Though predatory, the Lyeunt kin'toni Clan fancy themselves as descendants of a high line of powerful and wealthy aristocrats. There is little to show this origin in the dilapidated rags most of them wear for clothing. But the occasional glint of silver and gold jewelry can be worn by them and is a sign of status in their “culture”. There are no records or hereditary titles that can be justified by paper deeds, but the scent of the Lyeunt bloodline can still be felt amongs many in the Clan. They can instinctively recognize someone from the original Lyeunt family.

And will have an above average reverence for them – though that still doesn’t mean they won’t cannibalize them is they can seize the chance. As per the reforms of Zamhara Lyeunt, her clan still adheres in words to the primacy of the will. It is by the will they live and by will that they shall die, or so the adage goes. In truth the will of the Lyeunt kin'toni is fickle, since each individual reserves to themselves the “right” to change their will at any time for any reason. Still, will is crucial to stop the cannibalistic tendencies that perpetual hunger brings with itself.

And to try to maintain at least the thinnest veneer of civilization. The Lyeunt kin'toni regard in high esteem cutlery though they seldom have the chance to use them. Instead they fashion crude swords in the shapes of forks, spoons and other table utensils in order to use them to cut up and devour their enemies even while in combat. These items are symbolic and ritual as much as they are practical, and their metals are also taken into account as symbols of status amongst their people. It is always possible to challenge somebody to a duel for the possession of a knife-sword.

But you must use a knife-sword of the same or a more valuable metal in order to fulfill this goal. Since Gold is the most valuable metal, but also weak, this ensures only the very best combatants climb to the top of the social hierarchy, since you need to use a golden sword in order to defeat someone with a golden sword in a publicly declared duel. Of course rules for the Lyeunt kin'toni are more like “guidelines”; and in practice poisoning your opponents or outright murdering them, while disrespecting and disrespected, isn’t as rare as one from the more “civilized” clans may come to think.

Ultimately however, Lyeunt kin'toniwill respect will above all and it is a matter of interpretation if assassinating your opponents or defeating them in a formal duel shows a greater or lesser degree of will. The fight for legitimacy and supremacy happens thus also in the public eye of the rest of the Lyeunt kin'toni and not only in the arena of battle.

Government

Lyeunt kin'toni Clanners are arrayed into a vast and indecipherable network of hierarchies of power and betrayal, part of their heirloom as once-aristocrats. They enjoy weaving networks of influence, thought their methods can be as unsophisticated as offering “nourishment”. The hierarchies are all but set, and are constantly shifting as are loyalties. The hunger for blood of the Lyeunt kin'toni is only comparable to their hunger for intrigue, which hasn’t been neutered at all by their most basic instincts. Of course there is no courtly grandeur but rather decay and the dismal state of their holdings.

Which are mostly ruins and unkempt grounds. But this doesn’t stop Lyeunt aristocrats and claimants and their “courtiers” to try and fight for the titles and honors of all as if they still held sway. The plotting and betrayals are after all an excellent distraction from perpetual hunger, and the Lyeunt kin'toni will guard their place in the social hierarchy as savagely as they hunt for their next meal. “There is no will of the defeated” is a motto that applies to all in more than once sense. In the first interpretation, the defeated are those lacking in will and tenacity.

And thus they deserve to have everything stripped – even and specially their lives. In the second interpretation, those that lose a power struggle don’t have any “last will” to be carried out, no final honor, no choice of “last meal” – They simply cease to be relevant, their desires extinguished by their own weakness. As such it is not considered dishonorable or vile for the triumphant to utterly disregard the losers, their customs, beliefs and whatever culture they may have. It is expected in a “winner-takes-all” mentality, and even the losers know it.

It is a point of pride amongst the Lyeunt kin'toni to “know” that there is no place for defeat, and should something as shameful as that happen, the most humiliating death at the hands of the enemies is considered not only normal but expected. Offices are then vacated quickly, as soon as a better contender presents themselves. This applies up to and especially to the position of the leader of a clique, though generally these have enough resources and subordinates to stall opposition and establish a relatively stable period of rule. Devourers are key to keeping power.

Since in a battle of Devourers the champion will get to eat the defeated, and thus deny enemies an important and rare asset, along with delivering a message to the opposition. Propaganda wars aren’t rare and at all times a Lyeunt kin'toni aristocrat will proclaim the right to rule, the superiority of their line, and the supremacy of their own personal will. This comes to be so that they are regarded as wordy and tiresome by those who have to listen to these proclamations over and over, but such grandiloquence comes to be a necessity as great as a healthy appetite, since it shows the contender takes their claim seriously.

Military

Lyeunt kin'toni military is organized into several branches, the most economically important of which is of course Hunting Parties, that have to return nourishment for the aristocrats or be attacked and eaten themselves. Hunting parties aren’t made from the most powerful members of a given Lyeunt kin'toni society, but by the weakest, since it is the fear of being eaten themselves that drives them into giving up their prey into their social superiors. Even though composed by the weakest kin'toni, the Hunting Parties are more than a match for wandering zu’aan.

And can even overpower convoys with military training, a testament to the unnatural physical prowess of the Lyeunt strand. Each Hunting Party is in turn controlled at a distance by a group of higher ranking Bloodfest Overseers that ensures their compliance with the pact and that they don’t desert into the wildlands. Lyeunt kin'toni hunting parties need to be aware of the oveerseers at all times or they might attempt to escape or even more, to rebel against their masters. Third of all is the High Guards. These detachments are made by the only armored members of the “Military” and respond directly to the aristocrats.

They are used as guards and as shock troops against other Lyeunt kin'toni cliques. Furthermore they must defend the grounds of the dilapidated palaces, mansions and other structures where the aristocrats dwell. However, they are made by the closest and most trusted, since any betrayal by a High Guard will surely be fatal. Despite their supposed high standing even the greatests of elite guards only have rusty armors and second hand blades, since the Lyeunt kin'toni industry is scarce to non-existant. Each detachment, be it of Hunting Parties, Bloodfeast Overseers, or Elite Guards, is led by a Taskmaster.

The taskmaster caste is self-defined as the ones “with the strongest will”. Lyeunt kin'toni Clan doctrine, military or otherwise, will emphasize the primacy of will over other factors, such as military training or even success. The one with the strongest will to lead will be the leader, and there may be strong agonistic undercurrent in each regiment as to who gets to fulfill that role. Fortunately for some, the pain and duties involved, as well as the great danger the position entails, tends to keep most potential challengers at a bay.

After all to dispute the title is to kill the titleholder, and thus it is to be exposed to be murdered by the future one in turn. Rarely, a Taskmaster will step down without a physical fight, though that implies great disrespect to yourself and is near guaranteed to turn any Lyeunt kin'toni into a pariah and an exile – a fate many consider worse than death, since it is to be devoid of power, lineage or intrigue – equivalent to becoming a beast. Thus, the fight for hierarchy is normally both fierce and unyielding, and won’t be resolved without spilling precious blood.

Religion

The Cult of the Will is divided into several sects all of which, like most aspects of Lyeunt kin'toni, perpetually vie for supremacy against one another. Priests of the Lyeunt kin'toni wear special garments that are permanently stained with the blood of their victims; this is a forewarning about that these saint men and women are still dangerous and not to be trifled with. Monk orders train in all aspects of combat and nuns are renowned for learning more efficient ways to maim and kill. The Zamharists revere Zamhara Lyeunt as a sacred being come from the Red Moon that “will return in another form”.

Many of those consecrate their “food” to her before eating her, and pray to her before battle. She has red shrines made of bloodied hair dedicated to her memory and image. The prayers to Zamhara are three at night, three in the evening, six at dawn, and twenty of dusk. They need to be repeated while in a “psychic trance” where the only consciousness that matters is your own. On the other hand, the Zamradists believe the founder Zamradi Lyeunt to be a god, and think he has made “heaven and earth to feast”. They lift golden cups filled with blood and toast to the everlasting Lyeunt line.

Their rituals can be pretty hermetic but it is believed they have a book called “the 600 nights” where the Zamradists detail their vision for the end of the world, where rivers will turn into pure blood to drink at will and revel in all-night cannibalism. “The unjust will be devoured and the just will devour”, so they say. Zamradists join their brethren in the faith in dilapidated lodges and safehouses. Usually these are hidden in deep forests or at the foot of hills. The decoration of a Zamradist lodge can tell a lot about those who frequent it.

For example, checkered red and blue floors show the duality of water and blood. Ocassionally “sacrifices” will be made in the lodge: other Lyeunt kin'toni eaten collectively to strengthen the bonds of brotherhood. Only traitors are reserved this fate, at least in theory, since the Zamradists believe that the Dire One is still on the loose trying to kill the true descedants of Lyeunt. Of course this is no more than a distant boogeyman, and the likely reason for the sacrifice of “traitors” is to ensure constant nourishment to the high-ranking members of the lodge and their immediate “apprentices”.

Finally there is a small sect of Lyeunt kin'toni who are disgusted by their own cravings. These tend to try to starve themselves, usually without success since they are very proficient killers. They treat blood-drinking and flesh-eating as an addition from which they want to get rid of. However, since these cravings are a biological necessity, the only tangible result for their fate is death (not that indulging in their desires doesn’t result in the death of others anyways). Zu’aan anthropologists tried to study this phenomenon seeing it as a case study of “curing” kin'tonim, without success since they were eventually devoured by relapsing Lyeunt kin'toni.

Miscellany

Lyeunt kin'toni Clan government is ruled by cliques. At the head of each clique is usually a descendant of one of the sons of Zamradi Lyeunt, which make a myriad of families each of which is eager to turn “prospective” individuals into thralls. The family of Ogor Lyunt are called the Ogorites, and they believe strength is the key to rulership. They don’t respect claims that can’t be defended and they will turn anything into a contest of force. However they lack subtlety or inspiration and their morale is low since their members essentially have to be bullied by the higher ups in order to get anything done.

The descendants of Peremial Lyunt are called the Peremials, and they believe every luxury that can be afforded should be afforded. They live in luxurious but dilapidated mansions, rotten reminders of the world of old. Their government is by the richest and for the richest, with gold even buying the blood of the poorest members of their society. The tribe of Duradghar Lyunt are the Duradghites. They are the most nomadic hunters, feel at home nowhere and generate unease everywhere. Their modus operandi is just to invade an area, raze all available resources (particularly living beings of the zu’aan) and move to the next.

They are feared by all but not respected by anyone, and are considered basically bandits and brigands. Those who come from Tabador Lyunt, the Tabadorians, are believed almost too posh to be Lyeunt kin'toni. They like artistic “Performances” and occupy abandoned theathers and other cultural places. They force captured zu’aan to perform for them, however briefly, before partaking in their blood and guts. The sons and daughters of Adurin Lyunt are the Adurinites. They revel in the glory of being the last known descendants of the line of Zamhara.

They are not related to her by blood (since she was transformed as too young to bear children) but rather carry her variant of the plague. They are as pale as moonlight and all their movements are graceful and calculated. This doesn’t mean they stop being predators, though, and they will extend this behavior even to the aristocracy of other cliques. They are considered dangerous even by other Kin’toni, and steps are taken to not have to be in their way for any reason. They even have deranged cultists who are “delighted” to be their prey. Adurinites organize mock hunts where they “capture” those who are actually voluntaries, and devour them with unmatched bliss.

Last but not least are the cliqueless, mindless mass of rabble that wander the lost and tired woods along the unclaimed and barred Lyeunt kin'toni lands, preying upon travelers and vagrants, migrants and refugees. Of course due to the nature of the Plague, they are also made from these demographics themselves, and are thus considered inferior by clique leaders. Once in a while a “raidlord” will rise amongst them and lead them into battle with the cities, but this is a rare occurrence, although once that should not be underestimated.

Nearby Groups

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Lyeunt Kin'toni Clan

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