Saytai Kin'toni Clan

History

The Saytai Kin'toni Clan is a mighty and predatory clan with a proud history of aggression and dedication to victory, no matter the cost. Though some call them callous and amoral, they prefer to believe themselves "pragmatic". They are not necessarily fond of those who would use their power for evil or even worse, but “that's just how it is”. The clan has been known to be ruthless in its pursuit of conquest and expansion, as well as being very patient when things aren't going according to plan. The Saytai clan (and specially their Verumas tribe) has a long-standing hatred for the Sumas Kin'toni Clan, a hatred which has existed since time immemorial.

The current leader of the Saytai is an ancient war-chief named Kru´ff. He was once a member of the original Saytai tribe, but left due to his dislike of the clan's pushover attitude towards others. He then founded his own tribe and became a great warrior, eventually becoming one of the most powerful warriors in all of the land. His name is spoken by many, especially amongst those who served under him during his wars against other clans. As such, he has become somewhat infamous among the people. Many say that if you want to get something done in this world, you should do it through Kru´ff first before anyone else.

Some even go so far as to say that without him, the entire continent would be nothing more than a wasteland now. This reputation is often enough to keep the other clans from taking any sort of aggressive action against the Saytai Clan for fear of reprisal. However, though many respect him, there are also many who regard him as a relic of the past. With the Sarpas Empire falling and the birth of the Sarpas Republic, some feel that his tactics and mindset are becoming obsolete. Indeed, it is felt that he avoids using steel weapons for some reason.

In addition to this, his own tribe is starting to become divided in ideology. While the younger warriors are eager to support him and his war-like ways, the more seasoned members of the tribe have begun to tire of it and seek out a more stable future. Some even try to point out the fact that his entire ideology of a cutthroat lifestyle that revolves around conquest and expansion may have been rendered pointless by the rise of the Sarpas Republic. True, they still have some excess riches that need to be sacked out, but things are steadily looking down.

A number of the older members take this to the other side, saying that the Republic is already becoming better than what the Saytai once were and always strove to be. This opinion generates indignation and such elders often end up with their heads on a pike, at least if Kru'ff is there to hear them. If anything, the Saytai are a clan very much in transition. There is dissension within the ranks and even he seems to be at odds with himself over what path to take, if any. However, such drastic changes in a society's core ideology do not happen overnight.

Changes may have started, but it will still be a while before anything is set in stone. For now, the future is yet unwritten.

Biology

Saytai kin’toni most often have dark yellow irises with black sclera and vertical beaded pupils. Most often they have orange hair, since their variant of the plague will cause this, growing mostly vertically. They are quite muscular, but their focus is on fast-twitch fibers, giving them superior response times in close combat battle, and greater precision with weapon strikes. Saytai don’t have a great hunger for blood, but they do desire the recognition of their peers with above average intensity, as well as feel admiration for those of their kind that show high social and combat proficiency.

Dominating others generates an adrenalin rush in Saytai neural biology. However, these characteristics only directly apply to the biological members of their tribe. Due to their slaving culture, it is not uncommon to find warriors from other kin’toni clans in the Saytai ranks. In their culture, worthy and obedient servants are worth more than a simple day of food; but of course, these “acquisitions” have to prove their worth daily if they don’t want to end in the platter. However, a long and storied service means that particularly strong and dedicated warriors can ascend to be considered a full member of a Saytai tribe, despite their “foreign” origins.

Regardless of these paths to “adoption”, the Saytai have, to varying degrees, a belief in their own biological superiority. Thus, all but the most prestigious of “adopted” warriors are still barred from turning zu’aan, since that would generate non-biologically Saytai kin’toni. The Saytai form is described as very fit but still fast, moderately large to the extent it is efficient and intimidating, but not overly so, and well-proportioned. When turning someone into a Saytai kin’toni, their body characteristics are taken into account as to not “pollute” the Saytai form.

Other kin’toni varieties are thought to be either “frail as the zu’aan” or “excessively monstrous”. In most cases, this is an internal Saytai position, but they did gain ascendancy over other kin’toni clans when they were one of the main decreers of the War of Extermination against the Sumas kin’toni (considered aberrant due to their semi-aquatic characteristics). The Verunas tribe of the Saytai clan continues in this “war” to this day (as the only combatants of their side), refusing to accept defeat. Generally, Saytai, both when taken as a collective or as individuals, are most tolerant of the more anthropoid clans.

While their tolerance decreases progressively the more “deviant” they consider other types of kin’toni.

Culture

For the Saytai kin'toni clan, victory comes first and all other considerations are secondary. It may be said of some of their tribes like the Verumas that they can never even accept defeat. The Saytai have developed a sort of Machiavellian perception of reality. For them, honor is equivalent to winning, and dishonor to losing. This is justified because "the victors can write history and make themselves honorable, and their opponents dishonorable". Lies and truths only "matter" if one has the power to enforce them. Obvious falsities have to be accepted as truth if the one that holds power so desires.

While obvious realities have to de denounced and ignored if the tide of history and victory turns against them. Again, that's not "Bad" or "good" but "just the way it is" and there is "no point fighting it". From an early age, the children of the Saytai are trained to be warriors. A defeatist or a coward is severely punished and frowned upon by his or her fellows, though such occurrences are rare anyway. The Saytai make it a habit to "never be in a situation where you can be defeated" and take great pains to secure strategic advantages over their enemies.

For this reason, they have a reputation of being devious and untrustworthy, because they "always" have an angle. However, they are not necessarily treacherous. Even though they openly prepare to attack and subdue their enemies, if the enemy is willing to discuss things peacefully, the Saytai will gladly accept it. It is not their way to deny reality and most of them are pragmatic enough to turn back from a lost battle "and live to have victory another day". Indeed, a common Saytai saying is "It's best to triumph tomorrow than to lose today", summarizing their attitude to both preparation and potential tactical retreat.

However, there are limits even to this attitude. If the way of the warrior is the Saytai's profession, then it is also their way of life. So a truly "hopeless battle" would be utterly disgraceful to them and the result would most likely be a mass-suicidal stand with all involved (to deny the opponents their lives as resources). The "practicality" of the Saytai is everything, so such a way of thinking is perfectly logical to them. Saytai keep these attitudes alive by several means. Some of them are disciplinarian punishments, such as Caldera Burnings.

These are gruesome practices in which caught deserters are chained to a pole over a fire, which is slowly lowered into the fire until it eventually reaches his or her skin. Another popular practice are the Bull Runs, in which two groups of warriors fight each other with blunt weapons (or in some cases without weapons at all) until one group is "defeated" and chased into a moat surrounding the bull-ring, and then finally into the bull-ring itself. The bull-ring is a slightly raised circular area covered with sand, with a single dried-up moat around it and a single strong bull.

(various other animals also have been used through the ages, but bulls are considered to be traditional). Finally, there are the gladiatorial fights. The Saytai have been known to "hire out" their own warriors or even criminals to fight in these games for the amusement of the masses. The message of all of these practices is to teach and remind the people of the value of victory and the dishonor inherent to defeat.

Government

Though the Saytai are, culturally and militarily speaking, very keen on empire-building, they don't get so caught on "institutional stuff". They prefer strong-arming other tribes into alliances and using them as tools rather than incorporate them in a meaningful way, though it's still preferable over the next option… Slave-Taking: The most common practice of the Saytai is to raid neighboring villages for slaves. These slaves can take many forms, though children are particularly popular as they're small enough to be disposable and easily molded to serve as household help, labor, cooks, or even personal warriors.

Children can also be turned into kin'toni and since they never age that way, they never get the physical strength or force of will to challenge their masters. Others may believe this is cruel, but to the Saytai such modus operandi is simply "practical". Of course, not everyone can be turned into a kin'toni and most infants don't survive the gruesome process. Though those that do will be completely under the power of the warrior who made them, making them extremely "useful". There is also the theme of Ritual Sacrifice: While less popular, some groups have been known to perform rituals that require living beings as sacrifices.

This is often reserved for times of tribulation, but regardless it is still a fairly common practice. It is not unheard of for captured enemies to be kept alive, though they have little hope for a long life or a merciful death. Most tribes will take one or two slaves and kill the rest, as they have no need to sell them on the next city-state they raid. Though some may trade zu’aan slaves with each other, it's fairly uncommon. On the other hand, is not uncommon for kin'toni to be traded between tribes. It's seen as a good way to establish good will, or to make up for a treaty broken.

In fact, it's entirely possible for a kin'toni warrior to have been introduced as a slave and then sold into servitude multiple times. This could lead to odd friendships or even grudges between kin'toni from different tribes who didn't like their former masters. It should be noted that kin'toni who fall in battle, friendly or foe, are almost always eaten by the victors, as there isn't usually time to take them as prisoners or to heal them. Either way it's seen as a great honor to eat some of a fallen warrior's strength. Most if not all Saytai clanners have a lurid fascination with strong individual leaders.

This could range from simple admiration for tales of great deeds, to outright fanaticism over a charismatic leader. This is a double-edged sword, since while it can create a sturdy community, it can just as easily be used to break one apart. It's not unheard of for a charismatic leader to convince their underlings to perform great deeds that would be impossible without a strong sense of comradery. This can be used to benefit the ruler, or to overthrow him. There is no "royalty" in the traditional sense among the Saytai, with the sole exception being the Tula'thon, which will be explored in the section about religion and worship.

Military

The armies of the Saytai are known not only because they take no pity, but also because they are very efficient in battle, and hard to break. The morale of soldiers is very high and their advance in the battlefield is legendarily hard to stop. The average soldier is known to be a ruthless and uncompromising individual. This isn't to say they can't show mercy, but it's not a common trait among them. Most will kill a downed enemy that has surrendered, though they will take prisoners for their ruler if ordered to do so. Even the greatest of Saytai armies is subdivided into smaller divisions called Great Tercios.

Each one is commanded by a Saytai of high status, usually a kin'toni tribal ruler. These Units are further divided into platoons, each with their own commanding officer and made up of a certain number of warriors. Traditionally only male saytai can be warriors, while females are relegated to support roles, though this trend is slowly changing as the smaller tribes begin allowing female warriors as well, to compensate their lower total population. The highest ranking warriors in a unit are distinguished by wearing bone necklaces made of their enemies.

These are the names of some common-to-see Saytai military ranks and roles:

Botus Sergeants: Each unit has at least two sergeants who lead the platoons into battle, one of these is always a Botus, a large kin'toni with an ivory horn to call the troops to order or attack. The horn can make several different sounds depending on how it is used. It is also a respected position to become one, because Botus are not only natural leaders but also fierce warriors. They usually take their orders from a Chieftain or other commanding officer.

Bayami Dragoons: These kin'toni are elite mounted units. They wear a lizard skull over their head and relish on the fear of their enemies, as well as use poisonous darts and spears from their hideout. They are fast and deadly and can be a huge advantage to have on the battlefield, even if they don't look it when dismounted.

Braves: These are the rookie warriors, freshly blooded in combat. They are still learning the ways of battle, but with some training they can become great assets. Braves are organized by age and experience, the youngest and least-experienced are put in the reserves until they can be assigned a place.

Firetenders: These are the youngest and least experienced of the braves. They learn the basics of warfare as support staff for their more experienced brethren. After surviving their first battle, a Firetender is promoted to the rank of Brave.

Tribes may create their own ranks, leading to a profusion of “customized” titles in the battlefield – especially for the high ranking officers, who never pass up on an opportunity to call themselves things as “Dread Generals of Nuruk” or “Dark Commander of the Western Hordes”. These titles mean little as, in practice, all of them have command of their own tribe and cannot have seniority over others, unless the war-leader specifically assigns it to them as an individual.

Religion

The tenets of Saytai religion are simple, much like the tenets to their culture. According to them, even the gods wage war with each other, and the victors are the ones that rule the pantheon. Currently, the most important god in the religion is also the original deity, the Sun, from which come all life and heat. The Sun is an active god, a warrior god that wages war on the frosty darkness of the Night, which would eventually win if the Sun doesn't succeed in keeping it at bay. To this end, some give sacrifices to the Night and others to the Sun, paying tribute according to their preferences in this battle.

A less important deity is Telis, the goddess of crafts. She is not a martial god, but a peaceful one that guides those who take up the path of the Smith, Weaver, Tanner or any other such trade. They pay moderate tribute to her according to their abilities. While victory in the forge is not as highly regarded as victory in the battlefield, each successfully crafted item is considered as a sort of won battle against entropy and the decay of the world. In the pantheon, perhaps the least important deity is Yuvara, the goddess of fertility.

This is due to the fact that, while she is still a goddess, the concept of fertility is seen to only apply to captured and unturned zu'aan, in comparison to other concepts such as battle that apply to all kin'toni. Still, it is an important enough concept for having more slaves, that some masters give tribute to her, and those who do are those that tend to be more involved in the trade. Wars in heaven are said to be fought constantly, with the victors gaining more followers on earth, much like how the four Grand Generals (each representing a virtue of martial prowess) unified the clans with the strength of their sword.

The religion is very much focused on power and victory, as the concept of defeat never carries with it a positive connotation. Saytai heroes are always depicted as triumphant, never as fallen, and it is only through victory that one can reach the highest pinnacles of glory. While some primitive tribesmen may revere nature or the land as a deity, such nonsense has no place in civilized society. The world is either ruled by might or wasted by weakness, and those who fall into the latter category have only themselves to blame for their downfall. This is the true nature of reality and an important concept to instill in the newly-turned.

Miscellany

It's interesting to note the history of several special Saytai kin'toni ranks. Though these ranks may be used as a feature of vanity and personal propaganda, old ranks are often recycled or revived because of their historical associations. These are some of the most significant "unique" ranks amongst the Saytai hierarchy:

Master of the Crimson Vault: One of the oldest ranks known to the Saytai. It's unknown who held the position first, as records pertaining to the time are fairly scarce. It is known that it was originally a military title given to a leader of great skill, presumably in charge of leading a grand warhost. The most famous title holder in memory was Darnabas, conqueror of High Zembia. In modern times, the rank is used for one purpose: Leading a mission to siege Zu'aan cities. Since the fall of Darnabas' short-lived empire, only two such missions have been attempted using the rank.

The first was a failure and the second resulted in victory, though at great cost, the city having been turned into a burning crater and the ruling Khalidat exterminated with extreme prejudice. The title hasn't been heard of since, presumably due to the fact that the record of its use has been quite mixed.

Arch-general of the Destined: Another old title that fell out of usage until the rise of the modern Saytai Empire. The original title holder, Ashtiah, is remembered both as a hero and a villain. He was one of the first to successfully conquer the Khalidat zu'aan, but upon seeing the depredations caused by the war, he initiated reforms to better the economy under his rule. Unsurprisingly, these reforms were not popular with his soldiers and after his assassination by one of his trusted advisors, a chaotic civil war broke out. His infamous last words were "You cannot hope to stop the wheel of history."

Since that time, the rank has been used to recognize master tacticians whose strategies turn the tide of otherwise hopeless battles. It is considered extremely prestigious and most holders are held as heroes within the Saytai military despite there being only a handful known in history.

Shining Axe Temple-razer: A very young rank that has not yet seen much use. It is named for the twin kin'toni sergeants who held the original rank and led a suicidal last stand against the Sarpas Empire after their liege refused to give up during the fall of his tribe. Though this battle was lost, the war was won thanks to their killing of the enemy general, resulting in "victory". The battle was immortalized in art and poetry for years afterwards by the Saytai and the position is now an honorary one used for promotions within the Fyr-Sceptre elite guard.

The Trickster of the Carved Skull: A somewhat infamous rank that has only been held by four individuals. The first holder, Raxiv, was a general under Ashtiah during the successful conquest of the Khalidat. After the conquest, he attempted to carve out his own territory and declared himself an independent warlord. His army was defeated in battle by loyalist forces however and Raxiv's throat was slit after his army was destroyed. Claiming this rank contrary to the standard Saytai values is seen as somewhat equivalent to "trolling", and it is most often used for false flag and other covert operations.

The title-holder’s true identity is most often obscured under a sort of costume, its facial features covered under a large skull. The holder is expected to die and the position is seen as having already failed, hence the lack of promotions.

Bared Blade: While this is often considered a rank, it is more of an honorific. The Bared Blade title is given to an individual who has proven themself to be worthy of the trust and respect of a Saytai warrior. It is a highly sought after position with most young warriors hoping to achieve it within their lifetimes.

Nearby Groups

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Saytai Kin'toni Clan

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