Osdel Kin'toni Clan

History

Originally founded around 4E 346, the Osdel clan of Kin’toni settled in the Xawir-ald Autumn Taiga Hills, where they slowly over time created burrow like holes in the hills to hide from the sun, as well as simple structures to keep themselves safe during the day. Not known for their savagery, the Osdel clan mainly keep to themselves. Although they are still known to raid zu’aan nomadic tribes, and even to attempt to raid nearby cities. Over the course of the Fouth Era the clan did not develop very much, remaining with basic stone axes and tools for their entire existence.

Eventually they developed the most basic of farms after many years of living as hunter gatherers, scrounging what food they could from the environment and periodically draining nearby animals, or unsuspecting zu’aan, of their blood. There is not much to distinguish the Osdel clan from any other clan of kin’toni. Not particularly intelligent and not particularly dangerous or savage, they have not been very significant beyond creating a territory that is unsafe for zu’aan travellers and nomads. It is unknown if this was a choice of their founder, or just a natural development of the mentalities of this particular group.

The Osdel clan mainly live in dug out holes and hillside home, complimented by basic wooden structures. As a clan, they did not live in any one centralized spot, but rather spread out across the entirety of the Taiga Hills in smaller groups of homes. Despite this, all these smaller groups still lived as one clan, and battles and violence between groups is uncommon, though not unknown. At times skirmishes could break out over arguments or even over trivial frustrations, and with no centralized leaders or government, these battles usually ended with the death or satisfaction of one side of the battle.

They all still followed one leader, and worked together as a clan when needed, even if they are not particularly friendly or kind to one another. The only major event of significance in the clan’s history was when one group of Kin’toni attempted to leave the clan and strike out on their own. Immediately, any and all warriors or combat experienced Kin’toni of the clan hunted them down and they destroyed them, very firmly sending the message that you do not get to leave the Osdel clan without consequences. In recent years, the increasingly cold and severe weather has led to the individual groups growing in size.

With certain groups swelling as members of the clan gathered together for convenience and ease in these harsher conditions. Though they are still not very tightly knit, they have begun to co-operate and work together more as life gets harder.

Biology

The Osdel Kin’toni do not have many identifying features or traits. For the most part, they fit the standard profile of a kin’toni: humanoid, with unnaturally colored eyes, and sharpened teeth and fangs. The first of their more unique traits is their hands. Living in the hills where they dug out their homes led to their hands developing to become large and spade like. Better designed for digging through earth and dirt. They also make use of these enlarged hands to carry greater amounts of food when they go to gather out in the wild. Along with the enlarged size of their hands comes an enhanced strength.

Most kin’toni are already stronger than the average zu’aan, but the Osdel Clan Kin’toni take it to a new degree of strength. This development was related to their increased hand size and new use, and greatly assisted in the digging and clearing of hills to create new homes. Similarly, their feet are also increased in size in order to assist their digging ability, leaving them looking curiously like giant, humanoid moles when they spend any time digging, although their fearsome strength and nature stops any laughing at the humour of it. On these hands and feet the Osdel Kin’toni have wide and strong hand and fingernail.

Which assist in the scraping and moving of dirt. The kin’toni also learned how to use these powerful nails in combat, scratching and ripping at their opponents, raking bloody lines through flesh and scoring against bone The facial features of the Osdel Kin’toni are very similar to that of most clans. Their eyes have blue irises, with white sclera, and crescent pupils. The jaw lines and cheekbones stand out starkly, giving their face a bony appearance, sometimes even described as skeletal. Though not occurring in all Osdel Kin’toni, it is common in the clan to dark black hair, which usually does not grow very long.

Even in females, the hair stays short and close to the scalp, no matter what colour the hair is. Due to the lack of zu’aan presence in comparison to many other areas, the Osdel clan tend to have less common access to zu’aan blood. Due to this, they have acquired a stronger taste for animal blood. They still crave and desire zu’aan blood, but the Osdel kin’toni have adapted better to its absence than many other clans. Like all kin’toni, sunlight is deadly to the Osdel clan. But due to their proximity to the sunlight, their eyes are less affected by it, and they can see almost as well by the light of day as they can at night or in the dark.

They Osdel clan has an additional weakness in that they are quite slow in comparison to other kin’toni. The strength and power of their arms and legs make them talented diggers and fighters, but also hampers their speed and manoeuvrability. In combat, they can be defeated by keeping mobile and fast. Additionally, they have a weakness to running water. Out in the Taiga hills there are not very many sources of strong running water, so the Osdel kin’toni never learnt or adapted to the use or knowledge of fast running water and this makes them very wary of it. At times, even a heavy rain can be enough to drive fear into them.

Culture

The Osdel Clan of Kin’toni tend to be slightly more split apart than other clans. Though they refer to themselves and think of themselves as one clan, they do not all live in the same area. Instead, the clan is split up into multiple smaller groups of kin’toni who live together and assist each other, keeping to themselves. Each of these smaller units are different, but they follow the same ideals and religion, and all serve the same leader. These bonds keep them as one clan, and any who attempted to leave the clan, were swiftly hunted down and destroyed.

It soon became an ingrained part of their ideals and culture: you never left the Osdel clan. A tradition among the kin’toni of this clan was a large clan meet every two years. At these meets, the entire clan would be in attendance, and contests would be held. These contests became quite important. Contests of strength or battle would prove to others you could defend your home, and would dissuade any future attacks. Hunting contests would prove you could provide, and perhaps attract others to join your unit, making it more powerful. Though these clan units never truly went to war or began large scale battles, smaller fights and skirmishes were common.

A more powerful group might attack and raid a smaller one to claim their food and resources. Or two groups of equal size and strength might attack one another to prove dominance or to right some imagined wrong or slight against them. Usually these fights or battles ended when one side was clearly the victor, or the slight had been avenged, but it was not unknown for one group to totally exterminate another if they felt it was necessary. In the Osdel clan, if you turned a zu’aan, they were seen as part of your group. They would join you and learn the kin’toni ways and abilities from you, and are your responsibility until it is clear they have learnt how to be a true kin’toni and be part of your unit.

Within each unit, each kin’toni had an assigned job. Some were hunters, going out at night to secure food and blood for the group. Others were scouts, looking for zu’aans to feed from or turn, and tasked with watching rivals for weakness or attack. Others were warriors, trained in the use of stone weapons. Other kin’toni filled necessary purposes in the community, such as teachers to the newly turned, tool makers, food preparers, or builders. If any group made any important discovery or advancement, they were loathe to reveal or share it with others, and would often hide it unless directly ordered to reveal it by the current clan leader.

Within this clan, gender has no meaning. The Osdel kin’toni do not distinguish between male and female when assigning work or fulfilling duties, but rather chose whoever was most suited for the job.

Government

Within each unit or group within the Osdel clan of Kin’toni there was a general leadership structure. This usually consisted of one leader, with a few chosen underneath them to enforce their rulings. While the clan had no sophisticated or complicated laws, basic rules forbid the killing of kin’toni within your own unit, and stated that all kin’toni in the unit had to co-operate and assist one another. It was not common for these rules to be broken, but when they were, punishments were varied. While the death penalty was not unheard of, it was not often used. More common were enforced starvation, exclusion from the next zu’aan blood feeding, or additional work duties.

Over the clan as a whole, there is one leader. This leader is not constant, but rather changes over time to whoever appears to be the most capable, and they are chosen by a primitive form of democracy involving each unit indicating their chosen candidate for leadership. The unit to which the current leader belongs often gain great benefits, and often do not need to work at all. Instead, other groups and units send them food and supplies in a manner almost analogous to tax, and the kin’toni on the receiving end of this help to enforce the will of the current clan leader. The position of clan leader did come with responsibilities.

The clan leader had to deal with other kin’toni clans, and make decisions on behalf of the clan. These decisions included the choice of initiating major raids on zu’aan settlements and tribes instead of their usual periodic abductions, the choice to attempt expansion, and even the instituting of new basic laws for the clan, although if these basic laws proved unpopular, it could swiftly lead to the loss of their power. Although in the Osdel clan there is no formal government or true, established law system, it is commonly accepted in the clan that it is better to follow a semi-elected leader with great skill and capability.

Though the kin’toni are savage, they have enough intelligence to recognize that chaos and constant battle between themselves cannot benefit anyone. Therefore they all follow the basic hierarchy of the Osdel clan: the clan leader, followed by the clan leader’s unit, who enforce his will. Then, the various unit leaders and chiefs, followed by various different roles of differing importance, unique to each unit. As previously states, the Osdel clan did not have much by way of laws. They followed basic rules which spoke against the killing of other members of your unit, doing anything that would significantly weaken the clan as a whole, and betraying the current clan leader.

Battles and violence between units was not at all prohibited or spoken against, as the kin’toni leaders see it as good proof of the clan’s strength, and a test of each unit’s worthiness. The only heavily enforced and punished rule is simple: never leave the clan. Any who tried were swiftly hunted down and torn apart, given death as a punishment.

Military

The Osdel kin’toni clan lack a true organized military, and instead rely on the warriors and hunters of various units when combat is necessary. The Osdel clan do not often fight or attack other kin’toni clans, but are known to at times attack zu’aan tribes and settlements when they need resources of any type. At these times, the current clan leader will send out the members of his unit to go to each group and units of the clan and assemble any and all combat capable kin’toni, whether they are hunters, warriors, scouts, or just combat experienced. The clan leader themselves will usually take command of these forces.

But is not unknown for them to choose another kin’toni to serve in this capacity as a pseudo general to the Osdel forces. The Osdel kin’toni do not have advanced weaponry, mainly making use of stone hatchets or knives, and at times, bows, though these are uncommon, as the kin’toni prefer to be up close and personal in combat. Some kin’toni completely forsake weaponry, rather relying on the brute force and power of their body, paired with their large hands and talons, to defeat their enemies. The kin’toni of the Osdel clan do not have much in the way of formal training or combat teachings.

Kin’toni who are to be in combat rather practice basic attacks and wrestling moves that rely mainly on their strength to achieve the victory they require. Because of this, strength has become a highly valued trait in the Osdel clan and many kin’toni spend their free time training to enhance their strength in order to improve their combat effectiveness and standing in their unit and the clan as a whole. The use of armor is uncommon in the Osdel clan. Some kin’toni do use basic leather armor, but usually nothing more than a basic chest plate or helmet. For the most part, in combat the Osdel kin’toni go without armor.

Relying on their strength to keep them safe in battle. This does mean that in combat with other kin’toni they are not very effective, as they have only a slight strength advantage, but against zu’aan nomadic tribes it has been proven to work well. The tribes do not have much in the way of heavy weaponry, so the Osdel kin’toni do not have much to fear, and have learnt how to attack as a group to maximise the effectiveness of their superior strength and to limit their losses. They make use of only the most basic of tactics, relying on brute force to overwhelm their foes.

At times different clan leaders have attempted to use more sophisticated techniques, but usually to no avail, as the clan is too set in their ways and too separate to spend any time practicing more advanced tactics.

Religion

The Osdel kin’toni do not have an organized, formal religion, and instead follow a rather simplistic, basic set of beliefs. The Osdel believe that there is a spirit of nature dwelling in the Taiga Hills of their homeland, and that it can grant them strength and prosperity. They do not have a true name for this spirit, and they fear speaking directly to it, rather making their requests or wants known by speaking them aloud, as if to themselves. The specifics of the Osdel clan’s beliefs and practices differ from unit to unit, but follow the same basic ideas and principals.

When a kin’toni has hunted a beast and intends to eat it, they are required to remove one of its feet, and place it on the ground at the site of the kill, as an offering to the spirit. This is done as it is believed that it pleases the spirit and will lead to it favouring the kin’toni that made the offering. If any kin’toni were to disturb or touch this offering, they would be greatly disapproved if by the rest of their home unit. Once an offering has been made, it is believed that disturbing it will disrupt the power and meaning of the sacrifice, and bring great displeasure down upon them.

The Osdel kin’toni do not view this spirit as a god, but rather believe it to be just one of the many spirits and forces of nature that can be found in their world. They believed that this spirit resided only in the Taiga hills, and that leaving the area would mean leaving it’s area of influence. Because of this, the Osdel are reluctant to go too far from their territory and as a result, do not often come into conflict with other kin’toni clans, unless they intrude. Some of the nomadic zu’aan tribes do pass through the Taiga hills periodically, and occasionally have attempted to create settlements.

These settlements do not last long, as the kin’toni believe the zu’aan are trying to usurp their position as the chosen people of the spirit and will fervently attack and eradicate any burgeoning settlements within the hills. This ardour does not extend to settlements outside the hills, because in accordance with their beliefs, outside the territory they have claimed, the spirit cannot help them. It was believed that at times, the spirit could contact and speak with the Osdel clan leader who was currently in power. This was a rare occurrence, and usually was either a sign of great happiness, or great fear.

This contact has only happened a handful of times in the Osdel clan’s history, and has led to many of the greatest upheavals in the clan. The very first instance of this contact was a commandment that lead to the sacrificing of the hand of any hunted beast and later contacts caused all of the very rare Osdel attacks on major zu’aan cities, none of which are close to the Taiga Hills territory. In recent years the clan has begun to believe that the spirit is angry with them, as the weather gets worse and the land gets colder, and the Osdel clan wait desperately for a new contact with the spirit to learn what they have done to anger it.

Miscellany

The Osdel clan are capable of speech, and do have a common tongue which they use within the clan, as well as knowing the basic kin’toni language which most clans know. Though this language is not complex, and has not been used for anything as civilized as writing or song, it is still quite similar to the original zu’aan language, and the basic kin’toni speech. When a zu’aan is turned, they must learn the Osdel speech, but curiously, all seem to have a natural affinity to it, and do not take very long to learn it. The Osdel kin’toni know of cooking, though they do not often make use of it.

At times they may cook any hunted meat, or partially prepare meals, but it is certainly not a standard practice.

Even when they do choose to cook or make a meal, it is rather simple and basic, and does not have any form of herbs or flavouring. Most of the water they drink comes from the small streams that flow through the hills. These streams are very small and calm, and due to this, the Osdel clan do not have much knowledge of or experience with fast running, powerful water. At times the streams contain fish, and it is not uncommon for kin’toni to catch and eat these fish, though they are not a preferred meal for the clan.

Usually, the kin’toni hunt down birds or large wild beasts that roam the land, and gather basic foodstuffs like fruit and berries from around the hills, though meat forms the largest part of their diet. The Osdel clan learnt to do basic building with wood, though they are not very complex. Usually what can be expected is a basic wooden structure of simple walls and a roof leading in to the entrance of their dug out caves, with sometimes in the more advanced units, a hide or leather covering over the doorway to block sunlight properly. The Osdel kin’toni only have basic stone tools.

Most common are stone hatchets used fir fighting and killing, and for chopping wood from trees. They also at times make use of bows with stone tipped arrows, and occasionally basic, but powerful, slings. For clothing, mainly leather and animal hide is used. Though they are capable of curing hide into leather. Not all the kin’toni have much skill in it, so clothing is usually rather basic, and often lacks anything complex like shoes or hats. The Osdel kin’toni attempt to take good care of their clothes, and often try their best to keep them from damage or harm. Most kin’toni do not have more than one, or maybe two, sets of clothes.

Though the clan leader may at times have more than the rest of the clan, if their reign has been particularly prosperous or beneficial to the clan.

Nearby Groups

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Osdel Kin'toni Clan

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