Ves'shya Kin'toni Clan

History

The Ves’shya clan were never particularly prominent in major matters of the world. Early during the second age, the clan settled in the Paahak Mangrove Marshes, and largely remained there. It was very rare for the clan to actually leave as a whole, although individual kin’toni went out of the marshes very often. The clan settled towards the centre of the marshes, and used that as a base from which they could act. The Ves’shya became great explorers. It became a part of the clan’s culture that every kin’toni ventured forth and saw the world.

The clan did not particularly take part in combat, and merely observed all that took place. Because of this, the clan slowly became more and more advanced over time, as members of the clan slowly gathered more and more information and knowledge over time. Eventually, this led to them creating a series of buildings to be used as libraries for the knowledge they had collected. Because of this, among the less xenophobic kin’toni clans the Ves’shya became known, and were begrudgingly allowed access, as they became known as people who would not interfere or cause trouble.

Even among certain zu’aan tribes they became known, and were warily watched and even traded with them at times. So although the Ves’shya have often been present at important battles and wars, they have never taken part, and so for the most part, have not been regarded as important. The Ves’shya were founded by a kin’toni who had in life been a professor. Though these kin’toni do not retain their zu’aan memories, he kept a strong compulsion to gather knowledge and learn. It was his teachings that led to the clan all expanding outward and gathering knowledge on behalf of their founder.

It is he that has, for years, arranged and inspected all the gathered knowledge, and started teaching the rest of his clan. Because of this, over time the clan has become highly advanced. Their buildings are strong and steady, and they have over time learnt to cook and work with food to create proper diverse dishes and meals. They have brought back iron weapons and tools, and learnt the smelting and use of iron. Their tools are well crafted and used to great effect. They have large, well tended fields, created from the gathered farming knowledge of many clans and tribes.

They grow a variety of different crops, as over time they have gathered seeds and samples of many different plants from many different places. They even have fields of rather a few different animals that were managed to be brought back. These animal herds are far smaller than the fields of crops, but still contain a number of different animals. The clan has almost never taken part in combat over the years. They have created weapons, and know how to use them in combat, but they make an effort to remain peaceful and known as a moderate party who can be trusted, though when forced, the clan has risen to battle before when necessary.

Biology

The biology of the Ves’shya kin’toni is very close to that of the originally created kin’toni of the zu’aan laboratory experiments. Though their strength and speed is greater than that of the zu’aan, they are weaker than most kin’toni. Though they are physically weaker than other kin’toni, they are mentally far more advanced. They have made an effort to learn and gather knowledge, and this has caused their mental ability to expand and their intelligence to increase greatly compared to many other kin’toni. Their heads are slightly larger than most kin’toni, looking slightly swollen and expanded.

Interestingly, this enhanced head size has nothing to do with their intelligence, as the first members of the clan already sported this larger head before they began to try learning and teaching. The facial features of the Ves’shya clan are rather unique. Their eyes in particular are a mark that has become very well recognized across the land by the kin’toni clans and few zu’aan tribes they have dealings with. The eyes are a dark, but very brightly shining, red that has become the symbol of the clan. The sclera of the eyes is white, and the pupils are vertically beaded.

The face has high, strong cheekbones, and the chin and nose are long and straight. The ears are slightly pointed, but short. Overall, the Ves’shya clan have long, thin faces, with very striking dark red shining eyes that glow from their thin face. They have a variety of hair colours, but stick to a very small range of styles. Most of the kin’toni keep their hair short and close to the head, and the males grow beards which they carefully maintain and keep neat. The Ves’shya kin’toni are tall and lean, and very acrobatic. Their arms and legs are long and thin, and the fingers are nimble and dextrous.

The toes and feet look very similar to the hands and fingers, and are often used in the same fashion as the hands might, in a similar way to some, more advanced apes might. Their long legs allow them to run at great speeds, though they have a low endurance, meaning they are talented sprinters. The kin’toni who constantly remain in the home settlement of the Paahak Mangrove Marshes are slightly structurally different to the more adventurous, exploring members of the clan. They are less tall and lean, and are shorter, and more chubby and rotund.

This is mainly due to their easier, more relaxed lives with less activities and action. The older kin’toni of the clan, those who were some of the first settlers and companions of the founder, tend to be more muscular and broad shouldered, and look far more stocky and large. There are not many of these kin’toni left, and the majority of the clan is made up of younger kin’toni of the new, tall and lean kin’toni that has become typical of the clan.

Culture

The Ves’shya clan have an incredibly advanced and powerful culture compared to other kin’toni clans. Over time, they have gathered more and more information and learning and used that to enhance their own lives. They have learnt about music, art, writing, painting, and drama, anything that they could from any clan they could meet. The main part of their culture is centred on the gathering and collecting of knowledge, and then using that knowledge to benefit their people.

They spend all their time either travelling to gather knowledge, or studying at home at the main settlement and making use of the gathered information. The culture of gathering knowledge was initiated by the clan founder, who was a teacher in his zu’aan life. It was he who first sent out members of his clan to gather new information for them to all learn and use. It has become part of the clan that every kin’toni in the clan must spend part of the year out of the main settlement, travelling the world to learn. Only the most honoured and revered members of the clan get to spend their whole years in the settlement.

And only after years of prior travelling and learning. During the time spent in the settlement, each kin’toni is required to specialize in a matter of some type, and spend their time learning and studying whatever new matters in their field have been brought. This can extend from anything like farming and agriculture, music and arts, even writing and drama. One of the specialties of the clan that they have used much of their knowledge for is agriculture and farming. They have extensive fields and crops, and have spent much of their time taking care of these crops.

And learning how best to grow them and enhance their crop yield. Most of the full time settlement dwellers are specialists in farming and growing, and that is heavily responsible for the extensive crops and food supply available. Another important aspect of the Ves’shya clan is their devotion to cooking and creating meals. They have spent a lot of time learning to use fire and herbs and spices to prepare proper, complex meals that are delicious and tasty. Though they do not spend as much time on it, they also find art very important.

They have entire buildings used for storing art such as paintings or drawings. They have explored many areas and brought back many types of flowers and materials to use as paints, learning to create pigments to us in art. Many of the kin’toni are masterful painters, experts at creating beautiful images and incredible portraits. Peace and non-violence are important to the clan. They wish to continue travelling and learning, and so put a lot of effort into maintaining a reputation for non-interference so that they are free to travel. Despite this, combat is still important in their culture.

They want to be sure that despite their peaceful nature, they can defend themselves accurately when needed. They are always careful to be absolutely sure they are safe and secure and never at threat, as they do not like the clan being weakened or losing any members of the clan.

Government

The Ves’shya clan are led by their founder, the kin’toni for whom the clan is named. It is he who makes all the major decisions of the clan, and leads his kin’toni into all matters. Ves’shya himself does not often leave the settlement, and usually remains in the library the clan has built to contain all the knowledge the kin’toni have gathered. He spends most of his time searching through the archives of knowledge, learning and studying all he could. Most of the laws and regulations of the clan are created upon the morals and beliefs of Ves’shya himself.

Before his turning to a kin’toni, he was a teacher and professor. He strongly believed that it is important to do whatever was needed to achieve your goals, even if you did not like or enjoy it. It is this belief that shaped the clan’s non violence. Though they might not like it, they understood that they must follow Ves’shya’s rule of non violence unless needed, in order to ensure others saw them as a neutral party and continued to allow them access to the knowledge they wanted and needed. Despite this, it was still required that all members of the Ves’shya clan are trained in the use of a weapon of some form.

So that if it became truly necessary, any member of the clan who is out and about among other can defend themselves and keep themselves safe. Ves’shya has prohibited any members of the clan from killing or hurting any other members of the clan. Any who purposefully attack or injure other members of the clan are either imprisoned or exiled, as the clan believes that every member of the clan has unique knowledge and insight that must be used and learned. Because of this, the clan is also very open to new members of the clan. Any kin’toni of other clans who meet a Ves’shya traveller are free to join them.

So long as their present clan allows them to leave. Even zu’aan are allowed to join, as long as they are willing to be turned into a kin’toni upon their joining. Due to the laws stating that the kin’toni of the clan must be seen as a neutral, trustworthy party, Ves’shya has ruled that whenever members of the clan are travelling to or among another kin’toni clan, they are required to follow the laws and rules of the clan they are with, as much as is possible. Though Ves’shya himself makes all the final rulings and laws, the older members of the clan act as an advisory council for him.

Helping him to see other perspectives and make choices that will best help all members of the clan. All members of the clan are allowed to speak with Ves’shya, but the older kin’toni are more likely to be heeded and have their advice considered compared to newer and younger kin’toni.

Military

The Ves’shya clan do not have an organized formal military, but all members of the clan are at least partially trained in combat and the use of weapons. Whenever members of the clan leave to go travel and gather knowledge, they keep a pair of iron knives hidden among their clothing or in their goods to use for protection. Those who travel more often and are out of the clan’s home territory more often are usually very skilled in the use of these knives, and the clan have earned a reputation for being fearsome fighters when provoked. They attempt to maintain a peaceful stance.

But when forced, they do fight with skill and ferocity. Because of this, most of the clans they have interactions with make an effort to accommodate the Ves’shya kin’toni and not give them a reason to become violent. Back within the Paahak Mangrove Marshes where the clan have claimed territory, they always have guards throughout the main settlement of the Ves’shya clan. These guards are equipped in basic iron armour, and carry either iron spears or swords, along with a basic wooden shield. These guards are highly skilled and competent guards.

They are kept trained and fit at all times using techniques and forms gathered from the more militaristic clans that the Ves’shya have had dealings with. These guards do not venture far from the main settlement of the clan at the centre of the mangrove marsh, but at times a set of guards may be sent to check the borders of the marsh, just in case. These border checks are periodic, and not very intense, and are mainly used as a precaution. The clan has never been truly attacked, and have never had a need to attack anyone else, hence the lack of a true army.

Due to their (mostly) peaceful stance, they have avoided the need for conflict or battle with other clans. Most of the weapons they have are used against the wild creatures of the mangrove marshes around them, or are a purely precautionary action. The guards of the clan are trained in various ways. There are a few kin’toni who have joined from other clans who are experts in battle and violence, and they have taken the time to train and prepare the guards. The kin’toni that have left the clan have over time gathered much knowledge and information about weaponry and fighting techniques.

These have been used to train the guards in a variety of fighting methods, weapons, and techniques. Because of this, the guard are very well prepared for many forms of battle, and with the variety of knowledge the clan have gathered, they have also learnt how to make very good weapons, and learnt how to use them.

Religion

The Ves’shya clan follow a religion in which the clan founder Ves’shya is their prophet and priest, and leads them in matters of both the clan and their religion. As in everything else, their religion focuses on the gathering and use of knowledge. It is not clear if Ves’shya, the clan founder, truly believes in this god he preaches, or if he simply uses it as another way of having the clan follow him and achieve his goals. This religion is not very complex, and rather follows a series of basic cultures and traditions the kin’toni of the clan must do their best to follow.

It is the duty of every member of the clan and religion to learn as much as possible. They can do this either by gathering knowledge personally by travelling and learning, or they can simply study within the bounds of the clan library and make use of the knowledge gathered by other members of the clan. Whenever a kin’toni is at home in the settlement, they must spend part of every day in study, learning in some form. Each kin’toni is commanded to choose an area of speciality in which they must focus their learning and attempt to become an expert.

This area of learning is down to the choice of the individual, but is often guided by what they believe their god is attempting to tell them to follow. None of the clan, save Ves’shya himself, are able to directly communicate with their god. He is the only one who knows the gods name, and all others must refer to the god simply as “the lord”, or a variety of other similar respectful titles. Every few weeks, Ves’shya communes with the god, and learns his will, and then preaches to the rest of the clan of their duties and commands to follow.

Each kin’toni may be assigned an individual job to perform for their lord. Some of the time when travelling, kin’toni are commanded to attempt to spread their religion, and are told to teach others of the beauty of knowledge and learning. Other times, they are commanded to try teach others of the things they have learnt in order to try benefit then lesser people they meet, and try elevate the weak to a higher level. This is a rare command, and is seen as a great and wonderful duty that most of the clan aspire to receive. At times the commands of their god can change greatly, and to some, they find it strange.

But for most of the clan, their god is true and wonderful, and they never question him, and will follow any command given by their god through Ves’shya without question. Part of the reason they so unquestionably follow these commands is that they have seen their lives be benefited from following them before. They believe that their lives of peace are due to the protection of their god, and not due to their own actions. This makes them eager to continue serving him and see what else he will do for them and how much he will help them in future.

Miscellany

The Ves’shya clan know a variety of languages. They speak their own unique language, but have also learnt and studied various languages of other kin’toni clans and even some of the zu’aan tongues. It is important to them to be able to communicate with those they wish to learn from and teach, though they refuse to teach the Ves’shya clan’s language to any outsiders. The Ves’shya wear and have knowledge of many types of clothing. When travelling among other clans, the Ves’shya wear long, burnished orange robes that make them easily recognizable and identifiable to the clans they have dealings with.

When at home in their territory, within the clan settlement, they wear a lot of different clothes, according to whatever the individual’s personal preference is. This can range from long robes, to basic shirts and pants, or even skirts and dresses. Their gathered knowledge has helped them gather a wide variety of different styles and types of clothing. The Ves’shya lives in homes made of wood, with thatched roofs. Their homes are simplistic, but well built and steady. The more important buildings, such as the library, art house, and gathering homes are properly made stone buildings.

Built using designs gathered during the travels of the clan. These buildings are designed to be incredibly secure and safe, in order to preserve the knowledge and culture of the clan at all costs. They have various libraries and buildings across the settlement that contain all the gathered knowledge according to the type of learning held, so that it is easy for any clan member to find what knowledge they need. Farming and agriculture is very important to the Ves’shya. They have extensive, well tended fields of many varieties of crops, and gave learnt to properly prepare these foods into true and intricate dishes.

Cooking has become very important to them, and over time the clan have learnt how to use fire in cooking, and have even used herbs and spices to improve their foods. They keep a few small herds of animals as a supply of blood, and have learnt how to extract this blood in a humane, painless manner. They also have learnt to fish in the waters of the Paahak Mangrove Marshes, and have become very adept in the preparation of fish as a meal for the clan. Pairings and families are uncommon in the clan.

Members of the clan do not often form bonds with one another, and are relatively solitary. It is only when members get older and start to live their lives entirely within the settlement that families and bonds are formed, and members may begin to live together or form a version of marriages and families.

Nearby Groups

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Ves'shya Kin'toni Clan

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