Ril'quao Kin'toni Clan

History

The clan was founded by the first Mistress of the Winds, Karesh Ril’qua, who gathered the least of the kin'toni and began wandering the lands of the continent in search of a place to call home. While the different regions were claimed by the clans and settlements, the Ril’quao clan continued to wander and hunt any zu'aan they come across. As they grew in number, the clan began to face hostility from the other clans. In an effort to avoid violence, the clan stopped seeking asylum with their cousins.

They relinquished their wish for a land of their own and instead vowed to take their home with them as they continue to roam and hunt. While travelling past one of the kin'toni controlled regions, they encountered a raiding party that swept through their caravan slaughtering several and mortally wounding Karesh. The clan managed to escape to the safety of the wilds where Karesh chose her successor before passing away. The successor, a woman called Roa, began instructing the rest of the clan in how to make weapons out of common instruments and tools.

They vowed never to attack their own kind but would raise up weapons in defence of their people. The began adjusting their clothes to blend in better with the regions they travel through. As time passed they continued to grow in number and ingenuity as they continued to wander the regions. After witnessing that fire could be an effective weapon they began experimenting with ways to make use of the element in traps and devices. These traps and devices helped protect them from attacks by other clans and gave them relative peace as they travelled.

Roa led the clan to explore the far reaches of the continent in hopes of finding new lands and a path away for the hostility they encountered from the other clans. However this proved more difficult than they had first expected and they began to trade their inventions for safe passage or for any zu'aan captives that the other clans deemed unworthy of turning. During one of these trades, they were betrayed and Roa was taken and executed as an example of those who would trespass into the region. Priami, the student of Roa took up the mantle of Mistress of the Winds and led the clan out of the region.

She started sending scouts ahead of the caravan in order to avoid any such interactions ever again. The clan adjusted their makeshift weapon making to always make it possible to hide that they were weapons until they are needed. They also stopped trading their traps after some were used against them as they passed through a region that was previously welcoming. Dedicated to their vows of nonaggression, the clan started to rely on their ability to blend in to their surroundings to sneak through unwelcome territories and pass as locals during the short journey through to the next region and the promise of zu'aan to hunt.

Biology

Unlike the other clans, the Ril’quao clan members no longer have eyes. Instead, their other senses have been heightened to allow them to move freely around the continent as if they could see. They stand a head shorter than most other clans and are often skinnier and a bit emaciated. Their skin is reminiscent of a chameleon, but with a small twist. It can adjust to survive in nearly every natural environment and take the visual characteristics of the local people. However, it is only skin deep. Every single clan member is extremely weak and vulnerable to any direct attack.

To avoid any hostility, they use their adaptive skin to try to blend in as they move through the regions. Due to their nomadic nature they have developed an endurance against fatigue and can travel many days and nights without resting. They also are faster than many of their fellow clans and have an increased reaction time. This allows them the chance to avoid getting hit when attacked but only as long as they are aware of the attack. To maximise this skill they have trained to move with a grace that turns their dodges into a dance around their attackers.

Their brains operate with more synapses firing at a faster rate than most. This is what allows them to learn new skills quickly and powers their inventiveness with basic tools. It also is the driving force behind their passive approach to handling confrontation. A clan member will attempt to think of a way out of a fight rather than a way through. It also has the potential for them to be able to plan for every possibility when confronted with a fight with no clear path of escape. However when overstressed their reaction time slows due to multiple reactions cancelling each other out.

Their heightened hearing allows them to pick up sounds from great distances. They also use it to communicate with each other through nearly inaudible whispers. Their sense of touch is so fine-tuned that they can tell how many people are approaching them by the passing wind. They can identify distinct scents and tastes to each region. However it is possible to overload or even fool their senses. Loud noises causes them extreme mental pain. Their spines are extremely sensitive and if touched can cause them to be immobilised for a short period of time.

Due to always walking across the continent, the clan has developed thick soles and rather large feet. They are the most durable and least sensitive part of a clan member’s body. This allows them to travel at speed on any terrain without fear of jagged terrain. However, they are susceptible to piercing damage and can often be pinned in place through the feet. This leaves them vulnerable and often is the best way to make sure to prevent them from escaping. If a clan member loses a foot it impairs how they can experience the world and often makes it harder for them to survive.

Culture

The clan carries the materials for their pentagonal tents with them as they travel throughout the continent. Everything they own is designed to break down and be carried easily. They fashioned large packs out of wood and fabric capable of holding everything they need to survive. The packs also contain small compartments to hide the components used for their fire traps and devices. Each component is separated by type to prevent any unforeseen accidents as well as to hinder any attempted theft. After dealing with several attacks they began using the materials for their packs to make and hide weapons to defend themselves.

Nearly every they own can become a weapon if needed. They wear different removable layers to aid in surviving any environment, as well as to hide their features. Each layer is specific to a different region and designed like the clothing of the clan that controls that specific territory. When not used each layer is placed in their packs. The base layer that they always have on is a fitted leather vest and colourful separated skirts that can be tied to the legs to hide under the other layers. They do not wear any foot coverings to allow themselves a full understanding of their surroundings.

They also always wrap their heads to prevent anyone from seeing that they don't have eyes. The clan moves as a large caravan with the most vulnerable surrounded by the ones that have proven themselves capable of defending the others. They only stop when they know they will not be attacked from any of the other clans in the nearby region. They used to rely on the hospitality of the other clans until they grew too large. They then attempted to trade for safe passage and the zu'aan captives that are not going to be turned. However, they were betrayed.

And learned that some of the clans would use the very things they traded for safe passage to attack them. So they stopped trading with all the other clans and instead attempt to slip through the regions undetected. They don't leave any of their people behind and prefer not to engage in combat with other kin'toni clans. If a clan makes it clear that they will attack the Ril’quao no matter what, the Ril’quao will plant a certain flower just outside their territory for their heightened sense of smell to pick up the next time they are within the area.

The clan itself acts as one large family with the Mistress of the Winds as its head. They all carry a long staff that aids with their sense of touch. The heads of these staffs are decorated with three interconnected spirals to signify their clan. They also tie strands of colourful fabric on the base of the heads in different patterns to identify their individuality. Every clan member is responsible for the other members. And if any gets wounded or disabled, the other members will care for them, keep them safe, and carry them as they travel the continent.

Government

The entire clan follows the direction of the Mistress of the Winds. This title was first given to the clan founder Karesh because she taught them how to use their other senses to help them perceive their surroundings. It is the responsibility of the Mistress of the Winds to guide the clan through the world and to teach them how to survive. All options go through the entire clan before they are laid to the Mistress to decide how to proceed. She must take the entire clan into account before she makes any decision. When Karesh was in charge she established the clan to work more like a family.

And she thought of every member as her child. The Mistress of the Winds selects five female clan members to learn how to lead as she does. These women act as advisors to the Mistress of the Winds during any decision making process. They have the responsibility to teach the newest members how life in the clan works. They also are the only ones in the clan who know how to admission medicinal herbs and mend most wounds. It is up to them to turn zu'aan when they capture them. The Mistress of the Winds keeps the name of one of her advisors stitched into a piece of fabric in her head covering.

When the Mistress dies, the advisor whose name is on the piece of fabric is made the next Mistress of the Winds. The clan holds to a few select vows that keep them united and safer as they wander the continent. The first vow is “We must always follow the winds.” This means they never lay down roots and always will be nomadic. Even if they find an untouched place, they only stay for a few days at the most. This prevents them from being unprepared for any potential attack. The second vow is “Never take aggressive action against a fellow kin'toni.”

This prevents them from forming any actual military or participate in raids into any clan controlled region. While this has earned them some good will amongst a few of the clans, it has also left them more vulnerable to attack from the more aggressive clans. To hold true to this vow the clan learned to fight using only defensive moves. The third vow is “Never again provide a clan the means to destroy another.” This means they no longer trade their fire traps and devices to other clans for safe passage or for zu'aan to turn. Instead, they use their talents to blend in as they travel through clan controlled territories.

This also means they are the only ones in possession of their most powerful creations. Because of this, there are few clans that will attempt a raid on their caravan. The fourth vow is “honour death through fire.” This means they build a pyre to burn the dead and then spread the ashes into the wind. If it is the Mistress who dies, her advisors are the only ones allowed to perform the ceremony.

Military

The clan practices passivity. Though they hunt zu'aan, they refuse to act aggressively. This is especially true in regards to other clans. Instead, they rely on makeshift weapons and traps to defend themselves and to prevent any zu'aan from escaping during a hunt. When they have to they use their natural ingenuity and quick thinking to turn anything they have on hand into a weapon they can use defensively or to bind their prey in order to turn them without any additional harm. When dealing with other clans they first attempt to talk them out of attacking if possible.

If not, then they will evade and flee the region. They will use their makeshift weapons to attempt to disarm their attackers before they will use them to actually fight back. While they make their escape they will use their fire traps, jugs full of pitch and oil and certain common minerals that combine to make a highly flammable solution, to create a wall of fire behind them that water can't put out. If they are still pursued they will use their fire devices, small clay containers full of specific powers with candles stopping up the openings.

That when ignited can cause the powders to combust and spit flames in a particular area, to scare the pursuers from getting too close. This often gives them the time they need to get out of the region and to safety. In hopes of avoiding the need for such tactics, they rely on their natural ability to adapt to their environment, as well as wearing clothes that match the local clan so they aren't immediately attacked. They also have traded their fire traps and devices for safe passage in the past, but after they were betrayed and had their creations turned against them they refused to trade those items anymore.

If they are met with unbridled aggression without any provocation, they mark the borders of the territory with a specific flower to let themselves know to avoid that region. They train for years to master the particular style of defensive movements they use to avoid taking damage. This style makes use of all of their talents and heightened senses in a graceful flowing dance. However, the style doesn't work if they are not aware of the attack beforehand. Depending on the region they will use the terrain to avoid being trapped.

Sometimes using their knowledge of traps to create temporary cages using whatever they can get their hands on. Another tactic they use is to travel along the edge of the regions so they can easily cross the border into some other clan’s territory. Sometimes they luck out and lead an attacking clan into the territory of a clan that is hostile to the attackers. They will not bring the attackers too deep into the hostile territory because they don't want to cause any harm to a fellow kin'toni. Instead, they will lead the attackers just far enough for them to turn back and go across the border.

Religion

They believe in the sanctity of all life. While they are forced to hunt to survive, they prefer not to cause any unnecessary harm if it can be prevented. They worship life and the four natural elements that help create and protect life. While most of their vows are tied closely with not taking the life of another kin'toni or providing the means to their deaths, they also hold to a number of rituals tied to the four elements and their impact on life. This is reflected in the first and fourth vows the clan follows. The rites of Wind: they look at wind as the guiding breath of all life. They spend an hour every morning in standing meditation.

So that they can feel the embrace of the wind around their bodies. They repeat this ritual for one hour every night. They practice breath control while training in their dodging style so that they avoid wasting breath. They use ceremonial fans to spread the ashes of their fellow clan members into the wind. They tie ribbons of colourful fabric to their staffs to catch the window and help guide them as they wander through the different regions of the continent. The rituals of Water: they believe water, and almost all liquids, to be the cleansing blood of all life.

When they must feed on zu'aan, they give thanks for the gift of a cleansing drink. And they make sure to turn the zu'aan so they can share in such a blessing as well. When near a body of water they take time to bath and dive deep into their depths to wash away the remains of the journey and prepare them for the next long leg. When it rains they open massive jars to catch as much rain water as possible to use in a ritual bathing they give each zu'aan before turning them. The practices of Earth: they view earth as the womb of life.

They carry a variety of seeds to plant into proper soil as they wander, and work to fix any damage they create with their fire-based weapons when they happen upon the location again. Certain flowers hold specific meaning to the clan members. Lillies are connected with new life and innocence because they were Karesh’s favourite scent before she was turned. While the orchid is tied to danger and planted as a warning to stay away from a specific region. This is because Karesh died in a field of orchids after the clan was raided. The ceremonies of Fire: the clan reveres fire as the spirit of life.

After learning how to use fire as a weapon, the clan also used the same techniques to use fire to burn their dead on pyres with controlled flames. They spend years studying the processes to make their devices and traps and how to prevent the flames from going out of control. They also will sit near a controlled flame and stare into it while in a meditative state. This is to connect with and understand the power within every flame.

Miscellany

Nearby Groups

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Ril'quao Kin'toni Clan

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