Xina'er Kin'toni Clan

History

The Xina’er clan have been relatively unimportant to the large affairs of the world. They settled in the Iaev Berry Fields early in the second age, and became entrenched there, rarely venturing out or making any contact with other kin’toni. They spent most of their early years simply establishing their territory. They first dug out underground caves where they could live, safe from the sun during the day time. They reinforced these subterranean caverns, turning them into proper, stable homes and areas to live in for the entire clan.

During the night, they began to cultivate the berries which grew naturally in the area, using them as their major source of food. They learnt how to properly grow these berries, becoming masters at all the varieties of berry they had found, learning their individual needs and uses over time. The Xina’er only ever took part in combat on two occasions. The first occasion was a few years after their initial settlement in the Iaev fields, when another kin’toni clan intruded on their territory, forcing them to rush to the defence of their fields and homes.

Luckily, the enemy clan did not attempt too hard to keep in the area, and there was only a few brief, spirited battles before the intruders retreated and gave up the area to the Xina’er to keep. The second incident was the intrusion of a zu’aan tribe in the area. The zu’aan, not knowing the territory was claimed, came into the fields, and started gathering berries. This angered the Xina’er, who ferociously sprang to attack the invaders. They slaughtered the zu’aan, drinking their blood and taking all their resources as prizes. Beyond these two events, the Xina’er did not participate in any other large scale battles.

They only ever fought in small skirmishes in defence of their land, or in attempts to raid passing zu’aan tribes and claim their blood. Over time, the Xina’er settled ore into their home, creating proper, established infrastructure and making the fields a true home to care for. The clan swelled greatly in size about halfway through the second age when another clan, which had been decimated in battle, came upon the Iaev fields, and begged to join the Xina’er. After a brief period of deliberation, the newcomers were allowed in, and the ranks of the clan swelled and the clan became far stronger and more powerful.

After this, the culture and makeup of the clan changed slightly, and it took some time for the clan as a whole to adjust and fully become one unified group, but by now, the clan is a fully unified whole, with no traces of the former allegiances remaining. In recent years, the clan has been struggling. Their berry crops are decreasing in yield, and they are finding it harder and harder to grow new plants. They are not quite sure why this is, but some members of the clan attribute it to the increasingly cold weather that has been noticed from year to year.

Biology

The Xina’er clan do not have many unique or identifying traits of their biology. They are largely similar to the basic or usually seen model from which the kin’toni originate, besides a few strange adaptations. In particular, their skin colour is of great interest. Due to their diet consisting almost entirely of various berries of the fields, their skin has changed with it. Members of the Xina’er clan have skin which adapts to temporarily match the colour of the berries they have eaten. This effect evolved over time, partially due to a feature of the berries themselves, and partially due to the enhanced evolution of the kin’toni race.

This effect is not long lasting, fading after perhaps an hour since the berry was eaten, though many kin’toni make an effect to maintain this colour by refreshing the colouration and keeping a store of specific coloured berries upon them at all times. The facial structure of the kin’toni is remarkably similar to that of the zu’aan, and from a distance, if their skin has faded to it’s natural tone, they may be mistaken for a normal zu’aan. They have a range of structures to their cheek and chin bones, but usually tend towards rounder, wider faces.

They have the typical pointed, sharp teeth of the kin’toni that can be used for ripping and tearing meat, though these teeth are slightly decreased in size in comparison to other kin’toni, due to them mainly eating berries instead of meat and flesh. The eyes of the Xina’er kin’toni have dark yellow irises, with white sclera and vertically beaded pupils. They are adapted for moderately intensive night vision so that they can still see when underground during the day and when above ground at night. The arms and legs of the Xina’er kin’toni are very well proportioned to their bodies, but their hands are a different matter.

Their hands have large palms, and long, dexterous fingers. These fingers are perfect for the careful plucking and grasping of berries from the bushes, and also have very strong grip and grasping ability that helps them in combat. Their feet are also slightly larger than normal, though not to the degree of the hands. The soles of the feet are tough and hard, as they do not wear shoes, and so the soles of the feet have hardened and become tough over time. The nails of the hands and feet are rather tough as well, though not very sharp.

The Xina’er kin’toni have broad shoulders and wide chests, though they are not very muscular. They simply happen to tend towards this body shape. Their necks are slightly short, but not noticeable or visible unless you are close to them. The women of the clan are very similar to the males, though they retain very slight breasts and female features, though they are not easily noticeable. The males are not more muscular or large, so the only way to know the difference in gender is based on action and purposeful choices of appearance such as clothing and hair styles.

Culture

The Xina’er clan are more culturally advanced than most clans, but they do not get as highly specific in exact cultures as some other clans do. Most of their culture surrounds the use and meaning of colour. The clan believes that colours have deep meaning, and that they must use these colours to express themselves and everything important in the clan. Their clothes, hair, food, and homes are all focused on colour and expressing their lives and personality through colour. Most members of the clan keep a supply of their territories berries with them at all times.

Each kin’toni chooses a colour they believe represents them best, and eat berries of those colours at all times to keep their skin at that shade. Through this, the clan are able to determine the perceived personality and lifestyle of each individual they meet. The meaning of each colour can get very complex, changing in meaning with each shade and tone of colour, which would be very hard to identify to any who are outside of the clan. The combination of skin tone, clothing colour, and hair colour are all used to tell a message about each kin’toni, and can become even more complex and important to the clan.

The berries of the clan’s home territory is very important to them. These berries are their source of food, their source of colour, and are used in almost all aspects of life. They have learnt to ground the berries down and create a paste which they can use as a paint and colorant for various things, such as clothes, their own hair, and various materials of cloth and building. Each kin’toni makes and applies their own paints to build their homes and clothes, painting the walls of their earthen homes in various colours and patterns.

They personally dye their own clothes, choosing which piece of clothing to dye what colour in order to represent various meanings and aspects. They have even incorporated colours into their weaponry. Soldiers and guards paint the blades and handles of their weaponry in bright, vibrant colours to match their uniforms and skin, making any attack of the Xina’er clan a sight to see, a bright rainbow spreading across the battlefield. An important part of the berries of their culture is the knowledge of how to grow and cross breed the various colours of berries.

They have learnt how to cross multiple types of berry to gain many different flavours, effects, and colours. Some berries have caffeinating effects, others bring sleep, and some just have a very pleasant taste. Many members of the clan make a hobby of working with the berries in their spare time, creating new strains to suit their needs and create any form of food they may need. The most interesting of the berries they have created is one that can heal them. This strain of berry vastly accelerates the healing process.

And every soldier carries many of these berries at all times so that they can fight longer and harder than almost any foe they face.

Government

The Xina’er clan are led by a council which is headed up by an elected leader, who both makes major decisions, and retains control of the council to ensure they use their power responsibly. This elected leader is highly respected, and holds the most power of any kin’toni in the clan. They have the honour to wear white, and have full white robes which stretch to the ground. They are still free to choose their hair and skin colour, but it is required that the resident council leader wear the traditional white robes. It is the council themselves who elect the council leader.

Voting upon a maximum of three potential candidates, and it is the clan as a whole who elect the council members through a voting system. The members of the council change at specific intervals. At any one time there can be anywhere from ten to twenty council members, who can serve a maximum of twenty years on the council in one stretch. A council member can serve two terms, but must leave at least ten years between each service. Due to the long lives of the kin’toni, many kin’toni have served multiple terms. The council works together to decide upon and implement the various rules and laws of the clan.

Some of these rules are unique and only used in this clan, and others are more along the lines of the usual laws to be expected in every clan or tribe. These basic rules encompass things like prohibiting murder or attack, stopping thieving, abuse, or injuring other members of the attack. The unique rules of the clan are mostly connected to the culture and following of colours and the berries. These rules can get rather complex, but at the most basic level, they determine the number of differing colours a member of the clan can wear depending on their position in the clan.

The higher and more well respected the member is, the more complex and colourful the patterning of their robes may be. The punishments and rulings for each broken law is decided upon by the council. They are presented with the criminal, their crime, and the evidence, and then they make their own ruling. There is no set, specific punishment for each crime, as each punishment is case specific. These punishments can range widely, from labour, being stripped of the right to wear colour, imprisonment, or even banishment. Execution has been used before.

It is very rare, and has only been used as a punishment for unprovoked murders and the very worst of crimes. The clan does have a jail, and it is the most commonly used punishment. At any time, two or three kin’toni may be found within a cell for a short period of a few weeks, serving a minor sentence for a small crime.

Military

Though the Xina’er clan are not a very militaristic clan, they still maintain a presence of military strength and power to keep the clan safe. Most of the military strength of the clan is concentrated in the police force, who are charged with maintaining the peace and enforcing the rules of the ruling council. This police force has other duties, including acting as the guard force along the borders, and when needed, a pseudo army acting to protect the clan upon attack. This force is very well trained and equipped. They have stone weapons, but despite their less advanced nature, these weapons are still well made and strong.

They have basic swords and knives, as well as various spears and hatchets, but the main part of their military prowess is focused in archery. They make use of stone tipped arrows, and well made wooden bows with tough leather strings. Within each police squad of six, at least two kin’toni are experts in archery, and keep their bows and quivers with them at all times. This expertise helps greatly in keeping the clan safe, as most attackers do not use ranged weaponry, and so are at a severe disadvantage when in battle with the Xina’er. They do not have sophisticated armour, and wear only basic studded leather armour.

The average soldier has a sturdy leather cap, and a basic leather jerkin, and not any other pieces of armor. The soldiers are assigned to various different duties on a specific rotation, ensuring that they all have a turn doing each duty to ensure they are all equally experienced at everything, so that at any time any kin’toni soldier can be assigned any duty and effectively complete it. These duties include patrolling the settlement, patrolling the borders of the territory, and guarding the jail, among others. Soldiers complete duties in six kin’toni squads, consisting of two archers, and four others armed with basic melee weapons.

One of the six is assigned the purpose of being the squad leader, and they wear a dark blue dyed cap to identify their position. The squad leaders duty is to maintain control of the squad and receive the squads assignments each day. The position of squad leader is assigned by a member of the council who is specifically assigned the purpose of maintaining the military and soldiers. The Xina’er kin’toni are decent strategists, though not experts. They have a basic understanding of warfare and tactics so that they do not completely waste soldiers in battle.

The soldiers are trained in various fighting styles by expert combatants of the clan, who spend their days training and honing the skills of the soldiers. These tutors have learnt their skills in various ways. Some are self taught, and others have spent time travelling among other kin’toni clans and learning their various fighting styles, when they were able.

Religion

The Xina’er kin’toni are not strongly religious, though they do follow a god and serve a series of basic religious tenets. Their connection and love for colour is connected to their religion, as they believe that their god is the god of colours, and by using colours they connect themselves more strongly to her. They believe that the more accurately they use colours to display their inner selves, the more strongly bound they are, and the more powerful they would become. They believe that it was their god Ar’cana who led them to the Iaev berry fields and granted them a beautiful paradise to live in.

That is why they labour to maintain the fields and grow more berries, in an attempt to spread her influence and power to greater area and increase her power and majesty. The Xina’er believe that it is their duty to spread the word of Ar’cana and teach others of her greatness and majesty. To this goal, they send out preachers from the settlement to any non-antagonistic kin’toni clans. Though they are very rarely successful, they still keep working and trying, doing their best to teach others of their beliefs and bring more followers of the goddess of colours to the clan.

Any new followers may join the preacher upon their return to the clan, and join the clan as new members and work to serve their goddess. The basic tenets of the followers of Ar’cana are rather simple. Treat others with kindness, don’t hurt anyone necessarily, and display your colours wherever you go. In all aspects of their life, the kin’toni of the Xina’er clan do their best to follow the beliefs of Ar’cana, and serve her as best as they can. It is the duty of the clan to periodically go and listen to the preachers of Ar’cana, and learn what they may do to better serve her.

They occasionally will be commanded to donate to the church, and must bring items such as clothes and dyes to the church for use to help the less fortunate. Within the church of Ar’cana, the priests and teachers of the religion are arranged into multiple tiers. The first, and lowest, tier of priests are purely there to serve and follow the commands of higher priests. The second and third tier of priests has the highest number of participants, and they are the true priests. They are the ones who give sermons and teach, and they are also the ones who travel to other clans to spread the word of Ar’cana.

The fifth tier of the priesthood are largely figureheads, serving as symbols of the god, and taking care of the day to day issues of the clan. The final tier of the priesthood consists of a single figure, which changes yearly. This top level priest has a position on the ruling council, and is the highest religious authority in the clan, capable of direct contact with Ar’cana herself. When truly worrying and large scale issues relating to religion and worship happen to come up, the high priest is the one who will commune with Ar’cana and learn of her judgement.

They lead the clan to a good resolution that will please the goddess.

Miscellany

The clothing of the Xina’er clan is very well made. They have quite sophisticated clothes making techniques, learning to use leaves and stalks to weave cloth, as well as learning the use of leather in clothes creation. They have also learnt how to use dye to change the colouration of clothes. The homes of the Xina’er clan are caves dug in the soil and rocks of the area, deep in the earth. The kin’toni have learnt to construct pillars to support their caverns, and have learnt other methods to solidify and steady the cavern walls.

These caverns are connected in a network. There are many large meeting halls that are large enough for many kin’toni at once, as well as individual homes for each kin’toni to live in. In these individual homes, the kin’toni are free, and encouraged, to decorate their own space. They use paint and various methods to decorate the walls in their own colours and patterns. They have a few buildings upon the surface, but they are less secure and well built, being basic structures of wood. Most of these buildings are guard posts for the border guards to stay in during the day.

Where they can remain vigilant and watch the borders without being killed by the sunlight. The clan is rather unique in that they do have familial bonds. These kin’toni often pair up through a religious ceremony rather similar to zu’aan marriage, and two or more kin’toni can be bonded in this way as a family. Each family lives in the same home, and work together as a unit to farm, raise food, and survive. These familial bonds can be rather strong, and they often are very rightly bound to one another, and will defend each other at all costs.

The clan are specialists at agriculture relating to berries. They have spent decades learning and cultivating berries, and slowly gathering information to learn how to create new colours and tastes of berries. They have become experts in this, creating many, many varieties of berries of any and all colours. They have even created berries that can affect the kin’toni body in various ways. Their main creation is a berry which stimulates incredibly fast regrowth and healing. All the soldiers and combatants of the clan are kept constantly stocked with these berries.

They have also created berries with a high caffeine content, allowing them for a few days to manage without sleep by simply eating a few of these berries during the day. Most of the other berries have less profound effects, simply being used to be more filling or better tasting.

Nearby Groups

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Xina'er Kin'toni Clan

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