Christenson City Zu'Aan

History

The Christenson city zu'aan were founded by a female zu'aan named Minskika Quigg from among the tribes living in the outskirts of the Caztoski Wooded Hills. She convinced her followers to abandon their previous region in search of better conditions to the south. They were ery amenable to her call, as a cold wave had recently passed through their previous homes- making it very uncomfortable for zu'aan habitation. Minskika had heard from traders about the zu'aan cities in the heart of the Caztoski, and made it her aim to lead her people there.

They adopted a nomadic lifestyle and wandered the region for a decade, in search of this fabled land. When they finally came upon it, they would find it abandoned and overrun by a new group known as the kin'toni. They would witness the effects of the kin'toni attacks and quickly realized that they would not survive an attack against these genetically engineered species. She led the group away from these ransacked zu'aan cities to the more deserted lands of the Wegivart Alpine Tundra where they came across an ancient zu'aan city.

They picked these ruins in the Catoski region as their new home and set about slowly rebuilding the cities defenses. They were not alone in this venture and many survivors and refugees of the former city came to join her and helped her with their skills in architecture and engineering, which were sorely lacking in her clan. They tried to stay as discreet as possible in the beginning as they tried to get the lay of the land and figure out a way to avoid the attention of the kin'toni who were still attacking any zu'aan groups they came across.

They spent this time building up massive defenses and training rigorously in anticipation of a battle against the kin'toni. Minskika named the newly formed city as the Christenson city and its people- the Christenson city zu'aan. Under her leadership, the region would be transformed once again and there was a resurgence of zu'aan activities within the Caztoski hills. Given their unprecedented level of growth, the Christenson zu'aan were no longer able to hide their activities from kin'toni eyes.

The news of their activities would spread far and wide and would reach the ears of every kin'toni leader in the region, who began to assemble their troops in the surrounding hills with the intention of destroying the city. Minskika used this time wisely, building layer upon layer of walls and fortifications and sending out news for nearby zu'aan to join their settlement in the heroic defense against the overwhelming forces of the kin'toni. The zu'aan were already at peak preparedness by the time the kin'toni started their siege of the city.

The heroically fought back wave after wave of the enemy with the help of their defensive structures that played a major role in their victory. The victory made Minskika Quigg a folk hero among the zu'aan. Many more numbers would flock to his city as a result and she was finally bestowed with the title of "Savior of the zu'aan" by an assembly of zu'aan priests. While their situations remarkably improved after the victory, it did not secure the safety of all zu'aan outside the towering walls of their city.

Many small bands of kin'toni still lingered around the countryside and continued to prey on the zu'aan traders, farmers or messengers who wandered outside the walls. These continued harassments forced Minskika to regulate stricter laws within her city- outside travel was banned except for exceptional cases involving the city's defense and diplomatic missions and the people were forced to remain cooped up within their tight surroundings as a result. These changes were not welcomed by all members of the society and Minskika increasingly found herself dealing with the fury and unhappiness of her own people.

Psychology

The Christenson city zu'aan had been subjected to a lot of hardships right from the moment they were formed. They were composed of followers of the zu'aan leader, Minskika Quigg who wanted a better life- away from the miserable conditions of their previous habitats. This was an essential part of their psychology. They always wanted to better their lives and were willing to go through tremendous hardships in order to achieve their goals and to secure their futures. They were known for their very optimistic attitudes that they maintained despite their circumstances.

They suffered for almost a decade just blindly wandering around in search of zu'aan cities in the Caztoski region. They had no concrete information or navigation devices but were willing to blindly follow the word of traders and other travelers to find their ideal place. The clan-maintained hope throughout their decade long ordeal and never questioned the decision of their leader or thought of quitting. They would be rewarded for this quality when they finally discovered the zu'aan cities in the region but would quickly realize that the kin'toni outbreak had claimed most of them.

They were very resourceful and quick to adapt to their new situation. They would continue to live as nomads until they finally found an abandoned ancient city that they adopted as their new home. This city would become known as the Christenson city and it served as a testament to the hope and resilience of the clan. They were capable of enduring tremendous physical and mental inconveniences and were one of the hardiest and most survivalist clans around. More than a decade of foraging for a living had taught them all the basic skills required to live off the land.

This would prepare them for the kin'toni outbreak when resources became very scarce and material comforts became very scarce. These experiences made them reject wealth and possessions which they considered as distractions. The Christenson city zu'aan were also known for their determination and valor when the situation called for it. They were involved in many conflicts after their formation, when they had to constantly fight off hordes of kin'toni who were intent on their destruction.

The tribe had a deep sense of loyalty and belonging and considered a threat against one member as a threat to their entire existence. This loyal attitude made them easy to recruit for military expeditions and into the army. They were capable of heroic displays of bravery but were unwilling to sacrifice themselves unnecessarily. They wanted to live long lives that were full of fun, love and enjoyment. They were a very social clan who formed many close associations throughout their entire lives.

They regarded family and friendships as the most valuable possessions in life and based their culture around this belief. It was common to find people hanging out at all times of the day, either engaging in gossip or playing some local games. They appreciated art and culture and were known to adopt many art styles that they picked up during the course of their travels.

Culture

The Christenson city zu'aan culture prized family and loyalty above all else. The members spent their entire lives living with their families. Each member was expected to contribute to the family in their own way, either by scavenging for resources, hunting or crafting. Their culture valued responsibility which was taught at a very young age along with the various survival skills. This helped the clan survive for so long and allowed them to adapt to a nomadic lifestyle when Minskika Quigg made her proposal and convinced them to embark on a cross country journey in search of more favorable conditions.

Their culture would come to be defined by the lifestyle and lessons that they learned during their time as nomads. This period which lasted for more than a decade taught them many valuable lessons and habits which they continued to maintain, long after they had given up their nomadic lifestyle. These habits included a disdain for luxury and a focus on survival items. It was almost impossible for foreign traders to lure the Christenson city zu'aan into buying their fine silks, gold sculptures and exquisite paintings that had almost no purpose for the practical Christenson zu'aan.

They were more interested in bartering for food grains, livestock and weapons, which were crucial for their survival. The Christenson city zu'aan were adept craftsmen and made their own tools. Their axe heads, hammerheads and anvils were of the highest qualities and still remained in use for centuries after they were gone. They had picked up this knowledge through the course of their contact with the other zu'aan tribes and cultures during their migration towards the Caztoski hills.

They also recruited many skilled craftsmen and professionals from among the thousands of refugees fleeing the kin'toni outbreaks. This further led to the development of these skills within their clan. Their culture was very accepting of outsiders and the Christenson zu'aan were known for their fair treatment of strangers. They were not quick to judge and were willing to give everyone a fair shot. This made them popular among the tribes of the region and helped them maintain friendly relations and many allies throughout their entire existence.

This acceptance of other cultures was also mixed in with a healthy appreciation of other customs. Many within their ranks spoke more than a single language and it was fairly common for them to communicate in a creole language made up of a mix of other languages. The Christenson city zu'aan celebrated many festivals that were associated with their formation as well as specific days commemorating the birth of a family member or friend. These festivals were a chance for entire families to gather and participate in drinking and fun.

It helped them release the stress of their daily existence and kept them motivated. Religion was also an important part of the Christenson city zu’aan and they celebrated many holidays to honor their gods. Worship and prayers were a regular part of their lives and each person was expected to perform his own ceremonies within his own personal space.

Government

The first form of government within the clan was established by Minskika Quigg when she assumed leadership and tried to convince the tribe members to follow her in her search for a new home. The people would respond to her reasonable argument, given the deteriorating conditions in their old habitat. They willingly surrendered to her authority after they saw her confidence and realized that she had a thorough plan in place for their migration. During this early, nomadic phase of their clan, they maintained a tribal form of leadership where Minskika was considered as the elder and the foremost authority in all their decision-making.

She in turn, listened to the grievances of all their members and made sure that their problems were being taken care off. There was no need for a police force to monitor the behavior of the clan as these members were all closely associated with her. They obeyed her out of loyalty towards family and the clan. Minskika was willing to listen to advice from more experienced members of the clan or other professionals within their membership. This would help her retain their trust during their decade long migration.

This form of tribal government required a very close bond between all their members, which was harder to implement as the clan's situation began to change and the tribe's membership began to experience a rapid growth. The tight familial bonds of their earlier phases were no longer a possibility in this environment and the clan had to adopt a newer approach to government. Minskika would adopt a more authoritarian style of leadership and would assume more authority in order to adapt to the changing conditions of the region.

With this newfound authority, she was able to order the construction of many strong defenses in order to protect the clan against the roving bands of kin'toni that began to enter the region. With the help of these new measures, Minskika would successfully lead the clan's defense against the kin'toni and would be bestowed with the title of "Savior of the zu'aan" by an assembly of zu'aan priests. This would greatly increase her prestige among her fellow zu'aan tribes of the region.

However, many small bands of kin'toni continued to linger around the countryside, preying on the zu'aan traders, farmers or messengers who wandered outside the walls. These continued harassments forced Minskika to regulate stricter laws within her city- outside travel was banned except for exceptional cases involving the city's defense and diplomatic missions and the people were forced to remain cooped up within their tight surroundings as a result. These changes were not welcomed by all members of the society and Minskika increasingly found herself dealing with the fury and unhappiness of her own people.

These developments would require the formation of a new police force that was tasked with keeping the population at bay and preventing any large-scale riots or revolutions that could threaten the survival and integrity as a clan. The police were only answerable to the leader of the clan and became a means by which the leader could exercise his/her control over the people’s opinion.

Military

The art of warfare was not alien to the Christenson city zu'aan. They had been involved in many conflicts and skirmishes long before they were formed into an organized clan. The lands of their previous home were highly contested grounds because of the scarcity of natural resources in the region which forced the inhabitants to fight over every available resource. They were very loyal and reliable fighters who could maintain their composure longer than most other tribal fighters.

They did not have any organized military during this point in time and all abled clan members were expected to join in the fighting with any weapons and tools that they possessed. This led to a whole lot of disorganization and chaos in the battlefield and made it difficult to apply any standard tactics or strategies. This weakness was shared by many of their adversaries, and the tribe was able to overcome most of these challenges through sheer brutality. The clan began to encounter more serious challenges when they set out on their nomadic journey in search of a new home.

Their path was riddled with many robbers and brigands who would ambush travelers in the region. This forced the clan to devote more resources towards their own defense. They started by designating the responsibility of security to the most battle-hardy and experienced among their clan who were expected to devote themselves wholeheartedly to the defense of the clan. They were provided with weapons and freed from their other responsibilities including hunting and gathering food and resources for the clan.

The success of this arrangement would lead to the adoption of this idea into a larger scheme. The military would become a permanent part of the clan, once Minskika witnessed the effects of the kin'toni outbreak. She realized the seriousness of their situation and turned the military into a professional organization who were provided with the best weapons and paid for their service. This helped them to recruit more willing members and provided a safety net while the clan quickly built up their defenses.

Even with this large and well-trained army, Minskika was aware of the threat the kin'toni posed to them. It was impossible for them to fight in an open footing in open battles because of their overwhelming physical advantages. The Christenson zu'aan would adopt defensive doctrines to counter this and would only fight from the protection of their walls and defensive structures. Minskika had ordered the construction of layers of walls and fortifications and sent out news for nearby zu'aan to join her settlement in the heroic defense against the overwhelming forces of the kin'toni.

The zu'aan were already at peak preparedness by the time the kin'toni started their siege of the city and heroically fought back wave after wave of the enemy with the help of their defensive structures that played a major role in their victory. The kin'toni were unable to scale the walls quickly enough and were subjected to a constant hail of arrows as they attempted to dig beneath them. These actions helped them achieve many successful results against the kin'toni and ensured their survival during the kin'toni outbreak.

Religion

The Christenson city zu'aan worshipped their own traditional gods within the privacy of their own homes. They believed that the gods were responsible for the creation of their world and the universe and were also responsible for deciding the fates of the zu'aan who populated it. The Christenson's gods took the form of zu'aan bodies, sometimes in combination with animal parts. They created many stories and tales around them, which explained their origins as well as their relationship with the clan and other gods.

The Christenson zu'aan were known to create tiny miniature representatives of their gods out of wood or bone. They carried these items with themselves wherever they travelled. They were known to worship these small idols and to offer their prayers and sacrifices to them. The Christenson's methods of worship differed from that of the other zu'aan because of the absence of any large religious buildings or statues dedicated to their god. This was a result of their nomadic origins where it was impossible to carry around large idols or build dedicated temples.

The people were expected to perform their religious rites and prayers in the privacy of their own homes as there were no dedicated places of worship. Most of the tribe's gatherings were for purposes other than religious activities. They celebrated events such as the foundation of their clan or dates associated with the birth of their family members but rarely celebrated anything associated with their gods and religion. They were quite rational and accepting of other belief systems and religion and did not want to alienate any of their members who had join from completely different cultures.

This was especially apparent during the kin'toni outbreaks when they recruited many of the fleeing zu'aan to their cause. Their policy of recruiting other clansmen into their clan also became more active once they had setup their own army. They needed to build up the numbers of their military in order to become an effective fighting force to face the kin'toni. Their tolerant policies were a major plus point in this regard and attracted many fleeing zu'aan to their cause. Every person was allowed to keep their own beliefs and customs.

Religion was not forced upon anyone, and the government was completely separated from all kinds of religious activity. Minskika was wily enough to keep representatives of all kinds of religions and customs by her side. They advised her about the practices and beliefs of each system and kept her informed about their expectations and hopes from time to time. There were no religious conflicts among the Christenson city zu'aan throughout their entire history. Religion was kept to the private sphere and never discussed in public.

Despite these subdued approach to religion, they did have priests and dedicated followers of religion who were available to offer advice and solace to the depressed or mentally anguished sections of the population in times of trouble. Their duty was more of a medical responsibility than a purely religious one.

Miscellany

Nearby Groups

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Christenson City Zu'Aan

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