Lafinng City Zu'Aan

History

The Lafinng city zu'aan clan were settlers of the largest zu'aan city in the Xehemiech Highland region. This region was known for its rolling hills and mountains filled with many beautiful views and sights. The terrain was difficult and dotted with many broken rock formations and stones hidden behind the deceptive folds of the mountains and hills. The uneven conditions made the region unsuitable for mounts and travel was mostly done on foot for many centuries until the invention of roads and trade networks during the later ages.

It had one of largest zu'aan population of any settlement in the region and became a major center for both trade and commerce in the region. The city was located at the confluence of two major rivers in the region. This strategic location was among a few spots in the region with adequate soil conditions and water for agriculture. The settlement started out as a small wooden village and would grow on to become a walled settlement with its own towers and harbors in the span of a few centuries.

The zu'aan would later manipulate the stone and rocks that occurred in plenty around their region to construct proper stone structures and a bridge that spanned the entire river.The clan was founded by one of the pioneers of zu'aan medicine named Sulzer Purniius during the kin'toni outbreak. He was born the son of a traditional healer and was raised on books and writings on medicine. The profession was forced onto the young man by his strict father who exposed him to complex medical procedures from a very young age.

His life would take an unpredictable turn during his early teenage years when he and his father were found guilty of illegally sourcing the cadavers that they practiced on. These charges would see him languishing in prison for many years where he experienced the loss of his father. He would regain his freedom during the kin'toni outbreaks when all the prisoners were given a chance to redeem themselves and serve alongside the armies in the battle against the kin'toni hordes.

The battle would give the young zu'aan a chance to put his skills and knowledge to practice. He administered many lifesaving procedures on the zu'aan armies and became a symbol of the region's heroic defense. He cultivated a large following among the zu'aan soldiers and would quickly gain an almost cult like following. By the end of their war with the kin'toni, the city had lost its leader who left behind no heirs. Many powerful individuals began to crop up during this period, each staking their claim on the clan's leadership.

However, the common soldiers who had already suffered enough saw through their self-serving intentions and only continued to chant one name, Sulzer Purniius. Thus, Sulzer would rise from his humble beginnings and become the leader of the clan that he named the Lafinng City Zu'Aan.

Psychology

The Lafinng city zu'aan clan were known for the immense pride they had for their heritage. They were aware of their clan's advancements in medicine and healing, and would take any chance to impress this fact upon the other zu'aan clans. They pride led to many of their conflicts with the other clans who saw them as a haughty little group with a very high opinion of themself. Feelings of patriotism and jingoism were very common among the clan. They encouraged blind loyalty and pride in their heritage and were quick to denounce any of their members who refused to acknowledge or questioned their achievements.

Their intense patriotism made it easy for the clan to recruit members to join their army during wars and conflicts. The clan saw themselves as a superior clan with better systems and technologies. This fed into their desires to become the saviors of other backward clans and led to their colonizing tendencies. The clan sent many such expeditions to many regions of the continent with the intention of spreading their culture and technologies. While this helped many different clans of the region, it did not always endear them to their population as their colonial rule would regularly become despotic and authoritarian.

They regularly offended the sensibilities of the different clans and would end up antagonizing many in the process. Their psychology was wired in such a way to make them very industrious and hard-working. Their culture encouraged excellence and commitment and was very intolerant towards laziness. This would drive many of their members to go on and excel in their respective fields and practices. The clan were known to have a natural affinity for medical practices and healing.

This was down to the influence of their leader, Sulzer Purniius, who distinguished himself as the foremost authority in medicine. He undertook a large project to promote this skill and learning within the clan which led to the generation's infatuation with medicine. Almost any member of the clan had a working knowledge of this science. This in turn minimized the death rates from accidents and untended wounds and the clan enjoyed improved mortality rates along with a better quality of life. They were very careful with this knowledge and protected their latest advancements as state secrets.

They were unwilling to share this knowledge with the other zu'aan of the region and were especially fearful of it falling into their enemies' hands. The clan were known for their bravery in battle which they regularly displayed during their clashes with the kin'toni. They were willing to pull all sacrifices to protect their home city- even resorting to suicidal attacks when all hope was lost. They were very tactical and smart in formulating their battle plans and did not rely only on their military prowess to achieve combat.

They would make use of all available resources, including their slaves and prisoners- who were used to pump up their numbers and demoralize their adversaries or as cannon fodder to minimize the casualties within their armies.

Culture

The Lafinng city zu'aan culture was known for its emphasis on order and loyalty. They were a highly functional clan who accomplished a lot due to their commitment to hard work. This was reinforced by the culture of the clan which taught children from a very young age to strife to become productive members of the society. Education was an important component of their society and every individual was admitted into an academy where they spent their early life accumulating all the skills necessary for their professional life.

Their culture encouraged excellence and commitment and was very intolerant towards laziness. This would drive many of their members to go on and excel in their respective fields and practices. The clan were known to have a natural affinity for medical practices and healing. This was down to the influence of their leader, Sulzer Purniius, who distinguished himself as the foremost authority in medicine among the zu'aan. He was responsible for promoting medical research and practice within the clan when he established a medical academy that accepted the brightest students from among their clan.

He had historically been trained by his father, himself a healer- who taught the young Sulzer everything he knew while also allowing him to practice on cadavers that he sourced from local burial chambers. Almost any member of the clan had a working knowledge of this science. This in turn minimized the death rates from accidents and untended wounds and the clan enjoyed improved mortality rates along with a better quality of life. The clan was very careful with their medical knowledge and protected their latest advancements as state secrets.

They were unwilling to share this knowledge with the other zu'aan of the region and were especially fearful of it falling into their enemies' hands. This made their culture very secretive and closed off towards other zu'aan. They suspected most strangers of being secret agents who were interested on their medical knowledge- intending to pry away at their most valuable researches. Thus, most unfamiliar zu'aan found their clan very unwelcoming which in turned affected the clan's diplomatic and trade prospects.

The Lafinng were also known for their well-built city which evolved from a small wooden settlement to become a beautiful stone-built city made from the large stones that dotted the entire landscape. These large-scale construction projects were possible due to the order and organization within their clan. They were able to source the manpower required for such a laborious project by appealing to their members loyalties. They believed that owning such a magnificent city would instantly improve their influence over the region and help them scale new heights.

They were formidable architects and their culture celebrated the construction of every new structure and building in their city.The clan celebrated many festivals and occasions and had old origins dating back to many centuries ago. These celebrations included the harvest festivals which were associated with the first cultivators who settled in the region. These celebrations were a time-honored tradition that required the participation of all the clan members.

Government

The Lafinng city zu'aan were governed by a single leader who enjoyed the support and trust of the majority of their clan members. This tradition was started by the clan's founder Sulzer Purniius when he was chosen by the clan members to become their leader, following the death of their previous leader. He was able to evoke the clan's loyalties through his actions during the battle against the kin'toni when he stood out as their most capable surgeon who single handedly saved many of their lives.

This was in stark contrast to the other power-hungry politicians of the clan who largely avoided the war in the safety of their large fortresses while the army sacrificed life and limb to ensure the city's survival. The army pledged its loyalty to Sulzer as he was the most capable and selfless person they knew with the purest of intentions. He could also back up these qualities with his impressive knowledge in medicine which was a bonus, given the clan's high mortality rates.

He would take over the reins with the backing of the army and gradually began to grow into his role as the administrator and leader of the clan. Her policies were geared towards improving the clan's lifestyles at home while simultaneously preparing their defenses for a repeat of the kin'toni attacks. He used his expertise in the medical field to promote further research and to encourage more of the young members to take up this line of work. He would fund the development of a medical academy that produced many of the clans brightest medical minds along with a slew of combat medics who helped to improve the survival rates among the clan members.

During the period after the kin'toni outbreak the clan members lives became increasingly valuable to the clan. They could not afford to lose any more of their numbers in unnecessary engagements. Thus, Sulzer made it mandatory for every member of the clan to have a basic knowledge of medicine. The clan trusted Sulzer's decision making and were prepared to accept her word on all matters. There was no need for a police force to impose these measures as the clan willingly accepted his decisions on most matters.

He maintained a close circle of advisors who were composed of high-ranking officials in the military and elder members of the clan who had experience in public administration. He would continue the city's legacy of building fascinating structures by sponsoring the construction of many public projects that for a range of purposes including defense, sanitation and education. His predecessors would continue to improve upon this role and would build upon the responsibilities of the position.

These next leaders were also elected in the same way as Sulzer. The clan members took it upon themselves to identify the most eligible and suitable prospects who they would then back to become the leader of the clan. They wanted no political interference in this process- thus, no member was allowed to declare themself as a candidate for the leadership position, leaving it up to the clan to decide who was best suited for the job

Military

The military had a prominent role in the history of the Lafinng city zu'aan. They were responsible for constantly repelling the advances of the kin'toni and for defending the city time after time. Their military traditions originated from the constant conflicts that occurred in these highlands for thousands of years. The conflicts involved some of the fiercest combat in zu'aan history and prepared their armies for any future encounters with all manner of zu'aan. The zu'aan of this city were among the first clans to organize themselves into a fighting order.

They employed complex tactics and fighting methods that helped them defeat the disorganized armies of the other clans. Their armies were divided into smaller and had a chain of command that allowed them to coordinate their battle plans. The army occupied a prestigious position in their society and received ambitious new recruits every year, who were keen on making a name for themselves. The revered position of the army meant that their ranks were always filled, even having a long list of reserves that they could call up to replace their losses.

These individuals were chosen from among the fittest and most capable zu'aan. Their conditioning was maintained through rigorous training and discipline that helped them maintain peak physician condition at all times. They were trained in a variety of disciplines and combat styles which used many different weapons. Their army was organized into many different units according to their weapon specialties. These units included the heavy infantry- who were some of the most heavily armored soldiers in the region, their light infantry or scouts were lightly armored troops who were responsible for scouting the ground ahead of battles.

Their mounted troops were reserved for the elite classes of society and were among the most prestigious units under the clan's command. Their military was also complimented by a competent medical corps who helped the clan set up their medical tents which greatly reduced their casualties. his became a vital aspect of warfare after the kin'toni outbreak when manpower was limited and the clan had to preserve their numbers in any way they could. Sulzer Purniius rise to the rank of leader was in great part due to the influence of the army.

He was involved in the city's first battle against the kin'toni when he was given a chance to redeem himself as a prisoner by serving alongside the clan's army in battle. He displayed courage as well as a complete knowledge and application for medicine and healing in the rough field conditions of the war camps. This campaign cemented his reputation among the army who began to view him as their savior and leader. The city would lose its leader during these kin'toni attacks leading to chaos as many powerful politicians began to stake their claim on the leadership.

The war weary zu'aan were tired of the chaos and could not stand these political opportunists. They saw Sulzer as the most eligible candidate to take over the reins of the clan. He was hailed as a hero by most of the common soldiers after the city outlived the kin'toni's first attacks and they began to champion his cause, until he was finally crowned the leader and founder of the new Lafinng city zu'aan. He would lead the city through many more turbulent times after the end of the outbreak and became the undisputed leader of the clan.

Religion

The Lafinng city zu'aan worshipped a celestial entity that they called Enban. Its position in the sky was traced by a series of constellations that resembled a lengthy snake. They followed the movement of the constellation with deep interest and would associate its position with different stages in the snake's life. They believed that Enban along with other celestial beings were timeless entities that existed freely in the heavens and were responsible for the creation of the universe along with the zu'aan themselves.

They had whole myths dedicated to these gods that detailed their origins and the creation of their world to prophesies about the end of their world. These prophesies spoke of the end of time when the universe would be consumed by Enban and the universe would revert back into nothingness. The high priests of the clan kept track of the dates of Enban's sightings and maintained a chart that calculated how close they were to this penultimate act. The priests of the Lafinng city zu'aan were very competent astronomers who had an intricate knowledge of the position of stars.

They mapped down these positions for religious purposes where they were used to determine the dates of the clan's festivals and celebrations. The knowledge of star positions also helped out in their navigation and allowed the clan to explore deep into other parts of the world without getting lost- this was vital for their trading caravans, and contributed to the clan's quick growth. The religious duties of these priest extended to the study of ancient texts and diagrams about their snake god, which they then translated to the masses.

Their religion played an important role in the culture of the city. The Lafinng city was filled with many graffities and writings on religious subjects. Enban was portrayed in these works as a long and scaly snake with bright blue stars for eyes and entire constellations and planets inside its belly. This was in line with their belief that the entity was responsible for the both the creation and destruction of entire galaxies. Their prayers were directed towards Enban, asking it for mercy and to delay the destruction of their world.

They believed that their dedication and prayers were the only things preventing the decimation of their world. The clan conducted many elaborate ceremonies in honor of their gods. Huge sacrifices and large assemblies of the entire clan were common during certain parts of the year. The most important festival of the year was at the peak of summer when the constellation was positioned directly over their city. This was considered as the most dangerous time of the year when the fate of the world hung in the balance and the unpredictable Enban could swoop in and swallow their world whole.

On this night, the entire clan would be gathered in the open till dawn when the danger had subsided. They would chant and pray in unison while awaiting their fate. If they lived until dawn, it was seen as a mercy that had been granted to them by Enban and the clan would indulge in a further few days of celebrations.

Miscellany

Nearby Groups

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Lafinng City Zu'Aan

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