Veantor City Zu'aan

History

Veantor City lies in the northern part of the country, within the Hythi Evergreen Taiga. The Hythi Evergreen Taiga is known for its incredibly cold, long, and snow filled winters. The city is hidden from the outside world due to the thick trees of the taiga. Twin sisters, Adione and Undione, founded the city. They were born sixteen years before the end of the Awakening Age. The sisters were beautiful with their pink skin, amber eyes, and pure white hair that flowed down their backs. Even in a chaotic world where kin’toni roamed, many zu’aan had their eyes on the sisters and wanted them for themselves.

Just before the Twilight Age, the sisters were sold by their parents to a group of vile zu’aan. For several years, they endured all kinds of abuse at the hands of the men that bought them. It took several more years into the Twilight Age for them to escape along with the other women and children who had been bought or kidnapped. They wandered towards the north until they discovered Hythi. After settling in the taiga in tents, the sisters travelled all around Taerel, saving as many women like them as they could. They had decided that Veantor City would be a safe haven for abused and neglected women.

It would be a place where they could feel safe and be taken care of. Slowly, the city became just that. They knew that they wouldn’t be able to survive alone, so they slowly started accepting men into the city. Only if they could prove they posed no threat to women and could show that they could be subservient to the women in the city. Children were always welcomed and male children would be taught from an early age to always respect women. This would become a necessity to be able to live in the city. The sisters made sure that men would never be a problem, incorporating harsh punishments for men who harmed women in any way.

Adione was the softer of the twins, so she took charge of childcare, all kinds of health, and the overall wellbeing of women in the city. She tried her best to take care of the well-being of everyone in the city, her main focus was on abused women. Having gone through abuse as well, she felt a strong kinship with them that went further than just being women. Udione was the harder of the two. In their captivity, she would always do her best to protect her sister and the other women. The abuse hardened her and made her willing to take risks.

She was the one who helped them to escape their captors. In their new city, she took charge of protecting everyone, keeping the men in line, and the overall defense of everything. She created a force of highly trained women that could go against angry and aggressive men trying to harm women. Together, the sisters were able to create a perfect utopia for women.

Psychology

Within Veantor City, the well-being and the wants of women trumps everything else. Women are to be protected, taken care of, and completely respected. Men are to be docile, completely subservient, and willing to give their lives to protect women. Veantor is a city that was created with women in mind, a city that is meant to be an absolute safe haven just for women. A place that women could be who they are without having to get permission from a man. There is an obvious difference in positions, power, and treatment between men and women. Women are at the top, they make the decisions and they control the men. Men are at the bottom.

They have no say whatsoever on anything. Respectful and good behavior from men towards women is not only expected, it is ordered. Men are not allowed to show any anger or aggressiveness towards women. Men must be in control of their emotions at all times. During the time of the twins' reign, the mentality of the city was different. The women had come from terrible places filled with all kinds of abuse. They feared and distrusted men. They didn’t want to control men, they wanted to get away from them. When men started being accepted into the city, the air was constantly filled with fear.

Women refused to leave their homes, they clutched their children to their chests, and kept their heads down in the men’s presence. It wasn’t until the first man was executed in the middle of the city for striking a woman, that the fear dissipated. Seeing that men would be punished for hurting them, an unfamiliar confidence rose up in them. They saw that they no longer had to be afraid. As time went forth, the women had become different. They no longer cowered in fear, but walked with confidence. They had a power that they had never had before.

All they had to do was simply point to a man, say he assaulted her, and he could be punished. Men don’t have the ability or the chance to prove their innocence, and the women don’t want them to. The power went to their heads and men were pushed to the bottom of the food chain. Now, it was the men who kept their heads down and trembled with fear. Veantor had become a city where women could do whatever they wanted to men who could not fight back. Men were forced into servitude and labor. Their only worth in the city is their ability to build, their position on the front lines, and their ability to give women children.

There is resentment from the men towards women, but there is nothing they can do about their situation. Any man that tries to resist and revolt is killed on the spot. Many have tried and they have all failed. The women of Veantor are strong and outnumber them. Most have resigned themselves to their fate of servitude. To them, they prefer being servants than being food for the kin’toni.

Culture

The culture in this city is catered mainly towards women. As this is a safe haven, women are able to truly truly express themselves without worry. They celebrate who they are without fear. To help protect women, unmarried men and women live in separation. They believe that men have no place to stand by women. When the zu’aan marry, it is not for love, it is for reproduction. Married men are servants to their wives. Women can easily get rid of her husbands if they want to, for whatever reason. Most women chose not to get married, preferring to use men just to have children.

There are several festivals and events that celebrate women. One of the biggest festivals that takes place is the Festival of Dance. This is considered a time of absolute freedom. Women are allowed to dance to their heart's content, however they want to. They don’t have to worry about the leering gazes of men or their hands on their skin. Some go as far as to dance completely naked, enjoying the mix of heat from the giant bonfire and the cold winter air on their skin. The festival takes place over the course of four days.

Children are allowed to participate as well. While some would see something wrong with allowing children to see naked women dancing, the children of Veantor are taught at an early age that nudity is natural. The zu’aan believe that everyone should be allowed to walk around naked if they wish, so they teach their children to respect not just women’s bodies, but their own as well. Bodies are not considered objects to use for sexual gratification. Your body is a temple you should take care of and respect.

Every winter, the Winter Festival is held. It celebrates winter and what it brings them. The cold of the winter keeps a lot of the more sane zu’aan and kin’toni away from the city. There is a specific event, the Plunge that many zu’aan look forward to during the festival. Every winter, the giant lake at the back of the city freezes over. A giant hole is cut through the ice. Each woman participating chooses a male and forces them to plunge into the freezing water. It is a contest to see how long they can last. The women draw great joy from watching them shiver and struggle.

Whichever male wins is given one day of freedom. They are allowed to rest from work and feast to their heart's content. The women treat men quite harshly, but they are very nurturing of their children, especially their female children. Females are taught at a young age that they are strong and that they stand above men. Males are taught to control their emotions and find constructive and nondestructive ways to deal with their anger. Most importantly, they are taught that women are not objects to be abused and shamed. The culture has shifted from the beginning of the city.

The twins just wanted to create a safe space for women. As time went forward, Veantor became a city for suppressing men.

Government

Veantor is run, mainly, by two women that have been chosen through election. Men are not allowed to hold any position of higher power. While there are some things that the men have power over, the majority of power goes to women. At any time, a woman can remove a man from his position. Men are put in charge, after an intense and grueling selection, of building and repairing the city. They handle hunting animals for food, and while they report to specified women, they help to keep the other male zu’aan in check. Men are not allowed to vote in the election, nor are they allowed to be elected.

They have no say whatsoever on how the city is run. The leader positions are reserved for women and women only. There has never been and will probably never be a male leader. They feel that since women are natural nurturers, it’s best for them to run the city. They believe that men led to the fall of the world. Two women are chosen to run the city in honor of Adione and Udione. They split the duties of the city just as the twins did. One handles the well-being of everyone. She is in charge of making sure both women and men are well mentally, physically, and emotionally.

The other leader handles the safety and defense of the zu’aan and the city. She organizes the military’s offense and defenses. The disperses the units in the military, helps set up training, and chooses the commanders. There are extremely strict laws and extremely harsh punishments for breaking those laws. There are a total of five laws, with the first four being directed to men, in the city of Veantor. The first law is that no man shall ever lay their hand upon a woman with intentions to harm. The second law is that men shall always show respect towards women.

No matter what, women are at the top and they deserve absolute respect. The third law is that unmarried men and women, unless related by blood, are not allowed to share homes. They believe by doing this, it allows women to grow freely. The fourth law is that men are not allowed to be aggressive in any way towards women. Men must always be in control of their emotions. If they feel they are not in control, they must find a way to get under control. If they are unable to, they will be punished. The fifth law is that women must be supportive of each other. They are not allowed to commit violence against each other.

There is a clear difference in treatment between men and women who break the law. Women who break the law are imprisoned for a short time. Men who brake the law are beaten and executed without question. There is no place in the city for men who cannot control themselves and who believe that it is okay to harm women. If a man has been accused of violence against a woman, whether it’s true or not, will be executed.

Military

Men are expected to join the military when they come of age. They are expected to willingly put their lives on the line to protect the city. There are unit leaders chosen from the men. They are each in charge of a certain number of zu’aan from the male portion of the military. Each unit leader answers to a female commander. Men that refuse to answer to their commander are removed from the position and put on the front lines to meet the enemy first. Men are not allowed to have weapons unless on the battlefield. After a battle is over, they are ordered to hand over their weapons.

If they don’t, they are killed on the spot. They are also not allowed to know where the weapons are kept, just in case they got any ideas about taking over the city. They are given basic training so that they can take on the enemy, but are not allowed to learn any advanced fighting styles or techniques. The women on the other hand are highly trained. They start training at an early age, learning all kinds of techniques that can help them fight and protect themselves. All women must go through defensive training no matter what. They learn to defend themselves from men on the chance that a man will ignore the laws and attack them.

They developed a style of fighting that uses their opponent's force against them called Crava. Crava is all about manipulating the opponent and using their attacks against them. The women are able to go up against men twice their size and defeat them. It is a highly precise style of fighting that has to be used correctly. If not, the opponent can easily overpower you. It is an equally defensive and offensive style of fighting, and perfect for smaller women. Training time is one of the few times that men and women converge together. This is the only time that a man is allowed to attack a woman, and even then they must try their best not to hurt them.

They still have to put in real effort or else it wouldn’t be a very helpful training session. They spar against each other, though it’s mainly women learning how to take down men rather than a fair spar. They take this time to learn the best and most efficient ways to take on not just men, but those physically stronger. The men are sent out to confront the enemy first. They are the first line of defense. They are not allowed to have guns, so they use spears. Each unit consists of a small number of men that take up different positions in the taiga.

They spread out to allow optimal coverage. The women are split into two sections. The first section joins the men on the battlefield. They use spears, bows, and high-powered guns. The second section stays within the city to protect the non-combatant zu’aan. They are the last line of defense.

Religion

The zu’aan of Veantor City are not highly religious. With that being said, they still follow Valla, the Guardian Mother. Valla is depicted as a naked woman with black hair long enough to cover her body. Her skin is light brown and her eyes are a clearer blue than the blue sky. All the women of the city follow her. While they do pray to Valla, they don’t depend on her as other zu’aan do towards their gods. Their religion is about willpower. They believe that the only way to survive and to succeed is to do it yourself. There is no amount of prayer or worshipping that can do it for you.

They don’t believe that by praying to a higher being, life will turn around for the better. The first women of Veantor prayed to her to help them get through their captivity and their abuse. She was more of a sense of comfort and fighting back in their own way by staying strong. They didn’t believe that praying to her would save them from their pain, nor did they believe that she would strike down their abusers. It wasn’t about praying to her so that she would guard their bodies or so that she would help them escape. They prayed to her to guard their minds, to give them mental strength.

Praying to her kept their hope alive and their minds strong enough to endure. Back then, she wasn’t called the Guardian Mother, she was simply the Guardian. The current female inhabitants pray to her to keep their mind strong as well. They are lucky that they don’t have to endure the abuses their ancestors faced, but they still want a peace of mind and the strength to face any adversity that may come before them. They look to her as a child looks to their mother for comfort and strength. She became the Guardian Mother to the women of the Twilight Age.

They pray to her everyday for mental strength and thank her every night for helping them endure whatever struggles they may be facing. Valla isn’t about vengeance or revenge. She is not about violence or fanatic worshipping. She is about fortitude and perseverance. She gives those who pray to her hope and the perseverance to keep going. The men aren’t religious and the women don’t force them to worship Valla. If men wish to pray to Valla, the women actually encourage them to. They believe that Valla could help them with controlling their emotions.

They believe that by believing in her, as they do, their mental fortitude will increase and they won’t allow anger to control them.With that being said, they are not allowed to worship any other god. There is no room for any other religion in the city. The women don’t want the men worshipping violent gods that may stir them up and cause them to attack women. They have heard of violent war gods and death gods that cause other zu’aan to become deranged psychopaths. They do not want that in their city.

Miscellany

Nearby Groups

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Veantor City Zu'aan

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