Herewardic City Zu'Aan

History

The Herewardic city zu'aan were the result of a slave revolt that occurred in the Nicandran Temperate Forest region at the start of the Twilight Age. They were led by a leader named Vapraktov Dinah who hailed from an agricultural zu'aan tribe deep within the hinterlands of the continent. He led a free live till the age of sixteen when a rampaging slaver army led the surviving members of his clan into slavery. He would find himself in a distant zu'aan city that was unlike the tribal villages of his youth.

As one of the youngest and healthiest members of his batch, he was sold off to a rock mine in the outskirts of the Nicandran forests where he would toil away for many years. The carefree boy, full of charm and joy would be replaced by a hardy young man just looking to survive in the worst conditions. The work was back breaking and involved the continuous hitting of rocks until they fell off and could be carted away to the surface, all while his legs remained chained to a heavy weight.

A glimmer of peace would settle in each night as the camp went to sleep in their confined quarters. He would meet new friends and mentors who had already spent half their lies toiling in the mines. These friends would become his first loyal followers and the foundation of the Herewaedic zu'aan clan. They would devise ways and methods to alleviate their own suffering. He learned to steal extra scraps of food by working with the other inmates and even encountered some guards who would willingly give him a bite out of pity.

He would grimace and move with a limp to make him seem worse off than he was, often sparing him the endless lashings and beatings. He initial talks of escape were quickly shut down by the more senior inmates who knew the consequences of a failed attempt. They continuously berated him, telling him that a slave's life was expendable and that the slavers wouldn't hesitate to kill the entire bunch if they suspected something was afoot. He toiled in these conditions for almost a decade, by which time he had become the senior voice among the slaves.

His thoughts of escape had never left him and would resurface with new vigor. He would crawl silently among the sleeping figures each night, instilling hope and spreading his idea of escape- one individual at a time until the whole mine was privy to the message. The camaraderie would grow and soon their long faces staring emptily into the ground would be replaced by hopeful men exchanging knowing glances at each other. Luckily for Vapraktov, his rebellion would coincide with the kin'toni outbreak that led to its unlikely success.

The band of slaves would break out into the open to find a new world that was taken over by destruction and chaos. As their leader, Vapraktov would direct the group back to his native village, which they would rebuild into a city - naming it the Herewardic City. The group was already used to hard work and they were able to accomplish the mammoth task in record time. Stone walls flew up within a month and turned into a full-fledged city within half a year. The residents of the city would be called the Herewardic City zu'aan and they would become one of the most powerful and influential clans of the region.

Using their vast experience in labor and mining, the clan would raise strong stone walls that enclosed their settlement and protected them from all outsiders, including the kin'toni. They were merciless to the kin'toni along with the zu'aan of the area who were complicit in their suffering as slaves. Word of their brutality would reach all corners of the world and give them a fearsome status that remained throughout their entire existence.

Psychology

The Herewardic city zu'aan clan's psychology was heavily influenced by their past as slaves. They endured a lot of suffering during this period and sustained a lot of emotional trauma as a result. They were wired to view all zu'aan suspiciously and react aggressively to all strangers. They did not make a lot of allies once they emerged out of their mines and eventually became a fully-fledged surface clan. The person most responsible for their mindset was their founder, Vapraktov Dinah.

He had been subjected to a lot of turmoil by the actions of the slavers; he lost his clan, his family and his love when his former clan was raided and enslaved. This left him with a permanent grudge in his heart. This bitterness was left to fester as he suffered the indignation of becoming a slave in the Nicandran region. He toiled in the region's mines for years and met many similar zu'aan facing the same fate. He was able to incite a rebellion and would become a part of the movement that led to the formation of the Herewardic zu'aan clan.

He was heavily involved in spreading dissent amongst the slaves toiling in these mines. His efforts would lead to the permanent hatred and desire for revenge within these people. This mentality would continue to grow after they broke out into the surface of the region, as a result of their successful rebellion. The rebellion unleashed all of their members pent up frustrations and anger which took the form of a bloodthirsty rage. They brutally massacred all slavers and guards as well as any other zu'aan that they came across within the mines.

These actions fueled their desire for more killing and vengeance against the entire region. They founded their own city, named the Herewardic city and organized themselves into a clan of the same name. Empowered by their newfound freedom, the clan would wage war on any zu'aan they came across, while simultaneously defending themselves from the kin'toni who had overrun the entire region. The Herewardic city zu'aan would become known for their savagery and willingness to create all kinds of chaos in the region.

They were particularly unfriendly and unwilling to establish any sort of contact or conduct diplomacy. Their neighbors usually gave them a wide berth and avoided all forms of contact, due to their scary reputation. Their desire for vengeance was unfulfilled because of the kin'toni outbreaks taht scattered most of the zu'aan that had previously settled in the region. This led to more bitterness within the clan. The Herewardic city zu’aan displayed a strong sense of loyalty towards their fellow clan members.

This stemmed from their shared suffering as slaves in the mines of the region. They would go to any lengths to protect one of their own. They were capable of incredible sacrifices and selflessness for the good of the clan and regularly displayed exceptional bravery in battles. They had been through the worst phases of their lives and no longer feared death. Their only fear was of losing their freedoms for a second time.

Culture

The Herewardic city zu'aan developed a unique culture that was composed of the different cultures and lifestyles of its members. These clan members came from all sorts of background with their only common trait being their enslaved status and their time spent working together in the mines of the Nicandran region. Their founder, Vapraktove Dinah brought his own culture and lifestyle that he would promote among the newly formed clan. He was born to a family of farmers and was raised in the rural village tribes of the forest.

These tribes led a very primitive form of existence and knew very little about the outside world away from their village. The people relied on their primitive methods of agriculture which were still unchanged from its earliest days, along with hunting and gathering from their surrounding forests for their daily sustenance. They prided themselves for their artistic ability and crafting skills, which included designs for various kind of clothing, weapons and tools. She was educated in many of these skills and would rediscover them once she was freed.

These old zu’aan tribes wore clothing that was a mix of silk derived from wild forest plants and fur, that were stitched to together into elaborate layers and designed with exquisite needlework to reflect the status of the wearer. Their handicraft was no match for many of the other zu'aan in the region who would regularly visit their village for trade. The fame of their work sustained their reputation as well as provided them with an excess of resources to meet any emergency needs. Vapraktov was brought up in this climate and learnt many of the tribal prized skills.

One of his most prized possessions was a carved bone figure that he had fashioned over the course of his childhood years. He carried it around as a totem and would augment it into his sword later on in life. He spent many happy summers out in the terraced fields that the tribe used to plant their crops. The Herewardic city zu'aan would adopt these two activities as part of their culture. They started the large-scale cultivation of their surroundings which provided them with regular food grains, cotton and fibrous materials that were used to create the clan's clothing.

They also developed a unique crafting style that was used in many of their artistic creations and structures. Their culture reveled in violence and had a very old-fashioned sense of justice. They believed that it was within their right to capture and enslave all those who were responsible for their own enslavement. Their members were encouraged to take up arms against any zu'aan that they encountered within the region.

Government

As former slaves, the members of the Herewardic zu'aan were conditioned to respond to orders and commands. Vapraktov understood this when he became the leader of the clan. He asserted his authority over the clan and maintained a loyal core of bodyguards that were assigned to protect him as well as investigate civil disputes and keep the population in check. These measures were to prevent any form of dissent from arising within the clan. He was also a master at manipulating the clan for his own purposes.

He extensively promoted hatred and animosity towards the neighboring zu'aan clans which left the clan with little time to plot against him. The clan had a very effective propaganda machine that included town criers and announcers who would roam the city while shouting the latest news and developments in the region. These professionals were all connected to the leader and were paid to promote feelings of unity as well as spread hate towards a common enemy. This was useful in times of war as it led to more willing volunteers who would join the fight against the enemy.

It was used to promote loyalty towards the clan as well as to gather support for the clan leader. This made it very difficult for anyone looking to challenge for the position of clan leader to actually succeed. He was an authoritarian leader who controlled most aspects of the clan's affairs, including the economy, the administration, diplomacy and the military with the sole exception of the clan's private lives. He remained in power for as long as he could hold the clan under his control.

Challengers would appear along the way who would regularly challenge the leader for authority over the clan. Vapratkov was very shrewd when dealing with these challenges and would either have them taken care of in silent assassinations or debates- depending on the strength of their claim and the attitude of the clan members. The organization of the clan was very strict since the clan members responded only to a strong authority. Outside their homes, they would listen to the most powerful voice so long as it did not intrude in their personal lives.

Leaders had to keep this important principle in mind when ordering the clan around. The leader was also responsible for delivering justice to all members of the clan. He was the sole judge, jury and executioner who acted with the help of his loyal bodyguards who functioned as a police force within the clan. The people would bring their cases before the leader, who would then assign a bodyguard to carry out a thorough investigation of the case. It was only on the completion of these prerequisites that the leader would pronounce a judgement on the matter.

The clan were known to prescribe very harsh punishments. The intention of these punishments was to impart an understanding that infractions against the clan would not be tolerated. The clan generally had a very loyal membership who would not compromise their unity by committing crimes on their own people.

Military

The Herewardic city zu'aan experienced their first taste of combat during the later phases of their lives as slaves. It was during this period that they would break out in a revolution against their slaver. They were led by their charismatic leader, Vapratkov Dinah who conducted himself admirable and led a successful rebellion against their oppressors. He spent years trying to coordinate the effort and gathering support for the movement. He used his spare time beneath the mines visiting many of his fellow slaves and forming a network of trustworthy people who were willing to step up for his cause.

He encountered many people with combat and tactical experience, who would guide and train him for his coming breakout. His meticulous planning and some luck was vital to the success of his revolution. Most of the slavers were occupied with the kin'toni on the surface and the mines were not manned to handle a large-scale revolt. The slaves would break out using whatever tools they could find from the guard rooms and emerged on the surface to discover that the entire region was plagued by a new, genetically engineered species known as the kin'toni.

They witnessed with their own eyes the effects of a kin'toni raid and realized the precarious position they were in. They had to be able themselves against these large hordes to stand any chance of survival. Following this discovery, Vaprakto would start an all-out effort to shore up the clan's defenses. They embarked on a complete reorganization of the army with the intention of turning them into a well-trained and disciplined fighting force that could stand up against some of the best warriors that the region had to offer.

They complimented this fighting force with defensive walls that surrounded their entire settlements. This helped them lower their casualty rates and prevented the extinction of their clan. The leader of the clan was usually the leader of this fighting force. Thus, the Herewardic zu'aan leaders had to be experienced in combat or be able to think tactically and form strategic plans in order to succeed. Another important aspect of their military were the oaths that each personnel had to sign and recite at their initiation ceremonies.

The Herewardic city zu'aan's weapons were a mix of all kind that were usually scavenged off the dead bodies of their enemies. Their enemies possessed better weapons and armor due to the years of captivity they had been under. They made up for their lack of equipment with their fearlessness and brutality, and even their tactics. They would draw in opponents in smaller numbers and overwhelm them while capturing their weapons. Their military stockpiles would quickly rise and the clan was able to fully equip its entire army within a few years.

This turned them into a fearsome clan, capable of taking on both kin'toni and the best zu'aan armies.

Religion

The Herewardic city zu'aan clan were known for their unique religious traditions that originated from the slaves of the Nicandran mining camps. This religion was known for its stark difference from most of the other free zu'aan religions. Its principles called for violence against all other surface zu'aan who were involved in the slave trade or had a stake in it. It was a brutal religion that promised its worshippers- freedom from the yoke of their oppressors and a chance to exact their vengeance.

Their god was named Kimild and he was portrayed as an unnaturally tall zu'aan slave warrior who wielded a crude bone spear and a golden loin cloth. They believed that the god was a historical figure who liberated the region many thousands of years ago and was sympathetic to the plight of oppressed people all over the world. They believed that he was responsible for granting them the strength to survive their ordeal and would one day provide them a way out of their condition. Their prayed by chanting in whispers and making inscriptions and marks on their body as a constant reminder of their condition and their god's promise to liberate them.

They prayed to small miniature idols of their god that they carved out of smooth rocks. They would also embellish their equipment and clothes with symbols associated with their gods. The most common were the embellishing on their sword hilts and weapon handles that carried images and words that were associated with their god. Their religion originated among the oldest slaves who toiled in the mines of the region and were familiar with the legend of Kimild. They told stories of his exploits during the free time and these tales would eventually grow to have a life of their own.

His exploits were exaggerated until they all acquired a supernatural essence and the belief became a religion in itself. Their first leader, Vapraktov was known to be a devout follower of this religion which he grew acquainted with during his time in the mines. He would use it as a tool to unite the clan and to direct them towards a rebellion against their enslavers. He would sometimes proclaim that he had been sent by Kimild himself to fulfil the prophesy of their liberation.

Many of the slaves believed him and even his most skeptical doubters began to believe him, once he liberated them from the mines and led them to their freedom. The group would continue their worship of Kimeld in their newly established Herewardic city where they built many temples and sacrificial altars that were dedicated to their god. It became the official religion of the clan and every clan member was expected to subscribe to the belief. Those who did not worship Kimeld were seen as ungrateful and were consequently ostracized and expelled from the city.

The clan leader was expected to lead the clan in their prayers and ceremonies as the clan had no priestly class within their society.

Miscellany

Nearby Groups

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Herewardic City Zu'Aan

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