Cactulusca Tribal Zu'Aan

History

The Cactulusca tribal zu'aan were formed by a dutiful local zu'aan sheriff by the name of Kloeri Laodaeutra who took it upon himself to lead the local zu'aan to safety following the events of the kin'toni outbreak. The Czyker Wet Meadow was particularly vulnerable to the outbreak due to the lack of a defensive preparations and structures in anticipation of attacks. The region was normally very peaceful and the only break from the regular peace was the occasional lawlessness of local miscreants and small-time outlaws and bandits who occupied the roads leading to and from the region.

The sheriff Kloeri himself was part of the lawmen assigned to keep the law in town and were the closest things to military forces that the region had. These mounted troops were only armed with blunt weapons that were meant to induce shock or temporarily maim the victim. Thus, Kloeri had to adapt to new defensive measures when it came to tackling the kin'toni who were a deadly opponent capable of harming, killing and even turning their victims. Under his leadership.

He along with a few of his fellow comrades who hadn't fled yet began to organize a mass migration meant to take the people to a deeper and isolated region of the Czyker in order to keep themselves away from the reach of the kin'toni hordes. Although they were woefully ill-prepared for the events, the group would eventually find new ways to protect themselves from the kin'toni. These ingenious methods involved the repurposing of many normal tools to suit their military needs.

Their weapons mostly constituted of these reconverted, makeshift weapons that were durable enough to fend off the kin'toni for a short while. Kloeri was also an adept bowman who regularly honed his skills in the art. He would impart his knowledge to the clan and turn them into deadly ranged warriors. By the time they were fully settled in the region, new buildings and defensive structures began to come up all around them to aid them in their defense against the kin'toni.

These included tall, wooden walls palisades that couldn't be scaled without the help of extremely tall ladders and were regularly interspaced with spikes and thorn bushes to prevent anyone from easily scaling them. The clan would be able to progress as a society and developed a new way of life behind the security of these fences. They would grow on to become a successful colony with citizens that were organized into the military and worker classes. They had a strict division of labor to help them carry out their work and defense efficiently.

They had an all-encompassing government that limited some liberties and freedoms of its citizens so that dissent wouldn't arise when they were forced to make tough decisions out of necessity. Their society became known for the absence of any money. All the needs of the citizenry were taken care of by the government, according to Kloeri's ideals. Trade was limited due to their precarious position where they could not afford to have the location of their settlement leak out to other clans and tribes.

Psychology

The Cactulusca zu'aan tribe were driven by the desire to survive. This desire triumphed all their other needs and was the motivation behind all of their actions. Their deep attachment to survival was due to the principles and teachings of their founder Kloeri Laodaeutra. He was known for his love of the clan and wanted to ensure their survival even after he was gone. Thus, he imparted in them a new set of teachings and principles that would help them to adapt to the new ways of the world and the skills that would be needed to survive it.

His first lessons on survival began with adaptability. He was aware that the clan would one day be required to move into new environments and surroundings when the kin'toni threat grew too large. The Cactulusca were thus taught to not become too attached to their buildings and the safety of their structures and defenses. He would make it mandatory for members of the clan to participate in regular outdoor campaigns where the sole purpose was to live off the land. This meant collecting fruits and edible plants as well as hunting the many wildlife that populated the environment.

They had many other methods to collect water from the bark of trees, plant hardy and resilient crops and to fashion warm clothes out of the fur and fern like leaves of the trees in the region. These practices would become a regular practice among the clan until survival became second nature to them. The clan were also had a high regard for the life of their zu'aan members. This stemmed from their early days when their numbers were severely limited and the loss of even one life could be extremely detrimental to their survival efforts.

They took extreme care to prevent the loss of life and were very perceptive of their fellows needs. Their policies were also geared towards providing all their members with adequate and equal amenities and tools for their survival. These were regulated by the government who took a leading role in this venture. Their members were known to be fiercely loyal and were capable of any undertaking for their collective good. They were fine with making any sacrifices to their individual freedoms and liberties to ensure that the clan would not fall into disarray or disorder.

Thus, they accepted Kloeri's harsh rules and regulations as a necessity that had to be indulged in order to ensure their continued survival. This continues to be the norm to this day when the clan face hardships and have to resort to harsh discipline and order to keep themselves alive. They are not known to rebel or show dissent towards their leaders, instead they sympathize with his responsibilities and try their best to follow the regulations in the hopes that their sacrifices will lead to better times in the future.

They were very optimistic in their approach and attitudes towards life, often quipping that since they had survived the worst of the kin’toni outbreaks and the Shattering, they could survive anything that the world would throw their way.

Culture

The Cactulusca zu’aan culture placed a high regard for the society as a whole. People were encouraged to socialize and know their neighbors and fellow clan members. There were many group activities and festivities all year round that celebrated many occasions such as the changing seasons or a member’s birthday and achievements. Kloeri encouraged these periodic festivities when he first set up the clan, as a means to overcome the gloom and constant stress that they were exposed to in this new world.

These festivities also helped to nurture the feeling of brotherhood among the members and made them think for the collective good of their fellows. Preparations for these festivals would start some months before the actual date. The clan would start by donating at least a tenth of whatever they collected in their daily lives for a communal fund that would hold all the supplies to be used in their festivities. The clan was known to have many of the old winemakers of the Czyker region.

They would have a chance to showcase their expertise with these supplies which they would ferment into all varieties of drinks for the clan’s consumption. This sort of revelry was limited only to the days of such revelry and was not condoned on other days. Many of the clan members would be found happily intoxicated and laughing their troubles on these festivals and helped to sustain the mood until the next occasion. Kloeri was very pragmatic and serious even during these festivities. He would ensure that there were always some contingent of guards on the lookout at all times.

The guard duty during these festivities were usually for the latest recruits of the army. Or soldiers who had earned some form of punishment. The Cactulusca had many poets and bards among their clan. They were famous for their deep and passionate works of poetry and songs that reflected on a softer and more emotional side of the stoic clan, who were known for their serious attitudes towards work and life. Their settlements would come alive with songs, music and recitations of these passionate verses when they were in an inebriated state.

The Cactulusca culture was known for the treatment of the entire clan as one big family. Private possessions only consisted of clothing and weapons or tools. The rest of the clan’s possessions were meant to be the shared property of all its members. This helped them maintain their collective mindset and helped them survive periods of scarcity when everything was shared equally between all members of the clan. It was common for families to take care of other kids as their own and for people to enter and use the facilities of any house or shelter within their settlement.

Kloeri had a set of strict guidelines to punish miscreants who used these freedoms to harass and disturb the life of the home's occupants. The Cactulusca took many measures to ensure that their way of life and learnings did not die out during this period. It was customary for every child to attend a basic school till adolescence, when they would be sent into apprenticeships in any workshop or occupation based on their choice and physical and mental capacity.

Government

The government of the Cactalusca clan remained unchanged from the system that was first created by their founder, Kloeri Laodaeutra. The group was founded with a single authoritarian leader who was to take care of the clan’s every need by instituting wise rules, regulations and policies that would ensure the continued survival of the clan. The leader was expected to be strict and at the same time- caring towards his clan’s needs. The mold for leadership was defined by Kloeri himself.

He knew that given the prevailing circumstances of their times there was no room for errors as well as questioning of the leadership. Weak leadership had been the cause of splits in many of the zu’aan clans and their lesser numbers resulting from these splits would render them more vulnerable both to the environment and the kin’toni. He understood that in order to maximize the clan’s efficiency in gathering resources as well as being a lethal fighting unit, he had to be the glue that held them together- be it by force or by showing affection.

He was a self-proclaimed leader who led through authority and force. As a sheriff of the region, he was already accustomed to serving the public and knew that the clan’s best chances of survival lay with him at the helm. He had the necessary combat skills for defense and an understanding of military organization and administration as well as the backing of many sheriffs who served under him. These loyal henchmen would become his first members and advisors in the creation of the Cactalusca clan.

Most of the zu’aan in the region instantly responded to his authority and gladly agreed to join his new clan. He promised these members security and a certain standard of life in their new region that he established in an isolated part of the Cyker region. These promises would become the duty of every leader who assumed control of their clan. In order to ensure security, certain measures would be put into place such as the mandatory military training sessions to keep the clan in a constant state of readiness.

This was followed by the construction of palisades and traps all around the boundaries of the clan's settlements. The normal citizenry of the clan were only called up as militiamen when the clan’s survival was threatened. In other cases, all military operations were conducted by a professional military of the clan who were granted certain privileges in return for their service. These privileges included guaranteed allotments of food provisions, access to weapons and more freedom to move outside the walls of the settlements in order to perform their duties.

Freedom was more restricted for the normal citizens, movement outside the strictly forbidden unless special permission had been provided alond with an armed escort. Also, speech and meetings were carefully regulated and people were not allowed to speak out against the clan leader or start revolts.

Military

Ever since the clan’s conception, Kloeri Laodaeutra had envisioned a strong military that would help to protect the clan against the kin’toni as well as any hostile zu’aan and internal revolts. He had a head start in his understanding of military affairs due to his previous training as a sheriff, He had already seen combat and had distinguished himself with his display of valor and skill, even sustaining some mortal wounds that led to him being crowned a hero among the people of the Cyker region.

He would build the new Cactulusca zu’aan clan on the back of a reliable military. Some of the first military of his clan were fellow sheriffs that had served alongside him. They were tasked with the protection and training of the fledgling clan until such time when they had enough numbers to create a military.  According to Kloeri’s policies, the military was not a mandatory service for all members of the clan. They were constituted from among volunteers who wanted to devote their lives to protecting the clan.

For which they received certain privileges such as choice ration of food and supplies as well as the freedom to travel outside the settlement’s walls and come across many adventures. The first of these military were hand trained by Kloeri and his sheriff friends. They were taught to become disciplined fighters who could fight as a unit as well as survive individually out in the field when tasked for stealthier and information gathering missions. They were taught the art of scouting as well as the survival skills that were mandatory among all members of the clan.

Their fighting was a mix of both melee and ranged weapons. Due to the lack of metalwork in the region their main melee weapons consisted of sheriff batons and staffs that were used to stun enemies as well as trip and cause blunt injuries. Their ranged weapons mainly consisted of bows and arrows that were tipped with jagged bones. These ranged weapons were their primary means of engaging their enemies and they were thus more effective in its use. Their weapons were produced indigenously by the clan themselves from the many sturdy trees of the region and the bones of hunted animals.

Kloeri also allowed the scavenging of weapons and tools from their dead enemies as many of their neighbors had better quality weapons and access to metal works. While military service was not mandatory for the civilians of the clan, they were expected to join in on the basic training and participate in outdoor campaigns where they were taught to survive off the land. This was to keep them prepared for any situation and to ensure that they would survive in any location if there was a need to abandon their current habitats.

They were expected to pitch in during the worst-case scenarios where the clan’s existence was under threat or when their settlements were under siege. The Cactulusca’s citizens usually pitched in on the war effort with many of their civilian tools which could double as militarily tools. Their civilian's tools included wooden pitchforks, staffs and stone axes that were used for cutting wood.

Religion

Kloeri Laodaeutra made no changes to the religion and spiritual practices of the Cactulusca tribe when he became their leader. He was aware that he would need as much goodwill as he could garner and thus did not make any arbitrary changes to the clan’s spiritual practices for the sake of normalcy and peace. He was not a religious person himself but would participate in all of the clan’s religious events, even supporting them with supplies for their ceremonies and sacrifices.

This in turn helped to soothe the population in times of hardship and gave him legitimacy in the eyes of many of the religious folks who saw his regular participation in their ceremonies as a sign of his devoutness and suitability for the role. The Cactalusca worshipped the old god of the Czyker region. Their god was associated with life and death and for the cycle of life in the region. Most of their religious festivals were thus held to commemorate the natural cycle of life and death – the arrival of spring which was seen as a sign of birth and life and the harvesting season was seen as death.

When all lifeforms went back to meet their creator. The Cactulusca’s religion was a way of life for most of the people and it was common to find both religious as well as non-religious people attending many of the ceremonies. They considered these ceremonies as social gatherings and an opportunity for them to socialize and share the latest gossip. The religious ceremonies would slowly lose their meanings over time and became known for their social purpose. These gatherings and ceremonies were conducted in a large wooden pantheon that was among the first structures to be built when the clan built its settlement.

The building had more than a single purpose and could double as a fortress where the citizens took shelter in times of siege or natural calamities. Aside from this religious structure, the clan also constructed many other small religious artifacts and places of worship. These structures were usually stone and wood statues that were carved in the shapes of their god and embedded into trees or giant stone outcroppings. Many remains of animal and grain sacrifices could be found at the foot of these religious relics.

The clan had a devoted order of priest and monks who regulated religious life in the region. Kloeri was careful in separating the religious and administrative sections of the clan so that these religious orders were not able to manipulate the religious feelings of the people for their own political purposes. This would go a long way in ensuring that no feelings of dissent arose among the clan and his leadership remained unchallenged and safe from any internal revolts.

Miscellany

Nearby Groups

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