Estangaugh Kin'toni Clan

History

The Estangaugh clan is known for their leader’s tragic history which shaped them all in some ways too. A clan is family, what happens to one, effects the other. And when their leader, who they admired greatly, suffered so badly, the whole clan did too. When the first of the kin’toni were made, they all had no sense of identity and had this urge which made them go on a hunting and killing spree, drinking the blood of animal and zu’aan alike. These were a few in number and kept hidden and mostly to themselves. This made them an easy target for the zu’aan who were not going to let their world be taken over by kin’toni.

These zu’aan made groups and formed armies. They attacked these kin’toni who hadn’t yet grasped what they were and how they should prevent being spotted. One of such groups was a zu’aan tribal group. These zu’aan used to live in one of the grandest cities of the world before the science experiment went wrong and the kin’toni were made. These were the avenging warriors who went around killing kin’toni. They had loaded themselves with weapons and had grown hard over the years with this work. This group was led by the tribe’s chief’s daughter. Her name was Peur Luna.

She was a beautiful girl of 20 who had seen the world before the kin’toni outbreak and wished to bring things back to normal. With swords strapped to her back, cold and unfeeling eyes only secured on her target and her face scarred from years of fighting, she looked like what she truly was; a fighter. Along with her group, she came and murdered these kin’toni and only one was able to escape. His name was Damnum. He kept mostly to shadows and kept watch at night. The girl was determined to finish his life and followed. Due to his extraordinary kin’toni senses, Damnum knew he was being followed but he waited for the perfect opportunity to kill her.

He didn’t fear her and when the opportunity came to attack her, to his surprise, he found that he couldn’t. He had come to realize that he had fallen in love with her. He told her that he wouldn’t kill her but instead help her find her way safely to her tribe. Peur Luna was reluctant and decided to leave this kin’toni alone and find her way back herself. But he kept following her and finding her wherever she went. She allowed him at last to help her and in time took a liking to him. She taught him about the world and how kin’toni usually behave. Told him all about the chaos they had ensued everywhere and he told her about his story. They were able to help each other this way.

They returned to her tribe and she tried to tell all the zu’aan about the kin’toni she had learnt off; that they aren’t all monsters, just scared creatures who are terrified by the events that occurred to them, that they act on instinct alone because no one taught them anything else and that if they aren’t provided proper guidance, they might find their own and become powerful and dangerously clever creatures who would cause even greater damage than they were currently doing. That they had hearts too and carried emotions.

The zu’aan didn’t listen to her, they called her lovesick and the chief himself tried to kill Damnum. When Peur Luna saw that they weren’t going to listen to reason, she fled with him and started a new life. They recruited many kin’toni who had just got turned and couldn’t understand their situation and what was happening to them. They started their own clan with them, with Damnum and Peur Luna as its leaders. Peur Luna helped them accept themselves, to control their urges and to do as less harm as they could and Damnum helped along. This gave Peur Luna hope that the world was indeed broken, but this could help restore peace and fix it.

They helped the kin’toni and in turn the kin’toni showed great loyalty to them. Many other kin’toni also joined this clan and it went to become a large clan. The tribe Peur Luna was from, hadn’t given up hunting. They wanted to kill the kin’toni who they believed had bewitched their daughter and bring her back to them. They attacked the clan, but at that time they didn’t know that the quickest way to kill a kin’toni was to spear it through the heart. They thought that badly injuring them would kill them. They did badly injure Damnum but it wasn’t enough to kill him. Peur Luna was also trying and fighting to protect the kin’toni.

She was still trying to reason with the zu’aan and was hurt badly because of that. She was a zu’aan and wouldn’t be able to recover that fast, and her wounds would most likely kill her. Her situation was so critical that Damnum offered her what he had never before; the option to turn her into kin’toni. He always knew she loved being zu’aan; that the way experienced things, observed beauty and found light even in the darkest of times was what no kin’toni could ever achieve because this was something that only the zu’aan could feel. In offering her to become a kin’toni, Damnum was subjecting her to a life of immortality and misery.

That maybe the girl who would come back would only be the echo of who she once was and that would make her terribly unhappy. He couldn’t make her unhappy for all his selfishness. Thus, he let his Luna die in his arms, all the while his own tears tracing a river down her cheeks. This incident formed the basis of this clan. After the night the zu’aan attacked, the number of the kin’toni population had dwindled in number as many of them died during this battle. Many others came to join it and still do. They do this because of the teachings still taught here even decades after the death of one of their founders.

These teachings are taught by Damnum Estangaugh, who is one of the two founders. His features are young, but there is a pain that radiates off him and is reflected in his actions too.

Biology

The Estangaugh Kin'toni Clan are adapted to the cold, snowy and in winter, dark Serray Evergreen Taiga. Their bodies are tall, slender and elongated, to aid silent movement though the thick underbrush. Their limbs are long, thin and bony, as to fit though gaps between trees. Their thick leathery skin, mottled in shades of dark green and grey for camouflage on the dark shadows between the trees of the Serray Evergreen Taiga. The skin has multiple thick layers of leathery tissue and deep pigment to insulation from the cold environment.

The clan members each have hair and an "mane" of dark grey and moss green hair covering their necks, shoulders, chests and backs as an adaption to stay warm. The fur is waterproof and designed so they can swim in cold water with little problem. The ears are short, pointed and lined with moss green fur. The ears, along with the nose have fine, stiff hairs acting as sensory filters, adapted to wick away water and lower ice buildup. Their hearing is tuned to filter out the sounds of rushing wind though the trees as to allow them to focus on prey movement.

The noses are wide and flat, with warming hairs and larger inner parts designed to warm air breathed in. The smell is designed to be best and tracking scents carried by the air in the cold, scent-trapping forests. Their jaws are large and powerful, with extra bone as an attachment point for larger, enhanced jaw muscles. Their teeth have four inch long canines, with sharp tips and edges, and four catassnal teeth, along with sharp molars. These are to bite though the thick hides of the taiga megafauna.

The clan have unique claws, designed to be semi retractable, ice piecing with reinforced keratin tips able to secure footholds on sheer, frozen bark and icy surfaces. The hands and feet have broad snowshoe pads as to spread body weight to avoid sinking info the snow. The hands have powerful grips, with furry pads that help them grip onto often icy, slippery surfaces. Their legs are long and thin, as to help lower their weight on the soft snow. They have joints with modified cartilage and fluid sacks that dampen the sounds of movement.

This is to help with stealth in the dense, brittle undergrowth of the taiga. There is skeletal reinforcement in the elbows and knees, as to absorb shock from high leaps onto frozen ground. Their fast-twitch muscles and enhanced mitochondrial activity are utilized to generate quick, explosive bursts of acceleration. This is needed to deal with large, cold adapted prey with thick hides. Due to this, the clan lack endurance and brute stengh past short bursts. The blood vessels are deep and thick. The blood vessels have specialized, tight vasoconstriction points to conserve core heat and to avoid the thermel vision adaptions of some kin'toni clans.

In their bodies, they have large amounts of the protein-like substances preventing cellular freezing, these are hyper expressed and modified. These are adapted to survive the pervasive, sustained sub-zero temperatures of the biome, and lead to deep-tissue thermal resistance. They are able to absorb oxygen though the skin, even when the dermal surface is coated in heavy hoarfrost or even thin ice.

Culture

The Estangaugh live in a clearing in the middle of a forest. It can’t exactly be called a clearing as it is dense enough to provide complete shelter from sunlight. It is a cleared space in the middle of the forest, covered by large canopies of leaves which provides them solid shade from the blistering sunlight. This is clearing can house their huts, workspace, and training grounds easily. The clan has built their huts on trees and use bridges and slings to go from one place to another. They make use of self made ladders and vines dangling from trees to climb up, though, they mainly climb it themselves to prevent any zu’aan following them up or leading any big animal to their territory.

The Estangaugh clan’s kin’toni love their leader and are ready to sacrifice their lives for him. Some of the first kin’toni of this clan are often heard telling the newcomers about the story of their lady Peur Luna, who founded their clan and helped them find meaning to their lives. Because of their love for Lady Estangaugh, the kin’toni have the tradition of weddings and living as a pair in remembrance of her. The kin’toni of this clan are unlike any other clan in their belief that the zu’aan are creatures like them, just a little less advanced. That they don’t need to be hunted, killed or turned to be used.

Peur Luna was a zu’aan. It was she who taught them that the kin’toni shouldn’t use their abilities to murder innocent beings and must resort to finding peace instead of slavery and torture. Her teachings are still taught by the first of the kin’toni who joined the Estangaughs. Because of this non-violent behaviour of this clan, the zu’aan are able to make treaties and deals with them. Their clothing is made from the zu’aan method which was taught by Peur Luna. They have also learnt to dye these clothes. They wear dresses of every colour but red, which symbolizes the great amount of blood shed occurred on the night the zu’aan tribe invaded the kin’toni.

They give great importance to education and enlightment. They study the herbs in the forest around them. Their knowledge of the herbs is astounding; they’ve made medicines, balms, bandages and developed many methods to improve this study. All these items come from their plants and trees which they grow with great care. They are still the most advanced clan in the medicine sector. In honor of Lady Estangaugh, they have a 3-day mourning period every year. They wear black clothing and come to pay their respects at her grave. They put flowers on her grave and pray to her to let them find peace and to never let them stray from the path of the righteous.

Due to their leader’s tragic story, they even have a mourning period for the widows and widowers who have lost their partners. They eat cooked food and add spices to it to give it flavour. They grow these spices themselves, giving great care to these delicate plants. They do carry small blades with them, as a means of protection against attacks. They are a group of disciplined kin’toni who use their ideas for betterment and prefer to resort to fighting only as a last measure.

Government

The Estangaugh clan used to have two leaders who ruled over them all with justice. They were an odd pair, one a kin’toni and another zu’aan, but they were a great match and took great care of their clan. After the zu’aan attacked and their leader, Peur Luna was killed in it, only Damnum was left to take care of their shattered and post-battle clan. He was himself stricken with grief and shock and wasn’t in a state to fully maintain order and govern. Damnum is the supreme unifying entity. He is considered their dictator. His only authority is to choose and appoint kin’toni under him who take care of various departments.

They are his right hands as they are the ones who actually rule the territory. The first department is the one that is responsible for collecting food. That means that they are basically hunters. These kin’toni shoot arrows and have deadly aims. They hunt small animals like deers and different species of birds, as hunting the big animals, like bears or tigers, is strictly against their customs. Their belief is that these animals are to be trained to fight battles with them. For this purpose, there is another department. They capture these animals as cubs and train them to obey their masters. This additional help comes really handy in case of an invasion or battle.

The next department is the one that is responsible to maintain law and order in the clan. They ensure that rules are followed and limits are kept well in check. Other than the usual crimes of betrayals and spying etc. there are other actions which this department considers as crimes. Some of these actions are; speaking ill of the dead, failure to respect Damnum Estangaugh, or failure to comply with any given responsibility. Any breach or carelessness can prove catastrophic for them all so these crimes have only one retribution; burying the sinner alive.

It is believed that burying those kin’toni alive will ensure loyalty to the clan in the world beyond. This way the spirits of the dead, they believe, will purify the spirits of the disloyal and unworthy ones, would fix their flaws and make them better individuals. There is another department which prepares the food for the whole clan. They cook food in large cauldrons. These cauldrons are placed on the ground away from the trees so that they can’t catch fire. These kin’toni also look after the dictator’s needs.

There is a craftsmen department too, which designs the infrastructure of their tree houses and walkways. They put great efforts in studying their structures and teach others too. This group also has designed a quick exit out of the forest incase of a forest fire. There is another department which is responsible for making weaponry and planning against the zu’aan. the Estangaugh prefer using arrows and spears in combat and thus, these are frequently made. There is also a department which studies medicine. They develop formulas and study the plants to prepare treatments for various injuries.

They grow these plants in their own clearing and experiment on them.

Military

The military of the Estangaugh clan was first organized by Peur Luna, who was a warrior herself. Even decades after her death, the structure of the military forces she designed are still followed, with only a few alterations. After her death, Damnum, who used to be a great warrior himself, lost his fighting spirit. His grief had left him so shattered that he isn’t even able to defend himself anymore. He is still a well-respected figure, even if he doesn’t involve himself in the politics anymore. The military included 70 kin’toni. 5 of them are Damnum’s personal guards. They have promised to lay down their lives for him.

There are 8 guards posted around the burial ground. That place is considered holy and these guards are told to protect it at all costs. This burial ground is near the clearing as it was the only flat ground in the whole forest and is so much more vulnerable. These guards prevent the unholy zu’aan from getting anywhere near that site if they are ever under attack. Furthermore, they’ve grown vines around it, to conceal that area from view. The other military forces are of the fighters and the defense kin’toni;

The fighter delegation is a highly trained and skilled one. They are 15 in number. They train day and night, below the trees that house the kin’toni above. They use the clearing for these purposes and have learnt to fight using their fangs, spears etc. They are also the best archers and can shoot with absolute precision. Every morning these kin’toni set off to hunt. They test their training that way and bring food and blood back to the clan. For their training, they attack the greater animals, and steal their cubs to train. They aren’t allowed to hurt these animals but they take their cubs to train them to fight beside them.

There is a group of 10 trainers whose job is to look after these animals; feed them, bathe them, keep them fit and healthy etc. They take these animals (from their mothers when they are only a few days old and raise them. They train them to attack and also for defense purposes. The defense team consists of 42 defenders who are responsible for the lookout of the forest. They patrol the forest with their animals and together, make up an impenetrable force. They are trained to fire spears and shoot arrows from higher ground as well from hiding behind some bushes.

The higher ground forces consist of 12 kin’toni while the on-ground force consist of 20. Out of all these, a group of 10 kin’toni may leave their territory to fight invading zu’aan or other kin’toni. This is only kept as a last resort. The kin’toni, after their battle with the zu’aan, haven’t allowed even one to creep near their forest. They are extremely vary of spies and check every new kin’toni who has decided to join this clan, thoroughly.

Religion

The Estangaughs worship the dead. They believe that the ones who have died, have the power to listen to their prayers and fulfill them. They believe that life after death gives you a chance to help the living, to grant their prayers. They also believe in the afterlife. The goal of ancestor veneration is to ensure the ancestors' continued well-being and positive disposition towards the living, and the living sometimes asks for special favours or assistance. They believe that the dead never really leave their side, in person they may not exist but they are always nearby.

Their loved ones keep a watch on them, they protect them. It is their firm belief that those who have left this world know otherworldly secrets. Knowledge beyond comprehension. It is thought that the spirits of the deceased have the portal to both worlds. Disparage of the dead is considered an unforgivable sin. They visit the graves of their dead on the second night of every month. They would set out to graveyards, light candles, and pray to them. They believe that the spirits of their loved ones would come back to this world on that particular night and they could be near to them.

The kin’toni refresh the graves, water them, clean them and decorate them with flowers. This is considered as a remembrance, to give something in return to their gods. They call this day Secundus. The Kin’toni of this clan believes in feeding the dead. So much that their graves contain pipes through which the kin of the deceased can pour blood and other food items into their grave on the grounds. They believe that the dead long for the food of the living and even if they receive plenty of food in the other world, the food of the living can be a particular delicacy.

They also believe that the dead appreciate this gesture from the living and grant their prayers more frequently. They feed their dead on the Secundus. They perform this ritual while renewing graves, pray and talk to them. They wear their best clothes while going for this ritual as they believe that since they would talk to the dead, they must look presentable doing so. Famadihana is a funeral tradition followed by the Estangaugh Kin’toni clan. In it the kin’toni dance with the dead bodies as part of the Famadihana custom. Whenever someone dies, their bodies are wrapped in a fresh clean cloth and a fire is lit.

The kin’toni also have a feast and sit around the fire to eat. They dance around the fire and the tombs to the tunes of their drums until the burial ritual takes place. This clan encourages the loved ones of the dead to be happy for their deaths as that means that they have joined a better world and have someone to remember and take care of their bodies for them. Their souls will be purified, and they will unite in the next world. It is believed that the lost souls have only parted for a time being.

Miscellany

The Estangaugh clan lives in a humid climate in the forest. It doesn’t rain often and when it does, the plants and trees soak most of it up quickly so there is little left to store. They need to drink water to account for the water lost due to evaporation. The kin’toni built a water well as a solution to this problem. They built it in their clearing and it has proved sufficient enough to let all kin’toni drink from it. The herbs they have discovered have also aided them immensely. They are the most advanced in medicine and are able to treat their kin’toni much quicker than the other clans can.

They grow these herbs in their clearing, make balms from them and have discovered many methods to extract poison from their bodies. They use these plants for bandaging purposes too and make different remedies for wounds in paste forms. Incase of forest fires, which can start with the smallest strike of lightening, these kin’toni have developed ways to prevent it from spreading. In order to put the fire out, water is required. They don’t have much of it anyways so the only option left is to cut of oxygen so that the fire can’t spread.

They use a special kind of fireproof and moist vines, which they weave into blankets, and use it to put out fires. They use moist wood too. They have also prepared a special mechanism which consists of pulleys, ropes and a lever. At any sighn of smoke, they immediately evacuate the area using this mechanism. Wood catches fire way too fast and they developed a special evacuation passage. This passage leads to a sheltered area which is kept stocked with all the necessary items. The passage can also be used incase of an invasion and if all their defenses and army fail.

If a clever zu’aan or invading kin’toni comes up with the idea to set fire to their forest to draw them out, the Estangaughs can use their passage to move to safety quickly. The kin’toni are delicate creatures and can’t stand heat. This is why they protect the forest and take extreme care while lighting fire for cooking their meals or to take respite from the cold. They are extremely cautious while lighting fires and do it in the middle of the clearing and on a windless day so it cannot spread. The female kin’toni of this clan are required to dye their hair an orange-gold colour using marigold extract and lemon juice.

This indicates that they have found their suitor and have gotten married. Their festivals are celebrated in the clearing and they spread out hammocks to lie beside the great fire that burns on these occasions. They feast around this fire, tell each other stories about their conquests and discoveries. And once in a while, Damnum might come out of his hut above and sit with them to participate in these festivals, or what passed for his participation, which was to stand apart from everyone and watch the proceedings.

Nearby Groups

Unknown

Estangaugh Kin'toni Clan

Unknown