J'tar Kin'toni Clan

History

J’tar comes from the oldzu'aan term for “cold”. And it is because of this that the J’tar kin'toni Clan is appropriately named. Known to survive even the harshest frozen conditions, the members of the J’tar kin'toni Clan seem to welcome and even praise freezing temperatures that most of their race and even zu'aan would fear. The J’tar are an initially weak-willed group of individuals that were cast out of zu'aan cities and tribes upon contracting the disease. Some members of the J’tar kin'toni Clan are castaways from other kin'toni tribes when they are deemed too weak or too dangerous to remain.

The castaways have gathered over the years at the edge of Taerel where the encroaching ice meets all manner of life. The J’tar kin'toni that are already inducted welcome and teach their banished brethren how to survive and embrace the ice that most would fear. Over time and through pure willpower, these J’tar kin'toni learn to lead at fruitful existence in the frozen parts of the world and work as a clan to survive. They have formed a method of maintaining heat and warmth within and near the ice itself. They have also carved tomb-like rooms and beds inside the glaciers to create a form of sleeping quarters.

Throughout the years, this way of life has become all the J’tar know. Their communication is a language unto themselves that outside zu'aan refer to as the J’tari tongue. the zu'aan have also witnessed unusual ceremonies and sacrifices wherein it appear that the J’tar kin'toni are worshipping the ice itself. In some ways, it seems that the J’tar kin'toni Clan have grown to believe that all life comes from the ice and so it must end by it. Through their time isolated from other kin'toni andzu'aan, they have grown to believe that they are the chosen race to live on after the ice has decimated everything else.

The J’tar have created intricate cave systems within the glaciers themselves. They move with the ice and kill and sometimes turn zu'aan that have become lost or abandoned along the edges of Taerel. One of the largest glaciers that they call Eldan functions as a moving city for the main body of the J’tar kin'toni Clan The J’tar worship the ice, live in the ice, and at times, die by the ice. The greatest honor amongst the J'tar kin'toni is to meet an unintentional death by the ice itself. Although they have grown resistant to the cold considering their time spent amongst the glaciers and their harsh methods of induction into the clan.

It is still possible for a J’tar kin'toni (especially one of weak will) to fall pray to the ice that most zu'aan and kin'toni would fear. It is because of this mentality that the J’tar kin'toni do not mourn those that freeze to death during their induction ceremonies or otherwise. In J’tari culture, once you freeze you become one with the ice which is what they all ultimately hope for in the end.

Biology

Members of the J’tar kin'toni Clan have light purple irises with white sclera and vertical slit pupils. They stand at an average height of 4' - 5' 7" for males and 4' 3"- 5' 8" for females. They have a total of 44 teeth. It includes 12 incisors, 4 canines, 16 premolars, and 12 molars. Only the upper 2 canines extend beyond their lips as "fangs". The enamel of their teeth has a bluish tint to it. Their tongues are black in color and the tip of their tongues are blunt and rounded. The J’tar kin'toni Clan has a heightened sensation of vision, especially at night.

But they suffer from a poor sensation of smell, except when it comes to fresh zu'aan blood. They have an extremely good sense of taste. The J'tar Kin'toni are known to be able to specify which animal the blood belongs to from merely tasting it. If a zu'aan survives a J'tar Kin'toni attack, the Kin'toni will be able to recognize its victim even years after the encounter if it is ever able to taste the same zu'aan's blood again. They are unusually resistant to cold weather. Unlike most other Kin'toni clans, J'tar Kin'toni are known to survive even in freezing conditions.

Their foreheads are smooth, and their eyebrows are thin and tilted. Their noses have a thick ridge on its mid-line extending from the root to the tip. These formations are called "nasal ridges". The females have more prominent ridges than the males. They have 211 bones. The extra bones come from the 13 pairs of ribs and the single bone forming the nasal ridge. The bones are solid with no medullary cavity as there is no bone marrow making blood cells. Their hair color usually varies from lavender to violet. The J'tar Kin'toni rarely keep their hair beyond shoulder length as it tends to fall out from the weight beyond that.

They have normal round ear lobes that are unattached. Their skin is pale with dull greenish splotches in varying places. The texture of their hair is coarse and always light in color. The J’tar kin'toni heart consists of a single chamber, the atrium. This organ is significantly smaller than the average zu'aan heart. Their livers are dark, large, dry and firm in consistency. And their spleens are atrophied and nonfunctional. Members of the J’tar kin'toni Clan’s blood vessels have almost completely “dried up". Except for a few major arteries and veins; few smaller vessels remain in their bodies.

And the capillaries have completely disappeared in them. Since they have no capillaries, their lung alveoli are degenerated. As a result, their lungs are significantly smaller, harder, and darker. Their feet have arches, and they can run slightly faster than the average zu'aan. Exposure to sunlight instantly burns their skin. Death usually occurs in 3-5 minutes. The skin on their disfigured body looks crimson red and molten. Fresh zu'aan blood forms their ideal diet. An average J'tar Kin'toni can go 15-35 days without fresh zu'aan blood after their last full meal.

They can survive on the flesh and blood of other animals even though it is a poor substitute for fresh zu'aan blood and most J'tar Kin'toni end up emaciated and undernourished after living only on animals for prolonged periods of time.

Culture

The J’tar kin'toni Clan’s culture is unusually civil considering their naturally animalistic nature. They do not see a separation between genders, age, etc. They treat each other equally and expect the same work and contribution from each member of the clan no matter the circumstance. Because of the harsh climates that they have chosen to live and flourish in, they must work together in all aspects of life in order to survive. There is not room for petty squabbles or risks of death outside of hunting and being consumed by the ice, which is their ultimate goal and what is considered an honorable demise.

The use of large forms of fire is strictly forbidden amongst members of the J’tar kin'toni Clan. In particular, open flame is never allowed within their glacier cities themselves. Even a small match lit within the cave systems and tunnels of their ice home, Eldan, is considered taboo and against everything the J’tari stand for. They stoke small flames outside the moving blocks of ice. That way once the flames are doused, they are then consumed by the glaciers as they move along Taerel’s terrain. Atop the flames they place great black stones that absorb and retain heat for hours and sometimes days.

These stones are moved in large chests by multiple able-bodied J’tari and are distributed inside the cities to their many living quarters and atriums. The stones are able to produce and emanate enough heat for the continued survival of the kin'toni within. Through the use of wet grass and other naturally existing items (such as animal pelts, furs, etc.) the stones are set atop these mats so that their warmth does not penetrate or damage the glaciers themselves. The amount of time and effort that it takes for the J’tar kin'toni Clan to maintain a healthy existence within the ice confoundszu'aan and even other kin'toni.

From the outside looking in, no one can understand their commitment to the moving glaciers’ survival, even beyond their own. They sacrifice their comfort and time to ensure that nothing harms the ice most would fear and dread. For the J’tar kin'toni Clan, the answer is simple. The ice gave them live and a home when no one or nothing else would. Its grand stature and status in the minds of others is enough to convince anyone that it is the unshapely will or body of an entity stronger than most. Beyond that, it is certainly possible that some original member of the clan has had communication with an entity that mostzu'aan and other kin'toni would immediately dismiss as the deranged ramblings of broken castaways.

But considering the clan’s quick adaption to an otherwise completely hazardous environment, is it so hard to believe that they are receiving outside help?zu'aan scholars believe that one of the original members could have been a radical thinkingzu'aan scientist named Rozana To’nan who was banished and disappeared on the edges of Taerel many years ago. Her ramblings usually consisted of the accidental discovery of a being within the ice. Maybe someone should have believed her.

Government

The J’tar kin'toni Clan’s form of government is centered around a shaman or a type of seer that represents the needs and desires of the ice glaciers themselves. This “seer” is the sole communicator with the ice and is tasked with carrying out and sharing its will. In the J’tari tongue, this person is called the Folen (or speaker). The Folen represents the will of the ice. The ice or moving glaciers is ultimately the J’tar kin'toni Clan’s one true leader. Whether the ice is in fact an entity with a mind of its own is unsure or simply a moving natural occurrence is uncertain.

But what can be positively said is that all members of the J’tar kin'toni Clan bow to the will that their Folen shares and ultimately commands by communication with the ice. It was the original Folen that discovered the sacred “black rocks” that dot the edges of the glacier and beyond. Some say that they are a left-over deposit of minerals created by the ice’s consumption of fire or other sources of warmth. The First Folen brought these stones and their implication in J’tari society when the clan was originally formed to the attention of all. In the J’tari tongue, the black stones are known as Ero’an.

Zu’Aan scholars hypothesize that this First Folen that the J’tari often speak of was in fact the famous missing academic and mildly crazy scientist, Rozana To’nan. Where most do not believe her original ravings and sermons of an all-knowing entity within the ice, it is certain that she was a very capable geologist who would be more than able to identify the benefits and application of the J’tari warming stones, or Ero’an. The station of Folen will always pass to another female of the clan. She is chosen from amongst a small collection of the Folen’s servants and priestesses that are called Faelar (the J’tari term for hand of the speaker).

The J’tar kin'toni pay homage to their Folen and her Faelar and heed their every word and command. Each Faelar governs a separate atrium of the Eldan glacier city. The J’tar kin'toni of that atrium go to their governing Faelar for guidance and advice, much like children who seek the help of their mother. It is not often that the Folen herself addresses the J’tar kin'toni as a group. Very few are allowed to see her, and it is usually in private and for specific assignment of missions and/or punishment.

In times of war, she is seen more often for the sole purpose of spreading the word of the ice and inspiring faith and belief in the frozen hearts of her J’tari followers. In calmer times, it falls to the Faelar to keep the peace amongst those who would seek to disturb it. This does not occur often, because most J’tar kin'toni arrived already broken and have finally found solace and peace amongst the beauty and grace of their Folen and her Faelar. The ice has become a symbol and offers a beautiful and cold kiss to those too weary to carry on.

Military

The J’tar kin'toni Clan praises the leadership and guidance of their female citizens. Their male citizens take up arms and lead the bulk of their militarized units that are not only useful in war but also in hunting expeditions. Their army is led by a form of warlord who has proven his loyalty to the Folen and Faelar beyond a shadow of a doubt. This position is titled the Tasar (or the “strong arm” in the J’tari tongue). Not only is the Tasar usually the most efficient J’tari warrior in battle, but it is also someone who will bend mind and knee to serve his Folen and Faelar.

The position of Tasar is often changing and has seen several different bearers of the title since the J’tar kin'toni Clan’s creation. When one accepts the title of Tasar, they can expect death and should usually accept it. The greatest honor for a male J’tar kin'toni to achieve is to reach the status of this position or at least become a Tasar’i (or one of the Tasar’s “third arms” in the J’tari tongue). There are as many as 10 Tasar’i at a single time. They each lead their own faction of 10 – 50 soldiers or hunters. Although the Tasar is always male, the Tasar’i can either be male or female. Oftentimes, it is an equal mixture of both.

And just like the Tasar’i, the bulk of the military can also be a healthy and equal mixture of male and female soldiers. The J’tar kin'toni Clan’s army is seen as one body made up of 10 units. Each unit represents a part of the body and acts as such. The Ruvyn (or head in the J’tari tongue) represents exactly that. These soldiers are always led directly by the Tasar who strategizes all military operations and leads the frontlines into battle. The Luro (or left arm in the J’tari tongue) represent the shield of the army (a la the shield arm).

They form a wall of shields and able bodies between the archers and the enemy. The Laro (or right arm in the J’tari tongue) function as the sword of the J’tar army (a la the sword arm). They are the primary offensive force that follows just behind the Ruvyn and the Tasar. The Keyfir (or left leg in the J’tari tongue) functions as a small force of 20 or so kin'toni that’s main purpose is to flank from the left when signaled to do so. The Keyfar (or right leg in the J’tari tongue) functions in the same way but from the right.

The Saleh (or the eyes in the J’tari tongue), the Ailmon (or the ears in the J’tari tongue), the Galan (or the nose in the J’tari tongue), and the Lhoris (the tongue) are all factions of scouts. These units of the J’tar kin'toni Clan’s military are considered their most vital soldiers and the most necessary. The last unit, the Gella (or the heart in the J’tari tongue), is the only unit that is debatably more important than the scouts. They are the archers that stand behind the Luro fully protected while they rain fire down from above and decimate all opposing forces.

Religion

The J’tar kin'toni Clan’s unusual form of religion is directly dedicated to the worship and preservation of the ice and its mountainous glaciers that approaches to destroy all of Taerel. At some point, the ice welcomed the lost kin'toni andzu'aan castaways when no one else would. It provided (as far as they could tell) a moving and safe home that overcame anything that approached or stood in its way. And with the arrival of the First Folen and eventually her chosen Faelar, came the discovery of the lifesaving Ero’an, or the ice’s greatest gift to the kin'toni (the black rocks).

The J’tar kin'toni are one of the few clans across Taerel that actually have a designated name for their practiced religion. Venrora, or “cold God” in the J’tari tongue. Venrora is led and directed by the Folen herself. She directly acts upon and shares the will and desires of the infinite ice. These teachings are then passed down to the Faelar who then guide and direct their separate sections of the ice and its kin'toni inhabitants. Or their separate Atriums that they reside in. The J’tar kin'toni see the Folen and the Faelar as their mothers with the Folen being the primary matriarch.

They approach them for advice and guidance during trying times and to dispute minor arguments and fights between clan members. The Folen often refers to the ice as a She.zu'aan scholars describe it as some sort of unseen Goddess that only the Folen has claimed to have heard her ethereal voice and seen her physical form. zu'aan scholars have also created a reasonable explanation for the First Folen’s original creation and purpose of the clan. Rozana To’nan, or the missing scientist, was wandering the wastes cold and hungry. In her delirium she found a hole into an approaching glacier.

There she witnessed an infinite reflection of herself that would appear ethereal and beautiful to anyone who saw it. But in her madness, she perceived it as a Goddess. Suddenly the pre-existing voices echoing in her head became the voice for this great being that she discovered. These concepts and hypotheses are not guaranteed or confirmed fact. Especially not among the J’tar kin'toni themselves. The Folen do continue to delve further and further into the glaciers they worship. Within it is not known for sure what they find.

Perhaps it is the infinite reflection that thezu'aan scholars hypothesize. Or perhaps it is in fact an almighty Goddess that does share secrets of the world and how to survive in the frozen wastes. Whatever it is, somehow the J’tar kin'toni have managed to survive isolated and alone. Their discovery of the black rocks or Ero’an would seem to prove the existence of some guiding force. For now, the J’tar will continue to worship the destruction the ice brings and help it along its way. Ultimately, it could be that the J’tar kin'toni are the only living beings left on the face of Taerel.

But for now, it seems that the ice ultimately takes their lives just like it takes everything else.

Nearby Groups

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J'tar Kin'toni Clan

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