Oughlyesam Kin'toni Clan

History

The Oughlyesam kin’toni clan started as its life a tiny village in the East of Taerel by the Garenddel Jade Cliffs. It is said that the founders of the clan were a bunch of kin’toni who got lost and waded through the pouring monsoons that plague the East, going as far as to ascend up a cliff during their search. This cliff was one of the famed Jade Cliffs in Garenddel, and it was there that the first of the Oughlyesam got exhausted and chose to settle there for the night. In the morning, they discovered the precious mineral that the cliff was named after: none other than jade.

Jade is a mineral that’s considered precious and rare throughout Taerel, so the clan’s founders took the situation as a sign that a new clan should be created on this spot, one that can make a living off mining jade and selling it to other kin’toni clans in exchange for the goods that they didn’t have. Ultimately, it worked, and the founders of the Oughlyesam kin’toni clan became wealthy, which ended up leading to the clan’s expansion, not just in how many kin’toni there were, but also which fields they specialized in. Still, jade is the main mineral that the clan exports, and a lot of the trades the Oughlyesam kin’toni are famous for, have at least something to do with jade.

Any clan on Taerel that lives off trading needs to have a powerful military, because there are numerous clans who’d rather not pay for resources and occupy the area themselves. This is something that the Oughlyesam had to learn the hard way, with countless raiders and assassins swarming towards the region like flies after hearing the news of a new clan being formed in the Jade Cliffs. The kin’toni clan that already had control over the region wasn’t too thrilled either, but the Oughlyesam were fierce and fought back with immense strength that made them a clan feared throughout the entirety of the East.

However, the Oughlyesam today are faced with a terrible problem. Their large-scale mining operations are slowly, yet steadily destroying the cliffs, making the majestic region of the Garenddel crumble to dust. The kin’toni are perfectly aware of this fact as well, but there’s nothing they can do about it as the economy of the Oughlyesam clan has been built completely on their mines, and removing them will likely mean that the entire clan will collapse within the span of a few weeks. At the moment, they are looking to expand to other regions of Taerel where mining isn’t as destructive as it is in the cliffs.

But expansion isn’t cheap either, especially since all the nearby land is settled by other kin’toni clans, ones who aren’t willing to give their territory up without a brutal fight. Therefore, only time will tell if the Oughlyesam will prosper and survive in the Garenddel Jade Cliffs region, or if it will be shattered and fall apart together with them.

Psychology

Since the Oughlyesam clan has attracted so many different kin’toni throughout its existence, it’s impossible to pin down their psychology and behaviour to one concrete archetype like it is with the other kin’toni clans. Nevertheless, there are a couple small traits and quirks that all of the Oughlyesam seem to share, though a lot of them have roots in the clan’s culture more than anything else. Determination seems to be an attribute that is shared between all members of the Oughlyesam kin’toni clan. It seems like the determination and the unwillingness to give up that the clan’s founders had when searching for the perfect land paid off and bled into the mindset of all the future clan members.

The Oughlyesam kin’toni never give up once they’ve started something, no matter how difficult or dangerous the task ahead of them might be. It’s also the reason as to why an Oughlyesam kin’toni will stay steadfast in battle, even if surrounded by dozens of bloodthirsty foes. Nevertheless, the Oughlyesam prefer to avoid warfare even though they are good at it. It is their belief that all of Taerel’s kin’toni clans should stand together and form a peaceful alliance, a setup which would allow for huge and unobstructed growth of economy, technology and society, while making Taerel a much better place to live in.

Of course, while that’s the dream, it’s also not at all the reality. Therefore, the Oughlyesam kin’toni also exercise in their art of warfare. It’s impossible to predict when the enemy will strike, so you have to always be on guard. However, the fact that the Oughlyesam are slightly wary of strangers doesn’t mean that they are hostile. If a kin’toni from another clan comes to their gates unarmed, he will be welcomed with open arms, and not only will the Oughlyesam kin’toni try to strike up deals with him, they will also offer material gifts and wisdom to the guest, spreading the secrets of their craft far and wide, instead of tightly latching onto it like the Orm’kela for example.

Even visiting kin’toni from clans that are hostile to the Oughlyesam kin’toni clan will face no discrimination, something that has massively boosted the reputation of the clan in the region, especially when compared to most other clans which hold no grudge against actions like the murder of ambassadors, just because they hail from a warring clan. The Oughlyesam are psychologically advanced in multiple ways. Something that they have really put a lot of work on as a clan is the entire field of philosophy. Why are the kin’toni here? What is the purpose of a life, and when is it ethical to take it?

The more savage kin’toni clans would have never even thought about these critical questions, but the Oughlyesam are not only aware, but actively debate the various topics that should determine a kin’toni’s understanding of the world around them. They believe that asking the important existential questions and seeking the answers to them is what separates kin’toni and zu’aan from mindless animals, so philosophy is something that must be preserved and advanced at all cost.

Biology

The Oughlyesam kin’toni are nothing too special biologically. They’re slightly above average height for a kin’toni, and are of a lanky build. Despite looking slightly weak and fragile, they are actually really powerful and resistant to pain, though a lot of that has to do with their determination and psychology than biological traits. The fact that the Oughlyesam do look quite harmless at first is actually something that they’ve been able to utilize to their advantage at the very start of the clan’s life, when no other kin’toni clans believed that the newly founded Oughlyesam would succeed.

And that simply sending a tiny squad of a dozen kin’toni is all they would need to cause the Oughlyesam kin’toni clan to fall and crumble to dust Appearance wise, the Oughlyesam are reminiscent of zu’aan, having eyes with irises coloured either blue or green, and hair on a spectrum of black to white. Something interesting about them that’s not observed in other kin’toni is that the hair of the Oughlyesam changes colour with age. Younger kin’toni almost always possess darker hair, and its colour sometimes even strays away from black into a dark hazel brown, but as a kin’toni ages the hair gets lighter and more grey.

Until it peaks at a nearly pure white in older kin’toni. Being able to tell a kin’toni’s age like that it useful in the Oughlyesam society. Those with darker hair are typically fearless, bold fighters whose physical shape is unmatched among other clan members. On the other hand, those with lighter hair are likely to be more calm, calculated and filled with wisdom, and have had more time to train their skills in hand-to-hand combat. It has been speculated among other clans as to how these kin’toni can move and strike with such precision when it comes to self-defence.

While their explanations usually revolve around magic or years of training, there’s actually a clear biological reason for the combat prowess that the Oughlyesam exhibit, two of them actually. The first is that their reaction time is significantly lower than that of other kin’toni. While one of the common symptoms of the kin’toni plague is a slowed down reaction time, it seems that the Oughlyesam kin’toni deal with the opposite, being able to consistently react to both visual and auditory stimuli in under two hundred milliseconds, which is even faster than the average zu’aan.

The second advantage that the Oughlyesam possess over other kin’toni clans in the East of Taerel is that they seem to have a naturally higher pain threshold and endurance. Some of the feats that the first Oughlyesam have done weren’t just insane, they would be physically impossible for many other kin’toni. The march of the Loremdra in the far North is the only thing that’s reminiscent of the journey the first Oughlyesam kin’toni went through, and the latter might even be more impressive, as their determination and culture played a bigger role to them not giving up halfway than it did with the Loremdra.

Culture

Philosophy has been discussed earlier, which should not be surprising considering it’s one of the major cornerstones of the Oughlyesam culture. Indeed, the Oughlyesam kin’toni are curious about the world around them, and while some clans would rather explore the physical properties of this world, via advancing both scientifically and technologically, the Oughlyesam clan are more concerned with the metaphysical and existential aspects of reality, as well as religion. Every single kin’toni on Taerel has been surrounded with life and death for as long as they could remember, but never have they been presented with clear answers on such things.

The Oughlyesam kin’toni consider themselves to be “truthseekers” in this regard, trying to find a key to the knowledge of how this world functions. All this has led to certain conclusions being drawn which has shaped the Oughlyesam society and traditions as they are known. A good example is pacifism. There is no reason to cause needless pain and suffering according to the clan’s greatest ethicists, one thing that separates “good” kin’toni from evil and savage beasts is empathy and the ability to value another creature’s interests above one’s own desires, because the other creature feels, sees and thinks the exact same way.

The golden rule was formed: treat someone like you’d like yourself to be treated, and this rule is the reason as to why the Oughlyesam exhibit such overwhelming kindness to visitors and fellow clanmates alike. Nevertheless, the Oughlyesam see nothing wrong with self-defence, precisely because all life is equal, and when faced with such a moral dilemma, it is better to take the life of a violent aggressor rather than an innocent. Something else that this culture has led to is the pursuit of intellect and wisdom that the Oughlyesam engage in.

While some other clans desire to push the limits of the kin’toni bodies in terms of their strength and dexterity, the Oughlyesam kin’toni consider this to be a fool’s errand, and that intelligence, meditation and scientific progress will all be more valuable for the clan, and Taerel as a whole, in the long run. Because the older a kin’toni is, the more life experience and wisdom they are likely to have gathered (though the latter is not always the case), there is a tradition of respecting and honouring the older members of the clan, with the founders being the pinnacle.

An idol that every young Oughlyesam kin’toni attempts to become, or at least imitate. This tradition takes little effort, because a kin’toni’s age can somewhat be determined by their hair colour (in the Oughlyesam clan, that is).One should remember that the clan became famous for mining jade, and this magnificent mineral has become a great part of the Oughlyesam culture. Jade is used as both a currency and a show of status. Regarding the former, the Oughlyesam trade with other clans typically takes form of exchanging jade for other resources that the clan can not get themselves.

It’s also very common for kin’toni to adorn their clothes and jewelry with the mineral as a show of wealth, status and hard work.

Government

Explained shortly, the Oughlyesam clan employ a fully democratic system for the laws they pass, one where the majority decides what should be allowed, and what should be banned from the walls of the clan. Generally, the Oughlyesam prefer unspoken rules and etiquette to explicit laws which can directly result in punishment for the transgressor, and that is because the Oughlyesam kin’toni clan is one of philosophers and thinkers. Nevertheless, when a crime is so horrid that it absolutely needs to be forbidden, or if the consequences of the crime in question lead to devastating results for either the society or the victims, the issue may be taken to the town hall.

There, a kin’toni leaves a proposition to the law that should be passed, but that may only happen if the proposal has gained a dozen signatures before entering the town hall. Therefore, those who are gathering signatures for a proposal tend to wander around the roads of the clan’s territory, debating and voicing their demands to passerby, after which the first kin’toni asks if the other would like to sign the petition. Once you have a dozen signatures, it’s time to take the proposal to the town hall and nail it to a board of similar proposals, after which a date for a discussion will be chosen.

The discussion itself is an open one, and it happens in the town hall as well. Any Oughlyesam kin’toni is free to come and vote, though nobody is obliged. Each discussion has one speaker: usually the one who declared the proposition in the first place. They start by reciting what the law they would like to pass actually is, and how it would formally work. Things such as concrete numbers for punishments for breaking the law, how it should be enforced and more, are typical expectations for the speaker. After this introduction and description, the debate phase takes place.

It is here that any kin’toni that gathered at the town hall to vote and listen may speak up (one at a time) and challenge the speaker’s demand, ask a question, or propose a small change. The speaker may then respond to the inquiry, usually with either a counterpoint or a clarification, or they may choose to meet the demand that the inquirer makes, something that tends to make them more popular. This is a phase that can take hours and sometimes days, as all the pros and cons of a law are laid out and miniscule tweaks are made to the formal demand.

However, once all the discussion has settled, the voting phase begins, it’s here that the speaker allows all other clan members to catch up, repeating the final proposal that shall be voted for, or against. Next, the Oughlyesam kin’toni are called to vote straight in the town hall with a show of hands. All the votes for and against are tallied up by multiple neutral kin’toni chosen for the role specifically, and the majority wins. If over fifty percent have voted “yes”, the law is officially passed and the news of this addition are spread to all of the clan’s members by designated kin’toni.

It’s a system that may be complex and elaborate, but it definitely works.

Military

The military of the Oughlyesam clan, if it can be called a military, is one that serves two purposes. The first is to enforce the formal laws of the clan and the land, so in the case of the Oughlyesam, things like theft, murder (outside of self-defence) and other (very) morally reprehensible are considered crimes that are the military’s job to enforce. However, any citizen of the Oughlyesam, or even a kin’toni from another clan, may enforce the law as well if the guilt of a criminal has been proven without a shred of doubt. The military itself is merely an occupation that the Oughlyesam kin’toni may have, much like jewelry, mining, smithing and forging, it’s just seen as another job.

The second purpose of the military is to defend the territory of the Oughlyesam kin’toni clan from hostile invaders, armies and raiders, as well as to strike back and declare a war if absolutely necessary. Even though the clan isn’t a fan of retaliation, once warfare has been declared, it’s better to end it as early as possible. In these cases, all of the kin’toni are recruited to fight, because the integrity of the Oughlyesam clan and their territory is at stake. All kin’toni practice their combat skills from time to time, since they will be part of the defending army in the case of an invasion.

And stealth hit-and-runs done by other clans aren’t uncommon in the Ease of Taerel either, so everyone is sharp in close-quarters combat. Once the fight actually comes, they charge into battle fearlessly, believing that it’s better to perish than to let the clan be demolished. Their religion plays a part in that for sure, but more about that in the next section. An Oughlyesam kin’toni will stubbornly refuse to give up and let their guard down during a battle, making them terrifying foes with morale that is seemingly impossible to break or wear down.

They aren’t master strategists though, and their tactics tend to boil down to very surface-level maneuvers and unorganized mayhem, but that’s also something the Oughlyesam excel at. Still, the clan is lucky that there aren’t any massive military powers that could wipe them off the face of Taerel with ease in the East. It seems like the toughest kin’toni clans are all located further West from the Oughlyesam, the vast majority further North, and it’s incredibly fortunate for the clan because the cliffs serve as an amazing form of protection, since onslaughts can only come from one direction, and this one direction is the South-East, one where there aren’t any clans with enormous and mighty armies.

However, if there was a military power that attempted an assault from that direction, the Oughlyesam would likely be doomed, since there would be no area to flee or retreat because of the jade cliffs. The only way to increase the distance between the clan’s kin’toni and the enemies would be to jump off the cliffs, which is obviously not an option. The geography of Garenddel is really a double-edged sword in this regard.

Religion

The Oughlyesam clan don’t have an official religion. They are a civilization that prefers to discuss and question the natural world, and this affair takes them into multiple completely different paths. Some believe in the existence of deities and higher beings, others don’t believe in anything at all beyond the physical that they can observe. However, among this wide spectrum of thought and faith, there is one religion with significantly more followers than the other faiths, so much so that it would be enough to call it the “main” religion of the Oughlyesam clan.

It’s believed that Taerel, and the universe in general, is in a constant cycle of life and death, a loop of reincarnation. Everything that will ever exist has always existed, and death merely results in one’s consciousness being resurrected and sent to live anew. This new life doesn’t have to be a kin’toni or a zu’aan, it can be anything like an animal, a plant, a rock… just about any object in the world. This way, everyone will experience life to infinity, but also experience death and memory loss an infinite number of times.

The more cycles a kin’toni has been through, the more they can remember of their past lives, and the more tragic and sorrowful the whole cycle becomes. The kin’toni wants to rest, but is merely doomed to resurrecting and dying again and again until they remember all of their previous lives, at which point their minds will be overloaded and leave their consciousness broken, a husk. The cycle of reincarnation is not viewed as something positive at all, but as a cruel hell that all existence is forced into. Fortunately, there are ways to ascend beyond the loop and finally become the recipient of peace at death.

And all that this ascension requires an understanding to the key to the universe’s existence, both an answer as to “why” and also to “how”, what systems are in place to allow this cycle to be running. Once a kin’toni has gathered the wisdom needed to ascend, they may end this cruel suffering that everything goes through, once and for all. However, the methods to achieve any of that are completely alien and unknown, which obviously boils down to the Oughlyesam not having enough wisdom to unlock the key to the universe and to philosophy as a whole.

Everything is going as expected, so to speak. It’s believed that millennia will come and go before the epoch during which the cycle shall be ended, and it’s a complete mystery as to what might happen to the universe and Taerel after that event, perhaps it shall be known when the kin’toni unlock the secrets of the cosmos, but that day is not today.

Miscellany

Nearby Groups

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Oughlyesam Kin'toni Clan

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