Phuis Kin'toni Clan

History

The history of the Phuis Kin'toni Clan is an enigma, shrouded in mystery, written upon cavern walls too deep for most to reach. The majority of this clan's past and present is on the subterranean reaches, so few from the outside world are privy to their inner workings. However, there have been a few who have managed to gain access to some of these ancient ruins, and they've come up with stories that paint a picture of what may or may not be going on here. It was once said that the Phuis kin'toni were originally a group of nomadic hunters living in the jungles near the shores of Lake Phuis.

They had no permanent settlements due to the fact that they didn't need them, but rather enjoyed the freedom of roaming through the wilderness and hunting whatever prey they could catch. One day, one such hunter died in battle against a tribe of savages called the Ran'yer Kin'toni Clan. The Ran'yer were a fierce race of warriors, and it took only one arrow shot from them to kill Phuis. The Phuis collectively entered a berserker rage due seeing their fallen. This act of bravery would later become known as the "Ran'yer Massacre". This event sparked off a great war between the two races, which lasted for centuries.

The Phuis kin'toni fought valiantly on both sides, but ultimately lost out in every way imaginable. Eventually the Ran'yer won, and all traces of the Phuis civilization were wiped away forever. At least, on the surface. The remaining Phuis retreated deep into caverns, making their home at the dank and dark bowels of the Earth. There they stayed, waiting for the day when they could have their revenge. That day came eventually. The Ran'yer had grown vastly in numbers, and began hunting the newly-named Phuis Kin'toni clans with great fervor. The Ran'yers became tired of the constant chase, so they sealed off ALL the entrances to the caverns.

The Phuis, unable to find or unseal the exits, became entirely a subterranean-dwelling race, feeding off bats, salamanders, worms, cave-lake fish and other vermin of the deep underground. The rest, they say, is history. The current generation consists entirely of Kin'toni with an extreme genetic mutation that causes them to have glistening white hair and pale, translucent skin. It is unknown if there are any Phuis of the ancient, surface-dwelling variety alive. Due to the underground nature of the Phuis Kintoni, it is unknown how long they've lived down here.

Reports say they have a rudimentary language system composed of chirps, squeaks and clicks, similar to that of the notorious underground-dwelling Chaticks race. It is through this language that they communicate with one another in large echo-filled chambers. Due to the lack of light sources, to the outside world it is not known what the Phuis actually look like.

Biology

The current generation of the Phuis consists entirely of Kin'toni with an extreme genetic mutation that causes them to have glistening white hair and pale, translucent skin. It is unknown if there are any Phuis of the ancient, surface-dwelling variety alive. All known Phuis Kin’toni have light pink irises with white sclera and a crescent pupil, which glows reddish when encountering light. Though the Phuis seldom or never naturally encounter sunlight, they have not lost the sense of sight due to the chemo-biological bioluminescent fungi, algae and animals that around on their caverns.

In fact, due to their diet, the Phuis Kin’toni give off a faint glow themselves. The regular eating of insects has led to the Phuis showing some insectoid-like behavior. This alarming development has put the zu’aan on the defensive, though really this cannot do so much wrong since no insect is a man-eating giant beast. The zu’aan should be more worried if the Phuis took feline characteristics, but seeing there are no felines underground, this is quite unlikely. The average height of a Phuis is about 4'6" - 5'4" with a gaunt, bony frame.

They tend to weigh about 80 - 90 lbs due to their diet of insects and grub-like animals. The average lifespan of a Phuis is about 175 years. Due to the fact that they live in dark caverns and rely on sound rather than sight, the eyesight of these creatures is relatively poor, at least when it comes to perceiving sunlight as oppossed to glowing algae. Like the Bawg kin'toni clan, the teeth of the Phuis are large and pronounced. Unlike the Bawg, however, the incisors of the Phuis are small and non-existent and the canines are long but thin. This is to allow for easy consumption of grub-like animals as well as to fend off attackers.

Due to their underground nature, they have developed an extreme sense of smell, which they use to detect intruders. It has been said that the Phuis "can smell your fear". It is also noted that it's common for them to give off a foul stench, causing many to describe being in a nest of them as "being in the belly of a rotting corpse". The dark nature of the caverns that constitute the nest of the Phuis also has an effect on their minds. They are, undoubtedly, insane. Whether this is a cause or a result of living in darkness is unknown. All that is known is that they are not to be underestimated.

The combination of these factors, along with the sheer hatred they have for all other races, makes them one of the most vicious creatures around.

Culture

Much of the culture of the Phuis kin’toni revolves around the biolumniscent algae on the cavern; specifically, this algae is used to pain walls and themselves with strange hieroglyphs. The hieroglyphs are mostly directions for navigating the deep, dark, damp caverns, with some allegorical stories are memory aids. There are five distinct types of hieroglyphic, but not every type of hieroglyphs can appear anywhere. There are strict rules that the Phuis follow about where to picture what. The main hieroglyphic families are as follows:

Dilentos hieroglyphs: These are the most common type of glyphs. They are made from the algae Brincona Dilentsata and they glow with an intense cyan. The most common shapes are spirals, representing descent into madness. These hieroglyphs are diagrams of the upper levels and serve to navigate the easier and most well-known caverns. They include stories about betrayal, as well as marks about where to find usable basic resources.

Tobalin Hieroglyphs: These glyphs are made from the leaves of Tynsella Tobalia, a lichen that grows in subterranean lagoons. It glows a deep, rich blue, and the tincture lasts a considerable amount of time, if only because the lichen actually regrows into the cavern walls where it is applied. It is reserved for darker cavern systems and places with high humidity and water. The stories told here are about friendship and struggle, but they always carry a warning and a tragic end. There are also pictures of fish and other animals which show which kind of fauna is common to an area.

Pleservos Hieroglyphs: These bright orange hieroglyphs are made from the roots of the plant Pleservia Trinculata, a hybrid tree-fungus that grows in the geothermal grottos. The hieroglyphs abound with sharp, square and triangular turns. Some believe them to be about mathematics, others adventure that it must be about navigating the dangerous geothermal vents, but the truth is that their mysterious meanings haven’t yet been deciphered by any surface-dweller.

Dovini Hieroglyphs: This type of hieroglyph is believed obsolete, since all the extant examples are considerably ancient and degraded. It is made with the red-glowing leaves of the succulent Parvas Astadovini. The hieroglyphs are only found on subterranean volcanic calderas, and seem to depict rituals with their own instructions. Seemingly, the Phuis used to sacrifice some of their own to the volcanoes, but it is speculated that this practice ended when their numbers dwindled too much.

Savellinas Hieroglyphs: A relatively new development, the Savellinas Hieroglyphs are made from the wall-creeping plant Vinara Savellina. They grow an intense shade of green, and are used to conduct pacts and alliances between tribes and people. The hieroglyphs tell stories of reconciliation and exchange, being the only hieroglyphs that tell positive stories and not ones with gruesome or dark endings. This is believed to facilitate the deals and to project a better image of the signatories to each other.

Each of the hieroglyph types except the lost Dovini ones have a clerical caste dedicated to writing and maintaining them. The non-writing Phuis pay food tribute to the Hiero-clerics in order for them to be able to do their job.

Government

The government of the Phuis Kin'toni is composed of a special variety of their type, called the Great Murmurers. These kin'toni are much larger and bulkier than the rest of their compatriots, reaching 6-7 feet tall and being very muscular. They are called Murmurers because of the different sounds they make, which resemble humming. By humming, the Great Murmurers are able to send their words to one another over large distances. They use this ability for communication and to make decisions on important matters. Hums can be of any lenght, but the tone of their content is determined by the number of pauses.

The number of hums determines the severity of the issue at hand, with three hums being most common. One hum is either a question or a comment, while two indicates that the Great Murmurers need to come to an agreement. Four hums is a declaration, a promise or an ultimatum. The humming of the Great Murmurers is also used to pass judgement in a process they call "renouncing the past and embracing the future". In this, all who have committed a crime against the Phuis race stand humbly before their leaders. The Great Murmurers then hum a solemn tune, whereupon each criminal feels their guilt and spills their blood, with the Murmurers guiding them all.

This is not a painful process, as one might imagine. Rather, the Murmurers guide the criminals through their own swords, in a single, swift move. This is done to avoid wasting time and to prevent anyone from trying to escape or resist. After this, the Great Murmurers hum once again. Those who have committed great crimes against the race and did not confess and commit honorable suicide are then slain by their compatriots, as they do not deserve to continue living. Their remains are fed upon by the small, rat-like creatures that run abound in the caves. The Murmurers then hum again to indicate the trial is over.

The highest office of the government is that of a Grand Murmurer. There can be multiple of Great Murmurers at one time, but only one can lead as Grand at any given time. When a new leader is needed, the current leaders hum a special tune, and one among them is chosen by vote. Voting only occurs twice, when the old Grand Murmurers dies or when they resign. Then he is simply replaced by another in a two-phase vote. The last Great Murmurer to die is also considered the wisest and most skilled; as such the Murmurers do what they can to protect themselves and avoid death.

This enables them to lead their people with the greatest efficiency and intelligence. The current Grand Murmurer is Ph'Gua and has been leading for an impressive 71 years.

Each of the four extant clerical Scribe Cults has their own Great Murmurer to lead them. Only one has to be chosen for the position, and it can be changed at any time. It is considered a great honor to be chosen to lead the temple, but it also brings great danger. Should a Great Murmurer die, then the process of choosing a successor begins anew.

Military

Phuis military is strangely organized, and outsiders have problems grasping their concepts. For starters, each military rank has its own crest, which is worn on the forehead. There are only a few symbols to convey the rank of general, and worse, these are used by everyone from the lowly soldier to the supreme commander. The only way to know for sure who is in charge is through verbal communication. The second problem lies in the fact that there are no official uniform, save for a light shirt and pants. This means that anyone can infiltrate enemy lines if they get the proper training.

The final problem is that Phuis warriors never attack head on. Instead, they constantly rely on guerilla tactics and surprise attacks to wear down the enemy. To this extent, the highest-ranking Phuis commander will often don a white robe and tour the battlefield. This is done so that commanders can be killed with minimum effort, which helps in them taking responsibility for any combat they start. This reliance on guerilla tactics has at times been a blessing and a curse. While it has allowed them to fend off the technologically superior zu'aan with only minor losses.

It has also sometimes lead to disastrous defeats after extended periods of time; The longest being the six-year long guerilla war the Ran'yer kin'toni made them fight, but that was before the Phuis identity was fully developed. The fighting prowess of the Phuis is not negligible, specially when in their home caves underground, where they are considered near-unbeatable. The wall hieroglyphs provide them with important underground-navigational information that no other cultures can read. They have grown skilled by navigating these complex cave systems and hiding from their enemies.

Still, their greatest strength is that most of their enemies find them repulsive. As such, many would rather let the feared-and-reviled Phuis win than fight themselves—at least until it's too late. The Great Murmurers are rarely expected to directly fight. Instead they lead and coordinate combat from behind the front lines. Despite this, their years of combat training allow them to defend themselves and will not be taken down so easily. The Grand Murmurer is one of the few who can be presumed to be old and frail, but this does not stop them from fighting.

The Grand Murmurer is actually a formidable opponent. Scribe leaders are the only Great Murmurers that do not fight at all, or partake in strategic combat decisions. This is because their wisdom in reading and writing glyphs is considered more important than any advantage gained from bringing them to battle as commanders.

Religion

The Phuis religion is divided into two branches: Writing Worship, and Outsider Hatedom. According to the Writer Worshippers, in the beginning, there was only one being in existence. It was called the Scribe, and it was everything. It wrote the first stories in the sky and on the cave walls, creating everything that exists. In time, however, the Scribe grew lonely and split itself into two beings: Cassus, the Writer of Stories, and Skuilf, the High Editor. These two archenemies share control over all creation. Cassus is able to create new and interesting things.

But without Skuilf to check his work, there will be countless grammatical and spelling errors throughout existence. Such imperfections can't be allowed, so Skuilf corrects these whenever he finds them, but at a great cost: he destroys some of the beauty and meaning in Cassus's works. The war between these two continues to this day, with neither side ever gaining the upper hand. The purpose of the religion is to thank Cassus for the good things in life, and to worship Skuilf to try to convince him not to tamper with the writer's works. The religion is fairly optimistic, claiming that one day Skuilf will tire of his meddling.

And either leave the works as they are, or return them to their creator. In either case, this will allow Cassus to create a new reality free of Skuilf's meddling. Besides these deities, the religion centers around the worship of the Seven Metaphors, who are seen as the embodiments of different approaches to writing. As far as worshipping Skuilf goes, this comes in the form of correcting other people's writings. If a person makes a spelling mistake or grammatical error, it is considered polite to leave it there, because it shows that Skuilf is leaving that person's writing alone.

However, to correct it agressively is considered a power move, and imposing your power (and that of Skuilf) over others. Of course, these imposition needs to be defended, both in writing and also possibly in the battlefield. The religion does not actively promote war, but it is recognized that sometimes it is necessary in order to defend the power of Skuilf's works. This defense comes in the form of a Writing Pact, which each tribe signs with each other. The contents of these pacts vary from place to place, but they all serve to defend each other's works from any editor-like being.

The Cassus cult of the religion, in contrast, promotes artistic expression in all its forms. The more creative your art is, the more you are expressing yourself, and the closer you are to Cassus. While many tribes have their own special forms of artistic expression, singing is seen as the most holy act. Almost all tribes engage in it, and many religious holidays are based around large-group singing sessions where everybody participates. The Outsider Hatedom branch of Phuis religion has much simpler tenets: Hate anyone and everyone that doesn't come from the caverns.

All the time. Without exception. The religion does not have a name, as it only has this one central pillar. It is not led by anyone in particular either. Instead, it has hundreds of self-titled prophets, each leading their own group of like-minded individuals. The only thing that unites them is a common hatred of all things non-Phuis, as well as their belief in the Mold Ones. These prophets claim to be blessed with visions of the Mold Ones, and to receive instructions on how to appease them. These instructions generally involve killing the non-Phuis, but some particularly troublesome individuals have been known to disappear without a trace.

As far as anyone not in the religion knows, there is no designation for this religion. Outsiders just know them as "Those that worship those rock formations."

Miscellany

The Phuis eat a variety of fungi that, according to their traditions, are suppossedly "Magic" and help them in everyday tasks as well as combat. The actual effects are due to complex toxins insside the fungi, which Phuis physionomy is adapted to process and reutilize.

These are some of the most notable of those fungi:

Seta Yuvifera: This species of fungus is a particularly large and meaty mushroom, hence its name. It contains a great quantity of nutrients to give the eater strength and energy, but tastes so bad and rotten that most other races can't stomach it. The fungus also has a quality to produce a lot of gas, which is very useful for flatulence, hence why the fungi are given to frontline scouts tasked with demoralizing the enemy from the shadows.

Convoluta Bondar: This species of fungus is a type of plant that grows in a puffball, hence its name. It contains hallucinogenic and intoxicating substances that make the user very happy and euphoric. This causes them to feel warm and fuzzy inside, which some believe is the reason it's also known as "Love in a Puffball". It's a common recreational drug, but some eat it as food. This is considered a great delicacy and is regarded as the best "food" fungi, even though most other races still find it too disgusting to eat.

Poshana Musitis: This type of fungi grows in the deep theronite deposits below most cavern systems. It is a very large and rare species of fungus, facts which are reflected on the components of its name. It's a light blue color, and the top is covered in beautiful white spots. The species is particularly toxic, though the Phuis have evolved to be resistant to its poison. Eating it causes intense hallucinations that last up to several days. This type of fungi is used to seek spiritual enlightenment or for entertainment. It's common for religious ascetics to eat these mushrooms and meditate for days. As with other species, most other races are incapable of eating it due to the intense pain it causes to any but the Phuis digestion system.

Delirion Coccineum: This species of fungus is a type of red mushroom that grows in a dome shape. It's one of the most common types of edible fungus, but also one of the most delicious. It's so popular and common that it's used as a general measurement for value. Phuis will often say something is worth "a lot of coccineums", or something is "more delicious than coccineums". It's not as nutritious as other types of fungi, but they're delicious enough to be worth eating.

Fungi are somewhat sacred to the Phuis, since they believe those are the only beings of creation where Cassus and Skuilf collaborated in harmony.

Nearby Groups

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Phuis Kin'toni Clan

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