Quom Kin'toni Clan

History

The history of the Quom Kin'toni clan is long and savage. The first known mention of them is in the ancient tome, "The Book of Kishak", which was written by a man named Nolazir. He described their origins as being from the far northlands, and that they were once peaceful farmers , but then war broke out with a nearby zu'aan kingdom of those who lived near what would become present day northern Quillarbiton. In order to fight this much numerically and economically superior enemy, the Quom zu'aan deliberately infested themselves with the kin'toni claim.

It is then that they started to become the Quom Kin'toni clan. In the tome, Nolazir said that they had been reduced to little more than nomadic bands, living off the land and raiding other tribes for food. They did not have any cities or settlements. They also didn't have any leaders since none remained alive. However, some years later, several new Quom leaders emerged from the rubble. These included the last of the original kin'toni chiefs, his wife and adult children, and others of their number that had been turned. This individual became known as King Tulfrik.

Tulfrik's reign lasted about twenty-five years before he died in battle against a rival kin'toni tribe led by a mighty shaman called Zoggokk. His son, Prince Nulfrak took over after his father's death. He managed to unite all the Quom kin'toni tribes under his banner and attacked Zoggokk's tribe. It took him two years, but he defeated him and all other tribes in the area with the help of a powerful general from the Empire of Kishak. Zoggokk was later captured in an underground cavern after being cornered by Nulfrak's men and taken away for Nulfrak to see his fallen enemy.

Nolazir says in his tome that he was an imposing figure. Tall, with long white hair and an equally long beard. He wore golden jewelry with a feather headress, and had numerous tattoos and ritual piercings all over his face and upper body. He stood on a raised wooden platform with tribal decor in the room where he was kept prisoner. Nulfrak wanted to make sure that not only was he executed, but also judged first: Humilliating his enemy was a far greater display of his power over the tribes. After Zoggokk was judged by the tribal shamans as being guilty of treasonous acts, Nulfrak ordered his men to kill their former enemy and his own father's killer.

They did so by hacking him to pieces, chopping off his hands, his head, and his feet. As this was done, Zoggokk still made loud snarling noises and showed fight despite being unable to do anything against the Quom warriors. As was Quom law, his body was then put on display by Nulfrak's orders so that all passing caravans and travelers could see his grisly fate. Nolazir writes the Quom kin'toni never rebelled again. They became a powerful tribe under Nulfrak and even managed to conquer other tribes, assimilating them into their ranks while granting them a large degree of autonomy in their own affairs.

Biology

Members of the Quom kin'toni clan have light red irises with black sclerae, and vertically beaded pupils. Their bloodlust is perhaps the best known trait of the clan, and they are said to have a genetic predisposition towards vengeance. Their eyes turn a vivid crimson red when in close proximity to violence, and will turn a dark purple when they are actively hunting for blood. While in a calm state, their eyes are a yellow-gold shade. It is believed this is due to the straining of the blood vessels in the eyes, which compress or relax the prismatic lenses in their irises.

They have naturally darker skin than the average kin'toni, with a persistent light tan. This helps them in the sunny plains and endless plateaus they tend to inhabit. Their hair is said to be black or dark brown, but almost just as often is found to be a pale blond or even snowy white. The Quom are known for a more muscular physique than the average kin'toni, and even the females are known to have stronger and bulkier arms. They are known to be primitive in their ways, using basic armor and weapons such as leather, furs, hides, and bone. Some of them prefer to use their natural claws and teeth as their main way of fighting.

Their preferred method of eating their enemies is apparently to slowly consume them while still alive. They are said to have a sharp sense of sight, but their tact is known to be poor in comparison. They are known to have a heightened sense of smell, and their eyesight is above average even among other kin'toni. They are also known to be somewhat feral and prone to irrational behavior, though this may simply be due to their variant of the kin'toni plague. They have bouts of berserk rage in which they attack nearby animals and zu'aan, though they tend to know better than to attack other Quom.

While in a berserker rage, they are said to be relentless and nigh unstoppable. There is one case in which a berserker Quom attacked an entire colony of zu'aan, managing to kill over three hundred of them before succumbing to his wounds. They are known to be unforgiving and headstrong, as well as determined and strong-willed. They will always seek revenge if they find that someone has killed a member of their family or clan. The Quom are very cannibalistic in nature, and are known to eat the flesh of their enemies, zu’aan and kin’toni alike.

The only other food they deem acceptable is insects. They have an average natural life span and tend to live around seventy years, though there are occasional cases that have lived past one-hundred due to their unnatural strength. The Quom are known to be especially imbued with the kin'toni plague, and certain rumors say that the plague originated from Quom lands and was spread by them. Also, the plague affects them much worse than it does other people, which may explain their more bestial traits. They are natural hunters and prefer to live solitary lives, though they sometimes form small packs when on the hunt or for protection of their homes.

Culture

Quom tend to be nomadic and live in temporary encampments as they follow prey animals and lean more towards a hunter-gatherer lifestyle than a settled one like other kin'toni. They have been known to not wear much clothing, as it impedes their natural agility. Most of the Quom are nomads, with no set place of living or staying. They wander the endless plains, finding a place to settle down and stay for a few months before inevitably being on the move again. Larger groups tend to be made up of smaller warbands, lead by a chief and his council.

While these groups may operate individually, it is not uncommon for them to join together for large-scale attacks or defense. The Quom are said to be a proud and loyal people. The concept of treachery is unknown to them, as their code of honor is known to be very strict. They live and die by it. Even after assimilating into other societies, they tend to seek the highest positions of power due to their relentless nature. They are usually hostile to any outsider of the Quom, but their outsized reputation means most outsiders are inclined to fear and avoid them for their own safety.

If one is lucky enough to speak with a Quom, they are known to be intelligent and well-spoken, though their barbaric nature means that they are most often illiterate. From what little is known of their language, it is known to be a very guttural and hard one to pronounce. Attempts at learning it usually results in the tongue of the speaker bleeding due to being accidentally bitten when trying to pronounce the harsh sounds. One interesting thing is their language is known to have several hissing sounds, which may indicate that it may be inspired partially by the many snakes dwelling in their plains.

The Quom language has a very heavy emphasis on deed and honor beyond one's kin, which leads to an extensive elaboration of speech. For this reason, the Quom do not use titles when addressing others (i.e. 'lord', 'princess', 'grand duke' etc), as they believe that the deeds of a person are more important than rank or social status.

Military

Their bloodlust is perhaps the best known trait of the clan, favoring close combat weapons such as swords and axes, and being covered in bite wounds and scars even before their infestation. It is known that the Quom often fight against the zu'aan in territorial disputes, as the flat land and long stretches of plains that encompass their territory are prime breeding grounds for ranchers, which the Quom see as a major nuisance if not threat to their survival. The Quom kin’toni are known to be materialistic, but only in the sense that they do not bother carrying around anything that is not of practical use in a fight.

This means that they will usually only take things from fallen enemies that they believe will be useful to them. They do not believe in "loot" or "plunder" and usually wear to combat nothing more than the armor and clothing required for battle. They may carry large weapons such as axes, maces, and flails with them in battle. They are known to decorate their weapons and armor with the teeth of fallen enemies as a kind of trophy, but this carries no monetary value to them; only the defeater is allowed to take the teeth of the defeated out of their skull, and only they may wear them.

They are known to prepare for battle by being drenched in thick layers of ointment and salvia under their armor, which gives them an insolent degree of resistance to fire and other burning elements, which are favorite weapons of their zu’aan enemies. While the average Quom is usually adept at combat without their armor, they are barely faster than an average man in it. This heaviness of armor usually gives them a low agility, but a high strength, and sometimes speed, depending on how well they are able to maneuver their armor. The Quom are known to be chaotic fighters and do not often take orders from anybody.

Though there have been rare cases where they will unite under a single leader for a common purpose. They are known to have a strong sense of purpose and duty, but are usually primarily driven by their desires and instincts. The only exception to this is when they happen upon a strong leader who is able to unite them with powerful words or by simply being an example that the Quom can identify with. When this happens, the Quom will follow their leader without question. These battle-leaders are called the Plainslords and are usually the fiercest of their species, having survived countless battles and proven themselves in each one.

They say that if a Plainslord falls in battle, two more will rise to take their place, a saying that is more truthful than most realize - a leader falling in battle inspires the remaining kin'toni to try to take their mantle, and leading from the front is considered an honorable, and even enviable, way to die. Cowardice is the worst sin for a Quom, and is seen as an unforgivable shame. The only time a Quom will retreat from battle is if they all begin to lose, or if their leader falls in battle, at which point they will usually flee and reorganize with new leaders to fight another day.

The words of a Plainslord hold a lot of weight in a Quom's mind, so much so that sometimes all it takes for a Plainslord to unite them is a single sentence.

Government

Amongst the Quom kin'toni, a Plainslord only ascends to power by acclaim. If they lead well then they remain in power, if they lead poorly then they fall from grace. The title of Plainslord is not hereditary and each new ruler is elected by the clans, with one ruler for each kin'toni tribe. Rulers are granted a lot of authority as they tend to know what's best for their people the most, but any major decisions require the approval of a council. The councils themselves have two sources: One is the most sucessful and respected warriors, the other is the eldest and wisest shamans.

This means that, in practice, the rulers have a lot of followers as their status makes them popular with the people and they usually have a lot of support from both groups. The people are organized into four major tribes, each ruled by one of the Plainslord kin'toni, and divided into Northeast, Southeast, Northwest, and Southwest dominions. There are also several minor tribes, each with their own chief, but they do not have much power and are only nominally included in the higher councils. Women of the Quom kin'toni have a special status in their society.

They are not allowed to become Plainslords, and they are also not allowed to engage in Council debates. These women tend to be amongst the most skilled craftspeople and traders in the dominion, as they have a great deal of free time on their hands. These ladies' opinions are highly regarded all throughout the plains, but do not carry any direct authority. The women are also well-respected as great warriors by their husbands, sons, fathers, and brothers. In fact, many of them tend to be better regarded than the shamans, as warfare is valued by many tribes even over communion with the spirits.

There are a number of minor tribes made exclusively of kin'toni women, who are nominally under the rule of one of the major tribes, but often have their own internal problems. If a woman is of a minor tribe, but displays great skill or expertise in battle, she may be adopted into a major tribe. Each major tribe has their own warrior cadres, which they will call upon to defend the dominion as a whole if needed. If it is judged to be a major threat (i.e. Zu'aan coalitions or empires) then all four tribes will band together under the banner of the Plainslords.

The minor tribes will provide warriors as well, but they don't have a say in the matter. Some of the minor tribes aren't 'tribe' so much as families and will provide only a single warrior if needed, or even just a few heroes. As such, some tribes have a stronger military than others, and those of the strongest tend to dominate the higher ranks. This leads to a natural competition between the tribes, which is encouraged as it keeps everyone on their toes.

Religion

Quom kin’toni religion is based on the worship of the plains-spirits. These entities are said to speak through the mouths of specially designated hunter-shamans, who act as their mortal arms and voices. The plains-spirits are believed to be an invisible crafter-race of beings who made the world as we know it, then left to move on to other realms, leaving only some of their members and wisdom with the Quom to keep them going. Only a very few of these spirits remain in this world, which may also take the form of great magical sites and powerful weapons they left behind – according to Quom stories and myths, at least.

The Quom-inhabited Plains are said to be their playground, a place where they may occasionally be seen by chosen individuals for whom they have a strong affinity. The Quom believe their world to be endless and that there are multiple heavens and hells, each more beautiful or terrible than the last; however, the only way to get to them is through dying in battle, which puts the Quom in a strong position as most other races do not wish to die. Most Quom do not claim to know for certain what happens to them after death, however. There are actually many versions.

Most believe that they too join the crafter-race in their eternal paradise, to live happily among their idols forevermore. Others believe that the crafter-race lives on forever through the Plains in a self-sustaining cycle of life, and that when a Quom dies they become part of that collective spirit. According to the hunter-shamans “The crafter-race is all-encompassing and eternal, so even if only one being believed this, it would still be true”; in certain interpretations, this means that every belief about the afterlife somehow can materialize, so long as the plains spirits so permit it. However, these are mostly folk stories.

Most Quom educated in the ways of the Crafter-Race's wisdom know that their world is a circle of life, not a straight line of progress. Creation must always overcome destruction, and from each death comes new life. This is the reason the Quom kin’toni have also been known to worship ancient Quom warriors and heroes as Gods, usually attaching some kind of lesson or wisdom to their rites. One of the most infamous and revered members of their pantheon is the King of Blades, a warrior-hero from beyond recorded history who fought with a hundred thousand against an endless onslaught of zu'aan.

The Quom religion also has one central tenet, "The dead have no voice, unless it is to praise the Crafter-Race". As such, Quom graves are simple and offer no resting place for the dead, only a message to passers-by. A common grave will say things like "Here lies Grizim, a strong warrior who lived and died with honor. His body has returned to the Crafter-Race's embrace." while the rare chieftain grave might read something like "Here lies Grolik, father of the plains. His wisdom and strength gave us shelter and succor." It is also not uncommon for these graves to be altered by vandals from other races.

Which usually take the form of something insulting or mocking. This is frowned upon, but the Quom don't tend to be able to react with violence since those travelers will be long-gone when the vandalism is discovered. If anyone would be found while doing it, they would surely be eviscerated, as disrespecting the honored dead is not permitted. The Quom don't typically bury their dead in their own cemeteries, but rather burn them in a large pit in the center of a circle of power. The ashes themselves are collected on special urns which are held by the chieftain and then scattered across the plains on special days of remembrance.

Those who die in the same battle are put into a single large urn, with the name of every warrior who died to defend the clan engraved upon it. The largest of these urns can reach a truly shocking size, as the Quom kin’toni don't forget their dead.

Miscellany

A famous characteristic of the Quom kin'toni that contributes to how feared they might be is their powerful war cries and chants. They complement this with gigantic, oversized drums which are sometimes covered with stretched and curated zu'aan flesh. The war chants have a variety of origins and musical characteristics, and each of them has a distinctive sound, cadence, rhytm, and history. It is said that the drums and chanting can be heard across many kilometers through the plains when the Quom march. Usually, this inspires fear in their enemies, but once could argue its beauty as well.

Some of the major tribes have developed their music and chants to such an extent that they have become a staple of the region. Several taverns and inns exist on the edge of Plains where zu'aan 'singers' will imitate some of the Quom tribal chants for visitors. This is regarded by the Quom themselves as dishonorable profiteering, and none of their own ranks is allowed -or arguably desires- to take part in such mocking activity. These are some of the most important Quom kin'toni chants:

Crafter-invoking Funeral March: One of the oldest known chants, it is said to be based off of an old melody from the Crafter-race. This march is usually reserved for honored dead and leaders such as Chieftains. The sound is slow and solemn as it is suppossed to accompany the soul of the dead in passing to the unknown Beyond.

Hug the Land Chant: An old chant used to praise land and soil, this chant was usually only reserved for important events such as the great yearly hunts or significant harvesting of zu'aan lives. As such, it is regarded with great fondness by the Quom as a celebration of life.

Charging Chant: By far the most popular and well-known chant among the Quom, it is used to accompany warriors into battle. The chanting is loud and rhythmic, and each stanza has a different verse. The Charge chant is also occassionally used to accompany celebrations, funerals of warrior-heroes, and important tribal events.

Plains-wanderer's Lullaby: A song for calming children and animals, this song is usually paired with the War-chant of Forlorn Hope. Though Quom can't have children, sometimes the children of turned people can also be converted, so that they are together in their tribal life.

The War-Chant of the Kuglimz: This chant is relatively new to the Quom, who learned it from the Kuglimz, however, it has become quite popular due to its intense martial nature. The original drumbeat is from a large kuglimz skull, and is said to be "based off an old fadyr (tribal law)" about not stepping over the skulls of your enemies (possibly because it could damage their teeth).

The Quom kin'toni music has been known to inspire zu’aan musicians in the past, and some of these 'derivative works' have made their way back to the Quom. While they are regarded with fondness by most Quom, original compositions are regarded with more honor and respect.

Nearby Groups

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Quom Kin'toni Clan

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