Untemo City Zu'aan

History

Untemo City, also known as the Sunken City, was created inside of the Rhidlor'tanu Sinkhole. The sinkhole happened days before the outbreak. A city, whose name has long been cast away and forgotten, was destroyed when the sinkhole happened. No one remembers what caused it. Many inhabitants of this forgotten city were killed. The zu’aan that survived had no choice but to leave at that time to escape the hordes of kin’toni, leaving them no time to mourn. They wandered around during the Awakening Age, trying to find a new place to settle down.

Every time they thought they had found somewhere, the invading kin’toni would force them to leave in order to survive. Their journey eventually brought them back to the sinkhole as the Awakening Age ended and the Twilight Age began. During the journey, the siblings, Eeyr and Eena, were chosen to lead the wandering, nameless tribe. The siblings had been the children of Eedar, the previous leader. Eedar had given his life to save as many zu’aan as he could. The surviving zu’aan thought it was only fitting to have his children take charge. They had both been training and educating themselves from a young age to take on the leader position anyway.

Together, they successfully lead the zu’aan to salvation, eventually going back to their previous home. Once back, they decided that it would be best to use the sinkhole to their advantage, instead of rebuilding the entire city around it. Salvaging what was left of the city, they built their new city at the bottom of the sinkhole. Their dead, whose bones had been covered with growing vegetation, were properly buried. While they hated to disturb their fallen brethren’s final resting place, they believed that they deserved a proper burial and send off.

There was a huge underground lake at the bottom and an enormous cavern that could be used to hold their new city. It was far enough inside the cavern that it couldn’t be seen from the surface. It was a tough and grueling task that took them several years to accomplish. They designed a pulley system that would take them and resources up and down. They carved a secret set of stairs inside the wall of the sinkhole as well, keeping its surface entrance hidden, to allow them another way to travel. They also built a few buildings on the surface that were mainly used as lookouts and storage.

While they were able to plant a few crops at the edge of the lake, the rest had to be planted on the surface due to lack of sunlight. The zu’aan were quite happy with what they had accomplished. They had created a city underground that provided them with an advantageous defensive position, gave them the seclusion they wanted, made them feel closer together, and offered them sanctuary from the natural elements and the kin’toni. They decided to name their new city after the god they worshiped, Untemo, the God of the Land.

Psychology

The zu’aan of Untemo City are considered and consider themselves as shut-ins. The outbreak had a profound effect on the early inhabitants of the city causing their seclusion to be self-imposed. They were afraid of what the world had become. The horrors they experienced caused them to develop a bit of fear and trepidation for the outside world, so they try not to interact with other cities much.. As time went on and they found their sanctuary back where they had started, they stopped being afraid. The fear of the kin’toni was still there, but they wouldn’t let the fear completely take over.

While newcomers are welcome to come to Untemo in hopes of settling down, there is a bit of hesitation that comes with accepting them. They’ve seen the things zu’aan have done to other zu’aan, they have seen the horrors and violence they have inflicted on each other and want no part of it. They consider Untemo a sanctuary for them to build their lives, so it’s hard for them to let outsiders in. But, once they’ve been accepted, they become just as important as everyone else in the city. With how close everyone is, it is pretty easy to adapt to Untemo.

With that being said, they are also very tenacious and patient. Surviving the sinkhole and the hordes, traversing the violent wilds, building their new city, and keeping it running takes a highly stubborn amount of dedication and time. This mentality has helped them to not only survive, but to also create a thriving city and life as well. They seclude themselves from the outside, but they still have fighting spirit and a strong will to survive.

Within the city itself, away from the eyes of the other zu’aan cities, they are quite open, relaxed, and full of energy. They try to enjoy life as much as they can. They celebrate and try to look at life in the most positive way possible. They respect each other’s voices and opinions, and don’t discriminate. Having seen and experienced the violence of the outside world, they try not to resort to violence themselves. They try to throw out aggression when it is not needed. They even go as far as to store their weapons away and take up a more defensive approach to things.

They only go on the offensive when absolutely necessary. While they can be of a carefree and fun mentality, they can be quite serious about things as well. They take the well-being of the city extremely seriously in terms of its general safety, city defense, physical wellness, and mental wellness. They consider themselves to be a very close community, a collective unit, and try their best to look out for each other. They strive to be able to turn confidently to each other in times of need, whether to simply talk, to get advice, or for help.

The younger zu’aan are raised to not only respect the land, but to also respect each other.

Culture

The culture within Untemo City is full of energy and life, very different from how they portray themselves to others. They love to celebrate and have as much fun as possible. One popular activity the zu’aan like to do is the Dive. The Dive is a popular dare between the younger zu’aan. They dare each other to jump from the edge of the sinkhole into the lake at the bottom. The drop is nearly 150 feet, which is nothing for the strong mutated bodies of the zu’aan. The Dive is more than just a dive. It is a celebration and a competition. The zu’aan have to perform complex tricks as they dive and their entrance into the water has to barely disturb the surface.

The more complex the trick the better. Oftentimes, the older zu’aan will participate as well. While the Dive can happen at any time, it mainly happens during the Revival Day Festival. When it happens during this time, it is called the Great Dive. This festival is a celebration of the creation of Untemo. They call it Revival Day because they believe that while Untemo is different from the previous city, it is still an improved revived city. The Great Dive represents the revival. Once the festival is started, it is hard for the zu’aan to wind down from the celebrations.

There is dancing, water play, music, lots of food, and lots of drinking. So, the festival usually stretches out across a couple of days. The zu’aan of Untemo City do not consume any kind of meat. They only consume fruits, vegetables, and edible plants. Before the sinkhole happened, the previous city was a farming city of fruits and vegetables. That same form of farming continues into Untemo. Even the earliest inhabitants of the previous city did not consume meat. This diet choice is mainly due to religious reasons. As their god has power over the natural land, they believe that animals do not fall under his domain and are not under his blessing.

With them not having his blessing, they are not safe to consume. Animals are simple guests who have made their homes on the land, they are not considered of the land. They believe that animals carry a multitude of diseases that could very well kill them if consumed. Even if they wanted to consume meat, since their bodies are not used to meat, they would end up extremely sick. They also believe that fruits, vegetables, and plants offer more nutrients and lead to longer, healthier lives. Meat consumption, while not considered a law, is not allowed in Untemo under any circumstances. Any newcomers to the city must adapt to their diet if they wish to remain.

Many zu’aan are quite surprised at how different Untemo’s culture is to the way it is portrayed on the outside. It’s hard to believe that there is such a bright, carefree, energetic, and loud celebration that takes place every year. They have so little restraints and constraints.

Government

There are two leaders of Untemo, always one male and one female. The men chose a male representative and the women chose a female representative. This is to make sure both sides get an equal voice. It’s also a tradition being followed from the first leaders of the city. While the first leaders were siblings, the leaders don’t have to be related to each other to be chosen. They only have to prove their capabilities in running the city. Candidates spend the time before the election helping around the city, showing everyone their intentions, and showing what kind of leader they will be. This is the first round of the election.

The first round of the election usually ends up with between three to five candidates left on each side. The second round is about their confirmations. They use this time to really drive home what they plan to do for the city and why they are the best choice. This is an event showcasing their positive sides, there is no trash talking the other candidates to make themselves look better. After the second round, the rest of the city splits into their genders and deliberates on who they believe should be the leaders. They cast their votes and the candidates with the majority vote are chosen.

The new leaders are then given the chance to hand pick their own councils to help take on the burdens of the city. Each council is made up of five members. The duties of the city are split up between the leaders. The male leader handles any issues brought to him from the men. He is also in charge of keeping their military forces in check, and taking care of the defenses of the city. He helps set up training for the military, keeps check on their weapons, and makes sure their defensive capabilities are up to par. He handles the food source as well, making sure their crops are growing like they should.

The female leader handles the women's issues. She is in charge of pregnancy and the medical center. She helps to take care of pregnant women and women trying to get pregnant. She’s in charge of making sure there is proper childcare and healthcare. She also takes care of the overall wellbeing of everyone. She is considered a mother, mentor, therapist, and nurse for everyone, taking on their problems and helping them solve them. Though the leaders handle separate issues, they still work together on decisions that need to be made for the city as a whole.

There are no strict laws in Untemo. There are things common sense will tell you not to do. Things like murder, sexual assault, kidnapping, and theft are not allowed. Those who commit crimes, any kind of crime, are imprisoned deep within the cavern, in what they call cave cells, and chained to a post. The cave cells are cold, damp, and without light. The amount of time one spends there depends on the severity of their crime and how many times they’ve committed the crime.

Military

The military in Untemo is mainly a defensive unit that will only go on the offense if absolutely necessary. They use the sinkhole to their advantage. Having gotten used to the darkness, they are able to hide in the darkness and in the lake. When you look into the sinkhole, only the water is visible which offers a bit of natural camouflage. Over the decades, they have carved out several interconnected pathways inside the sinkhole. There are several zu’aan sized holes in the wall of the sinkhole that lead to these pathways. It is an intricate and confusing maze system for those not used to it.

There are even natural pathways that were already there. If you swim far enough down in the lake, there are pathways that lead to smaller underground lakes. And there is no source of light inside the maze, using torches is the only way to see. Everyone in the city, from a young age, spends a significant amount of time learning the different pathways. By the time they reach maturity, the zu’aan are able to traverse the maze with a great amount of ease. Some are able to with their eyes closed, using their hands to feel and familiarize themselves with the walls.

They are able to truly use this to their advantage to hide themselves, evacuate non-combatant zu’aan, confuse the enemy, and even trap them. Without knowing which way to go, being stuck walking in circles wouldn’t be surprising. While they are mainly focused on defense, they still train to fight as well in the unfortunate event of their defenses failing. They are quite dedicated to training and no zu’aan misses a day, even the younger ones. They have a special style of fighting, called Un Bai, that has been passed down for decades.

This fighting style is a good mix of offense and defense, leaning heavier on the latter. It’s mainly used to knock the opponent off balance so that you can move in and efficiently attack. With them off balance, it allows you to throw several attacks in a rapid succession before they can regain their balance. The only disadvantage of this style of fighting is the number of opponents and that the opponent must move first. With multiple opponents coming at the same time, the style becomes a lot harder to use. Since it depends on the moves of the opponent first, it limits the users in how they can move.

Un Bai is a style that requires a great amount of patience and fortitude to properly learn. It could hurt the user or leave them open to attack if used wrongly. This style really drives home Untemo City’s mentality of staying on the defense before moving on the offense. Their weapons are stored and locked in a small armory in the center of the city. The two leaders have the only keys that open it. As they are a peaceful city, they feel that there is no reason to have weapons out in the open.

Religion

The zu’aan of Untemo worships the God of the Land, Untemo. They named their city in honor of him. Untemo was worshiped before the sinkhole, but their belief and worship increased when they began to build their new city within the sinkhole. They believe that Untemo sank the previous city to give the zu’aan a sanctuary that would protect them from the kin’toni. Though some of their ancestors died during the process, they believe that it was a necessary sacrifice. Untemo is depicted as a man made of earth. There is vegetation like grass and flowers sprouting all over his body.

Animals have made homes on his shoulders and feet. Birds constantly fly around him. He is described as being as strong and as sturdy as a boulder. Untemo rules over all land. He decides where plants and vegetation grow, where the soil will be fertile, which parts of the land are barren, and how the land grows. He alone determines the shape of countries, the height of mountains, and the depths of canyons, and the widths of riverbeds. Untemo is considered of a kind nature as long as the land is respected. He nurtures the world so that it may grow.

He created the land to provide only what is necessary. If more is taken than has been given, Untemo grows angry. They believe that when zu’aan do selfish things like cut down entire forests, he grows angry. They believe that when he is angry, he makes the world shake and crack. He makes the soil infertile and turns the land rotten. One is supposed to live with the land, not try to completely overtake it. The zu’aan of Untemo makes sure they never take more than what is needed. They teach the zu’aan at an early age to respect the land and to give thanks to Untemo for providing the land. Without him, the sea would consume everything.

On the other hand, when he is content, he allows grass and plants to grow, the crops to flourish, and the land to settle for reasonable development. He washes his blessings over the very world itself. They consider places with abundant vegetation, fertile soil, high amounts of animal life, and overgrown forests to be truly blessed by Untemo. The area surrounding Untemo is filled with large trees and vegetation. They consider themselves quite lucky to be in a place so obviously under Untemo’s blessing. The zu’aan are quite serious when it comes to worshiping their god.

To receive his blessing, the zu’aan cover their feet and hands in soil. They will spend several minutes sitting on the ground, covered in the soil, as they pray to him. They ask for his protection and that he watches over them, guiding them as they take from the land so that they may only take what they need. They worship him by helping to nurture the land. Turning the soil, planting trees, and making sure not to disturb the forest more than necessary.

Miscellany

Nearby Groups

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Untemo City Zu'aan

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