Urntoro City Zu'aan

History

Urntoro City was an established, walled, highly religious city long before the outbreak. They didn’t interact much with other cities as they believed that it would disturb their way of life. They believed that those outside of the city had nothing of value for them. Any interaction with other cities was done outside of Urntoro. The founder of Urntoro was a mysterious man. He had no name and never revealed his face. He spoke softly, never raising his voice, and his actions were always gentle and calm. He introduced the practice of finding inner peace, a now fundamental part of their culture.

Many zu’aan were drawn to him and his gentle nature. Since he didn’t have a name, the zu’aan began to call him The First. During his time, the city was open to all who sought inner peace. He welcomed them with open arms. As time went forward, after the passing of The First, the city began to bar zu’aan from entering freely. Those that wanted entrance had to prove their dedication to finding inner peace. Not long after that, the city locked its gates, allowing no further entry. All outside influences were completely cut off.

Due to this, news of the kin’toni outbreak reached their ears years later. The news forced them to abandon their city as the kin’toni gunned for the large cities. They had no desire to confront the violent and aggressive monster that had been created by their very own kind. To escape the hordes, the zu’aan of Urntoro split up and scattered. They made sure not to move too far away from the city as they hoped to reclaim it one day. As time went forward and the Awakening Age crept by, they slowly made their way back to their walled city. Their time in the wilderness caused them to become even more consumed with the idea of finding tranquility.

They become more convinced that their way of thinking was the only way. The new Urntoro became very different from the old. It was no longer a place where any in the search of inner peace could come to find it. It became a place of strict laws, extreme punishments for those who failed to obey, and a place of devout and nearly fanatic religious worship. They completely denounced all other forms of religion. Those who didn’t believe in their religion were forced to either leave the city or convert. Conversion was a long and torturous process. It would include long weeks in confinement.

The church, which was built after the passing of The First, would send the zu’aan to the depths of the basement, a place devoid of light and sound. They believed that without outside influences, the zu’aan would have no choice but to retreat inside their minds in search of peace. They believed that it was the only way to completely erase all thoughts of other religions. Some zu’aan would lose their minds in the silent darkness. They would come out a shell of their former selves. If they came out like this, the conversion was considered to be a failure and the zu’aan would not be allowed to stay in the city.

Those that were able to retain their senses and came out sane, were deemed to have found tranquility and mental clarity, would be allowed to stay.

Psychology

The zu’aan of Urntoro City are known for being emotionally detached and of a strong controlled mentality. They believe that emotions are an unnecessary aspect in life that cloud the ability to make sensible judgements and the right decisions. They are a city that strives for complete mental stability and inner peace. With that, one can fully open their minds and bring out their full capabilities. They strive to drive out feelings and emotions like fear, anger, sadness, greed, pride, and even love. These emotions cloud judgement and lead to mistakes and chaos.

To them, survival does not come from being the strongest, the quickest, or the smartest. Survival comes solely from tranquility and finding your inner peace. They believe that when the mind is truly calm and open, anything is possible.

While they are a gentle city in terms of their mindset of finding peace, it is also a restrained and sometimes harsh city. There are no feelings of love or care for one another and no sense of familial ties to each other. Parents do not love their children and children do not love their siblings. The zu’aan are taught at a young age to rid themselves of such sentiments.

They do not form attachments to each other. While they look after each other, it's not due to caring about each other. They do this to simply make sure they are all following the principles of the church and are not being corrupted by emotions. As they do not feel, they also do not fear death. They believe that they have come to a point where they are able to see what it means to truly live. They view death as simply a part of life. Eventually, all zu’aan will die and in that death, one will find a truly everlasting peace. Why fear something that can’t be stopped and happens to all living things.

Fear is a weakness and the product of a chaotic mind. While they do not fear death, they still want at least some of their people to survive so that their religion does not die. The mentality of the first zu’aan of the city was quite different, a bit more open to what the world had to offer. While they still searched for inner peace, they were a caring city. They welcomed all, without prejudice to come join them in Urntoro. They didn’t try to drive out emotions, but instead tried to work with them. Over time, the zu’aan began to think that emotions were what blocked their ability to find inner peace.

So, they began the process of driving out their emotions. They would lock themselves in total darkness so that outside distractions would go away. This allowed them to truly reach inside themselves, get rid of their emotions, and reach tranquility. This made them not only mentally stable, but mentally strong as well. Their mental fortitude is incredibly strong and durable. Many believe that this is why they do not fear death.

Culture

Culture, like everything else in Urntoro City, revolves around the church. Daily mass is something all zu’aan willingly take part in. No zu’aan is able to start their day without attending mass. They are not a culture that has fun or puts on celebrations. There is no drinking, excessive eating, or fun festivals. The only thing they celebrate is the existence of their goddess and what she brings to them. And even that is not a true celebration. They restrain themselves from feeling anything other than content and being at peace.

They have a very conservative culture. Both men and women cover their skin so as to not fall into the temptation of the flesh. The only time they show themselves to each other is when they are trying to reproduce, during the Joining Period. A small group of fertile men and women are chosen to partner up and bring forth the next generation. This happens four times out of the year, over the course of two days. Outside of this time, intercourse is strictly forbidden and subject to confinement in the church. To them, intercourse is not about pleasure of the flesh, it is purely for the continuing of the zu’aan race.

When the women successfully become pregnant, they are moved to the Birthing House. They spend the duration of the pregnancy there, allowing themselves to put their minds at ease and occupy a calm and stable environment. The Birthing House is equipped with everything the women need to not only give birth, but also calm their mind in preparation for the arduous process of having a child. During this time is the only time women are allowed to skip going to church for mass. They hold their own mass within the house so that they do not disturb their mental stability.

Once the children are born, they are immediately handed over to the church and their mothers are sent back to their homes. The priests are left to raise them so that they may grow up in the correct way to reach enlightenment and once the children reach their eighteenth year, they are allowed to leave the church and settle into their own home. Women are trained to not form attachments to their children when the time comes— to not even think of them as their children. They must have the mentality that it is simply their duty to reproduce, not to become mothers.

They don’t put much emphasis on academic education. The zu’aan only learn enough to be able to read, understand, and to follow the principles of the church. They focus more so on things like how to take care of crops, sewing their body covers, and meditation. There is not much need for anything else. Violence does not have a place in Urntoro. They believe that violence is the epitome of a chaotic mind. Those who perform violent acts are the furthest from finding inner peace. They see the kin’toni as the children—the very incarnation— of violence.

Government

The city is run by an oligarchy government system. The Church of the First runs Urntoro City from every aspect. A highly devout group of priests called the First Circle make all the decisions of the city. Since priests are the ones who’ve reached true enlightenment, it’s only natural that they be the ones to run Urntoro. The zu’aan willingly follow the church. The First Circle is made up of both male and female priests that have reached enlightenment. They live and breathe the principles of the church and are considered the ones who are most like The First and are the closest to Eirene.

To become a part of the circle, one has to spend a significant amount of time in solitude so that they may find true tranquility. They must be able to show that their emotions have been cast away and that they won’t be swayed by them. Becoming a part of the First Circle is probably one of the hardest things to do. As long as the principles are followed, a position in the First Circle is a lifelong one. It’s less than rare for a zu’aan to be cast out of the circle. Their laws are the same as the principles of the church, which has yet to change in decades and will probably not be changed.

There are two punishments in Urntoro in response to breaking the principles. The first and most common punishment is confinement within the church for repentance. They believe that the only way to gain salvation and forgiveness is to find their inner peace and pray to their goddess. The severity of the crime will determine the amount of time one spends in confinement. They don’t believe in whipping or dragging zu’aan through the streets, they consider that to be barbaric and unnecessary. The second punishment is execution. It is the most extreme form of punishment reserved for those deemed beyond salvation.

It is not considered an act of violence or anger. It is viewed as a cleansing of chaos and is considered a proper and acceptable punishment. Execution isn’t something that happens often. It’s a very rare punishment. Most issues brought before the circle are about the city itself. They are not a city that has criminals infesting the alleyways, children begging on the streets for food, or internal strife. It’s rare that the circle will have to deal with what they call “chaotic zu’aan.” Chaotic zu’aan are zu’aan who can’t find inner peace, who are ruled by their emotions, and can’t follow the principles.

There is no slave labor and everyone is treated equally. There are no set roles for women and men other than women being the ones to give birth. Jobs are open to all without discrimination. Even positions within the church have no limitations based on sex. The government is not considered corrupt, it’s actually considered quite fair in the eyes of the zu’aan. As long as you follow the principles, life is quite easy and without hassle.

Military

Urntoro zu’aan do not believe in fighting or in violence. The First didn’t believe in fighting and that mentality has been passed down and respected by all of Urntoro. They believe that fighting and war are drowned in rage and sometimes fear, the complete opposite of what they strive for. There are no guns or armor anywhere within the city as they believe that Eirene will protect them. There is no form of military or fighting force. They would rather take up defense within their church, with their heavy doors, than fight the kin’toni.

But this wasn’t always the case. There was a small military force that protected the zu’aan of Urntoro. When they were forced to leave Urntoro during the Awakening Age, they had to change their mindset. If they wanted to survive long enough to take their city back, they would have to fight. The scattered zu’aan reluctantly took up arms and taught themselves to fight. During their time in the wilderness, they had to face many enemies, from the bloodthirsty kin’toni to the neighboring zu’aan tribes that had also been forced to scatter. The world had become a blood filled battleground for survival and a cauldron of violence.

They had no choice but to adapt along with it, no matter how much they didn’t want to. The men had to take up the offensive positions to protect the rest. They had spears that they made from the surrounding trees and armor from metal that they had brought with them from the city. Even before the outbreak, they had never liked or owned guns or high powered weapons. They felt that weapons like that would lead to nothing but chaos. They always ran, making sure to never attack first. If they couldn’t run, then and only then would they attack. While they tried their best not to kill, in some cases it couldn’t be helped.

After experiencing the terrible violence and the horror of taking the lives of others, even if they were kin’toni, they did away with their military completely. Back in the city, they saw no need to keep such a violent force as they had no more plans to leave the city ever again. They would rather the kin’toni come and eradicate them all then to go back out there. So, they decided to get rid of all the weapons and armor they had made. Then, to cleanse themselves of the violence they had committed and seen, they confined themselves in the church for prayer.

When they emerged, several days later, they increased their defensive measures. They felt it would be better to take up a defensive position to take on the kin’toni. They have great defensive capabilities. Their church doors and front gates are reinforced with several heavy weights that drop down to keep them closed during emergencies. There are also many secret entrances and hidden pathways inside the church. They no longer wanted to spill blood, resort to violence, or cause chaos in their minds.

Religion

Urntoro City are devout followers of Eirene, the Goddess of Tranquility. Eirene represents calmness and brings forth peace in the mind. They built a church, the Church of the First, where they hold mass in her honor everyday. The zu’aan dubbed the church this because they believed that the First was the closest to Eirene. They believed that the First was her vassal that she sent down to guide them. Everyday, the zu’aan gather in the church in the morning and pray in silence. They spend this time trying to calm their minds and find their inner peace. They can spend anywhere from an hour to a full day in the church, praying to Eirene.

Some of the more devout followers are known to spend several days in the church. They don’t feel comfortable leaving the church before they’ve found peace. Priests run the church and lead mass. The zu’aan that become priests are those who are considered to have reached enlightenment and reached the same peace of the First. They are highly respected and many come to them for their guidance. The priests believe it is their duty to help the city find peace. There are six strict but simple principles that all zu’aan must follow without question.

These principles are rooted deeply within their culture and religion. The first principle is that mass must be attended everyday. They believe that if one doesn’t attend mass, they will never find enlightenment. The second principle is no intercourse outside of permitted times. Intercourse is allowed solely for reproduction, any extra intercourse is considered a form of coveting. To covet anything is unnecessary and a showing of a chaotic mindset. The third principle is no showing of skin outside of permitted times. They believe that showing off one’s body is not something necessary to live.

It is nothing but a temptation of the flesh and causes unnecessary attachments between zu’aan. The fourth principle is that no act of violence or anger shall be committed towards yourself or towards others. They believe that any kind of emotion, especially anger, will lead you into chaos instead of enlightenment. Things like murder, rape, and assault are considered the most extreme acts of violence. The fifth principle is that children must be raised by the church. They do not believe that parents should form attachments to other offspring.

The sixth principle is that any actions of greed, such as theft, are not allowed. If actions of greed are committed, that zu’aan will be subjected to confinement within the church for repentance. Failure to follow all of these principles may very well lead to death. Zu’aan are given a single chance to pray and beg for forgiveness from Eirene and ask for salvation. Some will spend weeks in confinement praying to her before they are allowed to leave. Failure to repent will absolutely lead to death. They believe that at this point, there is no salvation.

The troubled zu’aan must be executed to stop the spread of their sins and chaos.

Miscellany

Nearby Groups

Unknown

Unknown

Unknown