Xildquetor Kin'toni Clan

History

The Xildquetor Clan were a clan of snow dwelling kin'toni who settled in the Xarla Shattered Glacier. According to legend, they were created in the secret polar research facilities located on the slowly drifting glaciers of Taerel. They wee one of the rarest varieties of kin'toni who could survive in extremely cold and desolate environments where prey was hard to come by with very little substitutes in terms of food. The Xildquetor were some of the most adept survivalist in the Taerel who had perfected the art in one of the most hostile regions of the world.

They had to be innovative in their methods and come up with ways to create their own heating systems along with tools to trap and capture prey. Many of their survival techniques have been passed down over centuries with only minor improvements and additions made to their original methods. Historically, the clan has had very little interactions with the world outside their glacier home and their only limited interaction has been with other smaller, tribes who also live in the region. Their curiosity and the necessity to increase their population before they went instinct would finally drive them to make some of their first voyages to the mainland.

They were greeted with suspicion and hostility by both the zu'aan and kin'toni of the mainland who were not accustomed to seeing such physically imposing and barbaric figures. This would alienate them even further from the mainsteam clans and led to the breeding of a hostile rivalry with the kin'toni warlords of the region. There were several battles between them before the Xilquetor realized that they needed to grow in power and size before they could effectively challange any of the mainland kin'toni. The need to increase their military might would drive them to raid the more vulnerable zu'aan towns and villages along the coastline.

They conducted these seasonal raids regularly along the coastline, carying off captives and livestock along with valueables, weapons, tools and zu'aan boats. The zu'aan began to live in fear of these raids with some villages even offering their people as tribute in exchange for their villages being left untouched. These raids were a catalyst for the quick changes that followed for the Xildquetor clan. Their military might began to grow with the induction of many of their zu'aan captives. The also witnessed simple mechanical tools for the first time and began to make use of them at a larger scale around their settlenments.

This led to an improvement in the overall reliability and design of their dwellings. They no longer had to live in caves or rudimentary fur tents. Instead, many permanent structures began to come up within their settlements of the popuilation of the region. The influx of a large supply of zu'aan weapons and boatmaking expertise also led to an increase in the efficiency of their raids. They could now challenge the kin'toni of the mainland on almost equal terms. They won many victories during this stage of theri life and established a thriving trading outpost that was mainly occupied wit blackmarketeers and privateers of the sea.

Biology

The Xildquetor kin'toni Clan were very hardy kin'toni whose genetics and physical characteristics allowed them survive the brutal conditions of the Xarla Shattered Glaciers. Their core body temperatures were lower than most living beings and their thick, viscous blood was resistant to freezing. This helped them negate the effects of exposure to the extremely cold conditions of the region where they could function as nimbly as other kin'toni would in ideal surroundings. Other physical adaptations that helped them survive the brutal cold of the region included their substantial layer of fat underneath their skin.

That acted as insulation while also allowing them to store food reserves and use them for energy when their food ran out. They were physically strong and agile individuals who hunted the most vicious creatures of the Xarla- including aquatic whale like creatures, fishes and predators that hibernated in the ice caves of the region. Their physical strength was paired with a couple of long claw like nails that could rip through inches of armor or thick leather and mortally wound their prey. The Xildquetor were quite imposing in their height with most of their members averaging over seven feet.

Their muscles were less prominent in their bodies due to their layer of fat. Their skin was covered with hair on all exposed surfaces to help them ward off the cold. They were capable of growing hair and beards. Most of their members preferred to grow them long and maintain an unkempt look. Their skin was very pale due to the naturally dark conditions of their environment and the lack of exposure to sunlight. This made them vulnerable to the bright sunlight of the mainland- forcing them to work only at night in those environments. The Xildquetor had dark orange irises with white sclerae and vertical beaded pupils.

These eyes were adapted to seeing in the dark and low-light conditions- making them very photo sensitive and vulnerable to sunlight. Their sense of smell was quite undeveloped, forcing them to rely on their sight or audible clues when hunting their prey their prey. Their ears were pointed to the top and rolled in concentric folds to shield them from the driving winds and pick out small sounds around them. They had two fangs lining the corner of their mouth that they used to "turn" zu'aan into one of them. Their teeth were large in proportion, strong and sharp- allowing them to use it for hunting and killing their prey.

They had two modes of movement. In normal situations, they would walk upright on their two feet while they travelled on all fours when they wanted to move faster or remain inconspicuous and closer to the ground. This unnatural behavior was very unsettling for the zu'aan settlers of the coastline who encountered them for the first time- outside of their habitat. The fear that they invoked among many of these zu'aan settlements contributed to the success of their raids and led to their mythical reputation as fearsome, beast-like raiders.

Culture

The Xildquetor kin'toni Clan were known for their tight-knit society that heavily prioritized their survival needs. This was necessitated by their rough environment thatcould turn hostile at any moment. The fatality rate of the Xildquetor from natural hazards and phenomenon was one of the highest in all of Taerel. They had to contend with a lot of challenges from the constant pieces of ground that could break off into the sea to snowstorms and blizzards that could freeze people trapped out in the open and the unreliable source of food.

The Xildquetor had to device many time-proven customs and habits to maximize their chances of survival. They lived in ice caves that were dug out of thousand-year-old ice. The shelters protected them from the raging winds on the surface and were distinctive for their tiny entrances that minimized heat loss. The insides of these caves would open up into large open spaces where the clan lived as a community. Another aspect of survival in the Xarla was finding the exclusive prey and animals that lived around the region. The animals, much like the Xildquetor rarely stayed out in the freezing outdoors for long.

The elusiveness of their prey required unconventional hunting methods that the clan had mastered over the centuries. These techniques were passed down from genereation to generation and were a large part of their culture. Hunting was the only reliable source of blood and meat for the clan who required them for survival. The clan had a system for the division of labor that ensured that a fresh hunting party was always out in the field looking for their next meal. Mass traval was risky in the frozen waste, especially in the lighter ice of the coastal regions where most of their prey lived.

Missteps could set off vulnerable cracks in the glaciar and lead to a breakaway in the glaciar. The use of smaller hunting parties meant that the clan did not have to run the risk of losing their entire clan all at once. Their simplistic hunting lifestyle would change once the clan grew serious about expanding their numbers. These ambitions would lead them to set out on board large floating icebergs towards the mainland. This was a revolutionary undertaking for the clan who would discover the rich coastal villages and towns.

They would begin their raids in the region- plundering settlements and taking many zu'aan captives who would later be "turned" into one of them. The Xildquetor's culture would advanced quickly as a result of this interaction with the mainland. They grew familiar with skills such as shipbuilding and started making use of many zu'aan tools that they took back with them. The Xildquetor culture was not particularly known for its art. This was because of the lack of materials in the featureless Xarla Shattered Glaciers. Instead, their personal expressions found an outlet in their songs that were passed down through the generations.

These songs most commonly told stories about the clan's heroes and their Gods.

Government

The Xildquetor kin'toni Clan were led by the Head priest of their clan. The Head priest was expected to use his experience and wisdom to solve the Clan's problems. She was also entrusted with the responsibility of passing judgements and resolving conflicts within the clan. As a Head priest, she would also have to fulful her religious obliations to lead the clan in their ceremonies and prayers. The single position was responsible for most of the administration and decision-making within the clan, making it the most powerful position within the clan.

A new Head Priest was appointed by the former Head priest before she retired from her position. There were no mechanisms where the people could vote or influence the selection. The process was very restricted and the clan could not contest the decision. The fear of the clan's founders was that allowing the people to support different leaders would lead to the fracture of their society and the rise of many self-proclaimed leaders. This would have been critical to the survival of the race in their hostile environment. Thus, they kept the selection process out of reach of the normal citizens of the clan.

They associated it with the position of High priest to give legitimacy to the position. The Xildquetir kin'toni were very religious folk and they were unlikely to argue against a religious position. Their government was based on respect and a reverence for the position of the leader. They took his commands as divine orders that had been passed down from the heavens. The High priest was responsible for making the code of conduct for members of their clan. This informal code functioned as the law within the clan. It prescribed basic tenets such as the mandatory cooperation of all clan members.

The forbidding of murder and personal goods and compulsary participation in their risky hunting trips. Any member who was unwilling to live by this code would find themselves alienated and expelled from the clan. Their code of conduct was enforced by the clan members themselves as there were no existing authorities for the safekeeping of these laws. Apart from expulsion, the clan alo had other punishments meant for less severe crimes. Hesitation or negligence during their hunts was punishable by flogging and disobedience would lead to a sentence of imprisonment.

The clan refrained from killing their own members as punishment since their numbers were very vital for their survival chances. The government would expand and include bigger administrative systems once the clan started raiding the mainland. Their population would increase substantially and the old Head priest system would become inadequate for their large numbers. Survival also became easier during this phase as the clan were able to take back supplies from the mainland. These raids gave rise to many self-proclaimed warlords who would lead their men on raids and hold independent command of their own armies.

They were leaders in their own right and would only follow the old system of unitary leadership once they returned to their Xarla region.

Military

The Xildquetor kin'toni Clan had very developed military instincts because of the strict discipline within their clan and their constant hunting activities. These hunts were very rigorous activities that required a lot of concentration and skill. Their environment was as much a danger to them as their vicious prey- requiring the hunters to be aware of their surroundings. Their training was very practical and suited to their lifestyle. They introduced hunting to their members at a very early age by letting them accompany their most seasoned hunters in hunting expeditions.

This helped them develop a very alert eye and gain proficiency with a variety of weapons and tools including slings, traps, spikes and spears. They had very little need for a military during their life in the glacier due to the very limited nature of their interactions with other clans. The surface of the Xarla was extremely cold and desolate and living beings were rarely seen outside unless they were there for a special purpose. Thus, it was impossible for the Xildquetor to maintain any sort of contact with their smaller neighbors who were spread all over the entire ice cap.

Their military options would open up when a few of their bravest adventurers set out on a journey across the seas to the mainland. They would discover the rich coastal region filled with lightly defended zu'aan villages and settlements that could provide them with enough captives to ensure the clans survival for the forseeable future. These habitats also had enough provisions to wean them off their risky hunting expeditions. It was a more consistent means of getting food and the clan slowly begin to adapt themselves to live off these raids.

This new method required the Xildquetir to have a reliable army who could constantly engage in wars on the mainland and send back their plunder to their homelands. The first raiding parties were formed from their most experienced hunters and their membership would expand to include professionally individuals who were trained for the purpose of raiding their enemies. Their armies began to acquire a more professional character and were placed under the leadership of warlords who were independent of their Head priests, back at home.

The warlords paid and supplied them with provisions and weapons in return for their loyalty and service towards him. This system would lead to the waning influence of their religion and traditional head priests. It ushered in an era of more individual expression, freedom and advancements. The Xildquetor armies would come into contact with a lot of the more advanced clans of the mainland. They saw the weapons and tools that could greatly benefit their cause and improve their fighting efficiency. This led to a mass revolution in the army's standard weaponry along with tactics and strategy.

They were no longer equipped with primitive stone and bone implements and instead used the iron or wooden tools of the zu'aan. This made them a force to be reckoned with and persuaded many zu'aan villages to come to the negotiotiation table and settle for tribute and regular shipments of their own captives in return for peace.

Religion

The Xildquetor kin'toni Clan were wily mainpulators of religion and their beliefs to get their clan to behave in an orderly fashion. They believed in the existence of the old Gods who created all kin'toni along with the world around them. Their priests constantly preached about the consequences of displeasing such powerful entities who had control over their entire lives. Thus, the clan lived in fear of their God's displeasure and all their actions were tailored to appease their Gods. Their religion was closely tied up with the leadership of the clan.

Their Head priest who led them in performing sacrifices, prayers and worship were also responsible for making decisions on behalf of the clan. The people had no choice but to willingly obey these commands as they believed it came from a higher power and their disregard for such words would bring disaster and hardship on them. The priest used a combination of fear and manipulation to keep the population under their thumb. The region was already very hostile and finding reliable sources of food was difficult- the people lived in fear that their tasks would be made harder without the blessing of their Gods.

Thus. they were willing to blindly follow the words of their priests. The priestly class was a very privilieged position in their society. Once a person became a priest, they were exempt from the regular duties of the clan and were free to become part of the decision making process. They no longer had to bother themselves with the rigorous daily activities that exposed them to the dangers of the environment. Their religions would become very unpopular once the Xildquetor began to encounter the zu'aan villages and settlements of the mainland.

Their raids to these coatal regions instilled in them a confidence in themselves that had been unheard of in thier history. For the first time, the clan began to form themselves into groups that were under the leadership of their own warlords. They realized that their hard work could earn them enough provisions and captives in the mainland without toiling away under the rule of their priests. This era would see a lot of religious liberation among their members. Religion could no longer be used as a tool of fear as their Head priests and priestly classes began to lose their influence and powers.

Warlords began to accumulate more power and the people were more than happy to be givin the freedom to enjoy the fruits of their work under these battle-happy leaders. This relegated religion from its position of dominance in their society to just a formality. The warlords and their armies would pay small amounts as tribute to their Head priests when they returned to their homeland but they were no longer under their power. They attenden their sacrifices and prayers out of habit but no longer feared that the happiness of their Gods was responsible for thier fate.

They became athiest within their private circles and believed that they were responsible for their own survival and destiny.

Miscellany

Nearby Groups

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Xildquetor Kin'toni Clan

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