Xina'tas Kin'toni Clan

History

The Xina'tas kin'toni Clan were a weaker kin'toni race from the Vycyc Mushroomy Swamp. They were unsuited for the constant wars and campaigns of Taerel and had to migrate to a less densely populated region of the Vyvyc Mushroom Swamp in order to stand any chance of survival. They had a very shady reputation with other kin'toni clans who suspected them of carrying out their agendas in secret and plotting for a return to power. They were known to pick on weaker enemies and avoided any large engagements and formations. Their most feared tactics was attacking their enemies.

While they were celebrating and in the midst of their drunken revelry. These heinous acts were the product of constant evolution after they recognized their vulnerabilities. The Xina'tas kin'toni Clan were initially formed from among the unwanted and expelled members of different kin'toni clans who came together for protection. They went through a lot of persecution and hardships during this early phase of their formation as they were seen as easy pickings. Clan after clan would attack and plunder their supplies which finally drove them underground.

They slowly built up their numbers in secret, coming up to the surface only to gather their supplies before they disappeared back into hiding. They grew comfortable in this role and slowly began to contemplate a way to get revenge for all the trouble that had been influcted upon them. They would train to work on their strengths which included a gift for scheming and mental fortitude and rely less on their physical defects. They observed the confidence and brazeness of the warrior clans who would celebrate their victories with aplomb and throw caution to the wind.

They would drink themselves into drunken stupors with no concern about their vulnerabilities. The Xina'tas would learn to exploit the confidence of their rivals. They would sneak into enemy camps in the midst of these celebrations and carry out systematic murders by the hundreds- sparing no one with no thought for mercy. Their activities would not go unnoticed and slowly the people of Taerel began to fear them. The paranoia went so far as to create an environment of cenophobia against their kind. Anyone suspected of being associated with them was harassed and persecuted.

Within a few years, efforts were underway by many powerful clan's to hunt down the Xina'tas kin'toni clan and remove them from the face of Taerel forever. The Xina'tas were able to get wind of this news with the help of their superior network of spies and informants. They knew that they could not hold up agaist such an effort and that sooner or later a captured unformant or sympathizer could blurt out their hidden location when placed under the right kind of persuasion method. This realization would drive the Xina'tas to migrate once more.

And end up in the desolate regions of the Vycyc Mushroomy Swamp where they did not have to worry about other kin'toni. The environment here was unsuitable for the movement of large armies- something the kin'toni had in plenty.

Biology

The Xina'tas kin'toni did not have any remarkable physical strengths when compared to the other kin'toni clans of Taerel. Most of their members had some kind of defects that led to their expulsion from their former clans and led to them joining the Xina'tas clan. They embraced and acknowledged their physical weaknesses and compensated for them by making use of their other abilities that were not so highly prized within kin'toni society. Most of the clan members stood at less imposing heights of around five feet and had lesser defined muscles.

Their body proportions could range from okay to disfigured and prevented them from taking part in any large scale physical undertaking. Any task involving the carrying of heavy loads, or which required physical exertion was beyond them. It was rare for a Xina'tas kin'toni member to be fat because of their cultural belief in simplicity and avoidance of hedonistic pleasures. Their meditation sessions and ascetic lifestyle of some of their members could reduce them to nothing more than skin and bones. Despite this, they were incredibly lively and could move around without any difficulty.

The natural responsiveness of their bodies and their speed helped them to become very competant spies and scouts who could sneak behind or into enemy camps while gathering crucial information. The Xina'tas used stealth to silently approach their enemies and assasinated them while they were unaware. This prevented them from becoming embroiled in physical mellees where they would be fully exposed for their lack of physical qualities. Another factor that contributed to the Xina'tas lack of physical strength and stature was their diet of mushrooms and other natural substitutes for meat and blood.

Although they were successful in becoming fully accustomed to it, the change took a physical toll on their bodies. It led to the alteration of their bodies since the kin'toni metabolism was not designed to live off mushrooms and plants. The centuries spent in their mushroom swamps led to a process of evolution and the death of their natural urge for blood and raw meat. The clan considered themselves all the more civilized for it and looked down on the other kin'toni who still stuck to their old savage ways. The Xina'tas were usually hairless and characterized by their smooth, bald apprearance.

Their skin was dark grey in color and had a slimy and luminescent texture. This was a product of their constant sweating in the sweltering heat of the Mushroom swamps. Their eyes had distinctive yellow irises with white sclerae and vertical beaded pupils. They were not sensitive to light and could see properly in all conditions. This allowed them to sneak up on their rivals during the day when they were taking shelter under the shade or resting. The Xina'tas had a developed sense of smell and hearing, both of which allowed them to excel in the field as scouts and spies.

Unlike other kin'toni the Xina'tas did not have any physically outgrowths such as claws and talons that could double as weapons. They used conventional weapons made from stone or wood like the zu'aan tribes.

Culture

The Xina'tas kin'toni culture prized mental qualities and aptitude over all physical strengths. They believed that any amount of physical advantage was surmountable with the right kind of mental application and problem-solving attitude. Their clan honed their skills in these departments from youth and were extremely competitive amongst themselves. A common method to ignote their passion and skill was by making their members aware of the nature of the threats that the clan faced from all quarters, at all times. The constant feeling of dread that came from being hunted.

Was a driving force for all their youth to mature faster and to strive for excellence. The desire to help and be useful to the clan was bred into them from a young age and helped them become productive contributors to their society. The Xina'tas culture was very refined and more advanced than most of the warrior kin'toni clans. They created an extensive language and grammer with its own writing script that was very useful in coordinating the clan and helping with the spread of their ideas. A culture of pride and self-belief in themselves was created very early on to help them overcome the repression of the stronger kin'toni.

Their youth were taught to become self-reliant and confident without seeking validation from any quarters. They were taught to speak their language with pride and any attempts to learn another language or culture were strictly forbidden. The years of persecution and repression had built up a strong hatred of other kin'toni clans. This hatred went so far as to have the Xina'tas collude with a few zu'aan enclaves in their attempts to contain the growing kin'toni influence in the region. Their ability to communicate and their ability to properly use their mental facilities made them willing negotiators.

Who were capable of arranging beneficial trades and agreements. The Xina'tas were not into large celebrations and merry-making. They exploited these weaknesses in others and were careful to not let it become a weakness within their own clan. They abhorred the use of intoxicants and anything that altered their perception of reality. Their members were forbidden from procuding all kinds of fermented drinks or indulging in luxurious feasts and lifestyles. Their society encouraged them to live simple lives and reinforced the understanding that their brains were their most valuable assets.

The clan engaged in regular debates and discussions to polish their mental faculties and keep their wits sharp. They were known for their smart and complex humor that was rife with sarcasm and self-derogatory jokes. They discussed all topics under the sun, from ideas and policy to their situation and ways to improve their clan. They were very adept at problem-solving and their spirit of positive discussion and arguments were one of the major reasons why. Their methods of killing their enemies were openly discussed in the open.

Their culture felt it necessary to have their people accustomed to the level of cunning and brutality they had to get comfortable with in order to survive.

Government

The Xina'tas kin'toni Clan's government was a very well thought out system that had been carefully deliberated before its implementation. As an observant race with the brains to study and think critically, they were able to pick apart the flaws of the usual kin'toni military leadership. This sort of arrangement led to very aggressive attitudes with very little regard for the welfare of the people. The Xina'ta's resolved themselves to solve these issues within their own clan. They removed violence and chaos out of the equation in their government and election matters.

The consensus of the people was the deciding matter in the election of their officials. The people had the final say in deciding their leaders. The Xina'tas were not led by a single person pulling all the strings. They made it very difficult to abuse any power for personal gain. Decisions were made by a group of leaders who came together as a collective leadership group. This council was elected by the members of the clan and were responsible for making decisions after careful deliberation and discussion with the entire clan. The candidates for these positions were usually the older and wisest members of the clan.

Who had had ample experiences and understood the nature of threats facing the clan along with their internal issues. Any process of their government involved deep debates and discussions. They avoided hasty decision making and were careful to look two steps ahead. This leadership council was responsible for making laws to be implemented within the Xina'tas society. This process involved a lot of input from their members and could take moths if it was a particularly important decision. Once the clan agreed on these laws they were implemented by a civilian police force who were recruited from among the clan members.

These members were entrusted with maintaining the peace within their communities and were entrusted with powers that helped them carry out their duties. They could arrest members but were not authorized to use violence against their own. The clan had a very lenient attitude towards violators of the law. They trusted that their members had enough good sense and understanding to repent and learn from their mistakes. However, some crimes were considered more serious than others and carried much stricter punishments.

These offenses included the crime of conspiring with the enemy, defecting or sharing information about the clan, along with murder or any crime that was violent in nature. Every crime was judged individually and on its own merits. Factors such as motivation, influences and surroundings were all taken into consideration in deciding the culpability of the accused. The harshest sentence that could be passed by the clan was execution. This usually happened when the clan was at war or facing external difficulties and thus had to resolve their internal problems in the quickest and most effective manner.

At other times, the guilty would recieve lifetime sentences if there was a possibility that they could join the enemy when expelled from the clan.

Military

Due to their weaker physical constitution, the Xina'tas kin'toni Clan were not suited for military duties and warfare. This was because of their origin as a group composed of outcasts and expelled kin'toni from other clans. They were well aware of their deficiencies and addressed it the only way the xina'tas could- through pure ingenuity and cunning. They avoided facing their enemies head on and instead relied on careful planning, diplomatic approaches and subterfuge to counter their opponents move. They were not free to develop their tactics in peace.

As they had to contend with the constant harrassment of the other kin'toni groups who would continuously pursue and try to subjugate them. The constant pressure that they had to work with, drove the clan to adapt faster and address any problems as soon as they cropped up. Their superior thinking and mental faculties would play an important role in this stage of their development as they were able to identify a fatal flaw within their enemies. The kin'toni of Taerel were generally overconfident and brash groups who loved to gloat over their enemies and revel in their victories.

They had a penchant for large celebrations and gatherings where the entire clan would partake in the consumption of intoxicants and food. They would drink themselves into a stupor and would be left defenseless for a few days. The Xina'tas were aware of this behavior and consequently started planning their sneak attacks to coincide with these events. Their physical disadvantage was irrelevant when fighting against senseless, intoxicated kin'toni. Their attacks were also preemptive and their targets had no indication of any incoming attacks.

They were able to take out the most probable threats against them one-by-one in this manner, until the kin'toni started getting wise to their tactics and assembled a large force from many different kin'toni groups to end them once and for all. The Xina'tas clan's military relied on an efficient system of scouts and informants to remain two steps ahead of their opponents every move. They were aware of the army being assembled against them and proceeded to migrate to the Vycyc Mushroom swamps. Their destination was decided beforehand.

With the knowledge that no large army would be able to follow them into the swampy ground where mobility would be severely compromised and the army would be slowed to a crawl. The Xina'tas refused to make the military a regular wing of their clan even after their move to the Vycyc region. They recognized that there strengths did not lie there and instead chose to concentrate their energies on coming up with infgenius plans and tactics to deter their opponents from following them into the region or foiling attacks if they ever occured.

This did not mean that their clanmembers were spared the details of killing and bloodshed. They were taught all about their history and the consequences for negligence. They were taught to kill but in a more discreet manner that was suited to spying and subterfuge. Their spies and informants were known to regularly infiltrate enemy camps and disturb the organization of armies through assasination of important military figures and leaders.

Religion

When the members of the outcast kin'toni groups formed the Xina'tas kin'toni Clan, they resolved themselves to never follow the ways of their old groups and abandoned all their previous faiths and beliefs. The Xina'tas were known for their very spiritual sides and had no idols or dieties. They believed that everything in the world around them had its own spirit and would respond to any action- whether positive or negative, in the same manner. They believed putting positive energy into the world was the only way to get positve results in return.

This simple ideology would be the foundation of their beliefs and played a large part in influencing their behavior and outlook on things. The Xina'tas had many learned individuals within their ranks who would play an important role in the development and promotion of their religion. Many of these individuals wrote books on the philosophy of their religion and passed on their wisdom and knowledge to future generations through their written word that they inscripted on prayer flags. Meditation and self reflection were two important components of the Xina'tas's religious beliefs.

The clan members would make it a habit to spare some time for their own spiritual health. They would regularly wander out into the wilderness on their own and try to find peace in solitude. This helped them overcome the innate aggressive tendencies that were common in all kin'toni and was instrumental to the expansion of their thinking abilities and powers. They learnt self-control very early on in their lives and knew that abstinence could sometimes help them in the grand scheme of things. This peaceful ambience within their own minds helped them make better decisions.

They were cool, calm and collected under pressure and would often use meditation techniques to visualize a solution. Their religion did not require a priest or religious orders to help them in prayers or rituals. It was a belief system that was very accomodating to all, and allowed them to practice its principles as they wished. The clan's distinctive traits for simplicity was a result of their beliefs. Their religion despised luxury and excess and taugh the people to live within their means. Sharing was another tenet that was widely prevalent among the clan members as a result of their religions teachings.

They believed that giving and sharing what little they had was the only way they could expect something good in return from the universe. The clan had a very loose concept of personal belonging as defined by their religious code. They believed that any possession- no matter how valued was to be shared with a person who might need it more. Their religion also helped them deal with the many shady actions that the members had to commit when working as spies or informants. Killing and assasinations that the clan regularly conducted would have scarred any other individual.

But the clan's meditation ability helped them separate their activities from themselves and remain at peace inside. Thus they were able to resort to all sorts of brutality withouf much consequence to their psyche.

Miscellany

Nearby Groups

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Xina'tas Kin'toni Clan

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