About the Kinfolk

There is no exquisite beauty without some strangeness in the proportion. -Edgar Allan Poe

    The Kinfolk are a democratic collection of free-spirited people with animalistic qualities;  their culture is built around trade, magical study and --as they would put it--common sense. Often traveling in packs across the world, these nomads do have one established city set upon a moving island which roams the oceans of Terra as well as ancestral ranging lands and port villages. The capital city of Keee is located on the back of Gulahack the First Shifter, according to Kinfolk folklore, and they fiercely guard the massive stone temples set upon the shell-like landscape. While the Kinfolk do engage in trade (mostly with the Sei), non-Kinfolk are not permitted in Keee with business taking place offshore upon floating pavilions. While much of the population of Keee has rat-like features, Kinfolk may share physical traits with any mammal, amphibian or reptile, and may divide themselves into tribes based on this.

The Gulahack Alliance
    Officially formed in 824NE between clans Kekee, Rios and Ailura, the Alliance expanded to include the current 10 clans over the course of 200 years united in their fight against the forces of the Sky King Agreve. With their capital set upon an island which traverses the globe around ‘89-’91 every century, the Gulahack Alliance lays claim to the most skilled cartographers of Terra as well as some of their most brilliant mages. Building their place in the world through trade, the Gulahack Alliance functions as a democratically run merchant empire willing to do business with anyone who treats them as equals and “stuff[s] their noble hoity-toitiness in the swamp” as famously declared by their latest High Magistrate Alejandro Melit, a venerable master surgeon from Clan Essin. High Magistrate Melit has held the position since 1784 and remains popular for his no nonsense approach to both diplomacy and policy.
    The democratically elected High Magistrate is supported by two Councils of Ten, one Mage and one Merchant, which are formed with a representative elected from each clan. While the Councils manage much of the running of the Alliances, the High Magistrate will decide parliamentary ties, proceed over serious criminal matters and direct the Council to explore different avenues of research pending the direction they wish to push the Alliance.
    Any Kinfolk over the age of 16 may vote as well as hold office provided they have not committed a grievous offence (sold, purchased or procured slaves; committed arson; committed murder) within the last 12 months. While anyone may campaign to become the High Magistrate, normally High Magistrates are elected from former representatives to the Councils of Ten who already have experience in bureaucracy and politics. Each High Magistrate serves a term of 4 years, and may serve a total of 16 years as High Magistrate (either consecutively or total). In turn, Mage and Merchant representatives from each clan may serve any number of years made up of 2 year terms.
Kinfolk take their right to express their opinion very seriously and will ensure to have an Ombudsperson and Registrar in every port where they have a significant population to record grievances and votes, and to deliver political news. They have also inadvertently caused chaos time and again for their vehement refusal to accept slavery, sometimes sponsoring privateers to assault slave ships and liberate their captives.
    This has put them at odds with the Sky Kingdom of Agreve, a nation of raiders loyal to Agreve the Sky King -a massive dragon with obsidian scales and the ability to shapeshift. The Sky King's fortress and territory lay at the north western tip of Briareus and has launched several assaults over the centuries upon both the Gulahack Alliance and other coastal regions. With warriors on drakeback, the Sky King's forces are known for their hit-and- run tactics, dropping behind their victim's defenses and wreaking havoc from within. Agreve's lust for power has also sickened the land surrounding his citadel, leeching the life and magical energies from Terra herself.

Allied Clans
    While the various caravans and family groups intermarry and travel throughout the world, the root clans of the Kinfolk are the lines on which the Kinfolk select their representative with married members of a clan still casting their votes based on their original clan. Any children resulting from a cross-clan union will vote based on the clan region in which they are raised and take on that clan’s name for their formal name (Given Name, Family Name from Mother, Clan Name).
    Despite common features described below, the clans are not homogenous in their physical features and crossed genetics, such as horned cats or webbed-toe snakes, are exceptionally rare but possible within their Landfolk or Seafolk delineations. Their motto is diverse and equal, with their differences being celebrated as the Alliance’s strength.

Ailura - Clan Colour: Mulberry
Often compared to tree-going mammals with features similar to raccoons, lemurs and squirrels, their familial lands lay along the northern coast of Briareus. Living in tree-top villages, much of the Ailura familial land is diseased and constantly assaulted by the Sky Kingdom of Agreve. Clan Ailura is known for their craftiness and resilience, as well as their entertainers. Prone to wandering, the search for tools to push back Agreve once and for all is instilled into this clan from a young age.

Basque - Clan Colour: Green
With webbed hands, gills and small scales being common, Clan Basque is often likened to frogs or even fish. Their familial land lays along the coasts and swamps of southern Briareus, allowing Clan Basque ready access to explore the ocean’s gifts. Aether-blessed of the Ice variety are most common among this adventurous and amphibious clan.

Cazador - Clan Colour: Orange
With feline features and familial lands claimed in southern Gyges, the Cazador tend to rely on hunting more than farming. Clan Cazador is also known for their Traps and Locksmiths.

Codrilo - Clan Colour: Royal Blue.
Rough scaled and bony like crocodiles and alligators, the Codrilo have claimed familial lands in south western Gyges. Boasting several celebrated smiths, Clan Codrilo is rumoured to be able to create wonders from nothing, though they just think others “don’t know good ore when they see it”.

Essin - Clan Colour: Yellow
Commonly having snake-like features such as patterned scales and slit noses, their familial lands are in the forests of mid-Briareus. Clan Essin is renowned for their medical practitioners and chemists, as well as producing no less than 7 High Magistrates including the well-respected Alejandro Melit, who entered political service as a merchant representative at the tender age of 17.

Folcana - Clan Colour: Red
Smooth scaled and boldly patterned with amphibious tendencies like newts, the Folcana claim familial lands in south-west Briareus containing rich soil and active volcanoes. They boast a higher than average amount of Aether-blessed within their clan, specifically fire aligned.

Kekee - Clan Colour: Brown
With delicate, rodent-like features similar to rats and mice, Kekee produces many bureaucrats and priests. Clan Kekee claim to be native to Keee, believing the first of their kind were born of the grey-ish brown moss and lichen that clings to Gulahack's shell-like landscape.

Laluna - Clan Colour: White
With lupine and canine features such as furred skin and elongated triangular ears, the Laluna claim familial land along the western coast and mountains of Briareus. The Laluna clan does most of their trade in mining and lumber, as well as mercenary work..

Llanura - Clan Colour: Pink
Normally horned or antlered with bovine or cervid-like features, their Llanura familial lands are in the northern plains of Briareus. Mainly farmers, Clan Llanura also provides many guards for other clan caravans, being stalwart and slow to anger.

Rios - Clan Colour: Purple
With features similar to water-going mammals like beavers and otters, their familial lands include the northeastern coast and small island north of Keee’s resting place. Excellent craftsmen, they provide most of the Alliance's shipwrights and carpenters.

Flag of Gulahack:
The Alliance has two versions of their flag: their national flag and their naval standard.
Both containing a black turtle centred on an aqua field, the naval standard is more commonly seen, only adding the circle of the aethers on the turtle’s back.
Their national flag, used for diplomatic missions and flown at the small Embassies of their Registrars and Ombudsmen, as well as the floating pavilions of Keee, includes panels of each of the 10 Clan colours fanning out from the Aetheric Circle.


Unallied Kinfolk

While there may be fair-sized populations of Kinfolk within other independent kingdoms, there are no significant communities outside of the Alliance to be considered a global player in and of themselves. There are several isolated villages within the wilds of Gyges, but their self-sufficiency makes them distrustful of outsiders and prone to movement.

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Passive Power: Innate Concealed Mana: start game with a base mana pool of 5 that can not be siphoned but may be used for spells or willingly transferred.
Weakness: Susceptible to Fire: Take an extra point of damage from all fire and heat sources.

Landfolk
Kinfolk of mammalian origin, the Landfolk tend to share features with predatory cats and canines, rodents or bovine animals. Tending toward a hunter-gather society, the Landfolk are usually excellent hunters and able to hold their own in a fight. Some Landfolk are agile enough to use their talons as effectively as a short sword.
Resources: Scrap, Food x2, Ammo
Costume Requirements:   75% exposed skin fur patterned or suitable prosthetics to clearly indicate your chosen mammal. High-quality masks also accepted.
Purchasable Bonuses:
Formidable: You are naturally stronger than most with +1 Strength.
Claws: You may use up to two claw boffers, which can only be disarmed by effects that destroy a weapon or remove a limb. You still require Two Weapon Fighter to dual wield.
Keen Sense (Scent): Can track for 10 mins/day. Declare “Keen Scent” and RP getting the scent for 5 seconds, before calling “Keen Scent: <Target>” or following ST directions.

Seafolk
Kinfolk of amphibious or reptilian nature, the Seafolk are usually scaled and more willowy compared to their Landfolk cousins. Often encouraged to sail or study chemistry alongside their magical studies, the Seafolk are resilient and gifted swimmers. Most of the world’s pearls and other deep sea treasures are recovered by adventurous Seafolk.
Resources: Med Tech, Food, Ammo x2
Costume Requirements:   75% exposed skin scale patterned or suitable prosthetics to clearly indicate your chosen amphibian or reptile. High-quality masks also accepted.
Purchasable Bonuses:
Underwater Breathing: May breathe in any water indefinitely.
Immunity (Cold): May call ‘no effect’ on all cold/ice effects. Anything that would leave you frozen does not work on you.  
Filter Blood: Once/day, may resist any poison or disease, whether magical, chemical or physical in nature.

Aether-blessed
An anomaly among Kinfolk, Aether-blessed children are thought to come about when the mana of one parent reacts to another. Infused with one type of Aetheric energy from birth, the Aether-blessed appears part Aetheric in nature and responds to the Aethers as such. These Children are often treated to a more privileged life than others to encourage their talents. Though this can shine them in a negative light to their peers while growing up.
Resource access: Scrap x2, Foodx1, Med Techx1
Passive Powers:
Innate Concealed Mana: start game with a base mana pool of 5 that can not be siphoned but may be used for spells or willingly transferred.
Healing Variance: Aether-blessed heal from their chosen aether's magical form of damage (fire/ice/earth/air) in addition to chemistry and medical arts.
Weakness:
Susceptible: Take 2 extra points of damage from all opposing aether sources of damage.
Healing Variance: Aether-blessed will regenerate no hit points from Spirit magic. Other Spirit effects still apply. Breath of Life will fully restore the Aether-blessed with exception to their health, leaving them at only 1 HP
Costume Requirements:  75% exposed skin fur or scale patterned or suitable prosthetics depicting an aether of your choice (fire, ice, earth, or air) to clearly indicate your chosen aetheric mammal or reptile. High-quality masks also accepted. Examples:  a flaming fox or an snake person with scales of ice or stone
Purchasable Bonuses:
Innate Aetheric Bolt: Once/encounter, may throw a packet for 5 damage according to your aetheric type without spending any mana. Declare “Innate Aetheric Bolt : 5 <type>”
Claws: You may use up to two claw boffers, which may only be disarmed through effects that destroy a weapon or remove a limb. You still require Two Weapon Fighter to use both arms in combat.
Hardy: Adds +5HP to your base health
Keen Sense (Scent): Can track for 10 mins/day. Declare “Keen Scent” and RP getting the scent for 5 seconds, before calling “Keen Scent: <Target>” or following ST directions.