The Crimson Sun
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 A Crimson Sun Tattoo |
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The Crimson Sun
Clan Psychology
Clans all over Taloba boast of their power, and their thirst for blood in battle, but The Crimson Sun holds a deep reverence for less than honorable methods of victory. They believe that craftiness is on par with power and to be able to outsmart your enemy is essential for an easy kill. The clan takes pride in the whispers their presence ensues, the fear that will strike the hearts of outsiders. Commonly seen as untrustworthy, food and drink is often denied when offered to members outside of this clan, and all the while, they enjoy the attention.
Treatment of Dhani
The Crimson Sun hunts Dhani with passion. To them, it is a tragedy that Zinrah’s majority consists of constrictors, because the venom of vipers is sought after relentlessly. Despite this preference in sub-races, they do not let this hinder their love for a good snake hunt.
Treatment of Outsiders
As a whole The Crimson Sun clan views interactions with Taloban outsiders much like a game of cat and mouse. They would much rather play mind games and then dispose of them when bored than just instantly strike. It’s unlikely, but those that prove intriguing may be permitted to stick around and are more “accepted” when interacting with the clan.
Military Involvement
As one of the smaller clans, with only 40 or so members at any given time, The Crimson Sun does not offer much to the military in terms of brute warriors. However, as their tradition goes, the first born female of every other generation lives for Myri. She becomes one of the most dedicated followers and as such, climbs the ranks relatively fast. This chosen one is honored by the clan and in many ways, becomes their sacrifice to repent for past sins. To be in this position is both a blessing and a curse. Unlike the other clan members who must serve at least two years like everyone else, there is no other option for this person. They are raised only knowing war and Myri’s wishes. The Crimson Sun’s skills are usually utilizes as scouts, trackers, or spies. If/when they are given the opportunity, many clan members end up in the Mengintai branch.
Clan Location
Outside of the Myrian city to the south east, The Crimson Sun clan occupies the land in between Taloba and the Eyes of Navre. Their longhouses can be found about 3 days from Taloba, or just under 2 if the traveler is motivated and skilled.
Relationships With Fellow Clans
Unfavorable
The Sunken Scars - Given The Sunken Scars abhorrence to magic, The Crimson Sun often views this clan as ignorant for dismissing such a powerful tool. While magic is not emphasized in The Crimson Sun, they find it more than useful in their underhanded fighting and will utilize it when necessary.
Suspicious
The Tempered Steel – The Crimson Sun finds The Tempered Steel clans patience, drive, and dedication to the military admirable, however, the feeling is far from mutual. The Tempered Steel clan is polite, but weary of them as are most.
History
The history of The Crimson Sun clan is often argued about, but they all lead back to only two variations of the same story. No matter the tale, it’s a story of betrayal and death, making The Crimson Sun one of the least trusted clans in Falyndar.
The first recollection is the one often told to those within the clan. It goes as such: When Myri and her army came to conquer, The Crimson Sun’s did not run. They stayed and to those involved, the victory seemed seamless. Nearly the entirety of the clan willingly accepted, and before they swore fealty to the goddess queen, The Crimson’s Sun offered to throw a feast that would later lead to their name. The celebration was to be in honor of being unified, a gift to Myri for taking them in. Those that had partaken in their offerings went to sleep, only to spasm and double over, fall from their cots and scream in pain. Masters in the art of poison and at a time when Myrians had not developed their resistance, The Crimson Sun wiped out dozens when their food and drink was served. Many healers and medics rushed to give aid to the dying, but there was little they could do. By morning, the insides of their enemies had been dissolved, and blood seeped from every opening on the bodies. Pools of red shimmered under Syna’s early light, and Myri looked upon the blood bath.
The goddess queen, although thoroughly enraged and threatening to wipe out the already small clan, viewed this act as a cunning and cutthroat. She saw it as bold, more so when her wrath threatened to be unleashed and still no one from the clan fled. It was an opportunity, and soon, she approached The Crimson Sun’s leader at the time, Toka, directly, and struck a deal. Many of details have been lost over the years and remain a secret to other clans, but not once has such an act of betrayal been repeated. As if nothing happened, The Crimson Sun’s swore their loyalty to the goddess of war, their sandals seeped in red.
The other versions of the story are a little more critical. Not many other clans believe Myri to be so forgiving, nor for the Myrians able to be poisoned given their current resistance. The goddess’ name, after all, is Myri the Merciless, and instead they claim Myri punished the clan severely, killing them until their leader, Toka stuck a deal to save those who remained, among those her lover. She pledged to give the first born female of every other generation starting with her daughter to then serve Myri for the duration of their life, and forever after if the goddess so wished. This is a traditional that remains intact to this day, as a way to prove the loyalty of the clan and falling into this position is highly respected.
Religion
Myri - While Myri could have destroyed them before and after their betrayal, they hold a deep respect and gratitude for the goddess. Any past resentments for being conquered has now dissolved and she is now worshiped above all others. The Crimson Sun is also in deep gratitude to the goddess.
Navre – Navre holds an excessive amount of power in The Crimson Sun, only second to Myri. The clan’s mentality is derived much from the cat, and they celebrate him though dance and in their style of fighting. The cat is The Crimson Sun's mascot for its cunning, and grace.
Vayt – One of the exceptional trades of The Crimson Sun include poison making, and given their history, this god holds quite a foot in their day to day life. Not a common god in Taloba, The Crimson Sun is one of the few clans to have knowledge of him and view him as a god who filters out the weak.
Caiyha - A staple god for Myrians and most (if not all) of Falyndar, Caiyha is celebrated, not just as the creator of the fruitful wilderness, but also as the mother of Navre.
Kihala - Due to their small clan size, The Crimson Sun especially love the birth of new children, and to have many is a great blessing and highly respected. As such, this clan gives much praise to Kihala and recognizes her during one of their ceremonies, Malei & The Hunt.
Dira – Just as any other Myrian, The Crimson Sun recognizes death and given their lifestyle, revere it. Dira is recognized and often prayed to at funeral rituals.
Additional Deities
Most clan members usually fall into two categories – those that praise the goddess of the sun, or those that worship the shadows. No matter what the preference of the individual clan member, both are respected and seen as a balance, and such mindset often soothes any conflicts between their followers within the clan.
Akajia –Despite the clan’s name, Akajia is highly respected in The Crimson Sun. It is said that during the night, The Crimson Sun works, and only in the morning, the havoc they reaped is seen.
Syna – Alongside their worship with Akajia, Syna is also recognized. Depending on the clan member determines which they chose to favor. Some see Akajia as the cloak for their acts and an invaluable resource, while Syna’s light in the early morning symbolizes their official joining with Myri and new beginnings.
Rituals/Celebrations
The Grace Catching – Usually occurring when a new litter of Myrian Tigers is born, a group of dancers will make their way to the tree of Navre to perform for the god as a way to show their appreciation. The dance is performed by 10 clan members (5 male, 5 female), and is one of the most graceful and acrobatic performances. These dancers train all year round and consist of volunteers who prove their artistry. These dancers will then paint themselves, often with the markings of jungle cat and proceed to tumble, leap, flip, and swing. The dance is done at nightfall to soft drums and the celebration is a very fun one to watch.
Malei & The Hunt
When a woman discovers she is pregnant, The Crimson Sun performs a ceremony to predict the life of the child, as well as the strength of the family unit. During this ritual, the woman is surrounded by the other females in the clan, who then sing to the wife as they pour fresh rain water onto belly and then along the arms and legs. This song is often very soulful and could be described as a Myrian lullaby if there ever was one. This song often called Malei and the lyrics roughly translate to the protection and victory in life. Once completed, the clan members will then pray to Kihala, giving thanks and/or asking for the baby's favor. The rain water symbolizes Makutsi, which helps to sustains life and cleanses the child of any sins her mother has committed.
During this time, the man who helped conceive the child then goes out into the jungle and is expected to make a kill before sunrise. This can be anything, but the more impressive the kill, the better. It is also said to show the dedication of the male and if nothing is brought back, or the man refuses the offer, it is a great insult and a sign of misfortune. If the male returns with an offering, it will then be slaughtered and feasted upon. This act of the male shows his competence as a hunter, and buys his right to be considered a "father". If he returns with nothing, the female may choose to decide whether or not the man is ever recognized as the father of the child, and the male will lose all rights. This is also a sign of the child having tragedies in life, or difficulties due to a weak bloodline. If the male refuses to go on the hunt, it is not uncommon for the female or her immediate family to attempt to kill him for the insult. Often those related to the refusing male accept this, greatly shamed by this weakness.
If for some reason the male is unable to go, due to death or disability, then the next male in his family will take his place, usually a brother, cousin, or father and the ritual goes on as usual.
The Gathering/Coming of Age
When a Myrian in the clan reaches their 15th name day, the child is eligible to go through their coming of age trial. Three items are to be requested by the clan (one by the child's mother, one by the father, and the eldest female present of The Crimson Sun.) and then the child is sent into the jungle by themselves to retrieve them. The items are dependent on many factors, but are usually decided based on the child's skills and strengths. Although each trial is individualized, this is not easy by any means. These items can range from anywhere between the leaves of the slug plant to the claws of an ethereal tiger. No trial is to be impossible, but it is supposed to test the child's limits. If the child returns with the items and within the set time decided by the clan leader, than the trial is successful and they are now considered full fledged members of The Crimson Sun.
Note: If a child's family is deceased, the closest parental figure takes on the role.
Symbols
The Myrian fondness for tattoos continues to live on among this tribe. While it is not required, many tribe members choose to tattoo the symbol of a crimson sun somewhere along their body, taking pride in their kinship. There are two types of symbols associated with this clan, one traditional, and another less so. The traditional one is often worn by older clan members, or those that have reached elder status. The new age style is much more popular with the youth, but either are acceptable ways to represent the clan. These new tattoos are highly varied, but have the same red sun present.
Suggested Skills
• Stealth • Endurance • Acrobatics • Poison • Dance • Herbalism • Botany • Trapping • Intelligence • Tactics • Subterfuge • Acting • Hunting • Persuasion • Animal Husbandry
| Player Characters | ||
 | Kiva | From Taloba, Falyndar. |
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Out of character note: This article was written by Kiva |