[hider=The Clans of Okke]
[center]
[img]https://a-static.besthdwallpaper.com/fantasy-jungle-waterfalls-wallpaper-26704_L.jpg[/img]
[color=green][h2][b]The Clans of Okke[/b][/h2][/color]
[url=https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=VhkfnPVQyaY]The Lands of the Okke[/url]

[hider=Okke Banner][img]http://dawnofanewage.wdfiles.com/local--files/black-banner/black_banner.jpg[/img][/hider][/center]

[color=green][b]=-=General Information=-=[/b][/color]
[list]
[*]Distant cousins to the Okan; 
[*]Originally from the Kingdom of Ok’va;
[*]Tall and powerful Otterfolk;
[*]Okin are a semi-feral species;
[*]Have few of the gentler characteristics of their Okan kin;
[*]A militant and violent species;
[*]Worship monsters found within their lands;
[*]They sacrifice captured enemies;
[*]Plural Okin are Okinese;
[*]Population - 600,000 (estimated);
[*]Wealth - Poor; and
[*]Espionage - Masters.
[/list]

[color=green][b]Races[/b][/color]
[hider=Races]
[color=green]Okin (Beastfolk)[/color]
The Okin are an otter Beastfolk race which primarily dwell only in Okke. Okin are larger and stronger than your average human, boasting sharpened teeth and deadly claws. Okin are physically agile, capable of leaping and swimming at incredible speeds, all are natural born swimmers. Okin are, culturally, very creative, playful, violent, cunning, and often are incredibly hostile towards others which is correctly interpreted as xenophobia.
[color=green]Mucklings (Beastfolk)[/color] 
The mucklings are a beastfolk native to the Midland Sea. They are short-statured, stocky, frog-like humanoids that dwell on the border between land and water. They begin life as tadpoles in the lake and grow throughout a five year period until reaching the humanoid stage, at which point they take on an amphibian lifestyle, hunting on land as well as underwater. They are regulated to a few villages and engage in ceaseless warfare with the Okin.
[/hider]

[color=green][b]History[/b][/color]
[hider=History]
[color=green]The Relocation, 980 / 1st Age[/color]
A generation before the collapse of the Muha Empire, the clan of Okke, long a rambunctious and rabble rousing clan of Okan, is forcibly relocated from Ok'va to the marshes and riverlands just north of the Inland Sea. Originally relocated to quell trouble among the Ok'va, the Muha soon take to hunting the newly relocated Okan for sport and their soft pelts.
[color=green]The Fall of Muha, 2 / 2nd Age[/color]
The collapse of the Muha take some of the pressure off the Okan resettled in Okke. Their new home turns out to be inhabited by any number of ferocious monsters and beasts that begin to prey on the Otterfolk. 
[color=green]The Olmani Protectorate, 2 - 300 / 2nd Age[/color]
The various wars and conflicts that shattered the remnants of the Muha Empire largely ignored the presence of the Okke. An Olmani army briefly marched against Okke but the surrender was swift. The Okan were in no position to fight off an organized enemy. The Otterfolk kept a low profile as they struggled to make a home of the riverlands they had been forced into. As generations passed, the Okan who had settled the region evolved, becoming more feral, bigger, stronger, and faster. The time came when they had become noticeably different than their ancestors and became known as Okin. A sub-species of their distant cousins. 
[color=green]The Spread of the Clans, 300 - 383 / 2nd Age[/color]
The Okin, originally settled near the mouth of the river running into the Inland Sea, begin to spread throughout the riverlands. They quickly form a loose confederation of clans that controls a vast delta of waterways, rivers, and marshes. During this time they are largely wary of any conflict with settled societies and avoid contact where possible.
[color=green]Revolt Against the Olmani, 383 - 500 / 2nd Age[/color]
In 383 the Okin first High Chief was created to direct and unite the clans, each locked in their own individual battles across the riverlands. With a High Chief organizing and issuing direction to the clans, the Okin came to realize the fighting potential of their species. The High Chief ended payments to the Olmani Kings and, when the Olmani sent a small force to "correct the issue", the Okin slaughtered them. So began a hundred year struggle between the Olmani, beset by enemies on all sides, and an Okin nation finding its first legs as a united force. 
[color=green]Going it Alone, 500 - 550 / 2nd Age[/color]
The Olmani Kings eventually decided the Okin were not worth the time, effort, and resources. To many soldiers were dying for a rainforest that offered little or no value to the Kingdom. The once useful auxiliaries obtained from the Okin had turned out to be effective fighters and their savagery in defending their homeland did not go unnoticed. 
[color=green]The Mercenary Years, 550 - 700 / 2nd Age[/color]
The first Okin, a mixed collection of the young and reckless, venture beyond the confines of their home and quickly find employment as mercenaries in various armies looking for excellent scouts. They would be the first of many to begin a tradition of seeking employment aboard. These years would lead the infusion of combat and life or death as part of Okin culture.
[color=green]The Warrior Spirit and Golden Years, 700 - 880 / 2nd Age[/color]
With so many Okin returning from distant wars with loot, stories of battles won, and their reputation for combat growing, the Okin solidify their unique identity. Gone are the playful and adorable traces of the Okan. The birth rate during this time is bolstered by Okan refugees and mercenaries unable to return home following the various wars raging to the North. More pups are born in these 200 years than the 700 years combined. 
[color=green]Living Space and Settlement, 880 - Present / 2nd Age[/color]
The explosion in population leaves the Okin with a need to find more living space in order to preserve the balance between available food sources and the number of mouths needing feeding. This leads to immediate conflict with Varkovnia as the Okin begin to push west. The current High Chief has begun looking for a location to found the first true Okin city as his populace grows and their strength is tested. The days of living in mudbanks may be coming to an end. 
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[color=green][b]Culture[/b][/color]
[hider=Culture]
[color=green]Appearance[/color]
The Okin are an Otter beastfolk, much like their kin, the Okan, who inhabit Ok'va in the North. That is roughly where the similarities end. Where the Okin are smaller and more playful, the Okin are larger and lethally dangerous. Standing on their hind legs they range from five to six and a half feet in height with a grey underbelly and, typically, dark reddish black fur that allows them to vanish into the murky waterways of their home. Teeth are filed down at birth and their wicked claws are strong enough to puncture all but metal armour. 

Rudder like tails and webbed feet allow them to move with breath taking speed through water. When on land they can move on two or four legs. Immensely strong, they can easily crush a human or elf to death by coiling around them and squeezing. Capable of holding their breath underwater, they are well known for ambushing enemies and dragging screaming victims into the deep and drowning them.  
[center][hider=Okin Warrior][img]https://i.pinimg.com/originals/a3/7e/ac/a37eac534dbde6c01b3a439d149c5880.jpg[/img][/hider][/center]
[color=green]Holts (Home)[/color]
Okin Holts are most often dug out of the side of a riverbank, or other suitable area. The entrances are nearly always underwater and protected by netting or grills to keep out unwanted guests. The interior of the Holts are neat with all walls smoothed and treated with a white stucco like substance to increase the amount of available light. Flooring is always hard stamped mud bricks set on top of a thick layer of pea gravel, this allows moisture to escape the Holt and prevents flooding.  
[color=green]Craftsmanship[/color]
Okin craftsmanship is limited largely to fine leatherwork and wood carving. There are few precious metals in their lands and even fewer deposits of it, as a result most jewellery is made of shells or coloured gemstones. Key among their talents, however, is a unique way of heating and treating steel that makes it far more resistant to rusting; vital to the Okin in their watery home. 
[color=green]Traditions[/color]
[hider=Coming of Age] An Okin is considered to have come of age when they complete The Gauntlet. It is a highly secretive challenge where a young Okin is required to swim through flooded underwater tunnels without armour and weapons; defeating a creature cast into the tunnels by Okin Elders is the crux of the challenge. The creature is then eaten by the clan and the newly minted warrior receives a necklace of teeth or claws taken from the deceased creature.[/hider]
[hider=Back to the Mud]Death among the Okin is a simple affair. When an Okin dies they are said to have gone [i]Back to the Mud[/i]. The ceremony completed by members of the deceased's clan taking their body to the bottom of a river or lake and entombing it in the mud.[/hider]
[hider=The Great Romp]Despite its fun name and images of dancing furry fun, it would not be further from the truth. Twice a year, during the solstices, all Okin gather deep in forest and engage in two days of sacrifice, drug fuelled dancing, and tests of strength, speed, and daring-do. This is the only time a challenger may come forward to try and take the place of Skipper (An individual in charge of a clan), or Chief (The highest ranked of all Okin). The challenge is always made without armour and weapons, and always is a fight to the death.[/hider]
[color=green]Family[/color]
The family unit is the very pillar of Okin society. Each family is considered its own clan, each clan lives in its own Holt, or den. Families are over seen by a Skipper, usually the biggest and strongest male or female of the family. clans have their own territories and guard them carefully. Poaching from other clans is considered a national sport to the Okin and rarely ends in bloodshed. Young Okin, pups, are cared for by the whole clan. Okin often find mates from other clans and the male always joins the females clan.
[hider=Naming Conventions]
Okin have two parts to their name. The first name is often a single syllable in length. The second name, or last name as humans might call it, is earned through action. This of course leads to some Okin sharing similar last names but it does not mean they are related.

Okin identify with their Holt, or home, more than their name. For example, the High Chief is Rab Streambattle of Holt Lutra.[/hider]   
[color=green]Law[/color]
For a semi-barbaric race, the Okin are remarkably crime free. Any offence against one member of a clan is considered an offence against the entire Holt. An offender must either settle their offence through payment of items, the Okin have no currency, or fight for truth. For the most serious offences, usually where there are other witnesses, the suspect is brought before the aggrieved clan and his or her fate voted on by the victims family. Punishments for an Okin found guilty of any serious offence range from banishment to sacrifice.   
[color=green]Entertainment[/color]
The Okin adore racing underwater and wrestling. The two sports are easily the national pastime of Okke and an Okin can win much fame and wealth if they compete well and win. Plays and feasting are generally considered close seconds when it comes to spending time together. When the Okin are feeling particularly blood thirsty they will often pitch prisoners against young Okin, or force prisoners to fight monsters of the forest in specially dug pits. 
[color=green]Slavery[/color]
The Okin keep no slaves, only sacrifices. Any prisoner taken by the Okin can be assured of eventual death.   
[color=green]Education[/color]
Okinese language is incomprehensible to an outsider and impossible for most other humanoid races to recreate. While sounding vaguely humanish, it is a deeply guttural language mixed in with grunts and clicks. The Okin do not keep written records as a folk, though each Holt maintains carefully documented leather scrolls of lineage, births, and death. 
[color=green]Cuisine[/color]
The Okin eat a diet rich in edible plants and fish. They are not opposed to red meat, it just happens to be rare in their homeland. Even the Mucklings can sometimes make their way onto the menu. In fact, the only thing the Okinese do not eat is their own kin. 
[color=green]Arts[/color]
Leather working, wood carving, music, and knot work are among the few "arts" considered by the Okin. Every Okin is an expert in at least one of those areas. Every adult is expected to be skilled enough with weapon to include it in a dance. 
[hider=Music and Dancing]Okin music reliant on drums and the deep sounds made at the back of the throat. Other instruments are common of course but most dancing involves consuming the bark of a Bethadh Tree, which brings on a type of trance. Dancers sway and gyrate around fires to the ethereal rumble of the music.[/hider] 
[/hider]

[color=green][b]Military[/b][/color]
[hider=Military]
[color=green]Recruitment[/color]
Every Okin is expected to know how to fight from the time they come of age. Beset as they are on all sides by enemies, the Okin are constantly locked in a struggle for survival, be it with their more "civilized" neighbours, or the countless monsters that share their forest home. 
[color=green]The Okin Warrior[/color]
Okinese warriors would not be out of place on a pirate ship. Their weapons are as varied as the users themselves. The only commonality is the presence of a throwing weapon, often slings or javelins, and hand-to-hand weapons. Armour is made of leather, sometimes with studded metal worked in. An Okinese is as likely to rip your throat out with their teeth as they are to kill you with an axe. 
[color=green]Monstrous Support[/color]
The Okin have, from time to time, captured the young of local beasts and raised them to serve as monstrous creatures to take into battle. This is often only when the Okin leave their home to wage war in the lands beyond their forests and rivers.    
[color=green]Psychology Warfare[/color]
Like their Okan cousins, the Okin are masters of ambush and hit-and-run. Their lack of organization and smaller numbers make any sort of toe-to-toe battle utterly hopeless. They have instead chosen to lash out from the fog, the water, the trees, leaving no trace of their victims. Many enemies mutilate their enemy dead, those who are taken by the Okin simply disappear. It is an utterly unnerving and mind crushing experience. 
[/hider]

[color=green][b]Government[/b][/color]
[hider=Government]
[color=green]The High Chief[/color]
The High Chief is the strongest among the Okin and gets their position through single combat. They sit in judgement of disputes between clans and act as the final say in military operations.
[b]Current High Chief:[/b] Rab Streambattle of Holt Lutra.
[color=green]The Elder Council[/color]
The High Chief may be the Okin in charge, but all of his/her decrees must by passed through the Elder Council. Two Elder Okin are selected from the various clans to join the High Chief and advise him on courses. Voting is key here and a majority vote is final.
[/hider]

[color=green][b]Religion[/b][/color]
[hider=Religion]
[color=green]Monster Worship[/color]
The Okin have diverged slightly from their Okan kin in faith, but not by much. There are a number of Fae creatures which roam the marshes and forests, such as the Hulda, which is believed to be the risen spirits of long dead heroes. 

The Hulda, whose strange underwater mounds dot Okke, take Okin dead and essentially reanimate them into the Bakhuva. These undead creatures are neither friendly nor hostile to the Okin; they are known to try and lure young pups away, to what purpose no one know. The Okin only tolerate the behaviour as the Hulda are entirely hostile to foreign interlopers in entering the forest and will alert nearby Okin to the presence of an enemy.
[/hider]

[color=green][b]Economy[/b][/color]
[hider=Economy]
[color=green]Taxation[/color]
The Okinese economy is entirely barter and trade in kind. They trade mind altering plants, the skins of local beasts, gemstones, and fish or shrimp, to their neighbours where possible. In return they take leather and steel, both of which they rework to suit their needs. A rather famous, though rare, export, is the famous Fireweed Grog. This powerful liquor is widely popular within Okke and highly prized by those beyond its borders for its powers and the smoke a drinker emits after downing it. 
[/hider]

[color=green][b]Territory[/b][/color]
[hider=Territory]
[hider=Map]
WIP
[/hider]
[/hider]

[color=green][b]Terrain[/b][/color]
[hider=Terrain]
Okke is a deep rain forest cut through with rivers, streams, lakes, ponds, and marshes. There is little elevation gain anywhere and what few high points do exist are buried beneath the massive forest canopy that can rise to nearly eight hundred feet. There are no roads or marked waterways anywhere in the expanse, though a large ruined town built by the Muha is located on the Inland Sea. The only Okin town with actual buildings is located here.
[/hider]

[color=green]Bestiary[/color]
[hider=Bestiary]
[color=green]Askafroa (Fae)[/color]
Lands mostly untouched by civilized folk, tend to spawn all kinds of horrors or legends of such monsters. Okke has spawned the Askafroa, a mighty and dangerous protector of the wood. Appearing like semi-humanoid trees, they move about through the use of long tentacle like appendages, sometimes walking upright. They feed upon any living creature in their path and can be found closer to the sea as they prefer saltwater marshes.
[center][hider=Askafora][img]https://i.pinimg.com/originals/33/96/c1/3396c1c3f2bcc9c4bd253168fd6cb2db.jpg[/img][/hider][/center]
[color=green]Vatnagedda (Aquatic)[/color]
The Vatnagedda is a bottom dwelling aquatic creature that preys on anything small enough to eat. It is not particularly fast and thus rarely manages to catch a Okin, though they must taste wonderful as the Vatnagedda seems to favour them if given a choice. Strong enough to drag a small boat under the water, it needs considerable space to maneuver and can be mostly found in larger rivers and lakes. 
[center][hider=Vatnagedda][img]https://i.pinimg.com/originals/27/fa/94/27fa949d3ce2ff2c5961861c18b64f21.jpg[/img][/hider][/center]
[color=green]Aglebemu (Aquatic)[/color]
A six-foot wide giant toad, the Aglebemu is often considered to be an ancestor species of the Mucklings. Like all toads, the Aglebemu enjoy fresh meat and lie in wait, buried in the mud, for an unsuspecting being to pass by. The unlucky creature is snapped up by a tongue coated with a paralytic that leaves the victim alive, but unable to move, while they are slowly devoured. 
[center][hider=Aglebemu][img]https://mysteriousuniverse.org/wp-content/uploads/2015/09/giant-toad-570x428.jpg[/img][/hider][/center]
[color=green]Witta (Aquatic)[/color]
The Witta is a four feet of fangs, reinforced fins, and speed to match an Okin. This aquatic monster tends to move in small schools of six to ten and preys on small fish, unwary swimmers, and other aquatic monsters. They are also considered excellent eating by the Okin and are hunted for their flesh and redfrill.  
[center][hider=Witta][img]https://finalfantasyxv.square-enix-games.com/public/img/playstation-vr/playstation-vr-key-art.jpg[/img][/hider][/center]
[color=green]Jacha (Aquatic)[/color]
The most dangerous of all aquatic monsters is the Jacha. The blind eel like creature hunts for its victims using vibrations in the water. Hiding beneath river banks in caves and cutouts, it lashes out with extraordinary speed, wraps its victim in a vice like death hug, and drags them into the darkness before sinking poisoned fangs into its prey. Jacha are highly prized for their flesh which is delicious when roasted over an open flame.
[center][hider=Jacha][img]https://c4.wallpaperflare.com/wallpaper/732/958/412/art-artistic-artwork-creature-wallpaper-preview.jpg[/img][/hider][/center]
[color=green]Forlorn (Fae)[/color]
Forlorns are mist Fae, inhabiting shore lines and are incredibly rare, but are one of the more beneficial fae who are tolerated by both humanoids and other fae. Forlorns live in the mist and travel along with, resembling near invisible floating Okin. They often conjure rain for those who present offering to it, but also conjure short lived thick fog for ships who try to insult it or purposefully displease it. Forlorn seem to not be able to attack physical things nor control them, often their 'sweat' often is collectable and distilled to make powerful anti-magical salves and potions to cure minor curses.
[color=green]Arachvau (Monster)[/color]
Arachvau are massive, horse sized, dragonflies which roam the Okke marshes, feeding on the other large insects and the occasional creature there. Peaceful normally, they are considered sacred by the Okin and pests by humans due to their strange appetite for chickens and dogs. Arachvau avoid humanoid contact, and rarely stay in one place, and tend to swarm all around Okin Holts. Their connection to Okin is well known, often being considered a popular ‘carrier pigeon’ for their armies and settlements.
[center][hider=Archavau][img]https://images-wixmp-ed30a86b8c4ca887773594c2.wixmp.com/f/ef1ae03c-3478-42c6-ac24-32e1ebb5221b/d69u7mw-c993d825-beb8-4cdc-9300-e845c0460182.jpg?token=eyJ0eXAiOiJKV1QiLCJhbGciOiJIUzI1NiJ9.eyJzdWIiOiJ1cm46YXBwOjdlMGQxODg5ODIyNjQzNzNhNWYwZDQxNWVhMGQyNmUwIiwiaXNzIjoidXJuOmFwcDo3ZTBkMTg4OTgyMjY0MzczYTVmMGQ0MTVlYTBkMjZlMCIsIm9iaiI6W1t7InBhdGgiOiJcL2ZcL2VmMWFlMDNjLTM0NzgtNDJjNi1hYzI0LTMyZTFlYmI1MjIxYlwvZDY5dTdtdy1jOTkzZDgyNS1iZWI4LTRjZGMtOTMwMC1lODQ1YzA0NjAxODIuanBnIn1dXSwiYXVkIjpbInVybjpzZXJ2aWNlOmZpbGUuZG93bmxvYWQiXX0.3ZxJIAzAwXK-2nPDzD7CfWNED661DddKz22qE08viKY[/img][/hider][/center]
[color=green]Maltzurrak (Canine)[/color]
The Maltzurrak is a monstrous canine that leads a strong pack of man eating beasts that some Holts will makes sacrifices to. These beasts are incredibly rare in the heartland of Okke but become more plentiful as one moves West toward the settlements and humans of Varkovnia. 
[center][hider=Maltzurrak][img]https://giantbomb1.cbsistatic.com/uploads/scale_medium/0/4344/1288784-warggreat_tga_jpgcopy.jpg[/img][/hider][/center]
[/hider] 

[color=green][b]Clans[/b][/color]
[hider=Clans]
There are four major Clans spread throughout Okke. Each covers a large geographical area and tens of thousands, if not hundreds of thousands, of Okin. Within those Clans are thousands of Holts, or family units. Clans serve only to provide distinction on where a Okin is from, thus their names are somewhat specific to a region.
[hider=The Salt Flats Clan]
This Clan lives primarily along the shores of the Inland Sea. They are excellent fisherfolk and enjoy clam bakes, hot summers on the beach, and attempting to murder the crew of unwary ships. 
[center][hider=The Salt Flats][img]https://chockstone.smugmug.com/photos/115079025_hBCMh-L.jpg[/img][/hider][/center][/hider]
[hider=The Mudpelt Clan]
So named for their existence deep in the Okke homeland and the grottos they call home. These are the most feral of the Okin and often the strongest. They are constantly at odds with their environment and The Romp is held in their lands.
[center][hider=A Mudpelt Grotto][img]https://www.peaceandplenty.com/wp-content/uploads/2019/05/thunderball-grotto-staniel-cay-bahamas.jpg[/img][/hider][/center][/hider]
[hider=The Rockbelly Clan]
Found to the East where the riverlands begin to give way to drier climates, the marshes here are broken by rock formations that make make for a unique and fascinating place. The Okin here enjoy a sort of water slide sport down the side of jagged rock formations where one rides the smooth stones on their belly to splash into deep pools of cool water.
[center][hider=A Common Rockbelly View][img]https://images.dailyhive.com/20160728083911/shannon-falls-bc.jpg[/img][/hider][/center][/hider]
[hider=The Redrock Clan]
To the North, along the Muoarma and Olmani borders, the rock is a strange reddish colour all along the bottom of rivers and creeks. The Redrock Clan are the most battle hardened of any clan and they are often chosen to lead the Okin into battle. Rob Streambattle, the High Chief, of Holt Lutra is from this region.
[center][hider=Entrance to a Redrock Holt][img]https://media2.trover.com/T/58c7cb8174eb463f5f00e620/fixedw_large_4x.jpg[/img][/hider][/center]
[/hider]
[hider=Holts]
The Holts, or individual family units, are numerous and can have up a thousand members in them. They're often settled in a small area with natural defences such as deep creeks, dense brush, or with jagged rock formations to make an approach difficult. The Holt is an Okins ultimate loyalty and only male Okin would leave a Holt to join that of their spouse.
[center][hider=Entrance to a Redrock Holt][img]https://i.pinimg.com/originals/e3/0b/32/e30b32855a2436f7e41483dad1ed45fa.jpg[/img][/hider][/center][/hider][/hider]

[color=green][b]Characters[/b][/color]
[hider=Rab Streambattle]
[b]Name:[/b] Rab Streambattle
[b]Clan:[/b] Rockbelly Clan
[b]Holt:[/b] Lutra
[b]Title:[/b] High Chief of Okke
Rab Streambattle earned his name, and his position of High Chief, during a savage skirmish with Olmani troops in which he killed, through combat or drowning, a half dozen enemy soldiers. He is one of the few Okin to have fought every major monster that lives in Okke and survived to tell the tale. He is badly scarred, missing his left eye, and the father of some thirty pups, and grandfather to another eighty. He is the first High Chief to begin the process of trying to settle his folk, moving away from a foraging and hunting toward a society where the life span might increase and Okin need not live in fear every night. 
[b]Family:[/b]
[list]
[*]Ara Swiftwater of Holt Lutra - Breeding partner and current Elder of Holt Lutra. 
[*]Buc Broadaxe of Holt Aonyx - Brother and current Elder of Holt Aonyx.
[*]Cei Slingstone of Holt Lutra - Breeding partner and considerably younger.
[*]Thirty odd offspring, all of whom are fully grown adults.
[*]Eighty grandpups, most of whom are coming of age soon.
[/list]

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