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 Posted: Wed Dec 26, 2007 9:10 pm
 The Ahnleh ClanAhnleh, which means "Snakecharm" in the ancient language, was decided to be the name of the clan. As such, it helps to demonstrate that the majority of the members have some snake aspect. With the old clan long since gone, Raajmuat decided to take the challenge of reviving this once strong and proud clan. The clan has taken up residency in the mountains of the south, where a series of caves all connect to form the basis of their home in the mountains. In the center of all this is the temple where the statues stand. What sets this clan apart is that they worship three important deities: Kiesha'Ra, Nikhil, and Danuta. Besides their religion, the Ahnleh clan has customs, celebrations and values in which they try to uphold and to help set them apart from everyone else.
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Posted: Thu Dec 27, 2007 10:22 am
Years ago, there used to be a clan that was large and powerful. This clan's name has been lost in time, but it was once known throughout all the land. In this clan, each banthi was unique. Every banthi in the clan possessed a form of snake characteristic that was a way to set them apart and to tell which family they were from. Each family represented a different kind of snake and decendants from these families were easily recognizable by these traits. Not only were these traits used to tell which family the banthi was from, it was also a way of telling where the banthi ranked in the class system. Some of the common families were: White Viper, Python, Emerald Boa, Taipan, and Mamba to name a few. The ruling family were those banthis who possessed the cobra characteristics. There was an alpha male and an alpha female that held the top positions in the clan. They were required to have cubs so that there were would be an heir to take over their place once they were gone. In this clan, the heir could either be male or female, and did not necessarily have to be the first born either. The heir was chosen not only on their personal qualities but also by the members of the clan itself. It would do the heir no good if he or she did not have the support of the clan. Each family had a role that they planned in order to help keep the clan alive and prosperious.
In the mountains north of the clan, there was a temple that was sacred to every banthi. This temple was called the Snake Citadel and every banthi was required when they came of age to make a trip to the temple. It was customary for each banthi to leave something behind precious behind in the temple. The thought behind this practice was that leaving behind a piece of yourself would make you more connected with the deities as well as the clan as a whole. In this temple, either a single banthi or a group of selected banthis were to reside in the temple to protect it as well as educate those banthis coming to the temple for the first time.
While for a long time the clan lived in peace and harmony, any underlying rivalries were not placed in public whether they were known or not to the clan. Placing a family in a bad light was considered the highest shame, regardless of the reason. Therefore, it wasn't until recent that a family within the clan began to let their dissatisfaction with the ruling family be known. At first, it was just ignored and many looked the other way at the matter, not wanting to get involved. But, when things started to get verbal, and even in some instants, physical, things had to be done. Never before had violence like this has been witness and it was downright distraughting to those who didn't want things to change. But, the White Viper family, who was upset with the current situation decided to take the ultimate step. One fateful day, a few influencial banthis gathered their supported and decided to overthrow the ruling family. The battle was long and bloody, though it was more of a massacre in the eyes of those who had survived the night. It was a night that forever changed the clan as once things started to get to the end, many of the members had fled in fear for their lives. The clan was broken and torn, hurt was everywhere. After the night was over, the clan had been dissolved to only a few scattered banthis.
As time had passed, the clan had been lost to the records of time, only to try and be revived by a lone banthi. Raajmuat had spent a lot of time traveling the lands, trying to search for any lost members of the clan, hoping to reunite his people. It wasn't until he had almost lost all hope did he happen to run across another banthi who possessed snake-like characteristics. All hope was not lost afterall, and the future now looks hopeful once again.
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Posted: Thu Dec 27, 2007 9:48 pm
Structured similarly to the previous clan, with a few minor changes. Instead of letting the families within the clan have a certain social ranking, each banthi will have a certain ranking. While families will still be important, they will not be as influencial as they once were. Raajmuat does not want the same mistake to happen again. He would rather not have history repeat itself once more. At the head of the clan there will be the alpha. From there, the alpha selects everyone's role and has the final say in any important decision. To check the alpha's power is the second-in-command. This banthi helps aid the alpha in any decision he/she has to make and to help keep things running smoothly. While before, banthis of not snake blood were looked down upon, in this new day and age, banthis of all bloods are welcomed as long as they commit themselves to the customs of this clan.
Unlike the Feral Clan to their south, the Ahnleh clan is not solely based on a warrior system. While the clan will have it's warriors and battlers for protection, that is not their main focus. Rather, their main focus is on the other classes such as dancers, herbalists, spiritualists, etc. Each banthi has a purpose and that purpose is to help keep the clan up and running. Within the clan there will be guilds, where groups of banthis of the same profession gather and work together.
The Ahnleh clan has a religion in which they follow by. Similar to the old religion, there are three deities that are worshipped. Each deity represents a different realm and correspond to different entities. Since the new clan will be situated at the Snake Citadel, the pilgramage will not be required as it once was since the clan will be living there, but a new coming-of-age event will be replace it instead.
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Posted: Thu Dec 27, 2007 9:50 pm
The Deities:
Kiesha'Ra
Kiesha'Ra is the Goddess of Life and Death and the supreme ruler of everything in the mundane world. She is the most reverened of the three deities. Being as important as she is, Kiesha'Ra's word is final in both the mortal and divine realm, to go against her wishes would bring about a wrath worse than death itself. As the main deity, many come to ask for advice on situations in life or for her blessings. While she does not speak directly to any of the clan members, she will give them visions or signs to help aid them along on whatever their quest is. She is a kind and loving deity, wanting what is best for her clan to help them survive in this forever changing world. She is also the mother of the two minor deities: Nikhil and Danuta. For certain ceremonies, she is the main deity worshipped.
Nikhil
Nikhil is the God of Law and Order. In the mundane world, he makes sure that everything goes according to plan and should something go astray, intervention could be the best approach. While Nikhil tries to maintain a neutral attitude, it is safe to say that this deity is hot-headed and can get riled up rather easily. Even through his temper, he will not act out unless the situation calls for such an action. The balance of life cannot be upset, even by himself or else he'd have to face dire consequences. Those, that does not mean that he doesn't like to play his tricks on the mortals, conflicts are one of his specialities. Unlike his twin brother, Kiesha'Ra has to keep a close eye on Nikhil to make sure that things do not get too out of hand.
Danuta
Twin brother to Nikhil, Danuta is the God of Nature and everything that pertains to it. He is the more sensible of the two, calm and collective, every action is thought out before being executed to the best of his ability. Between all of the three deities, Danuta likes to spend plenty of time among the mortal realm, getting a good feel for the mundane world. Unlike his brother, he does not like to directly control the mortals in the mundane world, rather guide them along when they go astray.
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Posted: Thu Dec 27, 2007 9:51 pm
 Customs:
Names: Names are very important in the Ahnleh clan, they are considered sacred. Each banthi, upon birth has two names. The first name is their real name, their birth name, that they receive upon their birth. Their second name which is given to them, is like a nickname. It is not uncommon for the alpha to make up their nickname or a second nickname in which the alpha will call them by. Their first name is used in the clan itself, only family members and clan members know this name. This name is not to be given to outsiders or banthis of other clans. It is considered bad luck and the deities will down upon that banthi for revealing their birth name to those who are not apart of the clan. Their nickname is used in these cases, these names are to be given to outsiders and banthis of other clans. For example, Raajmuat's birth name is Raajmuat. His nickname is Basilisk. So, when he meets others for the first time, he always go by Basilisk, there are only a select few that know his true birth name.
Mates/Bonding: When two banthis have fallen in-love with one another and the decision is made to join together as one. When banthis come together as mates, this is very important to the clan. Each banthi needs to get the blessings from the parents, or if the banthi does not have parents, then the banthis need to get the blessings from the alpha. Every banthi wishing to become a mate much present him and herself to the deity statues in the temple asking for their blessings. It is not uncommon to bring gifts to the deities as well. Once all the blessings have been noted, then the mates are allowed to start a family if they wish to do so.
Guilds: A big aspect of the clan is the idea of guilds. Rather than just having the clan specialize in one area, like the Feral clan specializes in battling, the Ahnleh has several areas in which it will specialize in. These guilds are an important part of the clan and have a big role in clan celebrations, among other things. There are only a few guilds right now, but once the clan grows and expands, the amount of guilds will increase. Any banthi is allowed to start a guild, they just need to get permission from the alpha before they start to recruit members into their specific guild. Therefore, every banthi can be apart of something in the clan and help out to the best of their abilities. The current guilds that are available right now are: Warrior, Healers, Spiritualists, and Dancers.
►Warriors: These are the battlers of the Ahnleh clan. They spar and battle in and among themselves in the hope to raise their ranks. Within this guild, they have a ranking system that's very similiar to the Feral clan. These warriors help to protect the clan should trouble arise.
►Healers: These banthis specialize in the ancient art of healing. They use herbs, plants and flowers to help heal ailments that a banthi might come down with. It is normal for the head healer to take on apprentices and teach them this art. Banthis of this guild typically need to be patient, considering the work and banthis that they deal with.
►Spiritualists: Closest to the temple, these banthis help the clan with understanding the deities and their signs they give to the mortal world. They also help with the unknown, and it is not uncommon for the Spiritualist to go hand-in-hand with the Healers. These banthis help in celebration preparation, and help to bless the offerings to the deities.
►Dancers: These banthis help in celebrations and all around merryment. Each banthi in this guild must learn a dance/performance that they must perform before an audience before they can be considered for this guild. With each holiday, they have specific ceremonies and dances in which they perform infront of the whole clan.
Coming of Age:
Festivals:
Births/Litters: This is a highly celebrated event, depending on the banthis involved, the event can be just the immediate family or with the whole family. When the litter of an alpha/alphess is birth, this is a highly celebrated event in which the whole clan is involved. These events usually include gift offerings to the deities as a way of saying thanks to be so fortunate to have cubs.
Mates/Bonding: This is another highly celebrated event, depending on the banthis that are involved. With the newly formed mates, they have the option of just celebrating with their immediate family or the whole clan. Usually this celebration is rather joyous and gifts are given to the deities as a way of securing a fortunate future. If an alpha/alphess takes on a mate, this is a highly joyous occassion where the celebrations can last for days. In this celebration, gifts are typically given to the alpha/alphess and the deities in the hopes of keeping the clan alive and prosperous.
Seasonal Changes: With the coming of a new season, the whole clan gets together and holds a celebration. They celebrate not only the coming of a new season, but also the leaving the of the previous season. Each banthi presents a gift to the deities statues in the temples before merryment begins.
*I'll be making up more festivals/events when I can think of some more. This is all subject to change at any time.
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Posted: Thu Dec 27, 2007 9:54 pm
Located just a bit south of the Feral clan's territory, the mountains provide not only protection but a place to live in. The arid climate around them helps to keep the weather mild most of the year and the bit of forest that the clan does possess helps with keeping food plentiful. While the territory is small now, that will change over time as the clan gets bigger and more members are added.
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Posted: Sat Jan 12, 2008 8:35 am
Absolutely not. There would be no reason to have clans if banthis were going to be mating outside their own clan. Now, that's not to say that a banthi can't wander, meet another banthi of another clan and happen to fall in love. If this were to happen, the said banthi would have to chose which clan they would want to live in. And if the banthi decided to leave the clan to live in another, it would be marked as a traitor and Raajmuat will not allow that banthi to return to the clan for any reason.
2. Can my banthi go and visit other clans?
While Raajmuat can't ban any banthi from leaving the territory, it is HIGHLY frowned upon fratinizing with another clan. There should be no reason why a banthi would want to go visit another clan when he/she has his/her own clan to worry about. There are a few rare situations where a banthi may interact with another clan, but these are rare cases. Raajmuat must know about any of these cases because he needs to know when his members go into another clan because he is held responsible for all of their actions.
3. Can any banthi join the clan or do they have to be a snake/reptile-based banthi?
Any banthi is more than welcome to join the clan! This clan is not exactly the same at the previous clan, the Ahnleh clan is more accepting of banthis of different natures. Although, Raajmuat will always tend to favor snake/reptile-based banthis for obvious reasons, he will not turn away any willing banthi that wants to join and has proven him/herself.
4. Does my banthi have to follow all the customs and practice the religion?
While it is not mandatory for each banthi to adhere to the religion and practice every custom, every banthi must be respectful to the main focus of the clan. It is highly encourage that each banthi at least understands the customs and respects the deities. Raajmuat will not tolerate any banthi ridiculing his deities or his customs.
5. Will there be a battling system/caste like the Feral Clan?
Yes and no. Every banthi is entitled to become a battler (warrior) if he/she desires to do so. Battling and fighting are not as highly emphasized in the Ahnleh clan as it is in the Feral Clan. It is always good to have strong warriors to help protect the clan, the main focus of the clan is not all about brute strength.
6. I've noticed that Raajmuat holds a certain grudge against the Feral clan. Does my banthi have to not like the Feral clan?
Absolutely not! While Raajmuat does not really like the Feral clan, or rather, the alphas of the clan, that does not mean that your banthi needs to reflect his own personal views. Your banthi is entitled to hold whatever views they want on any other clan, but just be aware of what Raajmuat thinks. While he might not like the Feral clan, he wouldn't want his members getting into trouble right now because of the size of the clan. In the future, things could definitely take a different twist.
Any F.A.Q's will go here when I think of some, or people think of some to ask me.
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