Kin

Covered in fur head to toe, the proud race of Kin keep mostly to themselves deep in the jungle of the EastMarch.

Physical Description
Kin are the tallest and strongest of the seven races of Edgeworld. They are commpletely covered in thick, brown hair, with small horns curling from their head. Though generally bipedal, they move fastest when charging on all fours.

The Cunning Folk
Somewhere up in the peaks of the Sakir Tep live a secluded clan of Kin sometimes called the cunning folk. They are believed to be folklore by almost everyone except local kin and provincial marchmen living in the area, who used to persecute but now primarily ignore them. Unlike other kin, they have an unbelievable instinct for magic which even the most learned March and Dreth mages can barely match. The cunning are by far the most powerful magicians alive, almost from birth. They are shamans rooted in the basic connection with the earth and spiritworld that kin culture is so fixated on. Their population is extremely small, not well understood, and they keep entirely to themselves and are almost impossible to find. There are many theories and tall tales surrounding them, but a popular idea is that they are the purest bloodline of kin, either descended from or directly blessed by the great mother herself. General kin opinion on the cunning is mixed.

Culture
Diet--A significant minority of Kin only eat the meat of fish/fowl, seeing mamals (and lizards) as siblings.

Festivals--Every year, during the the three-day Tahevara festival, Kin gather at the foothills of the Sakir Tep and have bare handed fish catching and live fish swallowing competitions.

Burial--Kin believe that Theda resides within the earth, hiding from the chaos her children have caused above until the kin restore balance. This is why kin bury their dead, so their souls can return to the mother. Kin thrown over the edge, however, are not able to be rejoined with theda, and thus the most heinous criminals/traitors are killed by being thrown over the edge. particularly disgraced kin commit suicide by jumping off the edge, preventing their souls from rejoining theda in the afterlife, but preventing themselves from eternal humiliation.

Firstborn Movement--There is a small sect of kin extremists committed to "restoring balance to the world" through complete subjucation of all races under kin rule, fulfilling Theda's promise. They believe that all kin who die before restoration have failed destiny and are not honorable enough to be buried in the earth to return to Theda, so dead kin of this sect are always thrown off the edge. Firstborn extremists who die far inland have their cultmates transport the body to the edge. Evidently the sect as operatives working in the reach, planning on undermining the empire. It is unknown how deeply they have infiltrated, though given the reach aversion to beastly races it is assumed to have made little progress.

History
Maharet is an ancient tribal leader who worked with legendary Marchman explorer Pelanther in establishing the earliest March/Kin relations. Maharet is a popular figure in Kin tall tales, in one story climbing down the cliff face to the bottom of edgeworld. Allegedly the spirit Nur directed him to go to the Tep river before his journey and catch a giant barb fish to swallow live. Nur kept the fish alive in Maharet's stomach, which then formed a sort of gyroscope as the fish strived to swim back to its home, guiding the brave kin on his climb back up to the surface.

Wenkare was the first to unite the Kin tribes, forming a sort of capital at Menkara. Some believe Wenkare must have been one of the Cunning, others insist he must have been assisted in some way by the March. Though these theories are certainly within the realm of possibility, there is an inherent racism in assuming Wenkare couldn't have simply been a competent Kin statesman and general.

Religion
Different clans believe in slight variations on the same narrative and often have patron spirits or hero cults.

Creation--In the beginning, the universe was flat and infinite, and only Theda and Makresh inhabited it. They awoke at opposite corners of the universe, and walked through the desert for eons until they met each other in the center. Makresh began built a house for the two of them by wrapping up the universe, dragging it together to make the tower in the center known as the edge. He labored building the trees and the animals and the stones. The animals he crafted to entertain and help with burden got out of control though, broke free from their pen. Makresh stopped building curiosities, and settled down to live in the forest he built for his wife, and set to begin a family. He and Theda gave birth to the first Kinlings. Other animals envied the kin, for Makresh and Theda lived at the best part of the forest, the most pristine lake, the most fertile food. and they were tired of being hunted by Makresh for food. So they schemed to murder Makresh and Theda, and the Kin, and take control of the world for themselves. They attacked when Theda was pregnant again, so she was weak. But Morkesh fought all the animals of the earth back into submission.

Theda was wounded in the ambush, and instead of giving birth to healthy kin, gave birth to four small men, born with out fur, sickly. Theda had to spend much time caring for the sick infants, preventing them from dying in the early years. Eventually they grew up, played with the first kin in the forest. The shortest runt always wanted to ride on someone's back, the cute blond one always had plans and ideas and rules for cool new games to play, the wiry pale one stayed indoors and listened to theda's stories, and the wild one spent his time alone, always scheming. Eventually the sickly brothers began building contraptions, toyed with magic. The kin word for magic is the same as the word for deception. Theda told the kin that when he grew up, it would be his job to maintain the house that Makresh built, including taking care of the other animals and weaker brothers. But man was greedy, and desired kin's birthright, so he schemed to take it over. The wild one convinced the other three that they could each get what they wanted if they could get Makresh out of the way, always putting the eldest son first. They conspired with roki and sai, learned from their past ambush, and worked together to overpower Makresh and Theda, who's blood fell to the earth and sprung up as the crimson Deshra shrub. Kin retreated into the forest, scared and alone. All kin feel the shame of their inability to protect the mother and the father from the usurpers. All kin know that one day, when they are strong enough, they will take back the world that was rightfully given to them, and they will help it grow into the most beautiful garden that has ever existed. The scar is obvious evidence that the usurper races do not know how to take care of the world. Their weakness is showing.

Nurzok--the demon climbed out of the ground and told the kin that he had a method to control the growth of the land and master the animals. He preached about progress and won over the chief of a small Tanis clan. Nurzrok set about transforming the small tribal plot of land, teaching the kin agriculture and husbandry. The Tanis, once free and happy, found themselves in perpetual servitude, working the land to satisfy Nurzrok, who recruited the strongest of the tribe to act as his enforcers. One day, Nurzrok was walking through the forest with the chief and enforcers following close behind, describing the expanded farmland they would begin work on by cutting down the trees to make room. Theda was incensed, and the ground rumbled as great maw opened up. Nurzrok and the collaborating kin were swallowed up, and Theda emerged from the ground to speak to the remaining kin of the Tanis tribe. She told them that they did not need to control the growth of the land or master the animals. The land was already perfectly tailored to their needs, and the Kin, the firstborn, were already the masters of all that is living, she explained. "Care for what has been given to you, and be content." Compare the related figure Nizroch in March mythology.

Nur is an abstract concept related to the March concept of Apsu, a life force manifesting as wine and blood.