Za-Turin

The Za-Turin people are a small nation that inhabit the island of Reytus off the coast of South Magnamia. The Za-Turin have remained relatively small for most of their history and have refused to claim the entirety of the Reytus island because of their religious beliefs that the land is not theirs to claim and that a life of moderation is a more sacred one. The decision to not claim the land as their own though has led neighboring groups and nations to covet the unclaimed land attempt to settle on the island which has always led to violence between them and the Za-Turin that viewed these as incursions onto sacred lands.

They have become a fiercely defensive state and have grown accustomed to the ways of war while constantly having to defend themselves as well as the land. Still, in almost a constant state of war with one group or another, the Za-Turin believe that this way of life is better than one that covets physical goods over spirituality.

History
The ancestors of the Za-Turin were originally from South Magnamia and inhabited lands on the West Foot until the Period of Destruction. With the spread of the Death Growth and the founding of the new religious state of Nolcenna, the Za-Turin feared for their safety and well-being in their current homeland. Word had already begun to spread of Nolcennic followers killing people who were unwilling to convert to their religion and the Za-Turin would not give up the traditions and beliefs that their people had followed for so long and decided to leave the region like many others had also begun to do.

The small village was quick to relocate and headed south with hopes of avoiding the rapidly spreading Death Growth plague and finding a suitable area before other groups could. But the further they traveled, the more it became apparent that this plague was inescapable as long as they remained in South Magnamia. Once they reached the coast of the West Foot they feared that there was no hope and that even if they were able to escape the Nolcennic, they could not escape the plague.

This was until they were told of an island just southwest of the West Foot that was still uninhabited due to its cold weather and tales of the island being cursed as any who had attempted to settle there before perished or disappeared. By then the island had barely been explored, and it was assumed by those who knew of it to be uninhabitable because of the perennial snow and dangerous wildlife. The Za-Turin though felt that they were large enough in size and would be protected by their god and so sailed for the island of Reytus where they quickly found it to be a pleasant island that had been untouched by the plague and any southern influence whatsoever.

They founded the village of Lecarna and acted quick to begin cultivating the land and preparing defenses for the coming winter. The Za-Turin easily adapted to the island as it remained warm in the northern half of the island for most of the year until getting very cold in the winters. But this was not an issue as long as they prepared as they became accustomed to doing each year by farming, gathering, and hunting. Eventually they established another village in the Alfanila Forest to accommodate their growing population. During the summers the population was split between the two villages but during the winters, women, children, and the elderly would stay in Lecarna that was situated on the northern coast where the winters weren't as harsh.

They prided themselves on being self sufficient and believed that the island had more than enough for them to survive for the rest of their days as they remained unaffected by the Period of Destruction. This changed though at the end of the period when they were forced to trade lumber with Parlus for food as their winter stores were destroyed in a fire started by lightning. Before interacting with Parlus, no one had even known that the Za-Turin were still inhabiting Reytus and soon Nolcenna and the rest of South Magnamia became aware of their presence. This however would not become an issue until after the Period of Destruction.

Culture
The Za-Turin are a very religious people, sticking to the traditions and faith that had existed since their forming during the Tribal Period. They firmly believed that they had been led to the island of Reytus by an act of their god and that the island was his home and only those who followed and worshiped him could live on the island. They were tolerant of other religions and beliefs when it came to dealing with outside groups but this was very rare once they had left the main continent.

Once they began to face invaders of their island, the Za-Turin had to quickly learn to fight and defend themselves. They were outmatched by invaders in skill but made up for it with their knowledge of the land and ability to use its defensive features and fight a war of attrition against their foes which would become their customary tactic. While in no way as militaristic as the Pirisk or other military based societies, the Za-Turin did take the defense of their island seriously and reformed their culture into one that valued strong warriors who were driven by faith. They would remain small in size but grew immensely in their skills and tactics.

Even as the only group on Reytus, the Za-Turin refused to claim the island as their own fearing that if they controlled the entire island, they would continue to grow and eventually need more to survive and would depend more on trade with foreign nations and then grow accustomed to nicer wares and eventually lose their bond with their beliefs and their god. Only by association did their dominance over the land become official to their foes and neighbors but this would not stop groups from attempting to settle the land as long as it was unclaimed and unused by the Za-Turin.