The Zebras of the Kazandu
The Zebras of the Kazandu
Deep in the Kazandu Rainforest of Zebrica, there is a city in the canopy of the dangerous forest. The village is called Kazun City, home of the Kazun tribe of zebras. Like all Kazandu zebras, their coloring is different from their brothers and sisters outside the forest. Their coloring is of the darker greens of the forest instead of the whites of the plains, but still with some black coloring in their coats. They are also one of five tribes that live in the Kazandu, the others being the Kazini tribe, the Kazna tribe, the Kazleti tribe, and lastly, the Kazenoto tribe. Although the zebras call their homes tribes, they are actually more like provinces or city states that co-exist with each other.
The Kazan tribe live high in the canopy of the jungle. The canopy is thick enough to almost be indiscernible from the forest floor aside from the occasional hole between the enormous branches of the trees. Like the forest floor, the canopy has it's own dangers. The Kazan are the most agile and intelligent of the five tribes and sought to share their wealth of knowledge with all the tribes that would accept their help. They also helped establish a type of governance that the other tribes integrated into their own systems.
The Kazini tribe live on the forest floor. They are the most technologically oriented of the tribes. They helped create the lifts that connect the forest floor with the canopy so that the floor dwelling tribes can intermingle with the canopy tribes. They praise creativity and ingenuity. While other tribes may want to explore the forest for it's wonders, the Kazini are content with their homes and creating things to help all tribes.
The Kazna tribe is the most medically advanced of the tribes. They live on the forest floor, as this is where most of the plants they use for their healing potions and poultices are. They know which plants can heal, improve vision and hearing, along with a plethora of other things. They also know which plants that can kill a zebra quickly, or very slowly. They were also the first to set up hospitals that would accept zebras and injured wildlife alike. They have a large respect for life and will not harm any living creature, be it plant, wild animal, or fellow zebra unless it is in self-defense or self-preservation.
The Kazleti tribe is the religious hub of the tribes. They live in the topmost layer of the forest so that they may study the night sky. They worship Nix, the Goddess of the Stars, who will sometimes visit zebras in their dreams. It is considered a great honor to be visited in ones dreams by Nix. The Kazleti teach the rituals and remedies that Nix has taught them to the other tribes. They also fear the night, because that is when Nix lets her pets; the Star Panthers, large Nightcrawler Spiders, Walker Plants and other such dangers, roam the moonlit forest. The Shamans of Nix teach the tribes to respect such creatures, but to also be wary of them and how best to avoid or deter them.
Lastly, the Kazenoto tribe is the trade hub of all the tribes. They share aspects from all the other tribes and have cities in all parts of the forest. From the forest dwelling tribes to the canopy tribes. They help all the tribes communicate and interact with each other through the safe trade routes on the forest floor and large, well built bridge-roads in the canopy that the Kazenoto have created. The Kazenoto have also helped spread the public teachings of all the tribes so that they all have a common knowledge of how to best protect their respective tribes from dangers and to generally help the tribes co-exist. They also are the most influential of the tribes due to their widespread influence of trade.
But there are tales of a forgotten tribe in the deepest reaches of the Kazandu. Tales of a forgotten time, when the zebras were still learning their skills and at constant war with each other. The true name of the tribe is lost to history, but the tales say that they were called the Uragi after peace had started to reign in the forest. They were a vicious and unforgiving tribe. They excelled at the art of war, but they would never give mercy, never give up, and always fight to the bitter end. There are rumors of zebras trying to further explore the depths of the Kazandu and disappearing.