Zentei Tribe Information

History and Beginnings:



The Zentei tribe's beginnings date back to the ancient Dochaku clan of Kusagakure. The elder shaman woman of the Dochaku feared and foresaw retribution for the clan leader's refusal to integrate into the newly formed village. Haunted by nightmares and visions she pleaded with the clan's leader to take the clan and go far away from Kusa which he staunchly refused, he would not abandon their ancestral home. Frightened for the worst, the shaman woman was approached by several other members of her clan who shared her dread and looked to her for help and guidance. Not willing to take the chance of her prophecies coming to fruition she gathered all the Dochaku members who believed her and fled the land of grass. Sometime later word reached her that their mother clan was nearly massacred and integrated into the village to save what was left of them. It was years before the now wandering clan abandoners ever returned to their home land.
They continued moving from place to place and struggled for many years. Because they were a small group it took them a very long time to build up their numbers again. They slowly gained carts and livestock for themselves and married people who chose to come with them producing children and earning a good living for themselves. However they never settled in one place for long. Nothing compared to their home. As the years passed the new generation lost their love for Kusa and preferred the nomadic lifestyle, finding  satisfaction in working odd jobs in any village they stayed in or selling wares or their services. There is no chance of them settling in one place permanently in the foreseeable future. Finally, as their final separation from their mother clan, they stopped referring to themselves as "Dochaku" and picked up the name "Zentei" which means "distance one has to travel" as well as giving up their status as a clan. Continuing this lifestyle, the Zentei always keep moving as there are always opportunities on the horizon.



Appearance:


The Zentei tribe have retained many of the looks they where born with from the Dochaku clan. Skin tones are usually darker with a few lighter tones mixed in here and there but you will never see a pale Zentei. All members have different shades of purple/pinkish eyes and are usually characterized as having a "sly" or "seductive" look to them. Hair colours are in a few shades of brown, blonde and a very dark brown that could almost be considered black. All Zentei inherit the characteristic curly hair in this tribe and it's often quite unruly or difficult to manage. Many members wear bandanas or kerchiefs and hair decorations for both men and women are popular. Zentei are very fond of jewellery so both men and women are often found to wear earrings, several rings on each hand and necklaces, bracelets, anklets and any other such bobble they can decorate themselves with. They are known to usually be flamboyantly dressed. Women are very fond of makeup as well and usually are seen to have at least painted lips. Some go the extra step with more makeup but lipstick is the norm for most.
Zentei are not super muscular and categorized as lean to toned. Heights are average for men not growing passed 6' at their tallest and women are all pretty short in comparison. Women have large busts and are pretty proud of them since they can use this to their advantage depending on the job they do. Sandals are worn by the men while women are known to wear them too but they also go barefoot or wear the bare minimum on their feet. Zentei women always wear skirts and are almost never seen in pants. 



Personalities:



Zentei members are known for having very open personalities. They are flamboyant in nature most of the time and make spectacles of themselves. They are also well known to be a very flirty or affectionate people and often make their way in life by charming others. They have good work ethics and are readily looking for jobs when they arrive in a village for one of their visits. They are sometime mistaken as deceptive, and it's true that they do have cunning personalities, but they are never dishonest. A Zentei would rather curl up and die before they cheat someone or dishonour themselves with unscrupulous behaviour. They would much rather work hard for their earnings and take pride in a good day's work. Zentei are also very artistic and have strong imaginations. On the flip side to this, their imaginations sometimes run away with them and Zentei are known to embellish the truth some. Sometimes a little and sometimes a lot. They try not to lie outright but they do tend to spin yarns that are a bit different then the way other's may remember them. They are very hard set in their ways, abiding by strong customs within the tribe and most are hugely superstitious. They firmly believe in the concept of good and bad luck and will panic when something happens that they consider to be bad luck. Zentei have many different ways to dispel bad luck and will use any and all of them to ease their worries at any given time. All Zentei are born with the "wander lust" and get the urge to travel.




Abilities:



Zentei are strictly civilian nomads and none since the Dochaku attack many years ago have become ninja. They have no problems with ninja themselves but prefer the civilian lifestyle. Most people will not give them problems because they have no fighting ability to offer the shinobi nations which in turn means they get left alone to keep on moving around. Tribe members are referred to as "jacks of all trades" and are mostly talented in the arts and with using their hands. Zentei men pick up trades as carpenters, craftsmen and builders and find contracts for work in the villages they visit. Many of the villages look forward to the Zentei's visits as their workmanship is very good. Many are not aware that the Zentei were one of the first to travel to Konoha to help rebuild it after they were attacked and the village was damaged by the Akatsuki organization. Men who don't find work in this way are good at crafting wooden furniture and take custom orders to their clients wishes. The few men who are not talented in craftsmanship turn out to be excellent musicians and help play tunes along for the dancers of the tribe. Usual instruments are drums, flutes, and different percussions.
Women don't do much physical labour other then dancing which they are quite good at. Girls who become dancers train from a very young age and are not allowed to perform for the public until they reach the age of fifteen. Dancing for the tribe is considered to be exotic by most outsiders but within the tribe they perceive it to be very modest. Other women are artists and work alongside the men painting furniture or pottery. Many are trinket makers and craft different jewellery and bobbles to sell from things they find on their travels. Only very few women are trained as fortune tellers and they are only the girls who are found to have "future sight" as the tribe would put it. They must have a clairvoyance to them but they must also be charming and mysterious. A Zentei mystic's fortunes are rarely wrong and anybody who has ever had their fortune told by one knows to take them seriously. Zentei's will stay in one village or place for anywhere from a few weeks to a few months depending on the work they can find. Once the demand for their services dries up they pack up and move on to the next place. 




Family:


Zentei families are exceptionally close. From close relatives to the distantly related, they hold strong bonds to each other. Zentei have a particular way of greeting each other. Tribesmen and women will grasp each other's forearms in a modified version of a handshake while placing their other hands on the other person's shoulder as demonstrated bellow

which, depending on the closeness of the two individuals will follow with a hug or a kiss on one or both cheeks, though the later is usually done by just the women. Zentei's are known to have large families and most will have many children although some choose to have fewer depending on their living circumstances. Children are usually allowed to do as they please when they're not spending time learning a trade. They are almost always seen playing and having a good time with each other. Some children are known to be troublemakers and get into mischief in the villages they visit which their parents quickly manage to keep up good relations with the lands they visit. Children are harshly punished for bad behaviour which usually involves corporal punishment. Most children learn quickly to behave themselves when a spanking is their possible outcome. 
 


Marriage:


Marriage is one of those things in the Zentei tribe that they take with a grain of salt. Many don't care if they get married and live their lives with their significant other perfectly happy. It's not uncommon though for members to marry and it's usually more common between a Zentei and an outsider. Zentei don't have a particular preference for marriage candidates and are happy to marry inside or outside of their tribe. When a significant other is found outside of their tribe one of two things usually happens. If the person is a man, a Zentei woman will leave her tribe and stay in the village that person lives in (although sometimes they are known to want to travel again and will take small trips away). If the other person is a woman, men of the Zentei tribe have developed a habit of picking them up and carrying them away to continue on with the caravan. Sometimes this is met with resistance and other times it's received well. Though they will not attempt this with a kunoichi unless they agree to leave their village as they don't want to cause problems for her abandoning her duties. Should their loved one not want to leave their village or doesn't fair well with the travellers lifestyle, Zentei are okay with them remaining in a village, obviously with the understanding that they are committed to each other regardless of the distance and time they are apart. Men very rarely leave their tribe to settle in a village, the women on the other hand don't mind so much.
When returning to a spouse or loved one they have left behind for a time, Zentei's heap love and gifts on them to make up for their time apart. Children in this situation are raised understand that their parent loves them, but they move around to work to help take care of them and will always come home to them. Zentei members are always flirting with their significant other and never really stop doing so. Women are known to be amazing homemakers in every right and take pride in running a clean household with happy healthy children, hot meals everyday and a happy lover by her side.