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Lore

“The Shinse seek form in all things,

Our form must reflect our souls,

Being light and rapid in movement,

Beautiful like the Warrior or the hunter of Waachi.”

–intro to the Shikanse

Shinse-map

Shinse initial Territory

Official stories 

 Shinse Culture Leaders - In-game Lore Events

Description

Once a coastal people, in the time of the Two Suns, the Shinse survive on Skara’s western Steppes, where harsh winds blow and food is scarce. The memory of their former life spurs them on, preserving the knowledge of the Seven Schools and dreaming of returning to their homelands, currently occupied by the Celea.

The Shinse value respect and elegance in form and function. Their power and effectiveness on the battlefield come from these attributes. Though they are not the strongest of the inhabitants of Skara, they cut their enemies down quickly in one-to-one combat, making them greatly feared on the battlefield. Before the cataclysm, the Durno sent their youth to train in Shinse schools to learn the Way and the Signs.

The Shinse now have a tense relationship with their former allies, the Durno, who betrayed them when the Celea arrived on Skara’s shores. They have never liked the Tamvaasa, whose seafaring members were known to raid and harass the Shinse coast as long as anyone can remember. But it is the Celea for whom Shinse hatred burns bright, bringing to life the Shinse proverb: "Anger that sits burns its bearer, anger that moves burns others".

Attitude

Beware the knife that moves in the shadows. Beware also the lithe and lethal Shinse, who prefer to win a battle before the forces have even amassed.

Timing is everything for the Shinse, whose strength is in their ability to move and adapt. Knowing their position is never easy, for the Shinse can appear and disappear, deceive and dodge, feint and strike before the enemy knows what is occurring. These skills have been handed down through the ages by the respected Gokhanse, the keepers of all knowledge, as well as the Waygoers, enlightened ones who have no boundaries except those created by the Way and the Signs.

More "sayings"

Like most arts taught in this land

The Art of Signs belonged to our people first

It started to aid our people’s memory

To count how much came to one from another

In a trade

And so that we kept track of people’s comings and goings

But the Shinse seek form in all things

Our Form must reflect our souls

Being light and rapid in movement

Beautiful like the Warrior or the hunter of Waachi

One among us mastered this Art of Signs so well

That he used it to mark out

Our stories: the achievements of our Ancestors

The stories of Celem and Lom

And the other Gods that dwell above

His name was Zan-Taken

20 cycles he travelled amongst the people

Copying the stories that our elders told

When age caught up with him

He established Seven Schools

To each belonged an Artist of Signs

They were the Gokhanse

The Gokhanse took their work very seriously

It was an honour to be chosen as their assistant

Likewise to sit near them during the Shikanseto-Zan

(The telling of our stories which are kept together in the Shikanse)

In this way our people continued

Until Lom disappeared

And the people from the South tore down the Seven Schools

---

"Anger that sits burns its bearer, Anger that moves burns others"

–Shinse proverb ---

Remember to love the lake—our Protectress

Remember to love the Waachi—our food

Remember to respect the sharpness of your blade

Fear the slowness of your mind

Hate the quickness of your tongue

---

"Take nothing with you that should be brought back, except your blade your bow and your cloak, or you will not come back."

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