Overview
The World of Shuan-Go was once a thriving center of high technology, sending starships to trade with the other planets of their solar system. Scattered across Shaun-Go were strange artifacts in the form of great arches, the apparent creation of aliens who had visited the world long before human civilization arose. Some were in the centers of great cities, some were in the distant wilderness. Few people except a small group of scholars worried much about them--until mystical forces opened Gates within the arches and invading armies came rampaging through. The invaders were lead by men who claimed descent from those who made the Gates; they said that their ancestors had used them to create a vast empire uniting the entire cosmos and that, as their heirs, they were seeking to rebuild their empire. They claimed that, once they had created this empire, it would usher in an age of universal peace, prosperity and justice. The invaders, however, brought only war and devastation to Shuan-Go.
It is now three centuries since the Empire of Gates invaded Shuan-Go and the world is much changed. The invaders failed to conquer the world, but they control large portions of its territory. Beyond that, they brought magic--whose practice had largely been forgotten, with the exception of some basic psionics--back to Shuan-Go, while devastating the world's technological base. The people of Shuan-Go had long since exhausted most of the metals and other non-renewable resources on their home world and had taken to mining their two moons and nearby asteroids for these resources. The devastation of the war largely cut Shaun-Go off from outer space. Now it is a largely agrarian world, relying mainly on medieval-level technology and magic. A few centers of high technology remain, but they are limited by the lack of resources, so they can neither mass produce goods nor expand. Outside these centers, there are a few who have enough knowledge to maintain and use high technology items, but these tend to be relatively rare and treasured items.
Major Religions
The Cult of the Gate-Makers: The official religion of the Empire of Gates, a form of ancestor worship. Only the aristocracy claiming descent from the Gate-Makers truly practices the religion with any degree of devotion. The majority of their subjects simply pay lip service to it and privately practice one of the other religions--or none at all. The Scions of the Gate-Makers, as they call themselves, receive no mystical abilities through their worship, which, among other factors has lead many outside the Scions to doubt they are truly heirs of the Gate-Makers--or if they are, that their ancestors care about them or are in any position worthy or worship.
The Way of the Seven Sages: At the time of the invasion, the people of Shuan-Go had large left behind what they regarded as the superstitious practice of worshipping gods. Instead, they honored the teachings of seven great sages, who taught paths to wisdom, mercy and justice. In truth, these had started off as a number of separate religions, in some cases founded millennia apart, but there had usually been a good deal of mutual tolerance and dialogue between the religions. Only monastics, priests and other devotees strictly followed one of the religions, while most people followed all of them in some measure. The Seven Sages and their teachings continue to be honored by the free peoples of Shaun-Go today. Many devotees of the Seven Sages have developed substantial mystical powers, either in the form of psionics or wuxia. While their teaching differ in details, all of the Seven Sages emphasized leading a virtuous life and seeking spiritual enlightenment.
The Old Gods: These were the pantheon of gods the majority of the people of Shuan-Go worshipped in ancient times, before the coming of the Seven Sages. They were concerned largely with the natural world and the practical aspects of social life, as opposed to the high principles stressed by the Seven Sages. According to the old tales, the Seven Sages converted the Old Gods and they became protectors of them and their religious teachings. A the time of the Invasion of the Scions of the Gate-Makers, their worship had faded away among most people and they were remembered largely through the telling of old tales, regarded as myth and legend. The Old Gods were apparently largely content with this development, but with the Invasion, they began to reveal themselves in visions to the peoples of Shuan-Go once again, sending prophets to lead the people of Shuan-Go against the Empire. Today they are worshipped by the free peoples of Shuan-Go alongside the Seven Sages. Many of their priests can channel their magical energies through prayer, for a variety of purposes, ranging from healing to protecting the fertility of the land to defense against attacks.
The Blood Gods: Another ancient pantheon, rivals of the Old Gods. They claim to be the ones who created Shuan-Go and its inhabitants and therefore have the rightful claim to being worshipped, not the Old Gods or Seven Sages. Unfortunately, the Blood Gods demanded blood sacrifice of their worshippers--and not simply animal sacrifices, but human sacrifice. At one point in ancient times, they had a large empire, but this eventually collapsed as both the gods and their priests grew greedy for ever more sacrifices. An uprising by many subject peoples, aided by the Old Gods, overthrew their empire and the worship of the Blood Gods was reduced to an obscure cult. At least, until the Invasion. Like the Old Gods, they revealed themselves to the people of Shuan-Go and claimed that, given proper worship--including human sacrifices--they could help their followers drive The Empire of Gates from the world. As a result, their worship was also revived. Despite being cruel and warlike, the Blood Gods and the followers have their own code of honor and brutal sense of justice. They emphasize the virtues of honor, courage and duty--a duty that may include willingly being sacrificed to feed the gods. Like the priests of the Old Gods, the priests of the Blood Gods can channel some of their magical power through prayer.
Swords, Sorcery & Science: The World of Shuan-Go
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Muskrat
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- Title: Keeper of the Hidden Word
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Muskrat
- Level 21 Elite
- Posts: 10524
- Location: The Secret Places Beneath the Earth
- Title: Keeper of the Hidden Word
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- User Class: Scholar
Re: Swords, Sorcery & Science: The World of Shuan-Go
Now that I'm done for the semester, I've had a little time to do some world-building. This is what I've written up so far. I plan to right up brief overviews of the major societies sometime soon. In the mean time, I was wondering if anyone had any thoughts. As you can probably see, in addition to the whole swords, sorcery & science genre, I'm going for a non-Western feel, with heavy influences from Asia and pre-Columbian America.
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Muskrat
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- Location: The Secret Places Beneath the Earth
- Title: Keeper of the Hidden Word
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- User Class: Scholar
Re: Swords, Sorcery & Science: The World of Shuan-Go
Humans are the dominant race of Shuan-Go, including both the natives of the world and the Scions of the Gates-Keepers and their servants who came through the Gates with them.
Shadowfolk: The second native race of Shuan-Go, these are small humanoids, covered with black fur and having large, bat-like heads. They are a subterranean and nocturnal people, finding the sun or other bright light unpleasant, as it stings the rudimentary eyes they still possess. They sense their surroundings primarily through echolocation, in the same fashion as a bat or dolphin. Although some ignorant people fear them because of their association with the darkness, shadowfolk are generally a benign people and on good terms with humans. They do, however, have a strong, mischievous streak and are prone to pulling pranks. The shadowfolk have not historically had societies that glorified warfare, but they have had those which have romanticized stealthy theft and even assassination in the same fashion. Many shadowfolk settlements are located in caverns beneath those of humans and other races, maintaining on-going trade and other relations. In some cases, they have even merged to form a shared government.
Beastfolk: Created through sorcery by the Scions of the Gate-Keepers, these human-animal crossbreeds act as their servants. Some serve as elite shock troops and bodyguards, others as scouts or spies. They have been interbred with a wide variety of animals, depending on the purpose of the breed, including tigers, bears, goats, wolves, eagles, owls, and vipers. Their appearance is humanoid, with animalistic features. Oddly, the magic that created beastfolk allows those with different animal traits to interbreed with each other freely. Most beastfolk live in the Universal Empire of the Gate-Keepers, but some have left to form free tribes or join the hordes of the Great Khan.
Ah-kwo: Natives of a hothouse world filled with jungles and swamps that is closer to Shuan-Go's sun. Before the Invasion, Shuan-Go regularly traded with the ah-kwo and there were a number of them on Shuan-Go when the Invasion cut the planet off from space travel. Amphibious creatures, they eventually migrated to form small communities in the mangrove swamps of the tropical regions of Shuan-Go. They are basically humanoid, but with large, black eyes and shimmering green to blue skin. To members of other races, the men and women of the ah-kwo are largely indistinguishable. The ah-kwo themselves care little about sex, since they reproduce by spawning in the water. The resulting eggs and larva are carefully protected until they mature and come on land, where they are raised by the entire community. The ah-kwo are largely uninterested in the matter of biological parenthood and, without advanced genetic testing technology generally unavailable nowadays, it would be difficult to determine who one's parents are in any case. One community of ah-kwo retains control over an old spaceport that had been leased to them by the pre-Invasion government of Shuan-Go and maintain a more high-tech lifestyle, though they still do not have the resources to leave the planet.
Gro-sana: Sometimes confused with beastfolk by the ignorant, the gro-sana are the result of pre-Invasion genetic engineering, a mixture of human, gorilla, bear and wolf DNA. They are humanoid, generally standing upright, but also capable of moving rapidly on four legs. They are covered with shaggy fur, ranging from dark brown to grey, with clawed fingers and toes and a highly enhanced sense of smell. They are stronger and hardier than humans, but also generally not as smart. They were used as soldiers, scouts and heavy laborers by humans before the Invasion. In some places they are still kept as servants, but in many of the free cities they now are at least legally equal to humans and other races. They also have formed free tribes and a few follow the Great Khan.
Leisa-na: Like the gro-sana, the result of pre-Invasion genetic engineering, the product of combining human and fish DNA. These are humanoid peoples adapted to living underwater, complete with gills, although they still have lungs and can function on dry land as well, though their large, webbed feet make them awkward. While the ah-kwo cling to the coasts in tropical regions, the leisa-na live in the oceans worldwide. Before the Invasion, they had created high-tech underwater cities, many of them domed and filled with air. A surprisingly large number of these survived relatively intact because the Scions of the Gate-Keepers were uninterested in them and many leisa-na still live here. Others have left them for a simpler, often nomadic existence roaming the ocean. Despite their gills and scales, they remain mammals, giving live birth and nursing their young. They engage in a certain amount of trade with land-based societies.
Shadowfolk: The second native race of Shuan-Go, these are small humanoids, covered with black fur and having large, bat-like heads. They are a subterranean and nocturnal people, finding the sun or other bright light unpleasant, as it stings the rudimentary eyes they still possess. They sense their surroundings primarily through echolocation, in the same fashion as a bat or dolphin. Although some ignorant people fear them because of their association with the darkness, shadowfolk are generally a benign people and on good terms with humans. They do, however, have a strong, mischievous streak and are prone to pulling pranks. The shadowfolk have not historically had societies that glorified warfare, but they have had those which have romanticized stealthy theft and even assassination in the same fashion. Many shadowfolk settlements are located in caverns beneath those of humans and other races, maintaining on-going trade and other relations. In some cases, they have even merged to form a shared government.
Beastfolk: Created through sorcery by the Scions of the Gate-Keepers, these human-animal crossbreeds act as their servants. Some serve as elite shock troops and bodyguards, others as scouts or spies. They have been interbred with a wide variety of animals, depending on the purpose of the breed, including tigers, bears, goats, wolves, eagles, owls, and vipers. Their appearance is humanoid, with animalistic features. Oddly, the magic that created beastfolk allows those with different animal traits to interbreed with each other freely. Most beastfolk live in the Universal Empire of the Gate-Keepers, but some have left to form free tribes or join the hordes of the Great Khan.
Ah-kwo: Natives of a hothouse world filled with jungles and swamps that is closer to Shuan-Go's sun. Before the Invasion, Shuan-Go regularly traded with the ah-kwo and there were a number of them on Shuan-Go when the Invasion cut the planet off from space travel. Amphibious creatures, they eventually migrated to form small communities in the mangrove swamps of the tropical regions of Shuan-Go. They are basically humanoid, but with large, black eyes and shimmering green to blue skin. To members of other races, the men and women of the ah-kwo are largely indistinguishable. The ah-kwo themselves care little about sex, since they reproduce by spawning in the water. The resulting eggs and larva are carefully protected until they mature and come on land, where they are raised by the entire community. The ah-kwo are largely uninterested in the matter of biological parenthood and, without advanced genetic testing technology generally unavailable nowadays, it would be difficult to determine who one's parents are in any case. One community of ah-kwo retains control over an old spaceport that had been leased to them by the pre-Invasion government of Shuan-Go and maintain a more high-tech lifestyle, though they still do not have the resources to leave the planet.
Gro-sana: Sometimes confused with beastfolk by the ignorant, the gro-sana are the result of pre-Invasion genetic engineering, a mixture of human, gorilla, bear and wolf DNA. They are humanoid, generally standing upright, but also capable of moving rapidly on four legs. They are covered with shaggy fur, ranging from dark brown to grey, with clawed fingers and toes and a highly enhanced sense of smell. They are stronger and hardier than humans, but also generally not as smart. They were used as soldiers, scouts and heavy laborers by humans before the Invasion. In some places they are still kept as servants, but in many of the free cities they now are at least legally equal to humans and other races. They also have formed free tribes and a few follow the Great Khan.
Leisa-na: Like the gro-sana, the result of pre-Invasion genetic engineering, the product of combining human and fish DNA. These are humanoid peoples adapted to living underwater, complete with gills, although they still have lungs and can function on dry land as well, though their large, webbed feet make them awkward. While the ah-kwo cling to the coasts in tropical regions, the leisa-na live in the oceans worldwide. Before the Invasion, they had created high-tech underwater cities, many of them domed and filled with air. A surprisingly large number of these survived relatively intact because the Scions of the Gate-Keepers were uninterested in them and many leisa-na still live here. Others have left them for a simpler, often nomadic existence roaming the ocean. Despite their gills and scales, they remain mammals, giving live birth and nursing their young. They engage in a certain amount of trade with land-based societies.