Cultural Details
Arts and Entertainment
Architecture
Crime and Punishment
Daily Life
Education
Fashion and Ideas
Greeting, Meeting, Leaving
Language
Magic
Manners
Medicine and Health
People and Customs
Politics
Religion and Philosophy
Rural Factors
Technology
Transportation, Communication
Urban Factors
War and Military
These are picky little details about Shadow Star that are helpful for roleplaying, but not absolutely necessary. They're meant as a supplement for the guide, and an aid for anyone who wants to write a background story on their character. Remember that everything here is subject to change (the Details were originally written around the year 2000 and modified as necessary/when someone thinks about it), and that it's not constant for all of Shadow Star's history- what's cultural tradition in SS now was not tradition four hundred years ago.
Art suffered quite a decline, nearly to extinction, during Shadow Star's
Period of Darkness. Yet after Ryntan's rule, after Chaos was driven
back and relative peace began to creep over the island, the Artisan's
Guild began to resurface.
There are a few traveling troupes here and there, and often a lone bard
will perform in the streets. Cascadia Falls recently erected a marvelous
theater / concert hall situated between the Artisan's and Bard's Guildhalls, called
the Cascadia Performance Hall, although it is often referred to as just 'the Great Hall'. Concerts are occasionally performed here, as well as various goings-on during big holidays and festivals.
Firstday Festival is particularly big for bards. Some begin preparations months in advance. The key theme is always originality, so there's a lot of pressure on veteran bards (particularly the Guildmaster) to present something new, and for debuting bards to stick out from the crowd. Performances at Firstday, depending on the reaction of the crowd, can often make or break a bard's career.
Art is respected by many, though disdained by a few as useless foolery.
A troupe of artisans usually lives fairly well, while a single artisan,
unless they're very good, can often find themselves a bit short on money.
Elves and angels, with their natural grace and artistic nature, are
often artisans or bards, but humans make up a large part of the guilds as well.
Chess is a game many enjoy (see Games
on the main site), though not all have time for. Many tables in inns
have a chessboard on them alongside the dice cup. Cards are commonly
played by the richer people too proud to dice, considering it a commoner's
pastime. No one hunts for sport unless they want a druid to punish them
severely. Sports and games can be found in the Games
section.
The most common building materials are wood and stone; occasionally
brick as well. Buildings are usually fairly simple, with few decorations,
as all gargoyles used during the Age of Darkness have been torn down.
Geometric patterns often run along doors and windows, though, and ornamental
figures of Shadow Star bondspecies are beginning to appear on some rooftops. Most things in the big cities are built 'centaur-sized' to allow all manners of people in and out--this means that most bond creatures (with the exception of the mammoth fire dragons) can fit inside, albeit with some difficulty in some cases.
Main roads are paved by cobblestone, while smaller ones remain dirt. Between the amount of stairs everywhere and the rough roads, there is little accessibility for those not on foot. Wheelchairs are almost unheard of.
Houses are usually one story, and small if in the city. Centaur houses
have larger doors and box-stall style rooms. Most houses have a main
room for the fire, table, and chairs, with usually two bedrooms. The
rich have much larger houses, of course. In Cascadia, many people live
in apartments, three levels high or more, or on a floor above their
shop. Roofs are typically built flat, or with a very mild slant for drainage. Many homes grow small gardens on their roofs in pots, or erect stables for bondcreatures, and so on. No sense wasting space!
Houses in the city are small and built flush against each other, while
outside the city, houses are usually fairly large, even if their inhabitants
don't have much money. Parlors and libraries are for those who can afford
them only. The palace in Cascadia has a huge library, famed throughout
SS, that many scholars use. Another large library is in the Mages' Guildhall. The Bards' Guildhall also houses a library, naturally; however thanks to the Age of Darkness its shelves are still being restocked and ordered.
Buildings are heated by fires and stoves, although mages heat their
houses magically, as do those who can afford it.
When a criminal is captured, the Knights' Guild acts as judge, jury,
and police. Patrollers typically do a lot of the investigating and arrests, especially for smaller cases, although any Knight has the authority to do an arrest. A known Thieves' Guild member will be interrogated for information
on the guild. Patrollers gather evidence, although sometimes there is
no trial- just a decision on punishment (i.e: Thieves' Guildmaster Kyle
Rimbrand's punishment).
If anyone believes the Knights' Guild to have decided wrongly or unfairly,
they can appeal to the Council Unity. Not everyone does or gets the
chance to do so, but the option is supposedly there. When a case goes
to the Council Unity, more evidence is usually needed.
When a mage practices in the Forbidden Magicks, things go a bit differently.
Every mage can detect Chaotic Magic, although other forbidden magicks
such as Compulsion magic (controlling others through magic) and torture
magic need a conscious effort to detect. For two hours after a mage
uses a Chaotic spell, any mage can detect the aura of chaotic magic
from twenty feet away without even trying. There is a complicated spell
that can be used to test if someone has used Chaotic magic in the past
month (the SS-length month). If a mage is suspected of using chaotic
magic or other forbidden magic, they are shielded from using magic by
at least two mages, then tried. If found guilty, they are questioned
for information on Chaos or other Forbbidden magic users, then either
cut off forever from magic and flogged, or executed.
A favorite punishment of the Knights' Guild for thieves is chopping
off a hand for first-time offenders, chopping off the other hand for
second-time offenders. There are usually no third-time offenders (what
theif can work with no hands?). Whipping is another oft-used method
that is in dispute by many. Long-term incarceration is rare; the prison, run by the Knights' Guild, is not terribly big, and mostly reserved for higher-ranked criminals (it's hard to cut off the hand of a noble without making a bit stink about it.) For serious offenders, however, there is Camp Blackrock, a mining camp run by the Knights.
Knights are the police of SS, as earlier mentioned, but Patrollers are
the undercover detectives. Lawyers are not common, although anyone can
hire someone of good arguing or speaking skill to present their case.
During a trial, there is always one mage present to aid in controlling
the prisoner, as well as a bard who writes down what happens. The mage
cloaks the Council of Knights in darkness, with the only light being
on the prisoner. This way, the prisoner sees no one and none of the
onlookers see anyone except the prisoner. Vengeance is thus impossible,
or nearly so. Civil rights for criminals are mostly scorned; privacy is a non-issue, and prisoners may occasionally be whipped or beaten even before a trial.
The Council of Unity, the Council of Guilds, and the Council of Knights
are the only ones who can make or repeal laws, and the process is lengthy.
A law or request for a law's appeal is placed before the Council of
Knights, who decide to pass it or reject it. If passed, it goes to the
Council Unity, where it is passed or rejected. Laws restricting or freeing
up a guild (except the Thieves Guild) must be reviewed by that guild,
and laws applying only to one guild can be made, passed, and/or rejected
within that guild without interference from the Council of Knights.
Only the Council of Guilds and, occasionally, the Council Unity can
interfere with the guilds. Outside of economic issues, laws in Shadow Star have changed little since the restructuring after the Age of Darkness: they're kept simple and easy to understand.
Each village and city outside of Cascadia has a Village Council and/or
City Council. SS-wide laws still apply to them, but judgments are passed
by the Village/City Council. Major criminals, such as chaos-friends
or chaotic mages, are sent to Cascadia.
Foreigners and nonhumans are accepted as part of life in SS. People
come and go everywhere, and it's only in small villages that foreigners
are even noticed. Half-elementals and Chaosians are mistrusted, hated,
and/or killed/attacked. Some more isolated villages and farms are often mistrustful of outsiders, foreign species, or magic-users.
Social mobility is extremely high. By bonding, a person automatically
becomes a respected part of SS defense. By bonding a royal, even the
lowliest person becomes royalty. Anyone can join a guild if they have
the determination, and that places a person's social standing.
Furniture varies from person to person, and especially from species
to species. Centaurs have little need of furniture. Humans like a wide variety,
although dragoons and angels prefer chairs and such that don't squash
their wings.
Sanitary systems, too, vary from place to place. Yes, this is an embarrassing
subject, but SSers DO have to go SOMETIME... In most places, the ever-popular
chamber pot serves perfectly well in a curtained-off segment of a room.
The palace has pipes leading from bottomless chamber pots to deep within
the earth.
Pumps are common in richer households and in street squares, as are
wells. Most middle-class housing and above has some kind of water supply, and bathing facilities in such apartments tend to be co-ed public baths. Bathing in rivers or lakes is fairly common.
Every spring, rain floods Oceanica and parts of Cascadia due to the
canals. Mages and sandbags serve as buffers against floods. Fires, tornadoes,
and other disasters are dealt with as best as possible.
Most farmers are up at the cock's crow, while bells awaken city dwellers
and mark time. The rich and mages have magic alarms, set for any time
they wish to wake up.
Most men and not a few women wear breeches, shirts/jerkins, capes/cloaks,
and boots. Tunics are fairly common as well. Women often, though definently
not always, wear dresses or skirts.
A common cloth is kirlath, a material of just about any color with properties
similar to denim. Silk and velvet are used by the rich, while normal
cotton is normally used by everyone.
Dyes of any color are common, and simple to make with a few easy spells.
The average person can afford usually four or five outfits, while poor
people rarely have more than two, if that. The rich have several changes
of clothing.
Fashion change quickly and sporadically, from colors to accessories
to cut of clothing. So we won't get into those... ^^;
In their own tribes, centaurs usually wear no clothing. Only when near
civilization do female centaurs don shirts- the males rarely do. Centaurs
and mers don't know why non-centaurs and non-mers make such a fuss over
nudity- they certaintly don't notice it. Merfolk only wear clothing
in leg form or when near non-mer and non-centaurs. Nudity for other species isn't illegal, but it is quite unusual and will probably get you stared at. ^^;
Bards are the teachers of Shadow Star, although non-bardic scholars exist. Most teachers come from the Bards' Guild, which has resources specific to instruction and learning. Each village and city has at least one bard who teaches history, reading, writing, and culture through songs and more conventional ways. Most people can read and write due to bardic teaching, though not always proficiently. To learn more, a person must spend extra time with a bard or go to Cascadia to learn further.
Greeting, Meeting, and Leaving
· A Knight's salute is putting the left arm across the chest
and touching the weapon handle, usually a sword hilt, with the right
hand. Some older Knights use a more archaic salute, which places two fingers of the right hand against the side of the forehead, palm facing out. The normal greeting gestures differ from race to race.
· Humans: Clasp both hands- right hand to right hand and left
hand to left hand. This originated to show one was unarmed.
· Elves: City elves usually use the Human handshake. Wylraen
hold up their right hand, palm facing the other person, and they touch
palms. The wylraen will greet no one else other than wylraen this way
unless they respect the other person enough to do so (a rarity).
· Merfolk: In water, they will touch fins. Out of the water,
they touch left foot to left foot.
· Dragoons: Spread wings and close hands into fists, then touch
fists. This dates back to when all dragoons had dragon claws, and making
a fist closed away the claws, showing they meant no harm.
· Gnomes: Human handshake
· Centaurs: Centaurs greet each other by clasping at the forearms
- sort of like the Roman handshake (armshake?).
· Angels: Angels unfurl their wings and bring them around in
front of them, touching wings with the other. When greeting wingless
ones, they use the Human handshake.
· Elementals use the Human handshake.
"Farewell!"
There are several phrases used for "good-bye." These aren't
always used -often it's a simple "see you later" or "bye!"
· "Irotana bless" is an island-wide used farewell,
as well as "gods bless." There is also "Tyrea/Aeryon/Claeryn/Laugar
bless," depending on whom the speaker follows.
"Aeryon grant you a swift wind" and "Aeryon guard your
flight" are farewells used by air creatures.
· "Tyrea guide your path" and "Tyrea guard your
trail" are used by land beings.
· "Laugar send you a swift current" and "Laugar
guide your swim" are used by water beings.
· "Claeryn give you warmth" or "Claeryn warm
your days" can be used by Claeryn's followers.
· "Nadada buena." Literally, "good swim."
It's used by the kori~nath, and is the closest they come to being
polite to outsiders.
· "Mayo su salida de nosotros sea apresurada por los dioses."
In commonspeech, this Khori~nath farewell translates to, "May your
departure from us be speeded by the gods." Khori~nath don't like
visitors that well. ^_^;;
· "Mayo sus parentescos duran por siempre." Literally,
"may your kin last forever." Blood and family are very important
in the Khori~nath culture. To current knowledge these have rarely if
ever been used with non-Khori~nath.
When being introduced, the way of doing so differs from race to race
as well. (NOTE: These are formal introductions and not always used)
· City Elves, Angels, Dragoons, and Humans: Full name, guild,
rank, home town/city. (e.g: Fire Queen Tyrona Starfyr, Master Knight
of Fire, of Cascadia Falls OR Geribec Dokibaka, Master Knight of Land,
of Cascadia Falls)
· Merfolk: Full name and clan (Myra Waveleap of the Seapearl
Clan).
· Centaurs: Full name and tribe. (Kor Thunderhoof of the Swiftarrow
Tribe)
· Gnomes: Full name and creature name (the name given to the
gnome by an animal. Not all gnomes have one, in which case they use
the human method.) (e.g. Tenral Leafwind, tiger-named Smallstrype)
· Wylraen Elves: Face-name and tribe. (Tiilfra of the Ubieri
tribe)
· Elementals: Name, subelement, and element (Ice Elemental Teran
Icewing of Water)
· Changelings: Full name and tribe. (Kashka Penda of the Shani)
· Bondeds are introduced with their species introduction, then
with their bond's name and species, and bond class if applicable added
on. Bondclass is typically only used for those still in a class. (Tenral Leafwind, tiger-named Smallstrype, bonded to kraenon Korlirr,
in the Night Riders bondclass.)
· Druids are introduced by their name, god, and rank. (Cleri
Druid Tenral Leafwind, in the service of Tyrea.)
There are several languages in SS. Most species have their own language.
Mages have a language of magic for spoken spells, taught to them from
scrolls. It's dangerous to talk in magespeak, because one might accidentally
say a spell.
The main language in Shadow Star is simply labeled Common, or Commonspeak.
The Common language of centuries ago was the Ancient Tongue. In SS currently,
scholars and druids know the ancient tongue, and several mages, but
few others do. The Wylraen also have a hand language, and telepathy
is understood by all no matter what language it's in.
The Ancient Tongue is a language used long ago- think of it like Latin.
Icly, the Ancient Tongue is its own language. OOCly, it's really
a code. Flip an english word backwards and change A to O; E to I; I
to A; O to U; and U to E. Tolkien's Elvish languages also work as "Ancient
Tongue."
On the seas, Khori~nath is the tongue of choice; while the giant sea serpents understand Common, they cannot speak it themselves. They also tend to be more sociable when addressed in their own tongue, so Khori~nath translators are highly valuable. There is also a written version of Khori~nath that was used before the Age of Darkness to record the knowledge of the Khori~nath, but it is a complicated syllabary not based on ay common alphabet, so few can read it, even if they speak Khori~nath.
Swears are used by a lot of people, so SS has swears too! The swears
used currently are:
· drys: In demontongue, it means "sperm," so when anyone
else uses it, it means "demon sperm." One of the fouler curses.
· gynak: In ogretongue, it means "spawn," so when anyone
else uses it, it means "ogre spawn." Pretty much the same
as saying "bastard," but more insulting than that, as it implies
Chaotic sympathies.
· arsil: A now extinct, very idiotic creature much like the dodo
bird. About the same meaning as "ass" or "asshole."
· craz: *Unknown origin. It's close to "fuck" or "fucking."
Also: crazzing, crazzed.
· cath: *About the same as "damn." Unknown origin.
Also: cathing, cathed.
· By [insert deity here]": A common, minor swear, somewhat
like saying "God!"
· fronk: *Mild khori~nath curse, usually used in a silly or sarcastic
sense, meaning is close to "something stupid." Also can be
used in the adjective form: "fronking" aka "stupid."
· tsunami: *Water Realmer curse, used alone, with relatively
the same attitude as "damn." ("Tsunami!" might
be used, but never "Tsunami you!" Doesn't work.)
· tairth: **Behind, rump, butt. Same meaning as "ass".
(Though not the "fool" meaning of "ass")
· os: *Water Realmer curse.
· dryshal: ***a demontongue derivative meaning 'drys-hole', 'source of drys' usually used as 'dryshal sucking', 'dryshal licking', and so on.
· joru: ***a demontongue derivative. Means 'demon slut,' synonymous with 'will skank for Chaos'.
· hara: ***derived from demontongue. Means 'manwhore', 'butt boy', 'harem boys', and generally implies a male prostitute, usually one who is submissive to another male.
*Contributed by tiakall.
**Contributed by Kasei/Matt.
***Contributed by Zodi.
Magic
The laws of nature and physics in SS are the same, relatively, as in
Earth- except when they're affected by magic. It's magic which makes
centaurs, werebeings, phoenixi, etc possible.
Magic is perfectly legal, except for the Forbidden Magics (Torture,
Compulsion, Chaotic). Attitudes differ everywhere towards magic, much
like attitudes towards technology differ everywhere on Earth, but magic
is mostly accepted.
Long ago, *long* before the 400 Years of Darkness, a group of powerful
mages decided they could take on the responsibilities of the gods. This
group of four called themselves the Creators.
One created the hippogriffs, a melding of horse and bird, a fierce and
nonsentient creature he could hardly tame. The hippogriffs left to the
Sierac Range, living in the mountain peaks. There are a very few who
breed and train hippogriffs now, but their numbers are growing. Hippogriffs
will tolerate no more than one humanoid in their life, two in rarest
cases, but will be *extremely* loyal and protective of that person.
(There's a saying in SS- "friendly as a hippogriff," which
means the person the idiom is applied to is very antisocial) They're
very intelligent, though not quite sentient.
Claeryn never cared much for making things that lived. So another "creator"
mage took it upon herself to create the strange little flarets. Flarets
are ferrets, except slightly smaller, with fire for fur. Similarly with
flamecats, flaret fur feels like normal fur, though much warmer, and
it will burn if they are surprised or angered. They live underground,
though they can be tamed and trained. They can burn through nearly anything...
They're not quite sentient either, but highly intelligent.
A third "creator" mage created the dralk, a frightening cross
between an elk and a dragon. Its conformation is that of a deer, though
scaled, with a long, whip-like draconic tail. The muzzle is broader
than the typical elk's, with dragon teeth. Their legs can change from
deer legs and hooves into dragon legs and claws. It's a horrific predator,
hard to tame and train, though possible. They're fiercely protective
of their master whenever they *are* tamed. A few people will breed and
tame/train dralks- everyone thinks those few are absolutely insane,
or maybe just suicidal.
The fourth mage-created creature belongs to the water realm- the sijaer.
The sijaer was a mistake. A cross between a giant squid and a shark,
the sijaer has the head and dorsal fin of the shark, with the many tentacles
of a squid. The sijaer is fifty feet long, savage, untamable, untrainable,
and uncontrollable. Ships have been attacked and split into pieces by
a single sijaer. When the "creators" discovered they couldn't
control the sijaer, they tried to kill them- but they had made the creatures
nearly impervious to magic.
A second, more cautious try created a creature with the intelligence
of a telepathic pet, though with no way to communicate. Not wanting
to tamper too much with the original creature and create something like
the sijaer again, the mage increased a ray's intelligence and gave it
a poison-barbed tail- paralyzing or deadly by the ray's choice. The
raela, as they were called, are friendly creatures by nature, but will
poison on the command of a friend, usually a mer or kori~nath.
These five mage-creations are viewed with mixed feelings. Some feel
they are sacreligious and should be destroyed; most think that since
the gods didn't kill them that the mage-creations are perfectly fine
to own and raise, or be left to their own devices as the case may be.
Magic is also involved in healing. Alchemists make healing potions of
various purposes, and Healers are often mages themselves, although many
use nonmagical healing magic. Most use a combination of both.
A master mage can teleport him/herself, and a highly Talented one can
teleport others as well, with usually only side effects of vertigo,
or sometimes nausea. A-dragonback is more common for getting somewhere
quickly, though most people walk, or ride horseback or in carts. Unless
under order by the Council Unity, Council of Knights, or Council of
Guilds, a mage or dragonbond will usually charge for transport.
Magic weapons, as mentioned earlier, are available but rare. In war,
the WarMages are indespensible, usually battling Chaotic mages. Armor,
catapults, gates, ships- all can be enchanted, temporarily or permanently.
In a formal, high-court dinner, one wears better dress than usual,
speaks politely, adds -g to -ing, and so on and so forth. Royals are
often commoners, or were, so who cares about stuff like that except
for show? *gryn*
People of higher rank are introduced first (i.e: a master healer introduced
before a journeyman mage, or a royal before a guildmaster), enter rooms
first, and so on... though not always- if people aren't worrying about
tradition or manners at the moment, that's all thrown to Chaos.
"Good manners" are about as important in SS as in the USA:
not too important, except with a higher-up who cares about them.
Everyone, of course, watches their step around centaurs and the rare
wylraen. Few are so foolish as to be rude to a full elemental or master
mage, as well. There are some that are gutsy enough to be rude to a master Knight, especially if they've had something to drink, but Knights are notorious for punishing such a lack of manners.
In Shadow Star, when someone dies, the funeral differs according to
guild; whether they're royal or not; their realm; and their species.
Royals will be buried by a druid, and usually their deity will appear
to escort them to the afterlife. (i.e: Calithia and her water dragon
bond Kyrsialle- the funeral was in the great hall of the Cascadia palace,
and Laugar appeared in the canal to bring her to the afterlife). Knights
are given a military funeral with a listing of deeds and battles, then
a faction-wide or guild-wide salute. Wylraen bury their own
in their own clans, and who knows what *that's* like.... Water realmers
are set adrift on a burning funeral boat; Land realmers are buried;
Air realmers are cremated and their ashes scattered to the winds, and Fire Realmers are lowered into the mountain at Starscape, or simply cremated if transport to Starscape is not possible. Druids
are present at most funerals to ask the deity to accept the souls of
the dead. When many knights die in a battle, too many to be individually
buried, a land druid is usually called in to bury them in a mass grave,
and often the god/ess will bestow a blessing by either coming in person
or some other such way.
Healers can identify just about any disease, using either magic or physical
tests- symptoms and such. Diseases, just like on Earth, are always evolving, so healers are constantly at work to battle the latest crop of colds and flus.
The price of a healer's services depends on his/her rank and the service
done. Most healers heal first and barter for the payment later, unless
the problem can wait. If they do not get fair pay, the Healers' Guild
can complain to the Council of Guilds, who can force pay from the healed
person. Healing a lethal disease will cost more than healing a fractured
rib. A wanderer will be cheaper than a master healer. Just about anyone
can ask for a healer, and healers are taught to be unbiased, although
some will refuse those such as half-elementals on occasion. The Healer Guildhall is funded in part by taxes, and many healers (especially wanderers) volunteer extra hours for free to provide care to those who cannot afford it.
Medical knowledge in SS is fairly advanced due to magic. Healers know
the anatomy of the subject of their field nearly as well as druids know
that of the animal they change into. The function of everything is partly
known, though certainly not fully, and not at the level of modern-day
Terra (Earth).
A healer gets several years of apprenticeship from a master healer.
When healing magically, the healer has to consciously direct the healing
process. They speed up the natural healing, sometimes so that it finishes
in a few seconds; they knit bones together; clean out fat in veins;
stitch together tissue; and so on and so forth. Anyone can become a
healer, but only the magically talented can use healing magic. When
someone is healed by magic, the after-effects are usually tiredness,
a voracious appetite, and an unshakable chill.
Vaccinations are not yet heard of, thought herbs and antibiotics are
known and used. Birth control is unreliable- herbs are used, and work
75% of the time, although magic can be used for those who can afford
it. A town midwife, not necessarily a healer, usually helps deliver
a baby, though healers do as well. The mortality rate depends on the
class, species, and where they live- an orphaned child living on the
streets will have a smaller chance of surviving than a rich child in
a rich house, for instance.
The only way to resurrect someone who has died is by using Chaotic magic,
and the resurrected usually one has no memory or will- they're pretty much just animated
bodies. Depending on the skill of the necromancer and the spells involved, sometimes old souls can be contained, new psuedo-personalities created for an animated body, and so on. Such things usually require a high-level necromancer, though, which are rare. Druids can occasionally resurrect someone with no side effects
other than slight memory loss, but that's only with their deity's permission
(and the OOC permission of the Council).
Insanity is a difficult thing. If a family brings in an insane person
to the Healers' Guild, the insane one can be healed by a telepath- though
it's expensive. Sometiems a family member or friend will try to take
care of the insane one, or the more merciless will shun him or her.
Others will kill the insane person. Not much study in psychology has
been done in Shadow Star. Some studies in mental healing have made headway thanks to, ironically, the victims of mental torture and psychological abuse left from Chaosian rule during the Age of Darkness. Many mental disorders that are not obviously abnormal, such as ADHD and depression, do not exist within psychological studies, let alone be treated.
People and Customs – Ethics and Values
People will swear a binding oath on their bond or the gods. One of the
highest binding oaths is "I swear on the four gods and on Irotana's
power, that [insert whatever it is here], and may Chaos be my mistress
if I break this oath." Only a Chaosian would break an oath like
that. Most people just try not to swear something that strong. =)
SSers are a lot less squeamish about death and killing than modern-day,
average Americans. Assassins run as thick as rats in the cities, and
a dead body is usually of no import. Someone will eventually report
it, though it may take a while. A Knight Guilder will always check the
body over, but no investigation is held unless the death is unusual,
the person is important, or payment is offered. Patrollers inspect as many deaths as they can, but naturally, many are skipped. This hardened, casual
attitude is probably due to the earlier Chaos occupation. It takes a
lot to shock an SSer, though with time, that may fade.
Stealing annoys the person being
stolen from, but many people accept, though often grudgingly, the Thieves' Guild.
Politics
Citizenship of SS isn't hard to come by. SS doesn't get a whole lot
of immigrants. The rare few that come in from Sacor or some such place
are usually just tested for Chaotic loyalties and then admitted after
a few questions- when they're found, that is, which is a rarity. Chaosian defects can be a little trickier--most tend to keep a very low profile to avoid Justices, or gain citizenship through contact with the Patorl. Generally, though, anyone living in Shadowstar is considered a citizen. Citizens
have the right to a hearing before the Council Unity, though few claim
that right and only after the Council of Knights has declared them guilty.
They have the right to stand for a bond, the right to apply for a guild,
the privilege of military protection against Chaos, and so on and so
forth. In return, the people of Shadow Star must pay taxes and aid in
defense and city upkeep whenever called upon. Typically, citizenship is a non-issue unless the person in questions is settling in in a large city.
The gods get along pretty well- except when it comes to Chaos. She makes
things a little more difficult. But that's hardly politics, and it doesn't
affect human politics too much except in the usual Chaos-Shadow Star
warring.
Though the feudal system doesn't work too well, as shown by the Age
of Darkness in Shadow Star, the current government is not quite feudal,
not quite democratic. Anyone can become a royal, as chosen by the gods,
so they're usually a good choice. The Council of Guilds and Council
of Knights are more democratic, though the Council Unity has the final
say. With so many leaders, Shadow Star is partly democratic. It's a
unique government, and works fairly well.
Between the Guildhouses, there is always quite a bit of rivalry and
power-grabbing. The Bards and Artisans are usually political allies,
and so are the Mages and Healers. Druids mostly tend to work by themselves. The Knights are proud, and powerful enough to stand alone, although
they have long been at odds with the Mages. Due to this rivalry, most Knights have a distrust of magic, and members from the two guilds rarely get along. All seek to curry favor
with the Council Unity and gain more power for themselves- or to control
the Council Unity. The Mages are the most dangerous guild, what with
their magic, often greed, and manipulation abilities, but the Knights tend to keep them balanced, with the Bards and Artisans usually steering clear of the Knight/Mage mess. A guildmaster
with no wish for power had best be careful lest he/she find him/herself
at the end of an assassin's blade.
Further infighting goes on within each guild. The different factions
are usually rivals, all seeking power and favor from the guildmaster,
or the guildmastership itself. The Knights are especially condescending toward each other: the Knights are corrupt, the Soldiers warm bodies, Archers disorganized and weak, the Guards sellouts to civilians and taking the easy road, and Patrollers just one step above all-out scum. On the other hand, with all the crossing factions done in the Bards' Guild, combined with the expectation that most Masters will have more than one specialization, there is little faction deuling in that Guild; it is mostly individuals or groups playing at guild politics.
Even among the races there is prejudice and rivalry. The Wylraen keep
to the wilds because they disdain all other races, so no one likes *them.*
Elementals are not trusted, and half-elementals are hated and feared.
Elves and Dragoons don't trust each other much, because of a long rivalry,
and Angels and Dragoons were never really the best of friends. Khori~nath
are little-known and little-trusted, and they tend not to get along with non-Khori~nath as well.
Rural Factors
During the Period of Darkness, most people fled the cities to hide in
the country. When Ryntan ascended the throne and Chaos was driven back,
people began to travel to more urban areas- cities and towns- to join
guilds, rebuild, and make more Tanas. ^^;
There are still quite a few farmers- more than enough to produce all
of SS' food needs. Most don't want to leave the farms because of traditions-
SSers have an odd love for tradition that is [unfortunately?] fading.
Kiridia is populated by mostly Gnomes and Elves. Few Humans live there.
Mers and Mercentaurs live in Oceanica, along with the occasional non-mer
types. Every race can be found in Cascadia, while StarScape houses mostly
Air and Fire Realmers. Humans make up the bulk of the population,
with Elves and Dragoons a close second.
Angels are the fourth highest population, with Mers about even with
Angels. Centaurs and Pterocentaurs are after those, with Gnomes and Kenders in the
minority, and Elementals highly rare.
Religion and Philosophy
Druids can all use magic, though many are a little disdainful and also
dislike any magic other than Clerical.
The gods are very much real and they take an active role in the goings-on
of SS and the lives of the druids who follow them, sometimes in the
lives of every-day people. The six gods are Irotana, who usually stays
aloof from SS affairs but is the most powerful deity; and her five children,
all equal in power- Tyrea, Laugar, Aeryon, Claeryn, and Chaos, whose true name has been lost to time.
Besides the six main gods, there is also Irotana's brother, Void, who at one point attacked Calacia in an attempt to destroy everything. Thankfully, he was sealed away. Who else? Well, there's Falirne, goddess of mischief, whom legend has is the love child of Claeryn and Chaos. (Most druids will deny this vehemently.) Many a feline has said to be carrying her will. There's also Elsiel, the Lady of a Thousand Lifetimes, Shadow Star's grim reaper with a rather unusual legend surrounding her. According to it, she was originally an ambitious dragoon made who sought the power of the gods to become immortal. She got her wish, but not exactly in the way she wanted; she continues to age, die and be reborn for all of eternity, guiding people to the eternal rest she cannot have. By the legend, she is a fairly tall dragoon with yellow wings and blonde hair, dressed in dark robes, that may appear to be any age. She is always carrying a lantern, which she uses to guide the spirits of the dead. (No, she does not carry swords or any other sort of weapon, much less give them out.)
Religion is an unquestioned part of society. There are few, if any,
athiests, since the gods are so obvious, and near-physical.
There are no actual churches except the druid guildhall, druidic ceremonial
circles, and the wilderness. To the gods, "worship" consists
of respecting, protecting, and being in nature. Pets are highly common.
Most people consider only one of the gods "their" god- usually
whatever realm they or their bond is. Many Unitarians consider themselves Irotana's and leave it at that: this is also fairly common among Chaosian defects.
Of course, there is a lot of debate on the "what," "how,"
and "why" of the gods and their worship. Druids usually just
shake their heads and leave the debaters alone, amused at their actions.
They rarely participate in those debates themselves.
Druids are supported by donations and taxes, though they don't live
too materially. Most donations go to upkeep on the villa or druid-approved charities; most druids are fairly self-sufficient, and thanks to the Age of Darkness, there aren't really enough druids around to run charitable things themselves.
The gods are interested in SS and SSers for several reasons. For one,
the sentients are almost children to them. They're also entertainment,
and most importantly, tools of war against Chaos. The gods aren't quite
like the Greek Pantheon, though also not like the Christian God. They
can make mistakes, though rarely, and have their limits. They are all-seeing
except where Chaos holds entire sway- they can't tell SSers exactly
what Chaos is doing, and vice-versa. They don't watch every single person,
but a serious invocation of their name will draw their attention. They
try not to interfere *too* much, though they quite often do interfere
with humanity.
Evil happens because (1) Chaos' interference, (2) the gods aren't totally
perfect, (3) no being is all good or all evil, and (4) SSers and Chaosians
have choices of what to do or not to do.
Transportation and Communication
Transportation is usually by foot when just in a town or city, though
horseback or muleback or somesuch is also fairly common. Ox-drawn carts
are usually for farmers and ranchers, while richer people usually go
around in horse-drawn carriages. Bonds ride their bonds except in the
cases of most kraenon, and in the case of any water bond as well. Hippogriffs
and dralk are ridden rarely, and only by the most daring or the most
stubborn. Teleportation spells are used by the very rich, or by powerful
mages. Within a city, people can also hire a horse-drawn cab or a person-run cart.
Message-sending depends on the sender, the distance, and the message.
A mesage can be sent by magical teleportation, but it's expensive- very
expensive, unless sent by a royal or the Council. Pigeons can be sent
as well if the message is short. If the recipient is near enough, a
bond can send the message telepathically. An air- or water-bonded postman
can carry bulk messages quickly, as can someone with a hippogriff, or
an unbonded one can take it a bit more slowly while riding a horse.
Messengers can be paid to run a message somewhere, though it usually
takes longer. Within the cities, however, most messages are passed on by word of mouth.
With the state of roads and transportation as well as the canals that
lattice Shadow Star, food can be shipped half across the country without
spoiling- though barely. Rural areas are primarily farms, although just
about any terrain- from mountains to foothills to plains- can be found
in SS.
Roads meander all through Shadow Star. Some are merely herdbeast trails;
some are well-kempt stone roads. Most are just dirt roads. The condition
of canals is usually a *little* better.
Magic can be used to communicate by scrying, for short times, and a
rare telepath can send messages by telepathy.
Transportation by water is widely available due to the canals that lattice
SS. Small boats can carry people and goods from city to city, or people
can hitch a ride on a water dragon. The large rivers are the only waterways large enough for ships; most canals allow nothing bigger than a water bond or a small raft.
Travel isn't too dangerous, though few will travel with out a weapon.
There's always the danger of weather and wild animals, as well as highwaymen. Some very basic forms of self-defense are not uncommon.
Currently, there are many travelers in SS. Typically, those who choose to travel that don't want to travel alone will join up with a caravan.
A traveler normally stays at an inn when they visit towns or cities.
There are several inns in Cascadia, and at least one in each other city
and large town.
News is carried mostly by rumor, although town criers are available
in Cascadia and Oceanica. In the large cities, it is quite difficult to do something that someone won't notice, due to the sheer number of watching eyes, although whether anything will come of someone noticing is an entirely different manner; no informant works for free. The Patrol in particular is known for having an extensive system of contacts and informants across Cascadia, commonly known as 'the net'. Travelers are always questioned by remote
towns, even some cities, to discover news of elsewhere. Books are handwritten
and rare, though available. Scribes get paid a good deal for copying books, more if they can do it quickly, and there are a few book copiers in the Artisans', Bards' and Mages' Guildhalls (a joint effort) that have allowed books to become somewhat common. A great library is in the palace, and another
is in the Mages' Guildhall, with a third in the Bards' Guildhall. Both are
widely accessible to scholars and mages, as well as some commonfolk,
although they aren't allowed out of the library. Paper is common, and
anyone can take notes or write journals or such. Private libraries and bookstores, even in Cascadia, are fairly rare. After the Age of Darkness, fiction writing took off, as well as a smaller boom in nonfiction due to the lack of censorship.
Urban Factors
The cities and towns of SS are tangled mazes, because they just ...
grew, with roads being built between houses as needed. It's easy to
get lost, with few roads being straight and most running at odd angles
to each other. Parks are nonexistent- cities are places to buy, sell
and live- Unitians don't try implementing plants into the city. Only
near the Druid Guildhall is there any sort of park.
Streets are narrow and twisting, with only a few main streets wide enough
for large crowds. Thus, carts are usually thin but high and long. Alleyways are abundant, and best to be avoided.
War and the Military
All throughout Shadow Star's past, Unitians have warred with Chaos.
One of the most recent clash was the attack of Deligere's forces on
Cascadia, a war/battle yet unnamed. The second most recent battle was
the War of Vengeance, in which King Ryntan was killed. Shadow Star won-
barely, but they won. Chaos was furious. They had been thrown out of
Shadow Star during the Banishing War, and now their vengeance had been
blocked. They plot and plan, and none know when they'll strike next.
Siege towers and catapults and ballista are available major weapons
of war, and those are heavily damaging to a castle. The presence of
magic creates a need for complex tactics. Commanders must think of where
to place the mages to do what; where to put druids; where to send bondeds...
Unusual weapons call for unusual tactics, but military leaders are used
to it by now.
The army is structured similarly to the normal Terran army. At the top
is the Knight Guildmaster. Patrollers are rarely used in an open battle-
they're more common as assassins and spies- so the Patrolmaster isn't
in command in war, though s/he does help with battle plans. Just below
the knight Guildmaster are the Mage and Druid Guildmasters. Following
them is the Warmage faction leader, right along in rank with the four
generals, who are in charge of the four realms of knights, and the bond
trainingmasters, who lead the bondpairs, as they have the best understandings of bondcreatures and how to effectively use them. Below *them* are the nacirons, who lead groups of 100
knights and soldiers, called Miuts. Each group has its own name
and competes fiercely with the other miuts.
Alongside the nacirons are the Missilemasters- the leaders of the 50-person
groups, Asams, made up of all archers, slingsmen, and others who use
long-range weapons.
Each miut is divided into five groups of twenty called evamiuts- literally, "vow
team." They are as close as you can get, closer than family- they're
comrades who've trained together and now fight together. It's a soldier's
evamiut that s/he depends upon to watch his/her back, who s/he will
always fight beside and for- and if need be, die with. People within
the evamiut aren't always friends, but they trust each other with their
lives. If one knight is not trusted or is constantly left out, they
are transferred to another evamiut. If they are untrustworthy, they
are sent home to be a guard.
The army is the Knights' Guild, and they are usually the ones sent to the front lines of a battle, followed by bondpairs. Civilians are expected to come to the aid, and are typically placed in defensive roles. Some people are mercenaries, selling their services
to the highest bidder- Chaos, Shadow Star, a third party, it doesn't
matter to them. Usually, over 3/4ths of the army is trained, give or
take. The army is supplied from food stores, the land, and from farmers
on the trek. Farmers are usually compensated, and left with enough food
for the winter.
There are no rules for war- not fighting Chaos vs. SS. Typically underhanded strategies aren't used by Unitarians because they wouldn't be expected to work; kidnapping Chaosian children, for example, would be a waste of time. On the other hand, Chaos is more than willing to use such a tactic against the Unity, and has done so before.
All the different races affect strategy and tactics- centaurs usually
go with cavalry, air realmers fight in the sky, elementals sometimes
aid in battle alongside the mages. For this reason, miuts are typically segregated by race to a certain degree--a human naciron lacks the understanding necessary to teach an angel page how to fight from the air. Elves are better at archery than
humans, and wylraen, when they *do* fight, are traditionally better
swordsmen than anyone else. Centaurs are typically strength and blunt force on four legs, and usually wield something helpful in plowing through a field, such an axe or large club. Angels are typically light and fast, and use ranged weapons (they are experts with slings) or small weapons, like knives. Dragoons typically go for something with reach, like a spear. Of course, there are many exceptions. The default weapon for someone in the Knight faction is a longsword, and the default for most Archers, naturally, is a bow, although other ranged weapons like slings and crossbows are permitted.
In "peacetime", considered any period without any major active battles in the area, Knights tend to handle any war problems by themselves. Bondpairs are typically employed in civilian occupations.