Shagin
Shagin are an all female race which were banished to live in isolation within the Latari Forest by the Immortal Warrior. They were hated and blamed for the Sovereign War, and purged. Driven to near extinction, they remain hidden on their sacred island of Mystikos.
Table of Content
History
Origins
As the Immortal Warrior was waging the Unification War, a plague or unknown origins spread throughout the Kingdom of Sumar beyond the Saduyol Mountains, devastating the population. A young woman, known only as Calista, apprentice to the Archon Melchior led the people of the kingdom through the ordeal. She united the scattered remains of the ailing population, and under her leadership, the kingdom could recover and help those struggling through the plague.
For her efforts, Calista, as the new Archon of Sumar, became highly regarded, and for all intents and purposes, possessed more power and authority than the king. Calista claimed she was guided by the voice of the goddess Nebura, which is why her efforts were so effective at restoring the kingdom.
As the Immortal Warrior unified the Realm of Terra, Calista refused to bow to his gods. The people of Sumar rallied behind her, and soon the small kingdom became the last vestige of independence in the realm. People not wanting to submit to the Immortal Warrior’s rule flocked to the tiny kingdom.
The Immortal Warrior claimed to be the Champion of the Gods, and the greatest sign of his divinity was his immortality. However, Calista also claimed to be the Champion of the Goddess Nebura, and challenged his divinity with her own immortality.
1st Genocide And Banishment
The Immortal Warrior could not abide such open resistance to his rule, however, he feared turning the full might of his armies on the small kingdom as his hold on Terra was viewed as tenuous at best. He feared a prolonged confrontation would illustrate the weaknesses of his regime. He opted to rely on a small dedicated task force, led by himself to subjugate Sumar.
Calista refused to submit and lead the people of Sumar in open confrontation with the Immortal Warrior and his task force. To better fight the Immortal Warrior’s forces, Calista taught her people the secrets of spirit energy, the foundation of all magic; techniques and secrets the Immortal Warrior had worked to prevent the spread of among his own subjects.
With Calista’s forces trained to harness spirit energy and battle auras, and the Immortal Warrior unable to call upon the might of his full force, Calista could keep the Immortal Warrior at bay for decades.
The Immortal Warrior viewed this as a personal embarrassment and an affront to the Triune Gods. Realizing that neither force nor diplomacy would cause the submission of Sumar, he decided the only course of action was the complete destruction of Sumar. The Immortal Warrior prepped a spell to curse the Sumarians with infertility. He would give them a peaceful death.
Calista discovered the Immortal Warrior’s ploy and gave her life to disrupt the spell. Her life force spread to all the Sumarians. The result was the Sumarians could only give birth to females.
Satisfied that the Sumarians would die off if left in isolation, the Immortal Warrior passed the 3rd Amendment to the Triune Concordant, declaring “the idol goddess worshipers... [as] Outcasts” and banishing them to the Latari Forest. Any Outcast discovered outside of their territory would be put to death.
The Sovereign War
During the start of the Sovereign War, the Sovereign Alliance appealed to Shagin for aid. They promised to remove the banishment and improve treatment and relations with Shagin. Shagin Elders refused to get involved, seeing the war for independence against the Immortal Warrior as futile and would only result in harsh consequences for Shagin.
The Furies disagreed with the Elders. The Immortal Warrior had committed genocide against the Korok Tribe in the land of Cavalia. The Furies believed the Immortal Warrior was a tyrant who deserved to be opposed, and this was their opportunity to forge a new age where Shagin was not treated like outlaws. The Furies ignored the decree of the Elders and joined the Sovereign Alliance. They took with them only volunteers, but over 10,000 Shagin warriors elected to turn renegade.
Knowing Niwend and Adgul forces were not prepared for war, and realizing that even with the combined forces of the Sovereign Alliance were no match against all Three Realms, the Alliance struck first. They hastened to take Justia and capture the Void Gate, cutting off reinforcements from Adgul.
Because of their superior magic and ground combat, Shagin Renegades were placed as the spear tip for the Alliance Army and proved instrumental in taking Justia. Shagin Renegades were then sent to take the city of Valceem to secure the massive trading hub, however, the massive walls proved too difficult to penetrate for the small force of Shagin.
The Alliance forces were too small to capitalize on their successes and pulled Shagin Renegades from the siege of Valceem to aid in other battles, hoping to keep their momentum going.
With Coalition Forces assembled, the Immortal Warrior marched to push the Alliance back. Shagin Renegades were called in from all fields of battle to help hold the massive army at bay. This ended the siege of Valceem just as Shagin Renegades had penetrated the outer walls; it was their first defeat in battle.
Shagin Renegades joined Alliance forces at Akashvani. There, they are tasked with holding the middle flank. As the battle began, wave upon wave of Coalition soldiers broke against the unified strength of Shagin might. The Alliance was forced to divert its strength to battling Shagin, but to no avail. Seeing no other alternative, the Immortal Warrior led the last charge, accompanied by his Three Sages. The Immortal Warrior burned the air, suffocating many Shagin warriors. The Renegades were forced to retreat, and the Alliance lines crumble. The Battle of Akashvani was the last major battle of the war.
The Sovereign Alliance shattered and broke apart as each nation retreated to their home to focus on their own defense. As each nation sued for peace, a sense of dread befell upon them. The law was clear, any nation that commits treason against the Immortal Warrior will have its ruling class removed from power, and, knowing the atrocities the Immortal Warrior committed against the Koroks, death was presumed to follow. One nation claimed Shagin bewitched them into fighting. Soon, the other Sovereign nations followed in kind.
The war was renamed, the Shagin War, and sole blame was placed on its people.
The Shagin Purge
A new Unified Army was assembled and marches toward Shagin. Shagin councils tried to negotiate for peace, claiming that they did not fight, only the Renegades. However, the Immortal Warrior refuted their claim by reminding them the Renegades comprised half of Shagin’s fighting force. He demanded the complete and udder surrender of Shagin, with Shagin territory to be occupied by his forces and reparations paid to every nation.
Knowing they cannot fight the combined armies of the Three Realms, Shagin Elders agreed to the terms of surrender. They met the Immortal Warrior and his army at the village of Sumar, where they laid down arms and turned themselves over to his custody as his army began its occupation.
The Immortal Warrior believed that the only way to ensure lasting peace was to finish what he started so many years ago. He passed the 4th Amendment to the Triune Concordant and declared Shagin to be enemies of humanity. Their very existence is made illegal, and all Shagin were to be executed. Thus began the Shagin Purge.
The methods of genocide are cruel and horrific. It was not enough to kill Shagin. Many viewed they must be punished and brutalized. Shagin on Pilgrimage and Trial rushed home to save as many of their sisters as they could.
Once the Purge is complete, surviving Shagin fled to Mystikos, where they remain in hiding. The pre-war Shagin population numbered 541,732, with the post-purge survivors only numbering 5,222. The genocide removed Shagin from the world.
Governance
Shagin is divided into five councils that govern their society: the Archons, the Scholars, the Seers, the Furies, and the Elders.
The Council Of Archons
The Archons are the leaders of each village and town within Shagin. They have supreme executive and judicial power in their town. The matriarchs of their respective towns elect the Archons and serve for six years before they hold another vote. There are no term limits on how often they can serve. However, they must be a matriarch to be eligible, though, typically, only grand matriarchs are chosen.
The Council Of Scholars
The Council of Scholars govern Shagin schools. They are the keepers and obtainers of knowledge and ensure that the education standards of each town is sufficient to train and teach Shagin at all ages of life. Only teachers are eligible to be on the council, and the council appoints its own members. There are twelve members, and each member serves for life, unless the Council votes to remove a member.
The Council Of Seers
The Seers advise the other councils. They lack any real political power, but they are revered and treated with respect. Anyone with precognition is given the title of seer and a place on the council.
The Council Of Furies
The Furies are the leaders of Shagin Warriors and are equivalent to generals. Calista created the group to battle against the Immortal Warrior. Only warriors may be a Fury. The leader of the Furies is called the Champion of Shagin. The Champion appoints and removes warriors as Furies at her discretion. However, the Furies can replace the Champion and elect a new Champion.
The structure of the warriors is:
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There is one Champion who is over approximately 20,000 Warriors
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There are 10 Furies, each over an Army of 2,000 warriors
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There are 5 Commanders under each Fury, each over a Division of 400 warriors
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There are 5 Defenders under each Commander, each over a Keep of 80 warriors
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There are 2 Captains under each Commander, each over a Guard of 40 warriors
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There are 4 Leaders under each Captain, each over a Team of 10 warriors
The Council of Elders
The Elders are the ruling body of Shagin. They oversee the entire nation and ensure the other councils are not overreaching their authority. They can legislate laws for the entire nation and serve as the executive and judicial body regarding actions that affect the whole of Shagin, but they cannot overrule the executive or judicial power of the Archons in their individual towns. The Elders must be matriarchs, but, like the Archons, are typically grand matriarchs. They also must be an active Archon at the period of their appointment to the Council of Elders. When a vacancy is filled, the Archons vote amongst themselves, who will serve as an Elder. There are nine Elders, and they serve for life.
Shagin Society
Name
Overtime, the Sumarians would embrace their Outcast title and adopt the name Shagin, the Sumarian word for Outcast. The people, becoming unified through their adversity, use the term “Shagin” to describe both individuals, the people, and their nation. “Shagin” is both plural and singular. Usage of the word, “Shagin” does not use articles as they are one people and not a group of individuals. Phrases such as, “I’m a Shagin,” or “The Shagin are all female,” are incorrect and would instead be phrased, “I’m Shagin,” and “Shagin are all female.”
The exception would be when “Shagin” is used as an adjective to qualify a specific noun, such as “Vibrant eye color is a Shagin trait.” However, when used as a qualifier for a specific Shagin group, it is still inappropriate to use an article as it is believed that articles divides them. Therefore, “The Shagin Warriors are formidable,” would be phrased, “Shagin warriors are formidable.”
Sisterhood
Shagin share a strong familial bond with each other. Shagin are sisters to one another, and they built their society on the belief that they are not individuals, they are one people, one family, one sisterhood.
Stages Of Life
Shagin view life as occurring in three stages, with specific milestones and accomplishments needed to be completed before moving to the next stage.
Shagin Daughter
The first stage of life is childhood. Children are referred to - not as sisters - but as daughters. It is the community’s responsibility to ensure daughters are raised and taken care of. The mother is referred and honored, and while they are the primary caregiver, all Shagin are expected to help raise little ones.
Shagin daughters are referred to as “little ones” as a term of endearment, and it is quite rare to call a daughter “child” or “kid”, as some view the terms as divisive. They are Shagin daughters and Shagin little ones.
Shagin do not name their daughters at birth. Instead, they are called “the daughter of the mother.” For instance, if the mother’s name was Alme, the daughter would be called “the daughter of Alme.” It is believed that a name should reflect who you are. It is not something that someone else bestows upon you, but a title you call yourself.
Trial
Education is of the utmost importance in Shagin society. Their education is robust as they learn varies cultures and customs of the outside world. This is to prepare them to blend in to a society they are unfamiliar with and that would want to do them harm. Shagin daughters are trained from an early age to harness their magical power and to use spirit energy. They also learn basic survival and fighting skills so that they can protect themselves in many situations.
When a daughter comes of age (thirteen), they undergo a Trial. The Trial is the same for all daughters. They are taken to the sacred island of Mystikos, where they must survive on their own for a month. This can prove difficult, as there could be anywhere from a few hundred to a few thousand daughters on the island. Over the years, a small village has been constructed on the island, dubbed Shi Zinni Village. It is rare for anyone to die on Trial as most will help each other.
While testing their survival skills is important, the primary purpose of the Trial is self-reflection. Shagin daughters are expected to find themselves on Trial. They do this through meditation and exploration of the island’s forests and tunnels. It is from this self-discovery that daughters chose their names.
Once a month has passed, they are taken back to their home village, where a ceremony is held in their honor. It is here where they introduce themselves to their family and they become a sister.
Shagin Sister
Once they recognized as a sister, they are considered an adult. It is the responsibility of each sister to aid in the development of the younger generation and the strengthening of the community.
Most will continue their education until the age of twenty, when it is expected that they begin work. Continuing education is considered important in Shagin society, because of this, most will continue some form of formal education for the rest of the lives.
Like any society, Shagin have a wide variety of careers to choose from. However, since they have no imports or exports, Shagin must be self-sustaining, and it is important for each sister to work toward preserving their home.
Pilgrimage
It is customary, though not required, for Shagin to go on Pilgrimage. Two tasks are required to successfully fulfil Pilgrimage and to return to Shagin. The first is obtaining knowledge. In order for Shagin to survive, they must keep up to date on the history and customs of various societies. Because of this, Shagin on Pilgrimage will gain as must knowledge and information about the lands they visited to bring back home.
The second task is procreation. Since Shagin are an all female race, the only way for them to survive is to mate with men from outside Shagin. This is usually done after the first task is complete. Shagin will bed a willing male, and once she has confirmed that she is pregnant, will immediately return home as traveling becomes more difficult as the pregnancy progresses.
This practice has caused Shagin to be hated even more so among their neighboring nations. They are viewed as baby stealers and seducers. But for Shagin, it is necessary for survival.
Most Shagin will go on Pilgrimage in their father’s homeland, as it is easier for them to blend in their. Shagin are a melting pot of various ethnicities and the ability to hide in plain sight is vital for their survival when traveling. It is why, when choosing a name on Trial, they tend to choose names related to the region their father is from.
A Pilgrimage is considered successful if the sister returns home with gained knowledge and bearing a child. It is at this point; they are considered a matriarch, regardless of the viability of the pregnancy.
Shagin Matriarch
Those who have undergone the dangers or Pilgrimage are given special recognition within Shagin society. They are considered matriarchs. They have undergone great personal risk to ensure the survivability of Shagin.
Grand Matriarch
Some matriarchs will elect to go on multiple Pilgrimages. As some sisters cannot give birth, have miscarriages, or, for whatever reason, chose not to go on Pilgrimage, it is vital to the long-term survivability of Shagin that some take multiple Pilgrimages. These women are referred as bastions of self-sacrifice and the community.
Magic
Magic is considered a right among Shagin. All Shagin are taught the basics of spirit auras and energy cultivation. Those with talents are instructed on how to use and harness their innate magical abilities. Unlike the rest of the Three Realms where magic is feared and restricted, it is celebrated in Shagin. Magic is so ubiquitous for Shagin and so rare for everyone else that many basic techniques are thought to be inherited in Shagin physiology.
Shagin Secrecy
Shagin keep secrets from other nations. While they share knowledge amongst themselves, it is their magic and their secrets that have given them power and protected them from invasion and the scorn of other nations.
Relation to Paternal Relatives
Shagin spend time studying their fathers, specifically, their father’s culture. This is due to the fact that this culture is where they will most likely go on Pilgrimage. While Shagin acknowledge their fathers, and some even hold a degree of reverence toward them (though not as much as their mothers), they do not believe that they are related to their paternal relatives.
The Bearer of the Seed
Shagin’s greatest secret is the Seed. The Seed is the anchor point for the enchantment which holds the Realms in their pocket dimensions. It is believed that if others discovered the Seed, a Second Cataclysm could occur.
A new Bearer is chosen from Shagin bloodline to house the Seed. Calista was the first Bearer, and it is believed that her essence that lives in each Shagin is what connects them to the Seed.
The Bearer can draw upon the energies of the Seed, granting them a much larger energy reserve than the average person, and manifests as a new talent. The Seed also restores their energy at a much faster rate. It is the Seed that elongates the Bearer’s life, making them essentially immortal. The Bearer aging will advance and then taper off as they come into their prime. The Seed also makes the Bearer more resilient, and resistant to disease, illnesses, and poisons. However, the Bearer is infertile.
Shagin view the Seed as a curse. In order to protect the Seed, the Bearer is banished from Shagin. Once the previous Bearer dies and a new Bearer called, the new Bearer is taken to the Chamber of the Bearer, a hidden room in the Temple of Lasan accessed only through a secret enchantment. It is in this chamber that the entirety of Shagin’s knowledge of the Seed is kept. The new Bearer is given three days to study her power before being banished.
It is believed that if anyone discovers the Seed, they would come looking for it at Shagin. Therefore, the Bearer cannot stay. And they cannot return or contact any Shagin, for if no one knows the whereabouts of the Seed, it can forever remain hidden and safe.