Shnkvarut

The Shn (Sheen, though there really insn't a vowel there) have always been here. They exist (albeit rarely) in the earliest Heteri stories. The Shn were here when the Maetah and Chlendi arrived, and they triggered the Mindat northward movement. They've been there as long as the the Mindat have records and the two cultures have fought since the day they met.

Since the end of the Mindat-Shn warfare, they are rarely seen in the Rhiat, largely remaining on the fog clouded isles in the Sea of Serpents. The Shn still maintain trade routes, though only to Vensat City. Even when visiting for trade, most choose to remain on their ships, using smaller boats and teams of nogs to move goods back and forth. The Shn live on fish, poultry and a variety of vegetables, though their rocky islands make any organized agriculture dificult. They have some sort of a belief in a quasi-sentient creator being, but actually engage in an extensive form of ancestor worship. No temples of shrines to the creator being exists, but their lands are covered in ornate tombs, murals, and statues of those of the earlier genaration. They almost seem obsessed with death and the afterlife, though the rare few people that have gotten close to Shn claim little truth the accusations of morbid fascinations. Their lands are also covered in artwork. Every structure, down to the most mundane fence or wagon wheel is painted, carved, or engraved.

The Shn have no significant beats of burden or steeds, but are excellent ship builders and are believed to have stolen (and improved) the science of airship construction from the Mindat. They are gracile and swift warriors, and in combat have squads of mystics utlizing a vast array of powders and gasses on both themselves and their enemies.

Physiology

The Shn are lithe and light of build, averaging six feet tall, but rarely reach 200 pounds. Their limbs have extended digitation – additional knuckles on each digit, both hands and feet. Extended mandible structure – Lower, more protruded, with extensive chin development. The chin protrudes while curving slightly upward along with a gracile maxilla and dentition – Portion of cranium has very fragile skeletal structure. Displays retarded evolutionary development of canines and especially incisors. Both genders exhibit fleshy protrusion from occipital lobe of skull, failing to an average length of six inches at species maturity, with a very gradual, consistent taper. Referred to colloquially as a "head-tail" (literal translation). Their ears are flat and thin, and lies close the skull. The cartilage development shows a splayed, fan-like shape. They have high, pronounced cheekbones; a part of their narrow, gracile facile structure which gradually tapers from crown to chin. The shn tinted their washed out hair brown or black hair. Facial hair exists only on elderly males of the species, and then only sparsely. Neither sex has noticeable eyebrows. Eye color widely varies (by frequency): yellow, gray, blue, green, and shades of purple, with little evidence of inheritence.

Religion

The Nameless and the Worship of the Ancients

The nameless, the Lord of all Creation, is the semisentient entity that maintains form and structure of the universe through concentration. It is considered to be omniscient and omnipotent by worshippers. The lord of creation may appear (physically or spiritually) as an avatar, but upholds its duties as an energy flow and is alient and unrelated in nature to other origins. The Shnk’varush feel the lord is an abstraction of the totality of existence. The ancestors are seen as ghostly, sentient entities. Beyond the ancestor spirits, the lord is unaware of other origins, save as fluctuating elements of the universe – the same treatment as people, but on a larger scale.

The lord of creation is not aware of the existence of the individual, human or Shnkvaruth, any more than the existence of a tree or insect. The ancestors may take on any of the origin relation templates, depending on the relationship and actions of the individual to that particular ancestor spirit.

The Shnkvaruth feel that to pray to, name, or attempt to contact the lord of creation is to put into jeopardy the stasis of the universe and all reality. It is seen as dangerous and ridiculously egocentric. Instead they speak with the ancestors, who from their knowledgeable spiritual heights, can safely interact with the Lord. The Shnkvaruth see these actions not as sorcery, but rather as duty and righteousness. The ancestor spirits are not bound or commanded. They are honoured, placated, and bargained with. The ancestor spirits then petition the lord of creation to shape or fluctuate reality's structure in the desired manner. The following arcane knowledges are used: Mysticism - becoming one with the lord of creation and all reality. Mediumship - direct contact and invocation of the ancestor spirits.

Apotheosis and Eschatology The Shnkvarut believe that every one of their kind becomes an ancestor spirit upon death. Animals and nonsentient things return to the fluid, undefined reality that the lord unnamed moulds static reality from. They uncaringly assume other races also return to the pool. Upon death, the Shnkvaruth are judged by the collected ancestors spirits of the race, with a favoured family member speaking on their behalf. If the deceased was judged to be dutiful unto his ancestors and race (and thus all ancestor spirits), he is enjoined unto the divine assembly, and is noted as worthy to speak with the lord unnamed. If judges unworthy, he is drowned in the pool of unshaped reality. Ignobly acting ancestors can be recycled in a like manner, if they are judged to endanger reality.

Metaphysics The universe is seen as islands of stability in a grand sea of chaos. Through shrines, statues, prayers, and other forms, the ancestor spirits are honoured and remembered. Through these, the ancestors find their way through the melange of unshaped reality, which mortals do not perceive.

Moral Behavior Honouring the Ancestors - Without remembrances, ancestors fade and sink into the sea of unreality. Graves must be maintained and embellished, paintings and statues commissioned, and songs and stories of their lives and accomplishments told. Shines and murals are often created when in foreign lands. All Shnkvaruth should strive to act in ways that would inspire worship by their descendents. Deeds of courage, valor, and renown are encouraged. Inaction, which inspires nothing, is almost as derided as unrighteousness.