Shinseina

“Under the shade of beauty, they said Shinseina could never be humbled. Now it is a line of poety, written with the ink of blood.”

— Traveling warrior of Anhsang, Lee Ha-Joon

Shinseina is part of an archipelago far at the southerly end of the twin continents. To the north lies the Southerly Gulf, but upon reaching the island, shadows are cast upon fertile, grassy land. What casts such shadows are the mountains from the South, snowcapped and sloped; these mountains reach their apex at a peak titled Mount Koehwa, home to its charming hot springs. The West is marked by rolling plains and hills, dotted with forests.

The neighboring isle of Ajisai retains a similar landscape until the shores are reached. The Ajisai Isle is often seen as part of Shinseina proper, and this is true in some regard; their cultures share many similarities. However, there are still great differences between their people and ways of life.

Shinseina, it's capital city Jaechon, and the neighboring Ajisai Isle

People of Shinseina

Shinsei

The Shinsei have carved out their identity, one which outshines others in their mentality towards the world, despite the long colonization of Jaechon by nearby Ãnhsang. On the outward, many Shinsei are calm, almost stoic, even. Opposing this, if one were pushed, intense emotional outbursts may be incited. Most have an obsession with accuracy, cleanliness, and detail; this fastidiousness appears as more of a charming trait to the onlooker; however, in truth, this makes many anxious or frustrated below their calm disposition.

Ripples from the past colonization—as well as imported ideas from the mainland—have left their mark on the people of Shinseina for centuries. One of these is the premise of Chishōki, translated as "The Essence of Righteous Morals & Virtue", a philosophical and ethical enlightenment originating from mainland Southern Keleva. The tenets of which are societal status, primarily speaking on how one should never speak in protest to their senior, nor superior. Etiquette, a binding component of Chishōki, elaborate displays of politeness and respect for others is crucial to uphold societal status, standards, and otherwise. Although not an official tenet of the doctrine, shame is the sensation critically used to haze, and ridicule individuals or groups as punishment, particularly those who fail to meet the standards set by those around them and by the tenets themselves.

Ajisai
Free from the events that happened on Shinseina proper. The Ajisai Isle remained true to its traditions. A small, yet distinct culture carved out from many years of relative isolation. Even still, the Shinsei lays a cultural siege on the island, ever encroaching onto the ancestral lands of the Ajisai, even more so in recent years.

The Ajisai are deeply communal and spiritual. Festivities, rituals, and other practices are used to honor the many gods, many of which are determined by the communities or families an individual belongs to. This leads many Ajisai to open up to very few, other than their kinsmen. Not only this, but their history alone reinforces the common belief that an Ajisai should remain cold toward outsiders, or at least cautious. Were an outsider to be well-acquainted, however, they are often treated as kin themselves.

History

Elders say that Shinsheina and Ajisai islands were not islands at all, but were one. In an age of constant disputes and encroachment, an Ajisai ground mage of unprecedented power is said to have torn the land apart, severing Ajisai from the coast to end the fighting outright. The break reshaped the shoreline into sheer cliffs on both sides, leaving steep stone faces where roads and fields once crossed. The sea flooded the wound, and what had been a shared land became divided water, its cliffs standing as a lasting mark of that separation. These giant cliffs are known by different names: Shinseina, the Soryeon Cliffs, and Ajisai, the Ishigai Walls.

In recent history, the War for the Ajisai Throne has evolved into a violent civil war on the island of Shinseina, between its heir and the current ruler. This has caused a mass exodus of citizens of both Ajisai Isle and Shinsei proper, disgraced Jeohei, and others across the twin continents. The last twelve years of history for the archipelago have been nothing but arrows, fire, and confusion.

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