Archived: Common culture of the Shanata

Deity: Nantillion

Keywords:

  • Individualistic
  • Darwanistic
  • Shun technology

Common languages:

  • Body languages
  • Northern trade (English)

Common societal structures:

  • None
  • Rarely tribal

Example female names:

  • Wari
  • Ramat
  • Kelta
  • Welta
  • Mursi
  • Weltos
  • Mursti
  • Weel
  • Ruumta
  • Pelma

Example male names:

  • Mor
  • Ralwta
  • Knars
  • Porstu
  • Ralmto
  • Pur
  • Pock
  • Humir
  • Orlam
  • Purna

Example achievement/test names:

  • Stole-a-bear-cub
  • Jumped-the-chasm
  • Slept-with-demon
  • Forest-fire-dancer
  • Village-demon
  • IcePole-surviver
  • Mage-strangler
  • Battle-joiner
  • Gnome-book-burner
  • Troll-skull-stealer
  • Lizard-temple-explorer

Shanata culture is even more bent on practicality. They shun anything that is not necessary for survival or gaining might. They do not mourn or bury their dead, they show little emotion and they posses little to no ethics, and no laws at all. For survival reasons however, they almost always respect the laws of other environments.

Shanata are often savage wilds living in the woods. Other races often won't see the difference between these Shanata and other predators who roam the woods.

The mother does nothing to help the children grow up and simply leaves them to die or fend for themselves in a relatively safe part of the forest. No shanata knows his parents.

Love is almost non-existing. Lust in female shanata only surfaces when a female encounters a very strong (strength however is not just physical strength) male, and lust is always present with the males.

The shanata frequently test themselves with self-imposed limitations or challenges.

Shanata do not want to understand the world around them unless it gives them a direct notable higher change of survival and only practice religion when the god or angel or demon in question will give them direct might in return.

Some tribes or lone Shanata pick a new name when emerging for a new life cycle.

Shanata mages only have 2 names, or 3 names at max. Some shanata tribes shun magic as a form of technology and therefore these "mages" only use spiritual magic (which is always a trade based might), within these tribes, magic users are always priests or shamans.

Shanata that have lived trough 4 or 5 of these cycles get increasingly asocial and dumb. They are mainly used as shock troops and are always warriors.

Most of the Shanata naturally die at their 8th or 9th cycle, but even more often before that trough violence.

Shanata Values

They shun technology even more than magic and claim that technology is only used to cover up the parts where the races that use it are weak. The precise definition of technology is disputed amongst the different tribes. Some rare tribes even refuse the use weapons and armours, but on the other extreme some shanata only see "machines" (like mills or magical devices) as technology.

The Shanata take care of the forests by cutting down weak or sick trees and letting them rot to feed the strong and healthy threes. They have the same approach towards animals, kill the weak to help the strong. They are very fanatical about evolution and find that "natural" evolution moves to slow to there liking. They will therefore fasten the process of evolution by the means stated above and will kill themselves or drive themselves into danger if they find their body unfit to take care of themselves.

Diet

Shanata eat everything they can get there hands on and nurtures them. They are not above hunting and killing each other for food unless they gain more by working together and hunting in groups (which is often the case).

Physical appearance

Shanata usually have very long wild hair. Long manes cover their neck and their shoulders. Shanata who live in the forest are frequently naked. Their fur hair is filled with green forest waste. Twigs, leaves and moss. If the shanata skin is shown, it is often greenly colored by the moss they sleep in. If shanata venture out from the forest, they sometimes buy or make a pair of pants and cover their breasts because of the emotional stigma attached to the naked body by the other races. Right after fusing with a tree, the Shanata loses it's fur for a period. Depending on the climate, Shanata might be forced to wear clothing during this period to survive the elements.

Language

Most shanata don't speak unless the venture out from the forests (which they don't do often.). They prefer to communicate trough body language, odour and hand signs. Silence is golden when hunting in groups. Sometimes shanata pick names (especially when venturing out of the forest), and sometimes they pick a different name every time they spawn from the trees. But no parent communicates long enough with their children to give them a name. Some Shanata names denote achievements and prominent tests the shanata survived.

Art, music and literature

There is no shanata art, music or literature.

Tags

Last updated Mon, 30-01-2023 22:17 by Brian Bors
Created Mon, 25-01-2021 20:47 by Anonymous

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