Mankind: The Stratocracy of Shena

The mysteries of the ancient Shen are countless, having existed in the same land for all of recorded history with little change. Shena shares its ancient heritage with the land of Quen in the same way that Sabbaht shares its heritage with Stygia. It has changed over the course of millennia, but ancient roots still hold onto it.

Shena is itself mixed grasslands and steppes, perched on the edge of the Badlands. An agrarian power in ancient times, and a military power as well, Shena has been renowned as a jewel of the civilized world time and time again. It has suffered few invasions, few of those happening within its most present form. A systematic and thoughtful people, the ancient Shenese had quick adaption and a solid foundation for their state under pat. Reforms would come and go, but the golden kingdom would remain.

Currently, Shena is at a weak point in its history. It preoccupies itself with the strains afforded the northern realms of men - bordering the badlands and its ilk. Shena suffers from a plague, gobkind. Desert orcs and hobgobs that have lived in the Badlands since the dawn of time find themselves disposed to migrating, with their nomadic and confrontational nature. Shena has been a natural enemy of these peoples, forcing them to remain in the desert. These fights have become less fruitful, as much of gobkind has been displaced and ready for migration due to odd happenings in the deep deserts.

In response to this, Shena has become a stratocracy; a society in which its military is its government. Rulers are decided, infighting is ceased, and power is earned. These people of almond eyes and fine hair are devoted to the integrity of their lives and kingdom. Their god is Shai-Pao-Lengshu, an Edean god whom is believed to have founded their kingdom and ascended to divinity. He is a god of duty, procedure, and honor. The people of Shena have a potency for magic that makes it only somewhat uncommon amongst them, and their society is known for their Nothings, who are trained in secret and powerful techniques - used to alter perceptions of a person. The best Nothings remove themselves from existence entirely, by never allowing any number of persons to perceive them. Shena claims there have been ten Great Nothings, but by definition, it is hard to trust that number.






The origins of Shena go back thousands of years, to the cradle of civilization itself. The first writings that tell of it are from people displaced from the first known civilization, Monor. These people went north-east, to a land bordered by mountains to the west, sea by the east, and desert to the north. They would found a dynasty of kings here, and call themselves Quen. These would be a people rich in cultural mysticism, devoted to Quas, their dead god who is bones of the earth. They would create effigies and structures from bones to channel or defend against mystical, or spiritual forces.

After a thousand years, the dynasties would change hands, and fall into the people calling themselves Chen. These people would formalize the society, raising it from a collection of city-states to a proper ancient kingdom. These people would remain an exotic wonder at the edge of the world, distant trade from Aquidoria showcasing the wonders that the ancient power could tempt others with. Their ingenuity and worldliness provided great feats of discovery and learning. The first crossbow ever discovered is from Chen, and Chen was also a power in the study of mathematics for its time-period.

Another thousand years, and again the dynasties would change, the Chen succumbing to the rule of the Shen. This change would herald the coming of a golden age. With Bacharium forcibly annexing Aquidoria and declaring war on Aekkada, new trade routes would be established that  took Shenese goods further than ever. Ancient Numidia would fall and give rise to Londor, which would provide a new entity that could provide a new port for interests in Shen. As these powers would rise, they would eventually fall. Shen would opportunistically continue to trade with the heathen raiders of Bacharium, as well as the new nation of Londar.

Eventually the golden age would end, and Shen would be repaid for its careless disregard. The empire of Mandoria would deny trade within the whole of its realms, including Achea, for the time nearing a century. And only a few years afterwards, before full economic health could be restored, Shen would be hit with a great disaster.

Wandering, nomadic gobs from the Badlands would be driven forth by the arrival of the Daemon peoples. Long had the ancestors of Shen been tasked with defending their lot from the wild raiders of the desert. This was not the same, for the gobs came in numbers never before scene. A variety and far mix that proved devastating to send back into the desert. This further weakened the state.

The state would be unstable, and left unable to cover for a number of years, until finally a new state would emerge from the old. Shena, a new nation, was conceived after the great military leader of their nation died. He had set about establishing security in the wake of the great tragedy, and worked against political factions to create a semblance of order. His military attache would stage a coup that would take effect briefly after his death. They would believe his death to be an ascent to godhood after his miraculous victories and profound military genius. His military edicts would be raised as canon, and his views adhered to in all things. Such is how it has been for shortly over a hundred years, coming into the modern day.