Shinya
From Mizahar Lore
 "At all times, we strive to reach for the Lady with our very essence." | |
| Leader | Alius Tanka |
|---|---|
| Population | 800 |
| Most common in | Lhavit |
| Reputation | Security force of Lhavit |
| Faction gods | Zintila, Syna, Leth |
| Stronghold | The Shinya Pavilion |
The Shinya are the longstanding, elite guardians of Zintila and her city, Lhavit. Unique among the world's cultures, the Shinya utilize weapons skills and magic together to defend their territory and keep Lhavit safe. They specialize in Projection in combination with unarmed and the usage of weapons. They are experts in the art, and are known throughout the city as dedicated, devoted individuals who uphold the laws of the Star Lady. Although their numbers seem small, the Shinya as a whole is more than an adequate force to protect the city coupled with the Alvina's presence in the City of the Stars.
Contents |
History
The Shinya have existed long before the establishment of Lhavit. In the days preceding the Valterrian, the Shinya were not known as such, instead, known as simple monks of The Suvan Empire who practiced Projection diligently. They were revered for being the closest to Zintila's stars and often subjected themselves to countless days meditating beside the expansive western sea shores. After the cataclysmic eruption of the world, these monks found themselves uprooted from their seaside homes. Monsters from the shadows awakened from the deep bowels of the earth, malicious people were driven by the chaos, and the scattered peoples of Kalea and the ancient Suvan Empire found themselves truly in need of protection.
It is said that Zintila, herself, instructed the then leader of these Suvan Monks, Gatau Yota, to take up arms and hone their combat abilities to become the guardians of their people. These monk-wizards became the first Shinya, meaning "Protector" in the tongue of the ancients, and took up the mantle bestowed upon them by the Star Lady with incredible determination.
The Organization
The Shinya are revered, devoted, disciplined and sometimes brutal vindicators for the Star Lady, Zintila. They live, breathe and eat for the sole purpose to be protectors and supporters of Lhavit and her people. They are so well-respected, in fact, that the citizens freely support the Shinya and donate a weekly sum of money from their incomes every season. Some might call it a tax, however Lhavitians give it of their own free will. This tax equates to 5 percent of their total income. They are also officially funded by Zintila, herself, as well as the Anchorite.
- Headquarters: Shinyama Pavilion, Shinyama Monastery (Lhavit)
- Members: 800
- Hierarchy: Rank By Abilities
- Leader: The Ascendent - Alius Tanka
- Symbol: A disk with a peony set in the center and rays directed outward.
Heirarchy of the Shinya
The Shinya base their hierarchy primarily around their devotion to Zintila and their expertise in a combination of unarmed combat, Projection and the use of various weapons. They are led by the Ascendent, Alius Tanka, with the Guardian, John Lhutav, acting as the tactical adviser to the Shinsa, as well as the commander of the majority of the forces. The Shinya are often extremely close-knit due to their small numbers, and there is a healthy amount of one on one interaction amongst commanding officers and their subordinates.
The three ranks that make up the sect called the Shinya Elite are the Ascendent, the Guardian and the Devoted. The Shinya Elite primarily meet in private on the top most level of the Shinyama Pavilion to discuss matters regarding anything from the distribution of Shinya around Lhavit to the prospective advancement of a Initiate into an Acolyte or an Acolyte into a Shinya, so on and so forth.. They are the primary officers who instruct an individual to complete a trial for advancement and judge a young Shinya or even test their capabilities in battle.
Acolytes and Initiates are under direct supervision of a sponsoring Shinya, who in turn are assimilated into a unit under a Rider. Rider work under a Master, while the Master work under a Devoted. So on and so forth. All ranking officers generally have enough time to devote themselves to private tutelage on select few individuals under their supervision, and most Shinya are incredibly close-knit and form a bond at very young ages.
The following are the ranks of the Shinya and the Common tongue equivalent.
| Title | Unit Type | Unit Size | Pay/Day |
| Ascendent | Entire Shinya Force | All of the Shinya | 80 kina |
| Guardian | Wing (2 Divisions) | 600 shinya | 60 kina |
| Devoted | Division (3 Clouds) | 300 shinya | 50 kina |
| Master | Cloud (5 Units) | 100 shinya | 40 kina |
| 'Rider | Unit | 20 shinya | 25 kina |
| Protector | N/A | Various Acolyte | 10 kina |
| Acolyte | N/A | Various Initiates | None |
| Initate | N/A | None | None |
Traditions of the Shinya
The Shinya regard themselves as individuals who are able to control their body and minds to an extent far greater than the average person. Meditation is a key task that every Shinya partakes of before every meal, before the night ends, when they first rise and especially before every trial. Most Shinya are told since the initiate stage to meditate on the state of one's soul, and the connection one has to the world around them and where they see themselves within it. Because of their extensive use of projection, Shinya are allowed frequent breaks between bouts of training, and are encouraged and often instructed to sit and meditate to better handle their control over their astral selves.
Because of their label as protectors, the Shinya are often called to patrol the inner city, the outer rims of the city as well as police unruly individuals. As a rule, Shinya do not mingle with citizens freely. They, at all times, are a neutral party in the face of the denizens of Lhavit. They can be approached and asked directions and they will freely give it, but being seen at taverns or shadier locations while on patrol will warrant the Shinya in question mild disciplinary action. The Shinya pride themselves in being the devoted followers of Zintila, and anyone who attempts to or succeeds in soiling the reputation of the Shinya will be dealt with accordingly.
When not busy with their duties, Shinya may retire to the monastery to train in private, or mingle with citizens. All Shinya are to report to a congregation of fellow Shinya and their commanding officer every morning and every evening before breakfast and dinner for their daily meditation and prayers to the Star Lady. Conflict within the Shinya order is rarely, if ever, an issue. If there is a disagreement between two parties, a commanding officer will be called to settle the dispute, or if necessary, the Shinsa will see to this as well. Fights are not tolerated, and should one occur, both individuals involved will receive severe punishment.
Senior Shinya and officers are addressed as Madame for women and Sir for men.
Religion
The Shinya are incredibly religious and incorporate religion in a variety of ways during their training, meditation and silent hours. As a given, all of them worship and devote themselves to the Goddess Zintila, The God Leth, and the Goddess Syna. Even foreigners who are offered acceptance into the order must first understand that without the Star Lady, Lhavit and the Shinya order would not exist. It is instilled into candidates early on, to be protectors, guardians of the Alvina who had given them reason to be.
Besides Zintila, the Shinya are allowed to worship any number of gods. Wysar is a primary deity here, and even Myri is regarded with approval. Syna and Leth are worshiped equally to The other Celestial Deities , and Akajia and even Gnora or revered by some depending on their preferred outlook on life in the order. Individual worshiping of gods is allowed and encouraged as long as it brings benefits to the order as a whole. Faith is celebrated and wildly varied among the Shinya, with some often being expert in certain fields of faith and study.
Gnosis marks are not uncommon among the Shinya as well. It is rare, however, for Shinya to have Zintila's Mark for her marked are often devoted to her priesthood and the building and maintenance of Lhavit.
Duality Within The Shinya
Because of Lhavit's dual nature, the Shinya reflect this as well. Newer Initiates and those with lesser training often patrol during the day. More experienced Shinya with higher skill sets and a fiercer demeanor patrol during the night. Lhavit itself is rather sedate and mild mannered under Syna's light. But when Leth cast his glow upon the city illuminating it in the darkness, the city comes alive and seems to be far rougher and boisterous than its day time persona. For the first year of their training and often beyond, Shinya work during the day. After a year of regular duty has passed, regardless of rank, they tend to start getting night shifts and being slowly exposed to the differences between patrolling the Syna side of Lhavit verses the Leth side of Lhavit. Upon getting fully Shinya status, the individuals can then choose which duality they want to work within or a combination of both. Leth Shinya get a shift differential of 10% more for their pay.
Recruitment
Recruitment in the Shinya begins at a young age, to better facilitate the customs and ideas that all Shinya must follow and integrate into every aspect of their lives. At the age of 9, young Initiates are taken in by a Shinya sponsor who then assigns them to somewhat of a - buddy - system to an Acolyte. They primarily focus on chores, the starting aspects of meditation, and run errands for various Shinya ranks, learning the basics of following orders, discipline and communication. Initiates do not become Acolytes until the overseeing Shinya is confident the pupil has the potential of becoming one, and by then,approach the Shinya Elite to officially up the Initiates to an Acolyte, this process may take anywhere between 3 to 5 years.
As an Acolyte, the young student is still under the order of the Shinya who is sponsoring him, and still has his duties with chores and meditation. However, by this time, the Acolyte is initiated into projection, and begins extensively learning the basics, the importance and the risks of using such magic. Acolytes work closely with their Shinya sponsors, at all times learning from them to better understand the importance of proper etiquette among the Shinya. Acolytes, during peak twilight hours are required to sit and meditate for anywhere upwards to one to two hours. During the day, they train under their Shinya instructors in projection, martial arts and any weapon of their choosing. When the Shinya sponsor sees that the Acolyte has progressed into the acceptable stages he should be, he will once again approach the Shinya Elite, who will call the Acolyte in to the top most level of the Shinyama Pavilion. The Shinya Elite will bestow upon the Acolyte a trial, in which the Acolyte must show their strength and devotion to the order, Lhavit and the Star Lady. Should the Acolyte fail, the Shinya will strip the candidate of their right to train and will be demoted to - permanent - Initiates. They become attendants to the higher ranks. The process of an Acolyte becoming a Shinya may take anywhere between 5 to 6 years. (However PCs may take less time to do so.)
As a fully established Shinya, they are assigned to a unit under a Rider, and are allowed free reign during the hours they are not assigned to patrol. At this stage there are varying levels of Shinya. Some may choose to leave the order in Lhavit and travel for meditation and soul-searching purposes, or to help people as they see fit, others remain in Lhavit their entire lives and are content to patrol, police and settle disputes. Other Shinya choose to become full-time instructors for the Acolytes and Initiates, but all Shinya are expected to follow the guidelines and etiquette of the order no matter their location. They are to enlighten people with their thoughtful ways and lack of true favoritism among any varying parties. After several years of service, a Shinya may be eligible to begin the process of acquiring an Okomo mount, where the candidate in question must prove their strength and determination to the Okomo through a series of trials and duels.
Acquiring an Okomo may heighten the Shinya's rank to that of a Rider. Specific Riders are the commanders of a unit of 20 Shinya, whose sole expertise relies on mounted combat. Their Okomos are their sacred companions and friends, and they have lived their lives in conjunction to these majestic animals. Riders follow the same guidelines as every other rank of the Shinya. Meditation is key to them, but the special bond between rider and mount is what makes them unique.
Joining as an Adult
Not often do the Shinya have adults attempt to enter the order as most of the children that are brought to them are from Shinya who have had their own families and were raised as such. But on occasion, adults do show interest in learning the ways of the protectors and will be accepted as Acolytes, skipping the Viraya stage completely. It will, however, take longer for an adult to be raised to the rank of the Shinya as the Acolytes have had extensive training since they were young to prepare them for the responsibilities of using magic. (Once again, PCs may take significantly less time to do so.)
Those adults that wish to become Acolytes need only to seek out the Shinsa or the Sanim and have something of an interview either one. They will determine the level of devotion and training the candidate is willing to put forth and either accept or deny them entry into the order. If they are accepted, the Shinsa or the Guardian will assign a patron Shinya to the new Acolyte and they will be trained according to what they need the most training in.
Armor and Clothing
The Shinya are not users of plate or chain mail, instead they wear light leather or small plated skyglass armor and robes as their primary means of defense. They are projectionists, they have no need for plate when they can dispatch of foes from far away. Most of them, however, are trained in an agility based combat style, and their movements are made efficient by the light weight of their uniforms.
The colors of the Shinya's robes are primarily shades of blue and white, with the blacks and golds left to the rank of the Shinsa and the Guardian. Each Shinya wears a sash based on their rank, with any number of stripes stitched into it to display.
Hairstyles vary wildly from completely shaved heads to long hair. While on duty, unless taken off guard, the Shinya tend to wear their hair carefully confined if they do have some. Both sexes wear the same robes for the exception of high ranking Shinya, where the females wear significantly longer robes and have an added layer of coverage. Shinya instructors where a specialized set of robes. Shinya wear soft sandals, boots, or go barefooted depending upon the season. Leather is only used when patrolling the outskirts of the city, or when a Shinya leaves the sanctity of Lhavit for an indefinite amount of time. Leather includes vambraces, pauldrons, greaves, breastplate and occasionally belt. Leth Shinya's often wear silver jewelry or accents in silver cloth headbands to give a nod to Leth's glory. Syna Eth's often wear gold jewelry and or gold colored headbands to give a nod towards Syna. Those that work both sides, often wear a blend of the two metals.
The following is a list of attire the various ranks of the Shinya use:
Acolyte: Simple light blue robe, white sash with two blue stripes, black shoes, full cut white pants, thick over socks and flexible leg bindings.
Protector Shinya: Light blue robe with a silver trim, black sash with two white stripes, dark-colored beads, black shoes, full cut black pants, thick over socks and flexible leg bindings.
Rider: Dark blue robe with silver trim, black sash with three white stripes, dark-colored beads, black shoes, full cut black pants, thick over socks and flexible leg bindings.
Master: Light blue robe gown with gold trim, black sash with four white stripes, dark colored beads, black s hoes, full cut black pants, thick over socks and flexible leg bindings.
Devoted: Dark blue robe gown with gold trim, gold sash with two black stripes, dark colored beads, black shoes, full cut white pants, thick over socks and flexible leg bindings.
Guardian: Black robe gown with gold trim, gold sash with the Shinya insignia, dark colored beads, black shoes, full cut black pants, thick over socks and flexible leg bindings.
Ascendent: Black robe gown with gold trim, gold overcoat, gold sash with Shinya insignia, dark colored beads, black shoes, full cut black pants, thick over socks and flexible leg bindings.
Quests & Trials
Shinya may be called in at any time by the Ascendant, the Anchorite or even Zintila, herself, to go forth on various quests throughout Mizahar. Some Shinya even leave Lhavit of their own will on personal quests or to find further enlightenment by meeting new individuals. The most important trial that a Shinya will partake in, however, is the Awakening, the transition between an Acolyte and a fully-recognized Shinya.
The Awakening
When an Acolyte is deemed ready to elevate to the rank of the Shinya, they are called to the Shinya Elite where the candidate is told he will be undergoing the Awakening. An Acolyte is only allowed his preferred weapon of choice, a small ration of food and his uniform. They are then told that they must travel to the Starlit Cave deep into the heart of the Misty Peaks, and fast and meditate at the hidden temple there for three days. The experience that an Acolyte goes through during this time period is different for all. During the meditation, Zintila speaks to them through the reflection of the stars, to which the Acolyte must return with the item the Star Lady had instructed them to receive. This may be anywhere from a feather of an eagle or a lock of hair from a bison or an incredibly rare flower. The Awakening is meant to be a test on the devotion, determination and the discipline of the Acolyte and to showcase the capabilities said candidate will have as a Shinya.
Required Skills
The Initiates and Acolytes are trained in a variety of weapons, martial arts and Projection. No other magic besides Flux is taught, and even so it is in light quantities and only after becoming a fully-recognized Shinya. Meditation is a key part of Shinya tradition and is also important for the candidate to master and understand. All of these things are instilled in the very early stages of an initiates time among the Shinya.
The following are the requirements for an Acolyte of the Shinya:
- Weapon (Any) - 20
- Projection - 10 or 20
- Unarmed Combat - 20
- Two lores of an Acolyte's choice relating to the Shinya order or their abilities. (History, Zintila, Lhavit, Meditation, Projection, etc.)
Starting as a Shinya
If a player wishes to start as a fully recognized Shinya, they must be aware that their character must have 30 in Projection and a weapon of their choice or in unarmed PLUS Meditation at or around 20 points. This means that the player must be dedicated to flashbacking all of the threads that will increase their skills to their required level. Besides this, any race is eligible to play as a Shinya for the exception of Zith, Symenestra and Dhani.