Shan’na: The Forgotten Cradle of the Myria
Before the world knew it as Vaes, it was Shan’na—a name buried under centuries of conquest, remembered only in the preserved lore of the Myria.
Shan’na once stood on the southern part of the grand continent. It was west of Xira and south of Menasis, making it a thriving hub of trade, culture, and influence. Yet wealth alone was never enough for its people. Shan’na was a nation obsessed with social standing, where reputation was everything, alliances were currency, and the ability to read a room could determine a family’s rise or fall.
Public appearances were carefully orchestrated; invitations to gatherings were weighed like precious metals, and even a glance could signal allegiance or disrespect. Children were raised to understand the art of positioning—where to stand in a hall, when to speak, when to remain silent. Ambition in Shan’na was not a choice but a necessity woven into the marrow of its people.
Over 50% of Shan’na’s regional terrain was fertile plains, with another 30% comprised of rolling hills that shaped its patchwork farmlands and family estates. Riverbanks and waterfalls traced veins of life through the land, feeding crops that supported the bustling marketplaces at the heart of its cities. In the most central part of the country rose the Nashal Mountains, towering above the dry, desert-like plains prone to sand fires and fierce sandstorms. Snowfall and hailstorms were rare elsewhere, but within these mountains, violent storms were believed to be the breath of gods stirring in their sleep.
It was here, the Myria believe, that the gods chose to settle, building their home among a people who would honor and support them, forging an unspoken covenant that tied divine will to mortal ambition. Among these gods, Raeya, the Lady of the Veils and goddess of death and magic, became central to the hearts of those who would later be known as the Myria. In secret gatherings beneath the cover of dawn mist or within incense-filled courtyards, prayers to Raeya were whispered, offerings left in hidden alcoves near waterfalls and mountain paths, asking for her favor and her gift.
It was in Shan’na that the Myria claim they first received the ability to manipulate Aether, a blessing that could raise a family to unimaginable power or mark them for ruin if discovered by the wrong hands. To protect this gift, families sealed alliances with careful marriages, guarding Raeya’s blessings through bloodlines meant to preserve the connection to Aether across generations.
When the Daeva Empire rose, Shan’na’s name was systematically erased from records and maps. Statues were pulled down, family crests burned, and texts rewritten as the conquerors renamed it Vaes and claimed its strategic wealth and influence. Those who once held power in Shan’na were forced to kneel, disappear, or adapt to survive in the shadows of a new empire.
To the Myria, Shan’na is not just the land of their ancestors; it is the sacred cradle where their covenant with Raeya and Aether began. In quiet ceremonies, during rites of passage, and at moments of death and renewal, they speak Shan’na’s true name, honoring it as the birthplace of their power and ambition. It remains a promise that even as nations rise and fall, true power is carried in memory—and in the unbroken chain of those who endure.
Shan’na once stood on the southern part of the grand continent. It was west of Xira and south of Menasis, making it a thriving hub of trade, culture, and influence. Yet wealth alone was never enough for its people. Shan’na was a nation obsessed with social standing, where reputation was everything, alliances were currency, and the ability to read a room could determine a family’s rise or fall.
Public appearances were carefully orchestrated; invitations to gatherings were weighed like precious metals, and even a glance could signal allegiance or disrespect. Children were raised to understand the art of positioning—where to stand in a hall, when to speak, when to remain silent. Ambition in Shan’na was not a choice but a necessity woven into the marrow of its people.
Over 50% of Shan’na’s regional terrain was fertile plains, with another 30% comprised of rolling hills that shaped its patchwork farmlands and family estates. Riverbanks and waterfalls traced veins of life through the land, feeding crops that supported the bustling marketplaces at the heart of its cities. In the most central part of the country rose the Nashal Mountains, towering above the dry, desert-like plains prone to sand fires and fierce sandstorms. Snowfall and hailstorms were rare elsewhere, but within these mountains, violent storms were believed to be the breath of gods stirring in their sleep.
It was here, the Myria believe, that the gods chose to settle, building their home among a people who would honor and support them, forging an unspoken covenant that tied divine will to mortal ambition. Among these gods, Raeya, the Lady of the Veils and goddess of death and magic, became central to the hearts of those who would later be known as the Myria. In secret gatherings beneath the cover of dawn mist or within incense-filled courtyards, prayers to Raeya were whispered, offerings left in hidden alcoves near waterfalls and mountain paths, asking for her favor and her gift.
It was in Shan’na that the Myria claim they first received the ability to manipulate Aether, a blessing that could raise a family to unimaginable power or mark them for ruin if discovered by the wrong hands. To protect this gift, families sealed alliances with careful marriages, guarding Raeya’s blessings through bloodlines meant to preserve the connection to Aether across generations.
When the Daeva Empire rose, Shan’na’s name was systematically erased from records and maps. Statues were pulled down, family crests burned, and texts rewritten as the conquerors renamed it Vaes and claimed its strategic wealth and influence. Those who once held power in Shan’na were forced to kneel, disappear, or adapt to survive in the shadows of a new empire.
To the Myria, Shan’na is not just the land of their ancestors; it is the sacred cradle where their covenant with Raeya and Aether began. In quiet ceremonies, during rites of passage, and at moments of death and renewal, they speak Shan’na’s true name, honoring it as the birthplace of their power and ambition. It remains a promise that even as nations rise and fall, true power is carried in memory—and in the unbroken chain of those who endure.
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