Difference between revisions of "Shienar"

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''Author: Toral Delvar''
 
''Author: Toral Delvar''
 
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|Nation=Shienar
 
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|Capital=[[Fal Moran]]
 
|Capital=[[Fal Moran]]

Revision as of 15:33, 20 June 2010

Author: Toral Delvar

VShienar.jpg
Shienar
Sigil A swooping black hawk; the Black Hawk
Banner The Black Hawk on a field of three blue stripes and two white horizontal stripes.
Capital Fal Moran
Ruler King Easar Togita
Throne
Crown
Palace


shy-NAHR

General

Shienar is one of the Borderlands and as such has a martial culture, with the need for constant vigilance against Trolloc raids from the Blight to the north. Relationships with the other Borderlands are excellent, with this strengthened by intermarriages between the leading houses (TPoD: Prologue). As a result from the need for security, the constant jockeying for position of Daes Dae'mar, seen in many of the southern lands, is almost unknown there.

After Rand is proclaimed and has not visited the Blight, King Easar leads a larger army south, with the other Borderland rulers, to meet him, though whether to join or confront him is not known (TPoD, Prologue; WH, Ch. 27).


Geography

General

Shienar borders Arafel to the west and the Spine of the World, with the Niamh passes, on its eastern border. Until 950NE, Malkier lay to the north and Shienar was not truly one of the Borderlands, though it would still send men to fight (TEotW, Ch. 40). To the south, the land is unclaimed, though once it bordered Hardan, and when Hardan fell, Cairhien briefly claimed the land up to the river Erinin (TGH, Ch. 10). As Shienar is far north, it can be very cold, enough to freeze the sap in trees and cause them to burst (TEotW, Ch. 46). Compared to further south, such as the Two Rivers, even a spring feels like winter (TEotW, Ch. 46). The land has many hills.

Cities Towns and villages

Where possible, Shienaran towns are built on high ground and cleared all around, with grass cut short to give a clear approach. Walls surrounding the towns have high look out towers and strong gates (TWoRJTWoT, Ch. 28).

Stedding

There are stedding located in Shienar, including Stedding Sholloon. Sanshen and Qichen may also be in Shienar as they are the most northern of the thirteen stedding in the Spine of the World (LoC, Ch. 21).


Government and Nobility

General

Shienar is a monarchy, with Easar of House Togita currently on the throne. He is widowed, with sons. Internal strife is almost unknown, with the presence of the Blight and threat from Shadowspawn looming large in everyone's minds; however, since Rand proclaimed himself, disagreements over whether he is the true Dragon have occasionally escalated into minor battles (TFoH, Prologue; LoC, Ch. 9).

Noble Houses

  • House Togita, the Royal family, Easar's Sigil is a White Hart
  • House Shinowa, sigil a grey owl
  • House Yokata of Fal Eisen
  • House Jagad, sigil three running foxes of Fal Dara

Military

Mounted Shienaran warriors are known as lancers, because of the weapons they carry (TWoRJTWoT, Ch. 28).

Fighting men from Shienar have their heads shaved except for a topknot (TWoRJTWoT, Ch. 28).

When the Shienaran military ride, every man knows who is next in line of the chain of command, such that even if all fall down to one man, he is not just a straggler, he has the command and the duty to do what must be done (TGH, Ch. 11).

People and Customs

General

They believe they all came from the earth and that they must return as they came, naked and unarmed, into the last embrace of the mother (TWoRJTWoT, Ch. 20). "The Light shine on you and the Creator shelter you. The last embrace of the mother welcome you home" (TGH, Ch. 10) is a common saying.

They use the expression "peace favour your sword", or Suravye ninto manshima taishite in the Old Tongue, as a blessing.

The people there value peace, beauty and life above all else (TWoRJTWoT, Ch. 20).

Ogier are known and respected in towns such as Fal Dara, with the greeting "Kisereai ti wansho" or "glory to the builders” (TEotW, Ch. 46), to which the response is "I am unworthy and the work small, Tsingu ma chobal".

Shienarans have a love of ceremony and take shame the same way other people might take being branded a thief (TGH, Ch. 2).

Shienarans bathe in communal pools, men and women together, where rank loses its distinction (TGH, Ch. 2).

Men and women have separate apartments, with men not being allowed into the women's unless they have permission or are invited in. No male above the age of ten would enter without such permission (TGH, Ch. 4). If they want to speak with someone, they must send a message and wait for it to be delivered and for there to be a response (TGH, Ch. 8).

Characters from Shienar

Shienaran Character List

Appearance, Clothing and Dress

Only the warriors wear topknots; menial labourers have a bowl type cut (TGH, Ch. 3).