The World of
Whispers of the Past
HISTORY
MAP OF SHAI-RYAM
HISTORY
Shai-Ryam is a small country on the western edge of the Aka Peninsula. It was once the ancient civilization of Akata, renamed after the Great River War with the Demalian States.
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The Aka people have been scattered throughout the Aka Peninsula for several hundred millennia. The term “Aka” refers to the people sharing similar ethnic and cultural backgrounds throughout this area and the surrounding islands and their artifacts, languages, architecture, traditions, and so on. While the Akas belonged to many different tribes and spoke varying languages, they were later considered to be homogeneous when they developed their common language, Akatu, which was a simplified form of many “Aka” tongues.
In the 2400s AC ("Age of Civilization"), a group of Sunamo people crossed the western Ocean of Saturuna and landed in the Aka Peninsula, to find a new land after they had been banished from their own. bringing with them the language of Sunang. The Aka tribes welcomed the Sunamo initially, trading with them.
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Over the course of several decades, the Sunamo fought with the Aka tribes, with the First King Kitsura in 2478 AC at the helm of the siege, conquering the tribes of the Aka Peninsula to create the nation of Akata. Under his rule, the Sunamo forced the Akas to give up their own tongue and adopt Sunang as their primary language. The native Akas who refused were killed or kept as slaves on Aro Isle to grow coffee, and those who managed to escape took refuge on the island of Maero, where the Sunamo had never been able to take over.
During the reign of the Kitsura Royal Family, Akatu became a ceremonial language, used only in song and religious ceremonies. Later Sunang's alphabet was derived from ancient Akatu texts, and many Akatu words were adopted into the language.
In 3674 AC, the Great River War with the neighboring Demalian tribes from the east officially began, and it officially ended in 3728 AC, with the death of the entire Kitsura Royal Family. The fall of this long reign of the Kitsura Dynasty has been attributed in part to their king at the time, later nicknamed “Tammamori the Tyrant.” With Demali's victory, Akata broke apart into feudal states again, and the language of Akatu became a dead language.
In 3752 AC, these states were named the Districts of Shai-Ryam, led by appointed lords who had full control over their districts. Having no centralized government, the lords warred with one another for power and prominence. Until, in 3813 AC, the lords signed the Treaty of Baruda, which designated their territories and set up trade routes, as well as offered regulations for settling inter-district disputes without needless bloodshed. This treaty was only partially successful in creating peace.
From 3813 to 4170 AC, Shai-Ryam had a relative peacetime, with occasional small wars that usually ended after less than a year, and Demali-Aka relations flourishing to create a diverse country.
By 4021 AC, scholars had developed a new alphabet for Sunang, improving literacy rates throughout the country.
...And in 4139 AC, Whispers of the Past begins…
LANDMARKS
Palace Ruins: Just outside Gon Atam is the old palace, once called Sayari Palace, from the reign of the Kitsura Dynasty in Akata. All that remains are the results of a great fire during the Siege of Go Ataru (the old name for Gon Atam) at the end of the Great River War.
Tebiso Port: The port outside Gon Atam, one of the major seascape villages.
Renno Mountain/Temple: The home of the Renno Warriors, a clan of warrior monks whose patron god is Toshku, the God of Balance. Renno Mountain currently stands as the tallest mountain in the Dami Mountain Range, at a peak of approximately 3,700 meters above sea level. In the valley below the mountain is the city of Gyon, which still preserves the last of Aka culture.
Aro Isle: A common place of exile, originally inhabited by the native Akas, and eventually conquered for the use of prisons and coffee production.
Muradeia: The largest border city in Shai-Ryam, near the edge of Demali. Muradeia is primarily inhabited by the Demali refugees that settled in Shai-Ryam after the Great River War. Muradeia is a rich trading city with close ties to the Demalian States .
Demalian Trade Routes: Common trade routes between the Demalian States and Shai-Ryam. They include the Northern Trade Route, the North-Eastern Trade Route, and the Eastern Trade Route, just outside Muradeia.
The Great Rivers: The three intersecting rivers that started the Great River War. These include the River Hanobei, the Kuokiro River, and the Kuorama River, all surrounded by the most fertile land in the region and dividing Demali from Shai-Ryam .
Ama Shil: The capital of the Nuata District of Shai-Ryam, owned by a young, influential lord, Ryukou Erano.
MAJOR DEITIES
Aka/Shai-Ryaman Gods:
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The Twelve Guardians
Aruna and Royen — Gods of Fire and the Sun, respectively, shown as two child twins, brother and sister, clasping hands and holding a giant pearl and a torch. Also known as Gods of Power, Gods of Youth, Gods of Unity, and The Great Flames.
Devanim — The Warrior God, often depicted as a robed man with a lion’s pelt draped over his head and wielding his iconic harpoon-headed spear. Also known as God of Strength, God of Vengeance, God of the Hunt, and The Great King God.
Giranii — Goddess of the Earth and Seasons, sometimes also the goddess of fertility, she takes the form as a beautiful woman with a flower garland wearing a bride’s robes. Also known as Goddess of Love and Marriage, Goddess of Women, Goddess of the Harvest, and The Giver.
Hwarulo — God of Knowledge and Wisdom, shown as a bearded old man with a raven perched on his shoulder and a scroll in one hand. Also known as God of Learning, God of Elders, God of Loyalty, and The Wise One.
Toshku — God of Life and Death, depicted as a masked man holding a coin and a balancing scale. Also known as God of Luck, God of Fate, God of Mischief, God of Balance, and The Seer.
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Onarimitu — God of the Arts and Music, depicted as an androgynous dancer playing a flute, sometimes depicted with a crane companion. While Onarimitu is traditionally understood to be male, his gender has been debated, and in certain regions, he is depicted as a woman. Many stories involve Onarimitu disguising himself or changing himself into a woman. Also known as The Artist, The Painter, The Singer, The Dancer, The Poet, The Bard, or God/Goddess of Passion.
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Sorokua — God of Time and History, depicted as a man with constellations tattooed on his chest and back. Frequently, Sorokua is holding a star-shaped crystal in his palm. Stories depict him changing from different stages of life, from young children or infants to men and the elderly. Also known as the God of Maturity, God of the Sky, and God of Change.
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Fehlun — God of the Oceans, depicted as a man with fins and the scales of a fish. Akata's first tales of merpeople and creatures of the deep involved Fehlun, the king of the marine world. Also known as the God of Water, God of the Seas, King of the Deep, and The Sailor.
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Eiliari — Goddess of the Wild, shown as a tribal woman with the legs of a doe and giant wings. She is often depicted feeding small animals, or with a snake draped over her shoulders. Also known as the Goddess of Animals, Goddess of the Forest, Goddess of Wolves, and The Great Tree.
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Vanma — God of Travelers, depicted as cavalryman dressed in thick robes from the Eastern region and wielding a staff. Also known as the God of the Road, God of Paths, God of Maps, God of Crossroads, and The Way.
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Kusam'tamen — Goddess of Reincarnation, depicted as a faceless woman wearing a cloak. Often, Kusam'tamen is holding a mask with a face on it, representing the new faces we take on after death and reincarnation. Also known as Goddess of New Life, Goddess of Rebirth, Goddess of the Afterlife, Goddess of Spirits, and The Guide.
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Creation Stories and Mythologies coming soon!
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Minor Gods: Click Here (coming soon)
Demali Gods:
Kishara’am — God of All, the major deity in Demali religion, often depicted as a horned lion/bear hybrid.
LANGUAGE GUIDES
OTHER IN-UNIVERSE STORIES
POWER CAN CHANGE A MAN
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When Tammamori's father dies suddenly, he must take up the mantle of King at the young age of fourteen. However, his mother has been accused of treason: the act of murdering the Late King. It seems he has enemies everywhere, and no one to trust. Searching for the truth behind his father's murder and trying to unify a broken nation becomes his most important task, but the council of elders will not give him the freedom he needs.
SEEING IS A SKILL...
Daolin is a Renno Warrior. In ordinance with the traditions of the clan, he has been summoned to be the Oshinnan, a glorified bodyguard, of the Lord of Gyon's blind son, Ji Son Turema. But Ji Son is an abominable spoiled brat who seems to be trying his best to ruin Daolin's life. During his time of servitude, Daolin begins to wonder what he truly wants as some of his past comes to meet him—the past that he has worked so hard to forget.
CAN YOU LOVE A CRUEL MAN?
Anamara has always hated the Celanesians. During her childhood, all she's ever known about the foreigners from the East is from whatever rumors the elders in her village passed down. One day, her homeland is conquered by the soldiers of the towering empire of Celanesia, and her blind prejudice turns into a justified contempt. As she is forced to become a slave in the ornamental palace of their highly esteemed emperor, who takes an interest in her, all that is on her mind is how to escape. But what can she do when she finds herself falling for someone who she's bound to hate?