Shunai / Fervent but Contrite

Founders of Herquisition.

Shunai are warm-blooded Mammal-like reptiles; mostly mammal than reptile. When matured a tough plate-like carapace, similar to some sort of exoskeleton, covers most of Shunai bodies, for exception of a front neck, armpits, palms, inner thighs, buttocks and base of the tail. Soft frills and scutes are Phosphorescence and can glow bright with vivid colors for hours. Heat from these frill can be used for communication, since Shunai can perceive light in infrared spectrum like some other reptiles. Nictitating membrane also retained.

Unlike other egg-laying mammals Shunai females rarely lay eggs and mostly Ovoviviparous, but sometimes incubation period can be overdue; eggs themselves are alike big bags, with soft leathery shells.

Sense of smell is heavily developed for direct communication, which (in addition of tough facial skin) regressed Shunai facial muscles and making them look visually less expressive. Two sweating pheromone sacks hanging from each temple, emitting considerably mild odor, with array of tones only Shunai olfactory senses can fully perceive. However, understanding and learning different scents you can still identify is important before visiting place highly populated by Shunai. For example: if you smell some tones of citrus with garlic or dirt – is a hostile sign; weak honey or cheese tones are friendly and hospitable; if you smell fresh plums, especially when it so strong you can taste it on your tongue – is great sign if you are into reptiles.

Shunai minds are gullible, confiding and submissive. They are frank in actions and relationship, never trying to deceive or mislead others, but as well they are susceptible to different ideas and can be easy to manipulate with lies and deception. If not reflect upon by themselves or not reminded by closest kin quickly enough Shunai can be effortlessly swayed in their worldviews, therefore trust, truth and cooperation are highly regarded. As a result of this known mental wiring many Shunai are very paranoid and pedantic, frequently reject any type of progress until it is deliberate and pre-planned. Even new friendships requires a lot of checks to be passed before fully embracing them.

Very collectivist – family and community bonds are strong and reliable among this tribe; it is common for new generations to engage in succession of service and follow many-century-long family traditions, but also result in heavy nepotism and less meritocracy, especially among youngsters who defer to elders and their experience. At the good side Shunai accept punishment as a group too, not just a family, but superiors and subordinates also feel guilt for preventing mistakes of others; and not many of them are looking for personal enrichment, but more commonly they desire for purpose and to appreciate results of their work as a reward itself when they see it beneficial for sistren in Meority, thus value understanding of own role, limitations, fit in larger system. Shunai can reject greater responsibility with even greater awards if they believe themselves to be more beneficial where they are. It is a social mentality carved as a result of events from the past.

Though it is hard to push them to violence as they are favoring compromise and cordial, Shunai can choose absolute brutality when it is inevitable; and when it is inevitable they prefer to crush an adversary to the point where there is never will be another threat from them, for they don’t want to choose violence again. Of course it doesn’t include traitorous sistren.

***

Not unexpectedly from the founding tribe of Herquisition order, one emotion that surely inevitable and never changed since Age of Crumbling is their blind hatred towards Envious. A rage that can’t be comparable to scorn and disdain other tribes feel towards faithless fallen sisters. And that rage grows even more when Shunai see a reflection of what their tribe was close to. Even when they are forgiven by Meora herself, and blessed with her Aspect as a proof, they still feel guilt and disgrace for actions of their ancestors – stranding away from Her Light, making Her weep in a Legacy of Regret.

As a tribe, Shunai history from the Age of Crumbling is... dark. Results of that history is what shaped social mentality they bear today. Being closest allies to [REDACTED] of the Hegemony – it is replete with aggressive actions, partakings in Crusades and other ill deeds which Shunai themselves don’t want sistren tribes to forget, nor be forgiven by them. They hope to never be expiated for actions of their parents and what Sorrow they brought to Her and dear Sistren.

But if Allmother absolved Shunai of sin, and blessed them with an Aspect of Honor, then why should we blame them for the past? Especially when they do all in their potential to remedy that past? Especially when all that foul is bygone and out of mind for people who live today?

What happened is that from the beginning of time Shunai felt a profound shame towards own bodies: their feet are not as elegant and delicate as of Meora, their buttocks is hidden by a massive tail, lay of their muscles and abs is hidden under tough carapace and their bosom never grow sizes impressive enough. A shame so deep they regret to be Her children, and even now they still regret to be blessed with Her Aspect.

Such self-shame was so easily to exploit and push Shunai to contemptible actions. They were mislead by [REDACTED] to believe otherwise, that their tribe is an embodiment perfection, just a step below [REDACTED]. They were mislead to believe that other tribes are disgusting in mind and ugly in body, not deserve to be called sistren, only merely servants to a true beauty. Worst of all, they were deceived to unbelieve in existence of our Allmother, her Gorgeousness and Joy…

***

Shortly after the Grievous Strife started Shunai were unsurprisingly betrayed and abandoned by the Hegemony, to be used as a meat shield against other tribes who were rightfully enraged at them for malefactions of past. Yet, unlike for [REDACTED], it was not through death others wanted deliver their retribution upon Shunai, but through enthrallment of an entire tribe and subsequent derogation.

Descendants of survived Shunai are abated, fearing to lose the precious gift of existence Allmother granted them. They were chained, used and abused by the former subjugated. Too, their own mind was perverted to belief such existence is all Shunai were created for – to be mere thrall of greater beings. Yet through the grace of Meora, they were kept in shackles for barely more than half a century and were reprieved when the first Angel of Honor was said so.

When the Grievous Strife ended and a new age begun, Shunai tribe was still traumatized, and therefore their minds surmised it as their fate and duty to forever serve begotten Aspects, as apostles spreading their words and erecting their ideas into live – an eternal punishment they shouldered on themselves, never to be reimbursed. From construction of the Empyrean and Angelic Lodges to maintaining of Herquisition order. However considering personality nature of Aspects, public doubt if anything that was built by Shunai are truly wishes and demands of Aspects, or exalting delusions grown from Shunai guilt (for what they did before) and zeal (for what they believe they should do from now on).

From the laws of Herquisition, to needs of sistren tribes; from the Commandments of Aspects, to comfort of the family – today Shunai are passionate, punctilious, and subservient people, seeking beauty in senescence of existence, living life for the cause to make world thrive, and for future generations reap results of their labor endlessly. They covet to make Meority prosper, be that through an aid to the Faithful or eradication of the Envious.