Shan
The Great Ravens
The Shan First Kannushi, Shan Gow-Ron.
Clan Status: Minor, bordering on Major
Totem Kami: Officially: the Great Raven; in truth, the Tengu
Colours: Black primary, dark reds and maroons secondary; traditional northerner fashions and animal furs, with an emphasis on raven & raptor feathers
First Kannushi: Shan Gow-Ron
Vassal Clans: Seo (Cave Bear), Jin (Lynx), Shuyin (Boreal Owl)
Reputation: Ambitious, tough, resourceful, shamanistic, disdainful of weakness
Preferred classes: Ranger, samurai, druid, witch (tundra, mountain, forest), ninja (greenstep), barbarian
Imagery: Shan Fashion & Scenery Image Gallery (External)
Shan "Granny Branchhead" Rin-Xian.
The Tengu
Their chosen Totem is a cause of some consternation in the Commonwealth: great ravens are often believed to be yōkai (a sort of bestial fae) that live on Waking side of the Veil and can take the form of long-nosed, humanoid creatures who sow mischief if not outright evil. The Shan, rather, regard the great ravens as guardians, and indeed observant travelers may note these watchful, pony-sized birds in Shan lands. Both sides have some truth: the great ravens are indeed guardians of Shan lands and mostly benign, but they are a tamed breed of the malicious Tengu (a raven-aspected fae, cousins of the vilderavn), who are magically prevented from taking their (more dangerous) humanoid forms. This makes the Shan one of three clans who secretly have a fae as a Totem: the Iname's's is a tsuchigumo (spider yōkai; they claim it is the standard spider) and the Izuka's is the nekomata (they claim it's the jungle nightstalker). All three keep this hidden as fae are (often quite rightly) distrusted in the Commonwealth.
All of that said, the Shan's cooperation with the Commonwealth and high level of manpower sent to support Asura's Wall cannot be denied, so they are tolerated.Leadership
Though he is a warrior of superb strength, their First Kannushi, Shan Gow-Ron, is not regarded as the true clan leader so much as the crone often by his side, Granny “Branchhead” Rin-Xian, so named because of her branched, woodcarved hat. Despite an apparent interest in keeping Granny Rin's leadership obscure, her habit of mocking people in poetic, multilayered ways betrays her intellect. Although she passes her Arts off as minor hedge shamanism, she’s whispered to have a deep well of knowledge in both the Bright and Dark Magicks. Some even consider her to be an avatar of Moruha O-Hime herself. There is some suspicion she is the one that trapped and tamed the Shan's legion of tengu.The Shan-Setsu Cold War
An ermine struggles with a raven, symbolizing the
cold war between the Setsu and Shan.
The Shan are a mysterious clan who are strangely active in the arakh-controlled Skylands, east of Asura's Wall. A dangerous activity to be sure, but the Shan have much to gain: Granny Branchhead, with the assistance of the Great Ravens' best rangers and tomb raiders, is in an all-out cold war with the arakh over acquisition of important and potentially powerful artifacts related to the arakh homeland of Tiam's Cradle. Whether this is to harness their power or simply to keep them out of the hands of the arakh tribes is unknown. These attempts are being frustrated by the Shan’s rivals, among them the Setsu, who have now been elected to sit the Plain Pillow (thus giving them certain veto powers over the Commonwealth), placing the Shan in an unacceptable position. They must act decisively but subtly to realize their plans without overtly antagonizing the Setsu Shōgunate further. But if there is an intellect able to pull it off, the Shan could ask for few better than Old Branchhead.
Explanations for the Setsu's opposition vary (though few are even aware of the "cold war" aside from a few Dragon, Nighthawk, Panther and peasant-class information mongers). Most believe the Setsu simply see the Shan as a more immediate threat than the Skylanders. Others believe it's an attempt to broker peace between the Khu'ur God-Chieftains and the Commonwealth. The few who are aware of the shared history between arakh and humans even wonder whether both the Skylanders and Setsu are descendents of the relics' creators.
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