Possibly
descended from genetically enhanced humans who served in a military Enforcer Cast for the Second
Empire, over time the Shek people’s appearance changed, developing purple skin color while
growing bone plates and spikes all over their bodies. Embracing these changes, they let horns
grow long as a sign of martial prowess, while those defeated in battle had their horns cut off.
At some point, possibly after the fall of the Second Empire,
the Shek migrated to the Stenn Desert, Border Zone, and Spider’s Plains, where
they lived as warring tribes until the mighty hero Kral united them to form the Shek Kingdom,
which eventually established the cities of Squin, Last Stand, the Great Fortress, and capital Admag.
Legends claim Kral was finally killed in a battle outnumbered a hundred to
one. But his legacy lived on for centuries, providing the basis for the Shek government,
warrior culture, strict honor code and life philosophy.
Continuing on according to Kral’s teachings, the Shek Kingdom was ruled by their greatest
warrior who could be challenged to honourable combat, killed and replaced.
This idea of all out devotion to warfare echoed through every aspect of their society,
believing the aim of every Shek should be to die in glorious combat. Only victory or
death were considered honourable, therefore those defeated but left alive had their horns cut off,
leaving them to chose between disgraceful exile or life as a second rate citizen of their society,
performing the non-military duties necessary for the prosperity of their civilization.
Following a strict caste system within their own society, the Shek also discriminated against
other races until individuals proved themselves in combat. Hated enemies of the Holy Nation,
they were often at war with the human, theocratic bigots to the north who considered all Shek
beasts which must be enslaved and purified of their corruption. Yet the Shek also fought
among themselves, breaking into factions over disputes of leadership and other conflicts.
Under the reign of King Shager, the Shek Kingdom continued its legacy of relentless attack,
waging war against the Holy Nation, United Cities and any other enemy presenting itself.
Yet this strategy was failing and their people falling to ruin, after years of
conflict led the fall of settlements like the Great Fortress, the Old Frontlines and others.
Nevertheless Shager refused to change tactics, ordering a final suicidal death
charge into enemy ranks, so the last of their army might die as true warriors.
But not all were willing to throw away their lives so easily, causing the warrior Bayan to
publicly object. To everyone’s surprise, Bayan was then backed up by Esata the Stone Golem,
a member of the Invincible Five, considered one of the best fighters in the kingdom.
Fighting an epic duel, Esata killed Shager to rule as queen of the Shek, with Bayan as her adviser.
Though she still valued their warrior’s code, Esata sought to reform their society
and ensure longterm survival by pulling their forces back from the Holy Nation frontline,
making peace with the United Cities, and opening their borders to trade.
Although this did much to stifle their decline, conflict continued not only against foreign
powers, but also smaller factions and rebel groups, like the Bugmaster, a mysterious man,
some say is centuries old, living in an abandoned outpost, with a connection to
spider insects within his territory of Arach. Though no one knows his origins or purpose,
some believe he is the last of the ancient humans who once ruled the First Empire, while other think
he is a genetically engineered creation of the Second Empire. Due to his location,
some believe he was raising an army to invade the Shek Kingdom, but the evidence actually suggests
he sought to invade the Ashlands, gathering much information about the second empire exiles and
their leader Cat-lon. There are also rumours suggesting the Bugmaster keeps human teeth.
A more traditional enemy to the Shek Kingdom came from Kral’s Chosen,
led by Ida the Flying Bull, a loyal friend of Shager who refused submission to Esata,
establishing New Kralia in the Stenn Desert, west of the Great Fortress.
Similar to Kral’s Chosen, the Berserkers stood against Esata’s government, wishing
a return to the old ways of aggressive warfare. Establishing a village in the Spider Plains,
they also had a strong presence further north in Berserker country. Led by the exiled warrior
Suchon the Ghost, it is believed he was a warrior of high station among the Shek until defeated in
combat, possibly by Gorrillo, leader of the Gorillo Bandits, who then stole his sword.
Surviving the encounter, Suchon was disgraced and his horns cut off. Yet
rather than accept his fate and lay down his arms, he became Ghost and vanished
into exile where his reputation allowed him to form the widespread Berserkers.
The final rebel group, troubling the Shek Kingdom,
was the Band of Bones outlaw crew, led by Tora the Fearless, also called Tora the Gutless,
another Shek warrior who lost a battle and had her horns cut off. Yet similar to Ghost,
she would not lay down her sword and fled into exile where she formed a bandit crew.
Though her main camp was in the Stenn Desert east of the Great Fortress, her people roamed.
As humans, Shek and Skeletons spread throughout the continent after the fall of the Second Empire,
they encountered the Hiver species, insect-like humanoids who functioned
as an extension of a larger Hive run by a single all powerful queen.
Found in Vain, Dreg, the Fog Islands, Royal Valley and Greyshelf, their origins remain a complete
mystery, even to scholars, with possibilities that included the second empire or rogue skeletons
genetically altering humans to create a worker caste, organic robots who obeyed without question,
possibly even meant to replace humanity. Others suggest perhaps they were native to Kenshi,
growing larger and more sentient over time, or migrated from another land, or even world.
In anycase individual hivers were fiercely loyal to their hives,
but could lose that connection if they remained out of contact too long,
becoming exiled hiveless, forced to wander the wasteland on their own.
These Hiveless eventually grew more independent and capable of living rich, active lives. Yet
even so they often suffered from depression as they felt purposeless without a Hive.
Over time, Hivers separated into three distinct cultures. The first were the beige and light brown
Western Hivers, friendly, peaceful traders open to foreign visitors in their villages throughout
the territories of Vain and Dreg. The pink and purple coloured Southern Hivers, meanwhile,
were hostile, aggressive meat-eaters who attacked trespassers in the Royal Valley and Greyshelf.
Finally there were the blue fogmen of the Fog Islands, mad roaving hivers without a queen who
attacked anyone they found in their territory. Those able to escape the fogmen, might find
refuge in the nearby city of Mongrel, but often remained trapped, unable to escape the region.