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Expanded World Information and History
Oct. 6th, 2016 10:45 pmWorld
Kadin was originally designed as a native of the Road of Trode setting. In short, earth was exhausted of resources and before the total apocalypse a fraction of humanity escaped in a spaceship designed to function as an inside out planet.
Trode’s premise allowed for a world with highly variable levels of technology and magic. So while some sections of the world (namely the large population centers) have cars and computers and hoverboards and virtual reality, none of that really applies to Kadin, as he was raised in a monastery sequestered way up in the treacherous mountain range of The Teeth. He is aware of the existence of advanced technology, and the internet was used sometimes for communication purposes, but Kadin has had very little hands on experience with tech outside of small non electric survival tools. Think things you might find in an REI or North Face. Backpacking tech.
The monastery was established only two hundred or so years after The Ark itself took off, but it has since splintered into multiple sects and communities. Each group is still nomadic however spending a few months at a time in one of the multiple permanent dwellings scattered throughout the range before packing up and moving on to the next one. Sometimes overlapping happens and two communities will share a site for a few days, but mostly each community keeps to itself. The temples do have generators and internet capable computers for communicating with the other groups in the teeth as well as emergency communication if absolutely necessary. Time spent on the computer(s) were limited, and any information/content had to be screened and approved by a council before being added to the digital libraries.
Kadin’s particular group was one that worshiped The Weaver, an unknown spider-like being rumored to live at the very tip of the Ark. She is seen as a god, laying out the strands of fate and destiny that each person must follow to find happiness and purpose in life. An important distinction here is that while they believe in a deity that has an active role in every person’s life, and even in fate, they also very much do believe in free will. The Weaver provides opportunities and lays out a path, but it is the individual’s responsibility to follow her guidance. Traditionally, upon circling the teeth 10 times (roughly 20 years), each person raised in the monastery is required to leave the group and go on a pilgrimage. There’s a great deal of ceremony and spiritual significance tied up in this act, as this journey is how young people are supposed to find the path that the Weaver has set for them. This may involve returning to the monastery as a teacher or permanent inhabitant, or it may not. The bottom line is that young adults leave to experience the world, looking either for a reason to return, or a reason not to.
History
Kadin’s life began in the Thaumic Zone, a desert wasteland of the magical equivalent of nuclear fallout radiation. Whether he was a spontaneous magical creation, or perhaps a human or snake child abandoned on the edge of the zone no one knows. What is known is that Baqer, a young man from the Chelicerae Monastery on his pilgrimage, stumbled across a very young child not much more than two years old, half boy, half snake. The naga was alone, alive but clearly struggling. This was a nearly divine moment for Baqer, as he was now sure that his path was to bring this child back to the monastery and raise him in safety and tranquility. Baqer befriended the child and named him Kadin, and began the long trek back to his home. Kadin’s earliest memories are of climbing the foothills into The Teeth and arriving at the monastery.
Once there, Kadin was taught to fight, meditate, read, write, and also how to survive in the harsh environment of The Teeth. The monastery’s teachings centered on discipline and moderation. Luxuries were not prohibited, but discouraged, and a somewhat ascetic lifestyle was promoted. Material possessions were allowed, but every few months or so the whole group would pack everything up, and travel through the mountains to the next temple, always heading east in a symbolic never ending ascension.
The first time Kadin and the other children in his age group had to move from one temple to the next, they were told they could only bring with them what they would be willing to carry over the mountains. It was pretty normal for young children to try and keep more of their belongings than was reasonable for the first climb, not being used to the difficulty of scaling the mountains. During the climb, impractical things would be ditched as the children gave up trying to carry them. But Kadin, having many feet of tail that he could attach saddlebags to, brought all his things with him. They weren’t a lot, and they weren’t fancy, just simple toys made from wood or cloth and sand, brightly colored rocks, trinkets and tokens gathered from around the temple. But they were more than the other children could take with them, and it immediately set him apart. The other children either thought him stupid or greedy, or worse, were jealous that he brought with him what they couldn’t. Already an oddity because of his tail, this first climb made him an outcast.
This event in a lot of ways set the course for his life, and he spent the rest of his years at the temples desperately trying to minimize the differences between himself and others. He learned the hard way that it wasn’t enough to follow the rules, but he had to follow the norm if he wanted to fit in and gain approval. Unfortunately for him, there was only so much he could do.
Kadin’s community was not the only one traveling The Teeth and using these temples, so nothing could be left behind unless you intended it as a gift for the next group of monks to use the temple. Many members of his community would build up decorations and possessions while they were staying in a temple, then get rid of them when time came for the next climb.
Unfortunately, no matter how utopian the community, people still have prejudices, and children in particular can be exceptionally cruel. Kadin was at a disadvantage from the start, as many of the early teachings in martial training center on stance and legwork, building up a solid base. Kadin had to be singled out for alternative training because he had no legs, and was often ostracized by his peers during free time as a result. His shy demeanor coupled with his obvious physical differences caused him to be a prime target for bullying. A boy named Asim was his main antagonist. He was driven child, and many of the instructors highly regarded him for his diligence and charisma.
Asim however saw Kadin as a drain on the community, requiring specialized training and dietary needs, and also being physically unable to participate in some temple chores/activities. For example, by the time Kadin was old enough to be on kitchen rotation duty, his tail was long and large enough that he mostly didn’t fit into the small kitchen spaces used in the temples, much less with a partner. Also, being endothermic, Kadin needed to spend a certain amount of time each morning sunbathing, which prevented him from doing any pre-dawn or dawn tasks or activities. Asim and a group of children who looked up to him teased Kadin, excluded him, and were just generally nasty to him in as many ways as they could get away with. The teasing escalated over the years, and for a number of reasons was either unnoticed or ignored by the adults there. A few agreed that Kadin was unfit to be a member of the community, others dismissed the severity of the situation as 'kids can be cruel, but they'll grow out of it', and some believed it to be a conflict that needed to be worked out internally due to the order's teachings of self-discipline and individual destiny. Finally simply because of the structure of the community, there wasn't a realistic way to separate Kadin from his bullies without only further isolating him, or worse outright rejecting him from the monastery.
For the latter two reasons Kadin bore this bullying with little to no complaint. He had the support of Baqer, the friendship of a slightly older boy named Shen, who was for different reasons unpopular in his own peer group, and his studies and training. Instead of seeking help he learned to simply try to avoid confrontation with hostile parties as much as possible, and reduce any behaviors that exaggerated his differences from the other children. These obviously weren't real or effective solutions, and at the age of around 20, Kadin and Asim’s rivalry came to a climactic showdown.
Asim had a habit of challenging Kadin to sparring matches, using them as public platforms to humiliate Kadin and highlight how inadequate he was. There were only two things that made this fight any different than the countless ones before it. The first was that the two of them were alone, and the second was that Asim finally pushed Kadin just a little bit too far. Asim found himself trapped in the coils of Kadin’s tail. In a fit of anger Kadin squeezed, not knowing his own strength. Asim didn’t die immediately, but when Kadin dropped him he was in very bad shape. Now frantic with guilt and fear Kadin tried to bring Asim back to the temple to get the medical attention he clearly needed, but Asim struggled and resisted, and died from internal trauma while Kadin struggled to get him to safety.
Horrified by what he had done and terrified of the potential reactions of his teachers and peers, he fled. Thoroughly convinced that he was a monster who had irrevocably deviated from the Weaver’s path, he fled the mountains, deciding to return to the thaumic zone, figuring that it was the only place he belonged.
Kadin was originally designed as a native of the Road of Trode setting. In short, earth was exhausted of resources and before the total apocalypse a fraction of humanity escaped in a spaceship designed to function as an inside out planet.
Trode’s premise allowed for a world with highly variable levels of technology and magic. So while some sections of the world (namely the large population centers) have cars and computers and hoverboards and virtual reality, none of that really applies to Kadin, as he was raised in a monastery sequestered way up in the treacherous mountain range of The Teeth. He is aware of the existence of advanced technology, and the internet was used sometimes for communication purposes, but Kadin has had very little hands on experience with tech outside of small non electric survival tools. Think things you might find in an REI or North Face. Backpacking tech.
The monastery was established only two hundred or so years after The Ark itself took off, but it has since splintered into multiple sects and communities. Each group is still nomadic however spending a few months at a time in one of the multiple permanent dwellings scattered throughout the range before packing up and moving on to the next one. Sometimes overlapping happens and two communities will share a site for a few days, but mostly each community keeps to itself. The temples do have generators and internet capable computers for communicating with the other groups in the teeth as well as emergency communication if absolutely necessary. Time spent on the computer(s) were limited, and any information/content had to be screened and approved by a council before being added to the digital libraries.
Kadin’s particular group was one that worshiped The Weaver, an unknown spider-like being rumored to live at the very tip of the Ark. She is seen as a god, laying out the strands of fate and destiny that each person must follow to find happiness and purpose in life. An important distinction here is that while they believe in a deity that has an active role in every person’s life, and even in fate, they also very much do believe in free will. The Weaver provides opportunities and lays out a path, but it is the individual’s responsibility to follow her guidance. Traditionally, upon circling the teeth 10 times (roughly 20 years), each person raised in the monastery is required to leave the group and go on a pilgrimage. There’s a great deal of ceremony and spiritual significance tied up in this act, as this journey is how young people are supposed to find the path that the Weaver has set for them. This may involve returning to the monastery as a teacher or permanent inhabitant, or it may not. The bottom line is that young adults leave to experience the world, looking either for a reason to return, or a reason not to.
History
Kadin’s life began in the Thaumic Zone, a desert wasteland of the magical equivalent of nuclear fallout radiation. Whether he was a spontaneous magical creation, or perhaps a human or snake child abandoned on the edge of the zone no one knows. What is known is that Baqer, a young man from the Chelicerae Monastery on his pilgrimage, stumbled across a very young child not much more than two years old, half boy, half snake. The naga was alone, alive but clearly struggling. This was a nearly divine moment for Baqer, as he was now sure that his path was to bring this child back to the monastery and raise him in safety and tranquility. Baqer befriended the child and named him Kadin, and began the long trek back to his home. Kadin’s earliest memories are of climbing the foothills into The Teeth and arriving at the monastery.
Once there, Kadin was taught to fight, meditate, read, write, and also how to survive in the harsh environment of The Teeth. The monastery’s teachings centered on discipline and moderation. Luxuries were not prohibited, but discouraged, and a somewhat ascetic lifestyle was promoted. Material possessions were allowed, but every few months or so the whole group would pack everything up, and travel through the mountains to the next temple, always heading east in a symbolic never ending ascension.
The first time Kadin and the other children in his age group had to move from one temple to the next, they were told they could only bring with them what they would be willing to carry over the mountains. It was pretty normal for young children to try and keep more of their belongings than was reasonable for the first climb, not being used to the difficulty of scaling the mountains. During the climb, impractical things would be ditched as the children gave up trying to carry them. But Kadin, having many feet of tail that he could attach saddlebags to, brought all his things with him. They weren’t a lot, and they weren’t fancy, just simple toys made from wood or cloth and sand, brightly colored rocks, trinkets and tokens gathered from around the temple. But they were more than the other children could take with them, and it immediately set him apart. The other children either thought him stupid or greedy, or worse, were jealous that he brought with him what they couldn’t. Already an oddity because of his tail, this first climb made him an outcast.
This event in a lot of ways set the course for his life, and he spent the rest of his years at the temples desperately trying to minimize the differences between himself and others. He learned the hard way that it wasn’t enough to follow the rules, but he had to follow the norm if he wanted to fit in and gain approval. Unfortunately for him, there was only so much he could do.
Kadin’s community was not the only one traveling The Teeth and using these temples, so nothing could be left behind unless you intended it as a gift for the next group of monks to use the temple. Many members of his community would build up decorations and possessions while they were staying in a temple, then get rid of them when time came for the next climb.
Unfortunately, no matter how utopian the community, people still have prejudices, and children in particular can be exceptionally cruel. Kadin was at a disadvantage from the start, as many of the early teachings in martial training center on stance and legwork, building up a solid base. Kadin had to be singled out for alternative training because he had no legs, and was often ostracized by his peers during free time as a result. His shy demeanor coupled with his obvious physical differences caused him to be a prime target for bullying. A boy named Asim was his main antagonist. He was driven child, and many of the instructors highly regarded him for his diligence and charisma.
Asim however saw Kadin as a drain on the community, requiring specialized training and dietary needs, and also being physically unable to participate in some temple chores/activities. For example, by the time Kadin was old enough to be on kitchen rotation duty, his tail was long and large enough that he mostly didn’t fit into the small kitchen spaces used in the temples, much less with a partner. Also, being endothermic, Kadin needed to spend a certain amount of time each morning sunbathing, which prevented him from doing any pre-dawn or dawn tasks or activities. Asim and a group of children who looked up to him teased Kadin, excluded him, and were just generally nasty to him in as many ways as they could get away with. The teasing escalated over the years, and for a number of reasons was either unnoticed or ignored by the adults there. A few agreed that Kadin was unfit to be a member of the community, others dismissed the severity of the situation as 'kids can be cruel, but they'll grow out of it', and some believed it to be a conflict that needed to be worked out internally due to the order's teachings of self-discipline and individual destiny. Finally simply because of the structure of the community, there wasn't a realistic way to separate Kadin from his bullies without only further isolating him, or worse outright rejecting him from the monastery.
For the latter two reasons Kadin bore this bullying with little to no complaint. He had the support of Baqer, the friendship of a slightly older boy named Shen, who was for different reasons unpopular in his own peer group, and his studies and training. Instead of seeking help he learned to simply try to avoid confrontation with hostile parties as much as possible, and reduce any behaviors that exaggerated his differences from the other children. These obviously weren't real or effective solutions, and at the age of around 20, Kadin and Asim’s rivalry came to a climactic showdown.
Asim had a habit of challenging Kadin to sparring matches, using them as public platforms to humiliate Kadin and highlight how inadequate he was. There were only two things that made this fight any different than the countless ones before it. The first was that the two of them were alone, and the second was that Asim finally pushed Kadin just a little bit too far. Asim found himself trapped in the coils of Kadin’s tail. In a fit of anger Kadin squeezed, not knowing his own strength. Asim didn’t die immediately, but when Kadin dropped him he was in very bad shape. Now frantic with guilt and fear Kadin tried to bring Asim back to the temple to get the medical attention he clearly needed, but Asim struggled and resisted, and died from internal trauma while Kadin struggled to get him to safety.
Horrified by what he had done and terrified of the potential reactions of his teachers and peers, he fled. Thoroughly convinced that he was a monster who had irrevocably deviated from the Weaver’s path, he fled the mountains, deciding to return to the thaumic zone, figuring that it was the only place he belonged.
