Shérok has one incredibly large land mass with a single treacherous ocean surrounding it. There are a few islands along its shoreline, with a few being large enough to warrant their own name, but it is altogether a single continent. The areas are loosely divided into kingdoms (sometimes referred to as Pradeshes). All inhabitants appear human except for some Naki. You may use any natural skin tone for them, even if they have an average skin tone listed.
- Southwest Shérok is full of swamps and a few rainforests.
- Western Shérok is mostly deciduous forests and flood plains.
- Northwest islands are tropical in nature.
- Northwest Shérok is a realm of expansive, chilly tundra.
- South central Shérok has a small desert where the Irrit live.
- Central Shérok contains a large sea–most likely formed by a cataclysmic celestial event–along with an island at its center. This sea is usually covered in dense fog, with many hidden doors into aquatic areas of the Chronoscape.
- Incredibly dense cities are spaced intermittently in the land, usually by rivers. These cities are surprisingly scarce.
- Southeastern islands and some of the eastern plains are uninhabited wastelands.
- The rest of Shérok is full of low-altitude mountains, hills, and pine forests.
Shéar
Clothing Style: Typical Middle Eastern/Desert Garb
Language: Shéar (A mix of Spanish and Italian.) Written vertically right to left or horizontally left to right.
These are the main people that live everywhere on the planet. They are the name for natives of the planet that don’t have any other affiliation. Because the kingdoms (or Pradeshes) are currently united and several of them inhospitable, it is much more likely for Shéar to refer to themselves by their planetary origin rather than a particular kingdom. Their average skin tone is cinnamon, though they can have any natural human skin tone without being out of the ordinary.
Individual homes are scattered in the wilderness and made by hand. Their homes change depending on the climate—just draw what you would expect an Earth home to look like in a swamp, forest, and so on. In any place where many people gather, the architecture changes straight to urban skyscrapers. The density is also incredible—easily comparable to the densest areas of China and India. There’s not an in-between for the general populace! Shéar also tend to live alone, rather than family groups. It’s not unusual for families to become entirely fragmented over the land.
Irrit
Clothing Style: Typical Central Americal Garb
Language: Shéar (A mix of Spanish and Italian.) Written vertically right to left or horizontally left to right. Language Script Key
These are the singular magical peoples remaining in Shérok. They dwell in the small, inhospitable deserts of Shérok, but are blessed by their gods to a life of splendor. Those who would do them harm become turned around in thick sandstorms while their allies navigate the sands without an issue. They live a nomadic life throughout the desert, but an oasis will spring up wherever they rest. Whether this is the truly the work of gods or some sort of magic that follows them is up for debate. They are not led by anyone in particular and instead barter among each other as friends and family would. They track their family lines through their mothers, and their oral history goes quite far. Some tales may even occur before the Abrendese arrived to the planet—at least, that’s how far the generational tree seems to go.
Due to global perception of magic, they tend to stay within the sands and rely on travelers for foreign goods. Some will venture out of their lands, but their magic will dim. Similarly, most will not leave for the Chronoscape because their magic is intertwined with the land. Their skin is normally dark tan and they have bright red hair. Their eyes vary widely in color and will change when they cast magic. While their ancestry is very recognizable, they can easily masquerade as Naki when they travel, so long as they keep their magic under wraps.
Abrendese
Clothing Style: Typical Victorian Garb
Language: English
The Abrendese are fairly recent arrivals to the world of Shérok—clocking in at about five centuries ago. Before their arrival, the world of Shérok was made of small villages with low technological ability but incredible magic skill. After their arrival, the Abrendese imparted their advanced knowledge of space travel, engineering, cloning, medical practices, and experimentation to the Shéar. They began to build huge cities and automate many old occupations. There are two distinct populations of Abrendese—your typical ‘street dweller’ and the nobility. The nobility are shunned, though they hardly notice. The street dwellers live alongside the Shéar and are only distinguishable through their accents and a fondness for gadgets.
Naki
Clothing Style: Cyberpunk
Language: Varies; Sign
The Naki are those of mixed race or unknown race. They have a bit of Abrendese, a bit of Shéar, some Erré, and maybe just a tiny bit of Irrít. It’s completely random and completely irrelevant. Their appearance can take from any of the races, including oddities from the Chronoscape that have settled in on Shérok. Despite their ambiguous origins, they form strong communities with each other. There are several waypoints on traveling roads that will constantly have Naki watching out for each other. They are also responsible for the traditional message relays across the country.
Along with these, there are many Shéar and Erré who become Naki over the course of their lifetime. People can develop odd mutations through experimentation or acquire a bit too many mechanical prosthetics for the liking of the general populace. Even when their appearance is unaffected, they may lose their magic and become shunned by others. While other races would shy away from these ‘abominations,’ the Naki take them in with open arms and help them get acclimated to a new life. If they decide to join the group for life, they will adopt the race as their own and their children will be Naki with them.
They are the originator of a peculiar sign language that takes as little effort to ‘speak’ as possible. It’s simple, but the subtle cues are enough to recognize each other immediately and get across important messages. Since Naki find themselves in dangerous situations more than any other group, a language that allows them to speak freely without arousing suspicion was a necessity.