Myths, Legends, Religion and Culture

The Culture of the world of Shatterdown is varied, moss grown and fed from the bones of civilization.

Collected here will be myths and legends that establish the backstory and cultural turmoil/climate of Shatterdown. Player-driven and created myths and cultural idiosyncrasies will be posted here as well.

After the collapse orphaned children had no one to teach them but eachother. Childish beliefs became powerful faith for those who may have had none otherwise.

There is a rather widespread belief in angels in the southern regions, especially Surtiera.

Children who grew up with the myths taught it to their children, and it is a widespread and fervent belief among gangs of orphans in the southern regions. It has lead to many SELF-STYLED PROPHETS wandering the South.

H U N T E R L O R E

Hunters are well known all across the regions thanks to their early establishment and strong influence through protection, violence and specific symbols. All but the most remote villages and settlements have heard of Hunters in some form or another.

Each region's Hunters have their own trademark methods, but all use the + (creedcross)

The NORTHERN Hunters, with their battles for access to mafia stashes, are known for their FIREARMS with modified BAYONETS. Every gun can be used as a bladed AND bludgeoning weapon when it runs out of ammo. For that reason they are also known as BLADESLINGERS.


The SOUTHERN Hunters from the regions that were once florida, alabama and other southern states are known for RAISING, TRAINING and FARMING all sorts of birds. Messenger pigeons, birds of prey and even carrion birds and sometimes(rarely) parrots are all raised by Southern Hunters, in addition to fowl raised for meat. Also notable is their TRAINING IN ARCHERY RATHER THAN FIREARMS. Glass arrowheads are their trademark.

LEGENDS OF FIRE


Pyros/Firebugs: Depending on the region, there are a lot of stories about how the ability to manipulate and cause fire formed, and why those who had such a power rose in the eyes of man as new heroes and gods. All of the stories have a few things in common: The firebug didn't always have their amazing abilities, but developed them after usually deadly childhood illnesses, and all of them mention a kindly man who stole bottles, vials, jars, or more ominously needles that carried the fire that flowed from their hands. This man is almost always called a SAINT, as newer folk heroes have often been called. Depending on the region he may be called JAKE/JACOB, LUCIO/LUCE/LUZO, ALVIN/ALVARIO or LUCKY/LUCK.

NOTABLE FIREBUGS IN HISTORY: Aside from Saint Jake himself


Wildfires: Often attributed to godly or demonic causes in more superstitious groups and settlements. Believed to be the cause of lack of communication with the WEST.


The Thunder of God: The JORDANITE people of NYC in the far northeast believe that as payback for all their suffering, God changed the experiments done on them and gave them the powers he usually saved for animals to FIGHT BACK against those trying to oppress them. The THUNDER OF GOD is the power of BLUE-EYED JORDANITES that allows them to shoot arcs of electricity when in close proximity to a target. Unfortunately this can cause URBAN WILDFIRES. There are instances in their oral history in which this has HELPED and HARMED their various tribes and families. Fables involving such failures and victories are told to SCARE CHILDREN into avoiding the ABUSE OF THEIR ABILITIES.

THE FIRST FIVE and OTHER SAINTS


The Book of Carson is considered a new sort of "bible" among many of the people of New Earth. It was written by the apparent first of the CARSON family line, a man who may well have been the eldest son of Saint Jake himself. It is a skewed and religious view that many adopted as truth, an origin they could cling to. It is falsely believed that Hunters believe and follow the codes of the Book of Carson, due to their almost spiritual nature in their duty; the truth is that the Book and the Hunter Codices were simply formed in the same mental and cultural climate so to say.

AGRICULTURE, ANIMAL HUSBANDRY and BOTANY



Urban Goats and Pigeon Coops: in the nearly mountainous urban regions of New Earth, raising animals for meat, fur, eggs and milk became a difficult task. The most suitable livestock were goats, which were easier to train to deal with skyscraper terrain. The most suitable poultry replacement were pigeons, though raising various bird types was much easier than large mammals. There are many breeds of goats including some altered species that had lines preserved from pre-sunfury experiments.