Origins
༄ 𐤊𐤟𐤁𐤋 𐤟 𐤔𐤕𐤅 𐤟 𐤔𐤌𐤌 𐤟 𐤅𐤉𐤌 𐤟 𐤔𐤌𐤕 ༄
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A map of near Skysea, not remotely to scale.
Illustration by Arturo Gómez Martínez
From whence do you hail?
From whence do you hail?
Your origin is where you’re from—the culture in which you were born and raised, or otherwise came into being. The four peoples of the Skysea—Kananites, Mazrians, Shinarians, and Zordin—all descended from human beings on Earth. But only Kananites resemble familiar humans. Over eons in the swirling miasma of the Skysea, the other three origins have evolved fantastical traits.
Origin Options
Origin Options
Start with: Keepsake, 1𐤑 credit
Kananites look like ordinary humans and live in the game’s central setting. They get extra spirit from the ✪Blessing of Adod.Start with: Keepsake, 2𐤑 credits
Mazrians come from a rich and powerful empire and look like humans, except they have the heads of animals, which yield one ability: ✪Farsight, ✪Jaws, or ✪Keen Senses.Start with: Keepsake
Shinarians are clay golem amnesiacs who recently awoke from a long period of dormancy. Their ✪Clay Form makes them slow but tough, and they may be ✪Inscrutable or ✪Massive.Start with: Keepsake
Zordin have been mutated, or dreamtouched, by the Chaos realm and have a variety of unusual physiological traits—abilities known as ✪Blessings of Yom. Zordin start with 1 greater blessing OR 2 lesser blessings.Origin Details
The four origins are detailed in the following pages. After choosing your origin:Origin Details
- Note your origin’s starting ✪ability or abilities. (Mazrians, Shinarians, and Zordin offer multiple options for starting abilities.)
- Note the language or languages granted by your origin.
- Choose a keepsake, a meaningful item from your origin that you carry in your pack.
The following pages also include lists of common names from each origin, as well as tables of prompts for you to answer about your hero’s views and experiences with their origin. Use this information as you like, but it’s fine to leave blanks in your hero’s backstory too.Finally, your origin determines what kinds of lore are available to you when you create your hero.
Origin Inspirations
Origin Inspirations
When Sky & Sea Were Not Named is not what you might call “historically accurate,” but the game’s setting is based on the real-world people of the late Bronze Age who lived around the eastern Mediterranean Sea. I encourage you to use these cultures as inspiration for playing your hero.
Tel-Kanan is based on Canaan, which includes modern-day Lebanon, Palestine, and Israel. The Canaanites invented the alphabet and would later be known as the Phoenicians, "the purple people" in Greek, so named for their famous purple dyes. The deities in this game are based on Canaanite mythology.
Mazr is based on ancient Egypt, which historically dominated Canaan. The Egyptians pioneered seafaring in the ancient Mediterranean, though this mantle would eventually be taken up by the Phoenicians.
Shinar is the “land between the rivers”—more commonly known as Mesopotamia, which included the cultures of the Sumerians, Akkadians, Babylonians, and Assyrians. They spoke languages similar to the Canaanites.
The Zordin are based on the infamous and mysterious "Sea People" whose invasions and migrations presaged the so-called Bronze-Age Collapse. There’s some evidence they came from southern European islands like Sardinia.
Just like modern-day cultures, each one of these historical cultures was diverse, full of people of many different appearances and ways of thinking, and all of them changed dramatically over time. The origins in this game are also intended to be diverse and mutable. Let history inspire your character, but don't feel hamstrung by it.
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