Shai Kugaya

Shai Kugaya is a civilization located to the west of Kaleidos, located in the center of the desert wastes that lay beyond the fae forest. They are a large group of different races, mostly half breeds and mutts of all different species. The people of Shai Kugaya are well known for their technology and arcanomechanical contraptions. Unknown to the rest of the world, what powers all of their creations are the mysterious power from the Mishu Crystals, curious gemstones that occur naturally only within the deep sarlaccian pit that makes up Kesh'Tan Ur.

### History

Beginning this history over 1,200 years ago, the people of Shai Kugaya mostly originate from a large group of refugees trying to escape a long dead civilization on the surface world. This large group of travelers, running from a tyrannical regime that wanted them all dead, found traversing the treacherous desert to be their only hope of escape. In the middle of this travel, an enormous sinkhole opened up underneath the group, sending them all plummeting miles into the earth, never to be seen again by the surface world.

The few 207 survivors of the gargantuan fall managed to survive through miraculous means, somehow slowing down in their descent just before hitting the bottom to only escape with some injury, but the vast majority of them were unfortunate enough to perish during the fall or to be crushed by falling debris. These few survivors were able to look up and tell that there was no way for them to escape in their lifetimes, let alone multiple lifetimes, so they adapted to surviving in the depths. In one of the nearby cave systems was an underground stream from a nearby aquifer that gave them all the water they could ever need, and plenty of plants down here grew quickly due to the richness of the soil, even without the presence of sunlight, as though a natural aura around their caverns provided the energy their plants need.

Over the years, these survivors created a thriving village in their cavern system, and began to expand slowly to the area around them. The entire time, through the tiny hole at the top of their cavern, there were a few stars that inspired the people. This constellation, created by the natural border of the cliffs far above, became a cultural icon for their survival and persistence, inevitably becoming a cultural tattoo that the people would get on their wrists and still do to this day.

Over the centuries, the people expanded their caverns and explored the natural underdark around them. Over time, their language blended from an elf/gnome derivative into it's own dialect, resembling undercommon but distinct enough to be it's own. The Shai Kugayans also developed a vast interest in mechanical engineer, developing devices that make carving the rocks and doing their daily work that much easier. Inevitably, this technology would be merged with the discovery of the Mishu Crystal, a formerly useless gem that was suddenly discovered to contain seemingly limitless energy.

Approximately 80 years ago, Johann Mishu discovered, while playing with a cheap red crystal common in their underground haven, that when water is dropped onto it, it flashes instantly to steam, with the crystal glowing from the heat generated. Johann, with their background in mechanical engineering, used this principal to create a Mishu Engine, a device that turns water put into the device into mechanical energy. This revolutionized their industry, and within the span of a few years of development, reaching upwards to the surface was within reach.

Upon emergence to the surface world 74 years ago, the people immediately made a name for themselves and their civilization. As the possibility for other towns and villages emerged, they had to name their original home. Settling on the name Kesh'Tan Ur, they moved out into the world and very quickly learned that their new technology and the MIshu Crystal had to be kept secret, as the local villages they came across were immediately jealous and threw themselves at Shai Kugayans to obtain any semblance of power. As a result, the government of Shai Kugaya reinforced strict restrictions on knowledge and possession of the Mishu Crystals that stand to this day.