During one of the many, many apocalyptic wars on Shem, many humans chose to flee underground. In their subterranean wanderings, they found their way to a region called the Hollow, a massive cavern midway through the layers of the world. Unbelievably, it was a realm of waterfalls, rivers, lakes, and strange underground plants. Foraging for their survival, they soon found they could eat many of these plants and some of the animals present. At first, they wore masks to protect them from the dust in the air and carried lights to see, but after many generations, they evolved so they could handle it. The ambient energies in the area also transformed them, giving them their skin, eyes, and other powers.

These first explorers of this wilderness lived in desperate groups just trying to survive, but after they settled, these groups developed into tribes. Slowly but surely they built a complex society of cicular stone temples with great spires in the middle, cities built along rivers and lakes, and beautiful tunnel-complexes.

Having fled the disastrous merchant-states and tyrannies of the upper world, their tribes developed a system they felt was more fair below. Every member of the community had a vote after they turn 12, and all issues that affect the whole community were subject to a vote. There were multiple councils which guided the community, including those based on craft or work, those based on gender (of which there were 12), those based on age (children's council, young adults, adults, and elders), and those based on certain political interests. These councils were called the lǐshì huì. The councils elected their own officers, but these officers have no more power than any other member--just more responsibilities.

The only kind of work not allowed to have a council was the military. These had to answer to the councils. Everyone had to serve at least two years after they came of age at 16 and before they turned 30. Those who choose to remain in the military had to be tested by the councils to ensure their loyalty, political acumen, and skills. They were split into several different branches: soldiers, tunnelers, sailors, spies, pathfinders, hunters, assassins, war-mystics, and demolitionists. They elected among them their own leadership, but these had to also be approved by the councls.

Children were raised by their extended families, taught in community schools, and encouraged to pursue their own paths. Gender was a complex system that is less a spectrum and more a puzzle of different correlations. Once a child came of age at 16, they were welcomed to adulthood with a special piercing ceremony and a week-long party.

This society lasted for a long time, but some of their nation split off and formed their own society, and over time, the nation known as the laobanren developed. This society lured many of the haoren over to them and eventually returned with an army that dominated and enslaved the haoren. Some haoren escaped and retained much of their old culture, but most have been absorbed into laobanren culture as a slave nation. As slaves, they either mimic the culture of their masters or they live in desperation and try to preserve what they once knew.

What remains of haoren culture:

Haoren wear little clothing, preferring loincloths and little else. They engage in body-piercing, especially the ears, nose, lips, arms, legs, sides, backs, and even necks. Most piercings are ornamental, but a handful have special meaning: a neck-piercing along the left side is received when one comes of age, a piercing of the lower back is given as a reward for excellence and bravery in combat, a piercing of the septum is done when one has their first child, a piercing of the upper part of the right ear is done as a wedding gift. Different metals and jewels are used. None of these represent status, but rather, personal style. Some choose to ornament themselves only with one kind of jewel or metal, or with specific designs, or with special combinations of color and size, and so on. Often they have personal meaning.

Music is very popular among the haoren, and they prefer to play in the tunnels to incorporate echoes into their songs. Every year, communities near to each other gather for special performances to mark the turning of the year and remembrance of their times above. (They mark time based on the surface-calendars using a counting system.) They also engage in numerous sports, mostly revolving around endurance, strength, and precision.