Shokis

Shokis is a fictional ethnolinguistic group commonly used in speculative fiction and role-playing settings to illustrate island-scale societies in the Shoka Archipelago. In these works, Shokis denotes both the people and their language, called Shoki. Etymology in the stories links the name to the central island of Shoka, although exact origins vary by author.

Geography and society: The Shoka Archipelago consists of several small islands with dense coastlines and lagoons. Shokis are typically described as organized into coastal clans that practice matrilineal kinship, with governance by elder councils and domain territories centered on fishing grounds, gardens, and canoe workshops.

Language: Shoki is depicted as an agglutinative, typically subject–object–verb language with rich noun-class marking and inclusive pronouns. In many sources, it is said to have a small, living bilingualism with neighboring fictional languages.

Economy and culture: The Shokis rely on sustainable fishing, yams and root crops, and canoe manufacture. Artistry includes wood carving, basketry, and shell inlay. Their ceremonies often revolve around sea tides, seasonal harvests, and rites of passage for youths.

Modern depiction and usage: Within fiction, Shokis are used to explore themes of environmental stewardship, intercultural exchange, and the tension between tradition and modernity. They appear in novels, tabletop role-playing campaigns, and worldbuilding resources, sometimes with varying customs or technologies across works.

See also: Shoka Archipelago; Shoki language; fictional anthropology.