Vah Shir

Overview of Shar Vahl

The Vah Shir were the nobles of kerran society prior to the war between the Heretics and the Erudites. During this war, they were caught in a blast of experimental magic that resulted in the creation of what is now known as The Hole.

Due to their spiritual nature, the kerran nobility enjoyed some protection against the strong and violent magic. The shaman were especially quick to raise their magical defense for themselves and their warrior companions.

Written works are not used by the Vah Shir. Their reasoning holds that the impure magic that begot the cataclysm was a direct result of the research done by the Erudites, who had twisted pure spiritual magic into something unnatural. Thus, the telling of lore is passed down from generation to generation in the form of stories and songs shared by the bards and shaman.

Shar Vahl is a beautiful, walled city and is the starting point for kerran adventurers. Its grand buildings are constructed from acrylia, a marble-like stone with phosphorescent veins running through it. The city lies in the center of a large crater created by the impact of the Shard of Norrath when it hit this region of Luclin. The city is naturally protected by a surrounding canyon and further protected by fortifications constructed by the kerrans.

The Vah Shir are not intrinsically hostile to adventurers of any sort. However, if one has done something to rouse the ire of this noble, powerful race, then they would quickly find themselves at the merciless vengeance of a Vah Shir warrior's blade.

Shar Vahl houses an array of shops and taverns unlike anything on Norrath or the whole of Luclin. The Shar Vahl nearly disappeared generations past, and with their unexpected and tragic departure, their culture almost vanished as well. However, this rich and vibrant community has been restored and revitalized, having learned from past experience to evolve to a higher state.

Before the beginnings of Kerran Civilization, each Kerran roamed their own territory as did the beasts of the wild. Soon the lands became too small to divide, and so four of the eldest Kerran journeyed to the very top of the highest peak in the Stonebrunt Mountains to seek out more land, one from each direction.

When they reached the top, they met and began to speak to one another. Kajek, the first to arrive, spoke first, and he said, "I am the first to have found this peak. And so the land is mine." Shir, the second to arrive and largest of the four, spoke next, and he said, "You are the first, but there is no more land, and so we will fight. The victor shall take this land." Karani and Shahar were females and spoke as one, and they said, "We will share this land with the victor."

But Kajek was wise and he said to the three, "You say there is no more land and so we must fight. Perhaps the spirits can show us if this is, indeed, the last of the land." And so they agreed. Kajek made fire and called to the spirits to show them the truth. He chanted to the spirits until nightfall, when the moon came forth, and Kajek glanced to the skies and placed his staff upon the fire. The crystal stone within his staff began to glow and upon the moon the image of Shir could be seen. And Kajek spoke, "Up there lies land. If you are truly strong, then that land is for you and this is my land." Shahar and Karani agreed, "He is right and we will share this land with Kajek as the spirits foretell."

Shir turned away his head as if to leave. It was then that the voice of the spirits cried out, "You must share the land until the journey to the farthest land of the night's sky can be made by the children of the beast. It is on this land that the chosen ones will become the warriors of the great spirit. It is on this land that the destiny of the chosen ones shall be proclaimed."

The four nodded in acknowledgement of the wise spirits. Kajek howled to the spirits, "It will be so, but it was Shir who had wished to slay me. From this day, his kin must seek council with the three that wish for peace." The reply of the spirit came forth, "It shall be so until the wise one steps forth from the rocks and the mist. It is then that all shall be as one."

The Vah Shir are an offshoot of the kerran race that originated on the Norrathian continent of Odus. Legend holds that the kerrans were once bitterly divided and in the throes of a bloody civil war when a great leader, Kejaan Kerrath, emerged to unite the tribes into a single nation. A golden age followed, during which the kerrans became the dominant species on Odus.

Kejaan proved a wise and resourceful ruler, drawing his elite nobles from among the other kerran clans. From clan Shir came nobles, generals, and warriors. From Kajek came shamans and counselors. From the clan of Shahar, Kejaan drew his hunters and farmers, and from clan Karani, he selected his civil servants and bureaucrats. The so-called Komiyat Kerrath grew in strength and influence.

The coming of the Erudites proved catastrophic for the kerrans, even though relations between the two races were good. When a small number of Erudites first took up the practice of necromancy, however, the kerrans began to fall ill, and soon plague raged through their cities and villages. Convinced that the heretic Erudites and their dark magic were responsible, Kejaan himself went to treat with their leaders, but even he returned weak and sickly. He died soon thereafter, and his son Vah took the throne.

Vah gathered his elite forces in the Shir city of Shar Vahl, intending to join the Erudites in their war against the heretics. Before he could act, however, a great battle broke out between the heretics and Erudites, resulting in huge pieces of Norrath being flung into space — and among them the city of Shar Vahl.

The rogue Rejik tells the story of the Vah Shir and their arrival on Luclin. He was a scout and a spy of middle rank on the day of the great explosion. His account is a rare record from the early days of Shar Vahl, since written works have since been prohibited there.

Luclin is a jealous and somewhat petty deity, but she chose in this case not to punish the interlopers, for she knew that their coming was not by choice. Once more, she allowed Norrathian aliens to remain on her moon. Soon after arriving upon Luclin, the kerrans also discovered that their connection to the spirits of Norrath had been cut off. Only the great beast-spirit Sahteb Mahlni remained in contact with the Vah Shir, leading many of the