Location:

Darkside, Luclin

Ruler:

King Raja Kerrath

Appearance:

Built within the crater created when the Vah Shir were transported to Luclin, the majestic city rises upwards and can only be accessed via two long bridges at the Northern and Southern ends on the city.

The city itself is split into three distinct areas.  The centre of the city contains the Kings palace and administrative buildings.  Surrounding the palace are the workshops of the artisans and guilds. The outer ring of the city is where most of the merchants can be found. Various taverns and inns are scattered throughout.

The Vah Shir take great pride in their city with little gardens and fountains placed around the inner circle that the locals lounge around in on pleasant days.

Many travellers new to Shar Vahl can quickly become lost however as the city has an almost maze-like quality.  But once they figure out the layout, getting around is very easy and quick.

Inhabitants:

Exclusively Vah Shir

History:

To the Kerran people, the ancestors of the Vah Shir, that still live on Norrath, the time prior to the "The Shifting" is well known.

Not much is known about the Vah Shir after the cataclysm since they do not keep written historical records.  However, it is known that the first few years were hard on Luclin's newest arrivals.  Lost and without the voices of their ancestral spirits to guide them, the people relied entirely on their Lord Vah to guide them and bring them together.

Realising that his people's hold on the land was tenuous at best, Vah sent out scouts and warriors to survey the land and instructed his artisans to begin constructing the city in the crater so that his people could have a home.

Not only did Vah's scouts discover other people living on Luclin— Humans who were the last remnants of the ancient Combine Empire— but strange and vicious animals who roamed the lands.  The scouts also discovered a strange magical ore in the area to the North of their settlement.  The smiths and miners examined the samples returned and reported that the metal extracted from the ore could help ensure the survival of the Shir— such was its strength and power.

So, Vah sent out a large contingent of miners to the North to open up a mine to extract what would become known as acrylia.  The mines produced a wealth of ore and the entire city of Shar Vahl was constructed from it.  The material was used in everything from buildings to armor, weapons and mystical charms.

However, after several years the Vah Shir lost control of their mines when a horde of creatures known as Grimlings suddenly appeared in the mine and slaughtered many of the Vah Shir miners.  It is not known exactly where these creatures came from, but it is speculated that the Vah Shir miners breached a seam of ore that led to a hidden underground stronghold.  Whether this is true or not is unknown, as those miners did not live long enough to make a report.

The Grimling Horde and the Vah Shir waged a long war that has now settled into a stalemate.  The Grimlings still hold the acrylia mines, which limits the amount of ore the Vah Shir miners can extract from new nearby mines.  The city of Shar Vahl is well-protected, although the Vah Shir can only maintain a small outpost to the immediate North in what is now called Hollowshade Moor.  The area called Shadeweaver's Thicket to the South is more or less under Vah Shir control.  Here, various bands of Loda Kai poachers and brigands cause the occasional problem.  There are also tensions between the Gor Taku and the Shak Dratha; these appear to be different factions of the same peculiar race.

The Vah Shir may have a small hold on Luclin, but they are content to secure the small area they have and make it safe for their people.  They do however want to reclaim their acrylia mines from the Grimling Horde.  This seems unlikely though as the Vah Shir do not have the numbers for another intensive war.

Culture and Society:

The Vah Shir is a highly social culture where the good of the society is more important than the individual.  Family ties are very strong as are those to close friends.  A Vah Shir will go to the aid of another even though they may never have met previously.

A stranger entering Shar Vahl for the first time may be mildly surprised at the friendliness around them, which is in stark contrast to their feral natures that can quickly come bubbling to the surface when provoked.  All around the city, small groups of Vah Shir can be seen chatting. The merchants are also quite chatty and will spend hours discussing their wares and how they are made.

The young are inducted into various guilds at an early age where they are given extensive training.  All around the city and in bordering areas, training camps can be found with young Vah Shir sparring or listening to the lectures given by the experienced trainers.

The Vah Shir are monogamous in nature and will usually eventually settle down and raise a family with a single mate.  While youthful Vah Shir are playful and tend to flirt outrageously with the opposite gender, once they find someone compatible they usually become completely devoted to them.

The Vah Shir take a straightforward approach to courtship.  Once they find someone compatible they will introduce each other to their respective families before buying a wedding ring from Broker Faahar and taking their vows before a Spiritist and the city Registrar  Afterwards, everyone has a party.

The courtship in other races can take several months, whereas the Vah Shir method doesn't take anything like that amount of time.  There have been some cases where two Vah Shir meet for the first time in the morning and immediately know that they are right for each other.  They are then married and getting drunk by the evening.

A female usually gives birth to one or two cubs at a time, although three or four cubs are not unheard of.  This means that the young usually grow up with a sibling of the same age that results in some friendly rivalry.

Both parents take care of the young and unlike other races the females may be the main providers while the male stays at home and "watches the shop."  This has more to do with the fact that Shar Vahl and its people are isolated and surrounded by hostile forces than any social structure.  If the female is a powerful Shaman, then her work may be more important to the survival of the city than the husband's ability.  In which case, she goes to work while the male looks after the cubs.

Government and Law:

The Vah Shir are a monarchy where the laws are laid down by their King and his table of advisors.

Religion and Holidays:

The Vah Shir do not worship any deities.  Their entire spiritual beliefs are centred on the worship of their ancestors and animism (that un-animated objects such as rocks or an item of clothing can hold a spirit).  The Spiritists are the closest that the Vah Shir have to clergy in the conventional sense.  These spiritists can "speak" to their ancestors and commune with other spirits for guidance or aid.  Some can even call on a willing spirit to bond with some object to enhance its power (such as a shield).

Since they assume the spirits are always around them, the Vah Shir have never built any temples or other places of worship.  They will give thanks to and request blessings of their ancestors whenever it is most convenient for them.  The closest thing to a place of worship they have is a large fire in Shadeweaver's Thicket which is constantly fed with the remains with the enemies of Shar Vahl.  (Many a poachers bones have been thrown into it.)  Around the fire, Vah Shir female spiritists dance to ward away evil spirits and to call lost Vah Shir spirits home.  Many Vah Shir come here to meditate after a long days hunt - most of which are males.  Whether they come to meditate or just to watch the lithe dancers is never clear.

Since most Vah Shir as so good-natured almost every day is a holiday.  However, they do pay close attention to their Royal Week (it actually spans two weeks, but the Vah Shir are not ones for niggling details).  This represents the period between the death of the previous reigning monarch and the coronation of the current one.  The time of this holiday will change when there is a change in rulership.  Currently, it is observed in the last two weeks of November.

The first week is devoted to meditation, fasting and communing with the spirits and requesting the blessings of the dead king.  The second week is devoted to feasting and drinking to the current King's good health.  Rock Hopper meat is usually in short supply after this event.

The only other holiday they observe is the "Day of Shifting" on the first of May, in honor of their arrival on Luclin and the founding of the city.  The exact date is unknown since the time of shifting was a bit confusing and chaotic.  However, various bits of lore and hints given by the spirits pointed towards May.  So, on the first of that month, various fires are lit around the battlements of the city that burn brightly and tell all the other nearby residents that "The Vah Shir are here!"

All throughout the city, stalls are set up and the Royal Cooks will prepare food for the general populace, most of which is consumed fairly quickly.  The Vah Shir have big appetites, after all.

The Day of Shifting is basically an excuse to get outrageously drunk and spend the next two days nursing a whopper of a hangover.

Alliances:

None

Enemies:

None

Prexus Server Player Character Natives:

Tanathi

Karana Server Player Character Natives:

Santhar Milin, Hanosh Kindat, Rolni

Shops and Tradesmen

Guilds