Ka'Shari History
Ker Nëlemni na Ka'Shiri, which means "the
dispossessed who now seek the light". But for daily matters, people like to use Nëlemni or Ka'Shari depending on their beliefs or political
affiliations. The last one being the most common.
The Ka'Shari sea nomads come from a remote island in a cold region named Runkani'Nyl,
"the Many Lights Harbor". There, a long time ago, tribes of primitive hunters
assisted by strange mages discovered a matter like amber that could be used to enhance or
store magic. Believed to be a gift from the gods (sun pearls), this kind of amber allowed
the mages to make breakthroughs in magic mastery. Decades later, mages were able to fuel a
powerful ritual that was used to create a sort of circle protecting the population from
the cold. Inside this ward against the elements, they were able to found a city gifted by
gentle weather conditions (agriculture and culture then developed, as well as magic).
Surrounded by ice, the city became a jewel in a frozen land filled with gardens. Turned
toward the sea, ship crafting developed to allow fishing and whale hunting.
In the gardens of Runkani'Nyl, mages kept sacred fires going that channeled magic in amber
orbs, ivory carvings were crafted into astonishing forms and the veneration of
astrology and specifically a goddess represented by five stars known as the boreal crown
and her five children (patrons of the city, one for each star) took place.
Then something went wrong and the magic that protected the city failed and sealed the fate
of this culture. The fall must have been quick and certainly of a supernatural nature.
Then as the city was destroyed, four or five characters managed to gather survivors and to
escape with ships. These heroes became the founders of the tribe fleets of the nomadic
descendants. Hidden among these survivors were scholars and mystics that wanted to save
their secrets and knowledge that would found secret circles among the population. The
visible aspect of this part of the population would then take the form of teachers
(something like sea-druids that function as counselors, but although look for promising
recruits for secret circles).
The fugitive Ka'Shari travelled for centuries following Qaiyore's western coastline, forgetting the reason for their exodus. During their exile, they encountered many Qaiyorean societies for short periods. Their course can be traced back by various writings and some legends, but it seems that these nomads never settled on any land.