Sahar

Sahar are the mystical heart of the Order of Arelian, gifted individuals chosen for their innate connection to magic and their ability to channel it in profound ways. Tasked with maintaining the balance of magic and protecting the mortal realm from dark forces, the Sahar embody the ideals of wisdom, restraint, and power.
From the moment they are recruited, Sahar undergo rigorous training that combines the arcane arts with the philosophies of the Order. They learn to wield magic as both a tool and a weapon, mastering spells that can heal, shield, or destroy. However, their education extends beyond spellcraft; they are taught the importance of balance, the cost of magic under The Law of Consumption, and the consequences of wielding power unwisely. This ensures that every Sahar carries not only strength but also the wisdom to use it judiciously.
The bond with their Guardian sets the Sahar apart from other magic users. Through this sacred connection, Sahar can draw upon their Guardian's strength to amplify their own magical abilities, enabling them to perform feats otherwise unattainable. This symbiotic relationship elevates them to a level of power that few can match, making Sahar and Guardians an unstoppable force when united. Yet, the Sahar's role is not without risk. Their power makes them a target for dark forces, and their bond with their Guardian renders them vulnerable should that connection be severed.
At their core, the Sahar are not just mages but protectors—of magic, balance, and the people of Tanaria—guided by the ideals of unity and responsibility passed down by Aurelian and Leohran.

Career

Qualifications

To be considered for the role of a Sahar in the Order of Arelian, candidates must meet strict criteria that ensure their potential and ability to uphold the Order’s ideals:

• Innate Magical Ability: A natural connection to magic is essential, demonstrated through raw magical potential, elemental attunement, or rare gifts like sensing fate threads or magical empathy.
• Mental and Emotional Fortitude: Sahar candidates must possess discipline, focus, and emotional resilience to endure the physical and mental strain of wielding magic and forming a bond with a Guardian.
• Willingness to Serve: Candidates must fully commit to the Order’s ideals of unity, balance, and protection, dedicating their lives to safeguarding Tanaria.
• Endurance for Training: Prospective Sahar must be prepared for years of grueling study and physical conditioning, as they train in both arcane arts and martial combat alongside Guardians.
• Passing the Trials: Candidates must succeed in the Order’s annual trials or receive a vouching recommendation from an existing member to bypass the initial selection process.

Only those who demonstrate exceptional magical aptitude, unwavering commitment, and the mental strength to carry their responsibilities are chosen to begin their journey as a Sahar.

Career Progression

The journey to becoming a Sahar or Guardian within the Order of Arelian is an arduous and sacred process. The Order seeks not just strength or skill but the right threads of fate that bind a pair together, ensuring unity and harmony.

Recruitment and Trials

Candidates may come from all walks of life, whether recruited for their potential or volunteering to prove themselves.

• Annual Trials: Held every year, these trials are open to anyone with the courage to apply. Candidates must showcase their abilities—be it martial prowess for Guardians or raw magical potential for Sahar.
• Vouching: Existing members of the Order can vouch for a candidate, allowing them to bypass the initial trials and proceed to formal assessment.

Those with magical abilities are identified early and trained as prospective Sahar, but they face almost double the workload: honing their arcane skills while also learning martial combat alongside Guardians. This ensures Sahar are resilient and capable of surviving the physical challenges of battle.

Practical Trials and Thread Assessment

Once candidates reach a certain stage of training, they must undergo practical trials to test their abilities and compatibility with others.

• Combat Matches: Trainees are paired into unbonded teams and sent into combat simulations or practical challenges to test their synergy, teamwork, and instincts.
• Assessment by the Priests of Velmorra: The Order cannot create new threads of fate. Instead, the priests assess each trainee’s existing threads, searching for connections that can be strengthened. A Guardian or Sahar may wait for years to find the right partner whose threads align with theirs.

It is during this phase that the unbonded often face their greatest trial: patience. The Order holds firm to the belief that forced or mismatched bonds weaken both individuals and threaten the balance they are sworn to protect.

Pairing and Pre-Bond Training

Once a pair is identified, they begin several weeks of rigorous training together. This period allows them to understand one another, building trust and learning each other’s strengths, weaknesses, and rhythms.

• Through drills, exercises, and joint studies, they develop the foundation of a partnership that will endure the rest of their lives.
• This phase is critical. The Order believes that no bond can succeed if the pair does not know or respect each other before the formal ritual.

The Bonding Ceremony

The culmination of their journey is the sacred Bonding Ceremony, an intimate and elaborate ritual overseen by the priests of Velmorra. This ceremony strengthens the natural threads of fate connecting the Sahar and Guardian, forging a bond that is both physical and metaphysical.

• During the ritual, the pair must maintain physical contact, often placing their hands on one another or holding onto shared points of connection.
• The bond leaves permanent physical marks where they touched:
  • Some marks appear as glowing handprints.
  • Others resemble intricate birthmarks, symbols, or arcane runes woven into their skin.
• The ritual is deeply personal, as the pair shares thoughts, emotions, and parts of their very essence during the bonding process.

The marks left by the ceremony are more than just scars—they are a visual testament to their connection and a source of power for both partners. Post-Bonding Adjustment and Final Training After the bonding, pairs are given a period of time to adjust to their new awareness.

• The Adjustment Week: The first week is a period of rest and acclimation, allowing the Sahar and Guardian to adapt to their heightened awareness of one another’s thoughts, emotions, and presence.
• Final Training: Over the next few months, pairs learn how to manipulate their bond, channel energy between them, and refine their teamwork. The Guardian learns to support and protect the Sahar, while the Sahar learns to amplify their strength through their partner.

Once this training is complete, the pair is considered a fully recognized Sahar and Guardian of the Order of Arelian, ready to take on their sacred duty to protect Tanaria.

Payment & Reimbursement

While the Order of Arelian does not operate like a mercenary organization, its Sahar and Guardians are highly respected and appropriately rewarded for their service. As a world-renowned institution, the Order ensures that its members are well-supported, both materially and socially, while also maintaining their status as paragons of unity and strength.

• Honor and Prestige: Simply being a Sahar or Guardian of the Order is a mark of immense prestige. Those who wear the Order’s sigil are revered across Tanaria and treated with respect by rulers, nobles, and common folk alike.


• Material Rewards: When pairs are appointed to serve nations or resolve conflicts, compensation is negotiated directly with the requesting party. This can include gold, land, or valuable resources, with the Order managing and distributing the rewards. Sahar and Guardians themselves receive generous allowances, ensuring they never lack for equipment, provisions, or personal comfort.


• Housing and Equipment: Members of the Order are provided with accommodations within the Order's strongholds, outfitted with enchanted gear, armor, and weapons tailored to their roles. Pairs assigned to nations or warfronts are often given estates, secure residences, or lodgings appropriate to their status and needs.


• Lifetime Support: Upon retirement, Sahar and Guardians are honored with pensions, continued access to the Order’s resources, and sanctuary in its strongholds. Many retired pairs serve as advisors, teachers, or emissaries, ensuring their wisdom benefits future generations.


• Social Standing: The Order’s influence elevates its members to positions of authority. Nation leaders often treat bonded pairs as trusted advisors, granting them privileges and titles that reflect their importance. It is not uncommon for pairs to be gifted with ceremonial honors, estates, or seats at royal courts.

While Sahar and Guardians do not seek material rewards, their unparalleled skills and reputation ensure they are well-compensated and held in the highest regard throughout Tanaria. Their work, whether protecting leaders or resolving conflicts, cements their status as indispensable protectors of balance and peace.

Perception

Purpose

The Sahar serve as keepers of balance and protectors of magic within Tanarian societies. They are revered as wise and powerful magic users whose abilities extend far beyond conventional mages. Appointed to protect leaders, resolve conflicts, and combat dark forces, Sahar are often viewed as advisors, mediators, and guardians of the arcane. Their presence brings reassurance to kingdoms and cities, symbolizing stability, protection, and divine favor.
In times of peace, Sahar are sought for their wisdom, their ability to perceive magical disturbances, and their understanding of the threads of fate. In war, they are indispensable forces on the battlefield, amplifying their power through their Guardians to shift the tide of conflict. To the common people, Sahar are seen as near-mythical figures—living conduits of magic and balance whose actions safeguard the mortal realm.

Demographics

The number of Sahar within the general population is exceptionally small, comprising roughly 0.05% of Tanaria’s people. Their rarity stems from the stringent requirement of innate magical affinity, which cannot be taught or forced. Even among those with magical potential, few possess the mental fortitude, discipline, and conviction to endure the rigorous training demanded by the Order of Arelian. As a result, Sahar are a rare and treasured asset, often seen as irreplaceable in the societies they serve.
Together, Sahar and Guardians represent less than 0.3% of the population, underscoring the exclusivity and reverence afforded to members of the Order of Arelian. Their scarcity ensures that they remain symbols of hope, balance, and power wherever they are seen.

History

The roles of Sahar and Guardian are as old as the Order of Arelian itself, founded by the godly brothers Aurelian and Leohara during an era of great turmoil. Initially established to combat the rise of dark forces threatening to plunge Tanaria into chaos, the Order became a beacon of hope and unity by combining magic and martial strength through the sacred bonds of fate.

• Early Years: Natural bonds formed instinctively, and Sahar and Guardians operated as legendary heroes guided by Aurelian and Leohara.
• Age of Rituals: The Ritual Bond was introduced, formalizing pairings and creating structured training through the Order’s trials and education system.
• War Years: Demand for bonded pairs soared as they became essential forces in major conflicts, leading to specialized training for large-scale battles.
• Modern Era: The Order maintains global influence and neutrality, adapting Sahar and Guardian roles for diplomacy, complex warfare, and magical threats while preserving the sanctity of the bond.

Operations

Provided Services

The Order of Arelian provides a wide range of services through its bonded Sahar and Guardians, whose unique abilities make them invaluable assets to kingdoms, leaders, and individuals seeking balance, protection, or resolution. These services are carefully managed to uphold the Order's principles of neutrality and unity.
1. Protection of Leaders and Nobles Bonded pairs are often appointed as personal protectors to monarchs, diplomats, and high-ranking nobles. Their combined magic and combat expertise make them unparalleled bodyguards.

• Sahar: Detect and counter magical threats, such as curses, enchantments, or assassins wielding magic.
• Guardians: Serve as physical shields, neutralizing immediate physical threats and fortifying defenses.

2. Conflict Resolution and Mediation In times of political tension or disputes between factions, the Order can assign bonded pairs to act as mediators or peacekeepers.

• Sahar use their wisdom, diplomacy, and arcane insight to de-escalate conflicts and uncover hidden truths.
• Guardians provide an authoritative presence, ensuring physical security during negotiations.

3. Battlefield Deployment In war, bonded pairs are unmatched forces capable of turning the tide of battle. Nations often petition the Order to deploy pairs for critical military operations.

• Sahar: Unleash devastating spells, provide magical support, and maintain morale on the battlefield.
• Guardians: Lead troops, engage in front-line combat, and protect the Sahar to ensure their spells can be cast safely.

4. Purging Dark Forces The Order's original purpose was to combat dark magic and corrupted forces, and this remains one of their most critical services. Bonded pairs are dispatched to confront threats such as:

• Necromancers and blood mages who violate the Law of Consumption.
• Cursed artifacts, locations, or beings that disrupt the balance of magic.
• Corrupted creatures or dark spirits preying on the innocent.

5. Magical Investigation and Consultation The Order lends its bonded pairs to assist in magical crises, arcane mysteries, or disturbances involving fate threads and magical imbalances.

• Sahar analyze magical anomalies, identify the source of disturbances, and resolve arcane corruption.
• Guardians protect the Sahar during investigations and provide critical tactical support.

6. Artifact Retrieval and Safeguarding Bonded pairs are often tasked with recovering ancient artifacts imbued with dangerous magic or sacred significance. Their ability to withstand curses and magical traps makes them ideal for these high-risk missions.

• Sahar neutralize enchantments, contain magic, or study the artifact's properties.
• Guardians secure the area, defend against hostile forces, and assist in artifact transport.

7. Training and Mentorship Experienced pairs serve as mentors to new generations of Sahar and Guardians, ensuring the Order’s legacy endures. They also offer guidance to rulers, nobles, and military leaders on balancing magic, strategy, and governance.

Alternative Names

Threadforged

Type

Arcane

Demand

The role of Sahar and Guardian is in exceptionally high demand, as the Order of Arelian’s reputation makes their expertise invaluable for protecting leaders, resolving conflicts, and combating dark forces.

Famous in the Field

• Vela Starkissed

Related Locations

• Kha'Zadun

Ranks & Titles

• Grand Sahar