Shasa-Vaht
When a Myrr shows innate mystical ability, they enter and are trained by the Shasa-Vaht clan. The name, in Myrrish, means both “instant” and “eternal” and has no direct translation in any other language. It is said that the Shasa-Vaht clan focus their power towards controlling the flow of time.
Divine Origins
The formation of the Shasa-Vaht is shrouded in mystery, even among the general Myrr populace within the Confederation. If asked, most shrug and acknowledge simply that, “there have always been Shasa-Vaht.”
Tenets of Faith
We are the Shasa-Vaht. We are instant and eternal. We watch the Wheel of Time. We can see the small movements; what will happen to one person tomorrow. We can see the large passages; the overall movement of civilizations. These movements we call Ages. By studying ages of time, we can manipulate the future. Know the Ages of the Wheel, Acolyte. Remember our words - "All of this has happened before; all of this will happen again." This is the Truth of Time. What was shall be again.
We can do more than watch; we also manipulate the Wheel of Time. While all of this has happened before, and all of this will happen again, we must be wary to ensure that time is not broken by our actions. We may cause ripples in the oceans of time, but we must not cause tidal waves. And we cannot change what is and was. Be mindful of this always as you access the Mysteries.
We follow Quintus, the Urmand of our clan. He was there at the beginning and, if you follow the Wheel, he shall be there at the ending. The Urmand stands outside of time and looks forward and backward. As he occupied with greater responsibilities, he takes no part in regular governance of our clan. Our leaders are the Mestre, who teach our skills and traditions to us at the Sanctuary on Taikaha. They govern the clan, attend the Regal Conclave, and advise the noble Houses.
Priesthood
At present, only Myrr living on Confederation worlds are selected to join the Shasa-Vaht clan. Joining is not voluntary; if a Myrr child meets certain criteria in their innate mystical ability, the child is turned over to the clan for training. All training takes place at the Sanctuary, a monastic abbey located on the polar continent of Taikaha on the Myrr’s home planet of Zelairre. While unconfirmed, rumors persist that Myrr who do not succeed in the training either die during the training period, or are murdered by their disappointed teachers. The successful Myrr become Acolytes.
An Acolyte can achieve three ranks during their lifetime. These ranks denote mystical ability rather than leadership or administrative authority. The ranks are:
- Acolyte
- Senior Acolyte
- Mestre
Sects
Like grains of sand, no Shasa-Vaht sees the Wheel or their responsibility to it in the same way. Even as our race is divided into clans, we are divided into factions based on our view of the Wheel and how we should interact with it and the universe. These factions are called Rajah.
The Gold Rajah
The Gold Rajah sees their role as watching the Wheel to advise and guide our race. Gold Rajah return to their Houses as advisors. They also work as functionaries within the Regal Conclave. Often, they sit on the Regal Conclave in their own right.
The Red Rajah
Known as the “Battle Rajah”, the Red Rajah use the Mysteries to fight for the defense of our race, or to advance their goals. They typically join with Warriors to achieve their role. Very few Red Rajah remain at the Sanctuary. They look upon time as a weapon to use against the enemies of our race and spend very little time watching the movements of the Wheel.
The Blue Rajah
The Blue Rajah believe their role is to interpret the Wheel of Time. They focus their attention in forecasting what will be, and they are the faction that determine when an Age has started or ended. Most of the Blue Rajah remain at the Sanctuary, or at several smaller towers of contemplation for the solitude necessary to achieve true vision of the Wheel. However, some Blue Rajah do travel, and some even work within the government. Currently, our clan is represented on the Regal Conclave by a Blue Rajah mestre.
The White Rajah
The White Rajah are teachers and gatherers of knowledge. Most White Rajah remain in our Sanctuary, some will travel in order to collect information to bring back to the Sanctuary’s library. While the Blue Rajah may determine when the Ages occur, it is the White Rajah that names them.
The Gray Rajah
Known as “Those Who Wait”, the Gray Rajah believe that they must wait for a certain time to act. Thus, they entomb themselves outside of time, taking the appearance of statues. Some Shasa-Vaht join the Gray Rajah towards the end of their useful life, in order to avoid inevitable death. Most of the Gray Rajah take up stations on plinths that surround the Ikuinen Tower, but some dot the Sanctuary or other towers of contemplation. While tradition holds that the Gray Rajah return to life at pre-determined moments, none have done so in recent memory.
The Legend of the Black Rajah
There has been a persistent myth within the Sanctuary that before ascending to his palace outside of time, Urmand Quintus set up a secret Rajah, loyal only to his ideals and following a secret prophecy, to function in the shadow of the Shasa-Vaht clan. No evidence has ever been produced that such a faction exists, making this likely a persistent fairy tale told by the students to each other in the small hours of night.
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