Shanla
Long ago having done away with the calling of
ancient legends, they are no longer referred to as the children of
Ashan, but their connection to that mythical character remains through
another legend, the one of Ashan's blade. It is said to be the only
weapon capable of injuring a Shanla, but its existance is still one of
many myths. Beyond Ashan's blade, there is no other weapon said to be
capable of drawing blood from a Shanla. It is also believed that it is
the only instrument capable of allowing a Shanla to take his own life,
that having arosen from Ashan legend, in which after centuries of
trying to end his own life, it was in that blade that he finally found
the answer. Aside from that mention, there is little known to be able
to harm a Shanla. Shari and Halle magic have irrelevant, if any,
affects on them. They live for thousands of
years, and even millenia, but due to their wars, they rarely exceed two
thousand years. In ancient times they were divided in nine vimtes, only
one of which endures. No longer having any enemies, their balance is
delicate and disagreements often tend to escalate. They may be sent
into the Abyss (a mythical place of eternal darkness, from where none
return) if there is no desire to kill them. But only Shanla may send
another into the Abyss. Although it hasn't been described in almost a
millenia, the Shanla have stories of their conflicts with the
Guardians, and claim to have sent most of them away from this realm and
into their own, where legend says they originated. In none of these
legends are mentions on the possible harm a Guardian would be able to
issue onto a Shanla. However, the Shanla seem to avoid contact with,
and even fear some of the remaining Guardians.
Being a true Shanla,
or a Shanla by
having been brought through the veil, they are alike in almost all
aspects, except that only a true Shanla may be sent into the Abyss,
other characteristics, such as virtual invulnerability, passage into
the place of dreams, the ability to step between the moments is the
same.
Another characteristic which belongs
solely to the Shanla is their inability to dream. They are
dreamwalkers, in the sense that they may enter the place of dreams
while they are awake, but when they sleep, they have no dreams of their
own. Ancient writings say that there are only two occasions in which a
Shanla will dream. One is the Dreaming, in which they all dream the
same thing at the same time; and the other is when one Shanla dreams
the dream of Death, in which the legendary figure comes to them to
summon them away. Usually it consists in a series o dreams, all alike,
and always ending with the death of the Shanla which experienced the
dream. This second occasion was restricted to the vimte Ayer, and
after the last of its members died, it was never again seen.
The Shanla also have a reputation of
invading others' minds and
stealing their knowledge, and even though they can rarely prevent it,
most Halle, Shari and even Ratell seem to perceive it being done.
Also, they have the ability to turn
time, but they are forbidden
to. It is said in ancient legends that if ever a Shanla were to turn
time, the consequences would consume the very world around them.
Because of that, none has ever tried, and those which have, were killed
before they could succeed.
Unlike mortal
sorcerers, they have
many uses for the seer
stone, one being the damnation of those the Council rules should be
sent into the world to live among the damned; but when it is merely
held in their presence, its shades reflect
shades of red, pure blood red if the being is a true Shanla, and red
tainted with other colors, if not.