Ashara was a son of Kachast who left Danmalastan on the Speaking Tour with his followers and went far east, where he met and/or founded the Winkoti tribe. He was one of their rulers. He talked to anybody he met but none of them had the wisdom to understand God.
When Malkion called all his children to help him prepare his Sacrifice against the four ennemies, Ashara walked back and took some of his new friends and family with him : Worlath, Kalanna the Healer, Lakormy the Writer, etc. Their fool was almost hung in New Malkonwal for his behavior but ended up in contributing to Malkion's Sacrifice. Ashara was also taken to Solace during this Great Moment, contributing to the New Order by infusing it with his Power of Tongues.
His followers left in this world made a Church to honor the memory of His sacrifice. It was never big since the True Hrestoli Church soon covered most of the west. Then came Arkat and his autarchy mercilessly crushed it. The pitiful few survivors, having lost most of their lore, welcomed the Crusade from Seshnela with open arms and found much of what Ashara had said in the Abiding Book. They thought the Church would flourish again.
It did not. It was betrayed by the god learners as was everybody else. Shattered by this final betrayal, the church members scattered to the four winds. The church ceased to exist per se.
In 1170, a pious man called Caselain, deseperate to help his people survive oppression at the hand of cruel beast elk-men, had a Vision from Ashara and set towards the east from Drom in Safelster to retrace Ashara's steps. Along the way, he found hints of his powers of Communication and used them to trade. Trade was the simplest Act of God, a mutually beneficient exchange which pagans and even kraljki could undertand.
Caselain did not reach the Land of the Winkoti and had to trek back to Drom to save his people with the Falagian Diamond necessary to appease the iron elk. But he left along the way some of his followers, who founded the original Trader Princes families.
Nearly five centuries later (today), their descendants have forgotten most of Caselain's teachings and kept only the most trivial of them. The so-called "Church of Ashara" of today is but a pale shadow of what it was, with meagre magics and very few members. Its members are only held together by their greed and their need to cooperate to prevent extinction.
Still, some vibrant souls are active again. One of them has heard the word of Caselain and brought back His golden shinbone back to Fay Jee. He and his companions have had glimpses far into the past, and might some day rediscover the awesome power of Tongues. Ashara son of Kachast might Inspire men again, for the greater glory of God.
Or maybe these heroes will too become emmeshed in the world, in the thirst for irrelevant riches and power, and will not hear His message. And the trader princes will vanish forever...
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