Shianti

The Shianti, also known as the Majhan, Suukon or the Ancients, are a non-human race of supremely powerful goodly beings.

Physical description

"Their skins were as black as ebony, and their eyes were yellow. The only food they required was air. Their powers were those of demigods: they were immortal and invulnerable; they could create and destroy through the mildest exercise of their will. Yet they were not omnipotent." (Eclipse of the Kai, p. 102) The Shianti were "Tall and proud, shining with a radiance that spoke of magic and arcane mystery." (Grey Star the Wizard, p. 9) The pupils of their eyes were .

History

Arrival on Magnamund

Around 3572 MS, after the defeat of Agarash, the first Shianti scouts arrived in Magnamund, seeking a new planet to live on to replace Caliandra, their doomed planet. They did so en masse in 1600 MS, arriving through a Shadow Gate from their world in the Daziarn, appearing in Caeno Tahra Badlands, in present-day Shadaki. They established an empire from here to the Gulf of Vaduz, spreading their culture far and beyond, and famously creating the Moonstone, ushering in a golden age of three thousand years. This golden age marked a new era — MS 0 — the Age of the Moonstone.

War of the Ancients

With the creation of the Moonstone, humans began to arrive on Magnamund. Most of the Shianti were benevolent towards the humans, but believed their own superior powers earned them the right to rule over them. However, Naar was able to take advantage of their arrogance to corrupt a number of them. This group, now known as the Ancients of the North, Shianti Pariahs, or simply the Majhan, arrived in Northern Magnamund in 900 MS. Their turn towards evil was sealed after they enslaved the Ice Demons who arrived on Magnamund through the Vagadyn Gate in Kalte. The enslaved Ice Demons' powers were used to construct the ice fortress of Ikaya.

The Ancients of the North further used their power to enslave the humans in present-day Sommerlund, and conducted macabre necromantic experiments. They fought their southern brethren, also called the Suukon, in the War of the Ancients (MS 2821–2901), where the Ancients of the North were defeated, and the few remaining survivors forced to renounce their ways and banished into exile. The land was resettled by the Dwarves of Bor and the Nebora. However, this was short-lived, with the arrival of the Darklords in MS 3072.

The War had cost many mortal lives, but humans continued to live in awe of the Shianti and the Moonstone. Ishir decided that this had unbalanced the natural balance of Magnamund, and requested them to return to the Plane of Light. She declared that "The children of this world must claim their inheritance. The time has come and they must learn to stand alone. They are lost in their worship of you and the day draws ever nearer when they will covet the power of the Moonstone." The Shianti begged to stay, and Ishir showed mercy by letting them stay if they sent the Moonstone into the Daziarn and no longer participated in Magnamund's history. To this they agreed, and moved to the Isle of Lorn, which they surrounded by the Sea of Dreams, a sea east of the tip of Southern Magnamund. To maintain their isolation from human intrusion, the Shianti enchanted the Sea of Dreams with illusions and magical winds. This exile came at the same time as the rise to power of the Drakkarim, and the arrival of the Darklords.

Shasarak and Grey Star

One Shianti who defied Ishir's request was Shasarak. Shasarak built the evil Shadakine Empire, with himself as the Overlord, becoming known as the Wytch-King. The Shianti wanted to intervene, but could not because of their vow to Ishir.

One day, there was a great storm in the Sea of Dreams that led to a ship wrecking on the Isle of Lorn. There was one survivor: a human baby which the Shianti named Grey Star. Through Grey Star, the hoped to counteract the evil power of Shasarak without breaking their agreement with Ishir. The Shianti taught Grey Star their magic, then set him a quest: to retrieve the Moonstone and then use its power to defeat Shasarak. In this, Grey Star was successful: he ventured to the Daziarn, retrieved the Moonstone, and in MS 5057, sealed Shasarak in the Pit of Eternal Pain.

Passing of the Shianti

Around MS 5080, Naar managed to steal the Moonstone and used it to send evil beasts through Shadow Gates to Magnamund. Lone Wolf was able to recapture it in MS 5081, during the events of The Curse of Naar, venturing into the Plane of Darkness in his most daring quest yet. Lone Wolf set the Moonstone in the Vault of the Sun in the Kai Monastery of Sommerlund. However, the Moonstone continued to cause imbalances in the world, with disease and illness becoming rare, all newborn births being fully healthy, and infant development extraordinary. This was dubbed the "Blessing of the Moonstone", and began to attract unwanted attention of various evil agents. In MS 5083, during the events of Voyage of the Moonstone and The Buccaneers of Shadaki, Lone Wolf made the decision to send the Moonstone to the Shianti, using himself as a decoy while Grand Master did the actual transportation in secret. Despite multiple attempts to steal the Moonstone, Grand Master eventually arrived on the Isle of Lorn, and handed it to the Shianti leader, Acarya.

In MS 5088, the Shianti chose to leave Magnamund for good, returning to Ishir's side on the Plane of Light. Their final wish was to grant the Isle of Lorn to the Order of the Kai. In MS 5089, Lone Wolf travelled to the Isle of Lorn to plan a new Kai Monastery there, which was completed in MS 5100, despite multiple attempts by Shadaki and their allies to halt its construction.

Sources

• The Kai Monastery