Asha’Tor
Contents
Asha’Tor
Also Known As:
Ashathorë (Elven, classical)
Sha’taurë (Tawar-Nur, primordial)
Type: Inland Great Lake
Location: Southern Elwindil
Political Borders:
West: Tawar-Nur
East & South Shores: Kingdom of Yngoldis
South (via river and coast): Bay of Londfolas
Overview
Asha’Tor is the greatest inland body of water in southern Elwindil and one of the most spiritually and culturally significant natural features in the known world. Vast, deep, and ancient beyond reckoning, the lake serves as both a physical boundary and a spiritual threshold between the animistic jungles of Tawar-Nur and the desert empire of Yngoldis.
To some, Asha’Tor is a lake of trade and transport.
To others, it is a remembering presence that observes the land in silence.
Geography
Asha’Tor is irregular in shape, with dramatically different shorelines depending on region.
- The western shore is low, marshy, and overgrown, where the jungles of Tawar-Nur press directly against the water.
- The eastern and southern shores rise more steeply and are partially developed by Yngoldis for trade, fishing, and transport.
- Numerous rivers feed the lake from northern hills and forested regions.
- A major river system drains southward into the Bay of Londfolas.
The lake’s depths are poorly mapped. Certain regions are believed to be bottomless, while others reveal submerged structures only during rare seasonal shifts.
Names and Etymology
Sha’taurë
The oldest known name of the lake, used by the elves and beastfolk of Tawar-Nur since the Naming of Things. This name refers not merely to the water, but to the spirit bound to it.
Common interpretations include:
Spirit-Water
The Remembering Deep
This name is rarely spoken outside ritual or chant.
Ashathorë
The classical elven name, preserved in inscriptions, ruins, and ancient song.
Asha — bright, clear, shining
Thorë — great water, vast lake
This form remains in use among elven scholars and in formal ritual contexts.
Asha’Tor
The modern human name used by Yngoldis, adapted phonetically from Ashathorë. It is the name found on maps, trade ledgers, and official documents.
Spiritual Significance
Among the peoples of Tawar-Nur, Asha’Tor—known to them as Sha’taurë—is believed to be alive and conscious, though not anthropomorphic. It is described as a witness rather than a ruler, one that remembers rather than commands.
The lake is believed to:
Influence dreams
Observe events without judgment
Respond to imbalance rather than morality
Remember all that has entered its waters
The lake does not speak in words, but through stillness, movement, sound, and absence.
The Behemoth of Sha’taurë
According to Tawar-Nur tradition, Sha’taurë may manifest physically through an immense underwater being dwelling in the western depths of the lake.
It is known only by titles:
The Deep One
The Mask of the Water
That Which Moves Beneath
This being is not worshiped directly and is regarded as an avatar—a temporary expression of the lake’s will. Sightings are rare and treated as omens rather than threats.
Cultural Perspectives
Tawar-Nur
The lake is sacred and sovereign. No attempt is made to dominate or exploit it. Ritual listening and song are preferred to petition or command.
Kingdom of Yngoldis
Asha’Tor is viewed primarily as a strategic and economic asset. Trade routes, fishing fleets, and transport networks rely heavily on the lake, though superstitions persist among sailors and merchants.
Cyrintillian Elves
Considered a kin-water to the sea. Some Cyrintillian traditions suggest the lake and ocean remain in spiritual dialogue through the rivers that connect them.
Dangers and Mysteries
Asha’Tor is known for unexplained phenomena, including:
- Boats vanishing without storm or trace
- Sudden calms that still sound itself
- Unexplained lights beneath the surface
- Submerged ruins visible only during certain seasons
- Creatures found nowhere else in Elwindil
Many believe the lake chooses who may cross it safely.
Summary
Asha’Tor is:
The greatest lake in southern Elwindil
A boundary between civilizations and worldviews
A living presence as much as a geographic feature
Known by three names, each revealing a different truth
Central to trade, myth, and ancient memory
To chart Asha’Tor is possible.
To understand it may not be.
