Sha’taurë
Contents
Sha’taurë
Also Known As: Ashathorë (Elven, archaic), Asha’Tor (Human)
Type: Place-Spirit / Primordial Demigod
Domain: Water, Memory, Continuity, Balance
Primary Site: Asha’Tor (Great Lake)
Worshippers: Elves and Beastfolk of Tawar-Nur
Alignment: Beyond Moral Axis (Corrective, Not Judgmental)
Overview
Sha’taurë is a primordial place-spirit bound to the Great Lake known to humans as Asha’Tor. Among the peoples of Tawar-Nur, Sha’taurë is recognized as a sentient, remembering presence that observes the land and responds to imbalance.
Sha’taurë is classified by scholars as a demigod not because of lineage or limitation, but because it is localized, immanent, and inseparable from a physical place. It does not travel, command, or demand devotion. It exists as it always has: present, aware, and enduring.
Nature and Identity
Sha’taurë is not anthropomorphic. It has no fixed form, gender, or voice, and does not communicate through speech or doctrine.
It is understood to act through:
- Stillness and movement of water
- Sound and resonance
- Memory and repetition
- Absence as much as presence
Sha’taurë does not issue commandments or moral judgments. Instead, it responds to disruption of balance, continuity, or respect within its domain.
Manifestation
While Sha’taurë itself is the lake, cult tradition holds that it may occasionally express intent through an immense underwater being dwelling in the western depths of Asha’Tor.
This manifestation is referred to only by titles:
The Deep One
The Mask of the Water
That Which Moves Beneath
This being is regarded as an avatar—a temporary expression of Sha’taurë’s awareness rather than a separate entity. Sightings are rare and treated as omens rather than threats.
Worship and Practice
Sha’taurë does not seek worship.
Those who follow its tradition practice listening rather than devotion. Rituals are conducted by the Cult of Sha’taurë and include:
- Chant-based rites along the western shore of the lake
- Offerings of breath, sound, and symbol
- Periods of ritual silence
- Dream-interpretation and vision fasting
Humanoid sacrifice is not practiced and is considered a fundamental misunderstanding of Sha’taurë’s nature.
Relationship to Other Divine Powers
Sha’taurë is considered a local but ancient presence, distinct from traveling gods or celestial beings. Some scholars and druids note similarities between Sha’taurë and other expressions of animistic divinity elsewhere in Elwindil, though such connections remain a matter of debate.
Sha’taurë does not compete for worship and is unaffected by changes in belief. Its existence is tied to the continuity of the lake itself.
Common Sayings
- “The water remembers.”
- “Stillness is an answer.”
- “Do not speak first to the deep.”
Summary
Sha’taurë is:
A primordial spirit bound to place
Classified as a demigod by scholars
Neither benevolent nor hostile
A witness to history rather than its author
Revered through listening, not obedience
To know Sha’taurë is not to be chosen.
It is to be noticed.
