Kelun Sharai (KEL-oon sha-RYE)

  Few places are as secretive, as closely guarded, or as tempting to some the way that the Kelun Sharai are. While the name means literally "Orchard Lands," these sacred groves are far more than just a collection of fruit-bearing trees. This is where the Tal'Okarun, the priests, tend to the rare Sharum trees, which ripen only when the monsoon rains fall, and the river rises, the trees that bear the Sharum fruit that grants Neshara to those who eat it.   Sharum fruit is distributed to the adult faithful once a year, during the ritual of Nashar-Thal. Consumption of this fruit during the drumming and dancing is an integral part of the observance. So, too, is the achievement of the ecstatic state of Neshara, where the believers are able to feel as one with creation, and to flow like the flood. However, some who taste it cannot get enough.   In most cities of Khaldai there is a trade, dangerous, and lucrative, in stolen Sharum fruit. There is no wild Sharum, all trees were either made into guarded orchards or uprooted long ago. The only way to acquire the fruit is to steal it from the sacred groves. Those priests who work at a Kel Sharai are determined to prevent that.   The groves are surrounded by panels of stiffened Sharzan, a heavy canvas made from the fibers of a Talmar, a local herd beast. These panels sound flimsy to the outsider, but once painted with a clay-slurry they become very difficult to cut, and harder to climb, and are a good alternative when wood and stone are scarce. Guard towers of mudbrick, practical if unattractive, dot the perimeter of the grove. These in turn are interconnected by strong rope walkways high above the walls. But the Kelun Sharai keep the best defense of all within the grove.  

The Velkhari

  Every grove has at least one pair of what are known as the Velkhari, the bonded ones. These are the most treasured and effective security any grove has. They are two different hybrid species that have formed a symbiotic attachment. Namely, the brightly colored bird-wasp known as the Sharazai, and the squat cross between a water buffalo and a desert lizard that has been named the Urhal.   Little is known about these two outside of the priesthood, but it is known that the Sharazai has sharp eyesight and sense of smell, even in darkness or poor weather, and will give out its signature cry, piercing, echoing, and loud, when an intruder is spotted. While assistance is coming, the Urhal uses its massive bulk and locking jaw to either pin the intruder, or scare them off. Imprisonment is preferred, so justice can be meted out.    

The Tashari

  Few positions within the Zirah al-Okarun are as coveted as assignments than the Tashari, those of the Groves. These are the priests who are the frontline in preventing Sharum theft...and also tending to the trees. The Tashari are further divided into four subdivisions based on the kind of work they do for their Kel Sharai  

• Talrimin - The most essential people within the Tashari. These are the tree-tenders, the custodians of the grove.
• Ruhadin - The main guard force of the Kelun Sharai, many of these were soldiers or mercenaries before joining the priesthood. They are also responsible for the repair and maintenance on grove security.
• Marakhin - The scribes and administrative staff of the groves, they keep records, manage correspondence, and order supplies.
• Zuralim - The trainers and caretakers of the Velkhari, they tend to all their charges' needs, from food to grooming to treating illnesses