Charra and his earrings
Nirrah Boli is remembered as an unstoppable force yet Chara stood against her. She united all the clans of the Kalo, created the Ostarian Empire, and dreamed of uniting all of Ostari under one single banner. She was not someone to cross lightly, yet Chara stood up to her. He told her that she was wrong. He challenged all of us to think differently For this he is dead and any trace of him are all but lost.
Told in private places where the elite can't hear is the legend of Chara and his earrings. He was allegedly a great revolutionary who questioned the established order of the Kalon people. He is considered the inspiration of the current revolutionary movement. Also prevalent in the stories are his distinctive earrings which are said to have been magical. Despite numerous searches for them, the earrings as well as Chara himself remain lost.
Summary
According to the most common version of the story, Chara was born to a struggling noble clan. In an effort to help them he tried to be the perfect noble. He was organized, polite, and was never overly familiar with anyone. He also hunted extensively, engaged in mercenary work, and worked hard to protect his clan's holdings. During this he became disillusioned with combat and grew to dislike it. He also grew to dislike all the pressure and expectations placed on him. He yearned for warmth, for informality, and for imperfection. His unhappiness grew and grew until one day he disappeared. He returned some time later with his distinctive earrings.
After his disappearance, Chara became much more outspoken about his unhappiness. He encouraged people to be more open with each other, to feel less pressure to be perfect, and to not internalize their emotions so much. These ideas resonated with many people and continue to do so, even as they made him many enemies. He is also well known for helping the poor both magically and speaking out for them. When Nirrah Boli united the clans to conquer Ostari, Chara stood against her and decried her use of force to unite the islands. He disappeared forever not long after this and his body has never been found. Nirrah died in her sleep many many years later.
Here's the only part that everyone cares about: the earrings.
After his disappearance, Chara became much more outspoken about his unhappiness. He encouraged people to be more open with each other, to feel less pressure to be perfect, and to not internalize their emotions so much. These ideas resonated with many people and continue to do so, even as they made him many enemies. He is also well known for helping the poor both magically and speaking out for them. When Nirrah Boli united the clans to conquer Ostari, Chara stood against her and decried her use of force to unite the islands. He disappeared forever not long after this and his body has never been found. Nirrah died in her sleep many many years later.
Historical Basis
With the lack of a body or many possessions, confirming the existence of Chara is fairly difficult. However the existence of Nirrah Boli is confirmed, and a few texts from the time that mention a 'Chara Nolu'. Over time the heads of the Nolu clan have both claimed and denied that this member existed and was the person the legend refers to. The current head, Seva Nolu, has refused to make any statement regarding this.
Spread
Let me tell you a little story about the founding of the empire. It will shock and amaze you in all the wrong ways..The tale is very common in the Ostarian Empire both as an inspirational and a cautionary tale. The tale has also spread to Duvi and Kohri typically used to show the villainy and intolerance of the Ostarian Empire. In the empire, it tends to be told in a more negative light except in private places among Charans.
Variations & Mutation
In negative versions Chara is painted as weak willed, sloppy, cowardly, overly emotional, and envious of Nirrah. In contrast, positive versions paint Chara as open, friendly, compassionate, and always trying to do what's right. If Chara really existed he was probably a mixture of both interpretations.
Some versions say that he was content before he disappeared and only felt unhappy after he found the earrings.
When the tale is told by Charans, Chara's death is usually ascribed to Nirrah. In other telling it's either left as a mystery or ascribed to a different political enemy that he made. His death in tales is also not guaranteed, quite a few versions have him simply leaving. Where he leaves for depends on the storyteller, common destinations are the Sovereignty of Duvi, the Ring , or the wilderness to hide.
People refer to the earrings either as Chara's earrings or less commonly the earrings of Chara.
Some versions say that he was content before he disappeared and only felt unhappy after he found the earrings.
When the tale is told by Charans, Chara's death is usually ascribed to Nirrah. In other telling it's either left as a mystery or ascribed to a different political enemy that he made. His death in tales is also not guaranteed, quite a few versions have him simply leaving. Where he leaves for depends on the storyteller, common destinations are the Sovereignty of Duvi, the Ring , or the wilderness to hide.
People refer to the earrings either as Chara's earrings or less commonly the earrings of Chara.
Charra by Rinmaru and Aleksandr Slobodianyk
Cultural Reception
The story is especially ingrained in Kalo and Charan culture and has given rise to several popular phrases:
- They're with Chara--someone has disappeared and are presumed dead; amongst Charans it is used to refer to Charan martyrs
- They've found the earrings--someone has joined the Charans or has publicly revealed themself as a Charan, it can be used both positively and negatively
- Confronting Nirrah--when used by Charans it means to stand up to someone powerful, when used by Kalons it means to unduly and unjustifiably disagree with a powerful person, usually to try to sully their reputation
- Following Chara--can either mean someone who changes their public personality and worldview suddenly or someone disappearing without a trace for a time regardless of if they return or not
- Searching for Chara--trying to do something impossible
- Earrings--Charans, especially since many openly Charan people wear earrings in the same style as Chara
In Literature
While the myth does appear in a few history texts it is mostly passed down by word of mouth.
In Art
Chara's likeness is fairly often displayed among Charans, his earrings are the semi-official symbol of them.
The Kalo
by Rinmaru and Azalea
The Symbolism of Earrings
Earrings of all types are popular around the world, especially in Ostari. In the empire, most earrings reveal social status and in the case of nobles, rank. They also act as a tool for showing off the wealth of an individual or clan. Chara's earrings with their simple and unusual style, were therefore quite a statement and befitting of his actions.Charans
by Rinmaru and Aleksandr Slobodianyk
The Ostarian Empire
Founded by Nirrah Doli under the promise that they would unify the entirety of Ostari, the empire is made up of the various clans of the Kalo. Despite its lofty goals, the islands remain far from unification as many of the leaders after Nirrah lacked her drive and intense focus. Currently the empire is in the midst of a revolution. Charan opinions of the revolution vary, while they understand the desire for change, most frown on the use of violence to achieve this.Nirrah Boli's Ring
by Jacek Dylag
Date of Setting
circa 440 UE--circa 463 UE
Related Locations
Related Organizations
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The quote blocks make it sound like Rafri himself is telling the entire story! It's well written, and there's a sense of chronological order throughout the article. The one thing that I have is that this article seems to explore more about Chara himself rather than the earring, especially since it's titled "the earrings of Chara". Chara is no doubt an interesting character, but maybe you can explore more about the earrings and its magical properties in this article.
Chara did kind of take over this article didn't he? Unfortunately, revising it is going to have to wait a while because I'm really behind on Summer Camp. It's definitely on my to do list though. Thank you.