The Silence of Shal’Minar

Being the home of Kaer Ardanyan’s elven population, Shal’Minar is the main source of food for the whole kaer. Idyllic fruit-gardens, wide fields, small forests and huts woven from living plants define the landscape of this hall—even the sidewalls are covered by ivy and wine. Horses, cows, sheep, and goats run freely here, guarded by shepherds. Ghandoz designed Shal’Minar with the elven and windling races in mind. Each of the huts dotting the landscape is woven from living plants, although only the roof is visible. Most of the huts extend further underground, some even have extended cellars.

After the Separation, most Name-givers of the other races decided to leave the elves alone and moved out. There is not much change in Shal’Minar as a result—elves grow very old and have only few children. Additionally, the elven population seemed to have an increasing rate of deaths due to a mysterious plague in the past decades. Even though Shal’Minar was always sparsely populated, only five hundred Name-givers live under the domed ceiling. The windlings make up at least half of the population.

Scholars suspect the illness is just a random event, as there are no clues indicating Horror taint as the cause. Their investigations counter the rumors in which Leldrin has brought back a disease from the expedition. The hero was examined several times for Horror taint, but always with negative results. Now, about five decades after he returned, no one dares to accuse the kaer’s greatest hero without hard evidence.

The most prominent spots of Shal’Minar include the Wise Tree, the various lakes and fields, and the Groves.