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The Ashari, known in antiquity as the Gau Drashari,[7] are a multiracial people divided into four tribes: Air, Earth, Water, and Fire. Each of the four tribes live in locations where the Elemental Planes have bled into the Material Plane.[8][4] The Ashari make it their duty to guard these portals, ensuring that nothing dangerous is able to pass between the planes.

Culture[]

About 900 years ago or so, roughly a thousand years ago, we were a nomadic people. Then there was some sort of great sundering. We're actually still not 100% sure. A lot of information was lost. And the elemental planes started bleeding with this plane and—oh, Vex is falling asleep.
– 
Keyleth gives a history lesson[9]
[!h]

The Ashari are, for the most part, insular, living in remote areas and only occasionally interacting with the outside world or even each other.[10][11] Their tribes are made up of a diversity of races; in Tal'Dorei, genasi are most often found among the Ashari rather than common society.[12]

Ashari warriors by Biagio D'Allessandro

Official art of a firetamer, a skydancer, a stoneguard, and a waverider (left to right), by Biagio D'Alessandro from Critical Role: Tal'Dorei Campaign Setting pg. 127.[art 2]

In their role as guardians of the Elemental Planes portals, the Ashari have developed deep connections to their respective elements that influence each Ashari's culture. Their leaders are usually skilled in druidic or other nature magics, but their societies include a variety of professions and classes aside from druids.[6]

Not all Ashari necessarily follow or worship deities.[2] Some have a more animistic faith, revering the elements themselves, and some, like Keyleth at the beginning of her journey, are mistrustful of or disinterested in the gods.[2][13] The Ashari that do worship gods tend to favor nature-aligned deities, that they see as wardens of the world like them, but on a larger scale; because of this, they are cautious with anyone who worships a non-nature-aligned deity—especially Erathis (goddess of civilization), despite her relationship with Melora, the goddess of nature.[14] Some, like Orym, see the gods as part of a massive ecosystem, and they play their function in the world regardless of who worships them.[15] Although the four tribes respect the Wildmother to a certain degree, each of them favors gods connected to their element: those in Zephrah often favor Melora herself and Kord, those in Pyrah favor Pelor, those in Vesrah favor Sehanine, and those in Terrah favor Moradin.[2]

The Ashari are mistrustful of the dwarves of Kraghammer, who constantly disregard their warnings about reckless mining and whose arrogance during the last eruption of the Terrah rift (before 812 PD) led to earthquakes and the collapse of an entire mountain.[14]

The Ashari greet each other with the word "Kaitiakè" (meaning respect, guardian, keeper) as a sort of salute.[16]

Aramenté[]

Once in every generation, in each of the four tribes, a member is chosen to set out on an Aramenté (or Aramentè),[17][18] or "Noble Odyssey". During this journey, this Ashari member seeks out each of the other tribes and ventures through the portals they guard. Upon completion of this journey, the empowered Ashari member's lifespan increases significantly[19][20] and becomes the elemental master of their respective tribe, and the elder retires.[21] The person chosen for an Aramenté is usually—but not necessarily—a druid or nature cleric.[6]

Tribes[]

Air Ashari[]

The Air Ashari guard the portal to the Elemental Plane of Air in Zephrah and watch over the Frostweald. They are led by Headmaster Keyleth, the Voice of the Tempest.[22][2]

Earth Ashari[]

Terrah by Kent Davis

Official art of Terrah, by Kent Davis.[art 3]

Terrah is the home of the Earth Ashari and of the portal to the Elemental Plane of Earth. They are led by Headmaster Pa'tice, the Heart of the Mountain.[14]

For those undergoing an Aramenté, one of the aspects of the trial in Terrah involves the consumption of oloore root tea, which initiates a vision quest for the drinker.[23]

Fire Ashari[]

The Fire Ashari live in Pyrah and guard the portal to the Elemental Plane of Fire. When Vox Machina encountered them, they were led by Headmaster Cerkonos, the Flamespeaker.[24]

Lorkathar by Bryan Syme

Official art of Lorkathar in Flamereach Grove, by Bryan Syme.[art 4]

The elite elementalists of the Pyrah are called firetamers. A half-orc named Lorkathar leads a group of firetamers and other elemental specialists at the makeshift Flamereach Outpost on the outskirts of Emon; there they watch over the Scar of the Cinder King, which had not been fully healed as of late 842 PD.[25][26]

Water Ashari[]

The Water Ashari live in Vesrah,[27] where they guard the portal to the Elemental Plane of Water. They are led by Headmaster Uvenda, the Heart of the Tides.[28]

Some of the Ashari of Vesrah are waveriders, who patrol the seas and rescue sailors from storms, monsters, and pirates. Waveriders can communicate with aquatic animals and plants, and can wildshape into a giant octopus or hunter shark.[29]

History[]

Age of Arcanum[]

During the Age of Arcanum, the Ashari were known as the Gau Drashari. At this time, many of their members (including their leader) were earth genasi[30] who negotiated a deal with the wizards living around the sacred site of Mount Ygora to take the top of the mountain and travel the world, in exchange for a portion of magical energy collected during their travels being returned to the mountain site every seven years. The Drashari placed the Tree of Names within the city as part of the agreement, and later added the Arboreal Calix as a layer of protection for the tree.[31]

During a celestial solstice, possibly just before the Calamity or during that era, elemental rifts burst open across Exandria, causing fires, earthquakes, and an outpouring of elemental monsters whom the people of the world struggled to combat.[32] The Ashari, up to then a nomadic people, divided into four tribes to seal and watch over the rifts to the Elemental Planes of Fire (Pyrah Tribe), Water (Vesrah Tribe), Air (Zephrah Tribe), and Earth (Terrah Tribe).[33]

Post-Divergence, before Campaign One[]

In the 400s PD, a leader of the Water Ashari and hero of the Verdant Expanse, Joran the Sea-Speaker, ventured into the Endless Maze of the Abyss and disappeared; a goristro named Yenk devoured Joran and the Spire of Conflux he wielded.[34][35][36]

In 790 or 791 PD, Vilya, who had been chosen as the next Voice of the Tempest, left on her Aramenté.[37][38][39]

Around 793 PD, a cult who named themselves the "Hishari" arose, centered around a charismatic leader named Efterin who experimented with "esoteric, elemental worship" and preached on the elemental spirits of old and the need to restore the Primordial powers.[40] The Ashari viewed them as grifters and charlatans, somewhat resenting their adopted name as a conscious effort to wrongly suggest they were aligned with the Ashari.[41]

Vilya did not return to Zephrah, having completed her trial at Pyrah around 800 PD[42] and then disappearing through Vesrah's rift to the Elemental Plane of Water in 806 or 807 PD.[43] Vilya ended up on Rumblecusp, where her memories were suppressed for decades.[44][45][46]

Vilya's predecessor Dwala died of illness, resulting in Vilya's husband Korrin becoming acting Voice of the Tempest in the interim.[47][2] Vilya's daughter Keyleth left on her own Aramenté when she turned twenty in late 808 or early 809 PD.[48]

Campaign One: Vox Machina[]

The Earth Ashari were the first tribe that Keyleth visited on her Aramenté.[49] She performed a task for them in the Earth Plane[50] but was not fully successful.[51]

Keyleth, along with the rest of Vox Machina, visited the Fire Ashari as part of her Aramenté in 810 PD.[52] There, they journeyed through the portal to complete a task in the Fire Plane. On completion, Keyleth was given a spark stone by Cerkonos as a token of her success.[53]

After Vox Machina left, the Fire Ashari were devastated by the ancient red dragon, Thordak, during his escape from the Fire Plane into the Material Plane.[54] Many members of their tribe were killed, and Cerkonos lost an arm.[55] As elementals and other creatures from the Fire Plane began escaping through the rift that Thordak left open, Vox Machina, along with Gern Blanston and a contingent from the Air Ashari, helped the Fire Ashari to re-seal the rift.[56]

Vox Machina summoned Yenk from the Abyss to battle one of Thordak's allies, Vorugal,[57] and Keyleth reclaimed the Spire of Conflux from the goristro's intestinal tract.[58]

Korrin led a military force of Air Ashari providing air support to Fort Daxio's forces during the siege of Emon.[59][60]

Vesrah - Lap Pun Cheung

Fan art of Keyleth outside Vesrah, by Lap Pun Cheung.[art 5]

Visiting the Water Ashari was the third and final task of Keyleth's Aramenté. There, she journeyed with Vox Machina into the Water Plane to collect lodestones from a kraken, nearly losing several members of the party in the process.[61] Upon their return, Uvenda confessed that perhaps the task had become too dangerous and agreed to reconsider it for the future. Keyleth was then granted the 9th-level spell Shapechange by Uvenda in celebration of her success.[62]

Thus Keyleth completed the task that her mother could not, earning the title of "Voice of the Tempest."[63] Keyleth returned to Zephrah and took her place as headmaster there.[64]

Between Campaigns One and Two[]

Around 823 PD, the Hishari cult, which had attained some acceptance in Issylra, was mysteriously destroyed.[65]

Campaign Two: The Mighty Nein[]

Keyleth meeting Vilya - Toby Sharp

Fan art of Vilya reuniting with Keyleth at Zephrah, by Toby Sharp.[art 6]

When the Mighty Nein visited Rumblecusp, they encountered Vilya, who had no memory of the time before her arrival or even her original name. Caduceus Clay restored her memories, and after the party defeated Vokodo, she returned to Zephrah and reunited with Keyleth.[66] Following her return, she aided her daughter and other elders of the village in leading the tribe and eventually became a diplomat for Zephrah.[67]

Exandria Unlimited Prime[]

After a period of the rift in Emon being relatively well-controlled, there was a flare-up in late 842 PD; several firetamers were killed in a coordinated attack,[68] and a short time later a massive, ashen plateau suddenly rose near Flamereach Outpost.[69] The Crown Keepers, including an Air Ashari named Orym, were sent on a quest to the Qoniira Tetrarchy to investigate the elemental runes that had been found on the plateau.

Campaign Three: Bells Hells[]

In 843 PD, Orym cofounded a new adventuring party called Bells Hells along with an earthkin named Ashton Greymoore who turned out to be connected to the Hishari.

Shortly before, during, and after the apogee solstice of 843 PD the Ashari, mostly led by the Voice of the Tempest, dealt with different threats and cultists in different regions. Keyleth told Bells Hells there was a rogue Ashari faction in Issylra. At the time they didn't know if this rogue activity was connected to the Hishari, if it came from members of the Fire Ashari of Pyrah,[70] or if it was connected with the Cult of the Dark Heart, allied with the Ruby Vanguard, that would fight other Ashari in Terrah weeks later.[71]

In the decades leading up to 843 PD, the Air Ashari had trained more prepared soldiers both magically and martially, including the group known as the Tempest Blades. At the beginning of the apogee solstice Zephrah sent several forces to Marquet, joining a battle that would be known as the Battle of the Red Center, during which two dozen of them died and others disappeared, while the rest fought members of the Ruby Vanguard and strange red creatures coming from Ruidus. Keyleth was badly wounded and brought back to Zephrah, while some of the less weakened Air Ashari were sent to fetch an antidote to help the Voice of the Tempest.[72] However, three of these Ashari were killed by demons, and the three survivors (Baernie and two Tempest Blades, Jennis and Erana) were captured when they approached the Iridon Bastion thinking it was a safe haven, when in fact had been taken by the forces of the Abyss. They were freed by Bells Hells,[73] who returned to Zephrah, where Keyleth was finally healed (although it was suggested some of the other wounded died before the antidote was ready).[74]

In the following days Keyleth led the Ashari in the case against the Ruby Vanguard, and when Bells Hells informed her of the portal that connected Lake Umamu with Ruidus, she sent people to confirm it, and given the dimensions of said entrance, brought in some people from Terrah to make it more accessible with earth magic.[75] After the area was secured, members of the Air Ashari were sent to Ria'Doin to protect the portal.

Days later, during the preparations of the Exandrian Accord before attacking the Red Center, the Ashari spellcasters summoned several elemental allies to fight alongside them.[76] Some of them, who were accompanying Vox Machina in the Key Breaker, joined forces with Keyleth and Cerkonos (who had joined Vox Machina for that battle), transforming into air elementals to control the fall of the skyship after the enemy Dispelled its brumestone.[77]

Trivia[]

  • The Ashari symbol is a combination of the alchemical symbols for earth, water, air, and fire ( 🜃 🜄 🜁 🜂 ).
  • Taliesin Jaffe confirmed that the name of his character in Downfall, Asha (a mortal avatar of Melora), was a reference to the Ashari,[79] and this, combined with the fact that the first name the Wildmother used was "Ash", could suggest the origin of the name of these tribes.
  • Each of the four Ashari tribes has a culturally unique tool connected to their corresponding element, which helps them further understand it. These precious items (skysails, earthboards, Flamefriend Lanterns, and oceanic weapons) are kept a secret for the most part, so the only way to acquire them outside their original community is if one of the Ashari trust a person enough to bestow the item as a gift, or if said item is stolen, in which case it can be sold for a high price, given its rarity.[80]
    • In Tal'Dorei Campaign Setting Reborn an optional rule is presented, so that if a non-Ashari character wants to attune to one of these items, they'll need an entire day of special training led by someone familiar with the item's use. In Campaign Three, however, this rule wasn't applied, since some members of Bells Hells were allowed to use skysails recreationally without the need for such measures.[81]
  • Zephrah has the Ashari Herbalist Union,[82] which has not yet been depicted or described in the other Ashari settlements.
  • The Ashari have their own style of poetry, and some of their poems have been compiled into published booklets in the 8th or 9th century after the Divergence. Verin Thelyss was an admirer of Ashari culture because of such poems.[83]
  • Although the people of Zephrah commonly wear blue clothing, two of the player characters hailing from this city, Keyleth and Orym, wear mostly green and/or orange in their official art.
  • In the non-canon "Trinket's Honey Heist" (Sx27), the Fire Ashari have a cultural dance troupe that performs at the Hazel Festival in Westruun in 813 PD. The troupe includes fire breathers and fire spinners doing fire poi.[84]

References[]

  1. See Tal'Dorei Campaign Setting, pp. 31–49.
  2. 2.0 2.1 2.2 2.3 2.4 2.5 2.6 2.7 2.8 See Tal'Dorei Campaign Setting Reborn, p. 49.
  3. See "Aid of the Tempest" (3x66) at 1:06:53.
  4. 4.0 4.1 See Tal'Dorei Campaign Setting, p. 30.
  5. See "Aramente to Pyrah" (1x22) at 1:17:27.  Keyleth claims that the Ashari as they are today were formed 900-1000 years before the present time, 810 PD.
  6. 6.0 6.1 6.2 Matthew Mercer clarified on Twitter that non-druid classes exist in the Ashari and the leaders are not always druids.
  7. See "Blood and Shadow" (E3x03) at 5:17:19.
  8. See "Aramente to Pyrah" (1x22) at 1:17:27.
  9. See "Aramente to Pyrah" (1x22) at 1:17:27.
  10. See Tal'Dorei Campaign Setting, pp. 30–31. "[T]he isolated nature of each tribe [...] much of life within the Ashari is hidden from outsiders’ prying eyes. [...] They’ve come to understand the necessity of good relations with nearby cities, so occasionally members will visit and trade with towns and people near their guarded fane."
  11. See "Daring Days" (1x86) from 3:12:55 through 3:17:06.  Keyleth says the Vesrah are insular. Pa'tice, headmaster of the Earth Ashari, says he hasn't attended anything with the Water Ashari in a long time.
  12. See Tal'Dorei Campaign Setting, p. 28.
  13. Marisha Ray mentioned Keyleth's people's relationship with Melora and how she is less religious than other members of the Ashari in this tweet.
  14. 14.0 14.1 14.2 See Tal'Dorei Campaign Setting, p. 31.
  15. See "Critical Role's Liam O'Brien On Orym & Dorian Romance, Beef With Laudna, And Bells Hells LIVE!" at 0:17:22.
  16. Marisha Ray explained the meaning of "Kaitiakè" on Twitter.
  17. Marisha Ray spelled Aramenté with an accented "e" on Twitter, sometimes with an acute accent mark and sometimes with a grave accent mark over the last letter.
  18. In some officially published works it is spelled without an accent mark. See Tal'Dorei Campaign Setting, pp. 30–31.
  19. See "Those Who Walk Away" (1x45) at 1:14:07.
  20. See "Hope" (1x56) at 3:07:49.
  21. See Tal'Dorei Campaign Setting, pp. 30–31.
  22. See "Onward to Vesrah" (1x87) at 3:30:47.
  23. See "Aramente to Pyrah" (1x22) at 2:55:54.
  24. See "Aramente to Pyrah" (1x22) at 2:47:29.
  25. See Tal'Dorei Campaign Setting, pp. 127–128. See also pp. 95–96.
  26. "What You Need to Know Before Watching Exandria Unlimited" at CritRole.com.
  27. See "Aramente to Pyrah" (1x22) at 4:18:38.
  28. See "Daring Days" (1x86) at 3:13:49.
  29. See Tal'Dorei Campaign Setting Reborn, p. 228.
  30. See "Blood and Shadow" (E3x03) at 4:52:09.
  31. See "Blood and Shadow" (E3x03) at 5:13:03.
  32. See Tal'Dorei Campaign Setting, p. 30. This happened "a dozen generations ago" as of 812 PD.
  33. In 810 PD, Keyleth says this happened "about 900 years ago or so, roughly a thousand years ago." If the length of the Calamity was on the low end of "centuries", this could have happened before the Calamity began.  See "Aramente to Pyrah" (1x22) at 1:17:27.
  34. See Tal'Dorei Campaign Setting Reborn, p. 209.
  35. See "A Name Is Earned" (1x49) at 4:46:02.
  36. See "Duskmeadow" (1x57) at 3:06:25.
  37. See "Enter Vasselheim" (1x16) at 0:26:53.  Keyleth said she was 5 or 6 years old when her mother left.
  38. On the other hand, Keyleth said shortly afterward, in late 810 PD, that her mother left almost 20 years ago.  See "Aramente to Pyrah" (1x22) from 2:52:21 through 2:52:42.
  39. Another source reinforces the earlier date of Vilya's departure, saying Vilya started her Aramenté "nearly eighteen years" before Keyleth started her own in late 808 or 809 PD. See The Chronicles of Exandria Volume One: The Tale of Vox Machina, p. 34.
  40. In an episode set in 843 PD, this happened "about 50 or so years ago".  See "A Haunted Past" (3x63) at 1:53:29.
  41. See "Aid of the Tempest" (3x66) at 1:21:25.
  42. In 810 PD, Vilya is said to have visited and left Pyrah ten years prior.  See "Aramente to Pyrah" (1x22) at 2:52:00.
  43. See "Onward to Vesrah" (1x87) from 3:28:30 through 3:29:39.
  44. In 836 PD, Viridian says she has been on Rumblecusp for "close to three decades."  See "Mysteries, Memories, and Music" (2x101) at 16:31.
  45. In 836 PD, Vilya says she's been there "twenty-five years".  See "Ghosts, Dinosaurs, and Stuff" (2x102) at 3:22:01.
  46. In 836 PD, Vilya says "two-and-a-half decades, longer."  See "Maritime Mysteries" (2x103) at 15:32.
  47. See "Voice of the Tempest" (1x90) at 3:35:15.  See also 3:45:31.
  48. The Chronicles of Exandria Volume One: The Tale of Vox Machina, p. 34.
  49. See "Aramente to Pyrah" (1x22) at 2:51:55.
  50. See "Aramente to Pyrah" (1x22) at 2:56:00.
  51. Twitter logo Marisha Ray (@Marisha_Ray) on Twitter: "I’ve thought about this a lot, and I think there is something too this. By starting in the middle of Kiki’s story, the audience missed a lot of what made her the way she was. Watching Pike die; killing a kid; failing at her first Aramentè task with the Earth Ashari, etc.." (2019-01-06) — in reply to @iravixian: "y'kno, I've been thinking about this since between the sheets and how people didn't like keyleth. My thought that her particular character is harder to get to know in the middle of a campaign versus Bou, which we got to know from the start." (backup link)
  52. See "Aramente to Pyrah" (1x22) at 2:51:35.
  53. See "Aramente to Pyrah" (1x22) at 4:14:45.
  54. See "Desperate Measures" (1x40) at 2:52:24.
  55. See "Those Who Walk Away" (1x45) at 2:47:26.
  56. See "Cindergrove Revisited" (1x46) at 0:09:55.  See also 3:07:11.
  57. See "Vorugal" (1x71) at 2:23:33.
  58. See "Vorugal" (1x71) at 4:39:42.
  59. See "The Siege of Emon" (1x78) from 1:46:25 through 1:52:29.
  60. See "The Siege of Emon" (1x78) at 3:51:46.
  61. See "Curious Tides" (1x89) at 0:14:44.  Matt summarizes the difficult battle in the previous episode.
  62. See "Curious Tides" (1x89) at 2:05:49.
  63. See "Voice of the Tempest" (1x90) from 3:34:27 through 3:51:12.
  64. See "The Chapter Closes" (1x115) at 4:10:19.
  65. See "Aid of the Tempest" (3x66) at 1:21:25.
  66. Her memories were restored at the end of "Ghosts, Dinosaurs, and Stuff" (2x102), she discussed them in "Maritime Mysteries" (2x103), and she returned to Zephrah in "Devoutness and Dicks" (2x107).
  67. See "4-Sided Dive: Shard Candy" (4SDx19) at 0:45:24.
  68. See "The Oh No Plateau" (E1x02) at 1:58:48.
  69. See "The Oh No Plateau" (E1x02) at 2:16:38.
  70. See "A Desperate Call" (3x36) at 0:38:42.
  71. See "The Aurora Grows" (3x49) at 4:31:25.
  72. See "Aid of the Tempest" (3x66) at 0:42:38.
  73. See "Bloody Flowers" (3x67).
  74. See "For The Tempest" (3x68) at 1:16:59.
  75. See "Bittersweet Reunions" (3x93) at 3:39:29.
  76. See "Assault on the Malleus Key" (3x113) at 1:18:35.
  77. See "Assault on the Malleus Key" (3x113) at 2:15:21.
  78. See "Critical Role Cast Answers The Web's Most Searched Questions" at 0:18:32.
  79. See "4-Sided Dive: Oh My Gods" (4SDx26) at 1:33:15.
  80. See Tal'Dorei Campaign Setting Reborn, p. 198.
  81. See "Nice" (3x69) from 0:56:50 through 1:27:47.
  82. See "For The Tempest" (3x68) at 1:22:45.
  83. See "Assault on the Malleus Key" (3x113) at 1:38:38.  In 843 PD, Verin states he was gifted the booklet when he was "younger".
  84. See "Trinket's Honey Heist" (Sx27) at 52:32.

Art:

  1. Official art of symbol of the Ashari, by Conceptopolis from Critical Role: Tal'Dorei Campaign Setting, p. 30. This file is a copyrighted work. Its use in this article is asserted to qualify as fair use of the material under United States copyright law.
  2. Official art of a firetamer, a skydancer, a stoneguard, and a waverider (left to right), by Biagio D'Alessandro from Critical Role: Tal'Dorei Campaign Setting pg. 127. This file is a copyrighted work. Its use in this article is asserted to qualify as fair use of the material under United States copyright law.
  3. Official art of Terrah, by Kent Davis (source). Used with permission.
  4. Official art of Lorkathar in Flamereach Grove, by Bryan Syme (source). Used with permission.
  5. Fan art of Keyleth outside Vesrah, by Lap Pun Cheung (source). Used with permission.
  6. Fan art of Vilya reuniting with Keyleth at Zephrah, by Toby Sharp (source). Used with permission.
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