Warrior Philosopher of the Shar

• Birth: Unknown
• Death: Unknown
• First Appearance: NA

Not much is known about the life of Shōjum. He is believed to have been a great Shari warlord and philosopher sometime after the Fourth Migration. All scholarship regarding Shōjum has been educed from myths, parchment fragments, and a series of eight tablets removed from his tomb (i.e, Tablets of Shōjum).

Reclaiming the Master

Centuries before the Pryr Īrul drove into the heart of the Shar to find Shōjum’s resting place, stories had circulated throughout the Shar Cradle about a great warrior who had conquered ancient lands in that region. The Pryr Pæð possessed a number of small parchment fragments that they attributed to Shojum but their contents were incomplete and mostly incomprehensible. Additionally, the priests were fairly certain that the fragments were copies of copies, since parchments did not last long in the tropical clime. Despite these hurdles, the Pryr Īrul were determined to find the ancient master and claim him as their own.

There were several reasons why the Pryr Īrul were interested in Shōjum. The first reason was prestige. Despite very limited scholarship, the name was respected by military scholars worldwide. Anyone that could claim the ancient master might be able to claim some of his majesty as well. Second, it was believed that Shōjum might be buried beneath a mountain of ancient treasure, spoils of his presumed conquests. Among these riches might be objects of power that were keys to his success. Such objects (if they ever existed) were never found. Third, it was believed that the remains of Shōjum might be used to reveal mysteries left answered by the fragmented parchment teachings. It was with these things in mind, that the Īruli Prydyrim Gor assembled a crusade in 201 HK to comb the impenetrable Shar.

The army marched to the City of Kændal and then sailed to Panæð where they were supplied with magicians and priests to aid in their quest. Over the next seven years, the crusading army pushed deeply into uncharted jungles, fighting native peoples, carving out small city-states, erecting keeps and outposts, gathering information, and following every lead they could find. For five years the Army of Īrul trampled through steaming vine-choked forests, poisonous swamps, and scouted the endless twists of a thousand rivers. Nothing was found. The High King became impatient with the crusade for two reasons. Everyone but the Pryr Īrul believed that nothing would be found and the High King’s support (which was substantial) would be seen as folly. The second reason was that his attentions had turned toward Alùrin and he wanted to extract troops from the disease-ridden Shar for the northern campaign. An ambassador dispatched to Kryr Tremèndum, to plead on behalf of the Prydyrim Gor’s crusade, was able to broker a deal whereby half of the Prydyrim Gor’s army would remain while the rest would withdraw to Alùrin. In three years time, the remaining crusaders would also be withdrawn and sent to the northern frontier.

By the fall of 205 HK, the Army of Īrul was reduced to half. To compensate for his diminished forces, the Īrulàri Prydyrim Gor hired mercenary companies and adventurers to continue the crusade. This created new problems for the Prydyrim Gor, who now had to contend with avaricious, undisciplined, and untrustworthy forces. His remaining troops were pulled from the front-lines to act as policemen and justices to keep the mercenaries in-line. In the summer of 206 HK, Pryr Irùl fortunes shifted. Soldiers uncovered a mercenary plot to raid a recently discovered tomb. Carvings on the tomb’s stone lid indicated that the interred was a warrior of great importance. The mercenaries had planned to raid the tomb, once they assembled and tools and manpower to remove the giant stone, abandon their contract, and find buyers for what they assumed would be a great treasure. Instead, the mercenaries were executed, the tomb was opened and the tablets discovered. All that remained of the tomb’s occupant were bone fragments.

The Tablets of Shōjum formed the walls of his tomb. One was placed at both the head and feet of the body. Three stood along each side. Beginning at the left shoulder and continuing clockwise around the body, the tablets were inscribed with a comprehensive accounting of Shōjum’s teachings, philosophies, and strategies. Though the script was unknown to contemporary sages, it was later deciphered with Sūdùli çiris orádra magics. Confirmation of Shōjum’s identity was established when passages on the tomb’s tablets were found to match (and complete) those in the Pæði libraries. The tablets and remains were removed to Wyrthyr Tor where they reside to this day.

Shōjum was elevated to Vældyrim by the Pryr Irul in 208 HK.