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ShirKahr: Difference between revisions
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=Introduction= | =Introduction= | ||
For centuries the oasis at ShirKahr was a strategic water source, fought over by various clans, warlords, and factions. At one time, it was the only inland spot on the Na'nam continent where trees grew, until all but the smallest copses were destroyed by the constant fighting. Historians who have studied the development of ShirKahr believe the city was sacked and rebuilt dozens of times during its history. Each invader made his own mark upon the city, changing some areas and making sure that anything related to the previous ruler was leveled. | |||
But of all the conquerors of (and warlords from) ShirKahr, only under the teachings of [[ma:Surak|Surak]] has the city truly prospered. Once the teachings of [[ma:Surak|Surak]] took hold, and Vulcans devoted their energies to science and art, ShirKahr expanded from a strategic target to become one of the most powerful cities on Vulcan, and the planet's legislative capital. | |||
Today ShirKahr is where the greatest artists and thinkers on Vulcan work and live, including many who have come from different parts of Vulcan and the Federation to see the new things that have been created. Of all of Vulcan's cities, ShirKahr receives the most offworld and Vulcan tourists. While many come to see the various works of art, or debate in the great lecture halls of the Science Academy, others also come to see the past, to remind themselves or show their children what life was like before [[ma:Surak|Surak]] and the Awakening. ShirKahr's variegated past and its explosive growth after the Awakening has left the city divided into many quarters and neighborhoods, some still separated by walls built millennia ago, others with modern gravrails running through them. | |||
=Artisan Quarter= | |||
As might be expected, this is where some of the best artists on Vulcan can be found. Like the Old Quarter, it is a place where one should look carefully at what he wishes to obtain to separate the valuable crafts from cheap replicated Ferengi knockoffs. Among the actual artists, several renowned masters still make their home in the quarter. S'wek is a master of sand sculpture. Examples of his work can been seen around the government offices, and in some of the public gardens. He only works on assignment, and currently is involved in several projects; he does have several small pieces in his workshop that he's willing to sell. He's considered a very fair Vulcan to deal with. | |||
Another artist, T'rel, specializes in watercolors; she has studied on several worlds, including Earth. T'rel paints when she considers her talents to suit the topic, and currently has nothing in stock she would like to sell. She has allowed public exhibitions of the paintings she has kept in her studio, and of works in progress. | |||
=Old Quarter= | |||
This is where most of the oldest architecture in ShirKahr can be found. Vulcans have gone to great lengths to keep the area as close to its ancient design as possible. The ''Suta'' temple gets special care; although few Vulcans worship there any more, it holds a special place in the history of ShirKahr. It was one of the first places that allowed [[ma:Surak|Surak]] and his followers to teach their beliefs publicly, as they closely matched those of the temple priests. Priests of ''Tel-alep'', they believed that by learning the truth of any situation one could accept it calmly. | |||
For many years people have come to learn about Vulcan's history here, but even on a traditional planet such as Vulcan the sheer number of tourists and visitors has left the area an odd hodge-podge of history and modernity. Subspace links rest on ancient minarets, and merchants weigh out ''kevas'' trinkets on antique balances while recording transactions on top quality [[ma:PADD|PADDs]]. Good quality hotels and inns can still be found in the quarter, but you'll have to deal with tourist junkets and guided tours. | |||
Vulcan residents tend to avoid the quarter when there are a lot of tourists around, as they constantly are asked to have their [[ma:Holographic_imager|holo]] taken, which in general Vulcans consider rude. Still, the quality of one hotel in the quarter, the Tav'Sal'Nava or "Finest House", cannot be denied, as it's nearly the only hotel on the planet that any Ferengi trade delegate or envoy will tolerate. The most prestigious hotel in all of ShirKahr, its facilities are considered some of Vulcan's finest. All types of offworld cuisine are served, including meat, but Vulcans will have nothing to do with its preparation or storage. The hotel boasts a truly interspecies staff, with representatives of (and specialized rooms for) nearly every major species in the Federation, and a few beyond. | |||
=Outskirts Area= | |||
This area is where non-Vulcans who like traditional Vulcan food and culture go when they have grown tired of the Old Quarter. There are several small hotels, inns, and restaurants that still cater to the native Vulcan population, but more offworld customers have been coming into the area. Some consider the quality of the food and lodging not only less elevated but better than that in the Old Quarter. | |||
The Oasis, a very good inn in the quarter, is run by a former Vulcan professor of interspecies studies named T'kin. She took over operating the restaurant as an experiment to see the practical application of the things she taught. That was ten years ago; she continues to work at the inn, but doesn't mention the experiment much anymore. | |||
The Oasis has gained a reputation as one of the better places for non-Vulcans to go in ShirKahr. T'kin goes out of her way to make sure that visitors get to see as much of her world as possible. She has helped make arrangements for individuals to go on tours or visits to different places on Vulcan. Vulcans themselves are also very comfortable with her, and she has many friends in the Vulcan Science Academy. Since the Oasis is located on the edge of ShirKahr's cultivated area, T'kin tries to warn unwary guests of the dangers of wandering around Vulcan's deserts at night. | |||
=Public Gardens= | |||