ShirKahr: Difference between revisions

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.

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.

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.

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.

The public gardens of ShirKahr are there for those who don't have a garden of their own, or need to have a quiet place to meditate while away from home. The gardens, located between the government council chambers, the Academy and the Old Quarter, are built to represent the different terrain types found on Vulcan.

Before [[ma:Surak|Surak]], a huge fortress overlooked the oasis, built and rebuilt by each clan that captured it. When the Age of Awakening began two thousand years ago, [[ma:Surak|Surak]] changed the fort's purpose from one of war to one of learning. With his adepts he continued the teaching of logic to those who wished to learn more about the concept. Vulcan education has always been very centered on the relationship between student and '''''pyllora''''', a term which translates to "mentor" or "guide." Thus it was a relatively simple matter to transfer the center of ShirKahr's education from the old temples of learning to [[ma:Surak|Surak's]] new agora. From there more and more came to learn, not only about ''Tu-Surak'', but about other subjects as well. [[ma:Surak|Surak]] encouraged this while he lived, wanting his fellow Vulcans to devote their full energies to understanding the universe and its infinite possibilities; it was here that the very concept of [[IDIC]] was born.

With [[IDIC]] as its madate, the Vulcan Science Academy grew to study literally everything imaginable. Today it is considered one of the top research institutes in teh Federation. Brilliant professors from other parts of the Federation come to the '''VSA''' to learn or teach in a variety of areas, including the hard sciences, engineering, computer sciences, philosophy, and medicine. Today the campus has expanded far outside the walls of the former fort that once housed it. Like other parts of ShirKahr, the campus now contains a mixture of old and new architecture.

At immigration, each person inserts a data chip containing his personal and medical history; different types of data interface units exist for use by different races. Once the Central Clearing computers verify the data, visitors may use transporters preset for different locations on Vulcan. The most common reason for not being allowed to transport down immediately is that health-related information is not complete, or that an inoculation needs to be updated to deal with Vulcan's environment. The station has a top Starfleet Sickbay and a campus of the Vulcan Science Academy's Space and Xenological Medical School.

Also called '''CAT's''', these are small access terminals that can be found throughout ShirKahr. They connect directly to the Central Clearing computers. From these terminals, one can get different kinds of general information about things like the address of a particular place, transportation schedules, or lecture schedules at the '''VSA'''. They can also be used to make restaurant reservations, or buy tickets for a performance. If one is looking for another individual, the terminals will give a simple one-page readout that will include education, occupation, and a commcode. No personal information or addresses will be given.