Chanaakar, the Speaker of the Word, is the fifteenth person to hold the position of spiritual leader of Adar. He was born the son of a servant. Geetru, the Speaker at that time, encountered him in the halls of Kasshta Keep. The five-year-old Chanaakar was reciting complex codes of magic to his sister, Luunkashtai, as the two played a game imitating their father's arcanist employers. Amazingly, the boy was reciting the formulas correctly.
Geetru immediately took the boy to her private quarters and questioned him. Chanaakar's abilities were astounding, and Geetru began to suspect that he was a reincarnation of a former Keeper of the Word. The boy's integrity and love became clear when he refused to be separated from his sister in order to train, even though his training occurred within the keep. Geetru allowed Luunkashtai the chance to pass one of the tests for entering the Keeper order. She did.
Chanaakar mastered philosophies and preparatory spellcasting techniques quickly, at the same time showing himself to be affable and humble. The boy devoured history and learned the lore of Riedra and the Inspired. At the same time, he trained in the citadel's martial techniques, learning forms quickly and keeping his body fit so he didn't fall asleep in meditation as many others did. He showed himself balanced in body and mind.
When he was nineteen, however, Chanaakar became restless. He broke with tradition and secretly left Kasshta Keep with his sister. With the aid of a mountaineer named Kaala, they ventured deep into Adar. Chanaakar saw what life was like in this harsh land, and he came to love its people. For their part, many folk returned the affection—chanaakar, Luunkashtai, and Kaala became known for solving problems, helping the needy, and even slaying a monster or three. The stories of these days tell that the trio never asked for payment and humbly received any reward forced upon them, giving what they could in the form of work or service.
This break from tradition might have actually assured Chanaakar's ascension to the position of Speaker. Geetru watched his travels with interest. She knew her time on Eberron was ending, and she knew her replacement must be chosen from among those serving at Kasshta Keep. Chanaakar, even better than she, knew not only the ways of the Keepers, but also the ways of Adar. In Chanaakar's absence, Geetru declared him her successor—much to the chagrin of several of her closest advisors.
Chanaakar was descending the slopes of Korrandar after seeking to speak to a Storm Guardian (whether he succeeded in this mission is unknown) when word came ordering him to return to Kasshta Keep. He and his companions obeyed immediately, arriving at Kasshta Keep as quickly as they could. They arrived to find Geetru had passed from the world. The elders of Kasshta Keep approved her choice for successor, and a shocked Chanaakar became Speaker of the Word.
Chanaaka r appointed his sister and Kaala as two of his Hands, persons who serve the Speaker and act as his agents. As Speaker, he changed little of Kasshta's traditions. Perhaps because he had never been a part of the Keep's hierarchy and because he had been away for so long, Chanaaka r didn't remove anyone from power or make any reforms, thinking he didn't need to. He was wrong.
Raadu Xeel was a respected teacher and arcanist in Kasshta. His body was honed and his mind sharp. He had waited years, aiding Geetru in every manner possible, hoping to become the next Speaker. But temporal ambition is unseemly to the ascetics, and Raadu was known to have delved into lore thought better left alone. Geetru couldn't have placed Xeel as Speaker if she had wanted to—the elders wouldn't have allowed it.
Under false pretenses, a sect of magicians offered Xeel aid—actually Endseekers hoping to gain control of Kasshta's resources. Raadu saw an alliance with these mages as a way to expand the Keepers' knowledge in the future. Finding an inroad with dark philosophies that Raadu had already assimilated, the Endseekers slowly corrupted Xeel, even as he ingratiated himself to others in Kasshta Keep and the new Speaker alike. He hoped that his behavior would place him in a controlling position when all was done. The Endseekers convinced him he should become Speaker, and that they could help. All Xeel had to do was open the gate door at the right time.
Ultimately, the Endseekers and their dark minions tried to assassinate Chanaakar after gaining access to Kasshta Keep with Xeel's aid. But they failed, thanks to Luunkashtai, Kaala, and the monks. Still, Kaala, Chanaakar's friend, guard, and secret love, died that night as a storm gathered over Kasshta. When the truth of the plot was uncovered, the elders had Xeel executed and his family banished from Kasshta Keep, despite Chanaakar's request for mercy.
Chanaakar has now been Speaker for nearly forty years. His reign has been just and his popularity has strengthened the position of Kasshta Keep among the monasteries of Adar. Many young mountainfolk seek tutelage at Kasshta, and the Speaker's word carries more weight with Adarans than it ever has in the past. Chanaakar uses this influence to help keep Adar secure and its people on a righteous path, encouraging adherence to the Path of Light. He also has the Leadership feat and a cadre of nearly a hundred followers and students within Kasshta Keep.