Kastar

Kastar means “Swift” in the Orcish tongue. The Kastar occupy the western Labyrinth, and the land surrounding the western exits. They are led by the orc kizshmit Maalo Sahai (female orc ghaash’kala kizshmit, she/her), and the orc sar’malaan Naakah Shahar (female orc ghaash’kala sar’malaan, she/her).

Kastar Dar, the stronghold of the Kastar Ghaash’kala, is entirely within Khyber. It is well hidden, and only the Kastar Ghaash’kala know the secret paths to reach it. These paths are also exquisitely trapped to deal with those who stumble upon them. As a result of this, the Kastar are guardians of the subterranean tunnels beneath the Labyrinth, as well as the passages above ground. They are also more active in raiding demiplanes.

Source: Sarhain's Guide to the Silver Flame

Clan Kastar are the unseen watchers - the lurking hunters who stalk their prey. In stark contrast to the Jaasakah, the Kastar rely on stealth, skill, and subterfuge to effortlessly take down their foes. When the rangers attack, they do so in tandem, and never strike without having the upper hand. What the Jaasakh see as a challenge, the Kastar see as unnecessary risk. This caution is bred from their position in the heart of the Labyrinth; the Kastar face threats from all directions, and would rather die than give away their location. The entirety of Clan Kastar lives within the Wraith-Hold - an underground cavernfortress built on the border with Khyber.

From here, parties of hunters venture out through a trapped maze of tunnels to patrol the Labyrinth. The clanhold’s connection to Khyber is also used by Kastar hunting parties, and the Clan makes the most use of the Realm Below. Generations of Ghaash’kala have created a vast map of the areas of Khyber beneath them, with more knowledge of its demiplanes than any other.

The guardians of the Wraith-Hold are serious and quiet, used to prolonged periods of silence during ambushes and patrols. Their bonds are born from teaching and respect, with acolytes traveling with hunting groups to pick up survival skills in both the Wastes above and Khyber below.

Source: Ghaash'kala: Paladins of the Wastes

Buried deep in the center of the Labyrinth lie the warrens of Clan Kastar. A fortress in name but never in form, the hidden Kastar Dar is where the roaming hunters rest, recuperate and raise their families – safe from the danger that surrounds them on all sides. The central location of the Kastar means that attacks could come from any (or all) sides, resulting in a precarious defense. The fall of any other Ghaash’kala fortress could leave them pincered and surrounded with no way out. The Kastar, with typical practicality, solved this by having no fortress at all.

Named in the curses of the Carrion Tribes as the Wraith-Hold, Kastar Dar is formed from a series of warrens and twisting tunnels in the Labyrinth rock. Each eventually converges in central caverns containing the main body of the clan. Tunnel entrances lie scattered around the Labyrinth, hidden by magic and natural camouflage far from the location of the caverns themselves. Many a goristro has chased a group of scampering orcs into a certain dead-end – only to find them vanished without a trace. Each route is laden with traps, switchbacks and false trails to waylay any would-be attackers, with secret signs akin to Thieves’ Cant that warn of dangers for those in the know. The hidden nature of the Wraith-Hold is aided by a Kythri manifest zone that blocks divination magic and forms the chaotic tunnels.

Inside the Wraith-Hold

The inner series of caverns hold the static population of Clan Kastar, including their civilians and younger members. Lit by several immense lanterns enchanted with silvery daylight, the Hold itself is a communal oasis amidst the horror. The cavern floors are devoted to the growth of hardy crops and livestock sustained by the Argent Lanterns, while the Kastar themselves live in homes carved and built into the rocky walls.

Khyber’s Core. Only the deepest cavern is the exception. Lined with permanent defenses, brutal traps and magic circles, the chamber is centered on a gated stairway that descends deep into Khyber. The Kastar maintain constant watch over this Descent, permitting groups to leave on demiplane hunts and far journeys within the Realm Below.

Source: Paladins of the Wastes

The Wraith-Hold

Inside the Wraith-Hold

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