Acharat is a powerful skeva shaman and chieftain of Xirklx, an underground village located beneath the city of Brighton. Acharat did not seek this dual role, but circumstance dictated that he take it on when no one else could adequately serve in either capacity. As his remaining years wane, the responsibilities heaped on him take their toll, but Acharat accepts the burden for what it is, knowing his duty is always first and foremost to his people.

Early on, Acharat displayed a oneness with the Spirits, the natural energies that sometimes manifest as semi-sentient forces that a shaman can command or at least ask for their assistance. Acharat’s master, an elder skeva named Vesper Gnarltooth, recognized Acharat’s aptitude and agreed to take him on as his apprentice. This arrangement lasted for many years until, finally, the apprentice exceeded the master’s abilities. When that happened, Vesper knew it was time for him to step aside and let the mantle of village shaman fall to Acharat.

Acharat had worked his whole life for this, so he welcomed the transition even as he lamented his master’s advancing years. In time, Vesper passed. All of Xirklx felt his loss. Vesper’s funerary rites were barely complete when their chieftain was killed during a foraging raid into Brighton. With no clear successor and no one worthy of leading them, Acharat was nominated. Initially, he declined, but his sense of duty won him over, so from that point on, he became both shaman and chieftain.

Under his guidance, the people of Xirklx have lived rich and satisfactory lives, and while Acharat longs for the day when his people do not have to live in fear of persecution from humans and others, survival remains paramount amongst his thoughts.

Acharat’s lifemate was Pujeel. They were together for more than thirty years before she succumbed to a wasting disease that finally took her life some ten years ago.

THE SPIRITS

As a shaman, Acharat has a special attunement to the world around him, including the ability to call upon the Spirits. In times of old, the Spirits were extremely powerful allies, and while their power has waned, they remain formidable when they feel so inclined to help. Their power manifests in a variety of ways, including in the form of portents of the future, an urging that serves to guide one down the correct path, or, in the most extreme circumstances, in the form of raw energy that a shaman might channel through a staff or walking stick similar to a sorcerer. Acharat sees the Spritis as a fickle bunch, so while he knows better than to rely solely on them, he also recognizes that they represent a powerful ally.

FIRST APPEARANCE

Acharat first appears in The Nullification Engine (The Alchemancer Book Two).