resulted in the death of both and the destruction of their citadels. Ma'ar's fortress became a crater that filled with water and was later named Lake Evendim. Urtho's tower become a massive crater covered in black glass. The Goddess appeared to the Kaled'a'in and gave them two tasks: The Clans who were given the first task were to use magic to restore the damage done to the land through magic; these people became the Tale'edras. The Clans who shunned the use of any magic except for that of the Shaman were to live in the crater and guard the weapons still sealed in Urtho's tower. The clans who accepted the second task became the Shin'a'in, and the Goddess covered the ruined land with grass so that they could live there. This re-populating of the Plains came at a great cost: the lives of the Elders of the four Clans who were the first of the Shin'a'in (Hawk, Wolf, Grass-Cat, and Deer). This gave the Plains their name - the Dhorisha Shin'a, the Plains of Sacrifice. There was also a Kaled'a'in clan that had gated so far out from the others that they were considered the Lost Clan, the k'Leshya. The k'Leshya reunited with the others during the Mage Wars and Mage Storms near 2400 years later, per Mercedes Lackey's timelines found in the Valdemar novels. Roles and social organization The Shin'a'in are organized in Clans named for a totemic animal (Clan of the Cat, Clan of the Hawk, etc. E.g.: Liha'irden as Clan of the Racing Deer, or Tale'sedrin as Children of the Hawk.) They have a clan elder and a shaman (or several shamans) who rule the Clan. The shamans are the only magic users; children born to the Clan who have the ability to use magic must join the shamans or leave the Plains to join Tayledras for training. If they wish to do neither, then the Shaman will call upon the Goddess to seal away the touch of magic and the child will continue to live life in the Clan. The Shin'a'in clan has several pivotal members: the Clan Elders, Shaman and Healers, in addition to a Clanmother. Clan is so important to the Shin'a'in that a Shin'a'in Clanless is considered as having no reason to live. They live and die for their Clans. Shamans Shamans are the spiritual leaders of the Shin'a'in. They hold a great