Shahin (The Banner of Kaviyan)

Shahin was a young man living in Gomishan. He was the son of the dihqan, Pakor, known as the Dihqan and the great grandson of Pakor, known as the Elder.

On reaching his manhood, Shahin was given command of a troop of soldiers and sent to raid a force of Arabs who had entered Tabaristan without leave. The Persians succeeded in surprising the camped Arabs at daybreak. They skillfully managed to approach by stealth and then charged under a banner of orange with black stripes. They inflicted heavy casualties while taking few and scattered the rest so they fled back over the border.

Shahin and his troop returned to Gomishan and he reported his success to his father who was pleased and praised him. Pakor the Elder also attended this private meeting and he too commended the youth. However, Shahin grew boastful and claimed this was one of the greatest victories the Persians ever had. While The Dihqan indulgently agreed, The Elder grew somber and commented that this was little more than a cattle raid. He then launched into tales of his experiences as a young man in the army of Marshall Shahr Baraz and what were major victories. Unlike previous tellings, he attributed their successes to the Banner of Kaviyan and their subsequent losses to the banner being removed from the army for safe-keeping. He also explained that the banner had been hidden in Ctesiphon never to be seen again, despite the capital being sacked by the Arabs.

Shahin was deeply affected by this story and after brooding on it for several weeks, set out on a quest to find the banner despite his father's misgivings.