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|suzerain = N/A
|suzerain = N/A
|languages = Ibeth, Common
|languages = Ibeth, Common
|religion = [[Baskarr]]
|religion = [[Khama]]
|first_recorded = 20,000 BC
|first_recorded = 20,000 BC
|demonym = Ashal
|demonym = Ashal
|}}
|}}
The Asha are the oldest continuously existing [[Race]] on [[Aloria]], even pre-dating the Elven [[Allorn Empire]], though has undergone massive changes throughout history. Under the early [[Dewamenet Empire]], the Asha were poised to conquer vast parts of the world, however they came into conflict with the just-founded Allorn Empire. A cataclysmic war of Dewamenet Technology versus Allorn [[Magic]] erupted, which the Dewamenet lost. The surviving Dewamenet were enslaved by the Allorn Empire and used for tens of thousands of years as magically bound servants, while their Empire collapsed and their cities turned to dust. Despite [[Elven]] attempts to eradicate their culture, parts of it survived through being passed down within bound memories, and some Elves who were sympathetic to their fate. When the Allorn Empire collapsed under its own weight following the last Void Invasion, many Asha violently rose up and overthrew their Elven masters, establishing states of their own, and reconnecting with things from the past. In the modern day, the Asha are still very much affected by their millennia of servitude, with many of them having taken to the seas to attack Elven ships, try to free still enslaved Asha brethren, or turn to [[Regalia]] to discover parts of their past lost to time. The Asha are a Race that are slowly rediscovering their past in the world, and for many, to discover how the past has defined them and how they will define the future of all Asha.
The Asha are the oldest continuously existing [[Heritage]] on [[Aloria]], even pre-dating the Elven [[Allorn Empire]], though has undergone massive changes throughout history. Under the early [[Dewamenet Empire]], the Asha were poised to conquer vast parts of the world, however, they came into conflict with the just-founded Allorn Empire. A cataclysmic war of Dewamenet Technology versus Allorn [[Magic]] erupted, which the Dewamenet lost. In their loss, Elven victory was so violent that it ground their Empire to dust. The Allorn Elves tried to move heaven and earth to erase Dewamenet Culture from existence, through the periods now referred to as the Pearl Wars though try as they did, they could never suppress the resistance and spite of the Asha to survive and thrive. When the Allorn Empire collapsed under its weight during the last Void Invasion, the Asha reclaimed some of their lost homeland, and are now poised to reconnect with much of their hidden past, rejoining long-lost brethren and refounding a common identity.  


==Design==
==Design==
[[File:FAVX0VgWQAERuwn.jpg|260px|thumb|right|Asha Corsair captains are some of the most feared on the high seas.]]
The Asha are a collective of anthropomorphic animal-people, the closest approximation of a "Furries" on MassiveCraft. A wide range of animal types are available, from canine to equine to feline, to marsupials and more, with some species classified under separate Lineages (see below). The Asha can have plantigrade legs and feet or digitigrade legs and clawed feet and hands. They can have a wide variety of natural eye colors, as well as natural fur or feather colors and patterns, but there is a great deal of freedom to change, for example using leopard fur patterning for a canine-otter hybrid design. Some unnatural colors are also available to some of the Legacies. It is important to also mention the Half-Asha, who the Asha consider full members of their societies. Half-Asha are Asha born from dominant Asha parentage that show Asha traits. Common appearances are for example animal-like eyes, ears, claws, tails, and legs, but mostly without fur covering their skin.
[[File:FBUHPrVWUAI13wb.jpg|260px|thumb|right|Asha politicians are just as capable as all other Races at dressing to impress.]]
The Asha are a collective Race of anthropomorphic animal-people, the closest approximation of a "Furry-Race" on MassiveCraft. A wide range of animal types are available, from canine to equine to feline, to marsupials and more. Hybrids between species are also possible, while the Asha can have plantigrade legs and feet or digitigrade legs and clawed feet and hands. They can have a wide variety of natural eye colors, as well as natural fur colors and patterns, but there is a great deal of freedom to change, for example using leopard fur patterning for a canine-otter hybrid design. Some unnatural colors are also available to some of the Legacies. It is important to also mention the Half-Asha, who the Asha consider full members of their Race. Half-Asha are Asha born from dominant Asha parentage that show Asha traits like animal ears, tails, fur, but otherwise have more facial features of other Races. Common appearances are for example animal like eyes, ears, claws, tail and legs, but mostly [[Ailor]] or Elven skin, facial features and build.
===Why Asha in Regalia===
Why Asha in Regalia is a section designed to give (new) Players some idea for why a Race might want to be in Regalia, as opposed to their homeland, as some Races are heavily homeland-coded and may need some contrivances to actually Roleplay in Regalia, where all the on-server activity takes place. While you can usually extrapolate other reasons from the Lore on this page, this section provides a few easy-access suggestions.
* '''Free from Isolation:''' The Ashal States, even if they are their own, are intensely isolated from the outside world and do not allow non-Asha to their interior beyond the coastal trade cities. Many Asha are curious to the wonders of the world, and travel particularly to Regalia, where they can experience everything (including all the chaos and anarchy) that the world has to offer concentrated in one city.
* '''Rediscover the Past:''' The Asha have mostly been dispossessed by other Races of their land. Over the tends of thousands of years since the fall of the Dewamenet Empire, Elves and Ailor have inhabited the lands where once their cities stood. This makes rediscovering the past contingent on the approval of these local people to engage in archeology and adventuring to discover the past, usually by obtaining permission in Regalia.
* '''Reconnect with Others:''' The Asha are a very disconnected Race. Many of the Asha are still enslaved by the Elves and were not able to escape the clutches of the reborn Allorn Empire, while many are spread far and wide in the winds. Regalia acts as a neutral common ground for many Asha of different walks of life to find and connect with each other, and learn the after effects of their history on their people.
* '''Center of Opportunity:''' Whatever anyone thinks of Regalia, it remains the center of opportunity to do and become literally anything. After having been deprived of opportunities for tens of thousands of years, the Asha finally stand at the cusp of becoming anything they like, and the means are usually provided in a global metropolitan place like Regalia, whether they choose to fit in or not.  


 
==Cultures==
 
Asha are divided over four so-called Lands which loosely determine their cultural associations and beliefs. This is an important choice for most Asha (though many are born in them) because it defines their outlook on life, and most notably how they interact with Elves and Mages. Historically Elves and Mages have inflicted a lot of pain and suffering on the Asha, and so the Cultures define how they act around Elves, and how they treat Mages. It is possible to change Cultures throughout Roleplay, but choosing one is recommended when beginning a new Character so that others understand how they feel about certain topics, without the Character having to explain complex and potentially nuanced points of view for every Asha they meet.
==Heritage Traits==
When designing a Character, Proficiency Points allow for a limited Ability selection with Point Buy Packs. Heritage Traits adds free Packs and Mechanics on top of that to help with cultural themes. Free Packs grant Abilities usually, while Mechanics change the way a character functions in Roleplay through subtle, and usually out of Combat ways. In essence, Mechanics just add aesthetic flair that invest in the niche of each culture. Free Packs never raise Proficiency Points, but the character must be able to purchase them normally. (ex. if a character is a certain Affinity that locks them out of a category, they cannot take that specific free pack and must choose the alternative option.) If a Free Pack grants Magic of some type, that Magic can be of any Alignment the character can normally choose, or limited to a select alignment, which will always be written in the Free Pack description.
 
Mixed Heritage characters (i.e. characters born from two parents of different Cultures) may take one parent's 'Free Packs' and mix and match up to 5 Mechanics from both parents, although some Peoples cannot produce Mixed Heritage children (due to Magical/Fantasy reasons). Legacies replace free-packs for mixed peoples, meaning if a mixed Asha character wants a Legacy, they must be chosen as the "Free Packs," and not take other Free Packs from their other parent.
===Free Packs===
* Asha get no Free Packs by default, rather their Packs are derived from Legacy's Will (see below).
===Mechanics===
* Asha can control a special liquid metal called Living Metal, that can harden and reshape on their command, and they can telekinetically move around.
* Asha claws act like matches, capable of causing flint and steel sparks when struck against surfaces or each other, useful for making fire.
* Asha are omnivores, but are capable of consuming raw and even spoiled meat without digestive or illness troubles.
* Asha have a limited body language to do with tails, that can communicate only the following: words "like", "dislike", and "favorite".
* Asha have perfect nightvision, capable of seeing in the dark and low light environments without needing an external light.
 
===Legacy's Will===
Asha have a unique mechanic called Legacy's Will, that dictates some Mechanics (and potentially Free Packs and Abilities), that can only be acquired during a particular Will Phase. There are several rules associated with Legacies, listed below. Note, there is no morally or ontologically correct Legacy, each of them represent a different way of viewing the world, the Asha themselves, but more importantly: the Elves. Legacies are also changeable, explained in the Rules below.
* Each Asha Character or Asha dominant Half-Asha can choose two different Legacies, or the same Legacy Twice.
* Choosing the same Legacy Twice, results in the Free Pack Bonus being doubled for that Asha.
* Changing Legacies in Roleplay, results in Free Packs from lost Legacies being removed.
* Asha Characters may change Legacies once per month, usually as a result of Roleplay.
<table style="width: 100%;"><tr><td style="width: 25%; vertical-align: top; text-align: left;">
{|
{|
[[File:Moveonasha.png|170px|thumb|left]]
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| [[File:Untitlesadasd Artwork.png|left|170px|caption]]
|
|
<span style="font-size:130%;><center>'''Legacy of Forgiving'''</center></span>
'''Deshret''' which loosely translates to the red land, are Asha unified in their hatred and search for justice for the pain and historical trauma their people have suffered by the Elves. Deshret Asha can be found all over the world, but most numerously among the Corsair Fleets and Naval Nations, populations of Asha without a true homeland to call their own. Deshret Asha can be expected to always express hostility towards the Elves, and anything related to the Allorn Empire or Oblation Magic, often being at the forefront of the breakdown of this dark institution in the Empire, or agitating for the Regalian Empire to go to war with the Allorn to crush them. Deshret Asha always remember their historical suffering.
The Legacy of Forgiving represents moving on from the past, and to focus on other things. This participarly focuses on the ideology of not holding semi-permanent animosity towards the Elves, and even allying with them. Forgiving Asha choose one [[Command_Point_Buy|Command]] Point Buy Pack for Free.  
| [[File:Untiwqeqtled Artwork.png|left|170px|caption]]
|
'''Hedjet''' which loosely translates to the white land, are Asha who acknowledge the historical suffering of their people at the hands of the Allorn, but who are mostly content that the age of the Pearl Wars is over, and that they can live in relative security without being repeatedly invaded by Elves. It is not unthinkable they might befriend Elves, especially if those Elves have no real connection to the Allorn Empire, or clear descent from those who benefitted from the murder of their ancestors. Hedjet Asha mostly hail from the Ashal States, where they focus on the rebuilding of their legacy and history and customs, while some of the newly born generations even barely know what the Pearl Wars were about. Some might deride the Hedjet for being tone-deaf, but they might be quick to retort that endless cycles of violence are self-perpetuating, and self-immolating.
|-
| [[File:Untitled safafArtwork.png|left|170px|caption]]
|
'''Neferu''' which loosely translates to the beauties or the beautiful land, are largely tolerated by the Deshred and Hedjet Asha, but regarded with suspicion. While the art of Magic is never in itself evil according to modern Asha attitudes, having Magic means a Mage can always hunger for more Magic and more power. In such a case, a Neferu Asha Mage is only a few steps away from calling upon the dark arts and using Oblation Magic as a means of self-empowerment. The Neferu mostly hail from the Silontaar country, but have populations in many nations, even those who have found acceptance in the Allorn Empire given that the Pearl Wars have ended. Their inaction and distance from the Pearl Wars, is still an ongoing sore spot for them, however.
| [[File:Dqwdqq.png|left|170px|caption]]
|
'''Kemet''' which loosely translates to the black land, are nearly universally reviled or feared by the Deshret, Hedjet, and Neferu. They include three distinct populations. First Asha who have abandoned their cultural heritage and started worshiping Evolism. Second the Asha who have gone mad with grief and become death cultists who worship the death gods and thus also embraced Death Magic. Finally, there are the Mystech who were once Asha, having been ripped from the land of the living or their Dewamenet afterlife when the old [[Khama]] God stole the afterlife, and used it to invade the Evolist pantheon. In doing so, he became a Void God, but all Asha who joined him or were taken there became Void Spirits. Kemet Asha have a complex and often hostile relation to all others because they are disconnected from the modern world.  
|}
|}
</td><td style="vertical-align: top; width: 25%;">
==Heritage Traits==
{|
When designing a Character, Proficiency Points allow for a limited Ability selection with Point Buy Packs. Heritage Traits adds free Packs and Mechanics on top of that to help with cultural themes. Free Packs grant Abilities usually, while Mechanics change the way a character functions in Roleplay through subtle, and usually out of Combat ways. In essence, Mechanics just add aesthetic flair that invest in the niche of each culture. Free Packs never raise Proficiency Points, but the character must be able to purchase them normally. (ex. if a character is a certain Affinity that locks them out of a category, they cannot take that specific free pack and must choose the alternative option.) If a Free Pack grants Magic of some type, that Magic can be of any Alignment the character can normally choose, or limited to a select alignment, which will always be written in the Free Pack description. Mixed Heritage characters (i.e. characters born from two parents of different Cultures) may take one parent's 'Free Packs' and mix and match up to 5 Mechanics from both parents, although some Peoples cannot produce Mixed Heritage children (due to Magical/Fantasy reasons). Half-Asha must still choose a Lineage to be matched with, and can only pick and choose Mechanics from that Lineage.  
[[File:Reconnectasha.png|170px|thumb|left]]
===Free Packs===
|
* Asha can choose 1 Pack from any Category for free. If any magic is chosen, the player may choose an Alignment between God Magic, Exist, Ordial, Void, and Dragon Magic.
<span style="font-size:130%;><center>'''Legacy of Return'''</center></span>
* Asha can choose 1 non-Ability Pack that is not Magical or Religious in nature. Non-Ability Pack means that it must be a Pack that does not give a Combat Ability.
The Legacy of Return represents the desire to reconnect with the past, specifically to uncover lost knowledge of Asha Culture, Religion, and History. Legacy of Return is very pragmatic, sometimes working with enemies, all for the sake of the past. Return Asha choose one [[Tech_Point_Buy| Tech Point Buy pack]] for Free.  
|}
</td><td style="vertical-align: top; width: 25%;">
{|
[[File:Corsairasha.png|170px|thumb|left]]
|
<span style="font-size:130%;><center>'''Legacy of Seas'''</center></span>
The Legacy of Seas represents the will to turn anger at the past towards others on the high seas, and embrace piracy. Asha who are in the Legacy of Seas, gain the Pack [[Adapt_Point_Buy#Oceanic| Ocean Adaptation]], which is a combination of tech/their natural aquatic capabilities.
|}
</td><td style="vertical-align: top; width: 25%;">
{|
[[File:Hateasha.png|170px|thumb|left]]
|
<span style="font-size:130%;><center>'''Legacy of Hate'''</center></span>
The Legacy of Hate represents hatred towards Elves. Hateful Asha choose one Strength or Faith (where allowed by Religion) Proficiency Category Pack for free, using these additional combat powers to attack Elves wherever it is expedient to do so to make them suffer, like the Asha have suffered.
|}
</center>
</tr></table>
<table style="width: 100%;"><tr><td style="width: 25%; vertical-align: top; text-align: left;">
{|
[[File:Diplomatasha.png|170px|thumb|left]]
|
<span style="font-size:130%;><center>'''Legacy of Loss'''</center></span>
The Legacy of Loss represents an overcoming of misery and pain at the idea of all the suffering of the present and past, and an indecision on what to do about it. Legacy of Loss is not about permanent melancholy, but about indecision. Loss Asha choose one [[Medical_Point_Buy|Medical Point Buy Pack]] for Free.  
|}
</td><td style="vertical-align: top; width: 25%;">
{|
[[File:Ashamage.png|170px|thumb|left]]
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<span style="font-size:130%;><center>'''Legacy of Magic'''</center></span>
The Legacy of Magic represents Asha who experiment with Magic as a source of Power, despite Magic being such a Taboo to the Asha. Magic Asha choose one [[Magic Point Buy]] Pack for free. Asha become Occult of Exist, Void, Ordial, or God Alignment in this Legacy.  
|}
</td><td style="vertical-align: top; width: 25%;">
{|
[[File:Loveasha.png|170px|thumb|left]]
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<span style="font-size:130%;><center>'''Legacy of Adoration'''</center></span>
The Legacy of Adoration represents Asha who believe that the past and future don't matter if nobody wants to hear what they say, seeking the adoration from the masses (or their fear), or the approval of those who pay the Asha no heed. These Asha choose one [[Roguery_Point_Buy|Roguery Point Buy Pack]] for free.
|}
</td><td style="vertical-align: top; width: 25%;">
{|
[[File:Dragonasha.png|170px|thumb|left]]
|
<span style="font-size:130%;><center>'''Legacy of Dragons'''</center></span>
The Legacy of Dragons represents Asha throwing their luck in with Dragons, often aligning with Archon (or being Archon). Legacy of Dragon Asha are capable of Archon, and changing Archon without outside help. Furthermore, they can also dissolve their Archon-ism themselves, a unique trait.
|}
</center>
</tr></table>
 
===Lineages===
===Lineages===
The Asha have so-called Lineages which act like a kind of expansion of Character Creation for the Asha. If you are just playing a standard Asha as described on this page, you can skip this section. While there is only one unified Asha Race, over the 20,000 years of their enslavement by the Allorn Elves, some Asha have become distinct from one another through decisions made in the past by their ancestors. Lineages is an optional expansion choice to play Asha somewhat differently than normal, which may result in a different appearance, different Mechanics, and different Abilities for the Asha. Lineages cannot be taken by Mixed Heritage Characters. As this is usually a more advanced option that requires more in-depth knowledge of the Lore, we do not recommend Lineages for new Players. Lineages can be skipped/ignored without it negatively affecting Roleplay for New Players, or returning players who simply aren't interested. This Lineages section will give a very summarized overview of the mechanical effects of Lineages. If you are interested in knowing more about them, it is recommended you read the Expanded Lineages section further below on this page.  
There is a great deal of physical divergence among the Asha, though four major Lineages are considered categorically similar. While all Asha receive the same Free Packs, what Mechanics they receive is dependent on the Lineage they belong to. This choice cannot be changed, and is also relevant to determine the physical characteristics of the Character. It is possible to be a mix of Lineages, but only one Lineage must be chosen for Mechanics. Lineages have no bearing on Cultures, a Remet Asha can belong to Kemet or Deshret culture, and so on. Some caution should be exercised with Silontaar Lineage however, as while they could in theory claim to be Deshret Asha, because they are biologically Magical, other Deshret Asha may reject them.  
<table style="width: 100%;"><tr><td style="width: 33%; vertical-align: top; text-align: left;">
{|
{|
|[[File:Silontussy.png|170px|thumb|left]]
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| rowspan="2" | [[File:Remetasha.jpg|left|160px|caption]]
<span style="font-size:130%;><center>'''Silontaar Asha'''</center></span>
|  
Silontaar are Asha descending from Silontaar settlers caught outside of the Dewamenet Collapse. They became dependent on Magic in their isolation, and are considered taboo among the other Asha. Silontaar Asha live four times as long as regular Asha, are locked to a single Dimensional Magic alignment (Exist/Void/Ordial), gain one [[Magic Point Buy]] Pack for Free, can cast a single Sinistral Variant Magic Spell as Radiant per day, and need to feed on ambient Magic usage to survive. Silontaar Asha have a complex history explained further in the Expanded Lineages section.
'''Remet Asha'''<BR>
 
Remet Asha refers to the Asha most genealogically closest to the common Dewamenet ancestor, they are the mammalian-styled "furry" Asha, that specifically excludes any bird-like species. Remet Asha appear like anthropomorphic versions of for example canine, feline, equine, marsupial and more. This can also include hybrids. Remet Asha are by far the most numerous on in the Asha countries, and the Regalian Empire.  
|-
|
'''Mechanics'''
* Remet Asha can control a special substance called Living Metal, which is a solid Metal that becomes liquid by their thought and imagination, and can be reshaped to whatever they can imagine, and telekinetically moved around.
* Remet Asha have perfect night vision, capable of seeing in dark and low-light environments without needing external lights. Additionally, their claws when struck together create flint and steel like sparks that light up.
* Remet Asha have a natural bodily reaction to non-combat Magic in their proximity. This can for example cause the fur in their neck to stand upright. It can also be used to warn of a magical presence before it is spotted.
* Remet Asha have a heightened sense of smell, sight, and hearing out of Combat. This is fairly flexible and should be discussed with people in a scene in terms of what advantages this may give an Asha in varying scenarios.
* Remet Asha either through a combination of excellent acrobatics, or shock-dampening limbs, or using their claws to slide down buildings, never take damage when falling from heights, so long as this fall is below 50 Blocks.
|}
|}
</td><td style="vertical-align: top; width: 33%;">
{|
{|
|[[File:Sewkhrushu.png|170px|thumb|left]]
|-
|
| rowspan="2" | [[File:Birdsasha.png|left|160px|caption]]
<span style="font-size:130%;><center>'''Sekhem Asha'''</center></span>
|  
Sekhem Asha descend from Asha who fled deep into the wastelands beyond the Dewamenet Empire in its fall, and lost their minds in a Death-cult-like existence to cope with the loss and grief. Sekhem Asha have aligned with the Malefica and extend their hatre to not only the Elves, but all living things. Sekhem Asha are Undead and alive at the same time, losing all Asha Racial Traits, gaining Undead Traits instead. They are immune to Deathrot, but can always use Deathrot Mechanics. Sekhem Asha have a complex culture that isn't summarized as being a murder-hobo cult. Read more on the Expanded Lineages Section.
'''Savent Asha'''<BR>
Savent Asha refers to a population of exclusively bird-like anthropomorphic people that split off from the Remet-dominated Dewamenet population and resettled in Fendarfelle during the ending decades of the Dewamenet-Allorn war. The Savent developed entirely differently from the Remet, and as such also have different customs and societal expectations, not to speak of their most notable physical difference, their having wings.  
|-
|
'''Mechanics'''
* Savent Asha can control a special substance called Living Metal, which is a solid metal that becomes liquid by their thought and imagination, and can be reshaped to whatever they can imagine, and telekinetically moved around.
* Savent Asha have perfect night vision, capable of seeing in dark and low-light environments without needing external lights. Additionally, their claws when struck together create flint and steel-like sparks that light up.
* Savent Asha can manifest (or have) Wings (of any design: Furred, Feathered), which while not in Combat, allow (Elytra) flight (including the use of Rockets). Combat or Ability usage immediately disables flight.
* Savent Asha have a heightened sense of smell, sight, and hearing out of Combat. This is fairly flexible and should be discussed with people in a scene in terms of what advantages this may give an Asha in varying scenarios.
* Savent Asha have a heightened alertness and analytical mind, able to perceive threats and react much faster. They may notice dangers when interacting with Event objects or Characters (Private Message DM's for more info)
|}
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</td><td style="vertical-align: top; width: 33%;">
{|
{|
|[[File:Sezzet.png|170px|thumb|left]]
|-
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| rowspan="2" | [[File:Silontaari.png|left|160px|caption]]
<span style="font-size:130%;><center>'''Tjefet Asha'''</center></span>
|  
Tjefet Asha descend from Asha who fled far north into the tundras and snowy lands, later mixing with the Velheim Fornoss worshiping population. Tjefet Asha became Vola-fanatics, believing in Volaheim as a safe place for all Asha. Tjefet Asha are always self-controlling [[Marken]] (transforming in bigger more bad-ass furries). They can only choose Legacy of Hate, Legacy of Magic, Legacy of Adoration, or Legacy of Seas, and must always be Void Aligned Occult, even if they have no Magic. Tjefet Asha have overlap with Velheim Culture.
'''Silontaar Asha'''<BR>
Silontaar Asha refers to a population of exclusively magic-infused anthropomorphic people who don't quite look like real-life animals but have animalistic appearance traits. Within the furry context, Silontaar can best be described as a custom species that takes small aspects of multiple species but looks like nothing in particular. Parts of their body can have magically glowing aspects or colorations, and in general, they look a lot more fantasy-like.
|-
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'''Mechanics'''
* Silontaar Asha do not need to sleep or even eat, as they gain sustenance from Magical energies around them. They can eat if they want to, or enter into a trancelike state that approximates sleep but leaves them watchful.
* Silontaar Asha have perfect night vision, capable of seeing in dark and low-light environments without needing external lights. Additionally, their claws when struck together create flint and steel-like sparks that light up.
* Silontaar Asha can, once per day, make use of the Magical Variant of the Sealing Pack from [[Adapt Point Buy]]. Point-Buying the Pack, or gaining it for free, disables this Mechanic.
* Silontaar Asha have a heightened sense of smell, sight, and hearing out of Combat. This is fairly flexible and should be discussed with people in a scene in terms of what advantages this may give an Asha in varying scenarios.
* Silontaar Asha can grant any person the Magical version of [[Adapt_Point_Buy#Shapeshift_Pack|Shapeshift Pack]] for free, but only for an Hour (or the duration of an Event), and with a 7-day Cooldown for that person. This can even apply to [[Afflictions|Afflicted]]/[[Mystech]].
|}
|}
</center>
</tr></table>


==Language & Naming==
==Language and Naming==
[[File:FulyE- WIAQD-Ri.jpg|260px|thumb|right|This Otter Asha has some unique fur patterning.]]
[[File:F2Ol9VZXsAA-hWT.jpg|260px|thumb|right|This ringfighter Asha wears a cartouche tablet, which many Asha wear on their belt with their name on it.]]
[[File:GNZs7FQX0AIhdKT.jpg|260px|thumb|right|An Asha wearing a traditional Satoor with Living Metal decorations.]]
[[File:F11jBE4XsAEC9ab.jpg|260px|thumb|right|Jewelry of any kind offers a stylish way of carrying Living Metal around.]]
[[File:F lxMExW4AAN 4N.jpg|260px|thumb|right|Arkenborn Asha have an exceptionally difficult time among anti-Magic Asha.]]
[[File:F17VXhAWEAEchdb.jpg|260px|thumb|right|This Gazelle Asha is one of Akhet's Golden Sons, extremely rare Demigods among the Asha.]]
[[File:Ee0wtYEWsAAWduZ.png|260px|thumb|right|Asha acrobats and courtesans are some of the most highest sought after.]]
[[File:Ee0wtYEWsAAWduZ.png|260px|thumb|right|Asha acrobats and courtesans are some of the most highest sought after.]]
[[File:FBjMXgzUYAY3MVh.jpg|260px|thumb|right|Living Metal is often used by Corsair Asha to replace lost limbs.]]
[[File:FBjMXgzUYAY3MVh.jpg|260px|thumb|right|Living Metal is often used by Corsair Asha to replace lost limbs.]]
[[File:FojDOauXgAUCAu8.jpg|260px|thumb|right|Living Metal is also used as a makeshift armor, with custom colors.]]
[[File:FojDOauXgAUCAu8.jpg|260px|thumb|right|Living Metal is also used as a makeshift armor, with custom colors.]]
[[File:FDOCD7ZXMAQgEP7.jpg|260px|thumb|right|Asha fur patterns do not need to be realistic, with a great deal of freedom.]]
[[File:FDOCD7ZXMAQgEP7.jpg|260px|thumb|right|Asha fur patterns do not need to be realistic, with a great deal of freedom.]]
Home Asha speak a Language called Ibeth which is more of a modern take on old Dewamenet which is largely lost. Ibeth is based off real-world Ancient Egyptian, though it should be noted that language knowledge and even naming principles among the Asha are extremely varied. It is often speculated that Ibeth is only spoken by a minority, while most Sea, City, and Bound Asha speak Common, or any of the other local Ailor or Elven languages depending where they are from. The Asha distinguish an "Old Name", which is names in the style of the Dewamenet Empire (Ancient Egyptian) like Sekhet, Senefw, Nefer, Satuhotep, though it is far more common for Asha to have a name found in any other culture like Teledden, or Ailor. It is not uncommon to meet an Asha with the name James, Niall, Godric, Celen, etc, though every Asha generally has an Old Name which they mostly keep private except for close friends and other Asha. Any name works for the Asha, because they can exist next to or inside any other society. Elven naming is the only thing Asha will not criticize each other over, because it seems in bad taste to bully an Asha for having been born in slavery and having been given an Elven name.  
The Asha speak a language called Ibeth which is based on real-life ancient Egyptian. However, it should be noted that because Ibeth is considered a reconstructed language from archeological evidence, it is an incomplete language, and takes a lot of loan words from Common (English). Also, because it is a reconstructed language, not all Asha naturally speak Ibeth, as it is only really taught in the Ashal States and the Corsair Fleets. Most Asha who are born in Regalia never learn Ibeth, and more commonly speak the other languages of the Empire. In terms of naming, Asha similarly either have modern Ailor names or Elven given names depending on where they were born, but many Asha have also started embracing Ibeth naming practices. Based on ancient Egyptian, these names can be complicated, because most online resources just re-iterate the names of priests and pharaohs without discussing the names of the common people. Here are some examples of how to construct Ibeth names with the information we have within the lore.  
===Khama-Based Naming===
Khama-based naming refers to a common habit for a person to be called "Son of X" or "Made of Y". These are honorifics given at birth and end up being used as first names, but can also be adopted at a later point in life to honor a specific God of the [[Khama]] Pantheon. Even Asha who are not Khama faithful can have these names because the Khama Gods doubled as divine individuals as well as secular rulers of the Dewamenet Empire. It is also common for Asha in the Regalian Empire to have both a Khama-based name and a more common name used among non-Asha like a nickname. This naming process is complex and requires a lot of trial and error. If you need help, you can make use of a [[https://docs.google.com/spreadsheets/d/17fjSHb1M9iUAYPgWDRXsujBw2bqVoUR25prmFCn_H8k/edit?usp=sharing spreadsheet]] we have provided to simplify the process or inquire in a ticket. Common name prefixes are Sahu (spiritual body of), Sa or Si (son of), Sat (daughter of), Mose or Mes (born of), or Menkau (established in the soul of). Then, either the first or last syllable of the Gods is used to compose names, for example for Tjafar, these would be "Tja" or "Far", while Ra-Mut's syllables would be "Ra" or "Mut". Names can either be single words or have a hyphen (-) to separate the syllables. Thus, finally composing a few name examples:
* Sahutja would be "the Spiritual body of Tjafar"
* Sat-Kha would be "the daughter of Khannar"
* Menkau-Ra would be "established in the soul of Ra-mut"
* Narmose would be "born of Khannar", except the syllables are switched around.
* Rasa would be "son of Ra-mut", except the syllables are switched around.
If you need help composing a good name, please make a Ticket. It is perfectly acceptable to source names from the internet, please just try to avoid naming your Character Imhotep or Rameses or Tutankhamun, or such familiar names from historical people. Generally speaking, you should prioritize names that are easy to pronounce and not too overcomplicated long, while feeling unique to your character. Surnames are not common in Ibeth, though a frequent way to identify someone is by using the "of placename" suffix. This can either be existing cities in the Regalian Empire (or even Regalia), but is more commonly cities in the Ashal States, of which here follows a short list: Akhiza, Siwakhet, Nasar, Lunet, Lahun, Per-Wadjet, Tjebu, Zwajet, Akhet-aten, Bukhama and so forth.
 
==Brief History==
===The Lost Era===
The Lost Era defines a period during which the Asha referred to themselves as Dewa, based on the state name Dewamenet. As Dewa, the Asha were the preeminent Empire of the time, with high technological progress, though recent archeology and events in Regalia implicate the Empire as being tyrannical towards its neighboring people, and even to its subjects. What little is known of this Empire, was that Magic was strictly banned and any born Mages were killed. This Empire's technology was seemingly steam-based, and had some advanced knowledge of electricity and conductivity as well as battery-powered factories, with machines building vast cities and operating complex irrigation systems. The Empire frequently invaded neighboring countries to enforce their anti-Magic policy, which eventually led to conflict with the rising Allorn Empire. This Dewamenet-Allorn war became all-defining for the next 15,000 years, as it destroyed the Dewamenet Empire, the near total destruction of the Asha, and the rise of the Allorn Empire as the undisputed magical hegemon of the world.
===The Dark Era===
The Dark Era defines a period during which the Asha were reeling from the destruction of their Empire, and the loss of the vast majority of their population. The magical event that the Elves used was described as a terrible climate shift in the region that was so strong, that it has lasted to this day. It was as if the Gods of the Elves decreed that all moisture or liquid would be deprived of every living and unliving thing in the Empire, drawing it closer to the frontline of the war. In essence, all moisture was drained from the heartland of the Dewamenet Empire and forced into a small strip of land that would later become known as No Man's Land, an impassable jungle with impossible high humidity. The entire Dewamenet Empire's core heartland became an unlivable desert in a near instant, all machines ground to a complete halt because of a lack of water to fuel steam power, and the batteries ran dry. All living beings died as their body was deprived of moisture, and those lucky enough to survive eventually died from thirst in this endless wasteland. The cities were eventually buried under the sand, and much of the heartland forgotten. It is said by the Kemet, that in the split second before this event occurred, Gahan stole the Khama Afterlife, and the capital of the Dewamenet Empire with it, killing all its inhabitants and turning them into Spirits while seceding into the Void to render the remaining Khama Gods incapable of doing anything about it.
===The Pearl Wars===
The worst period in Asha history, which spanned up until the Cataclysm, was the Pearl Wars, so named because of its relation to the Oblation Magic used by the Elves. How the Elves learned Oblation Magic is unclear though some rumor it was the Death-Goddess the Charnel who taught them. Oblation Magic involves capturing the soul of a dead person who cannot pass into the afterlife, eviscerating their soul, their memories, their emotions, and their feelings, and congealing into a single pearl of magical potency. This pearl could then be used to amplify the Magic of those who held them, and they suddenly came in massive demand in the Allorn Empire. Vast armies of Elves ventured into the blasted wasteland that was once the Dewamenet Empire, to capture the defenseless roaming souls of the dead Dewamenet citizens, using Oblation Magic to kill them one final time and use the remnant of their souls as nothing but vulgar fuel for their own internal Mage-Wars. When the Elves ran out of Dewamenet Souls to consume, they ventured out to the hinterlands where the Asha had survived. The Dewamenet Empire was vast and had many lands outside of the modern-day Ithanian heartland, and so Elven ships ventured beyond the high seas in search of these ex-Dewamenet colonies that still had Asha in them. They would find them far afield from the Ashal Islands (which were subsequently abandoned) to Nordskag, the Regalian Archipelago, and even Hadar where some Dewa had fled to hide. Their cyclical raids became a near five-yearly occurrence, where they would inflict death on the local populations, and then harvest their souls to produce more Oblation Magic Pearls, to bring back to the Allorn Empire to help amplify their power. These raids were filled with such mockery and cruelty, with the Elves making theatric displays of their arrival and heralding the supremacy of the victors over the vanquished. When the Asha speak of their historical trauma, it is this period, even if there are no Asha left alive today who experienced the Pearl Wars first hand.
 
The Pearl Wars ended when the Cataclysm struck. Due to the complexity of Oblation Magic in being a combination of potent Ordial Magic and Exist Magic, the world was no longer capable of sustaining the kind of Magic required to produce these pearls. Secondly, the Cataclysm provided enough of a momentum that weakened the Elven gods to the point that the Khama Gods as few as there were left, felt emboldened to reveal themselves from hiding. They quickly conspired to produce a pseudo-afterlife called the Duat, which in reality was nothing more than a waiting room for an actual afterlife that is believed to be dull and in a state of non-consciousness for those inside it. It did, however, remove the precondition for Asha souls to have Oblation Magic inflicted upon them, as it gave them an afterlife to have their souls pass into, thus denying the Elves the ability to snatch them. The Allorn Elves and Allorn Revivalists take no responsibility for the suffering of the Pearl Wars, indicating that they believe this was simply the plight of the conquered, insisting that the Asha would have done it no other way if they had won the war and discovered that Elven ears could be used as fuel for their machines. The Wars were so historically significant because they continued for thousands of years on a cyclical 5 or 10 year basis. The sheer population growth stunting that occurred because of it means that the Asha are still not numerically comparable to the Ailor or Elves to this day, despite being older people than both. Oblation Magic Pearls have largely disappeared from the world, though rarely, one might still encounter these ancient magical objects, always betrayed by their sickly green and blue glow, and a distinct hunger they encourage in anyone who lays eyes upon them, even those who deeply revile these objects.
===The Light Era===
The Light Era defines the post-Cataclysm period during which some of the Asha have started re-settling the lands that were previously depopulated by the Pearl Wars. The most notable of which are the Ashal States off the coast of the former Allorn Empire (now Ailor colonies). Asha have populated nearly every known continent with some even daring to live among Elves, while far flung populations like the Savent and Silontaar have been re-connected with the wider Asha population after millennia of isolation away from the Pearl Wars. Some Asha even, have resorted to an exhaustive mission of revenge referred to as the Claw Wars, a mockery of the concept of the Pearl Wars, by which the Asha Corsair fleets raid coastal Elven settlements. Unlike the orchestrated and theatric Pearl Wars however, the Claw Wars are just disorganized revenge killing because it feels good to them, a fact that makes more than half the Asha population quite uneasy with the brutality of the Corsairs. Regalia has since become a hub for Asha-Revival, with knowledge both being freely shared and discussed, and potentially being suppressed and silenced to ensure the Asha do not grow too confident in their desire to re-build their Empire.  


==Society==
==Religions==
===Religion===
* [[Khama]] The most obvious and majority religion for the Asha is Khama, which was once an ethnoreligion for them but is slowly being rediscovered to be so much more and inclusive of other peoples.  
It is believed by most that the ancient Asha in the age of the Dewamenent worshiped a greater array of gods, or had a greater religious pluralism than may be understood now. As it stands, the current faith, the Faces of [[Baskarr]], is a narrower version of their ancient mythology, the five remaining deities kept alive by the prayers of Asha to gods they barely knew. It should be noted however that many Asha also subscribe to other religions, especially [[Unionism]] which features two native Asha Gods, allowing the Asha to find easy representation in the pantheon not easily found elsewhere. Another form of faith that is common, is [[Ordial Cultism]], usually with an emphasis on Khannar worship, but other Ordial Entities can also be found to be held among the Asha as Gods. The habit for Ordial Cultism comes from the collective societal trauma at the mistreatment of the Elves, endearing a revanchist and very fatalistic attitude in many Asha that cause them to seek higher powers from other dimensions to satisfy their desire for justice to be brought onto the knife-ears.  
* [[Unionism]] is the second most common Religion for Asha, especially those born in the Regalian Empire. The Asha are represented by Asha Gods in the Unionist Pantheon, which makes it very appealing.  
* [[Estelley]] Any Asha who worships Estelley is deeply, deeply strange. Estelley as a religion was used to empower the genocide of the Asha, and is an Elven ethno-religion, so there is no compatibility.
* [[Fornoss]] There are some Fornoss Asha communities, particularly in Nordskag where some Asha communities survived throughout the Pearl Wars, and integrated with the Fornoss Ailor, but abandoned Khama.
* [[Evolism]] Evolism is a surprisingly common religion among Asha, especially those who court the Dark Gods for powers to take vengeance on the Elves, or just support Gahan and his Dream-Dewamenet.
* [[Draconism]] Draconism does not have a strong Asha representation in it, but Asha can be Draconists if they resonate with the dogmatic virtues or mechanical themes of world-creation in Draconism.


==Asha and Magic==
The Asha do not universally hate Magic. There is perhaps a common understanding among them now, that it was largely their extremist purist policies that led to the destructive Dewamenet-Allorn War, and subsequent Pearl Wars. The majority of the revulsion of Asha concerning Magic is aimed at the seductive power of Magic can lead one to justify and commit great evil with a few simple hand gestures. A fire mage himself is not distinctly a problem (though there would be many Asha with knee-jerk hostile reactions even at the sight of any Magic), but said fire mage's desire for ever bigger and hotter fire. Eventually, he would simply run out of his own body or soul's capacity to draw enough magic from the respective realms to cast. In such a case, the fire mage would seek other ways to empower their Magic, which to the Asha is a downward spiral that ends in Oblation Magic. While Oblation Magic became impossible after the Cataclysm, there have recently been signs that it has once again become possible with select rogue Allorn Mages experimenting with Oblation Magic, and worse, it has become cast-able without the need for that person's soul to be denied by any afterlife. Oblation Magic has evolved, and so too has the vigilance of the Asha evolved from a continual purist hate of Magic to a suspicion and paranoia, that any Mage could at any point in time be seduced by the cheapest and easiest but most violent route to power without bounds. There are, however, still many purist Asha who are completely in agreement with the Lothar, though they are generally considered quite radical. 
==Asha and Elves==
The attitude of the Asha, especially those who care a lot about the Pearl Wars history or their revulsion against Oblation Magic, tends to project itself onto the Elves as a whole. The Asha are taught for decades, in every school, in every nursery rhyme, and in every story re-telling of the Gods or the priests or even just their distant family's history, that the Elves are without moral and without value for life. They are taught from the day they are born that Allorn society carries within it a cultural darkness fostered by Talea the greatest killer in history, that justifies such indifference to the suffering of others. There are many Asha who learn that some element of this is exaggeration or a hypocritical form of bigotry born out of fear of otherlings. Many Asha who come to Regalia are predisposed with an inability to see Elves as real people, but rather see them as Demons, and many struggle to overcome years of cultural indoctrination, to treat Elves as equals. We encourage Players to play with the concepts of taught hatred, and learned growth, and see the potential for character development as Regalia's melting pot cosmopolitan culture allows their Characters to see the historical nuance and complexity of the individual, but Players are also more than welcome to imply in their backstory that their Character already overcame this historical conditioning.
==Culture==
This section covers Remet Asha Culture as it was known from rediscovered or surviving customs from the Dewamenet. There is overlap with the other Asha Lineages, but niche cultural habits like fashion are discussed in their Lineage Expanded lore further below.
===Fashion===
===Fashion===
Asha clothing is often very simple in its application of garments yet rich in texture and patterning. Beyond a simple chest cloth worn by women and leather straps worn by men to attach objects to, most Asha rarely wear any clothing on their upper body when they don’t seek a reason to blend into other societies. On their lower bodies meanwhile, all wear a so-called Satoor, a dress-like clothing piece often in earthen or burgundy color tones with a variety of intricate patterns in vibrant colors that spans from the waist to the ground. These Satoors are often specially tailored to allow a tail to protrude from the back, and also have individual cuts on the front and sides to allow a free range of motion for Asha in combat. The Satoor is, in fact, a crucial piece for many cultural traditions of the Asha. As part of decoration for the Satoor, high officials may also wear shoulder capes or shoulder pelts from [[Muff-oxen]]. Jewelry is also a very much prized accessory for all genders of Asha, with numerous necklaces and ear piercings being the norm in adults. The Asha recognize the difference between a civilian Satoor and a combat Satoor in that combat Satoor cut off at the knees, while those for civilians end at the ankle or a bit higher. The Asha also have a fabric that was once unique to them alone, produced by the coastal Asha which has since expanded world-wide. [[Elastan]], a form of lycra, is made from natural blue threads excreted by the unique coral species called [[Mewnes]]. The fabric is inherently liquid deterrent, and Elastan clothing made by the Asha usually covers their arms and shoulders, as well as their legs and waist, but does not cover their torso. Elastan was eventually also mixed with other fabrics, creating [[Peltastan]], a form of wooly spandex. It has properties similar to those of Elastan, being form-fitting and soft, but Peltastan is not water repelling. Peltastan clothing is usually worn on the torso and upper leg area, while a half-Satoor is worn over it like a battle skirt, often with shoulder pads to boot. Such pads are often light and decorative, as Asha effectively do not wear armor, in order to benefit from their superior agility over other Races. When protection is required, Living Metal is capable of forming a quick, sleek coating for their defense.
Asha clothing is often very simple in its application of garments yet rich in texture and patterning. Beyond a simple chest cloth worn by women and leather straps worn by men to attach objects to, most Asha rarely wear any clothing on their upper body when they don’t seek a reason to blend into other societies. On their lower bodies meanwhile, all wear a so-called Satoor, a dress-like clothing piece often in earthen or burgundy color tones with a variety of intricate patterns in vibrant colors that spans from the waist to the ground. These Satoors are often specially tailored to allow a tail to protrude from the back, and also have individual cuts on the front and sides to allow a free range of motion for Asha in combat. The Satoor is, in fact, a crucial piece for many cultural traditions of the Asha. As part of decoration for the Satoor, high officials may also wear shoulder capes or shoulder pelts from regional bovines. Jewelry is also a very much prized accessory for all genders of Asha, with numerous necklaces and ear piercings being the norm in adults. The Asha recognize the difference between a civilian Satoor and a combat Satoor in that combat Satoor cut off at the knees, while those for civilians end at the ankle or a bit higher. The Asha also have a fabric that was once unique to them alone, produced by the coastal Asha which has since expanded world-wide. Elastan, a form of lycra, is made from natural blue threads excreted by a unique coral species. The fabric is inherently liquid deterrent, and Elastan clothing made by the Asha usually covers their arms and shoulders, as well as their legs and waist, but does not cover their torso. Elastan was eventually also mixed with other fabrics, creating Peltastan, a form of wooly spandex. It has properties similar to those of Elastan, being form-fitting and soft, but Peltastan is not water-repelling. Peltastan clothing is usually worn on the torso and upper leg area, while a half-Satoor is worn over it like a battle skirt, often with shoulder pads to boot. Such pads are often light and decorative, as Asha effectively do not wear armor, in order to benefit from their superior agility over other Races. When protection is required, Living Metal is capable of forming a quick, sleek coating for their defense.


==Expanded Lineages==
==Mannerisms==
The Expanded Lineages section provides more supporting Lore for the Asha Lineages. While basic knowledge of these Asha Lineages is recommended for Asha Characters, it is not mandatory, and some of the most fun Roleplay can come from being introduced to their way of life in Character. Information is readily available for all these Lineages, even if they exist as a severe minority in the total population count of the Asha.  
Mannerisms are small niche behaviors Asha might display in Roleplay that enhances their themes.  
===Silontaar Asha===
* Asha tails are immensely important, both physically and culturally. They are considered a deeply personal extension of the mind, with touch being extreme taboo without permission.
The Silontaar, unlike other Lineages, actually look physically different from most Asha, despite being Racially related. The Silontaar are never quite canine, but never quite feline either, lacking clear identifying features. Their faces are elongated like that of canines, but their nasal bridge and forehead is one continuous undented line. Their nose does not have rough skin, instead being fur covered, with only the implication of nostrils appearing as two slits between the fur layers. Their chin is sharp, with a sharp jawline also, but many Silontaar have very fluffy neck and jawline fur that obscures these sharp features and make them appear more rounded. Silontaar ears can be pointed and elongated, or rounded like that of a bear, or half round and half pointed like that of a cat. They always point backwards, unless they are in a state of alertness during which they point up. The most notable aspect about the Silontaar that absolutely sets them apart from the Asha, is that they frequently have magical glowing fur areas, and their fur patterns are very wild and have many frequently unnatural colors to them.
* Tails can also be used to indicate intent. Tails aiming up can be a sign of intimidation or taunting, tails swaying can be a sign of approval or liking something, while tails wrapping around legs can indicate fear.
* Tails can also be used to touch others, which is considered an intimate gesture. A tail coiling or stroking someone else's leg is considered a very forward non-verbal flirtation.
* Most (but not all) Asha use a form of guttural sound for communication also. Growling, and purring, though not barking, are part of the vocal routine of most Asha when indicating pleasure or displeasure.
* Pulling or cutting an Asha's tail is considered an extreme insult. Tail cutting is a common practice among those with bigotry towards the Asha, with Asha seeking to replace lost tails with living metal.
* Asha treat half-Asha as part of their culture, so long as they have made an effort to be part of Asha culture. Half-Asha who belong to other cultures receive apathetic responses from full Asha.  
* Asha transition between bipedal and quadruped movement for a variety of reasons, for example while vaulting over things, or while crawling under obstacles, or to move around faster.
* Asha dress style is very much non-gendered. All genders wear the Satoor (a half-dress with a parted opening on the side), while female Asha may opt for a chest binding if it is culturally appropriate in Regalia.  
* Asha are highly sensitive to the killing and eating of members of their people, as Khama holds that people who are refused by the afterlife, are reborn as wild animals in Aloria, such as lions or dogs.  


Silontaar History begins with the collapse of the Dewamenet Empire, when the Silontaar outpost (called Silesha at the time) was cut off from the Empire. The Allorn were originally not aware of the Silesha outpost on the far continent of Oldtera, as they had at this time not yet developed cross ocean sailing ships, which the Dewamenet had. The Dewamenet were not a classical colonizing people, but had set up a mining base in Silesha, because the mountains had a rare mineral not available in what is now modern day [[Westwynd]]. When Silesha became cut off, the locals were suddenly deprived of their technological shipments, and much of their infrastructure broke down. How Magic exactly was imported into their society is unclear, though it is generally considered out of necessity, Ailor had not yet colonized the areas around Silontaar so there was nobody to trade with.
==Expanded Lore==
Expanded Lore exists to apply more content to the Savent and Silontaar Asha, whose culture differs from the Remet Asha mostly discussed on this page, as well as other concepts that may be relevant to Asha roleplay or deep-lore exploration. This section is optional reading, though if you play a Silontaar or Savent, reading at least their sections is encouraged.
===Gahan and Kemet===
Gahan and Kemet are some of the recently most complicated aspects about the Asha experience. Gahan was once a god of the Khama pantheon, but under mysterious circumstances left said Pantheon, taking the Dewamenet afterlife with him, and breaking into the Void. While doing so, he used the Dewamenet afterlife and all the souls within as an army to effectively conquer a part of the Void, and crown himself Spirit Emperor, with all Void Spirits obeying his will one way or another. While the Spirits still wage war on one another, Gahan rules over the divided chaos absolute, and his Kemet Demons have a special role to play in his keeping the Dewamenet Dream alive in Kemet. Kemet refers to the Black Land, the name the Asha have given to this material afterlife that now exists somewhere between the real world and the Void. They consider it a black land, because anytime anyone has had visions or dreams of the place, it is always represented by a glowing black obsidian pyramid, in which Gahan sits on his throne keeping a fragmented memory of the Dewamenet Empire alive in the afterlife. In essence, while the Dewamenet Empire was destroyed, the capital and the afterlife merged and become one place, which was then tainted by the Void, though it did keep many Dewamenet alive for eternity while the rest of their Empire crumbled.  


The Silontaar remained extremely isolated from the rest of the world as a stagnant micro nation, largely because the mining outpost once only had a few hundred inhabitants, and because they still feared genocide by the Allorn. They reasoned that by not expanding, the Allorn would be less likely to notice them, and so they could live in peace, ignorant of the world that didn’t even know they were there. Early encounters with Ailor millennia later were far from peaceful, with Ailor being quickly seen as an invasive species that sought to deprive the Silontaar who had meanwhile established a somewhat thriving city-state in the region. The Silontaar chose not to seek out open conflict however, and instead erected a massive magical dome around their city to keep out outsiders. The Silontaar region was thus declared dead space by the Ailor colonists who created the Carrhen kingdoms around them, ignorant of the magic learning and expansion that happened exponentially under that dome.
Gahan's Spirits in turn, are also playable. When designing a [[Mystech]] Character, it is recommended to paid Gahan loyalism/an Asha inspired Spirit as an Unbound Spirit. Gahan has several lieutenants, most important of which are the cruel and wroth commander Senetaph who leads the military legions of Kemet, Satjaraf-en the administrator who keeps the historical records of the Dewamenet and Kemet, and Barubast the shipwright who controls the access point to Kemet and ferries souls in and out on the black river, a proverbial magical gateway. While these Spirits should always be played with immense trepedation to reveal any information about Kemet (because we cannot logistically reveal deep lore to only part of the player base), these Asha Spirits should endeavor to be pro-Asha and reasonably align themselves with the Asha community in Regalia, despite its potential opposition to their presence or public cooperation. For better or worse, Gahan's Spirits are a window into the past, and their master despite being corrupted by his lust for power in the Void, still holds a dear place in his heart for his people and their plight, and so many of Gahan's Spirits are exceptional Elf-killers and tricksters.


When the Silontaar came out of hiding some 3000 BC, they found the world in a pretty deplorable state. Their precursory magical scrying revealed the sad and abused state of their Asha cousins, who they thought had devolved into separate species from their once unified Dewamenet bond (though they themselves had also changed). The slow decline of the Allorn Empire was anticipated, but because the Silontaar had meanwhile developed longevity by feeding on Magic, they chose not to act and simply wait out the storm. Peaceful relations were established with their Ailor neighbors who nonetheless still kept their borders closed to the Silontaar.
Both Khama as a faith, and Asha society culturally speaking, have a complicated relation with Sprits. Spirits were not overtly used to torment the Asha during the Dewamenet war or subsequent Pearl Wars, but are inherently made of dark Magic, the stuff that was used to murder their kin. Spirits are unaccountable and unpredictable, and their pro-Asha attitude (at least for the Gahan Spirits) is at best fickle, with a Spirit perhaps deciding to murder some Asha it does not like out of boredom or a desire to consume its soul. Still, these Spirits can provide invaluable assistance or information to the cause, and even those who do not consider themselves part of the Kemet Asha cultural Land, might indulge in a bit of Spirit summoning or bartering just to get an edge on the Elves, who still have the upper hand because of their Magic usage.  


Much of Silontaar history remained exactly that: waiting for something important to happen, until the Cataclysm happened. The Silontaar were shocked by this event and motivated to finally come out of hiding, cautiously venturing into the world to try and mend the damage done to both people and the land. Silontaar adventures outside of their homeland have risen and ceased with the global acceptance of Magic, usually anchored to how Regalia viewed Magic. There was some success early on, but Silontaar once again closed their magical shield when Regalia’s Azure Order started actively hunting and killing Mages. In recent years, with the more pro-Magic policies of both Dragon Worship Regulus and Emperor Alexander I of Regalia, the Silontaar have once more come forward, trying to help people learn Magic the proper way without hurting anyone or themselves, while also undergoing magical prestige projects to try and heal the land. For example, there is currently a notable effort made in the Sundered Lands to raise all the sunken cities back to the surface. Whether the Silontaar are capable of working with other Asha depends strongly on the individual. Many Asha consider the stain of Magic the very reason why the Dewamenet Empire was destroyed, which by extension causes some blame to fall on the Silontaar for adopting the weapon of the slavers. Still, the Silontaar follow the Baskarr faith, and their goals align in general with the other Asha, they too feel grief at the loss of Dewamenet Empire, and perhaps even guilt.
===Savent Asha Expanded Lore===
===Sekhem Asha===
Savent Asha would almost be considered an entirely different people by outsiders, but they are most certainly Asha, and hybrids of species-appearances between Savent and other Asha are part of their heritage too. The Savent Asha descend from a group of peoples that objected so violently to the war between the Dewamenet Empire and the Allorn Empire on the principle of non-aggression and not hating Magic, that they left the Dewamenet Empire in search for lands far away from either Empire, or Empires as a whole. The Savent at the time believed that violence was an inherent quality of Empires, and as such, people should avoid creating large geo-political powers. They settled in a largely (by Regalia) unmapped continent north of Guldar called Qelis, a temperate lake-rich land where the Savent have established 231 smaller Kingdoms and Republics that all live in perfect harmony, but are equally rather poor when compared to other countries around the world.
The Sekhem Asha look identical to normal Asha, save for their obvious Ordial alignment traits, often depicted in sickly green glowing nails, teeth, horns and eyes where applicable, as well as other Ordial mutations. Sekhem Asha fled the collapse of the Allorn Empire notably into the no-man's land jungles near the Dewamenet Empire, and a combination of the pestilence of the jungle and the intense grief of loss drove those first Asha insane and into the arms of the Malefica. How or why the Malefica reached out to them is unclear, but over time, the Sekhem Asha became known as those in a state between life and un-life, a sort of Undead who are still alive, meaning all the benefits of Undead with none of the drawbacks (and they also don't physically rot). The Sekhem Asha developed an obsession with the idea of the mortuary cult, embalming, interring, but also passing any of the dead into full Undeath so as to preserve the Asha population in unlife and prevent them from becoming extinct. There was absolutely no risk of the Asha becoming extinct, as events had transpired that would ensure the continued existence of the Race, but the Malefica made the Sekhem blind to the state of the world beyond their jungles.


Over the millennia, the Sekhem tended to massive underground crypts and necropolises, living among the tombs and the dead, and extending their tombs to not only include the Asha among them that did pass away or were killed in battle, but to include any living creature from the lowly insect and cattle to even Elven explorers who ventured too deep into the unknown jungles and fell into their clutches. The Sekhem Asha worship the very concept of organized Death (as opposed to violent Death), where they feel that life itself is torture and misery and only in Death can everything be preserved in a perfect and pristine state. All of the Sekhem are Malefica worshipers, or any of the other Death Cult Gods like the Consigner or the Machinist, though technology usage among the Sekhem has become nearly non-existent, as Ordial Magic and necromancy have taken over much of what Technology once did for these Asha.
Savent Asha are without exception, either fully Avian Asha (think Eagle, Raven, Hawk, Owl), or a hybrid between Avian Asha and mammalian Asha (for example, an eagle face with long dog ears and cat lower legs but an Avian upper body and tail). All Savent Asha have beaks, and all of them have avian forearms and claws, while some of them have wings including regal plumage. Savent Asha are otherwise physically similar to other Asha and Asha Lineages, except that they will a visual niche that is not existent in any other heritage or culture, bar from perhaps the avian ([[Maquixtl#Heritage Traits|Maquixtl Genos Form]]), who fall squarely in the terror-bird category only.  


Contact with modern Asha has been somewhat violent and confusing for the Sekhem. While the first Sekhem who fell under the spell of the Malefica were absolutely mind broken, a capacity to reason and understand slowly returned in their descendants, so much so that they are far from insane but often calculating, observant, and decisive in their belief that the world would be better off in Undeath. When these Sekhem met the other Asha, they were appalled at the pathetic state that many ex-Slaves or Half-Asha existed in, and reviled those who still struggled with the past, as they had long settled on the way the world should work. There is no love lost between the Sekhem and the other Asha, while the Silontaar and Tjefet Asha can reasonably cooperate with Baskarr worshiping standard Asha, the Sekhem align more with the Ordial community in the Undead, Death Cultists, and the Geists. It should be no surprise, that in Regalia, the Sekhem are considered Geist or Undead even if they are technically neither, and are considered in a permanent state of illegality.
The major difference besides appearance niches between Savent Asha and all other Asha, is that their psyche is in essence completely devoid of all trauma that many other Asha suffer from when looking at their history and the state of their people across the world. While there certainly is empathy and pity for the Pearl Wars, there is an equal yet soft-spoken sentiment among the Savent, that the Dewamenet got what they deserved because of what they tried to do to the Elves. The Savent rejected the Dewamenet-Allorn War in all its senseless brutality (from their perspective), and deem the outcome to have "occurred in equal measure onto the Elves, to be fed to the Dewamenet Machine as fuel". Many of them in essence claim, that whatever hardships would have befallen the Asha, would have been inflicted onto the Elves if the Dewamenet had won, and that this is not a unique victimization of the Asha, but rather a sign of the more widespread depravity and hubris of Empire-politics. A particularly sore topic for those who have to hear the same sentiment as an excuse, from an Elven Allorn Apologist.
===Tjefet Asha===
Tjefet Asha are not terribly complex, as much of their Culture has overlap with [[Velheim]] Ailor culture. The Tjefet Asha descend from those Asha who fled north, far into the frozen tundras and wastelands of Jorrhildr, Hvitskag, and the Cains, where they would eventually be joined by the Velheim Ailor who colonized these lands thousands of years later. The Tjefet Asha suffered much in the frozen wastelands of the north, with only the largest, meanest, and strongest of them surviving. When the Velheim Ailor brought word of the Fornoss faith, and particularly Volaheim, the Tjefet Asha (who had long believed themselves abandoned by the Baskarr Gods) ventured through the Vaarda Gates into Volaheim and were so enthralled by its paradise-like qualities that they converted to Fornoss in that moment. While the majority of Tjefet Asha are Volirik, some can also be Hvarikirk, though Vola worship is absolutely required.


The Tjefet Asha became particularly fond of Rand, who they often depict as a bear-like Asha and believe to be their prophet and deliverer of misery. How it occurred is lost to time, but the whole of Tjefet Asha society became infected with Markenism at some point, meaning that through descendance, all Tjefet Asha born in the modern age are also Marken. It is believed that this was some kind of survival tactic, as this far north, not much food exists, and life is harsh for those without the strength to survive the bitter cold and the hostile wild life. On top of that, Rand actually showed particular favor towards the Tjefet Asha, teaching them the skills of Theurgy which are normally not available to Asha, or those of the Fornoss Faith. Armed with Theurgy, the Tjefet Asha went about summoning and mastering Void Spirits, bending them to their will, and hoping to achieve glory and power in the name of Rand.
That is not to say that all Savent think that the Asha "got what they deserved", there is always a very fine line to walk between being genuinely empathetic towards the historical suffering of the Asha, and finding the right time to discuss the causes and implications of the actions of the Asha forefathers. The Savent insist that the Dewamenet were far from innocent, and engaged in equal measure of genocide as the Elves did, it just so happened to be the case that the Elves did it better (and faster). Savent can be genuinely included in interest groups who seek to discover more of their lost historical heritage and have very real passion and emotion towards the rediscovery of lost information. There remains however, the concern from other Asha, or the thought in the back of one's mind, that a Savent is only there out of recreational reasons, and can never fully understand what it means to re-discover a culture that was so violently destroyed by the conqueror. At the end of the day, Savent can return to their own unique culture that has flourished independently from a desire to return to the old Dewamenet.  


The re-acquaintance with other Asha from the Tjefet was met with some derision on either side. The ex-enslaved Asha thought the Tjefet had lost their minds succumbing to Demon Worship, while the Tjefet saw their Asha cousins as weak and diluted, incapable of surviving the harshness of the wider world without technology to crutch them. Eventually some kind of acceptance came into being between the two groups, though the Tjefet Asha still strongly detest the Silontaar as being exceptionally weak, even if both of them can in some instances end up using Void Magic. The Tjefet Asha are entirely uninterested in Elven reprisals, in ways, many of them are thankful for the Elves destroying the Dewamenet Empire and showing the weakness of their Baskarr Gods, so they could be delivered to the crucible of Ice and into Rand's deserving arms. Now they exist somewhere between Velheim and Asha society, attempting to achieve power and demi-godhood in the eyes of Rand and the other Vola, though often their intentions can align with other Asha on accident, for example when Hrymrök demands the extermination of Elven slavers, and the Tjefet Asha just happen to work together towards this goal with other Legacy of Hate Asha who do not follow Fornoss but Baskarr.  
Savent Culture is based on real-world Achaemenid period Persia Minor cultures (such as Lydean and Phrygean or other Anatolian Cultures of that period). However, because there is no real linguistic survival from this period, we use Achaemenid names for the people, but still use Ancient Egyptian as their language. Despite their cultural deviation, the Savent have held onto Ibeth, as well as Khama as a religion, even adopting the more modern interpretations as die-hard belief in their faith waned over time, and they had to ironically resort to the diluted oral survival of the captive Asha to fill the gaps. The Savent are a culture with a very strong emphasis on metallurgy, particularly working with noble metals like gold and silver, which form threads throughout their other customs and traditions. Music is for example also important to them, with several instruments being credited to their invention, and always finely decorated with in-laid gold and silver threading.  


==World View==
Savent clothing is far simpler when compared to the Asha Satoor with its complex patterns, relying more heavily on the opulence of all that sparkles yet having very vibrant but simple patterns. The Savent tend to lean more in the direction of pacifism or at the least non-violence, vowing only to act in self-defense. That being said, Savent can be ferocious fighters, especially with their sharp beaks and talons, and several Savent arena fighters have gained fame in the Regalian Empire for their ruthless tactics in the ring. The Savent have a more cultural streak than the other Asha, enjoying the finer things in life, and attaching less value to status symbols and vanity. It should be noted, that the metals that the Savent work with (and can create with their hands) are not actual Gold and Silver, but imitation metals like Electrum, which is why having a Savent friend is not a get-rich-quick scheme.
World View is optional content that helps give Asha flavor and depth.
 
*Asha society is one of the only societies that strictly bans Magic, even the passive usage of it primarily because Magic has played such an important role in their suffering throughout their existence.
===Silontaar Asha Expanded Lore===
*Magic usage in the Ashal Kingdoms is strictly illegal, and on the high seas, the Asha Corsairs are known to execute Mages immediately after a battle and if any were captured. Many know this, which is why the waters around the Asha States are called the “Mageless Waters", on account of all Mages veering far around the general raiding zones of the Corsair Fleets.
Being reworked during the Khama Update
*Tails are immensely important to the Asha, and serve as major indicators of non-verbal emotion, and expressions of pride. An Asha without a tail is like an Asha without pride, and faces humiliation in Asha society. This is largely the reason why it was so common for the Allorn to cut off Asha tails at birth, a practice that still exists today. Some Asha have gone through lengths to re-acquire their tail, most using Living Metal to replace it.
*Common uses of the tail include, but are not limited to: expressing adoration for a person depending on the tightness of a tail included in a hug, using the tail to point at desired objects or slowly caress them to show interest, swishing the tail around to express candidness or pride, binding the tail around one’s leg or waist to express fear or loathing, striking the tail on the floor for a challenge or mockery, slapping others with a tail in teasing or flirtatious manner, and holding objects of great importance with the tail by wrapping it around them. Nearly every statement or request made by Asha includes some sort of positioning or motion of their tail, indicating their intent or emotional feeling behind it. This is why it may sometimes be hard for Asha to lie to other Asha, as many of these tail movements are involuntary.
*The worst insult is to pull on an Asha’s tail, stand on it, or generally just dismiss or ridicule the appendage. Asha tails are collected by some [[Kathar]] priests and priestesses for [[Void Worship]] rituals, or as trophies for the amount of Asha sacrificed to the Void Gods, largely being the reason why the Asha have a particular hatred for Kathar religious leaders, more so than all the other kinds of Kathar.
*The majority of the Asha’s active military power can be found on the high seas, where they are considered some of the most skilled sailors and marines known to Aloria. Asha are unrivaled in their ability to sprint, dance, pounce, roll, and move around on deck, flinging themselves from ropes and balancing on thin beams to gain the upper hand and the higher ground.
*The Asha commonly use the Shefdew, or Moon-Blade polearm in their combat with others, alongside the Sensy, a smaller blade seen used on Asha tails. These weapons both form part of the Tutelage of Mirah, the form of instruction used to teach most Corsairs and land forces of the Asha. Still, Asha are capable of picking other weapons too, and Asha mercenaries have been seen using a wide range of blades and more.
*The Asha frequently use beasts of burden or large animals for the purpose of siege, or general brute force damage during a battle. These are most often the [[Maarhanet]], or [[Giant Scorpion|Seqherat]]. However, the use of Living Metal constructs has only continued to grow in recent years.
*Asha cuisine is heavily varied as they are spread across Aloria. In general, they have a simple but rich diet based on meats served with spices, eggs and dairy products such as cheeses and yogurt, the dish Car-Ki’fo best exemplifying this blend of ingredients. Their meat exclusively comes from geese, quail, pigs, cows and any fish that can be caught, as they are highly sensitive to the killing of animals which look like members of their Race.
*The Asha are a physical Race, meaning nearly all forms of their recreation and relaxation involve some physical activity in their society. To that end, they have developed Sun-Courts, large open-air squares for physical activity and sports to be performed in. Enormous trees or Living Metal structures serve to create some shade in these spaces, and the game of Hisad (an Asha board game) appears in such spaces on a weekly basis.
*An important cultural expression of the Asha involves the Satoor is the Satoor-Bis Kahnar Hakkar, a wild dance performed by one seeking to court another. The dance itself is carried out with leaps involving fierce snarling expressions, grunting, chest beating and wild waving of claws, where the purpose is also to make the Satoor flow with poise and grace, in contrast to the intense expressions. The primary use of the dance is to impress a potential partner with an Asha's strength, though Asha can also perform it to intimidate enemies before battle.
*The boundary between enemy and passion are very thin for the Asha, and the “enemy turned lover” is a frequently seen romantic trope among the Asha, impressed with enemy soldiers or warriors in battle that they fall for them. This event is a rare occurrence in Corsair warfare, as most targets of Asha attacks are slave facilities, slaving ships, and other repulsive places, with few acceptable love interests among the guardians of such places. Instead, it often takes root in fighting pits, or tournament bouts.
*The ritual marriages between the Queens of the Ashal Kingdoms and the various Corsair leaders are part of the agreements of assistance between these Kingdoms and their ever-sharpening sword in world affairs. The rituals sometimes become actual marriages, but such connections strain the relationship as the Queens insist on keeping all daughters, and reject sons, while the Corsairs consider the intense focus on women from the city-dwellers to be a detriment.
*The Ashal Islands have two notable forms of coastal port. One is the Fair-Port, called Hesepah by the Asha, and is the sole area of the Islands where foreign Races can be found in great abundance. Merchants and artisans live and thrive in this place, and the limited trade the Kingdoms have with the wider world comes through this center. The other form of port are the Moon-Ports, massive facilities capable of handling the hundreds of ships that Corsair Fleets possess. Each Ashal Kingdom has one of these for the use by the Fleets, who cycle in and out of docking their ships for resupply, repair, and celebrations.
*The Great Journey is revered by the Asha as their period of migration from the lands of the former Allorn Empire to their new home in the Ashal Isles. The entire process took three years, and was led by the Siwath-Khenu who emerged to guide their people home. The event is also notable for the baggage train of Ailor and other Races, fellow former slaves, who followed or shadowed the Journey, despite being told they could not settle with the Asha. These other groups ultimately settled along the coastline, and became nations like [[List_of_Major_Nations_and_States#Daen_Governate|Daen]] and [[Lusits]].
*The Siwath-Khenu are currently believed to be focusing on those Asha still mass-enslaved in Ithania, and while overseers, masters and more are keeping their eyes peeled, whispers speak of their mission preparing their fellow Asha for freedom is well underway.
*Unlike the Silontaar, who have a manic fear of the [[Maraya]], the Asha find the Maraya kindred spirits in most cases. Both Races suffered extreme loss in the past, and only recently recovered, or in the Maraya’s case, reawoke, to seek out their long damaged heritage. They also both have unique technologies crafted and specific to their Race. The Asha chalk the Silontaar’s manic paranoia to a corruption of Magic in their very blood, affecting how they see the world, and other dismissive, negative statements.
*The loss of the Repyt Corsair Fleet, which merged with Fin’ullen elements to form the Asha-Fin’ullen [[Fin’ullen#Culture|Sàllir]] subculture, was deeply shocking to the Asha Race as a whole. The Arc-Monoliths are frequently harassed by Corsair Fleets and Fin’ullen ships alike, both core elements of each Race disturbed by this union of Asha and Nelfin elements together. The Asha have not attacked their brethren outright, however, for unclear reasons, and any Corsair Fleet element that has done so has been disowned by Fleet leadership.
*The recent rebirth of the Allorn Empire was an extreme blow to Asha hopes for the future, as the fractured politics of the Teledden and Fin’ullen until that point made Corsair raiding operations far easier. Most Corsair Fleets have been forced to pull back from attacks on the Allorn as a result, and have turned their focus on Westwynd and other more central or southern locations.


==Gallery of Art==
==Gallery of Art==
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==Trivia==
==Trivia==
*There has been recent evidence that suggests the Asha may be far older than previously thought. Records of the fall of the [[Meraic Empire]], released in 310 AC, show mammalian humanoids in service to the Race that would become the Maraya, and there is also the extreme paranoia the Silontaar have for that pastel Race.
* There is credible evidence to suggest that the Asha along with the Meraic were the second people to make it into the upper terrasphere of Aloria and install the equivalency of satellites in orbit, but all knowledge of how they did this has been lost to time.  
*There are a total of sixteen Corsair Fleets in operation across Aloria, but five are most notable among their number. These include the Medes Fleet led by the unique dual leadership of Ladies Saalamun and Vasnaf, the Sefetjew Fleet led by Lord Kahnef or “Lord Demon-claw” and the Kheni-Hetef Fleet led by Lord [[Ammunakhonet]], an [[Undead]] warrior who has led his fleet since it was created nearly three centuries ago.
*There are a total of sixteen Corsair Fleets in operation across Aloria, but five are most notable among their number. These include the Medes Fleet led by the unique dual leadership of Ladies Saalamun and Vasnaf, the Sefetjew Fleet led by Lord Kahnef or “Lord Demon-claw” and the Kheni-Hetef Fleet led by Lord [[Ammunakhonet]], an [[Undead]] warrior who has led his fleet since it was created nearly three centuries ago.
*Some believe there are members of the Faces of Baskarr who were long ago killed by the gods of the [[Estelley]] pantheon in the war between the Allorn and Dewamenent Empires. It is commonly said only the sages of the Siwath-Khenu could answer such questions, and they are very difficult to locate.
*Asha are routinely subject to accidental racism in Regalia, either due to over-familiar expectation of animalistic behaviors or similarities, or because Ailor try to be comedic with them, and end up comparing them to domestic animals. Don't do that.
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{{Peoples}}
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[[category:races]] [[category:Gorr Races]]
[[category:Heritages]]

Latest revision as of 20:56, 28 September 2024

Asha
Ankh-Sa (in Ibeth)
Motto: "In Misery and Life, none left behind."
Nation StateThe Ashal States
RulerN/A
Other PresentN/A
LanguagesIbeth, Common
ReligionKhama
First Recorded20,000 BC
Demonym(s)Ashal

The Asha are the oldest continuously existing Heritage on Aloria, even pre-dating the Elven Allorn Empire, though has undergone massive changes throughout history. Under the early Dewamenet Empire, the Asha were poised to conquer vast parts of the world, however, they came into conflict with the just-founded Allorn Empire. A cataclysmic war of Dewamenet Technology versus Allorn Magic erupted, which the Dewamenet lost. In their loss, Elven victory was so violent that it ground their Empire to dust. The Allorn Elves tried to move heaven and earth to erase Dewamenet Culture from existence, through the periods now referred to as the Pearl Wars though try as they did, they could never suppress the resistance and spite of the Asha to survive and thrive. When the Allorn Empire collapsed under its weight during the last Void Invasion, the Asha reclaimed some of their lost homeland, and are now poised to reconnect with much of their hidden past, rejoining long-lost brethren and refounding a common identity.

Design

The Asha are a collective of anthropomorphic animal-people, the closest approximation of a "Furries" on MassiveCraft. A wide range of animal types are available, from canine to equine to feline, to marsupials and more, with some species classified under separate Lineages (see below). The Asha can have plantigrade legs and feet or digitigrade legs and clawed feet and hands. They can have a wide variety of natural eye colors, as well as natural fur or feather colors and patterns, but there is a great deal of freedom to change, for example using leopard fur patterning for a canine-otter hybrid design. Some unnatural colors are also available to some of the Legacies. It is important to also mention the Half-Asha, who the Asha consider full members of their societies. Half-Asha are Asha born from dominant Asha parentage that show Asha traits. Common appearances are for example animal-like eyes, ears, claws, tails, and legs, but mostly without fur covering their skin.

Cultures

Asha are divided over four so-called Lands which loosely determine their cultural associations and beliefs. This is an important choice for most Asha (though many are born in them) because it defines their outlook on life, and most notably how they interact with Elves and Mages. Historically Elves and Mages have inflicted a lot of pain and suffering on the Asha, and so the Cultures define how they act around Elves, and how they treat Mages. It is possible to change Cultures throughout Roleplay, but choosing one is recommended when beginning a new Character so that others understand how they feel about certain topics, without the Character having to explain complex and potentially nuanced points of view for every Asha they meet.

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Deshret which loosely translates to the red land, are Asha unified in their hatred and search for justice for the pain and historical trauma their people have suffered by the Elves. Deshret Asha can be found all over the world, but most numerously among the Corsair Fleets and Naval Nations, populations of Asha without a true homeland to call their own. Deshret Asha can be expected to always express hostility towards the Elves, and anything related to the Allorn Empire or Oblation Magic, often being at the forefront of the breakdown of this dark institution in the Empire, or agitating for the Regalian Empire to go to war with the Allorn to crush them. Deshret Asha always remember their historical suffering.

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Hedjet which loosely translates to the white land, are Asha who acknowledge the historical suffering of their people at the hands of the Allorn, but who are mostly content that the age of the Pearl Wars is over, and that they can live in relative security without being repeatedly invaded by Elves. It is not unthinkable they might befriend Elves, especially if those Elves have no real connection to the Allorn Empire, or clear descent from those who benefitted from the murder of their ancestors. Hedjet Asha mostly hail from the Ashal States, where they focus on the rebuilding of their legacy and history and customs, while some of the newly born generations even barely know what the Pearl Wars were about. Some might deride the Hedjet for being tone-deaf, but they might be quick to retort that endless cycles of violence are self-perpetuating, and self-immolating.

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Neferu which loosely translates to the beauties or the beautiful land, are largely tolerated by the Deshred and Hedjet Asha, but regarded with suspicion. While the art of Magic is never in itself evil according to modern Asha attitudes, having Magic means a Mage can always hunger for more Magic and more power. In such a case, a Neferu Asha Mage is only a few steps away from calling upon the dark arts and using Oblation Magic as a means of self-empowerment. The Neferu mostly hail from the Silontaar country, but have populations in many nations, even those who have found acceptance in the Allorn Empire given that the Pearl Wars have ended. Their inaction and distance from the Pearl Wars, is still an ongoing sore spot for them, however.

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Kemet which loosely translates to the black land, are nearly universally reviled or feared by the Deshret, Hedjet, and Neferu. They include three distinct populations. First Asha who have abandoned their cultural heritage and started worshiping Evolism. Second the Asha who have gone mad with grief and become death cultists who worship the death gods and thus also embraced Death Magic. Finally, there are the Mystech who were once Asha, having been ripped from the land of the living or their Dewamenet afterlife when the old Khama God stole the afterlife, and used it to invade the Evolist pantheon. In doing so, he became a Void God, but all Asha who joined him or were taken there became Void Spirits. Kemet Asha have a complex and often hostile relation to all others because they are disconnected from the modern world.

Heritage Traits

When designing a Character, Proficiency Points allow for a limited Ability selection with Point Buy Packs. Heritage Traits adds free Packs and Mechanics on top of that to help with cultural themes. Free Packs grant Abilities usually, while Mechanics change the way a character functions in Roleplay through subtle, and usually out of Combat ways. In essence, Mechanics just add aesthetic flair that invest in the niche of each culture. Free Packs never raise Proficiency Points, but the character must be able to purchase them normally. (ex. if a character is a certain Affinity that locks them out of a category, they cannot take that specific free pack and must choose the alternative option.) If a Free Pack grants Magic of some type, that Magic can be of any Alignment the character can normally choose, or limited to a select alignment, which will always be written in the Free Pack description. Mixed Heritage characters (i.e. characters born from two parents of different Cultures) may take one parent's 'Free Packs' and mix and match up to 5 Mechanics from both parents, although some Peoples cannot produce Mixed Heritage children (due to Magical/Fantasy reasons). Half-Asha must still choose a Lineage to be matched with, and can only pick and choose Mechanics from that Lineage.

Free Packs

  • Asha can choose 1 Pack from any Category for free. If any magic is chosen, the player may choose an Alignment between God Magic, Exist, Ordial, Void, and Dragon Magic.
  • Asha can choose 1 non-Ability Pack that is not Magical or Religious in nature. Non-Ability Pack means that it must be a Pack that does not give a Combat Ability.

Lineages

There is a great deal of physical divergence among the Asha, though four major Lineages are considered categorically similar. While all Asha receive the same Free Packs, what Mechanics they receive is dependent on the Lineage they belong to. This choice cannot be changed, and is also relevant to determine the physical characteristics of the Character. It is possible to be a mix of Lineages, but only one Lineage must be chosen for Mechanics. Lineages have no bearing on Cultures, a Remet Asha can belong to Kemet or Deshret culture, and so on. Some caution should be exercised with Silontaar Lineage however, as while they could in theory claim to be Deshret Asha, because they are biologically Magical, other Deshret Asha may reject them.

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Remet Asha
Remet Asha refers to the Asha most genealogically closest to the common Dewamenet ancestor, they are the mammalian-styled "furry" Asha, that specifically excludes any bird-like species. Remet Asha appear like anthropomorphic versions of for example canine, feline, equine, marsupial and more. This can also include hybrids. Remet Asha are by far the most numerous on in the Asha countries, and the Regalian Empire.

Mechanics

  • Remet Asha can control a special substance called Living Metal, which is a solid Metal that becomes liquid by their thought and imagination, and can be reshaped to whatever they can imagine, and telekinetically moved around.
  • Remet Asha have perfect night vision, capable of seeing in dark and low-light environments without needing external lights. Additionally, their claws when struck together create flint and steel like sparks that light up.
  • Remet Asha have a natural bodily reaction to non-combat Magic in their proximity. This can for example cause the fur in their neck to stand upright. It can also be used to warn of a magical presence before it is spotted.
  • Remet Asha have a heightened sense of smell, sight, and hearing out of Combat. This is fairly flexible and should be discussed with people in a scene in terms of what advantages this may give an Asha in varying scenarios.
  • Remet Asha either through a combination of excellent acrobatics, or shock-dampening limbs, or using their claws to slide down buildings, never take damage when falling from heights, so long as this fall is below 50 Blocks.
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Savent Asha
Savent Asha refers to a population of exclusively bird-like anthropomorphic people that split off from the Remet-dominated Dewamenet population and resettled in Fendarfelle during the ending decades of the Dewamenet-Allorn war. The Savent developed entirely differently from the Remet, and as such also have different customs and societal expectations, not to speak of their most notable physical difference, their having wings.

Mechanics

  • Savent Asha can control a special substance called Living Metal, which is a solid metal that becomes liquid by their thought and imagination, and can be reshaped to whatever they can imagine, and telekinetically moved around.
  • Savent Asha have perfect night vision, capable of seeing in dark and low-light environments without needing external lights. Additionally, their claws when struck together create flint and steel-like sparks that light up.
  • Savent Asha can manifest (or have) Wings (of any design: Furred, Feathered), which while not in Combat, allow (Elytra) flight (including the use of Rockets). Combat or Ability usage immediately disables flight.
  • Savent Asha have a heightened sense of smell, sight, and hearing out of Combat. This is fairly flexible and should be discussed with people in a scene in terms of what advantages this may give an Asha in varying scenarios.
  • Savent Asha have a heightened alertness and analytical mind, able to perceive threats and react much faster. They may notice dangers when interacting with Event objects or Characters (Private Message DM's for more info)
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Silontaar Asha
Silontaar Asha refers to a population of exclusively magic-infused anthropomorphic people who don't quite look like real-life animals but have animalistic appearance traits. Within the furry context, Silontaar can best be described as a custom species that takes small aspects of multiple species but looks like nothing in particular. Parts of their body can have magically glowing aspects or colorations, and in general, they look a lot more fantasy-like.

Mechanics

  • Silontaar Asha do not need to sleep or even eat, as they gain sustenance from Magical energies around them. They can eat if they want to, or enter into a trancelike state that approximates sleep but leaves them watchful.
  • Silontaar Asha have perfect night vision, capable of seeing in dark and low-light environments without needing external lights. Additionally, their claws when struck together create flint and steel-like sparks that light up.
  • Silontaar Asha can, once per day, make use of the Magical Variant of the Sealing Pack from Adapt Point Buy. Point-Buying the Pack, or gaining it for free, disables this Mechanic.
  • Silontaar Asha have a heightened sense of smell, sight, and hearing out of Combat. This is fairly flexible and should be discussed with people in a scene in terms of what advantages this may give an Asha in varying scenarios.
  • Silontaar Asha can grant any person the Magical version of Shapeshift Pack for free, but only for an Hour (or the duration of an Event), and with a 7-day Cooldown for that person. This can even apply to Afflicted/Mystech.

Language and Naming

This Otter Asha has some unique fur patterning.
This ringfighter Asha wears a cartouche tablet, which many Asha wear on their belt with their name on it.
An Asha wearing a traditional Satoor with Living Metal decorations.
Jewelry of any kind offers a stylish way of carrying Living Metal around.
Arkenborn Asha have an exceptionally difficult time among anti-Magic Asha.
This Gazelle Asha is one of Akhet's Golden Sons, extremely rare Demigods among the Asha.
Asha acrobats and courtesans are some of the most highest sought after.
Living Metal is often used by Corsair Asha to replace lost limbs.
Living Metal is also used as a makeshift armor, with custom colors.
Asha fur patterns do not need to be realistic, with a great deal of freedom.

The Asha speak a language called Ibeth which is based on real-life ancient Egyptian. However, it should be noted that because Ibeth is considered a reconstructed language from archeological evidence, it is an incomplete language, and takes a lot of loan words from Common (English). Also, because it is a reconstructed language, not all Asha naturally speak Ibeth, as it is only really taught in the Ashal States and the Corsair Fleets. Most Asha who are born in Regalia never learn Ibeth, and more commonly speak the other languages of the Empire. In terms of naming, Asha similarly either have modern Ailor names or Elven given names depending on where they were born, but many Asha have also started embracing Ibeth naming practices. Based on ancient Egyptian, these names can be complicated, because most online resources just re-iterate the names of priests and pharaohs without discussing the names of the common people. Here are some examples of how to construct Ibeth names with the information we have within the lore.

Khama-Based Naming

Khama-based naming refers to a common habit for a person to be called "Son of X" or "Made of Y". These are honorifics given at birth and end up being used as first names, but can also be adopted at a later point in life to honor a specific God of the Khama Pantheon. Even Asha who are not Khama faithful can have these names because the Khama Gods doubled as divine individuals as well as secular rulers of the Dewamenet Empire. It is also common for Asha in the Regalian Empire to have both a Khama-based name and a more common name used among non-Asha like a nickname. This naming process is complex and requires a lot of trial and error. If you need help, you can make use of a [spreadsheet] we have provided to simplify the process or inquire in a ticket. Common name prefixes are Sahu (spiritual body of), Sa or Si (son of), Sat (daughter of), Mose or Mes (born of), or Menkau (established in the soul of). Then, either the first or last syllable of the Gods is used to compose names, for example for Tjafar, these would be "Tja" or "Far", while Ra-Mut's syllables would be "Ra" or "Mut". Names can either be single words or have a hyphen (-) to separate the syllables. Thus, finally composing a few name examples:

  • Sahutja would be "the Spiritual body of Tjafar"
  • Sat-Kha would be "the daughter of Khannar"
  • Menkau-Ra would be "established in the soul of Ra-mut"
  • Narmose would be "born of Khannar", except the syllables are switched around.
  • Rasa would be "son of Ra-mut", except the syllables are switched around.

If you need help composing a good name, please make a Ticket. It is perfectly acceptable to source names from the internet, please just try to avoid naming your Character Imhotep or Rameses or Tutankhamun, or such familiar names from historical people. Generally speaking, you should prioritize names that are easy to pronounce and not too overcomplicated long, while feeling unique to your character. Surnames are not common in Ibeth, though a frequent way to identify someone is by using the "of placename" suffix. This can either be existing cities in the Regalian Empire (or even Regalia), but is more commonly cities in the Ashal States, of which here follows a short list: Akhiza, Siwakhet, Nasar, Lunet, Lahun, Per-Wadjet, Tjebu, Zwajet, Akhet-aten, Bukhama and so forth.

Brief History

The Lost Era

The Lost Era defines a period during which the Asha referred to themselves as Dewa, based on the state name Dewamenet. As Dewa, the Asha were the preeminent Empire of the time, with high technological progress, though recent archeology and events in Regalia implicate the Empire as being tyrannical towards its neighboring people, and even to its subjects. What little is known of this Empire, was that Magic was strictly banned and any born Mages were killed. This Empire's technology was seemingly steam-based, and had some advanced knowledge of electricity and conductivity as well as battery-powered factories, with machines building vast cities and operating complex irrigation systems. The Empire frequently invaded neighboring countries to enforce their anti-Magic policy, which eventually led to conflict with the rising Allorn Empire. This Dewamenet-Allorn war became all-defining for the next 15,000 years, as it destroyed the Dewamenet Empire, the near total destruction of the Asha, and the rise of the Allorn Empire as the undisputed magical hegemon of the world.

The Dark Era

The Dark Era defines a period during which the Asha were reeling from the destruction of their Empire, and the loss of the vast majority of their population. The magical event that the Elves used was described as a terrible climate shift in the region that was so strong, that it has lasted to this day. It was as if the Gods of the Elves decreed that all moisture or liquid would be deprived of every living and unliving thing in the Empire, drawing it closer to the frontline of the war. In essence, all moisture was drained from the heartland of the Dewamenet Empire and forced into a small strip of land that would later become known as No Man's Land, an impassable jungle with impossible high humidity. The entire Dewamenet Empire's core heartland became an unlivable desert in a near instant, all machines ground to a complete halt because of a lack of water to fuel steam power, and the batteries ran dry. All living beings died as their body was deprived of moisture, and those lucky enough to survive eventually died from thirst in this endless wasteland. The cities were eventually buried under the sand, and much of the heartland forgotten. It is said by the Kemet, that in the split second before this event occurred, Gahan stole the Khama Afterlife, and the capital of the Dewamenet Empire with it, killing all its inhabitants and turning them into Spirits while seceding into the Void to render the remaining Khama Gods incapable of doing anything about it.

The Pearl Wars

The worst period in Asha history, which spanned up until the Cataclysm, was the Pearl Wars, so named because of its relation to the Oblation Magic used by the Elves. How the Elves learned Oblation Magic is unclear though some rumor it was the Death-Goddess the Charnel who taught them. Oblation Magic involves capturing the soul of a dead person who cannot pass into the afterlife, eviscerating their soul, their memories, their emotions, and their feelings, and congealing into a single pearl of magical potency. This pearl could then be used to amplify the Magic of those who held them, and they suddenly came in massive demand in the Allorn Empire. Vast armies of Elves ventured into the blasted wasteland that was once the Dewamenet Empire, to capture the defenseless roaming souls of the dead Dewamenet citizens, using Oblation Magic to kill them one final time and use the remnant of their souls as nothing but vulgar fuel for their own internal Mage-Wars. When the Elves ran out of Dewamenet Souls to consume, they ventured out to the hinterlands where the Asha had survived. The Dewamenet Empire was vast and had many lands outside of the modern-day Ithanian heartland, and so Elven ships ventured beyond the high seas in search of these ex-Dewamenet colonies that still had Asha in them. They would find them far afield from the Ashal Islands (which were subsequently abandoned) to Nordskag, the Regalian Archipelago, and even Hadar where some Dewa had fled to hide. Their cyclical raids became a near five-yearly occurrence, where they would inflict death on the local populations, and then harvest their souls to produce more Oblation Magic Pearls, to bring back to the Allorn Empire to help amplify their power. These raids were filled with such mockery and cruelty, with the Elves making theatric displays of their arrival and heralding the supremacy of the victors over the vanquished. When the Asha speak of their historical trauma, it is this period, even if there are no Asha left alive today who experienced the Pearl Wars first hand.

The Pearl Wars ended when the Cataclysm struck. Due to the complexity of Oblation Magic in being a combination of potent Ordial Magic and Exist Magic, the world was no longer capable of sustaining the kind of Magic required to produce these pearls. Secondly, the Cataclysm provided enough of a momentum that weakened the Elven gods to the point that the Khama Gods as few as there were left, felt emboldened to reveal themselves from hiding. They quickly conspired to produce a pseudo-afterlife called the Duat, which in reality was nothing more than a waiting room for an actual afterlife that is believed to be dull and in a state of non-consciousness for those inside it. It did, however, remove the precondition for Asha souls to have Oblation Magic inflicted upon them, as it gave them an afterlife to have their souls pass into, thus denying the Elves the ability to snatch them. The Allorn Elves and Allorn Revivalists take no responsibility for the suffering of the Pearl Wars, indicating that they believe this was simply the plight of the conquered, insisting that the Asha would have done it no other way if they had won the war and discovered that Elven ears could be used as fuel for their machines. The Wars were so historically significant because they continued for thousands of years on a cyclical 5 or 10 year basis. The sheer population growth stunting that occurred because of it means that the Asha are still not numerically comparable to the Ailor or Elves to this day, despite being older people than both. Oblation Magic Pearls have largely disappeared from the world, though rarely, one might still encounter these ancient magical objects, always betrayed by their sickly green and blue glow, and a distinct hunger they encourage in anyone who lays eyes upon them, even those who deeply revile these objects.

The Light Era

The Light Era defines the post-Cataclysm period during which some of the Asha have started re-settling the lands that were previously depopulated by the Pearl Wars. The most notable of which are the Ashal States off the coast of the former Allorn Empire (now Ailor colonies). Asha have populated nearly every known continent with some even daring to live among Elves, while far flung populations like the Savent and Silontaar have been re-connected with the wider Asha population after millennia of isolation away from the Pearl Wars. Some Asha even, have resorted to an exhaustive mission of revenge referred to as the Claw Wars, a mockery of the concept of the Pearl Wars, by which the Asha Corsair fleets raid coastal Elven settlements. Unlike the orchestrated and theatric Pearl Wars however, the Claw Wars are just disorganized revenge killing because it feels good to them, a fact that makes more than half the Asha population quite uneasy with the brutality of the Corsairs. Regalia has since become a hub for Asha-Revival, with knowledge both being freely shared and discussed, and potentially being suppressed and silenced to ensure the Asha do not grow too confident in their desire to re-build their Empire.

Religions

  • Khama The most obvious and majority religion for the Asha is Khama, which was once an ethnoreligion for them but is slowly being rediscovered to be so much more and inclusive of other peoples.
  • Unionism is the second most common Religion for Asha, especially those born in the Regalian Empire. The Asha are represented by Asha Gods in the Unionist Pantheon, which makes it very appealing.
  • Estelley Any Asha who worships Estelley is deeply, deeply strange. Estelley as a religion was used to empower the genocide of the Asha, and is an Elven ethno-religion, so there is no compatibility.
  • Fornoss There are some Fornoss Asha communities, particularly in Nordskag where some Asha communities survived throughout the Pearl Wars, and integrated with the Fornoss Ailor, but abandoned Khama.
  • Evolism Evolism is a surprisingly common religion among Asha, especially those who court the Dark Gods for powers to take vengeance on the Elves, or just support Gahan and his Dream-Dewamenet.
  • Draconism Draconism does not have a strong Asha representation in it, but Asha can be Draconists if they resonate with the dogmatic virtues or mechanical themes of world-creation in Draconism.

Asha and Magic

The Asha do not universally hate Magic. There is perhaps a common understanding among them now, that it was largely their extremist purist policies that led to the destructive Dewamenet-Allorn War, and subsequent Pearl Wars. The majority of the revulsion of Asha concerning Magic is aimed at the seductive power of Magic can lead one to justify and commit great evil with a few simple hand gestures. A fire mage himself is not distinctly a problem (though there would be many Asha with knee-jerk hostile reactions even at the sight of any Magic), but said fire mage's desire for ever bigger and hotter fire. Eventually, he would simply run out of his own body or soul's capacity to draw enough magic from the respective realms to cast. In such a case, the fire mage would seek other ways to empower their Magic, which to the Asha is a downward spiral that ends in Oblation Magic. While Oblation Magic became impossible after the Cataclysm, there have recently been signs that it has once again become possible with select rogue Allorn Mages experimenting with Oblation Magic, and worse, it has become cast-able without the need for that person's soul to be denied by any afterlife. Oblation Magic has evolved, and so too has the vigilance of the Asha evolved from a continual purist hate of Magic to a suspicion and paranoia, that any Mage could at any point in time be seduced by the cheapest and easiest but most violent route to power without bounds. There are, however, still many purist Asha who are completely in agreement with the Lothar, though they are generally considered quite radical.

Asha and Elves

The attitude of the Asha, especially those who care a lot about the Pearl Wars history or their revulsion against Oblation Magic, tends to project itself onto the Elves as a whole. The Asha are taught for decades, in every school, in every nursery rhyme, and in every story re-telling of the Gods or the priests or even just their distant family's history, that the Elves are without moral and without value for life. They are taught from the day they are born that Allorn society carries within it a cultural darkness fostered by Talea the greatest killer in history, that justifies such indifference to the suffering of others. There are many Asha who learn that some element of this is exaggeration or a hypocritical form of bigotry born out of fear of otherlings. Many Asha who come to Regalia are predisposed with an inability to see Elves as real people, but rather see them as Demons, and many struggle to overcome years of cultural indoctrination, to treat Elves as equals. We encourage Players to play with the concepts of taught hatred, and learned growth, and see the potential for character development as Regalia's melting pot cosmopolitan culture allows their Characters to see the historical nuance and complexity of the individual, but Players are also more than welcome to imply in their backstory that their Character already overcame this historical conditioning.

Culture

This section covers Remet Asha Culture as it was known from rediscovered or surviving customs from the Dewamenet. There is overlap with the other Asha Lineages, but niche cultural habits like fashion are discussed in their Lineage Expanded lore further below.

Fashion

Asha clothing is often very simple in its application of garments yet rich in texture and patterning. Beyond a simple chest cloth worn by women and leather straps worn by men to attach objects to, most Asha rarely wear any clothing on their upper body when they don’t seek a reason to blend into other societies. On their lower bodies meanwhile, all wear a so-called Satoor, a dress-like clothing piece often in earthen or burgundy color tones with a variety of intricate patterns in vibrant colors that spans from the waist to the ground. These Satoors are often specially tailored to allow a tail to protrude from the back, and also have individual cuts on the front and sides to allow a free range of motion for Asha in combat. The Satoor is, in fact, a crucial piece for many cultural traditions of the Asha. As part of decoration for the Satoor, high officials may also wear shoulder capes or shoulder pelts from regional bovines. Jewelry is also a very much prized accessory for all genders of Asha, with numerous necklaces and ear piercings being the norm in adults. The Asha recognize the difference between a civilian Satoor and a combat Satoor in that combat Satoor cut off at the knees, while those for civilians end at the ankle or a bit higher. The Asha also have a fabric that was once unique to them alone, produced by the coastal Asha which has since expanded world-wide. Elastan, a form of lycra, is made from natural blue threads excreted by a unique coral species. The fabric is inherently liquid deterrent, and Elastan clothing made by the Asha usually covers their arms and shoulders, as well as their legs and waist, but does not cover their torso. Elastan was eventually also mixed with other fabrics, creating Peltastan, a form of wooly spandex. It has properties similar to those of Elastan, being form-fitting and soft, but Peltastan is not water-repelling. Peltastan clothing is usually worn on the torso and upper leg area, while a half-Satoor is worn over it like a battle skirt, often with shoulder pads to boot. Such pads are often light and decorative, as Asha effectively do not wear armor, in order to benefit from their superior agility over other Races. When protection is required, Living Metal is capable of forming a quick, sleek coating for their defense.

Mannerisms

Mannerisms are small niche behaviors Asha might display in Roleplay that enhances their themes.

  • Asha tails are immensely important, both physically and culturally. They are considered a deeply personal extension of the mind, with touch being extreme taboo without permission.
  • Tails can also be used to indicate intent. Tails aiming up can be a sign of intimidation or taunting, tails swaying can be a sign of approval or liking something, while tails wrapping around legs can indicate fear.
  • Tails can also be used to touch others, which is considered an intimate gesture. A tail coiling or stroking someone else's leg is considered a very forward non-verbal flirtation.
  • Most (but not all) Asha use a form of guttural sound for communication also. Growling, and purring, though not barking, are part of the vocal routine of most Asha when indicating pleasure or displeasure.
  • Pulling or cutting an Asha's tail is considered an extreme insult. Tail cutting is a common practice among those with bigotry towards the Asha, with Asha seeking to replace lost tails with living metal.
  • Asha treat half-Asha as part of their culture, so long as they have made an effort to be part of Asha culture. Half-Asha who belong to other cultures receive apathetic responses from full Asha.
  • Asha transition between bipedal and quadruped movement for a variety of reasons, for example while vaulting over things, or while crawling under obstacles, or to move around faster.
  • Asha dress style is very much non-gendered. All genders wear the Satoor (a half-dress with a parted opening on the side), while female Asha may opt for a chest binding if it is culturally appropriate in Regalia.
  • Asha are highly sensitive to the killing and eating of members of their people, as Khama holds that people who are refused by the afterlife, are reborn as wild animals in Aloria, such as lions or dogs.

Expanded Lore

Expanded Lore exists to apply more content to the Savent and Silontaar Asha, whose culture differs from the Remet Asha mostly discussed on this page, as well as other concepts that may be relevant to Asha roleplay or deep-lore exploration. This section is optional reading, though if you play a Silontaar or Savent, reading at least their sections is encouraged.

Gahan and Kemet

Gahan and Kemet are some of the recently most complicated aspects about the Asha experience. Gahan was once a god of the Khama pantheon, but under mysterious circumstances left said Pantheon, taking the Dewamenet afterlife with him, and breaking into the Void. While doing so, he used the Dewamenet afterlife and all the souls within as an army to effectively conquer a part of the Void, and crown himself Spirit Emperor, with all Void Spirits obeying his will one way or another. While the Spirits still wage war on one another, Gahan rules over the divided chaos absolute, and his Kemet Demons have a special role to play in his keeping the Dewamenet Dream alive in Kemet. Kemet refers to the Black Land, the name the Asha have given to this material afterlife that now exists somewhere between the real world and the Void. They consider it a black land, because anytime anyone has had visions or dreams of the place, it is always represented by a glowing black obsidian pyramid, in which Gahan sits on his throne keeping a fragmented memory of the Dewamenet Empire alive in the afterlife. In essence, while the Dewamenet Empire was destroyed, the capital and the afterlife merged and become one place, which was then tainted by the Void, though it did keep many Dewamenet alive for eternity while the rest of their Empire crumbled.

Gahan's Spirits in turn, are also playable. When designing a Mystech Character, it is recommended to paid Gahan loyalism/an Asha inspired Spirit as an Unbound Spirit. Gahan has several lieutenants, most important of which are the cruel and wroth commander Senetaph who leads the military legions of Kemet, Satjaraf-en the administrator who keeps the historical records of the Dewamenet and Kemet, and Barubast the shipwright who controls the access point to Kemet and ferries souls in and out on the black river, a proverbial magical gateway. While these Spirits should always be played with immense trepedation to reveal any information about Kemet (because we cannot logistically reveal deep lore to only part of the player base), these Asha Spirits should endeavor to be pro-Asha and reasonably align themselves with the Asha community in Regalia, despite its potential opposition to their presence or public cooperation. For better or worse, Gahan's Spirits are a window into the past, and their master despite being corrupted by his lust for power in the Void, still holds a dear place in his heart for his people and their plight, and so many of Gahan's Spirits are exceptional Elf-killers and tricksters.

Both Khama as a faith, and Asha society culturally speaking, have a complicated relation with Sprits. Spirits were not overtly used to torment the Asha during the Dewamenet war or subsequent Pearl Wars, but are inherently made of dark Magic, the stuff that was used to murder their kin. Spirits are unaccountable and unpredictable, and their pro-Asha attitude (at least for the Gahan Spirits) is at best fickle, with a Spirit perhaps deciding to murder some Asha it does not like out of boredom or a desire to consume its soul. Still, these Spirits can provide invaluable assistance or information to the cause, and even those who do not consider themselves part of the Kemet Asha cultural Land, might indulge in a bit of Spirit summoning or bartering just to get an edge on the Elves, who still have the upper hand because of their Magic usage.

Savent Asha Expanded Lore

Savent Asha would almost be considered an entirely different people by outsiders, but they are most certainly Asha, and hybrids of species-appearances between Savent and other Asha are part of their heritage too. The Savent Asha descend from a group of peoples that objected so violently to the war between the Dewamenet Empire and the Allorn Empire on the principle of non-aggression and not hating Magic, that they left the Dewamenet Empire in search for lands far away from either Empire, or Empires as a whole. The Savent at the time believed that violence was an inherent quality of Empires, and as such, people should avoid creating large geo-political powers. They settled in a largely (by Regalia) unmapped continent north of Guldar called Qelis, a temperate lake-rich land where the Savent have established 231 smaller Kingdoms and Republics that all live in perfect harmony, but are equally rather poor when compared to other countries around the world.

Savent Asha are without exception, either fully Avian Asha (think Eagle, Raven, Hawk, Owl), or a hybrid between Avian Asha and mammalian Asha (for example, an eagle face with long dog ears and cat lower legs but an Avian upper body and tail). All Savent Asha have beaks, and all of them have avian forearms and claws, while some of them have wings including regal plumage. Savent Asha are otherwise physically similar to other Asha and Asha Lineages, except that they will a visual niche that is not existent in any other heritage or culture, bar from perhaps the avian (Maquixtl Genos Form), who fall squarely in the terror-bird category only.

The major difference besides appearance niches between Savent Asha and all other Asha, is that their psyche is in essence completely devoid of all trauma that many other Asha suffer from when looking at their history and the state of their people across the world. While there certainly is empathy and pity for the Pearl Wars, there is an equal yet soft-spoken sentiment among the Savent, that the Dewamenet got what they deserved because of what they tried to do to the Elves. The Savent rejected the Dewamenet-Allorn War in all its senseless brutality (from their perspective), and deem the outcome to have "occurred in equal measure onto the Elves, to be fed to the Dewamenet Machine as fuel". Many of them in essence claim, that whatever hardships would have befallen the Asha, would have been inflicted onto the Elves if the Dewamenet had won, and that this is not a unique victimization of the Asha, but rather a sign of the more widespread depravity and hubris of Empire-politics. A particularly sore topic for those who have to hear the same sentiment as an excuse, from an Elven Allorn Apologist.

That is not to say that all Savent think that the Asha "got what they deserved", there is always a very fine line to walk between being genuinely empathetic towards the historical suffering of the Asha, and finding the right time to discuss the causes and implications of the actions of the Asha forefathers. The Savent insist that the Dewamenet were far from innocent, and engaged in equal measure of genocide as the Elves did, it just so happened to be the case that the Elves did it better (and faster). Savent can be genuinely included in interest groups who seek to discover more of their lost historical heritage and have very real passion and emotion towards the rediscovery of lost information. There remains however, the concern from other Asha, or the thought in the back of one's mind, that a Savent is only there out of recreational reasons, and can never fully understand what it means to re-discover a culture that was so violently destroyed by the conqueror. At the end of the day, Savent can return to their own unique culture that has flourished independently from a desire to return to the old Dewamenet.

Savent Culture is based on real-world Achaemenid period Persia Minor cultures (such as Lydean and Phrygean or other Anatolian Cultures of that period). However, because there is no real linguistic survival from this period, we use Achaemenid names for the people, but still use Ancient Egyptian as their language. Despite their cultural deviation, the Savent have held onto Ibeth, as well as Khama as a religion, even adopting the more modern interpretations as die-hard belief in their faith waned over time, and they had to ironically resort to the diluted oral survival of the captive Asha to fill the gaps. The Savent are a culture with a very strong emphasis on metallurgy, particularly working with noble metals like gold and silver, which form threads throughout their other customs and traditions. Music is for example also important to them, with several instruments being credited to their invention, and always finely decorated with in-laid gold and silver threading.

Savent clothing is far simpler when compared to the Asha Satoor with its complex patterns, relying more heavily on the opulence of all that sparkles yet having very vibrant but simple patterns. The Savent tend to lean more in the direction of pacifism or at the least non-violence, vowing only to act in self-defense. That being said, Savent can be ferocious fighters, especially with their sharp beaks and talons, and several Savent arena fighters have gained fame in the Regalian Empire for their ruthless tactics in the ring. The Savent have a more cultural streak than the other Asha, enjoying the finer things in life, and attaching less value to status symbols and vanity. It should be noted, that the metals that the Savent work with (and can create with their hands) are not actual Gold and Silver, but imitation metals like Electrum, which is why having a Savent friend is not a get-rich-quick scheme.

Silontaar Asha Expanded Lore

Being reworked during the Khama Update

Gallery of Art

Asha are really cool and awesome, and lots of art has been made of them.

Trivia

  • There is credible evidence to suggest that the Asha along with the Meraic were the second people to make it into the upper terrasphere of Aloria and install the equivalency of satellites in orbit, but all knowledge of how they did this has been lost to time.
  • There are a total of sixteen Corsair Fleets in operation across Aloria, but five are most notable among their number. These include the Medes Fleet led by the unique dual leadership of Ladies Saalamun and Vasnaf, the Sefetjew Fleet led by Lord Kahnef or “Lord Demon-claw” and the Kheni-Hetef Fleet led by Lord Ammunakhonet, an Undead warrior who has led his fleet since it was created nearly three centuries ago.
  • Asha are routinely subject to accidental racism in Regalia, either due to over-familiar expectation of animalistic behaviors or similarities, or because Ailor try to be comedic with them, and end up comparing them to domestic animals. Don't do that.

Accreditation
WritersMonMarty
ArtistsMonMarty
ProcessorsWaterDruppel, FireFan96
Last EditorOkaDoka on 09/28/2024.

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