Kathar

Kathar
Race
Pronunciation	Ka-thaar
Classification	Nelfin
Subraces	Interchangeable Cults
Common Nicknames	Shadow Elf (derogatory) Bloodsingers (praising) Void Elf (Elven)
Languages	Pannarokh (Katharic)
Naming Customs	See Language section
Racial Traits
Distinctions	A Void corrupted race of evolutionists and Magic lovers who want to bring about the next stage of progress in the world through the power of the Void.
Maximum Age	500 Years.
Eye Colors	Varied by Cult
Hair Colors	Varied by Cult
Skin Tones	Most Kathar Cults: Cult of Pride:

Origins

The Kathar adore see-through fabrics which they have mastered over the centuries.

Kathar aesthetics is full of gold and sharp spike-like shapes. Gold paint on gray skin is particularly popular.

The Dread Empire soldiers often wield weapons which have their aesthetics enhanced with Bone-Sung material.

Cult of Power Kathar keep the old Void Cults of the Allorn Empire alive even in the midst of the revived Allorn Empire.

Cult of Power Kathar can get really big, almost identical to Eronidas, save for their dark gray skin tone.

Not all Kathar skins are cold-tone gray, some of them can also have a more warm tone or hint of brown in gray.

This Wyld Kathar is themed after the nebulas of the starry night sky, a cohesive mutation set for an ever changing person.

The Kathar have a lengthy historical origin that predates the appearance of their Race. Long before the first Kathar were known to the world, Altalar society increasingly participated in Void Worship, as more and more rulers fell to the allure of Demons and Magical power. As time passed, Cults to specific ideologies sprang up, some of which survive to this day, while others have gone extinct. Some of these Cults live on as the Isldar, Northern Tainted, and Altalar, but by far, the largest number of Cults still functioning, are in Kathar society. Eventually, during the collapse of the Allorn Empire, the Void-aligned Cults came together to perform the Ascendancy Ritual, more commonly known as the Night of the Weeping Stars. During this event, they initiated a mass-killing of Estel-faithful and Yanar, along with orchestrated attacks on the Altalar palaces and the burning of the great Va'sil Trees. As a reward for their service in destabilizing the Empire, the Void Arken, or the Void Gods (there is still much debate among Kathar on who was ultimately responsible) transformed them into the first Kathar. They diversified from that point, developing their own distinct culture and customs. Departing the Allorn Empire, they moved further west to the continent of Rokhara, wiping out the native species and establishing the Dread Empire. The Dread Empire has since consolidated, with various Kathar cults spreading throughout the world, most notably the Altalar Princedoms that would later re-form the Allorn Empire, and the Regalian Empire, where a sizeable population resides in the Regalian Archipelago and the capital. While this Race was born in violence and hedonism, many of its citizens have since embraced a wider range of Cults ranging from reason and tolerance with a Void-born twist, to total debauchery and almost comedic levels of slaughter and blood spilling.

Core Identity

Introduction

To be a Kathar is, at its core, to seek greater evolution and enhancement through the powers of the Void. The Kathar have fully embraced the Void as a source of power and corruption, which they consider a good thing and even have natural protection from. Even the most compassionate and pragmatic of Kathar still make use of Void Essence for personal benefit, and see only good things to come from interacting with the Void, in measure. The Kathar are not wholly ignorant to the fact that a Void Invasion could wipe out all life, but while their behavior with Magic is far from suicidal, they still give in to the Void more than any other Race would deem advisable. Furthermore, to be a Kathar is to perpetually be mistrusted and despised by all other Races, and to face constant pariah status within outside societies. Kathar are mistrusted perhaps even more than Slizzar, mostly due to Altalar propaganda mixed with the fear of many ignorant Ailor, who believe all Kathar are brother-killing baby-eaters. While this is untrue, the more extreme Kathar Cults are excessively violent.

Corrupt Survival

Crucial to Kathar is the concept of Corrupt Survival, the fact that their bodies and soul are partly made up of Void Essence, and to be deprived of it, means death for them, in a similar sense that the Silontaar need Magic to survive. Most Kathar solve this problem by being Cult Kathar, which manifest physical changes, and feeds them the Void Essence they need to survive. There are a couple of exceptions however. Cult of Light Kathar have their Corrupt Survival changed from Void to Exist, through the intervention Exist forces. Cult of Reason Kathar have abandoned the Void altogether, and switched their loyalty to the Gods native to Aloria (which means any religion that is not Estellon, Estelsoor, Ordial Cultism, or Void Worship), and derive their Corrupt Survival from God Magic, instead of Void Essence, however in the process also radically changing as Kathar.

Void Ideology

Kathar are strongly influenced by, and thematically supporters of the Void. They are Void realists in that they certainly acknowledge the dangers of the Void and the bad bargains that can be made with Demons if one is not careful enough, but the Kathar argue in general to use the Void for self-enrichment in whatever way possible. The most obvious manner they do this is through Theurgy Point Buy, or the act of summoning Demons and striking deals with them for power. The Void Essence or Power gained is then immediately used to gain political, financial, social, or romantic power by the Kathar. The Kathar also believe in self-upgrading through the use of Void power, ostensibly through Mutations, but otherwise through pacts with Arken. They want to bring about Vossiosis (or Void Harmony), where the Void and real world can exist in balance and the living in Aloria can thrive with Void all around them. This does not necessarily dis-include other races, who the Kathar generally want to bless with their Void uplifting as well, it just so happens to be the case that the other races are a little behind on their enlightenment. The fact that during the last Void Invasion the Kathar ancestors did terrible things, and they still exist, is often used as proof by the Kathar that their theories are right. The Void cycle has been broken, and now is the age of Void Usurpation, where those living in the real world are finally deserving and capable enough to master the incomprehensible powers of the Void, and uplift the whole world into a self-serving paradise through them.

Cult of Excess

The Cult of Excess is the most common, average Cult. It neither takes things too far, nor does it skimp on the debauchery. Cult of Excess Kathar travel the world to experience the delights of luxury and leisure, and to be deviant as much as they can, experiencing life’s fruits of seduction and self-satisfaction. The Cult of Excess is not overly hostile to other Races, as tasting the fruits of pleasure elsewhere invariably requires interacting with other Races, but they are certainly not above throwing them under the bus when needed to get what they want.

Cult of Power

The Cult of Power is a direct translation of physical might makes right. Cult of Power worshipers believe that size matters and that brawn is more important than mind. They can often be found around the military, or traveling the land to hunt prey and fight champions of other Races to praise their gods in battle. Those of the Cult of Power can be very violent and cruel to the other Races, but are also capable of showing great deference and respect to those in high positions of power and respect worthy military track records.

Cult of Shadows

The Cult of Shadows believes more in the quiet and silent manipulation of others, the gathering of information and curiously, gambling. To the Cult of Shadows, life is all one big game, and every relation, every organization, every state, represents an opportunity to play a game, place bets on winners and losers, and then silently and subtly influence the outcome. The Cult of Shadows prefers to work in the background, moving around unseen, and most important, unknown to others, even their fellow Kathar, while they disguise as members of different Cults.

Cult of the Wyld

The Cult of the Wyld believes that in order to acquire perfect Vossiosis (the term used to describe a state where Aloria and the Void are in harmony), the Kathar must spread the blessings of the Void to the land around them, and transform the land itself to a reflection of ever-changing beauty. The Cult of the Wyld loves Magical Mutations and Magic in general. They seek to expand the beauty of nature by corrupting it with Void Essence, and bringing about what they call the ‘Cycle of Change’, the idea that if everything is in a constant state of change and flux, that this is a good thing and brings about true beauty.

Cult of Pride

The Cult of Pride is very similar to the Cult of Power, but rather than focus on brawn, they focus more on the mind, and the silver tongue. Cultists of Pride travel the lands to become renowned politicians, advisors, tacticians and generals. They are notably also lovers of the acts of sabotage and political assassination, the root of all political intrigue in the Dread Empire. The Cult of Pride consider themselves the most superior over the other Cults, and also are the most likely to found or continue Kaahls, and attempt to interact with greater powers, thinking themselves skilled in securing a positive outcome.

Cult of Reason

The Cult of Reason is considered the most tame cult of the Kathar, and also the youngest Cult that only came about in the past few decades. This Cult argues that the other Cults have gone too far and invite catastrophe with the Void and are way too excessive with their violence and depravity. They argue for more debate and discourse and cooperation with the other Races, while still professing the need for Void-based enhancements in a controlled and legal environment. Many Cult of Reason Kathar have respectable positions in Regalian society and even to some degree the government, as many of their Kaahls have spent generations proving their loyalty to the Empire’s foundational stability over the chaos of the Dread Empire.

Cult of Light

The Cult of Light is a permutation of Kathar that out of the ordinary. The Cult of Light were born when the Justice Arken started force converting small groups of them, turning the Void-based Kathar into Exist-based Kathar. These groups eventually culminated into the Cult of Light or "cleansed" Kathar as they call themselves who have returned to the graces of Estellon. Cult of Light Kathar are entirely despised by all the other Kathar as the ultimate rejection of their central being, who have also been cut off from the Void and become entirely Exist based, using the Exist to sustain themselves. All Kathar Specials are also accessible to Cult of Light Kathar, they just require some common sense translations for the Exist instead of the Void. It is not possible to turn a regular Void Kathar into a Cult of Light Kathar, only the Justice Arken is able to do this, nor is to possible to convert them back without the Pride Arken's assistance.

Design

Mental Characteristics

The Kathar, for the most part, are egotistical, self-absorbed, prideful, envious, dramatic and expressive. This does not mean that all Kathar are intolerable. Rather, it just means that the Kathar are a lot to deal with at times, and have a very in-your-face presence that demands they be seen and heard. Quiet Kathar certainly exist, but even then, their quietness is usually through the lens of using timidness as a tactic. Kathar know one single truth to be universal, and that is that they themselves are a piece of art, and something everyone should want to be, or want to be in love with. As such, Kathar try to be seen and make noise, but are also very reverent of those who have already established such a position in society (power, adoration, wealth, etc). Kathar love a power structure that ought to be respected (like strong Emperors and Empresses) but detest pretentious middle-man rulers like Nobles and wealthy aristocrats that put on airs without the competency to back up such bravado. Each of the Cults has slight variances on all these general cultural habits:

• Those of the Cult of Excess tend to be more laid-back than the other Cults, preferring just sampling all pleasures of life around the world. They are more disarming than the other Kathar.
• Those of the Cult of Power tend to be more forceful and crass, having anger issues or being more prone to violence when angered or frustrated.
• Those of the Cult of Shadows tend to be more quiet, because they know one golden truth, and it is that people talk way too much while being unobservant of who is listening.
• Those of the Cult of the Wyld can best be described as more arbitrary or quirky. They aren’t quite childish, but are more prone to random moods or wants and cravings.
• Those of the Cult of Pride are often more haughty and classy than the other Kathar, being far less prone to the borderline-sensual behavior and presentation of the other Cults.
• Those of the Cult of Reason are far more subtle and nuanced in behavior than the other Kathar, preferring cooperation and community over debauchery, though still love pleasure.
• Those of the Cult of Light are moralistic and judgmental, a return to old Allorn sensibilities, and a moralistic crusading attitude to benefit the Exist over the Void and cast out the Dread.

Physical Characteristics

The Kathar do not truly have a default appearance, though the closest to it is the Cult of Excess. All Kathar children are born as Cult of Excess Kathar regardless of parentage, and choose to confirm a Cult at age 18, after which they adopt the physical appearance of that Cult. Kathar can change Cults during their lifetime, but generally only once a year, and physical changes between Cults take place over the span of about 1 week during which they cannot use any of the Kathar Racial Abilities or Specials while the blessings of a different God or ideology manifest. To make the differences between the Cults easier to explain, this page will detail the Cult of Excess as the primary, and then add alterations in other Cults in bullet points beneath.

• Cult of Excess Kathar appear physically nearly identical to Fin'ullen Altalar, who in turn have similar bodily proportions to Ailor, the vanilla of the Races. Excess Kathar have the same pointy ears, the same sharp facial features, and roughly the same height, the same life-span. The most notable difference is that the Excess Kathar have gray skin, ranging from medium gray (with one slight warm tone variance) to dark gray (refer to the skin gradient in the info box for the range of gray tones). Excess Kathar can have blue, brown, gray and green eyes, with white, gray, or black sclera, but more often than not seek out some type of Mutation for their irises. Excess Kathar are generally more slender and lithe. Excess Kathar can have black, gray, brown, or white hair, with white being the most common.
• Cult of Power Kathar take the template of Excess Kathar, and crank up the bulk of muscle. They generally also have darker gray skin tones, though can also still have the medium gray tones of the Excess Kathar. Cult of Power Kathar can optionally also have tusks like Eronidas, and generally have a more rough appearance. Power Kathar can only have white, gray, or black hair, with black being far more common.
• Cult of Shadows Kathar don’t have their own appearance mandated by their Cult’s Void Essence. Instead, Cult of Shadows Kathar have the capacity to mimic the appearance of any other Cult (without Physical Stat or Proficiencies), except the Cult of the Wyld and Cult of Light. This is something they can swap between at will, and are unrecognizable as the same person between Cults, but each unique Cult appearance will always be static.
• Cult of the Wyld Kathar don’t have a set appearance, rather, through the Special ‘Seasons of the Wyld’, they frequently cycle appearances, representing the seasons of change. What sets them apart from the Excess Kathar is that they have longer ears, and a much more lithe or slender build even than them, not being able to ever accumulate much muscle mass. Wyld Kathar don’t have eye color or hair color restrictions,
• Cult of Pride Kathar take the template of the Excess Kathar, and lighten the skin tones to light gray, or even just bone-white. Cult of Pride Kathar always have very dark sclera from black to dark gray, and bright blue or green or gray irises.
• Cult of Reason Kathar are practically identical to the Excess Kathar, except that they have a wider range of hair colors. Cult of Reason Kathar can also have blonde, auburn, light brown, and ginger hair colors. Their skin however is always medium gray.
• Cult of Light Kathar can appear like any of the other Cults (as they are Exist-cleansed) but instead have faintly glowing light blue hair, and glowing silver lines or tattoos on their body, as well as blue or silver glowing irises.

Racial Abilities & Specials

Racial Abilities are generally a set of unique powers and effects that all peoples of that race all innately have, while Specials are more passive, aesthetic focused capabilities. Specials are defined per-page, while Abilities can be searched on the Ability List page to determine their generic function. Kathar have a mix of Abilities and Specials themed around Magic, Corruption, and the Void. Half Race characters select a Dominant parent, and take all the Racials & Specials from that dominant parent. (In this case, a dominant parent Kathar would be Half-Kathar) Half races must have a majority of their physical features come from their dominant parent, including which is including but not limited to skin tone, hair or fur color, ear shape, or eye color. Note, Cult of Reason and Cult of Light Kathar do not gain the same Racial Abilities and Specials, for more information on Cult of Reason or Cult of Light Kathar, scroll further below to their section. Kathar Specials and Abilities look really strong, and they are, and this is done on purpose because players who play Kathar are guaranteed to have racist hate crimes committed against their character, and that is not fun.

Ability Name	Ability Type	Ability Range	Ability Description	Modifiers
Steel Claws	Morph Power	Self	Grants the user Steel Claws	N/A
Arcane Ranged	Skill Power	Self	Grants the user Arcane Ranged	N/A
Weapon Summon	Summon Power	Self	Grants the user Weapon Summon	N/A

• Voidborn: Kathar are born with Void in their soul, making them immune to being Cahal, Exist-Silven, Exist Possessed, Geists, Archon, or other Draconic, Primal, or Exist based power or magic source.
• Voidend: When Kathar die, they become Void Demons of the Anchored Spirit variant. In some rare instances, they can become Undead, but only under circumstances mentioned on the Undead page.
• Demonborn: Kathar have all Free Theurgy Packs included by default. Additionally, Kathar gain the Spirit Hexlord Pack for free from the Theurgy Point Buy, but don’t have Demons by default.
• Ageless: The Kathar are Ageless, meaning that when they become adults, they cease to visually age. Additionally, they can change their age-based appearance to any Ailor age equivalent they want (so long as it is 18+).
• Painless: The Kathar have a pseudo-masochistic culture that views pain differently. Outside of debilitating combat wounds, Kathar do not experience pain as unpleasant nor are they afraid of experiencing it.
• Arcane Mastery: The Kathar can use telekinesis to automate non-combat domestic functions like opening windows and doors and levitating cutlery or retrieving items from a distance and levitating them to their hands.
• Vision Master: The Kathar can, out of combat, transfer any designed or imposed vision related to the Void, Void Gods, or Void Arken, to any non-Combat person through direct touch. Not to be used to blind others.
• Vice Master: The Kathar can, while touching or fighting a person discern their greatest vice (for example pride, greed, lust) and their greatest delight (for example beef stew, oranges, opiates, or green dresses).
• Bone Master: The Kathar can, using a combination of touch and song, reshape bone matter into whatever shape they like. This can also be used to bone sing weapons and armor with Steel quality, but not mid-combat.
• Dread Home: A Kathar has illusion control in any Rental/Estate/Base they own or belong to or are servant in, able to manifest Illusions of any kind confined to the property, though cannot impact combat-rp.
• Dread Manifest: A Kathar can apply any Void-Themed mutations to themselves without the need for Point Buy Packs. Additionally, if Afflicted, Kathar mental and world-views remains unchanged by the Affliction.
• Dread Storage: All Kathar have a personal micro-portal into the Void where they can store up to a closet worth of items (not people). This portal must be summoned before putting in or pulling out items.
• Blood Element: The user is able to manipulate any blood, able to bend it through the air, congeal, liquify, change its color or absorb and expel it from their own body. They can also drink blood without issue.
• Shadow Element: The user is able to manipulate their own and other people’s shadows, making it change shape, disappear, re-appear, or move independently from the user.
• Dread Rebirth: A ritual can be done to convert any (unwilling restrained, or willing) Race person visually into a Kathar. This does not grant Kathar Abilities, but does remove original Race Specials and grant Kathar Specials. This does not count as a Disguise, and can be undone with any Exorcism mechanic after initial 72 hours. Can be made permanent through a prayer to the Void Gods. Does not work on Archons.
• Dread Rewire: A ritual can be done to change the mindset of any (unwilling restrained, or willing) person towards the Void. This effect changes their view of the Void to beneficial and supportive, and converts them to Void Worship from a previous religion. This can be undone with any Exorcism mechanic, and the subject will (while under effect) treat this as if their eyes were opened to truth. Does not work on Archons.

Void God Specials

The Kathar, as born from the Void, even if they do not believe in the Void Gods primarily, they still have their powers blessed by their makers. Each Void God contributes something to the Kathar. Cult of Reason or Cult of Light Kathar do not have access to these Specials under any circumstances.

• Carraq’s Sight: Kathar can never be blinded, even when blindfolded, their hunter eyes give them sight. Additionally, Mundane or Magical Darkness or Blindness does not affect them and they have nightvision.
• Onu’s Futuresight: Each Kathar from the moment they become adult, receive a vision of how they are going to die and when. They can act to stop this or avert it, but can make for good roleplay when used.
• Venna’s Grasp: Kathar, while Afflicted (with for example Vampirism), are immune to any and all Mental Changes or Characteristics applied by said Affliction, thus always being in full control over their own agency.
• Armas’s Curse: Kathar can make desire curses on objects, which cause anyone who touch them to have an obsessive desire of ownership over the item to the point of enticing violence to enforce ownership.
• Xor’s Demand: Kathar can (permanently) become Void Urlan which look like this, while gaining the Urlan Specials Body Infusion, Horn Growth, Beast Charge, Hide Mastery, Hoof Mastery, Cold Power.
• Marvaal’s Control: Each person a Kathar kills, that can choose to let the Void copy their soul and turn that soul into a Hosted, Vested, or Anchored Spirit. This does not deny their afterlife and won’t work on Undead.
• Inthalis’s Reprise: Kathar are able to disguise their Kathar-ness (including Mutations) to appear like a mundane Teledden version of themselves. This does not count as a disguise, nor does it hides Occult status.
• Eloblina’s Hobgobs: Kathar are able to manifest up to 5 Void Solurs, small Void-flames with stubby limbs and big eyes that loiter mischievously around their house and prank any visitors.
• Odella’s Reach: Kathar, while doing Progressions, are always more successful at sabotaging the work or Progressions of others, with the exception of Slizzar, to whom they are equal in terms of.
• Ifrit’s Blood: Kathar, while Afflicted with Vampirism, can choose to permanently convert to Darkscale Archon. This is permanent, and also converts their Corrupt Survival (and Specials/Abilities) from Void to Dragon Magic.

Cult of Reason Abilities and Specials

Cult of Reason Kathar have abandoned the Void and subjected their will to the Gods native to Aloria, like Unionism, Old Gods, and Asaredu. This means that Cult of Reason Kathar must be religious followers of one of these mundane religions, so as to derive the God Magic from their deities required for them to survive, as without it, they would die. As a result, Cult of Reason Kathar have radically different Racial Abilities and Specials.

• Kathar Abilities: Cult of Reason Kathar have the same Abilities as regular Kathar as seen above: Steel Claws, Arcane Ranged, and Weapon Summon, except they are God Magic in nature.
• Elven Lineage: Cult of Reason Kathar have the following Specials from regular Kathar: Ageless, Painless, Arcane Mastery, Vision Mastery, Vice Master, Bone Master.
• Theurgy Master: Cult of Reason Kathar have the following Specials from regular Kathar: Demonborn, Voidend, and all the Spirits involved are Primal Revenants instead of Void Demons.
• Elder Voice: The Reason Kathar can invade the minds of others and project their voice into it by looking at them, causing their eyes to glow. This is experienced as unpleasant, like yelling in their mind.
• Godborn: Despite being Reason Kathar and strongly God Magic aligned, Reason Kathar can still become Occult because Primal alignment is corruptible. This means they can still become Afflicted or use Void/Exist Magic.

Cult of Light Abilities and Specials

Cult of Reason Kathar have abandoned the Void and subjected (or been subjected) their will to the Exist and Exist-worship religions like Estellon or Estelsoor. This means that Cult of Light Kathar must be religious followers of one of these religions, so as to derive the Exist Magic from their deities required for them to survive, as without it, they would die. As a result, Cult of Light Kathar have radically different Racial Abilities and Specials.

• Kathar Abilities: Cult of Reason Kathar have the same Abilities as regular Kathar as seen above: Steel Claws, Arcane Ranged, and Weapon Summon, except they are Exist Magic in nature.
• Elven Lineage: Cult of Light Kathar have the following Specials from regular Kathar: Ageless, Painless, Arcane Mastery, Vision Mastery, Vice Master, Bone Master.
• Theurgy Master: Cult of Light Kathar have the following Specials from regular Kathar: Demonborn, Voidend, and all the Spirits involved are Exist Apparitions instead of Void Demons.
• Elder Voice: The Reason Kathar can invade the minds of others and project their voice into it by looking at them, causing their eyes to glow. This is experienced as unpleasant, like yelling in their mind.
• Existborn: Light Kathar are manifest with Exist in their soul, making them immune to being Vampires, Void-Silven, Void Possessed, Geists, Archon, or other Draconic, Primal, or Void based power or magic source.

Language

Cult of Reason Kathar generally cooperate and function better with other Races, but can still be very self-indulgent.

A lot of Kathar can look harmless, kind even, though for many of them, this is part of the alluring ruse or trick.

Kathar remain widely known as the most untrustworthy race, notably due to their rather telling appearance traits.

Cult of Pride Kathar sometimes Bone Sing their own skeletal features to set them apart from the other Kathar Cults.

Sometimes, Kathar take body art to the extremes, heavily tattooing and piercing themselves to become unrecognizeable.

Among the Kathar are some of the most powerful Void Mages, their society perfect for breeding excellent Mages.

Kathar tattoos are either very sharp with pointy lines (imitating feline stripe patterns), or intricate geometric maze-like shapes.

The Kathar language is more commonly called Katharic, though the Kathar themselves call it Pannarokh. The language has no real-life equivalent, Pannarokh is a very difficult language to learn for non-Kathar because it does not follow a sensible script like other languages do, but rather uses Void-Script which has the unfortunate habit of slightly mutating text after it was written, through a barely understood Magical process. Still, some Regalian scholars have found success translating Pannarokh by first translating it into Modern Altalar, and then using that as a Rosetta Stone to understand the rest. Kathar names follow a process similar to the Altalar, in that they have a first name, middle name to honor some ancestor or event, last name for the family, social distinction, and heritage. However, in line with the theme of change and evolution, the name of a Kathar can change depending on the Cult they belong to.

Example list of Kathar First Names: All names in Kathar are non-gendered, meaning they can apply to all genders and sexes: Kethan, Kronnaste, Dinokh, Izzdar, Velyss, Zannar, Lesronn, Calghar, Relinahc, Ildan, Nathae, Nevarr, Chadryl, Menzot, Sabval, Ryld, Renloc, Tathnor.

Very common first name endings are “arr”, “dryl”, “ahc”, “loc”, “nor”, “okh”, and “onn”. Common consonants to start Kathar names are R, K, Z, V, M, C and N. Generally speaking Kathar names sound guttural upon reading, but have a deceptive flow to them despite their harsh sounding consonants. Surnames follow similar customs, though surnames must always end with “iirn”, for example “Mourdiirn”, “Lozhiirn”, or “Anvaliirn”. Middle names are much the same, often naming after ancestors, but sometimes also events. Common event names are:

• Raazz’ël-ranvanokh = The Night of the Weeping Stars
• Mannraav = The slaughter of the Raav Race on Rokhara
• Rinz = The slaughter of Altalar Princes
• Saar’onhk = The Void-out of Suvial Cities
• Marranahk = The Wildering
• Ravat = Victory or some sort of destruction on the battlefield
• Raqion = Worship
• Saccaron, Saccara (Plural)= (Non Gendered) Priest
• Quenqa = Violence
• Sanra = Blood

Kathar social distinction is based on both social rank, as well as their Cult come-off. The social ranks are easiest, providing “Dar” for the common folk and the poor, “Mor” for the richer and affluent, and “Rokh” for the nobles and the powerful. This is usually hyphenated to the Pannarokh term for their Cult which are: Seld for Excess, Kedos for Power, Ornn for Shadows, Rana for the Wyld, Kiir for Pride, Bard for Reason, and Arta for Light. A affluent Kathar of the Cult of Shadows would as such have the social distinction of “Mor-Ornn” Finally, at the end of the full name is their heritage, which usually means the place they were born or grew up in. This is always prefixed by “Raz”, and then hyphenated by the place name. Note, all places in Rokhara always end with “naar” for example: Parthanaar (the capital), Orathanaar, Rotnaar, Arrokhemaar, and so forth. An example of a full Kathar name: Relinahc Mannraav Walvhiirn Dar-Kiir Raz-Parthanaar, or Relinahc Walvhiirn praised in the name of the slaughter of the Raav, who is common and of the Cult of Pride, from Parthanaar.

Religion

The Kathar almost universally follow Void Worship with the sole exception of Cult of Light Kathar who follow Estellon. This religious connection is necessary, because these religions feed their body with the essence to sustain themselves as they are part Magic. Even those Kathar who consider themselves atheist, still acknowledge these gods as real and worthy of respect and obedience, even if they do not outright worship or pray to them. For more information on either religions, please consult their relevant pages.

Families

Childhood

Kathar childhood is, at best, complicated. The Kathar do not have any concept of “Family”. There is no such thing as marriage or matrimony. Even more incomprehensible is the fact that many Kathar simply don’t want children, or reject children the moment they are born. Within Kathar society, the concept of parentage has nothing to do with biological parents, but rather who taught a Kathar how to best be a Kathar. Kathar who still raise their own biological children are not uncommon, but they are not the majority. Six out of ten Kathar children are rejected by their parents as a burden, and sent to so-called “Future Houses”. Future Houses are essentially orphanages (a Kathar invention) where children are given very basic education until they are picked up by new guardians. The act of adopting a child (which the Kathar call Wardenship) is actually very widespread. Numerous Kathar are single, and adopt a whole slew of children, sometimes for nefarious purposes, such as building a child-raised bodyguard, or adopting future gladiators. It is however not impossible to find caring and loving parents. Especially old female-oriented Kathar adopt a lot of children to raise the next generation, and are dotingly called “Sweet-Matrons” (though they can also be brutal with tough love). Blood connections therefore don’t really matter to Kathar, what matters is who raised you, and who you were raised with. Generally speaking, Kathar children are raised roughly with a lot of tough love and sometimes neglect, leaving them to learn the ropes themselves.

Adulthood

Kathar adulthood can best be described as wild. Kathar society is one massive group of self-serving people who all strive to do whatever they want regardless of the consequences (except for the Cult of Reason). As such, Kathar in the homeland steal, destroy, and give in to their desires in whatever measure they like. Kathar live as long as Altalar, but often die much faster because of violence inflicted on them by other Kathar, or because they were drunk and challenged the wrong bar fighter, or jumped off a building while high on opiates. The Dread Empire would barely function if it wasn’t for the Kathar offloading their menial labor onto slaves, and using Demons and Magic for everything else. Also helpful is their love for war and carnage, driving them to join the military for no pay at all besides the blood of their foes.

Romance & Gender Norms

Kathar romance is seen as debauched by outsiders, but there are a couple of core concepts to understand before a bigger picture becomes clear. The Kathar lack the very social construct of gender. They recognize sex, but the Kathar language doesn’t have a common term for “man” or “woman”. They instead categorize based on “Firm” and “Fluid”, which roughly translate to masculine and feminine, but have no actual definition because a female presenting Kathar can also be firm if they engender more masculine qualities. Firm is attributed to physical bulk, roughness, loudness and bluster, while Fluid is attributed to fitness, sensuality, softness and elegance. A person is never just one or the other but a mixture of both. When confronted with foreign gender structures, Kathar just say they “want to be all the Genders”, and skip over the topic. Beyond this, Kathar do not have a concept of monogamy either. That being said, it’s not nonexistent through happenstance or jealousy. Kathar (while mostly polyamorous or polygamous in nature) are also immensely envious. Most Kathar as such prefer not to be killed by their lover, and so go to painful lengths to avoid adultery or ending a relationship on bad terms. Generally speaking, Kathar like to experiment beyond their comforts in romance, but can also be very strict in saying upfront what they want from their partner and just turning and leaving if they don’t get it straight away.

Politics

Kathar politics can be quite brutal, especially in the Dread Empire with political espionage and assassination which puts even the Ithanians to shame. At the very top of the Dread Empire rules the Empress, who is always a daughter of the Renaxiirn family line, dating back to when the Renaxiirn family submitted the 13 other Kaahls. Renaxiirn is one of the 14 so called Great Kaahls, the Kathar term for Family. The boundaries of a Kaahl are often fluid, as non-Kathar can also be adopted into Kaahls. This practice is not too uncommon for non-Kathar slaves that a Kathar just happened to have fallen in love with. These 14 families effectively run the Dread Empire for the Empress, each of them controlling some part of Kathar society and large swathes of land. Beneath the Great Kaahls are the Lesser Kaahls, which are just the normal families of the Empire. These usually pledge allegiance to the Great Kaahl in whose land they live, though for Kathar living in Regalia, this is redundant as there are no Great Kaahls in Regalia. A branch of the Kaahl of Virraniirn exists among the Cult of Reason Kathar who reside on the northern part of Solleria, but it does not influence Regalian Kathar in any way.

Fashion

In Kathar fashion, the art of less is more is the go-to method. Kathar dress in as little as they can get away with, to be as enticing as possible. Usually, Kathar will have made necessary sacrifices or deals with Demons and Arken, having worked hard to show off what they have, and nothing will stop them from doing just that. That being said, those of the Cult of Reason and Cult of Pride have found that dressing by local sensibilities gets one much further in life than being contrarian, and as such, know well how to style themselves in the local fashions. Regal fashion is very common among the Cult of Reason and Pride in Regalia, and even the Cult of Power has taken a liking to it. Though, the Cult of Power and the Cult of the Wyld are just as likely to have some leather outfit with the necessary enticing body parts on display like an advertisement. Black, red, purple and white are commonly used colors, and darkened leather, white and black fur, and bird feathers are frequently used materials.

World View

World View is optional content that helps give Kathar flavor and depth.

• The Kathar are extremely pro-Occult, but hate anything to do with the Exist and think it’s all pretentious, clean, and overly sanitized nonsense. The Kathar acknowledge Exist forces as real, but consider them more dangerous than useful, because anything Exist inherently wants to destroy them. Most Kathar would like to have some powers or some sort of Magical enhancement, and one will never find a Kathar who speaks out against anything Magical.
• The Kathar love blood. Even the Cult of Reason has a cultural fascination with blood, whether it is in art or in the flesh. Because actual blood consumption and glorification has issues, the Cult of Reason Kathar have developed a type of synthetic blood from the nectar of the Rozzoth Flower from the Dread Empire. This synthetic blood is not blood at all, that is to say it has none of the properties of blood and is deadly when injected into a person, but it looks and behaves exactly like real blood, and on top of that tastes deliciously sweet.
• A popular past time among the Kathar is Time-Poetry. The act of taking poems and writings of centuries past, seeing how badly Void Script has mutated the writing, and then trying as best as they can to decipher the original meaning as random words were replaced with other random words. Another form of this is Cackle-Poetry, which is the same, but attempting to distill a funny interpretation instead of the correct one.
• The Volay Circuit is insanely popular among the Kathar.
• Gift giving is important in Kathar culture, but also a dangerous one for those who do not fully understand it. Gifts can be given with the head bowed, in which case it is a normal gift, but a gift given with eye contact becomes a romantic expression. If the receiver accepts the gift, this is seen as a cultural acceptance and desire to form a romantic bond, something other Races are not aware of.
• Contraception and birth control are commonly consumed by the Kathar, because being with child for several months puts a damper on pleasure and fun. As such, the Kathar have developed a wide range of Alchemical solutions and potions.
• The Kathar love the use of bows, but especially more-so the use of spears and scimitars. This is why Isldar wielding scimitars are frequently mistaken for Kathar. Kathar armor is often also forged in such a way that it mimics bone-matter, and often also incorporates bone-sung materials, also used in their furniture.
• Kathar adore colorful homes with lots and lots of cloth and carpet and pillows. Kathar homes are often sickeningly colorful and downright jungles of plush and cotton. Warm colors are especially popular such as red, orange, yellow and purple, but cold colors like green and blue can also be found in contemplative and religious rooms.
• Kathar art is quite brutal, but also physically praising. Depictions often include Kathar in brutal combat, but also putting the physical superior and perfection onto display for the viewer. As such, Kathar art is commonly called “Brutalism”; or “Brutal Perfection”, and has found a niche audience among Ailor buyers.
• Many Kathar consider having a child from a Void Arken a life-goal. Many of them also chase Arken around the world as such, and many more become disappointed after their meetings with Arken, who often consider them worth less than the dirt they stand on. Still, Silven are of major importance among the Kathar.
• Kathar can use rather crude language, but don’t actually use foul words to describe others. Rather, the Kathar use snark, sarcasm, witticism or shade to insult one another. Using foul words to describe others is seen as a personal weakness and lack of intellect.
• Kathar, no matter the Cult, consider ignorance to be a grave crime. Nobody should exist in a place and not know the basic functions of the place, or the common hierarchy of politics in the area and the rules and laws. To be ignorant is to be undeserving of improvement by the Gods.
• The Kathar have a strong societal and personal element of slavery. The Kathar categorize Races in the three following categories: Current slave material, Soon to be enslaved material, and ‘I don’t care’. This remains even among the Cult of Reason, but they apply a stronger nuance to slavery by enticing others into indentured servitude, claiming that a predatory wage means all the difference in the world from ‘real’ slavery (it does not).
• Kathar love duels in all forms, whether they are based on wit, Magic, or might. Tournaments and honor duels attract a lot of Kathar spectators, and even participants, if permitted.
• The Kathar invented Chess, originally named Thonq, which was imported to Regalia and became very popular among the Ailor who are often oblivious to its origins. Kathar of all ages at least know how to play chess, though skill varies.
• Kathar silks have the same international reputation as Teledden silks and Suvial silks, though offers a more unique quality in that it is often see-through, of which the Kathar make plenty of use.
• The Kathar are omnivorous, but heavily lean towards being carnivores. Especially Shadow Bovine meat is very popular, and also the reason why the Kathar will never suffer from a famine, as Shadow Bovine love to reproduce almost as much as Kathar do.
• All Kathar possess a so called Rannoriim, which is a metal mask that is perfectly contoured to their face, and often magically attaches like a second skin. This mask can be used in combat, but conveys no actual combat benefits (as it is made of very thin metal), but contains intricate decorations and facial expressions, to present a ‘public face’, instead of the hidden true face.
• The Kathar do not consider Kathar culture something to be uniquely for them. Even the cruelest of Kathar do not consider only Kathar worthy of self-evolution. Even for their slaves, they have some twisted sense of ‘you deserve to become evolved and be better’. As a result, the Kathar engage in so-called Fenestrations of Melir, where they attempt to reach and convince others of the merits of Void-based evolution and the Kathar culture of freedom and self-glorifiying indulgence.
• The Dread Empire capital Parthanaar is a massive city, rivaling even Regalia in its sheer size. That being said, unlike Regalia, Parthanaar is a massive slum-city, where only the upper society Kaahls and the ruling classes live in excess, crushing the vast criminal underworld underneath with overbearing military might. It is said that there are only three ways out of Parthanaar, through the military, by running away like a coward, or in a coffin.
• Kathar love hallucinogenic liquor and drinks, the more exotic the effect the better. Kathar in general are avid consumers of alcoholic beverages. While one would not expect it, some Kathar have difficulty reaching their truly fully unchained mentality without the assistance of alcohol.
• Kathar, in line with sharing Kathar culture, will Dread Rebirth (A Kathar Special) anything they think they can get away with, as it always leaves a bit behind, even when removed from the subject. Dread Rebirth is not officially acknowledged by the Regalian State, who peripherally considers it Demonic corruption (and thus illegal), but this does not stop most Kathar.
• Kathar praise the beauty standard of less is more, both in terms of clothing they wear, but especially in the amount of mutations they have. Kathar in general pick anywhere between 1 to 2 mutations, and then focus their aesthetic sensibilities around this (horns are not classified as a mutation in Kathar society). Even among the Cult of the Wyld, mutations need to make sense and thematically be similar, not just random things attached to a person.
• The Kathar either pretend the Archdemon doesn’t exist, or disregard the Demon entirely because the Arken effectively usurped them. The Kathar are the only Race that believes that the Arken and the Void Gods killed the Archdemon.
• The Kathar have no preconceptions about monsters, superstitions, or Afflicted beings. Some Kathar in fact would love waking up with a monster at the foot of their bed, and would then proceed to either tame it, or make it their lover.
• Kathar rarely ever use Engineering. This is because they consider engineering to be weak and without the very thing they sustain themselves on: Magic. Even if engineering contains Magic, they still consider the base material crude and limited, preferring the most efficiently functioning Magical constructs which use a theoretically infinite power source.
• The Kathar currency is called Void Tablets, little squares of polished black stone with the sigils of certain Kathar Empresses or Void Gods stamped in a circle on one side. Each one possesses a minor Essence charge.
• Kathar are a bit lukewarm on Vampirism. The Kathar have a unique special in that they are not affected by the mental changes occurring from Vampirism, and so they only use Vampirism for self-enrichment and the debauched lifestyle they aspire to. That being said, they also acknowledge Vampirism as some sort of failed experiment, and generally look down with pity on Vampires as parasites that can never quite achieve their level of Void connection. Their relationship with Vampires in general is very nuanced and filled with lots of ifs and buts, so it’s often a coin toss when finding out how a Kathar feels about Vampires, or indeed other Void Afflictions.

Trivia

• Due to the very basic connection to the Void, it is impossible for an Exist Mage or Exist Silven to be born among the (non-Light) Kathar.
• Despite their culture being so crude and brutal, Kathar are excellent purveyors and patrons of art. Even Dressolini operas have become common in the Dread Empire, with Dressolini slaves being particularly high in demand.
• There are many Cult of Power Kathar who live in the Allorn Empire, and even are Princes there, continuing to rule under the reborn Talea.
• The Kathar use small black stones called Void Tablets as currency.

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Accreditation
Writers MonMarty Artists MonMarty Processors BirdsfootViolet, OkaDoka, FireFan96	Last Editor Transistor on 01/2/2023.

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