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Asha | |
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Nation State | The Ashal States |
Ruler | N/A |
Other Present | N/A |
Languages | Ibeth, Common |
Religion | Baskarr |
First Recorded | 20,000 BC |
Demonym(s) | Ashal |
The Asha are the oldest continuously existing People 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.
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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Silontaar Asha |
Mechanics
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Language and Naming
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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.
Baskarr based naming
Baskarr 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 Baskarr Pantheon. Even Asha who are not Baskarr faithful can have these names because the Baskarr 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 Baskarr-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. The current known Gods are Tjafar, Akhet, Khannar, Divi, Ra'mut, Wadjat, Nehet, and Hemnetjeret. 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, Bubaskarr 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 Baskarr 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 Baskarr 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 Baskarr 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
- Baskarr The most obvious and majority religion for the Asha is Baskarr, 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 Baskarr.
- 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.
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 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.
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 Elven slave holders, 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 Baskarr 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 Baskarr 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 Baskarr as a faith, and Asha society culturally speaking, has a complicated relation with Sprits. Spirits were not overtly used to torment the Asha during the Dewamenet war or their subsequent enslavement, but are being inherently made of 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 Empire, 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 from the Savent in the fight against the institution of slavery, there is an equal yet soft-spoken sentiment among the Savent, that the Dewamenet got what they deserved. 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 and un-eager hands of forced labor". 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.
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 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 Baskarr 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
The Silontaar, unlike other Lineages, actually look physically different from most Asha, despite being 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.
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.
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.
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.
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.
Gallery of Art
Asha are really cool and awesome, and lots of art has been made of them.
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The Satoor is technically a dress, but appears more like stylish fabric with a lean fit.
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Asha prefer to go shirtless, though can also wear Ailor clothes in case they want to fit in.
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Asha can get really really big, if they put in the work.
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Not all Asha have to be muscular tanks, unlike what this Wiki page may imply.
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Fur painting to appear like tattoos are fairly common among the lower social class Asha.
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Dewet Fashion means using ancient egyptian aesthetics to appeal to the old Dewamenet legacy.
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Otter Asha are known to be energetic and fun loving Asha, even as Bound Asha.
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Rodent Asha are less common, but nonetheless still good friends to have.
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Elastaan is very popular as a fabric not only among the Asha, but also Regalians.
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Rat Asha are fierce fighters, with many of them working as gladiators in Regalia.
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Equally, other types of Asha are commonly found due to their ferocious fighting skills.
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Even if the Asha look like predators, some still have a very calm and kind expression.
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.
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