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Mysterious, seclusive, elusive with hint traces of Altalar high-class and a nationalistic pride that sets them even further apart than the other Nelfin species. The Isldar from the frozen wastes of Ellador are all these things and more, protecting their homelands from unwanted intruders since the days of the Allorn Empire, but also venturing in the world to tend to the lost souls left behind by millennia of tragedy. Isldar are a barely understood subrace of Nelfin who once formed out of the Dragon worshiping Drogon Cult, leaving the Allorn Empire for seclusion in Ellador’s mountains. Through intrigue, the Isldar were brought from the brink of doom, from where their Dragon matron Frisit used the last of her living Magic to save their kind, turning into an Undead Dragon that continues to guide her people. The Isldar now venture into the world, both to gather information for their frozen holds in Ellador but also to guide the wayward souls to the afterlife and tend to the rivers of Soul Essence that flow all over Aloria, keeping balance in life and death.
| Isldar | |
|---|---|
 | |
| Race | |
| Pronunciation | Ysel-dar |
| Classification | Nelfin |
| Subraces | None |
| Common Nicknames |
|
| Languages | Sulvaley |
| Naming Customs | Fantasy Elven (but not Tolkien Elven) |
| Racial Traits | |
| Distinctions | Snow Elves who guard the cycle of life and death and the memory of Dragons |
| Maximum Age | 400 years (up to 150 for non-Permission holders) |
| Height | 5’8 - 6’8” |
| Eye Colors | Baby blue, Sky blue, Gray, Teal, Turquoise, Cyan |
| Hair Colors | Varied on Attunement |
| Skin Tones | Varied on Attunement, but generally pale pink |
Physical & Mental Characteristics
Isldar come in a variety of subraces, each distinct with small differences in appearance, as well as their own subculture. Among these subrace divisions however are also converging appearance traits called Creator Harmony, that can cause the different subraces to look more alike than apart from one another. There are a total of four subraces of Isldar, which all exist in a mixed society. Physically each Isldar subrace has different specialities, meaning that certain occupations in Isldar society are closed to other subraces, however it is not true to say that they exist in a caste-society, as there is also considerable occupation mixing. For example, Moon Vault Isldar are the only Isldar capable of becoming Moon Guards, while Crystal Spire Isldar are the only Isldar capable of becoming spies or analysts, however both can become shopkeepers, tavern owners, gardeners (Isldar actually do have geo-thermally heated gardens in Ellador) or teachers.
Isalëy, the Moon Vault Isldar
The most numerous subrace are the Moon Vault Isldar, often also called Isalëy, residing in the major urban Isldar centers. The Moon Vault Isldar are the majority warriors and craftsmen among the Isldar, named after the Moon Vaults which are complex lunar light operated armories and treasuries at the heart of Isldar spire-cities. Moon Vault Isldar in many ways appear like the most standard Isldar, which in turn appears more like an Isldar with slender proportions as well as long ears. Moon Vault Isldar are hard to tell apart from their Teledden racial cousins (though they are shorter and generally more well-toned), were it not for Creator Harmony that applies additional changes to their appearance. Moon Vault Isldar are commonly found both within Ellador and outside of Ellador, whether it be on missions assigned to them by the Shiva Cavern Isldar, or simply roaming the world as independents looking for fortune, fame, or adventure. The most notable quality of Moon Vault Isldar, even despite Creator Harmony, is their decisiveness. Moon Vault Isldar often say and act impulsive, even to their own detriment as they do not think their actions through fully. Far from causing them to be reckless, it makes the Moon Vault Isldar first to charge through a breach, first to voice their objection, and to first to make an enemy. Their decisiveness should also not be mistaken for a bad temper, as few Moon Vaulters ever lose their self-control, but they can certainly come off as stand-offish or rudely distant and arrogant.
Elgalëy, the Crystal Spire Isldar
The second most numerous subrace are the Crystal Spire Isldar, often also called Elgalëy or less commonly Crystallin by outsiders. While Crystal Spire Isldar are more common than the Shiva’s Cavern Isldar or Scale Hide Isldar, they are far less seen due to their habit to stray from the public eye. Crystal Spire Isldar reside in the tall mountain spires, hidden observatory fortresses, or any type of tall structure well hidden from view. Crystal Spire Isldar are the librarians, archivists, analysis, spies and observers of the world. The Crystal Spire Isldar look identical to the Moon Vault Isldar, but carry themselves differently and are taller, which often leads them to be likened to the Lesarra Altalar. Where Moon Vaulters might come across as spontaneous, driven, and decisive, Crystal Spires are more reserved, slow to act, and pensive. Moon Vaulters can be a flurry of facial expressions and emotions, while Crystal Spire Isldar seem perpetually above the idea of showing emotions, or even understanding them deep inside, as many of them lack an understanding of intimate contact. Crystal Spire Isldar, due to their lackluster close contact with others, can also be linguistically dense, making for example sarcasm hard to understand. All this isolation does make them unrivaled thinkers however, as when their mouth says very little, their mind is a wonder of a thousand concepts and ideas and extrapolations of the things they analyze.
Shivalëy, the Shiva’s Cavern Isldar
The least numerous subrace of Isldar are the Shiva’s Cavern Isldar, more commonly called the Shivalëy, sometimes also called the Frost Witches by outsiders. The Shiva’s Cavern Isldar are very different from the other Isldar subraces in that they distinctly do not look like other Nelfin races, and to some who have never met them before might even look like re-animated ice-covered corpses. Proportionally the Shiva’s Cavern Isldar look similar to the Moon Vault Isldar, however their hair and skin has patches of ice-like structures on it, with their skin being more blue-tinted, and their hair almost appearing like flexible ice-crystals. The Shiva’s Cavern Isldar are commonly found as priests, political leaders, diplomats, strategists and have the majority of the Isldar Mage population among them. Shiva’s Cavern Isldar rarely venture outside of Shiva’s Caverns, a set of tunnels underneath a frozen lake within which they have constructed their many temples and government buildings that rule over the other Isldar in Ellador. What few Shiva’s Cavern Isldar leave these remote areas, are usually either those wishing to escape the choking dogmatic rule of the Shivalëy and their religious processions, or those specifically going out of their way to return errant Isldar to the flock by convincing them to return to the faith. It should not come as a surprise that most Shiva’s Cavern are confident, bordering on arrogant, self-righteous and convinced of their own divine place in the world and leadership among the Isldar. This prideful demeanor can however among the Isldar also be experienced as fiercely protective or motherly/fatherly, where a Shiva’s Cavern Isldar can always be relied upon to put other Isldar first, even if they are momentarily enemies.
Voltalëy, the Scale Hide Isldar
A curious aberration in appearance among the Isldar race is the Scale Hide Isldar, also called the Voltalëy among them, or Voltalar by outsiders. Outsiders particularly get this name wrong often, as they think of the Voltalëy as their own distinct race called the Dragon-Nelfin, however the Voltalëy are distinct from the Dregodar who are their ancestors, and they are absolutely a subrace of Isldar. The Scale Hide isldar appear more like Fin’ullen in proportions in that they are more humanoid in shoulder width and frame-size, however they still have long ears and Nelfin-like facial features. The most notable thing about the Scale Hide Isldar is that part of their skin is covered in dragon-scale like patches. The most common areas for this scale-skin is on the arms from the hands to the shoulders, the back, the hips and legs down to the feet, and the back and sides of the neck up to and including the ears. Rarely, patches of scale-skin can also be found on the chest, stomach or the sides of the face or forehead, but smaller patches with less scales on only the forearms and lower legs are also possible. Furthermore, the Voltalar have draconic claw-like fingers and feet, and about half the Voltalëy have a scaled non-prehensile draconic tail, while the other half does not. Where-as most other Isldar are experienced as haughty or distant to even their close friends, Voltalëy are the exact opposite in that they have too much emotion or experiences to share with everyone, including strangers. The Scale Hide Isldar are boisterous and challenging, seeking new thrills and experiences where possible, especially if it means they can measure their own self worth with others (for example in combat or challenges of the mind). The Scale Hide Isldar are commonly found in the Wyvern Spires in Ellador, where they both mend the Wyvern of the Isldar as well as all other forms of husbandry, preserving the Isldar food supply. The Scale Hide Isldar are both the front-line soldiers of the Isldar, and the caretakers of Isldar supply lines, acting as caravan menders and supply depot managers and guards.
Nefalëy, the Half Isldar
While breeding and relationships with non-Isldar are not looked down upon by Isldar as a whole, there is a clear divide between full and Half Isldar in their Society and Culture. Due to their lack of connection to the Soul Rivers, and lack of protection from the cold, Half Isldar are entirely barred from living in the Isldar Holds in Ellador. The Half-Isldar are called Nefalëy or "Half born" among the Isldar, though other races simply refer to them as Half Isldar. This creates an often uncomfortable position for Half-Isldar to occupy: while on the surface full Isldar are often welcoming and accepting of them, there is the unspoken exclusion of them from the Isldar's homelands. Visually, Half-Isldar tend to take on the Physical Characteristics of their parents in equal measure, with paler complexion and pointed ears. Half-Isldar very rarely are born with naturally Black Hair. Half-Isldar have a unique set of Racial Abilities, however they do have access to Creator Harmony, despite their lack of connection to the Soul Rivers. As such, Creator Harmony can only occur for them due to radical personality changes, and not intentional. When Half-Isldar are born, they also have "No Attunement", meaning that none of the visual effects of Creator Harmony apply, until their personality shifts into one of the archetypes, after which their appearance can change. Inversely, when their personality normalizes, they can also return to No Attunement and lose visual changes.
Creator Harmony
Creator Harmony is the process of an Isldar attuning their Soul Essence to a particular Dragon Throne (as seen in Dragon Worship). All Isldar are born with one particular attunement, the White Scale, but in the course of their life, they can change this attunement several times. This process can occur either unintentionally as the result of personality changes in the Isldar, or intentional through a Soul-Attunement Ritual that the Isldar can perform nearby Soul Rivers, hoping to bring them in closer connection to a particular creed of Dragons and their Supporting Thrones. The primary function of Creator Harmony among the Isldar is to strengthen certain personality traits, while tempering others. Attunement generally does also have visual changes imparted on the Isldar however, all explained below. Creator Harmony does not necessarily equal religion. While the Isldar are in large numbers Dragon worshipers, the idea of Creator Harmony or Dragon Attunement transcends religion and plays more on the level of personality alignment with how the Isldar see Dragons, regardless of whether they are acknowledged as divine beings. A Unionist or Old Gods worshiping Isldar can still use Creator Harmony, as Dragons are factual sentient beings.
White Scale Attunement
White Scale Attunement is the default Attunement of all Isldar. Frisit, despite appearing like a white Dragon, was originally Asaph, the Violet Dragon. As such, White Scale Attunement actually does not represent Frisit (who as an Undead Dragon does not exist in the Draconic Pantheon), but rather, the White Dragon Saaima of the White Sky Throne, sometimes also referred to as the Loong Dragon. Attunement to the White Scale causes the following effects:
- In Personality: White Attunement increases resilience and a defending mentality, increasing the will to protect and defend others from harm. Inversely, it tempers diligence, meaning the Isldar are more inclined to procrastinate when it comes to personal goals over their duties to whatever group they belong to.
- In Isalëy: This Attunement turns their hair white, while their proportions remain limber.
- In Elgalëy: This Attunement turns their hair white, while their proportions remain limber.
- In Shivalëy: This Attunement has no outward effect on their appearance besides what is described in their subrace description.
- In Voltalëy: This Attunement turns their hair white, and their scales gray-blue to white or opalline.
- Common Traits: In White Attunement, only Voltalëy can have facial or body hair.
Purple Scale Attunement
Purple Scale Attunement represents Rhaakhr of the Purple Crown Throne. Purple Scale Attunement is often chosen by leaders, guides, mentors and teachers. Purple attunement causes the following effects:
- In Personality: Purple Attunement increases leadership confidence, political drive and a sense of duty to collective. Inversely, it tempers the will to compromise, leading to a more hard-line approach to those who are deemed enemies, and a less forgiving stance to those who have done wrong.
- In Isalëy: This Attunement turns their hair strawberry-blonde, while their facial proportions become more rounded and their body less slender, but not to such a degree that it would be more like that of an Ailor or Fin’ullen.
- In Elgalëy: This Attunement turns their hair strawberry-blonde, while their facial proportions become more rounded and their body plump, but not to such a degree that they would be considered chubby, retaining a slender frame quality.
- In Shivalëy: This Attunement turns their hair and skin ice-crystals more like Gold or Silver, while their skin becomes more purple-tinted than blue-tinted.
- In Voltalëy: This Attunement turns their hair strawberry-blonde, while their facial proportions become more rounded and their body more built-fat as opposed to muscular-inclined. Additionally, their scales also turn copper-colored or peach-colored.
- Common Traits: In Purple Attunement, all subraces can have facial or body hair.
Violet Scale Attunement
Violet Scale Attunement represents Asaph of the Violet Creation Throne. Despite Asaph being the living variant of the Undead Frisit, this is not the default Attunement for the Isldar, since it harkens back to before when Asaph created the Isldar. Violet Scale Attunement is often chosen by the military oriented and those on the front lines, as well as those committing to the art of roguery.
- In Personality: Violet Attunement increases foresight and preparation insight, giving the Isldar greater tactical awareness and willingness to plan everything through. Inversely, it dulls pliability, meaning they are less likely to change their mind on anything, believing themselves to be right all the time.
- In Isalëy: This Attunement turns their hair black, while their facial proportions turn a tad more rugged, and their body more akin to the athletic shape of a Fin’ullen.
- In Elgalëy: This Attunement turns their hair black, while their facial proportions turn a tad more haggard with a constant look of disapproval.
- In Shivalëy: This Attunement turns their skin a yale-blue, with the ice crystals in their hair and skin also appearing more like obsidian than ice.
- In Voltalëy: This Attunement turns their hair black, while their facial proportions become more rectangular. Additionally, their scales also turn mauve-purple, or wine-purple.
- Common Traits: In Violet Attunement, all subraces can have facial or body hair. Additionally nails can appear more claw-like for non-Voltalëy.
Teal Scale Attunement
Teal Scale Attunement represents Anlon of the Teal Deep. Teal Scale Attunement is often chosen by Isldar engaged in espionage and deception, as well as entertainment and theatre. Teal Attunement has the following effects:
- In Personality: Teal Attunement increases a sense of secrecy, diversion, disruption and mysticism. Inversely, this Attunement decreases trust in others, making the Isldar more paranoid and distrusting of strangers, and less likely to expose any information towards them.
- In Isalëy: This Attunement turns their hair light-blue or light-green and makes their appearance more gaunt or haughty, while giving their skin a less pale pink and more of a light olive coloring.
- In Elgalëy: This Attunement turns their hair light-blue or light-green and makes their appearance more gaunt or haughty, while giving their skin a less pale pink and more of a light olive coloring.
- In Shivalëy: This Attunement deepens the blue-ness of both their skin and their hair, or turning them more teal/green-colored. This also causes the ice crystals in their skin and hair to look more like sapphires and/or emeralds or jade.
- In Voltalëy: This Attunement turns their hair raven-black while their scales turn either blue with a metallic sheen, or green jade-like. Their proportions also become far less athletic or muscular-inclined as they become more slender and sinewy.
- Common Traits: In Teal Attunement, none of the subraces can have facial or body hair, and the Voltalëy’s clawed fingers become more soft with rounded nails.
Red Scale Attunement
Red Scale Attunement represents Qaarn of the Red Core. Red Scale Attunement is often chosen by Isldar who abandon most conflict and engage solely in social pursuits, mixing with other races and trying to be more open to others. Red Attunement has the following effects:
- In Personality: Red Attunement increases social skill, amiable demeanor and trusting nature of even the most remote strangers, allowing the Isldar to fluently merge into any social group. Inversely it dulls their guile, causing them to commit to damaging relations with strangers who should not be trusted, causing them to be burned over and over.
- In Isalëy: This Attunement turns their hair reddish-brown, auburn, or any ginger-color. Their body proportions and facial proportions also round more.
- In Elgalëy: This Attunement turns their hair reddish-brown, auburn, or any ginger-color. Their body proportions and facial proportions also round more.
- In Shivalëy: This Attunement turns their hair crimson red, while their skin and hair ice-crystals turn more into ruby or pink-quartz-like structures. Their body proportions and facial proportions also round more.
- In Voltalëy: This Attunement turns their hair rusty-red, while their scales range anywhere from Carmine red to burgundy in color. Their body proportions and facial proportions also round more, while their claw-like fingers attain more rounded-nails instead of sharp.
- Common Traits: In Red Scale Attunement, body and facial hair is optional for all sub-races. Additionally, Red Scale Attunement also allows the Isldar to become more bulky or burly, or meaty and beefy, but these are entirely optional unlike the proportion changes of the other Attunements.
Isldar Abilities
All Abilities are listed in detail on the Ability List Page. Additional rules applied to those Abilities are recorded in the table below. Aesthetics for Abilities may be dictated by the players, as long as the Ability Name is mentioned in the Emote, which is mandatory for Ability use. The following Abilities are what is considered a Racial Ability Set. Meaning, that none of these Abilities attribute Aberrant status to any individual, even if they are classified like they would. Only additional Abilities gained from outside of this Racial Ability Set can attribute Aberrant Status. All Full-Isldar have the Common Isldar Kit, and additionally have abilities specific to their sub-race listed under their Subrace Kit. Half-Isldar do not have the Common Isldar kit.
Common Isldar Kit
All full-blooded Isldar have access to the Common Kit. Each Subrace of Isldar also has access to their Subrace-specific Abilities, listed below the Common Kit.
| Ability Name | Ability Type | Ability Range | Ability Description |
|---|---|---|---|
| Skin Purge 1 | Toggle Passive | Self | Grants the user Skin Purge 1 |
| Age Control 1 | Toggle Passive | Self | Grants the user Age Control 1 |
| Super Self 6 | Constant Passive | Self | Grants the user Super Self 6 |
| Frisit Gift 1 | Constant Passive | Self | Grants the user Frisit Gift 1 |
| Frisit Gift 2 | Constant Passive | Self | Grants the user Frisit Gift 2 |
| Exorcism 4 | Control Power | Direct Touch | Grants the user Exorcism 4 |
| Soul Song 1 | Mobile Channel | Emote Distance | Grants the user Soul Song 1 |
Moon Vault Subrace Kit
| Ability Name | Ability Type | Ability Range | Ability Description |
|---|---|---|---|
| Ordial Horror 1 | Toggle Passive | Emote Distance | Grants the user Ordial Horror 1 |
| Moon Assault 1 | Magic Spell | Emote Distance | Grants the user Moon Assault 1 |
Crystal Spire Subrace Kit
| Ability Name | Ability Type | Ability Range | Ability Description |
|---|---|---|---|
| Power Howl 1 | Trigger Passive | Emote Distance | Grants the user Power Howl 1 |
| Memory Sense 2 | Target Illusion | Emote Distance | Grants the user Memory Sense 2 |
Voltalar Subrace Kit
| Ability Name | Ability Type | Ability Range | Ability Description |
|---|---|---|---|
| Moon Assault 2 | Magic Spell | Self | Grants the user Moon Assault 2 |
| Moon Assault 3 | Magic Spell | Varied | Grants the user Moon Assault 3 |
Shiva's Cavern Subrace Kit
| Ability Name | Ability Type | Ability Range | Ability Description |
|---|---|---|---|
| Summon Wall 1 | Linked Channel | 5 Block Range | Grants the user Summon Wall 1 |
| Moon Assault 4 | Magic Spell | Emote Distance | Grants the user Moon Assault 4 |
Half Isldar
| Ability Name | Ability Type | Ability Range | Ability Description |
|---|---|---|---|
| Skin Purge 1 | Toggle Passive | Self | Grants the user Skin Purge 1 |
| Age Control 1 | Toggle Passive | Self | Grants the user Age Control 1 |
| Empath Sense 5 | Constant Passive | Emote Distance | Grants the user Empath Sense 5 |
| Element Brand 1 | Object Enchant | Self | Grants the user Element Brand 1 |
| Element Control 1 | Magic Spell | Self | Grants the user Element Control 1 |
History
Early Years
The starting point of Isldar history can be placed somewhere in the early stages of the Altalar Grandening period, around 1100 BC according to most Nelfin historical scholars, at the first formal party held by the fledgling Cult of Drogon. This infant form of the Cult was composed of noble-backed draconic scholars who took to recording detailed information on the lives of Dragons, alongside collecting and preserving the remains of deceased Dragons, forming the basis of many Dragonbone collections in the present day. While some of these draconic scholars limited themselves to purely academic observation and cataloging of the Dragons, others took to them much differently and treated the Dragons and their remains with a reverence that would grow to encompass their religion. Over the next 400 years, the Cult of Drogon would shift to this same viewpoint on the Dragons, and those who researched them on a purely scholarly basis soon became the minority, before being outright expelled from the Cult itself. While this shift occurred, the Cult also took on numerous Altalar noble benefactors who, initially, only became involved for the sake of political power; as with the first members of the Cult, they soon revered the Dragons, or left. Many of these benefactors were based in modern-day Ithania, which, by the end of the period, would become the home of the Cult of Drogon, driven north by pressure from other Altalar nobles and Estellian fanatics who sought to wipe non-Estellian heresies from the lands of the Allorn Empire.
In spite of their retreat to Ithania, however, they would soon have to flee further north. The first 250 years of the Blossoming period were spent shoring up their funds and resources, securing what little support was still available in preparation for further movement into Ellador; to the Cult of Drogon, the unsettled, green lands of the north were by far the most appealing, offering a physical sea barrier between themselves and Estellian crusaders, as well as space and materials to rebuild, with natural protection from Ellador’s mountainous terrain. As they had prepared for, the Cult of Drogon fled north in 450 BC at the outbreak of the Mage Wars, leaving behind their slaves and evading the wrath of the Altalar archmages who sought to express their power and dominate the political world, setting up outposts on the southern coasts of Ellador and moving inwards. To their surprise, the Cult of Drogon wandered close to the Crater of Creation, encountering the Violet Creation Dragons in their splendor. The Cult of Drogon wasted no time in dedicating themselves to these Dragons, offering themselves up as servants and guardians, establishing the Frisit Protectorate, named for Frisit, the head of the Violet Creation Dragons. In doing so, they caught the eye of the northern Altalar archmages, whose power hunger drove them to attempt to kill the Dragons that the Cult had openly announced its protection of.
First Dragon War
The First Dragon War was the shortest and least remarkable, lasting only four years, from 346 to 342 BC, but opening the floodgates for further harassment of the Protectorate by the Allorn principalities and their allies. The First War saw the least bloodshed and the loss of no Violet Creation Dragons, owing in the main to the mountain ranges and dense forests of Ellador. While the archmages commanded significant and considerable power politically and militarily, they had not prepared for troop movements through such problematic terrain, and were easily repelled by as-yet unprepared for guerilla ambushes by the Cult of Drogon, and aerial attacks by the Violet Dragons that highlighted the lack of preparation of the archmages. The archmages retreated fully by 342 BC, but did not remove their eyes from Ellador and the Protectorate, taking three decades to muster up the military might and strategic minds to stage a much more significant invasion of Ellador; one that would be far more devastating than the first.
Second Dragon War
The Second Dragon War was waged not only by the Allorn archmages, but also by the Dwarves; trading partners of the Allorn Empire, the Dwarves were drawn into the conflict through Altalar political intrigue, convincing them to assist the Altalar in invading Ellador to wipe out the Cult of Drogon and the Violet Creation Dragons. Many Dwarves were convinced that the Violet Dragons had hidden significant hoards of gold and jewels in the Crater of Creation of Ellador; even then, knowledge existed to indicate the opposite, but the Dwarves ignored such talk. The second invasion of Ellador in 312 BC saw ecological devastation on a scale as yet unseen; immediately upon landing on Ellador’s shores, the Altalar employed mages to fell vast swathes of trees, carving a path through to Ellador’s mountains. Here, the Dwarves got to work tunneling through the mountains to create yet more pathways into Ellador, and enable full-scale assaults on Drogon settlements and strongholds. Thousands of Drogon followers died in the initial waves of Dwarven and Allorn attacks, and two of the three Violet Creation Dragons followed suit, shot from the skies by Dwarven contraptions and summarily executed by battalions of Altalar spearmen and Dwarven axemen. The Cult of Drogon was slow to respond; while the mountains of Ellador had been their shield so far, they proved difficult in allowing Cultists to escape the valleys and creeks, and meant that news of the attacks moved like molasses, and kept the Protectorate from responding until as long as three months into the attack.
The Protectorate counterattack was enough to make the combined Dwarven-Allorn armies stagger, but could only go so far in holding them off, given the far greater numbers and access to unknown technology that offered the attackers the advantage. Instead, the Protectorate drew its people in to a few select strongholds and established policies of stalemate and vicious guerilla attacks on Dwarven-Allorn encampments to disable their technology and mining efforts. Though this tactic worked for the Protectorate on a technicality, its success was somewhat pyrrhic. With the attackers constantly bearing down on them, it was all that they could do to hold them in place. When resources grew thin for the invaders, the war would fall into lulls, allowing the Protectorate time to breathe and recuperate, before another wave would begin. Due to this, many scholars dispute the status of the Second Dragon War, describing it as a series of sustained conflicts, though the title remains for convenience’s sake. These conflicts continued for around five decades, tearing through the Cultist population, until the Allorn Empire began a slow withdrawal. Citing a lack of success in sight, the Allorn Empire was becoming ever more aware of the losses and expenses of sustaining such a war in Ellador, while the Mage Wars continued to rage on in the Allorn homelands, and would for another decade following. The Dwarves withdrew soon after, losing much of the driving power of the war without the riches and nigh-unending manpower of the Altalar.
Inter-Dragon War
The so-called Inter-Dragon War period saw the rise of many traditions and social standards held by present-day Isldar. They became paranoid of further wars; their populations already severely, near-irreparably damaged by constant barrages of attacks in the Second War, the Cult of Drogon had become emotionally cold, opposed to emotional attachments when, in their eyes, war could come at any point and tear away what they had established between them. At the same time, however, they recognized that acts of anger and aggression to each other were counterproductive when their time alive was seemingly on an hourglass they could not see; this gave birth to their aversion to losing their temper, and their preference for a few meaningful words as opposed to many meaningless ones. The Protectorate shored up their defenses and brought their people into strongholds specifically, preparing for imminent attacks, while the elders of the Cult communed with the Violet Dragons in preparation for what was to come. Although later, far later, than they had expected, the Third Dragon War broke out in 114 BC, and changed the fate of the Protectorate entirely.
Third Dragon War
The Third Dragon War was witness to the heights of Dwarven “innovation”; spurred on by the anger and violence of new generations of Dwarves, they launched a third, and final invasion of Ellador. The Dwarves elected to attack in different ways, using brand new siege machines to devastate stronghold walls, or experimental drilling devices to bore holes into keeps to swarm their inhabitants and burn Wyvern roosts, with the Wyvern still inside. The Protectorate fell into panic; their walls were compromised, and their allies, the Wyverns, were being slaughtered wholesale. Many Dwarves made attempts to insult the Protectorate by using the corpses of the dead Wyverns to try to build flying machines. The Third War, lasting twenty years, drew to a stalemate as the Second had, though only in its final five years, as the Protectorate sought to conserve its dwindling people and ever-shrinking population of Wyverns. By 95 BC, all Wyverns were dead, having previously been created to help protect the Violet Creation Drakes, leaving only one Violet Creation Dragon alive, Frisit herself. Seeing no outcome in sight where the Protectorate would come out alive, the elders and Dragon released their order to draw all of their remaining forces into a single stronghold, at the bottom of a valley; the last stand of the Cult of Drogon and the Violet Creation Dragons would occur here, at the Battle of Udillin’s Foot.
The final battle that would bring a close to the Third Dragon War between the Dwarves and the Cult of Drogon took place in 94 BC in an valley area previously called Udillin’s Foot by the Dwarves. This last pivotal battle was intended as the last stand by the Cult of Drogon which had been whittled down by centuries of warfare and prosecution by the Altalar. While they had resisted the Altalar in the previous wars, the Dwarves were both numerous and using technology far beyond the Drogon means, using their tunnels to rapidly move around the Drogon positions and even using mysterious weapons to cause mountain tremors to tear down Drogon strongholds. The Isldar had effectively become so lacking in numbers that a final stand, with a planned flight to Jorrhildr should their plan succeed, was approved by the elders. Frisit also committed the few creations of the Crater that were left, fantastical magical creations of life and creature, presiding herself also as the Drogon threw every last thing they had at the Dwarves who had them cornered.
The battle went about as well as one would expect to a severely fatigued and torn-up people, the Dwarves using all manner of explosive devices and contraptions to wipe out whole formations in one go. Dwarven artillery was in fact so effective that it was able to kill the Dragon creations at an alarming rate. One by one, the legendary Drogon elders fell, who had served the Dragons for so long. With each death, Frisit grew more desperate, as she watched Pyndrynt, Lovnarr, Eideriss, Seheissi and Fyyrm fall, her favorite elders, eventually entering the fray herself and destroying many Dwarven catapults and devices. The battle was however too much. The Drogon cult was cornered and the Dwarves were about to unleash the final assault to end the battle. In her final desperation as the last Violet Creation Dragon left alive, Frisit mustered the last remnants of her own Magic but also that of the other Violet Creation Dragons who were slain in battle to unleash a massive spell that caused such a blinding light that observers as far as Essalonia and the North Skags were able to see it.
In her spell, Frisit died, yet turned undead. Her scales turned white while her bat-like wings withered and tore into a skeletal structure of bones tightly spun with skin. Her eyes turned white and her whole body became mangy and old, losing the ability to fly as she came down and had essentially changed from a glorious matron Dragon to a withering creature. The spell’s effects on the Dwarves and Cult of Drogon was even more severe however. The Dwarves were all wiped out instantly, records indicating that over a hundred thousand Dwarves died in that single spell, a loss so severe for the Dwarves that it was cited as the main reason why they shut their gates when the Void Invasion began and were unable to defend the outside of their holds from the demonic invasion. The Dwarves caught in the initial blast were simply wiped to dust in one final agonizing cry, their souls ripped from their bodies and instantly evaporated, while those further away were quickly caught by the extreme cold snap that turned even water to ice instantly and then shattered it with great force. These caught Dwarves froze solid instantly and then cracked, falling to pieces, while the Drogon Nelfin remained unharmed.
In the blast of this spell, those Drogon Nelfin present had their skins lose color and their hair turned white. They were immune to the cold that killed all the Dwarves, watching in both horror and amazement as Frisit sacrificed herself and the remaining Violet Creation Dragon magics to inflict a horrible toll on the living, something the Dragon had never wanted to do, but was forced to, to save her Nelfin followers. The cold snap continued to flow from that valley, eventually enveloping the whole of Ellador and killing tens of thousands of Ailor who had also settled the southern coast. The cold snap then continued across the ocean, affecting Jorrhildr which became even colder, and the North Skags as well as Cain to the southeast, casting them into a frozen tundra from which they would not recover. Ellador remained since then a frozen continent plagued with blizzards and snowstorms, with the interior of the landmass especially hard-hit with frequent sub-zero temperatures. The time period saw the cult of Dragon-loving Altalar stop being Altalar and became Isldar instead, and the time when they were first seen on a larger scale by the rest of the world remains a mystery.
Modern Day
It is said by the Isldar themselves, as well as the scholars who looked into it, that the Isldar retreated further inland and built the first of their holds, palatial complexes shielded by a large ring of snow blizzards yet clear and sunny albeit still frozen in the eye of the storm. Here the Isldar numbers would replenish their losses and live for at least 200 years in absolute isolation, not even acknowledging the Void Invasion or interacting with any outside forces. The Dwarves assumed for the longest time that the Drogon cultists had been wiped out as no sign of life came from the surface, until some scouts went missing in 124 AC, and further investigations found Altalar arrows in their corpses. It took the Isldar many more decades after this first encounter to learn Frisit’s Weave, and all the accompanying abilities that came with it. Frisit herself had become sluggish and weak, blind, deaf and unable to leave the Crown Hold of Assalya, from there she continued to guide the Isldar.
Frisit started communicating to the Isldar through visions and song in the wind, where her Wyrm Tongue could reach their ears even if she could no longer speak the mortal tongues. The Isldar then continued to work towards her designs for the coming century, up until around 201 AC when the first Isldar ventured out into the world as the singers of the Song of the Damned to restore balance to the cycle of life and death. For centuries, the tearing of the Veil and the Void Invasion had corrupted the flow of Soul Essence in Aloria, and disrupted the natural order of things. It was by Frisit’s orders that the Isldar ventured forth to repair the damage, allowing damaged Soul Essence to move on and restoring it wherever they could to tend to the Soul Rivers of Aloria. The Isldar later on developed more political aims also, engaging in espionage for the elders still left in their holds, to aid in their global plans for world protectionism, not domination. World domination was never part of the Isldar’s grand plan, they merely wished to guide and protect the balance of life and death in the world, but as the world quickly moves to a more modern and interconnected one, the Isldar too needed to adapt to the increased threat of realms like the Regalian Empire which inflicted so much death that the Rivers started bending, as well as the Dread Empire which started using all kinds of vile powers to damage the Rivers. Isldar continue to roam the world, seeking out information relevant to their strategists and tacticians, but also tending to the Soul Rivers wherever they go, dispensing aid to those who seek comfort in their final hours and others who wish to cleanse a ghostly terror from their lives.
Following rapid events around 307 and 308 AC, two Purple Crown Dragons attacked the Isldar capital and killed Frisit in another massive magical spell. This came as a massive shock to the Isldar, however threw Isldar society into even greater confusion when it was made apparent through visions that Frisit had been revived as a Violet Creation Dragon by the Dragons, and left the Isldar to return to the Crater of Creation. Despite the ongoing occupation of Regalian colonies following the Isldar’s declaration of war on all who remained on Elladorian soil, the Isldar themselves have since devolved into a sort of silent and un-fought civil war, with Isldar society fracturing over the question whether Frisit was still their ruler, or had now been changed away from what she once was. The Dragon priests and priestesses continued to hold onto their old beliefs, while younger Isldar proclaimed it was time to move on, and join ranks with the new Dragon Revival movement that was growing across Aloria.
Society
Isldar Society is fairly flat in comparison to other societies around the world, with very little in terms of a structural hierarchy. While Frisit remains undoubtedly at the top of Isldar society, Frisit is also deaf and blind and unable to properly communicate with those around her aside from Wyrm Tongue gospel and visions which aren’t always clear to those who see them. Isldar society is technically controlled by the Elders, but the Elders exert very little day to day influence over the lives of those in Isldar Society. Isldar society uses the construct of “pillars of life” to dictate where people belong to, and where certain services are taken from. The pillar of Faith is administered by the Dragon Priests who preach the salvation of the Dragons to the faithful and administer the social services like care for orphans and the sick. There is no form of charity or shelter, since Isldar society is far more communcal than other societies, lacking also a currency. The pillar of the Lands is commonly also referred to as the Ministry of Foreign Affairs when referenced by outsiders, because it handles dealing with foreigners as well as gathering information on everything that happens outside of the Isldar Holds to strategize their global planning.
The third pillar is the Pillar of War, in which Isldar self-conscript into the army and become Frost Watchers, those who protect the Holds, or Wind Watchers, those who leave the holds and fight for Frisit away from Ellador. Military individuals can switch between these tasks frequently or leave military service whenever they want to and rejoin at a later time. The fourth pillar is the Pillar of Sustenance, which governs the acquisition of materials needed for the Isldar as well as ensuring there is always enough food available by governing the plantations and crops either from underground agriculture or the special frost-resistant fruits that grow around the palatial Holds. The final pillar it the Pillar of the Dead, which governs the Song of the Damned, the singing, music, traditions and festivals, as well as acting as a central contact point for all those Isldar that roam the world to repair damage made to the Soul Rivers.
Politics
Within the five Pillars, there is a concept of leadership, however only strictly for those who work within the pillars. Every Isldar is a member of one of these five pillars, which can both be in the Holds in Ellador, as well as away from Ellador, since all pillars have both domestic and foreign tasks and duties to maintain. Within the Pillars there is general an Elder who advises and is looked up to as a great and venerable leader, but there is no official hierarchy nor are there middle men, task leaders or commanders in any way shape or form. Isldar tend to self-organize, and more Isldar belonging to different Pillars can self-unify under a single leader called the Lessay. A Lessay can have as few as three followers and as many as a hundred, where their personal charisma and leadership is what draws in the Isldar, never pressure or coercion. Isldar give authority and control to their Lessay voluntarily as a sign of respect, and promise to obey their orders as long as they feel those orders properly represent them and have their best interests at heart. Powerful Lessays could be considered warlords or strike-commandos in their own right when taken in context to the Isldar Holds, but they rarely actually use this control over other Isldar as a means to make a power-play or engage in politics. Because of how flat and un-hierarchal Isldar society is, even soft power for being a Lessay is practically pointless when even Lessays rely on the Pillar of Sustenance to be fed, due to the communal nature of their society. In short, there is no Politics in Isldar society. Even justice and law are arbitrated by Frisit alone, and Isldar cannot exert influence or power over one another unless it is voluntarily given away.
It should come as no surprise that Isldar have trouble following orders when they don’t expressly believe they have given said authority away voluntarily in for example Regalia. An Isldar who joins the City Guard has given their authority away to the Lord Commander, but might have extreme difficulty adhering to the commands of their captains and officers, since these middle men were never given authority to command them, in their eyes. Isldar often have trouble adapting to the rigid command structures of foreign nations, and retain a level of rebelliousness and individualism that puts them at odds with aristocratic societies like Regalia. Isldar will often also operate on their own auspices or deviate from a plan even if it has already been agreed upon beforehand, just because they conclude in the field that the situation is different as predicted or believed, and that they know better how to solve the problem at hand.
Culture
Isldar culture is strongly defined by their individualism taken away from Altalar history. While many of the other Nelfin species maintain some sort of observation of their Altalar history, the Isldar have chosen to violently end that connection because they consider their pre-Isldar history to be a taint on their purity and value to the world. This begun early on when the Cult of Drogon adopted Sulvaley, a language which has its basis in Allorn Altalar but diverged so quickly and aggressively that is essentially became a language of its own and could no longer be understood in the slightest even to those who still speak Allorn Altalar. Sulvaley sounds far more exotic heavy on double vowels, causing them to sound akin to real-world Farsi and also having a real-world Arabic accent when speaking Common. Unlike Arabic however, Sulvaley is a nominal language, meaning when they speak Common, they don’t just drop verbs when translating to English. Isldar law is extremely lacking, because of how communal their society behaves, and because of how calm and recollected most Isldar are. The desire for Crime is completely absent in the Isldarrin Holds, while externally, Isldar tend to fall under the jurisdiction of foreign entities. Isldar have a concept of transgression forgiveness if crimes are committed in ignorance or mistake, however proper crimes of those who have been led astray or lost their way are resolved by Frisit passing judgement. Even these judgements are usually very lacking, resulting in banishment over execution. In general, life is a precious thing to the Isldar, so unless it risks the future existence of their Holds, they try to preserve it as well as possible or at least let it pass over quickly and peacefully.
Isldar gender roles in society are completely equal with no differences whatsoever on a Pillar level. That being said, family units can sometimes be very matriarchal with women running the local household and acting as household representative to the outside world. Mothers are often held in higher esteem, especially when they have many children, and venerable elders who have many children are seen as wise figures to look up to, even outside of the family unit. Children are raised in a very utilitarian and often spartan manner, with early lessons in military conduct to control Frisit Weave’s military applications for self-protection. Children don’t play a lot in their early childhood which Regalian scholars often cite as a reason for Isldar being so self-contained and restrained when it comes to showing their emotions and inner feelings to others.
Isldar art is usually related to creating Isldar Aysur, which can start at a young age, around 10 even. Isldar learn to express themselves and their thoughts and emotions in art instead of to each other, which is why the art produced by Isldar can usually have an exceptionally vivid emotional charge. Isldar enjoy working with glass, crystallized Soul Essence, marble and pure stone, but avoid in most if not all cases color. Color in art to the Isldar is distracting, which is why they find most art that uses colors like red, blue, and green distracting or vulgar, preferring art that is purely white, or a combination of white, gray, and black, with accents of Silver or Gold. Isldar clothing on the other hand is extremely vibrant in color, though usually more ranging onto the colder colors like green, white, blue and yellow, and any combination in between. The Isldar prefer Nelfin Silk which in their homeland is spun from the Deep Cave Spider’s silk and dyed with Crystal Moss. Isldar are also very fond of jewelry. Although they do not have an Altalar’s sense of vanity, jewelry in many ways is seen as an expression of personal identity and personality.
Privacy is extremely important to the Isldar. It is seen as a great violation of trust and privacy for an Isldar to force another Isldar to show their jewelry, and most Isldar will not show their jewelry or attempt to resist a forceful reveal with much vigor. Isldar tend to also keep personal records which they guard closely, and tend to always have at least one room or place close to where they live which they consider their Haven’s Retreat, kind of like a space in the world they do not own but unofficially claim as their safe haven, and become upset if anyone but them is inside of it, considering it a great honor for those who are invited into the area by them. Isldar cuisine is almost entirely fruit based, eating the highly nutritious fruits that grow frost-resistant in the area around their holds. When Isldar move to Regalia for example, they tend to have trouble adapting to a bread and dairy based diet, lacking certain plant nutrients that they would normally have in their homeland. Isldar as such tend to gravitate to the Yanar a lot who, despite being unable to grow the Isldar’s favorite fruits in Regalia, are able to produce something like it.
Leisure for the Isldar is almost entirely related to song or dance. Isldar know primarily the Song of the Damned, but have many other songs which are sung to the Soul Rivers of Aloria as homage or praisal, or to calm the flow. Most of these songs do not actually do anything, but they set the Isldar on a path of musical learning from an early age, and surprisingly, nearly all Isldar seem proficient to some degree in singing, not a single one of them sounding awful. That being said, some of them excel with exceptional degrees, to such degrees in fact that some world-wise musicians know Isldar to be the most skilled singers in the world with the most dramatic ranges and most natural tone-accurate ladders. These exceptional singers are called Frisit’s Gifted, and are usually put in a high position of visibility to the rest of Isldar Society as they lead more communal singing choirs called the Choirs of Gaalley. Dance is another great leisure activity, but in a far more muted and slow manner than one might come to expect in Ailor society. The Dance of the Rivers is a commonly performed dance that uses the Soul Rivers as a stage item, and long silk ribbons that are thrown around and moved with arm gestures in such manners that they imitate flowing rivers. This dance is however extremely slow, featuring dance moves that take several seconds to complete and then pause for a dozen more, with very slow harp music in between.
Because of their philosophy towards the recycling, balancing and proper use of the Soul Rivers of Aloria, the Isldar have an understandable disdain for Qadir and their clockwork tech. Unlike the Isldar, the Qadir use Soul Essence in a way that stores it and cycles it without letting it properly pass on. The Soul Essence is not destroyed, but the Qadir infamously deny anyone who is dying to have their Souls pass on into the Soul Rivers, something the Isldar see themselves as responsible for. While Isldar remain stoic and hard to anger in the face of a Qadir, if given the opportunity, any Isldar will gladly destroy a piece of clockwork engineering when given the chance to release the trapped Soul Essence back to the Soul Rivers.
Religion
Isldar religion follows the trendlines of Dragon Worship, in that Dragons are divine beings who are the grandfathers of all creation, thus believing in most of their tenants, but not in the salvation theory. While Dragon Worship preaches the return of the Dragons to rule over all, Isldarrin Faith has a more nuanced view in believing that the mortal Races of Aloria sinned against the Dragons and murdered them all, and now have the job of tending to the world as they once did in atonement. Isldar observe Dragon worship through invoking the name of dead Dragons in prayer, and wishing upon their presence in the Soul Rivers of Aloria, where they unfortunately never appear. Isldar do not believe in the concept of divine intervention, meaning that they do not actually perceive these prayers or wishes to be reasonably realistic. The Isldar do not expect the Dragons to ever fully return, and believe firmly that these wishes fall upon deaf ears, merely perpetuating them out of habit and tradition. The arrival of Dragons in Regalia, particularly the resurgence of the Imperial Dragon has however caused a rift among the Isldar. While the Ailor-based Imperial Dragon is likely not even aware of it, many Isldar have started struggling among themselves about the Imperial Dragon’s (and indeed other Dragons’s) role in Isldarrin Faith, and how their sudden reappearance on the global stage causes implications in Dragon Worship. Some believe that the rebirth of Dragons is possible now, switching from fervent support of the Undead Frisit to the Imperial Dragon. Others believe that, because the Imperial Dragons and the other Dragon Souls are Soul Shards, that they are imitations of the genuine thing and are as such heretical. Others yet believe that Frisit herself is an abomination, being undead, while preaching the cleaning and repairing of the Soul Rivers yet also being a massive flaw in the River flow herself. Others yet exist proclaiming the need for all Isldar to acknowledge all Dragons as gods in a greater pantheon, adding all revived Dragons to the pantheon of worship. Needless to say, the discovery of the Imperial Dragon in recent years has caused some severe fissures in Isldar religious psyche, not so severe to cause a civil war or serious religious crisis, but certainly to such a degree that most Isldar are uncertain what the Imperial Dragon means to them, and that every individual Isldar has a different view or opinion of the situation that doesn’t always fall in line with what the Pillar of Faith tells them.
Trivia
- In modern times, those who are ignorant of the history of the Isldar or their general kind assume they are a rare kind of Altalar. In reality, Isldar aren’t rare because there are few of them left, in fact they are some of the most numerous Nelfin species left in the world. The only reason why they are seen as rare, is because they are good at hiding and not drawing too much attention to themselves.
- Isldar have a surprisingly open view of racial interbreeding, allowing the practice to take place with little to no social stigma. That being said, when Isldar engage in relations with non-Isldar that could result in a half-breed being born, the Isldar remain poignantly aware that even if there is no social stigma, a half breed can never travel to the Isldar Holds in Ellador, and will forever not be a part of Isldar society.
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