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| Kathar | |
|---|---|
 | |
| Race | |
| Pronunciation | Ka-thaar |
| Classification | Nelfin |
| Subraces | Interchangeable Cults |
| Common Nicknames |
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| Languages | Pannarokh (Katharic) |
| Naming Customs | See Language section |
| Racial Traits | |
| Distinctions | A Void corrupted race of evolutionists and Magic lovers who want to bring about the next stage of progress in the world through the power of the Void. |
| Maximum Age | 500 Years. |
| Eye Colors | Varied by Cult |
| Hair Colors | Varied by Cult |
| Skin Tones | Most Kathar Cults:
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Origins
The Kathar have a lengthy historical origin that predates the appearance of their Race. Long before the first Kathar were known to the world, Altalar society increasingly participated in Void Worship, as more and more rulers fell to the allure of Demons and Magical power. As time passed, Cults to specific ideologies sprang up, some of which survive to this day, while others have gone extinct. Some of these Cults live on as the Isldar, Northern Tainted, and Altalar, but by far, the largest number of Cults still functioning, are in Kathar society. Eventually, during the collapse of the Allorn Empire, the Void-aligned Cults came together to perform the Ascendancy Ritual, more commonly known as the Night of the Weeping Stars. During this event, they initiated a mass-killing of Estel-faithful and Yanar, along with orchestrated attacks on the Altalar palaces and the burning of the great Va'sil Trees. As a reward for their service in destabilizing the Empire, the Void Arken, or the Void Gods (there is still much debate among Kathar on who was ultimately responsible) transformed them into the first Kathar. They diversified from that point, developing their own distinct culture and customs. Departing the Allorn Empire, they moved further west to the continent of Rokhara, wiping out the native species and establishing the Dread Empire. The Dread Empire has since consolidated, with various Kathar cults spreading throughout the world, most notably the Altalar Princedoms that would later re-form the Allorn Empire, and the Regalian Empire, where a sizeable population resides in the Regalian Archipelago and the capital. While this Race was born in violence and hedonism, many of its citizens have since embraced a wider range of Cults ranging from reason and tolerance with a Void-born twist, to total debauchery and almost comedic levels of slaughter and blood spilling.
Core Identity
Introduction
To be a Kathar is, at its core, to seek greater evolution and enhancement through the powers of the Void. The Kathar have fully embraced the Void as a source of power and corruption, which they consider a good thing and even have natural protection from. Even the most compassionate and pragmatic of Kathar still make use of Void Essence for personal benefit, and see only good things to come from interacting with the Void, in measure. The Kathar are not wholly ignorant to the fact that a Void Invasion could wipe out all life, but while their behavior with Magic is far from suicidal, they still give in to the Void more than any other Race would deem advisable. Furthermore, to be a Kathar is to perpetually be mistrusted and despised by all other Races, and to face constant pariah status within outside societies. Kathar are mistrusted perhaps even more than Slizzar, mostly due to Altalar propaganda mixed with the fear of many ignorant Ailor, who believe all Kathar are brother-killing baby-eaters. While this is untrue, the more extreme Kathar Cults are excessively violent.
Cultism
Crucial to the Kathar is the concept of Cultism. There is not a single Kathar who does not belong to some type of Cult, and usually, when one belongs to a Cult, physical changes manifest over time as different Void Gods or Void Arken interact with the physiology of the worshiper. To not have a Cult as a Kathar means to wither away and become frail and ill. The Kathar are sustained by Void Essence, which simplifies their life and makes them much stronger, and to be cut off from it would eventually make them bedridden in the same way a Vampire is left powerless without blood to feed their curse. For Kathar, acquiring the Void Essence that sustains them is much simpler than feeding off of others, as most Cultists can simply acquire it by passive worship (though some Cults still insist it requires lots of spilled blood). The Cults are extremely wide-spread, and in a categorical sense, represent the different Subraces of the Kathar, making Kathar the only people who can change Subrace mid-life. There are technically more Cults than outlined below, but they are unplayable by virtue of Death-Cults not being viable roleplay avenues for Regalia Roleplay due to Character Death rules.
Void Ideology
Kathar are strongly influenced by, and thematically supporters of the Void. They are Void realists in that they certainly acknowledge the dangers of the Void and the bad bargains that can be made with Demons if one is not careful enough, but the Kathar argue in general to use the Void for self-enrichment in whatever way possible. The most obvious manner they do this is through Karamatology, or the act of summoning Demons and striking deals with them for power. The Void Essence or Power gained is then immediately used to gain political, financial, social, or romantic power by the Kathar. The Kathar also believe in self-upgrading through the use of Void power, ostensibly through Mutations, but otherwise through pacts with Arken. They want to bring about Vossiosis (or Void Harmony), where the Void and real world can exist in balance and the living in Aloria can thrive with Void all around them. This does not necessarily dis-include other races, who the Kathar generally want to bless with their Void uplifting as well, it just so happens to be the case that the other races are a little behind on their enlightenment. The fact that during the last Void Invasion the Kathar ancestors did terrible things, and they still exist, is often used as proof by the Kathar that their theories are right. The Void cycle has been broken, and now is the age of Void Usurpation, where those living in the real world are finally deserving and capable enough to master the incomprehensible powers of the Void, and uplift the whole world into a self-serving paradise through them.
Cult of Excess
The Cult of Excess is the most common, average Cult. It neither takes things too far, nor does it skimp on the debauchery. Cult of Excess Kathar travel the world to experience the delights of luxury and leisure, and to be deviant as much as they can, experiencing life’s fruits of seduction and self-satisfaction. The Cult of Excess is not overly hostile to other Races, as tasting the fruits of pleasure elsewhere invariably requires interacting with other Races, but they are certainly not above throwing them under the bus when needed to get what they want.
Cult of Power
The Cult of Power is a direct translation of physical might makes right. Cult of Power worshipers believe that size matters and that brawn is more important than mind. They can often be found around the military, or traveling the land to hunt prey and fight champions of other Races to praise their gods in battle. Those of the Cult of Power can be very violent and cruel to the other Races, but are also capable of showing great deference and respect to those in high positions of power and respect worthy military track records.
Cult of Shadows
The Cult of Shadows believes more in the quiet and silent manipulation of others, the gathering of information and curiously, gambling. To the Cult of Shadows, life is all one big game, and every relation, every organization, every state, represents an opportunity to play a game, place bets on winners and losers, and then silently and subtly influence the outcome. The Cult of Shadows prefers to work in the background, moving around unseen, and most important, unknown to others, even their fellow Kathar, while they disguise as members of different Cults.
Cult of the Wyld
The Cult of the Wyld believes that in order to acquire perfect Vossiosis (the term used to describe a state where Aloria and the Void are in harmony), the Kathar must spread the blessings of the Void to the land around them, and transform the land itself to a reflection of ever-changing beauty. The Cult of the Wyld loves Magical Mutations and Magic in general. They seek to expand the beauty of nature by corrupting it with Void Essence, and bringing about what they call the ‘Cycle of Change’, the idea that if everything is in a constant state of change and flux, that this is a good thing and brings about true beauty.
Cult of Pride
The Cult of Pride is very similar to the Cult of Power, but rather than focus on brawn, they focus more on the mind, and the silver tongue. Cultists of Pride travel the lands to become renowned politicians, advisors, tacticians and generals. They are notably also lovers of the acts of sabotage and political assassination, the root of all political intrigue in the Dread Empire. The Cult of Pride consider themselves the most superior over the other Cults, and also are the most likely to found or continue Kaahls, and attempt to interact with greater powers, thinking themselves skilled in securing a positive outcome.
Cult of Reason
The Cult of Reason is considered the most tame cult of the Kathar, and also the youngest Cult that only came about in the past few decades. This Cult argues that the other Cults have gone too far and invite catastrophe with the Void and are way too excessive with their violence and depravity. They argue for more debate and discourse and cooperation with the other Races, while still professing the need for Void-based enhancements in a controlled and legal environment. Many Cult of Reason Kathar have respectable positions in Regalian society and even to some degree the government, as many of their Kaahls have spent generations proving their loyalty to the Empire’s foundational stability over the chaos of the Dread Empire.
Design
Mental Characteristics
The Kathar, for the most part, are egotistical, self-absorbed, prideful, envious, dramatic and expressive. This does not mean that all Kathar are intolerable. Rather, it just means that the Kathar are a lot to deal with at times, and have a very in-your-face presence that demands they be seen and heard. Quiet Kathar certainly exist, but even then, their quietness is usually through the lens of using timidness as a tactic. Kathar know one single truth to be universal, and that is that they themselves are a piece of art, and something everyone should want to be, or want to be in love with. As such, Kathar try to be seen and make noise, but are also very reverent of those who have already established such a position in society (power, adoration, wealth, etc). Kathar love a power structure that ought to be respected (like strong Emperors and Empresses) but detest pretentious middle-man rulers like Nobles and wealthy aristocrats that put on airs without the competency to back up such bravado. Each of the Cults has slight variances on all these general cultural habits:
- Those of the Cult of Excess tend to be more laid-back than the other Cults, preferring just sampling all pleasures of life around the world. They are more disarming than the other Kathar.
- Those of the Cult of Power tend to be more forceful and crass, having anger issues or being more prone to violence when angered or frustrated.
- Those of the Cult of Shadows tend to be more quiet, because they know one golden truth, and it is that people talk way too much while being unobservant of who is listening.
- Those of the Cult of the Wyld can best be described as more arbitrary or quirky. They aren’t quite childish, but are more prone to random moods or wants and cravings.
- Those of the Cult of Pride are often more haughty and classy than the other Kathar, being far less prone to the borderline-sensual behavior and presentation of the other Cults.
- Those of the Cult of Reason are far more subtle and nuanced in behavior than the other Kathar, preferring cooperation and community over debauchery, though still love pleasure.
Physical Characteristics
The Kathar do not truly have a default appearance, though the closest to it is the Cult of Excess. All Kathar children are born as Cult of Excess Kathar regardless of parentage, and choose to confirm a Cult at age 18, after which they adopt the physical appearance of that Cult. Kathar can change Cults during their lifetime, but generally only once a year, and physical changes between Cults take place over the span of about 1 week during which they cannot use any of the Kathar Racial Abilities or Specials while the blessings of a different God or ideology manifest. To make the differences between the Cults easier to explain, this page will detail the Cult of Excess as the primary, and then add alterations in other Cults in bullet points beneath.
- Cult of Excess Kathar appear physically nearly identical to Fin'ullen Altalar, who in turn have similar bodily proportions to Ailor, the vanilla of the Races. Excess Kathar have the same pointy ears, the same sharp facial features, and roughly the same height, the same life-span. The most notable difference is that the Excess Kathar have gray skin, ranging from medium gray (with one slight warm tone variance) to dark gray (refer to the skin gradient in the info box for the range of gray tones). Excess Kathar can have blue, brown, gray and green eyes, with white, gray, or black sclera, but more often than not seek out some type of Mutation for their irises. Excess Kathar are generally more slender and lithe. Excess Kathar can have black, gray, brown, or white hair, with white being the most common.
- Cult of Power Kathar take the template of Excess Kathar, and crank up the bulk of muscle. They generally also have darker gray skin tones, though can also still have the medium gray tones of the Excess Kathar. Cult of Power Kathar can optionally also have tusks like Eronidas, and generally have a more rough appearance. Power Kathar can only have white, gray, or black hair, with black being far more common.
- Cult of Shadows Kathar don’t have their own appearance mandated by their Cult’s Void Essence. Instead, Cult of Shadows Kathar have the capacity to mimic the appearance of any other Cult (without Physical Stat or Proficiencies), except the Cult of the Wyld. This is something they can swap between at will, and are unrecognizable as the same person between Cults, but each unique Cult appearance will always be static.
- Cult of the Wyld Kathar don’t have a set appearance, rather, through the Special ‘Seasons of the Wyld’, they frequently cycle appearances, representing the seasons of change. What sets them apart from the Excess Kathar is that they have longer ears, and a much more lithe or slender build even than them, not being able to ever accumulate much muscle mass. Wyld Kathar don’t have eye color or hair color restrictions,
- Cult of Pride Kathar take the template of the Excess Kathar, and lighten the skin tones to light gray, or even just bone-white. Cult of Pride Kathar always have very dark sclera from black to dark gray, and bright blue or green or gray irises.
- Cult of Reason Kathar are practically identical to the Excess Kathar, except that they have a wider range of hair colors. Cult of Reason Kathar can also have blonde, auburn, light brown, and ginger hair colors. Their skin however is always medium gray.
Racial Abilities & Specials
Racial Abilities are generally a set of unique powers and effects that all peoples of that race all innately have, while Specials are more passive, aesthetic focused capabilities. Specials are defined per-page, while Abilities can be searched on the Ability List page to determine their generic function. Kathar have a mix of Abilities and Specials themed around Magic, Corruption, and the Void. Half Kathar also get access to the Racial Abilities, but none of the Racial Specials.
Abilities
| Ability Name | Ability Type | Ability Range | Ability Description | Modifiers |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Magical Storage | Dimension Power | Self | Grants the user Magical Storage | Kathar Modifier |
| Body Claws | Morph Power | Self | Grants the user Body Claws | Kathar Modifier |
| Eyes of Hunt | Constant Passive | Self | Grants the user Eyes of Hunt | Kathar Modifier |
| Hack Familiar | Instant Power | Emote Distance | Grants the user Hack Familiar | Kathar Modifier |
| Magic Dagger | Skill Power | Self | Grants the user Magic Dagger | Kathar Modifier |
| Essence Corrupt | Target Curse | Emote Distance | Grants the user Essence Corrupt | Kathar Modifier |
Specials
Ageless
The Kathar are Ageless, meaning they never show aging. When they become adults, Kathar simply appear as if they are young adults forever, unless they choose not to. Any Kathar can choose to change their aged appearance, meaning they can choose to appear however old they want to appear (so long as it is 18+). A 33 year old Kathar might for example choose to appear like a 70 year old Ailor with whitened hair and wrinkles, while a 300 year old Kathar might choose to appear like a 25 year old Ailor with smooth skin and youthful features.
Arcane Mastery
Even the simplest and untrained of Kathar have some innate Magical ability, and control over the Arcane. All Kathar can perform varying degrees of Telekinesis, being able to move objects around with their hands from a distance, while also automating household objects in their performed task such as for example causing a broom to sweep by itself, or a pen to write what is being dictated. This cannot be used in any Combat RP or competitive roleplay (such as stealing items from other Characters), but has no Cooldown and no limits imposed.
Elder Satisfaction
The Kathar can invade the minds of others with telepathic communication that is a one-way form of manifestation of satisfaction. A Kathar can project a feeling of passionate pleasure, whether it is some ecstatic food, drink, or physical satisfaction into the sensations of the Target person, like for example the elation of having eaten the most delicious sweet and juicy apple. While the Kathar is doing this, their eyes glow brightly red, and the person who is being targeted knows they are being telepathically invaded, and knows who it is coming from. This also does not inhibit their actions or make them lose bodily self control. Elder Satisfaction cannot be used on restrained Targets, or mid-chase or in Combat Roleplay.
Vice Sense
The Kathar can subtly read another Target’s Vice through Vice sense. They focus on the individual, after which they will receive a telepathic understanding of two unique aspects. Firstly, they understand the person’s greatest weakness, such as for example their pride, their greed, or their fits of rage. The second thing they understand is the person’s greatest personal weakness or delight, such as for example an excellently made beef-stew by the person’s mother, or a letter of praise from the Emperor. This should always be the same no matter how many times it is used, and cannot be used on restrained Targets or mid-chase or in Combat Roleplay.
Bone Song
The Kathar are capable of using Bone Song to shape or reshape bones into whatever shape they like. Bone Song is done by holding the bone, and then singing any kind of song, or even humming, while pushing the bone around with their fingers and hands to mold them. Bone sung bone can never be as intricately designed as proper knife-carved bone, but can still attain shapes that normal bones would not be capable of, and be incorporated into clothing or architecture. Bone attached to armor with Bone Song functions similarly as the armor itself, it shares the functional durability of whatever item it is attached to, within reason.
Dread Rebirth
The Kathar are able to manifest some form of Void Corruption on either the restrained, or willing (or the unwilling, when there is strict OOC consent that a Character could be tricked into it). Dread Rebirth can manifest in a variety of ways (every Kathar player can dictate their own ritual or process), it can be for example a necklace worn, or a ritual spoken, or a dagger stabbed into a person’s chest, the ritual is up to imagination. After this, one of a number of things can happen. The Target may appear partially or wholly like a Kathar, or like their original race but with Kathar visual traits overlain (this can never function like a disguise, they remain recognizable). The Target may manifest Kathar personality traits or mentality traits, and/or be more positively inclined towards the Void, or outright praise the Void Gods and/or Arken. These changes are permanent until the person has some form of Exorcism, or Demon expulsion Ability or Mechanic applied to them. If the target was willing, the process becomes more complicated, only being doable when forced through a Primal cleansing. If the Target has OOC changed their mind and wants to revert the changes, they can off-screen a cleansing, but generally speaking someone who has been Dread Reborn, no matter how severe the changes, should want to resist being cleansed. When a person has been Dread Reborn to look exactly like a Kathar, the players may optionally submit a ticket to the Roleplay Community Discord, to request the Void Gods and/or Arken to bless this Dread Rebirth by making it more permanent, and letting the Target also have Kathar Specials/Racial Abilities.
Den of Illusions
Whenever a Kathar is in their own Rental Region, or a Noble Estate belonging to their master/employer, they may use Den of Illusions to manifest all manner of illusions within the confines of this home or region. These illusions can be visual, auditory, smell and even touch, but may never leave the home. These illusions are also only effective on target who are not hostile or have hostile intent towards the Kathar trying to use them. They must also always be peaceful and kind to the Target and cannot manifest anything that would scare them or disorient them, or obstruct their ability to move around the region and observe events and people within it. Kathar use Den of Illusions to enhance their debauchery and activities in the house.
Void Manifest
This special does a number of things. Kathar have the unique capacity to manifest any number of custom Mutations from the Mutation List and even cleanse them overnight if they so choose. Additionally, if the Kathar is infected with any type of Void-based-only Affliction that would incorporate mental characteristics or a change in personality, these changes would not apply. Ambient Void Essence also does not cause sickness or disorientation in them, and if anything, they find the passive presence of Void Essence pleasant and exciting.
Evolution of the Wyld
This Special is unique to the Kathar of the Cult of the Wyld, meaning that all other Cults cannot use this Special. It dictates the visual appearance of the Wyld Kathar along the themes of seasonal or even incidental change, because the Cult of the Wyld is in a constant state of flux. The Wyld Kathar manifest a number of animal, plant, color and light based mutations that compliment their appearance to certain themes or environments. At a base, the Wyld Kathar look like lankier or shorter versions of the Excess Kathar, however they change their appearance quite a lot. For example, a Wyld Kathar who is awake at night a lot might manifest glowing star-like patterns on their skin, and their hair and horns might glow with the colors of space nebulas during a starry night sky. A Wyld Kathar who adores winter might manifest white owl feathers around their face, bird-feet like yellow skin on their forearms and legs, have Skrunklehog-like spikes, and shapes of snowflakes as tattoos on their skin. This can even cause a Wyld Kathar to manifest changes during the changing of the seasons, or during heightened emotional states. For example, a Wyld Kathar who changed from a winter theme to a spring theme with lots of pink flowers in their hair, and a more bird-song like voice, might experience a tragic loss. Then, their flowers all turn into black tulips and their skin darkens, their eye sockets become deep and sunken, and their face is surrounded by smoky shadows. Whatever the aesthetic changes, they should remain harmonious, and work together to convey a theme or sentiment, instead of just being randomly picked items smashed together. Themes can be based around animals, experienced in life, world events, seasons, times of day, friendships to individuals (which manifests their quirks and hobbies as aesthetics) and more. The selection is quite open, but thematic harmony is important. If you are unsure about thematic harmony, consult with Lore Staff in a ticket on the Roleplay Community Discord. Generally speaking, your Character should still be recognizable as a Kathar underneath all the changes, so some arrangement of gray skin should be present somewhere, as this is the most important Kathar aesthetic trait.
Language
The Kathar language is more commonly called Katharic, though the Kathar themselves call it Pannarokh. The language has no real-life equivalent, and it is hard to explain to players how to correctly translate or write something in Pannarokh. If you wish to come up with terms in Pannarokh, it is advised to make a Ticket on the Roleplay Community Discord, where Lore Staff can help you with the lexicon that isn’t already on this page. Pannarokh is a very difficult language to learn for non-Kathar because it does not follow a sensible script like other languages do, but rather uses Void-Script which has the unfortunate habit of slightly mutating text after it was written, through a barely understood Magical process. Still, some Regalian scholars have found success translating Pannarokh by first translating it into Modern Altalar, and then using that as a Rosetta Stone to understand the rest. Kathar names follow a process similar to the Altalar, in that they have a first name, middle name to honor some ancestor or event, last name for the family, social distinction, and heritage. However, in line with the theme of change and evolution, the name of a Kathar can change depending on the Cult they belong to.
Example list of Kathar First Names: All names in Kathar are non-gendered, meaning they can apply to all genders and sexes: Kethan, Kronnaste, Dinokh, Izzdar, Velyss, Zannar, Lesronn, Calghar, Relinahc, Ildan, Nathae, Nevarr, Chadryl, Menzot, Sabval, Ryld, Renloc, Tathnor.
Very common first name endings are “arr”, “dryl”, “ahc”, “loc”, “nor”, “okh”, and “onn”. Common consonants to start Kathar names are R, K, Z, V, M, C and N. Generally speaking Kathar names sound guttural upon reading, but have a deceptive flow to them despite their harsh sounding consonants. Surnames follow similar customs, though surnames must always end with “iirn”, for example “Mourdiirn”, “Lozhiirn”, or “Anvaliirn”. Middle names are much the same, often naming after ancestors, but sometimes also events. Common event names are:
- Raazz’ël-ranvanokh = The Night of the Weeping Stars
- Mannraav = The slaughter of the Raav Race on Rokhara
- Rinz = The slaughter of Altalar Princes
- Saar’onhk = The Void-out of Suvial Cities
- Marranahk = The Wildering
- Ravat = Victory or some sort of destruction on the battlefield
Kathar social distinction is based on both social rank, as well as their Cult come-off. The social ranks are easiest, providing “Dar” for the common folk and the poor, “Mor” for the richer and affluent, and “Rokh” for the nobles and the powerful. This is usually hyphenated to the Pannarokh term for their Cult which are: Seld for Excess, Kedos for Power, Ornn for Shadows, Rana for the Wyld, Kiir for Pride, and Bard for Reason. A affluent Kathar of the Cult of Shadows would as such have the social distinction of “Mor-Ornn” Finally, at the end of the full name is their heritage, which usually means the place they were born or grew up in. This is always prefixed by “Raz”, and then hyphenated by the place name. Note, all places in Rokhara always end with “naar” for example: Parthanaar (the capital), Orathanaar, Rotnaar, Arrokhemaar, and so forth. An example of a full Kathar name: Relinahc Mannraav Walvhiirn Dar-Kiir Raz-Parthanaar, or Relinahc Walvhiirn praised in the name of the slaughter of the Raav, who is common and of the Cult of Pride, from Parthanaar.
Religion
The Kathar are, as one might not expect, rather tolerant of non-believers and don’t have a single state or race-religion like other Races or nations do. The Dread Empire is in fact quite religiously tolerant, in that it does not really matter what religion a Kathar follows, so long as they play the game well (the game meaning, not getting killed for offending the wrong person). However, the Kathar follow three main religions, those being Faith of the Dark Ancients, Cult of Evolution, and Dragon Worship. This Dragon Worship is present only in the Cult of Power, which among the Dragons worships exclusively Qaarn and his Thrones. They seek to capture the Red Dragon and corrupt him through the Void to create their ultimate deity, a stronger version of his servant Ruunh. The way Kathar worship the Dark Ancients or Cult of Evolution is by acknowledging the others, but choosing one single patron deity to glorify and serve, and to bargain with for their gifts of self-improvement and enhancement. Each of the Cults follows a rough pattern of deities:
- The Cult of Excess frequently worship Abbagellon & Odelballa for Ancients, Abbados & Anu for Cult of Evolution
- The Cult of Power frequently worship Abbagellon for Ancients, Abbados & Gaarl & Draga Ifrit for Evolution, and Qaarn for Dragon Worship
- The Cult of Shadows frequently worship Woldemar & Djjwa Ifirti for Ancients, Woldmar for Cult of Evolution
- The Cult of the Wyld frequently worship Nirualla for Ancients, Nirvaan & Anu for Cult of Evolution
- The Cult of Pride frequently worship Herphalas & Anu for Ancients, Herpaal & Odella for Cult of Evolution
- The Cult of Reason frequently worship Eloblina for Ancients, Woldmar for Cult of Evolution
That being said, Kathar minorities are known to worship Estel, Old Gods (though a more twisted variant with a lot of sacrifice and torment of the Undead), Esrah Alwattah (except instead of building one god, they want to build an army of Void-Spider robots that rearrange the world), and finally, a more corrupted version of Unionism that does believe in the Everwatcher, but that the Everwatcher is actually a personification of Herpaal or Herpalas, reborn in the real world and manifested through the Emperors of Regalia. The above provided list of Void Gods attributed to the different Cults is not strictly forced.
Throughout all Religions, the Kathar practice an act of syncretism with “Sire Worship”. This is that, to the Kathar, Religion is one thing, while the Arken are another, and they are immensely powerful beings that are worthy of extreme respect. Most Kathar do not hold the Arken above their patron God or Goddess, but some can take it there. There is a limited list of Arken which are considered viable Sires. Unlike the Religions categorized above, there are no real hard rules to what Arken are worshiped by what Cults, it’s all interchangeable. The best way to describe it, is to call the Arken (or Sires) prophets of the Void, while acknowledging the Void Gods (or other Gods) as technically above them. There are also no real hard rules on how to worship the Sires, everyone applies their own format and method and there are no real priests or cult leaders, and Kathar can also change their loyalty to specific Prefects at any time. The following Arken and their ideals are present in Sire Worship:
- The Prefect of Pride represents power and rulership. The Prefect of Pride is usually represented by a great white-furred wolf-man with the body of a man and the head of a savage wolf in mid-carnage on defenseless foes.
- The Prefect of Trickery represents mysteries and secrets, and also double-dealings. The Prefect of Trickery is represented by a large map of whatever city the Kathar reside in, with pins and red wires strung between goals and objectives.
- The Prefect of Power represents might and dominion over others. The Prefect of Power is usually depicted by a crown of thorns or a scepter with spikes, while it is believed he controls a paradise dimension somewhere.
- The Prefect of Pleasure represents debauchery and deviance, seeking carnal delights and food pleasures. The Prefect of Pleasure is usually depicted by gold-marble carvings representing gouged out Silven eyes.
- The Prefect of War represents slaughter, destruction and carnage, seeking the annihilation of foes and allies alike. The Prefect of War is usually depicted as a great horned beast with cloven hooves, a snake for a tail, a lion-like head and the body of a man with a great flaming trident.
- The Prefect of Envy represents the desire for beauty and superiority, but consuming it from others. The Prefect of Envy is usually depicted as a dream-catcher like construct of Emeralds strung between black charred metal wires.
- The Prefect of the Body represents the desire for the perfect self and ever greater self-love as well as virility. The Prefect of the Body is often depicted as a person made up of body parts of various different races sewn together and revitalized.
Families
Childhood
Kathar childhood is, at best, complicated. The Kathar do not have any concept of “Family”. There is no such thing as marriage or matrimony. Even more incomprehensible is the fact that many Kathar simply don’t want children, or reject children the moment they are born. Within Kathar society, the concept of parentage has nothing to do with biological parents, but rather who taught a Kathar how to best be a Kathar. Kathar who still raise their own biological children are not uncommon, but they are not the majority. Six out of ten Kathar children are rejected by their parents as a burden, and sent to so-called “Future Houses”. Future Houses are essentially orphanages (a Kathar invention) where children are given very basic education until they are picked up by new guardians. The act of adopting a child (which the Kathar call Wardenship) is actually very widespread. Numerous Kathar are single, and adopt a whole slew of children, sometimes for nefarious purposes, such as building a child-raised bodyguard, or adopting future gladiators. It is however not impossible to find caring and loving parents. Especially old female-oriented Kathar adopt a lot of children to raise the next generation, and are dotingly called “Sweet-Matrons” (though they can also be brutal with tough love). Blood connections therefore don’t really matter to Kathar, what matters is who raised you, and who you were raised with. Generally speaking, Kathar children are raised roughly with a lot of tough love and sometimes neglect, leaving them to learn the ropes themselves.
Adulthood
Kathar adulthood can best be described as wild. Kathar society is one massive group of self-serving people who all strive to do whatever they want regardless of the consequences (except for the Cult of Reason). As such, Kathar in the homeland steal, destroy, and give in to their desires in whatever measure they like. Kathar live as long as Altalar, but often die much faster because of violence inflicted on them by other Kathar, or because they were drunk and challenged the wrong bar fighter, or jumped off a building while high on opiates. The Dread Empire would barely function if it wasn’t for the Kathar offloading their menial labor onto slaves, and using Demons and Magic for everything else. Also helpful is their love for war and carnage, driving them to join the military for no pay at all besides the blood of their foes.
Romance & Gender Norms
Kathar romance is seen as debauched by outsiders, but there are a couple of core concepts to understand before a bigger picture becomes clear. The Kathar lack the very social construct of gender. They recognize sex, but the Kathar language doesn’t have a common term for “man” or “woman”. They instead categorize based on “Firm” and “Fluid”, which roughly translate to masculine and feminine, but have no actual definition because a female presenting Kathar can also be firm if they engender more masculine qualities. Firm is attributed to physical bulk, roughness, loudness and bluster, while Fluid is attributed to fitness, sensuality, softness and elegance. A person is never just one or the other but a mixture of both. When confronted with foreign gender structures, Kathar just say they “want to be all the Genders”, and skip over the topic. Beyond this, Kathar do not have a concept of monogamy either. That being said, it’s not nonexistent through happenstance or jealousy. Kathar (while mostly polyamorous or polygamous in nature) are also immensely envious. Most Kathar as such prefer not to be killed by their lover, and so go to painful lengths to avoid adultery or ending a relationship on bad terms. Generally speaking, Kathar like to experiment beyond their comforts in romance, but can also be very strict in saying upfront what they want from their partner and just turning and leaving if they don’t get it straight away.
Politics
Kathar politics can be quite brutal, especially in the Dread Empire with political espionage and assassination which puts even the Ithanians to shame. At the very top of the Dread Empire rules the Empress, who is always a daughter of the Renaxiirn family line, dating back to when the Renaxiirn family submitted the 13 other Kaahls. Renaxiirn is one of the 14 so called Great Kaahls, the Kathar term for Family. The boundaries of a Kaahl are often fluid, as non-Kathar can also be adopted into Kaahls. This practice is not too uncommon for non-Kathar slaves that a Kathar just happened to have fallen in love with. These 14 families effectively run the Dread Empire for the Empress, each of them controlling some part of Kathar society and large swathes of land. Beneath the Great Kaahls are the Lesser Kaahls, which are just the normal families of the Empire. These usually pledge allegiance to the Great Kaahl in whose land they live, though for Kathar living in Regalia, this is redundant as there are no Great Kaahls in Regalia. A branch of the Kaahl of Virraniirn exists among the Cult of Reason Kathar who reside on the northern part of Solleria, but it does not influence Regalian Kathar in any way.
Fashion
In Kathar fashion, the art of less is more is the go-to method. Kathar dress in as little as they can get away with, to be as enticing as possible. Usually, Kathar will have made necessary sacrifices or deals with Demons and Arken, having worked hard to show off what they have, and nothing will stop them from doing just that. That being said, those of the Cult of Reason and Cult of Pride have found that dressing by local sensibilities gets one much further in life than being contrarian, and as such, know well how to style themselves in the local fashions. Regal fashion is very common among the Cult of Reason and Pride in Regalia, and even the Cult of Power has taken a liking to it. Though, the Cult of Power and the Cult of the Wyld are just as likely to have some leather outfit with the necessary enticing body parts on display like an advertisement. Black, red, purple and white are commonly used colors, and darkened leather, white and black fur, and bird feathers are frequently used materials.
World View
World View is optional content that helps give Kathar flavor and depth.
- The Kathar are extremely pro-Occult, but hate anything to do with the Exist and think it’s all pretentious, clean, and overly sanitized nonsense. The Kathar acknowledge Exist forces as real, but consider them more dangerous than useful, because anything Exist inherently wants to destroy them. Most Kathar would like to have some powers or some sort of Magical enhancement, and one will never find a Kathar who speaks out against anything Magical.
- The Kathar love blood. Even the Cult of Reason has a cultural fascination with blood, whether it is in art or in the flesh. Because actual blood consumption and glorification has issues, the Cult of Reason Kathar have developed a type of synthetic blood from the nectar of the Rozzoth flower from the Dread Empire. This synthetic blood is not blood at all, that is to say it has none of the properties of blood and is deadly when injected into a person, but it looks and behaves exactly like real blood, and on top of that tastes deliciously sweet.
- A popular past time among the Kathar is Time-Poetry. The act of taking poems and writings of centuries past, seeing how badly Void Script has mutated the writing, and then trying as best as they can to decipher the original meaning as random words were replaced with other random words. Another form of this is Cackle-Poetry, which is the same, but attempting to distill a funny interpretation instead of the correct one.
- The Volay Circuit is insanely popular among the Kathar. Nothing much needs to be explained about this fact. There are also many Kathar who have lost limbs.
- Gift giving is important in Kathar culture, but also a dangerous one for those who do not fully understand it. Gifts can be given with the head bowed, in which case it is a normal gift, but a gift given with eye contact becomes a romantic expression. If the receiver accepts the gift, this is seen as a cultural acceptance and desire to form a romantic bond, something other Races are not aware of.
- Contraception and birth control are commonly consumed by the Kathar, because being with child for several months puts a damper on pleasure and fun. As such, the Kathar have developed a wide range of Alchemical solutions and potions.
- The Kathar love the use of bows, but especially more-so the use of spears and scimitars. This is why Isldar wielding scimitars are frequently mistaken for Kathar. Kathar armor is often also forged in such a way that it mimics bone-matter, and often also incorporates bone-sung materials, also used in their furniture.
- Kathar adore colorful homes with lots and lots of cloth and carpet and pillows. Kathar homes are often sickeningly colorful and downright jungles of plush and cotton. Warm colors are especially popular such as red, orange, yellow and purple, but cold colors like green and blue can also be found in contemplative and religious rooms.
- Kathar art is quite brutal, but also physically praising. Depictions often include Kathar in brutal combat, but also putting the physical superior and perfection onto display for the viewer. As such, Kathar art is commonly called “Brutalism”; or “Brutal Perfection”, and has found a niche audience among Ailor buyers.
- Many Kathar consider having a child from a Void Arken a life-goal. Many of them also chase Arken around the world as such, and many more become disappointed after their meetings with Arken, who often consider them worth less than the dirt they stand on. Still, Silven are of major importance among the Kathar.
- Kathar can use rather crude language, but don’t actually use foul words to describe others. Rather, the Kathar use snark, sarcasm, witticism or shade to insult one another. Using foul words to describe others is seen as a personal weakness and lack of intellect.
- Kathar, no matter the Cult, consider ignorance to be a grave crime. Nobody should exist in a place and not know the basic functions of the place, or the common hierarchy of politics in the area and the rules and laws. To be ignorant is to be undeserving of improvement by the Gods.
- The Kathar have a strong societal and personal element of slavery. The Kathar categorize Races in the three following categories: Current slave material, Soon to be enslaved material, and ‘I don’t care’. This remains even among the Cult of Reason, but they apply a stronger nuance to slavery by enticing others into indentured servitude, claiming that a predatory wage means all the difference in the world from ‘real’ slavery (it does not).
- Kathar love duels in all forms, whether they are based on wit, Magic, or might. Tournaments and honor duels attract a lot of Kathar spectators, and even participants, if permitted.
- The Kathar invented Chess, originally named Thonq, which was imported to Regalia and became very popular among the Ailor who are often oblivious to its origins. Kathar of all ages at least know how to play chess, though skill varies.
- Kathar silks have the same international reputation as Teledden silks and Suvial silks, though offers a more unique quality in that it is often see-through, of which the Kathar make plenty of use.
- The Kathar are omnivorous, but heavily lean towards being carnivores. Especially Shadow Bovine meat is very popular, and also the reason why the Kathar will never suffer from a famine, as Shadow Bovine love to reproduce almost as much as Kathar do.
- All Kathar possess a so called Rannoriim, which is a metal mask that is perfectly contoured to their face, and often magically attaches like a second skin. This mask can be used in combat, but conveys no actual combat benefits (as it is made of very thin metal), but contains intricate decorations and facial expressions, to present a ‘public face’, instead of the hidden true face.
- The Kathar do not consider Kathar culture something to be uniquely for them. Even the cruelest of Kathar do not consider only Kathar worthy of self-evolution. Even for their slaves, they have some twisted sense of ‘you deserve to become evolved and be better’. As a result, the Kathar engage in so-called Fenestrations of Melir, where they attempt to reach and convince others of the merits of Void-based evolution and the Kathar culture of freedom and self-glorifiying indulgence.
- The Dread Empire capital Parthanaar is a massive city, rivaling even Regalia in its sheer size. That being said, unlike Regalia, Parthanaar is a massive slum-city, where only the upper society Kaahls and the ruling classes live in excess, crushing the vast criminal underworld underneath with overbearing military might. It is said that there are only three ways out of Parthanaar, through the military, by running away like a coward, or in a coffin.
- Kathar love hallucinogenic liquor and drinks, the more exotic the effect the better. Kathar in general are avid consumers of alcoholic beverages. While one would not expect it, some Kathar have difficulty reaching their truly fully unchained mentality without the assistance of alcohol.
- Kathar, in line with sharing Kathar culture, will Dread Rebirth (A Kathar Special) anything they think they can get away with, as it always leaves a bit behind, even when removed from the subject. Dread Rebirth is not officially acknowledged by the Regalian State, who peripherally considers it Demonic corruption (and thus illegal), but this does not stop most Kathar.
- Kathar praise the beauty standard of less is more, both in terms of clothing they wear, but especially in the amount of mutations they have. Kathar in general pick anywhere between 1 to 2 mutations, and then focus their aesthetic sensibilities around this (horns are not classified as a mutation in Kathar society). Even among the Cult of the Wyld, mutations need to make sense and thematically be similar, not just random things attached to a person.
- The Kathar either pretend the Archdemon doesn’t exist, or disregard the Demon entirely because the Arken effectively usurped them. The Kathar are the only Race that believes that the Arken and the Void Gods killed the Archdemon.
- The Kathar have no preconceptions about monsters, superstitions, or Afflicted beings. Some Kathar in fact would love waking up with a monster at the foot of their bed, and would then proceed to either tame it, or make it their lover.
- Kathar rarely ever use Engineering. This is because they consider engineering to be weak and without the very thing they sustain themselves on: Magic. Even if engineering contains Magic, they still consider the base material crude and limited, preferring the most efficiently functioning Magical constructs which use a theoretically infinite power source.
- Kathar are a bit lukewarm on Vampirism. The Kathar have a unique special in that they are not affected by the mental changes occurring from Vampirism, and so they only use Vampirism for self-enrichment and the debauched lifestyle they aspire to. That being said, they also acknowledge Vampirism as some sort of failed experiment, and generally look down with pity on Vampires as parasites that can never quite achieve their level of Void connection. Their relationship with Vampires in general is very nuanced and filled with lots of ifs and buts, so it’s often a coin toss when finding out how a Kathar feels about Vampires, or indeed other Void Afflictions.
Trivia
- Due to the very basic connection to the Void, it is impossible for an Exist Mage or Exist Silven to be born among the Kathar.
- Despite their culture being so crude and brutal, Kathar are excellent purveyors and patrons of art. Even Dressolini operas have become common in the Dread Empire, with Dressolini slaves being particularly high in demand.
- There are many Cult of Power Kathar who live in the Allorn Empire, and even are Princes there, continuing to rule under the reborn Talea.
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