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[[File:Deathcool.png|260px|thumb|right|The Bene Rexit employs some of the most skilled Isldar warriors, this one clad in Summoned black metal Armor shaped to still mimic draconic claws and scales.]]
[[File:Medinkikf.png|260px|thumb|right|Manifesting Frost allows the Isldar to become one with the ice that they are so defined and themed by.]]
[[File:Medinkikf.png|260px|thumb|right|Manifesting Frost allows the Isldar to become one with the ice that they are so defined and themed by.]]
[[File:Isldork.png|260px|thumb|right|The Isldar do not have an extravagant dressing style, usually preferring muted or simple tones with little skin showing.]]
[[File:Darkpriesti.png|260px|thumb|right|Because the Bene Rexit was mostly made out of the Shivalëy Isldar, it has on average far more (Ordial) Mages than the Bene Vixit which has mostly warriors.]]
[[File:Darkpriesti.png|260px|thumb|right|Because the Bene Rexit was mostly made out of the Shivalëy Isldar, it has on average far more (Ordial) Mages than the Bene Vixit which has mostly warriors.]]
[[File:Isldork.png|260px|thumb|right|The Isldar do not have an extravagant dressing style, usually preferring muted or simple tones with little skin showing.]]
[[File:Vultalarv.png|260px|thumb|right|This Isldar with Summoned purple scale Armor also applied moon-themed war paint before going to battle.]]
[[File:Lookatheaddress.png|260px|thumb|right|Bene Rexit head dresses and clothing is some of the most extravagant and alien designed in the world.]]
[[File:Isldorihdhdhft.png|260px|thumb|right|Even if Life Isldar are just as closed off as Death Isldar are, they tend to look somewhat more inviting and benevolent.]]
[[File:Benegesseret.png|260px|thumb|right|Death Isldar on the other hand always know what they want and that they can get it, and dress to impress.]]
[[File:Ajred.png|260px|thumb|right|Isldar can grow body hair and facial hair but often have cultural reasons not to. They can also dye their hair (to escape the difficult MCskin white hair)]]


Mysterious, seclusive, elusive with hints of mysticism and an individualistic pride that sets them even further apart from the other Nelfin species than the already pre-existing Nelfin racial divisions. 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, or to enforce the cold hand of the inevitable. 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 an Ordial Entity took the place of the Dragons who perished to shepherd the Race for nearly 300 years. In recent years, the Isldar have devolved into an explosive civil war following the return of Dragons, oppositions between the Dragon loyal and those who would see their Ordial savior their true god growing to a boiling point. Eventually Isldar society split in two, and an uneasy truce settled between them favoring separation over mutual assured destruction. To this day, Isldar society remains one bitterly divided, two sides of the same coin presenting the Race as unique when compared to all other Races due to their intense societal divisions.  
Mysterious, seclusive, and individualist: this and more sets the Isldar apart, guardians of the icy wastes of [[Ellador]], and shepherds of the lost souls left behind by millennia of tragedy. The Isldar originated from the Dregodar in the [[Allorn Empire]], a cult of [[Dragon Worshipers]] who fled their homeland under persecution. Hard-pressed by both their former kinsmen and their enemies the [[Dwarves]], they barely managed to survive, at the cost of the Dragons they had sworn to protect. Following the rebirth of these Dragons, the Isldar have entered a bitter civil war: half siding with their ancient patrons, and the other half siding with the entity that protected them in their absence.


==Core Identity==
==Core Identity==
The Isldar are, at their core, a race of ice-themed Elves with a great deal of secrecy, misdirection, deception, and a healthy dose of personal distance. Out of all the Nelfin Races, the Isldar are the least likely to make friends, and even if they do, to keep a moderate distance and to avoid any overly stimulating social activities. Isldar are dogmatic, refusing to see the world in any other way than they were taught or discovered to be, and inflexible in their approach to matters. Isldar keep their feelings pent up inside, and let others see very little of their heart and mind, so as to protect themselves from a world that has not always looked kindly on them. From the days of the Allorn Empire, their Dragon cult being hunted down to extinction, from the Dwarves who were encouraged by the Allorn to wage war on them, to the Dorkarthi Vampires who wish to purge them from Ellador, and the Velheim Ailor who come in droves seeking the fortunes and wealth that the Isldar hoard in their icy homeland. And yet, Isldar are also intensely moved by the preservation of life and their obsession with death, this being the very breaking point that has divided their society in half.
The Isldar are a [[Race]] of ice-themed Elves who like to keep their distance from others. They are stereotyped as grim, stoic, and frosty people, unlikely to make friends, but incredibly loyal once they do. They are also stereotyped as dogmatic: taught a very particular way to see the world, and unwilling to easily split from it. These qualities are useful in a chaotic place like Regalia, because it means that an Isldar is difficult to sway, mislead, or corrupt. The centuries of war the Isldar have faced have left them battle-hardened, an army with a state, and they can boast of being the inventors of guerilla tactics and some of the best archers the world has to offer.


===Life versus Death===
===Life Against Death===
Isldar society is divided by its two main political bodies, the Bene Rexit which is the Ordial mortuary cult that obsesses over death, and the Bene Vixit which is the Primal life cult that obsesses over life preservation. Isldar society itself is divided between these cults due to their shared history. Once the Isldar were united as Dregodar, the Draconic Nelfin, however events spiraled out of control, culminating in the Scouring of Ellador, where their Dragon patron Asaph died, and the Undead Dragon Frisit was born. Unbeknownst to the Isldar, Frisit was actually an Ordial entity pretending to be a Dragon, and guided Isldar society for hundreds of years. Recent discoveries pushed this to the foreground, with Asaph re-establishing her dominion of life, while the Ordial entity known as Frisit has once more reached out after being banished when Asaph was resurrected, claiming to have been the true lord of the Isldar all along. There is no strict morality between the Bene Rexit and Bene Vixit. Death and Life cannot be neatly categorized as good and evil, because the Death cult does good things for bad reasons, and the Life cult does bad things for good reasons. Morality is always an individual perception and application, not a racial attribute.
The two sides in the Isldar Civil War are the Bene Vixit and the Bene Rexit, the Life and Death Cults respectively. The Bene Vixit are loyal to the Dragons who the Isldar originally swore to protect, while the Bene Rexit are loyal to the god of the dead which protected them while the Dragons were slain. Complicating the situation is that this god of the dead, [[Frisit]], pretended to be a Dragon until they were exposed by the return of the actual Dragons. The religious divide is so profound that they should be treated as separate cultures, and are described in more detail below.


===Silent Observation===
===Silent Observation===
Just because Isldar society is split between a death cult and a life cult however, does not mean that the life cult goes around the world and cures the sick, and the death cult moves about hurrying along anyone’s demise. The Isldar in fact are very observant, producing so called observation towers high up in the mountains from which they spy on the other Races below, gathering information and making analyses. Isldar are intensely analytical, preferring to have studied a situation from every angle before making any move. This is also why the life cult is not necessarily involved with saving people, but making the end more comfortable and allowing the end to be peaceful. The death cult on the other hand invokes the beauty of death and the finality of things, while also encouraging raging against the dying of the light, Undeadism, and the resurrection of Phantasms.  
The Isldar love watching. They construct observation towers where others do not go to take note of conditions around the world, and carefully gather information. All Isldar know the value of a good plan, and how important it is to study a situation from every angle and perspective before making a move.


===Occult Opposition===
===Occult Heritage===
One aspect that does unite the Isldar is their disgust with the Occult, specifically the Void and Exist tainted such as Mages, Vampires, Cahal, Crimson Witches, and more. The Bene Vixit Isldar have a very Dragon-inspired view of this, seeing all forms of Magic as an infection of the natural world and needing to be sent back to the dimension they came from. The Bene Rexit have a similar view, seeing Aloria has already been infected, and fighting this infection from also invading the Bintaar realm. While there is enough opposition between these two halves of Isldar society to invoke civil war and genocide on one another, this single aspect is one that most Isldar can hold hands over, and one of the few things in the world that might cause a Death and Life Isldar to work together towards a common goal, setting their internal squabbles aside. The Life Isldar tend to favor purification, any Mage born in their society is purified through Dragon Magic, while the Death Isldar tend to favor eradication, with any Mage born in their society not living very long, to be revived as a Magically incapable Undead.  
Before the return of the Dragons, the Isldar freely practiced Magic, being mostly Exist Mages. Both Bene Vixit and Rexit Isldar still retain a large number of Exist Mages, but both would like to alter their Magic type to their respective deities’. New Bene Vixit magic users favor Primal Magic and the [[Archon]] affliction, while new Bene Rexit magic users favor [[Ordial]] Magic and the [[Geist]] affliction. Over time, it is expected that most will convert or be cleansed, but since the civil war began very recently, there are quite a few Exist Mages left.


===Qfizat Hadre===
===Qfizat Hadre===
The practice of Qfizat Hadre to the Isldar is the idea of being “everywhere all at once”. The Isldar, due to their analytical and pensive nature, make excellent advisors and analysts. While the majority of Isldar live in Ellador, many of them spread out across the world, attempting to secure positions close to power in the ruling classes. It is not uncommon to find both a Bene Rexit and Bene Vixit Isldar advisor in the courts of all major Kingdoms and Empires, acting as advisors on all matters Draconic and Ordial insofar those realms are aware of the inherent dangers of the Undead and the mysterious machinations of the Dragons. The Bene Rexit and Vixit use a mixture of manipulation, orchestration, deception and seduction in younger years to secure a right hand position. They differ from Slizzar however in that they take no pleasure in steering events. Rather, they serve their function to the legitimate best of their abilities, but also use the situation to gather information to report back to their priestly organizations, resulting in the Bene Rexit and Bene Vexit being some of the most well informed organizations in the world. This fact is well known among many of the ruling classes of Aloria, but is considered an acceptable price for the wealth of advice and support that having an Isldar advisor gives in exchange, and how one is always at a disadvantage if blacklisted by the Bene Rexit and Bene Vixit from getting advisors.  
Qfizat Hadre is Isldarrin for “being everywhere at once.While most Isldar live in Ellador, there is a large Isldar diaspora around the world serving as advisors in the courts of major Kingdoms and Empires. Both Bene Vixit and Rexit have made themselves indispensable, offering valuable advice on the machinations of their respective patrons and the Magic of their dimensions. While it is known they also spy for their orders, this is seen as an acceptable price for their service.


===Isldar in Regalia===
===Isldar in Regalia===
Isldar are fairly common in Regalia in comparison to the rest of the world, mostly because Regalia is an excellent nexus of information. Both the Bene Rexit and Bene Vixit have multiple advisors attached to the Imperial Court of the Emperor, while several members of these organizations are also dispersed into the lower courts of the Dukes, Duchess and Duchets of the Empire. Isldar enjoy a fairly positive relation to the Regalian Empire, with recent attempts from the Regalian Empire to assist the Life Cult in their resistance against the Death Cult. As such, it could be speculated that the Regalian Empire has a more favorable view of the Life Cult, but Death Cult Isldar are still welcome, and present in advisory circles of the ruling classes. Regular Isldar have also come to Regalia as adventurers, craftsmen, or just refugees trying to get away from the occasional violence between the Cults in Ellador. Regalia remains a great gathering point for an exciting life, and sometimes Isldar just wants to escape the boring monotony of the frozen wastes.  
Isldar are fairly common in [[Regalia]], because there is a lot to learn there. Not just the noble advisors, but also large companies of common Isldar journey through the land, hoping to find connections and make their fortune. It is implied that Regalia has a better relationship with the Life Cult because its members are often less dangerous (and always less macabre!), but Death Cult Isldar are also welcome.


==Design==
==Design==
===Physical Characteristics===
===Physical Characteristics===
In many ways, Isldar are nearly identical to Teledden, being more slender than tall than Ailor, with a much paler skin and with long pointy ears, ears that are often longer and sharper than most Nelfin Race ears. Isldar have pointy facial features giving them a strict or haughty appearance. Both Death and Life Isldar can have black or white hair colors (though in Regalia, they often dye it other colors). Isldar are capable of becoming more muscular like the Fin’ullen, but have to work harder to get there. Isldar can also grow facial hair and body hair, but usually shave this off for cultural reasons, except when they have adapted to the social environment of other societies, like Regalia. Isldar are usually on the tall side, and have a couple of flexible transformations that can alter their appearance further. The only real way to tell the Bene Rexit and Bene Vixit apart, and by extension the Death and Life Isldar, is that the Life Isldar have any shade of purple irises with blue specks in them (and possibly blue or gray or black sclera), and the Death Isldar have any shade of green irises with light blue specks in them (and possible blue or gray or black sclera). Isldar always have pink to pale pink skin (with some colorations due to Specials), and are capable of being asian-coded in their appearance.  
Isldar are similar to [[Teledden]] (the High Elves). Like all [[Nelfin]], they are more slender and tall than Humans. Isldar specifically have pale skin and long, pointy ears, longer than those of other Nelfin Races. Death and Life Isldar can have natural black or white hair, though many dye it other colors. The only real way to tell Death and Life Isldar apart is that Life Isldar have purple irises with blue specks in them, while Death Isldar have green irises with blue specks in them. Both kinds may also have blue, green, or black sclera.


==Summary of Racial Abilities==
==Summary of Racial Abilities==
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. Isldar have mostly Specials and Abilities aimed around the Life and Death themes, as well as Ice and Draconic aesthetics from their history as a Dragon Cult. Half Isldar have access to the Isldar Abilities, and all Specials except Soul Attuned, and Scouring of Ellador.  
Racial Abilities are usable in combat and for an advantage, while Specials are aesthetic. Isldar abilities are themed around their Life and Death cults, with an overarching ice aesthetic. Half Race characters select a Dominant parent, and take all the Racials & Specials from that dominant parent. (In this case, a dominant parent Isldar would be Half-Isldar) Half races must have a majority of their physical features come from their dominant parent, including which is including but not limited to skin tone, hair or fur color, ear shape, or eye color.
===Abilities===
===Abilities===
{| class="wikitable"  
{| class="wikitable"  
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! Ability Description
! Ability Description
! Modifiers
! Modifiers
|-
| style="background-color:#cee5ed;" | Frost Immune
| Constant Passive
| {{#simple-tooltip: Self | Self Range means that it applies to the user themselves, or something they can directly touch after casting it.}}
| Grants the user {{#simple-tooltip: Frost Immune | The user is immune to any damaging properties of frost, cold, or ice, whether that is from a Mundane Technique, Ability, or Environment. The user can simply wade through a blizzard or freezing water without it hurting them, and their visibility is not reduced in a snow flurry. This does not apply to optional ice aesthetics being applied to Magic Abilities other than Ice Magic Pack, but it does make them Immune to Ice Magic Pack’s Ability. The user also does not feel temperatures when they are cold.
}}
| N/A
|-
|-
| style="background-color:#cee5ed;" | Armor Summon
| style="background-color:#cee5ed;" | Armor Summon
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===Specials===
===Specials===
* '''Scouring of Ellador:''' Regardless of whether the Life or Death, Isldar support what happened during the Scouring, every Isldar there and every Isldar born since has had an undeniable connection to Ice and the cold. Every Isldar gains the [[Magic Point Buy]] Ice Magic Pack for free, classified as Primal Magic for Life Isldar, and Ordial Magic for Death Isldar. This Pack does not cause them to be Occult of any kind, unless they purchase more Magic Packs, and this free Pack becomes Void or Exist.
All Specials are purely aesthetic and cannot be used in combat.
* '''Manifesting Frost:''' Both Death and Life Isldar can manifest frost onto themselves, which has a number of optional effects. Firstly, a mandatory effect is that their skin becomes blue tinted, whether light blue, only a blue hue, or more vibrant dark blue. Secondly, their skin may develop patches of ice and snow, their hair may become akin to shards of ice, and their body may give off an ambient frozen temperature, with small snow and ice crystals sparkling in the air around them.  
* '''Scouring of Ellador:''' Isldar gain the [[Spell Point Buy]] Specials Snow Element, Cold Immune, Arcane Sight, and Altered Voice without needing a Spell Point Buy investment.
* '''Cleansing Snow:''' Both Death and Life Isldar can choose to cleanse their skin of any imperfections such as scars, burns, bruises, tattoos, wrinkles, freckles, and more. Additionally, any mutations manifested on them from whatever source may be cleansed by choice at any time, even if they were Void or Exist manifested.
* '''Manifesting Frost:''' Isldar may optionally have blue-tinted skin with patches of ice and snow, and turn their hair to ice.
* '''Ageless:''' The Isldar are Ageless, meaning they never show aging. When they become adults, Isldar simply appear as if they are young adults forever, unless they choose not to. Any Isldar 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 Isldar might for example choose to appear like a 70 year old Ailor with whitened hair and wrinkles, while a 300 year old Isldar might choose to appear like a 25 year old Ailor with smooth skin and youthful features.
* '''Cleansing Snow:''' Isldar may cleanse their bodies of imperfections and mutations at any time.
* '''Frostmancy:''' Even the simplest and untrained of Isldar have some innate telekinetic ability, and control over the snow and ice. All Isldar can perform varying degrees of Telekinesis, being able to move objects around with their hands from a distance. Unlike other Nelfin Arcane Mastery however, they cannot automate tasks. Isldar use flash-frozen air and ice crystals as an extension of their body, for example by adding a gust of cold air to their arms to extend their reach, allowing them to fetch items, or close doors from a distance. These extended gestures are always visible and cannot be used in combat or to steal items (unless used as aesthetic for some Rogue Packs).
* '''Ageless:''' Adult Isldar may appear of any age they wish, so long as that age is also adult.
* '''Soul Attuned:''' Isldar can see the Soul Rivers of the world, the white glowing streams of essence and energy that flow through the air in various directions, just like the Songaskians can, though unlike them, they can interact with them. Life Isldar can repair damage and infection in the Soul Rivers when they find any in Progressions, and let a Soul properly pass on to prevent it from becoming Undead in roleplay. Death Isldar on the other hand can prevent Soul Essence from properly passing on to ensure a person becomes Undead in roleplay, while they can also disrupt the flow of the Soul Rivers and create a blurry reading of memories in a certain area in Progressions.  
* '''Frostmancy:''' Isldar have innate telekinesis, and control over snow and ice around them.
* '''Planar Script:''' Isldar can manifest Primal (Purple glowing lines and writing) or Ordial (Green glowing lines and writing) in un-readable Primal or Ordial script depending on their Life or Death type. They may cause these lines to glow brighter or dimmer, remove them or add more, or have them react to certain mood or Ability conditions. Death Isldar can only ever use green, while Life Isldar can only ever use purple.  
* '''Soul Attuned:''' Isldar can see the Soul Rivers of the world, white glowing streams of essence that flow through the air. Life Isldar can repair damaged Soul Rivers, while Death Isldar can bend them around a dying person to ensure they become Undead, as well as remove the ability to read memories from an area in Progressions.
* '''Tail Manifest:''' If an Isldar is actively using Summon Armor (scales for Life, black metal for death), the Isldar may also optionally manifest a prehensile tail made of the same materials that they can use to hold and fetch objects. This tail is also semi-permanent so long as they keep up their armor, but will appear if all scales and black metal also disappears. This tail cannot be used in Combat.  
* '''Planar Script:''' Isldar can manifest and remove Primal or Ordial script on their bodies.
*'''Dragon Speech:''' Life Isldar only (Death Cult Isldar do not have this Special) are capable of speaking and understanding Dragon Speech or Wyrmtongue either when it is spoken by Dragons, or by others. Dragon Speech is a unique language because it cannot be learned the traditional way, only specific Races and Afflictions have access to it. Additionally, it is also a language that defies being written down or even being recorded, as the sound just becomes gibberish when any type of recording medium is used to try and replay it, even memory [[Abilities]].
* '''Tail Manifest:''' If an Isldar is using Armor Summon, they may also summon an aesthetic armor tail to go with it.
*'''Death Speech:''' Death Isldar only (Life Cult Isldar do not have this Special) are capable of speaking and understanding Death Speech or Shadetongue either when it is spoken by Ordial Entities, or by others. Death Speech is a unique language because it cannot be learned the traditional way, only specific Races and Afflictions have access to it. Additionally, it is also a language that has no defined alphabet and cannot be properly read, the runes and markings varying between the cultures and Ordial cults that use it, though it is always identifiable as Deathspeech. It also defies being recorded, as the sound just becomes gibberish when any type of recording medium is used to try and replay it, even memory Abilities.
*'''Dragon Speech:''' All Life Isldar can understand Dragon Speech / Wyrmtongue.
*'''Death Speech:''' All Death Isldar can understand Death Speech / Shadetongue.
*'''Isldar Aesthetics:''' All Isldar may choose to apply ice and snow aesthetics to their Abilities.
 
==Culture==
{| class="wikitable"
{| style="color: black; background-color: #9FAFB7; width: 90%;" align="center"
! colspan="3" |
Isldar Cultures
|- style="background:#eee;"
| rowspan="2" style="width: 7%; text-align:center;" |
'''Bene Vixit'''
[[File:Isldarlife.png|100px]]
|
The Bene Vixit, or Life Cult, are the Isldar who stayed loyal to the Dragons. They are strongly influenced by their religion: their patron Dragon Asaph’s beliefs dictate how they live their lives. The Bene Vixit tend to be more pro-Regalia, because Regalia helped them temporarily in the Civil War. They have a high proportion of warriors among their number, because the soldiering caste of the Isldar threw in its lot with the Dragons upon their return.
|- style="background:white;"
|
* The Bene Vixit are all about staying true to the Dregodar and the ancient values of the Isldar, to safeguard the living.
* The Bene Vixit speak Sulvaley, the Isldar language, which is a Nelfin dialect influenced by real-world Arabic phonetics.
* The Bene Vixit are expected to be stern and taciturn, dependable people who are difficult to read but always show up in a pinch.
* The Bene Vixit are universally Dragon Worshipers, following the Dragon Asaph. Conversion away is very rare, but can happen in diaspora sometimes.
* The Bene Vixit are disinterested in politics, because Ellador does not have kings. They will back anything that supports Dragons’ interests.
* The Bene Vixit are apathetic about Occult, having many Exist Mages left over. They love anything Dragon-related, and hate anything Ordial-related.
* The Bene Vixit love purple, Wyvern-riding, the open air and sky, chill breezes, a good hunt, felling monstrous creatures, and honest soldiering.
|- style="background:#eee;"
| rowspan="2" style="width: 7%; text-align:center;" |
'''Bene Rexit'''
[[File:Isldardeath.png|100px]]
|
The Bene Rexit, or Death Cult, revel in the glory of the slain. Each soul taken by their hands is sent to their patron, the death god Frisit, who eagerly awaits their tribute until the day that she is strong enough to conquer the world for them. Like the Bene Vixit, they too are influenced by their patron’s beliefs. They have many Mages among them, because the old Mage-priest caste of the Isldar proved loyal to Frisit in the end.
|- style="background:white;"
|
* The Bene Rexit are all about raging against the dying of the light, living their lives spectacularly, loudly, and exactly how they want to.
* The Bene Rexit speak Sulvaley, the Isldar language, which is a Nelfin dialect influenced by real-world Arabic phonetics.
* The Bene Rexit are expected to be flamboyant and full of bravado, charismatic people who know their own worth.
* The Bene Rexit are universally Ordial Cultists, following the death god Frisit (the Glacial). Conversion away is completely nonexistent.
* The Bene Rexit are disinterested in politics, because Ellador does not have kings. They will back anything that supports their own interests.
* The Bene Rexit are apathetic about Occult, having many Exist Mages left over. They love anything Ordial-related, and hate anything Dragon-related.
* The Bene Rexit love green, catacombs, dark colors, literature, the beauty of high fashion, feeling in control, and learning arcane secrets.
|}
|}
 
==Language==
[[File:Vultalarv.png|260px|thumb|right|This Isldar with Summoned purple scale Armor also applied moon-themed war paint before going to battle.]]
[[File:Lookatheaddress.png|260px|thumb|right|Bene Rexit head dresses and clothing is some of the most extravagant and alien designed in the world.]]
[[File:Isldorihdhdhft.png|260px|thumb|right|Even if Life Isldar are just as closed off as Death Isldar are, they tend to look somewhat more inviting and benevolent.]]
[[File:Benegesseret.png|260px|thumb|right|Death Isldar on the other hand always know what they want and that they can get it, and dress to impress.]]
[[File:Ajred.png|260px|thumb|right|Isldar can grow body hair and facial hair but often have cultural reasons not to. They can also dye their hair (to escape the difficult MCskin white hair)]]
 
As earlier described, the Isldarrin language, [[Sulvaley]], shares a family with other Nelfin languages. It has diverged somewhat over the centuries the Isldar have spent in Ellador since their departure from the Allorn Empire. Sulvaley is ascribed Arabic phonetics, with glottal stops and harsh consonants not found in most other Nelfin vocabularies.
 
'''Example Isldar male coded names:''' Arfa, Eriannan, Irifa, Ursal, Arqaam, Arslan, Aryaan, Irsaley, Ercaror, Henqaan. Most Isldarrin male names start with vowels, and double As are common.
 
'''Example Isldar female coded names:''' Almeya, Cuadhïra, Erthira, Kharaera, Vyara. They can also be made by modifying male coded names. For example, Erianna, Ursaela, Arslanna, Irsaleya, Ercantha, Henqaena.


==More Lore yet to come==
Isldar names are not very complicated. In addition to their first name, most have a last name, but some Isldar do not bother. When decades are spent in the field, many soldiers abandon the difficulty of a second word to remember.
While we are in the middle of our Proficiency update, there was not yet enough time to finish up the Culture of the Isldar, explaining the two halves of Isldar society in Life and Death cults. These will follow some time after the Proficiency update is done. For now, old history and information is still applicable, these changes occur through an IC sequence of events, and having been true in the past does not change.
==Religion==
The Isldar are bitterly divided along religious lines. The Life Cult worships Asaph from [[Dragon Worship]], while the Death Cult worships Frisit ([[The Glacial]]) from [[Ordial]] Worship. To learn more about these beings’ beliefs and how to worship them beyond the surface level, reading the linked pages is encouraged.
==Families==
===Childhood===
Isldar children are often communally raised. Their parents might be often away at other holds, at observatory centers, or at war. This means that they have a very open-ended perspective from very early on concerning social bonds, and get into the easy habit of forming new relationships quickly. Physical exercise and drills are encouraged, and while outsiders might describe the whole process as austere, Isldarrin children often leave their young years healthy and with a wide range of experiences both inside their breathtaking holds and outside in the wilderness of Ellador, learning what it takes to survive the frost and keep your bearings.
===Adulthood===
The Isldarrin concept of adulthood is dominated by civic duty. With how Ellador has been since their arrival, this usually means military duty. All Isldar are brought in for conscription at the age of twenty, and taught a series of standard weapons, traditionally the bow and the spear. Most do not see active duty immediately, because the style of guerilla warfare the Isldar prefer means that very few units are operating at any given time. However, with the outbreak of the civil war within Isldar society and the upheaval of more intense Vampiric and Regalian invasions, the Isldar of recent years have been exposed to an unusual amount of bloodshed. Upon completing a single mandatory tour, Isldar are given the option to leave Ellador, an option which many take: better to adventure out in the world, than to stay as a footman at home.
===Romance & Gender Norms===
Isldar romance is perhaps one of the most stiff things imaginable: their famous lack of comedy and social wit would make an observer question whether that stiffness is an intentional element they throw in to make things easier. However, on the flipside, it is extremely honest. There are no cat-and-mouse games, veiled declarations of affection, and tree-shade flirting among the Isldar. Intentions are stated openly and honestly, and accepted or declined much the same without contest. The Isldar do not have gender norms: all must learn to fight, all must learn to excel at the same roles in life, and all must do their duty to their country.
==Fashion==
Isldarrin fashion differs between the Bene Vixit and the Bene Rexit. Both follow the basic rules of Nelfin clothing: robes are in style, long sleeves, and flowing, patterned fabric. The Life Isldar favor generally lighter colors and looser, more practical clothes which keep the roughness of the wilderness off of them. Tough cloaks and leather boots are common, as is anything that keeps them safe, and can double as limited protection in the case of an attack. Practicality is key. The Death Isldar, meanwhile, dress to impress - their priests wear outlandish headdresses, while even the laymen have an impeccable sense of style. Black and dark gothic styles are everywhere, impractically high heels as well, and stunning multicolor makeup that can sometimes take up to an hour to apply. The Bene Rexit do not go anywhere without looking on point.
==World View==
World View is optional content that helps give Isldar flavor and depth.
* The historical enemies of the Isldar are the Dwarves, the [[Dorkarth]] Vampires, [[Hedryll]], and the Regalian Empire. The Dwarves because they aggressed on them upon arriving in Ellador and because the Dwarves are responsible for Asaph’s original death, and the other three because they have been making steady incursions into Isldar territory in the past hundred years.
* Both Life and Death Isldar keep [[Wyverns]] as their mounts of choice, and fancy themselves the best riders in [[Aloria]]. The outbreak of the Civil War has seen some breathtaking Wyvernback duels between champion Isldar in the frosty clouds of Ellador.
* Life Isldar form life bonds with their Wyverns. They believe that if their Wyvern perishes, the next they acquire is their reincarnation, and go to painstaking lengths to find a new mount that was born the day their previous one died.
* Isldar are excellent choral singers, and also favor the harp. Their music is credited as holding a certain angelic quality seldom seen, and their hymns are traditionally used as the closing act in famous operas and stagehouses around Aloria.
* Isldarrin sports always have a military angle to them. For example, javelin throwing is popular, but only because being good at throwing a javelin during downtime translates to being good at throwing a javelin when in the front lines of a snowstorm skirmish.
* Isldar love symposiums and debates. They are deeply individualistic, and having a platform to make their positions known to one another is seen as cathartic and relaxing. This tendency to debate for fun can create little social faux pas with those who don’t understand.
* Isldar also love hunting. Life Isldar because it is the divine wish of Asaph that her followers should test the limits of her infinite creations, and Death Isldar because Frisit is pleased by the tribute of souls, even ones that do not come from sentient enemies.
* Isldar are famously blunt, and do not have a concept of irony or sarcasm in their culture. This can lead to two things: firstly, statements on their part can be unintentionally comedic, and secondarily, they can miss or ignore implications in things others say.
* Death Isldar decorate their Undead followers lavishly, offering them tribute in gold, fine silks, and embellished armor so that their good appearance can reflect favorably back on them. Matching outfits are considered in vogue.
* The Isldar live in so-called ‘Moon Vaults,’ ice palaces etched into the sides of the mountains and filled with countless bedazzled halls which shine in the moonlight. They are so named because their inner vaults only open to a particular series of keys when the moon is full.
* The (in)famous metal known as ‘Skysteel’ was recently revealed to be an elaborate ploy by the Bene Rexit to lure gullible Ailor into Ellador to kill them and steal their belongings (and souls.)
* The Isldar mostly subsist on fruits and arctic fauna, but their most famous culinary export is a dessert called a moon pie, two pastries with a thick circle of chilled vanilla icing sticking them together.
* Isldar love hiking and difficult terrain. In Regalia, this means that many Isldar take to parkour, something they invite strangers along on frequently just for the experience. Crookback residents frequently complain about the clatter of Isldar feet on their shoddy roofs at nighttime.
* The Isldar are masters of guerilla warfare. They invented it, and benefit from being immune to the cold on a continent which is hilly and consistently below zero degrees. To challenge them on their own terrain is nothing short of foolhardy.
* The Isldar language is suited for spoken poetry, having a reputation for well-paced emotional reflections on the nature of life and the self among their Nelfin cousin races. Quite a few Teledden, even, have taken to the ‘Isldarriyát’ genre of quatrains.
* Death Isldar consider husky, hoarse voices desirable in both speech and music. They surmise among themselves that this preference comes from the harsh syllables naturally present in Deathspeech leaking over into their other languages.
* Death Isldar courtship rituals involve eliminating all other potential suitors, literally. The road to romance is fraught with saber duels under moonlight.
* The Isldar like to play checkers. Not because it is considered mentally challenging, but because the white pieces are a metaphor for the Life Isldar and the black pieces are a metaphor for the Death Isldar: different colors, but the same shape.
* Life Isldar handle Undead by giving them ‘penance periods,’ a window of grace after which they will hunt them and put them down on the spot. In Ellador, some Undead surprisingly accept this fate with grace, but the same cannot be expected in Regalia.
* Isldar liquor is all berry-flavored and very sweet. Cloudberries, blueberries, blackberries. It is drunk in shots and is always a pleasant stomach-warmer in Ellador’s cold temperatures.
==Trivia==
* Isldar cannot feel cold food. It all tastes perfectly warm to them.
* Ellador hosts the world’s only bi-annual Dart and Backflip Tournament.
* There is a romance novel involving a Maquixtl shieldmaiden and an Isldar huntress.
 
{{Races}}
{{Accreditation
|Artists = MonMarty
|Writers = MonMarty, OkaDoka
|Processors = MonMarty, FireFan96
}}
[[category:races]] [[category:Magus Races]]

Revision as of 23:18, 25 September 2022

Isldar
Isldarpslasho.png
Race
Pronunciation Ysel-dar
Classification Nelfin
Subraces None
Common Nicknames
  • Frostlings (derogatory)
  • Frozen People (derogatory)
  • Frost Horrors (derogatory)
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 500 years
Height Tall
Eye Colors Any shade of purple if Life Isldar, any shade of green if Death Isldar
Hair Colors Black or White, regardless of which cult they belong to
Skin Tones Skin1.png
Manifesting Frost allows the Isldar to become one with the ice that they are so defined and themed by.
The Isldar do not have an extravagant dressing style, usually preferring muted or simple tones with little skin showing.
Because the Bene Rexit was mostly made out of the Shivalëy Isldar, it has on average far more (Ordial) Mages than the Bene Vixit which has mostly warriors.

Mysterious, seclusive, and individualist: this and more sets the Isldar apart, guardians of the icy wastes of Ellador, and shepherds of the lost souls left behind by millennia of tragedy. The Isldar originated from the Dregodar in the Allorn Empire, a cult of Dragon Worshipers who fled their homeland under persecution. Hard-pressed by both their former kinsmen and their enemies the Dwarves, they barely managed to survive, at the cost of the Dragons they had sworn to protect. Following the rebirth of these Dragons, the Isldar have entered a bitter civil war: half siding with their ancient patrons, and the other half siding with the entity that protected them in their absence.

Core Identity

The Isldar are a Race of ice-themed Elves who like to keep their distance from others. They are stereotyped as grim, stoic, and frosty people, unlikely to make friends, but incredibly loyal once they do. They are also stereotyped as dogmatic: taught a very particular way to see the world, and unwilling to easily split from it. These qualities are useful in a chaotic place like Regalia, because it means that an Isldar is difficult to sway, mislead, or corrupt. The centuries of war the Isldar have faced have left them battle-hardened, an army with a state, and they can boast of being the inventors of guerilla tactics and some of the best archers the world has to offer.

Life Against Death

The two sides in the Isldar Civil War are the Bene Vixit and the Bene Rexit, the Life and Death Cults respectively. The Bene Vixit are loyal to the Dragons who the Isldar originally swore to protect, while the Bene Rexit are loyal to the god of the dead which protected them while the Dragons were slain. Complicating the situation is that this god of the dead, Frisit, pretended to be a Dragon until they were exposed by the return of the actual Dragons. The religious divide is so profound that they should be treated as separate cultures, and are described in more detail below.

Silent Observation

The Isldar love watching. They construct observation towers where others do not go to take note of conditions around the world, and carefully gather information. All Isldar know the value of a good plan, and how important it is to study a situation from every angle and perspective before making a move.

Occult Heritage

Before the return of the Dragons, the Isldar freely practiced Magic, being mostly Exist Mages. Both Bene Vixit and Rexit Isldar still retain a large number of Exist Mages, but both would like to alter their Magic type to their respective deities’. New Bene Vixit magic users favor Primal Magic and the Archon affliction, while new Bene Rexit magic users favor Ordial Magic and the Geist affliction. Over time, it is expected that most will convert or be cleansed, but since the civil war began very recently, there are quite a few Exist Mages left.

Qfizat Hadre

Qfizat Hadre is Isldarrin for “being everywhere at once.” While most Isldar live in Ellador, there is a large Isldar diaspora around the world serving as advisors in the courts of major Kingdoms and Empires. Both Bene Vixit and Rexit have made themselves indispensable, offering valuable advice on the machinations of their respective patrons and the Magic of their dimensions. While it is known they also spy for their orders, this is seen as an acceptable price for their service.

Isldar in Regalia

Isldar are fairly common in Regalia, because there is a lot to learn there. Not just the noble advisors, but also large companies of common Isldar journey through the land, hoping to find connections and make their fortune. It is implied that Regalia has a better relationship with the Life Cult because its members are often less dangerous (and always less macabre!), but Death Cult Isldar are also welcome.

Design

Physical Characteristics

Isldar are similar to Teledden (the High Elves). Like all Nelfin, they are more slender and tall than Humans. Isldar specifically have pale skin and long, pointy ears, longer than those of other Nelfin Races. Death and Life Isldar can have natural black or white hair, though many dye it other colors. The only real way to tell Death and Life Isldar apart is that Life Isldar have purple irises with blue specks in them, while Death Isldar have green irises with blue specks in them. Both kinds may also have blue, green, or black sclera.

Summary of Racial Abilities

Racial Abilities are usable in combat and for an advantage, while Specials are aesthetic. Isldar abilities are themed around their Life and Death cults, with an overarching ice aesthetic. Half Race characters select a Dominant parent, and take all the Racials & Specials from that dominant parent. (In this case, a dominant parent Isldar would be Half-Isldar) Half races must have a majority of their physical features come from their dominant parent, including which is including but not limited to skin tone, hair or fur color, ear shape, or eye color.

Abilities

Ability Name Ability Type Ability Range Ability Description Modifiers
Armor Summon Summon Power Self

Grants the user Armor Summon

Isldar Modifier

Specials

All Specials are purely aesthetic and cannot be used in combat.

  • Scouring of Ellador: Isldar gain the Spell Point Buy Specials Snow Element, Cold Immune, Arcane Sight, and Altered Voice without needing a Spell Point Buy investment.
  • Manifesting Frost: Isldar may optionally have blue-tinted skin with patches of ice and snow, and turn their hair to ice.
  • Cleansing Snow: Isldar may cleanse their bodies of imperfections and mutations at any time.
  • Ageless: Adult Isldar may appear of any age they wish, so long as that age is also adult.
  • Frostmancy: Isldar have innate telekinesis, and control over snow and ice around them.
  • Soul Attuned: Isldar can see the Soul Rivers of the world, white glowing streams of essence that flow through the air. Life Isldar can repair damaged Soul Rivers, while Death Isldar can bend them around a dying person to ensure they become Undead, as well as remove the ability to read memories from an area in Progressions.
  • Planar Script: Isldar can manifest and remove Primal or Ordial script on their bodies.
  • Tail Manifest: If an Isldar is using Armor Summon, they may also summon an aesthetic armor tail to go with it.
  • Dragon Speech: All Life Isldar can understand Dragon Speech / Wyrmtongue.
  • Death Speech: All Death Isldar can understand Death Speech / Shadetongue.
  • Isldar Aesthetics: All Isldar may choose to apply ice and snow aesthetics to their Abilities.

Culture

Isldar Cultures

Bene Vixit Isldarlife.png

The Bene Vixit, or Life Cult, are the Isldar who stayed loyal to the Dragons. They are strongly influenced by their religion: their patron Dragon Asaph’s beliefs dictate how they live their lives. The Bene Vixit tend to be more pro-Regalia, because Regalia helped them temporarily in the Civil War. They have a high proportion of warriors among their number, because the soldiering caste of the Isldar threw in its lot with the Dragons upon their return.

  • The Bene Vixit are all about staying true to the Dregodar and the ancient values of the Isldar, to safeguard the living.
  • The Bene Vixit speak Sulvaley, the Isldar language, which is a Nelfin dialect influenced by real-world Arabic phonetics.
  • The Bene Vixit are expected to be stern and taciturn, dependable people who are difficult to read but always show up in a pinch.
  • The Bene Vixit are universally Dragon Worshipers, following the Dragon Asaph. Conversion away is very rare, but can happen in diaspora sometimes.
  • The Bene Vixit are disinterested in politics, because Ellador does not have kings. They will back anything that supports Dragons’ interests.
  • The Bene Vixit are apathetic about Occult, having many Exist Mages left over. They love anything Dragon-related, and hate anything Ordial-related.
  • The Bene Vixit love purple, Wyvern-riding, the open air and sky, chill breezes, a good hunt, felling monstrous creatures, and honest soldiering.

Bene Rexit Isldardeath.png

The Bene Rexit, or Death Cult, revel in the glory of the slain. Each soul taken by their hands is sent to their patron, the death god Frisit, who eagerly awaits their tribute until the day that she is strong enough to conquer the world for them. Like the Bene Vixit, they too are influenced by their patron’s beliefs. They have many Mages among them, because the old Mage-priest caste of the Isldar proved loyal to Frisit in the end.

  • The Bene Rexit are all about raging against the dying of the light, living their lives spectacularly, loudly, and exactly how they want to.
  • The Bene Rexit speak Sulvaley, the Isldar language, which is a Nelfin dialect influenced by real-world Arabic phonetics.
  • The Bene Rexit are expected to be flamboyant and full of bravado, charismatic people who know their own worth.
  • The Bene Rexit are universally Ordial Cultists, following the death god Frisit (the Glacial). Conversion away is completely nonexistent.
  • The Bene Rexit are disinterested in politics, because Ellador does not have kings. They will back anything that supports their own interests.
  • The Bene Rexit are apathetic about Occult, having many Exist Mages left over. They love anything Ordial-related, and hate anything Dragon-related.
  • The Bene Rexit love green, catacombs, dark colors, literature, the beauty of high fashion, feeling in control, and learning arcane secrets.

Language

This Isldar with Summoned purple scale Armor also applied moon-themed war paint before going to battle.
Bene Rexit head dresses and clothing is some of the most extravagant and alien designed in the world.
Even if Life Isldar are just as closed off as Death Isldar are, they tend to look somewhat more inviting and benevolent.
Death Isldar on the other hand always know what they want and that they can get it, and dress to impress.
Isldar can grow body hair and facial hair but often have cultural reasons not to. They can also dye their hair (to escape the difficult MCskin white hair)

As earlier described, the Isldarrin language, Sulvaley, shares a family with other Nelfin languages. It has diverged somewhat over the centuries the Isldar have spent in Ellador since their departure from the Allorn Empire. Sulvaley is ascribed Arabic phonetics, with glottal stops and harsh consonants not found in most other Nelfin vocabularies.

Example Isldar male coded names: Arfa, Eriannan, Irifa, Ursal, Arqaam, Arslan, Aryaan, Irsaley, Ercaror, Henqaan. Most Isldarrin male names start with vowels, and double As are common.

Example Isldar female coded names: Almeya, Cuadhïra, Erthira, Kharaera, Vyara. They can also be made by modifying male coded names. For example, Erianna, Ursaela, Arslanna, Irsaleya, Ercantha, Henqaena.

Isldar names are not very complicated. In addition to their first name, most have a last name, but some Isldar do not bother. When decades are spent in the field, many soldiers abandon the difficulty of a second word to remember.

Religion

The Isldar are bitterly divided along religious lines. The Life Cult worships Asaph from Dragon Worship, while the Death Cult worships Frisit (The Glacial) from Ordial Worship. To learn more about these beings’ beliefs and how to worship them beyond the surface level, reading the linked pages is encouraged.

Families

Childhood

Isldar children are often communally raised. Their parents might be often away at other holds, at observatory centers, or at war. This means that they have a very open-ended perspective from very early on concerning social bonds, and get into the easy habit of forming new relationships quickly. Physical exercise and drills are encouraged, and while outsiders might describe the whole process as austere, Isldarrin children often leave their young years healthy and with a wide range of experiences both inside their breathtaking holds and outside in the wilderness of Ellador, learning what it takes to survive the frost and keep your bearings.

Adulthood

The Isldarrin concept of adulthood is dominated by civic duty. With how Ellador has been since their arrival, this usually means military duty. All Isldar are brought in for conscription at the age of twenty, and taught a series of standard weapons, traditionally the bow and the spear. Most do not see active duty immediately, because the style of guerilla warfare the Isldar prefer means that very few units are operating at any given time. However, with the outbreak of the civil war within Isldar society and the upheaval of more intense Vampiric and Regalian invasions, the Isldar of recent years have been exposed to an unusual amount of bloodshed. Upon completing a single mandatory tour, Isldar are given the option to leave Ellador, an option which many take: better to adventure out in the world, than to stay as a footman at home.

Romance & Gender Norms

Isldar romance is perhaps one of the most stiff things imaginable: their famous lack of comedy and social wit would make an observer question whether that stiffness is an intentional element they throw in to make things easier. However, on the flipside, it is extremely honest. There are no cat-and-mouse games, veiled declarations of affection, and tree-shade flirting among the Isldar. Intentions are stated openly and honestly, and accepted or declined much the same without contest. The Isldar do not have gender norms: all must learn to fight, all must learn to excel at the same roles in life, and all must do their duty to their country.

Fashion

Isldarrin fashion differs between the Bene Vixit and the Bene Rexit. Both follow the basic rules of Nelfin clothing: robes are in style, long sleeves, and flowing, patterned fabric. The Life Isldar favor generally lighter colors and looser, more practical clothes which keep the roughness of the wilderness off of them. Tough cloaks and leather boots are common, as is anything that keeps them safe, and can double as limited protection in the case of an attack. Practicality is key. The Death Isldar, meanwhile, dress to impress - their priests wear outlandish headdresses, while even the laymen have an impeccable sense of style. Black and dark gothic styles are everywhere, impractically high heels as well, and stunning multicolor makeup that can sometimes take up to an hour to apply. The Bene Rexit do not go anywhere without looking on point.

World View

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

  • The historical enemies of the Isldar are the Dwarves, the Dorkarth Vampires, Hedryll, and the Regalian Empire. The Dwarves because they aggressed on them upon arriving in Ellador and because the Dwarves are responsible for Asaph’s original death, and the other three because they have been making steady incursions into Isldar territory in the past hundred years.
  • Both Life and Death Isldar keep Wyverns as their mounts of choice, and fancy themselves the best riders in Aloria. The outbreak of the Civil War has seen some breathtaking Wyvernback duels between champion Isldar in the frosty clouds of Ellador.
  • Life Isldar form life bonds with their Wyverns. They believe that if their Wyvern perishes, the next they acquire is their reincarnation, and go to painstaking lengths to find a new mount that was born the day their previous one died.
  • Isldar are excellent choral singers, and also favor the harp. Their music is credited as holding a certain angelic quality seldom seen, and their hymns are traditionally used as the closing act in famous operas and stagehouses around Aloria.
  • Isldarrin sports always have a military angle to them. For example, javelin throwing is popular, but only because being good at throwing a javelin during downtime translates to being good at throwing a javelin when in the front lines of a snowstorm skirmish.
  • Isldar love symposiums and debates. They are deeply individualistic, and having a platform to make their positions known to one another is seen as cathartic and relaxing. This tendency to debate for fun can create little social faux pas with those who don’t understand.
  • Isldar also love hunting. Life Isldar because it is the divine wish of Asaph that her followers should test the limits of her infinite creations, and Death Isldar because Frisit is pleased by the tribute of souls, even ones that do not come from sentient enemies.
  • Isldar are famously blunt, and do not have a concept of irony or sarcasm in their culture. This can lead to two things: firstly, statements on their part can be unintentionally comedic, and secondarily, they can miss or ignore implications in things others say.
  • Death Isldar decorate their Undead followers lavishly, offering them tribute in gold, fine silks, and embellished armor so that their good appearance can reflect favorably back on them. Matching outfits are considered in vogue.
  • The Isldar live in so-called ‘Moon Vaults,’ ice palaces etched into the sides of the mountains and filled with countless bedazzled halls which shine in the moonlight. They are so named because their inner vaults only open to a particular series of keys when the moon is full.
  • The (in)famous metal known as ‘Skysteel’ was recently revealed to be an elaborate ploy by the Bene Rexit to lure gullible Ailor into Ellador to kill them and steal their belongings (and souls.)
  • The Isldar mostly subsist on fruits and arctic fauna, but their most famous culinary export is a dessert called a moon pie, two pastries with a thick circle of chilled vanilla icing sticking them together.
  • Isldar love hiking and difficult terrain. In Regalia, this means that many Isldar take to parkour, something they invite strangers along on frequently just for the experience. Crookback residents frequently complain about the clatter of Isldar feet on their shoddy roofs at nighttime.
  • The Isldar are masters of guerilla warfare. They invented it, and benefit from being immune to the cold on a continent which is hilly and consistently below zero degrees. To challenge them on their own terrain is nothing short of foolhardy.
  • The Isldar language is suited for spoken poetry, having a reputation for well-paced emotional reflections on the nature of life and the self among their Nelfin cousin races. Quite a few Teledden, even, have taken to the ‘Isldarriyát’ genre of quatrains.
  • Death Isldar consider husky, hoarse voices desirable in both speech and music. They surmise among themselves that this preference comes from the harsh syllables naturally present in Deathspeech leaking over into their other languages.
  • Death Isldar courtship rituals involve eliminating all other potential suitors, literally. The road to romance is fraught with saber duels under moonlight.
  • The Isldar like to play checkers. Not because it is considered mentally challenging, but because the white pieces are a metaphor for the Life Isldar and the black pieces are a metaphor for the Death Isldar: different colors, but the same shape.
  • Life Isldar handle Undead by giving them ‘penance periods,’ a window of grace after which they will hunt them and put them down on the spot. In Ellador, some Undead surprisingly accept this fate with grace, but the same cannot be expected in Regalia.
  • Isldar liquor is all berry-flavored and very sweet. Cloudberries, blueberries, blackberries. It is drunk in shots and is always a pleasant stomach-warmer in Ellador’s cold temperatures.

Trivia

  • Isldar cannot feel cold food. It all tastes perfectly warm to them.
  • Ellador hosts the world’s only bi-annual Dart and Backflip Tournament.
  • There is a romance novel involving a Maquixtl shieldmaiden and an Isldar huntress.

Accreditation
Writers MonMarty, OkaDoka
Artists MonMarty
Processors MonMarty, FireFan96
Last Editor Birdsfoot violet on 09/25/2022.

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