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|pronunciation = Ka-thaar
|pronunciation = Ka-thaar
|classification = [[Nelfin]]
|classification = [[Nelfin]]
|subraces = Various tribes
|subraces = Interchangeable Cults
|nicknames =  
|nicknames =  
*Shadow Elf (derogatory)
*Shadow Elf (derogatory)
*Bloodsingers (praising)
*Bloodsingers (praising)
*Void Elf (Elven)
*Void Elf (Elven)
|languages = [[Katharic]]
|languages = Pannarokh ([[Katharic]])
|naming = Fantasy Elven with Harsh Consonants, but not Tolkien Elven
|naming = See Language section
|distinction = [[Void]]-worshipping Nelfin with a dark, magic-inclined culture and a penchant for wickedness
|distinction = 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.
|maxage = 500 years
|maxage = 500 Years.
|eye = Varied by Cult
|hair = Varied by Cult
|skin =
Most Kathar Cults:
[[File:Katharskins.png]]
Cult of Pride:
[[File:Saivaless.png]]
|}}
|}}
To the Kathar, there is no cost too great to pay in the pursuit of absolute power. Seen by outsiders as an inherently malevolent people thanks to their radically different cultural views on things most [[Races]] would consider morally reprehensible or outright evil, the Kathar keep the spirit of the old [[Allorn Empire]] alive in a new and changed state. Descending directly from the [[Altalar]], the Kathar began their lives as the scholarly and magic-obsessed elves before a selection of them sought to dig deeper into the magic there was to be had in the world and found their answer within the [[Void]]. Changed drastically by the Void Essences they brought into the world, the Kathar have managed to master the Void that once controlled them in order to forge a new Empire in the ashes of the Allorn: the [[Dread Empire]], their new home and position to spread their influence across [[Aloria]] and cement their place as the new heralds of magical supremacy in the modern world. The Kathar, or Dread Empire Elves, are the westernmost Nelfin species that occupy the [[Shadow Isles]], the Kathar Steppes, the landmass of [[Saivale]], and the Wolond Walds that altogether make up the Dread Empire. Their Empire is at war with nearly every other state in the world (though not necessarily by their own aggressions), constantly butting heads with the other Elven states, the [[Eronidas]] Polons of [[Daen]], and the [[Regalian Empire]] first and foremost. The Kathar themselves, often also referred to as Shadow Elves, are less a singular [[Nelfin]] species and more so a cultural collective of subspecies all referred to together as Kathar that share common ideals about vice and the power inherent in Magic. Furthermore, they have vastly differing cultural groups and societies that make them seem otherworldly in comparison to other Elves.
{{TOC right}}
==Origins==
[[File:Saivaltharnew.png|260px|thumb|right|The Kathar adore see-through fabrics which they have mastered over the centuries.]]
[[File:Zolathar.png|260px|thumb|right|Kathar aesthetics is full of gold and sharp spike-like shapes. Gold paint on gray skin is particularly popular.]]
[[File:Shenathar.png|260px|thumb|right|The Dread Empire soldiers often wield weapons which have their aesthetics enhanced with Bone-Sung material.]]
[[File:Oscithar.png|260px|thumb|right|Cult of Power Kathar keep the old Void Cults of the Allorn Empire alive even in the midst of the revived Allorn Empire.]]
[[File:Bakrathar.png|260px|thumb|right|Cult of Power Kathar can get really big, almost identical to Eronidas, save for their dark gray skin tone.]]
[[File:Wolafix.png|260px|thumb|right|Not all Kathar skins are cold-tone gray, some of them can also have a more warm tone or hint of brown in gray.]]
[[File:Wyleithar.png|260px|thumb|right|This Wyld Kathar is themed after the nebulas of the starry night sky, a cohesive mutation set for an ever changing person.]]
The Kathar have a lengthy historical origin that predates the appearance of their [[Race]]. Long before the first Kathar were known to the world, [[Altalar]] society increasingly participated in [[Void Worship]], as more and more rulers fell to the allure of Demons and Magical power. As time passed, Cults to specific ideologies sprang up, some of which survive to this day, while others have gone extinct. Some of these Cults live on as the [[Isldar]], [[Northern Tainted]], and Altalar, but by far, the largest number of Cults still functioning, are in Kathar society. Eventually, during the collapse of the [[Allorn Empire]], the Void-aligned Cults came together to perform the Ascendancy Ritual, more commonly known as the [[Night of the Weeping Stars]]. During this event, they initiated a mass-killing of [[Estel]]-faithful and [[Yanar]], along with orchestrated attacks on the Altalar palaces and the burning of the great [[Va'sil Tree]]s. 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.


==Physical & Mental Characteristics==
===Cultism===
[[File:Saivaltharnew.png|260px|thumb|right|The Saivalthar are notoriously cruel schemers and politicians, even among [[Teledden]] rulers.]]
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.
[[File:Zolathar.png|260px|thumb|right|The Zolathar have some of the most skilled generals and tacticians of the Dread Empire.]]
===Void Ideology===
[[File:Shenathar.png|260px|thumb|right|Shenathar are some of the most vicious and skilled warriors in the world, glory from battle.]]
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.  
[[File:Oscithar.png|260px|thumb|right|Oscithar, like their [[Fin'ullen]] cousins, love showing off and being at the center of attention.]]
====Cult of Excess====
[[File:Bakrathar.png|260px|thumb|right|The Bakrathar are sometimes also referred to as the Ogre Kathar by those who hate the Kathar.]]
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.
[[File:Wolathar.png|260px|thumb|right|Wolathar are sometimes also called Dark [[Avanthar]], as there are similarities between them.]]
====Cult of Power====
[[File:Wyleithar.png|260px|thumb|right|Wylathar are the most colorful and varied (read:mutated) race on Aloria, and are always a surprise to deal with.]]
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.  
All Kathar subraces are divided among so called tribes. Each of these tribes is distinct from one another, but mixing between tribes does occur, which can create half-model Kathar (who themselves have varying acceptance in Kathar society). Below follows a breakdown of all the tribes within the Kathar race, with a summary of half-models at the end. The following tribes exist: Saivalthar (pronounced Sai-Val-Thar), Zolathar (pronounced Zo-La-Thar), Shenathar (pronounced Shen-Na-Thar), Oscithar (pronounced Os-Kee-Thar, Bakrathar (pronounced Bak-Ra-Thar), Wolathar (pronounced Wow-La-Thar), Wylathar (pronounced Wai-La-Thar) and Solstithar (pronounced Sol-Sti-Thar). Note: there is one linguistic difference between Princes of Osc’ïrd and Oscithar, in that Osc’ïrd is pronounced as Os-Sheerd. A small amount of the Kathar population possesses epicanthic eye folds, thus appearing more Asian-coded, a leftover from a similar recessive trait among their Altalar ancestors.
====Cult of Shadows====
===Saivalthar===
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.
Saivalthar, sometimes also referred to as Saivale or Saival, are a predominantly aristocratic upper crust of the Kathar race that strongly favors politics, intrigue, power and intellect. The Saivalthar appear similar to Teledden Altalar in many ways, having a slender body type with a pristine clean and bright skin, with angular facial features and sharp ears. Their hair is often pure white, but can also be raven black. What notably sets them apart from [[Isldar]], is that their eye sockets are permanently dark, almost as if they have a permanent smoky eye-shadow even among men, and their facial features are far more pointed, including sharpened and enlarged canine teeth that have nothing to with [[Vampirism]]. Saivalthar eye whites are light gray, while their irises can range from blue to green to brown. They are among the taller Kathar, and bear themselves with a great deal of poise and class. Saivalthar tend to be arrogant, self assured, haughty, stubborn and with a great deal of love for magic, and inflicting misery on others, even their own race. Saivalthar frequently clash with other Saivalthar or Zolathar for control of Kaahls and other groups where Kathar come together.  
====Cult of the Wyld====
===Zolathar===
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.
Zolathar, sometimes also referred to as Zalots or Shenath-Pathaar (leading Shenathar), are a predominantly aristocratic upper crust of the Kathar race that strongly favors religion, tradition and customs, military leadership and warfare. They are visually identical to Shenathar, having general Fin’ullen Altalar proportions and physical traits (thus unlike Saivalthar being capable of body hair and facial hair), and ranging from athletic to slim. Their skin tone is distinctly gray, but ranges more closely to the lighter gray variants. Zolathar are shorter than Saivalthar, but taller than Shenathar, and have the same bone-white or raven-black hair. Zolathar facial features are more rounded than Saivalthar, but still more distinctly angular than most other Nelfin races. Their eye-whites are light gray or white, while their irises can range from blue to green to brown. Zolathar are less self-absorbed than Saivalthar, but have the same craving and obsession for power and control, though taking a different angle. The Saivalthar use scheming and politics, while the Zolathar use the military and religion. Zolathar, when acting as priesthood, frequently clash with other priests, vying to get their interpretation of [[Ancient Worship]] to become the most popular.
====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.


===Shenathar===
==Design==
Shenathar are visually identical to the Zolathar, but have some minor visual differences. They can achieve a higher Body Shape than Zolathar, namely Muscular, and tend to be shorter than Zolathar. Their skin tone is distinctly gray, but ranges more closely to the lighter gray variants. Their eye whites can also be white or light gray, but they can additionally also be dark gray. Shenathar in contrast to Zolathar are more wild and tribal, engaged in more outwardly passionate expressions of emotion, and more prone to outbursts of violence and hedonism. In many ways, Zolathar are Shenathar with self control and future planning, while inversely Shenathar are Zolathar but free of the yoke of Saivalthar-imitation. Shenathar love physical combat and partying, and are particularly prone to appreciate flattery in conversation. They are proud (though not as prideful as the Bakrathar) and hold firm to their traditions and religion.  
===Mental Characteristics===
===Oscithar===
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:
Oscithar are visually identical to Fin’ullen Altalar, with some notable differences. Oscithar can be taller than Fin’ullen Altalar, reaching about the same height as Zolathar Kathar, and are also capable of reaching Muscular Body Shape. Their skin tone is slightly darker than Shenathar and Zolathar skin tone, though not quite as dark as Bakrathar. Oscithar have one curious physical trait: their skin patterning. On top of their regular medium gray skin tone, all Oscitar have a pattern of stripes and lines that are reminiscent of a tiger’s stripes running along their back, around their sides, along their arms, legs and some into the neck and chest area. For each Oscitar, these patterns are unique, and can be used to identify them. For some these lines are thick and touch each other, for others they are thin and run along the natural contours of the body like thin blades. These patterns are always striped with pointed edges, and are also always a much darker pigment than the natural skin tone. Oscithar have much in common with the Teledden and Fin’ullen personalities combined, being arrogant and snobby to each other and the poorer classes, yet outwardly hedonistic and self-serving without embarrassment or shame. Oscithar (like Solstithar) are commonly described as the ethical Kathar however, as they do have a sense of duty to history, particularly the Allorn Empire, and upholding a concept of honor and discipline, something that lacks in most other Kathar tribes. As such, they can best be described as more Altalar leaning in behavior, minus their Void related quirks.  
* '''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.
===Bakrathar===
* '''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.  
Bakrathar are visually identical to Eronidas, with some notable differences. Bakrathar have far more Nelfin facial features, lacking a large square Eronidas jawline, shortened and upturned Eronidas nose, or enlarged brow bones that are frequent among Baros Eronidas. They also have smaller tusks, and smaller lips to accommodate large teeth in their mouths, giving them the appearance of more sophisticated Polon Eronidas (for those who expect Eronidas to be unsophisticated based on appearance). Bakrathar, much like Eronidas, are large and usually more Muscular or Strongman in [[Body Shape]], due to their inherent Eronidas biology roots. Their ears are pointy like the other Kathar, and much like Shenathar, they can have facial and body hair, have eye-whites that can be white, light gray or dark gray, but exclusively have green irises (any shade of green including lime). Bakrathar are bulky and taller than most Kathar subraces except the Saivalthar, and have a temperament to boot. Bakrathar are in many ways what one expects an Eronidas to be, except with no honor limitations or discipline restrictions. While not quite reaching yub-yub levels, Bakrathar are simple in their pursuits for food & drink, and combat & glory. Many of them work as gladiators, body guards, shocktroopers or other rough-fighting positions both inside and outside of the Dread Empire. Enslaved Bakrathar are a high value commodity even in Regalian fighting rings, due to Bakrathar’s exceptional endurance and will to continue fighting. Note, despite the close proximity to Eronidas biology, Bakrathar cannot actually cross-breed with any other Race save for other Kathar. This is a lingering side-effect from their magical birth.
* '''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.  


===Wolathar===
===Racial Abilities & Specials===
The Wolathar are a bit of an oddity in the Kathar race, as their skintones and overall color themes are not near-gray, but something else entirely. Wolathar are often described as Shenathar who have traveled into the woods, and absorbed the essence of the dirt from which they grow, and to some extent, this is true. In contrast with Shenathar, who they resemble the closest, their skin-tone is more bronze-like, albeit still very dulled and with a great level of gray-ness to it, that can be described as “like tungsten ore”. Their hair, while black, has a distinct bronze sheen to it. Wolathar are about the same height as Shenathar, are capable of growing body hair and facial hair, and their male variant is probably the hairiest Kathar subrace. Their eye-whites are dark gray, and their eye-colors are always some variant of brown or green. Wolathar are in many ways Shenathar: tribal, festive, communal, but at the same time also not. They have a great deal of paranoia to outsiders, being distrusting of many and friendly to very few. They are quickly aware of small changes in body language or the position of objects, being keen on their direct surroundings, and always having an escape route ready in case things go bad. The Wolathar are far from skittish or cowardly, rather, they just prefer being prepared, and still have some of the best warriors in the Kathar Dread Empire. Wolathar often have small horns and cranial ridges in their skull, either on their forehead, chin, or cheekbones. These are natural bone growths, but can be enhanced with bone singing.
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, except Ageless.
===Wylathar===
The Wylathar are even more odd than Wolathar, in that they seem entirely out of place in their race due to the wild mutations of the Dream-Scream Woods or Warpwoods, their homeland that was wildly twisted by unchecked magics. Wylathar are a subrace in and of themselves, but any Kathar can become a Wylathar also by lingering in the Warpwoods for too long, changing their body to that of a Wylathar. Wylathar at their base are the shortest Kathar subrace, but are heavily mutated. Some mutations manifest as abnormal animal anatomy, meaning that for example parts of the body are replaced with insect or mammal features. Batlike ears, vestigial skins of flesh between arms and torso, beetle horns, moth antenna, are all possible. Another form of mutation that occurs is colorwarping, where (Wylathar can have any skin tone from their prior subrace, or a light grey skin tone like Shenathar) this starts discoloring in various areas. For example, they might develop bio luminescent scales on the sides of their face and on their arms, their hair might take on a vibrant blue or purple color and start glowing in the dark, their eye-whites might turn blue, and they might sprout horns that glow and give of trails of ghostly dust. Wylathar are frail however, being no larger than Slim Body Shape, and never being anywhere close to a reliable warrior. Wyldwarped tend to be whimsical, quirky, and creative. They might also be accused of being haphazard and random, changing their thought processes or how they feel about something seemingly on a whim, or sometimes just to provoke a reaction out of someone. While externally Wylathar may seem arbitrary, there is always order to their chaos internally.


===Solstithar===
====Abilities====
The Solstithar or “Regalian Gray-Elves” are Kathar that have long abandoned their roots of the Dread Empire and Ancient Worship, and integrated into Regalian society. Many of them worship Estel, or even [[Unionism]], with only trace levels of [[Evolution Cultism]] (not Ancient Worship) being present among them like a lingering tradition. Solstithar have worked and earned their place in the Regalian Empire, but still remain somewhat separate from it due to their innate self-gratifying attitude. Solstithar look identical to Shenathar in every way, except for their hair and eyes. The hair of the Solstithar is always some variant of light or dark copper (not just brown), while their eye-whites are always white, with a green or blue iris. Solstithar love parties, entertainment, soirees, drinking, feasting and watching gladiatorial fights. Many of the rich Solstithar households within the Regalian Empire are slavers, acquiring gladiator slaves from across the world, making them fight in the ring for coin and entertainment. While most [[Regalians]] are still very suspicious of Solstithar and their Void Cultist leanings, nobody can deny that a Solstithar party is always all-inclusive, perfectly hedonistic, celebrating all joys of life, and distinctly un-bigoted. Solstithar can generally be described as “the only race that will try anything, and shuns nothing”.
 
===Half-Model Kathar===
The Kathar race has a unique ability to create more-perfect half-races within their own racial spectrum. While other races (such as [[Allar]] and Altalar) usually have a very one-or-the-other approach to racial geneology, Kathar create more perfect combinations of parents from two different tribes (subraces), but can in some cases be born as the Tribe of one or the other parent fully. That being said, each Half-Model has a different reception among them, and may as such have varying experiences. Kathar can reproduce with other non-Kathar, though in those cases, the rules default to the [[Half Races]] page. This section is purely for full-blood Kathar who become an internal half-subrace. At a baseline, Half-Models become the middle ground between their parents. For example, if a Bakrathar and Shenathar mix, this could result in a larger Shenathar with darker skin and smaller tusks. If a Oscithar and Saivalthar mix, this could result in a Saivalthar with more body hair, and a striped pattern of discoloration, yet pale white skin. Aesthetically, mixtures between Kathar tribes can be any combination of visual features defined by the tribes above (though only ever from two different tribe parents, there is no such thing as a 1/4,1/4,1/2 Kathar). Functionally however, several rules need to be followed:
* [[Physical Stat]] is the average between the two parents. For example, if the max for the father is 60, and the max for the mother is 20, then the Physical Stat Cap becomes 40.
* Average or Max Height is the average between the two parents. Refer to the [[Proficiency]] Page for information on Height and Physical Stat Cap.
* Proficiency Boosts may only be chosen from one of the parents (for example, just the father). There is no Proficiency Boost mixing or picking.
* All Half-Model Kathar have access to the Common Kathar Abilities. For Tribe-Specific Abilities, however, Half-Model Kathar are allowed to pick 4 Abilites from the Ability Pool.
* On Character Applications, Kathar Half-Models should be identified as: “Race: Half-Model Kathar (Shenathar/Wylathar)” for example.
 
 
===Half Kathar===
The presence of Half Kathar varies wildly between tribes of Kathar. Amongst Solstithar in Regalia, Half-Kathar are not uncommon, and due to Wylathar's generally laid-back attitude, they are often welcoming of Half Kathar as well. The more traditionalist tribes of Kathar, however, such as the Saivalathar, will generally revile Half-Kathar and refuse to acknowledge them, unless they convert to full Kathar. Attitudes amongst other tribes can vary wildly, and the reaction to Half-Kathar amongst other races is generally poor as well, due to the perception of Kathar. Half Kathar persist still, and are not an unusual sight wherever there are Kathar, especially in Regalia. Half Kathar tend to look more like their non-Kathar parent in physical features, but are distinct in that they must follow Kathar skin palettes, depending on their Kathar parent, and must have partially pointed ears. These two features mean they are always distinctly Half-Kathar to anyone they meet. Half Kathar follow Half-Model rules for Racial Abilities, meaning they have access to the Common Kathar Abilities, and can choose 4 Abilities from the Ability Pool.
 
==Kathar Abilities==
===Dread Rebirth===
Paramount among the goals of the Kathar people is the conversion of as many Nelfin as possible to their superior, Void-influenced way of life. With this desire in mind, the Kathar are able to harness the latent power within their blood and a few other simple reagents and transform a Nelfin into a Kathar of a particular tribe through the use of a ritual. This ritual cannot create Half-Model Kathar. The Ritual of Dread Rebirth (called Kall’arahk among themselves) is a very sacred act, requiring the participation of 3 collaborative Kathar in order to conduct it properly. What must first be acquired is a special sort of ritual bath carved from the black stone found plentiful in the Shadow Isles and Saivale. This bath must be large enough to lay a person up to 7 feet tall within, and is inscribed on every inch of its surface with intricate Void Script that sings the praises of the Void and of being Kathar. Once this bath is built or located, all 3 Kathar must donate a cup’s worth of their blood into a basin together and add to it a pinch of bone, a bottle of red wine (always unfiltered, as the natural minerals within are necessary for the concoction) and a bottle of ink in the chosen color they want their subject’s Sire sigil to manifest in. Once these things are mixed together until homogenous, it is poured into the bath until it covers the very bottom of it. Together, the Kathar link their hands around the bath and recite a particular prayer that calls out to the Void and its powers, beseeching it to come bless the wayward Nelfin that they intend to rebirth. This activates the latent Void Essence stored within their blood and the concoction inside the bath rapidly expands in volume until it fills it entirely. There, the Nelfin is submerged within the blackish-red liquid entirely and steeped within it for five minutes, after which they will emerge fully transformed into a Kathar. Altalar can become Shenathar, Zolathar, Solstithar or Saivalthar, depending on their personality; Avanthar become Wolathar, Bakrathar or Shenathar; Isldar become Saivalthar; and [[Cielothar]] become Wolathar or Wylathar through the ritual. Oscithar and Solstithar can be achieved by any Nelfin race being given Dread Rebirth. Additionally, Half-Elves can be Reborn, and will emerge as a tribe most closely fitting their personality, depending on the limitations set by their Nelfin parent. If after 3 days the subject has not embraced their new life as a Kathar and their spirit does not desire it, the transformation will be suddenly and painfully reverted. If they do accept the change, though, they are left as Kathar for another month. Then, a second choice point arrives after exactly 30 days, and if they still choose to remain Kathar, they will remain Kathar for the rest of their life, thought there exists a rumor that there are some ways to revert it. (OOC Note: If the player desires this process to be "forced" on their character and both parties are consenting OOCly, this is also possible. Otherwise, the character must accept the change.) It is not possible to perform this ritual if the person in question was already race changed through the [[Manathar]] Ritual.
 
===Dread Binding===
In addition to Nelfin of both full and half-blood, non-Nelfin can be affected through a similar process, though not as intensive nor entirely permanent as Dread Rebirth. Any Kathar is capable of mixing their blood with a portion of ink, wine and powdered bone and then bathing an accessory or worn object in it. After an incantation is spoken above the receptacle, the object is infused and can be withdrawn, now inscribed with She’llaq. If a person wears the object, it binds itself to them with a flash of Void energy all around them, and begins to subtly change them in a number of ways over the course of 12 hours, lasting up to 7 days. Most prominent are the physical changes: depending on the Kathar who created the binding, the person will gradually take on features of their tribe like skin color, hair color, eye irregularities, body shape and fat becoming similar to a Kathar, though none of these changes are as full or dramatic as a complete Dread Rebirth would be. Additionally, their mentality changes to become more similar to a Kathar’s in their psyche, and they grow a sort of embedded loyalty to the Kathar who created their binding that manifests in different ways depending on the person: spiritual dedication, a sort of authoritative or military-like respect, or even romantic fondness are all possible and depend entirely on the person who is Bound. Dread Binding can be ended early through use of an exorcism, possession removal, or curse removal ability. After the effects wear off, or are removed, a new totem can be applied. Another person must then physically remove the enchanted object from the Bound person afterward.
 
==Summary of Racial Abilities==
 
Kathar follow unique rules for choosing Racial Abilities, which are, as follows:
*All Kathar, including Half-Model and Half-Kathar, have access to the "Common Kathar Abilities" table.
*Kathar of specific tribes (such as Saivalathar, Wolathar, etc) have access to their "Tribe Specific Abilities* and can choose 2 Abilities from the "Kathar Ability Pool"
*Half Model Kathar and Half Kathar do not have access to "Tribe Specific Abilities", but can choose 4 abilities from the "Kathar Ability Pool."
*Once chosen, Abilities cannot be changed, and must be listed on the Character Application.
 
====Common Kathar Abilities====
{| class="wikitable"  
{| class="wikitable"  
|- style="font-weight:bold; text-align:center; background-color:#c0c0c0;"
|- style="font-weight:bold; text-align:center; background-color:#c0c0c0;"
Line 78: Line 79:
! Ability Range
! Ability Range
! Ability Description
! Ability Description
! Modifiers
|-
|-
| style="background-color:#c0c0c0;" | Kathar Binding 1
| style="background-color:#c0c0c0;" | Body Claws
| Constant Passive
| Morph Power
| Emote Distance
| Self
| Grants the user {{#simple-tooltip: Kathar Binding 1 | The Kathar can infuse a specific accessory item with a single feeling. If the item is accepted as a gift, it will cause the target’s personality to change with the imparted feeling for 5 days. For example, a ring can cause a person to become more slothful, or to become less kind, or to become more lustful. After the time is over, the item becomes mundane. Items cursed by this ability are considered an Object Curse. Additionally, the Kathar can target another person and touch them, linking them together. This causes any physical sensation felt by either person to be also copied and transferred to the other. This is not only limited to pleasant feelings (such as the mouth-watering in anticipation of good food, or the butterfly stomach feeling of a passionate kiss) but also unpleasant feelings such as pain from being struck with a weapon. This connection can be removed any time by the caster, or broken with any Exorcism or Possession removing Ability on the victim. Only one link can be active for the caster, and after it has broken, this aspect of the Ability goes on a 24 hour cooldown, and the same target cannot be targeted for another week.
| Grants the user {{#simple-tooltip: Body Claws |When fighting with Unarmed, the user gains +2 Strength Proficiency (that cannot be spent on Point Buy) for as long as they use Unarmed. The moment they use a weapon or stop fighting, this effect is removed.
}}
}}
|-
| {{#simple-tooltip: Kathar Modifier | Kathar can either have just nail-like claws, or their fingers can blacken and extend large blackened curved spikes as claws.  
| style="background-color:#c0c0c0;" | Kathar Binding 2
| Constant Passive
| Emote Distance
| Grants the user {{#simple-tooltip: Kathar Binding 2 | This ritual allows the Kathar to produce a 7 day lasting Target Curse totem (which can be an object of any kind that can be worn or kept on a person) that when accepted by a person as a gift (or forced on a person), gives them visual similarities to the Kathar who gifted them the totem (skin, hair color, eye color, Body Build). They can additionally also graft mentality changes onto the gift receiver, particularly making them more favorable to the Kathar for the duration of the totem’s effects. After the effects wear off, a new totem can be applied. Additionally, the Curse also gives the target loyalty to the Kathar who made the totem. If the Kathar has the aid of 2 other Kathar, they can perform a ritual on a Nelfin or Half-Nelfin, allowing them to transform the person into a Kathar. The transformation is temporary for 3 days, and if the target was unwilling, it will revert after 3 days. Players who are consenting however may also make it permanent. This Ability can be reused on those who have had it used once on them already, but it can never be used on Manathar.
}}
}}
|-
|-
| style="background-color:#c0c0c0;" | Arcane Mastery 1
| style="background-color:#c0c0c0;" | Eyes of Hunt
| Magic Spell
| Emote Distance
| Grants the user {{#simple-tooltip: Arcane Mastery 1 | The user is able to control aesthetic Arcane functions, such as letting a broom brush the floor by itself, letting dishes wash themselves, opening curtains with the wave of a hand, lighting candles with the flick of a finger, opening (unlocked) doors with the flick of a wrist and more. None of these functions may be involved in Combat Roleplay, but there is no limit to the amount that may be running at any given time, and there is no cooldown.
}}
|-
| style="background-color:#efdfa7;" | Arken Speculate 1
| Constant Passive
| Constant Passive
| Self
| Self
| Grants the User {{#simple-tooltip: Arken Speculate 1 | The user is aware of and can utilize a specific occult ritual to contact an Arken. The user must specifically choose a singular Arken by name, and inquire into if the Arken either approves or dissaproves of a specific idea, action, or thing. This can be a person, or generally anything, but the answer will always either be between the binary of "The Arken likes this" or "The Arken dislikes this." The question, Arken, and asker should be sent in a Discord Ticket for a response. While there is no cooldown on this Ability, it should be used with understanding and care to not over-crowd Lore staff by excessively asking for even minor or "joke" things.
| Grants the user {{#simple-tooltip: Eyes of Hunt  | The user has night vision, allowing them to see fine during the night, as if it was day. Additionally, the user is also immune to any Mundane based Darkness or Blindness (such as blindfolds or masks) but not Ability based Darkness or Blindness.  
}}
}}
| {{#simple-tooltip: Kathar Modifier | The Kathar can choose to have red or golden glowing eyes when using this Ability behind a blindfold, but this is optional.}}
|-
|-
|}
| style="background-color:#c0c0c0;" | Hack Familiar
 
| Instant Power
====Kathar Ability Pool====
| {{#simple-tooltip: Emote Range | Emote Range means that it can target anyone who is within Emote Range (thus who can see your emotes when you use them).}}
{| class="wikitable"
| Grants the user {{#simple-tooltip: Hack Familiar | The user can target any Ability or Special based Familiar (not Engineering) that is made of Magic or summoned through some form of non-real animal existence and hijack it. For the duration of 1 hour, this Familiar now obeys the user, and follows them around with the same rules as it would apply to its original owner, but it still cannot be compelled to attack its original owner. This Ability has a 48 hour cooldown.
|- style="font-weight:bold; text-align:center; background-color:#c0c0c0;"
! Ability Name
! Ability Type
! Ability Range
! Ability Description
|-
| style="background-color:#c0c0c0;" | Age Control 1
| Toggle Passive
| Self
| Grants the user {{#simple-tooltip: Age Control 1 | The user is able to change their visual appearance to be of any age within the adult age ranges at any time. This transition is near-instant and may affect wrinkles, skin, hair graying, and more. After toggling an age appearance, any Counters do not revert changes, they only prevent further changes until the Counter is removed.
}}
|-
| style="background-color:#c0c0c0;" | Body Scripture 1
| Toggle Passive
| Self
| Grants the user {{#simple-tooltip: Body Scripture 1 | Grants the user the ability to manifest a form of Scripture in any quantity anywhere on their body, which appear like tattoos of glowing lines. Color rules are recorded on the Ability itself. The color will never glow enough to produce light in a dark room.
}}
|-
| style="background-color:#c0c0c0;" | Empath Sense 1
| Trigger Passive
| Direct Touch
| Grants the user {{#simple-tooltip: Empath Sense 1 | The Character is able to absorb all of the pain of the Target person and feel it themselves instead, for as long as Direct Touch is maintained. The target whose pain is being absorbed may not be in combat, otherwise this effect does not work. Additionally, the Character becomes immune to passing out from pain or going into shock.
}}
|-
| style="background-color:#c0c0c0;" | Skin Purge 1
| Toggle Passive
| Self
| Grants the user {{#simple-tooltip: Skin Purge 1 | The user can toggle this Passive to remove choice or any and all scars, Mutations, tattoos or other blemishes that affect only their skin. Skin mutations may include pigments, scriptures, textures, but for example not horns, despite them being covered in skin and sticking out of the skull. Mutations stay gone forever, but scars may be caused to re-appear at will, and may also be removed again at will.
}}
|-
|-
| style="background-color:#c0c0c0;" | Emotion Sense 1
| Control Power
| Emote Distance
| Grants the user {{#simple-tooltip: Emotion Sense 1 | The user can summon a hologram of the target’s current greatest desire in front of them to show them their inner desire, the target does not need to be willing, but only the target and the user can see the hologram. This hologram must be unmoving and see-through, but can reflect for example a Character sitting on a throne, an object they desire, the death of another person, etc. The desire is based on the Character’s ambitions and hopes, not necessarily their in-the moment wants. If the target has at least 10 Theatre Arts, this Ability does not work on them.
}}
}}
| {{#simple-tooltip: Kathar Modifier | The Kathar can additionally also just outright banish the Familiar for the duration of one hour by lashing it with a golden or red ghostly chain.}}
|-
|-
|-
| style="background-color:#c0c0c0;" | Magic Dagger
| style="background-color:#c0c0c0;" | World Shift 1
| Skill Power
| Control Power
| Self
| Self
| Grants the user {{#simple-tooltip: World Shift 1 | The user is able to Song-bend any unliving materials (dead wood, stone, metal, glass, bone, etc) into other shapes or a desired shape. This involves the act of singing, and then using one’s hands to bend the material as if it is made of a clay-like substance. This can never result in sharp edges or strong surface that Metallurgy can produce, and is only decorative. Objects cannot decrease or increase in size, and this Ability does not allow the Song-bending of objects that consist of many smaller objects, such as a wall consisting of hundreds of bricks, but does allow the Song-bending of a single wooden pillar in a palisade wall.
| Grants the user {{#simple-tooltip: Magic Dagger | The user gets the Melee Weapons Point Buy Short Blade Pack for free without the required Point Investment. Additionally, the user may use Magical Daggers as an aesthetic choice for Ranged Weapons and use them through throwing Dagger technique, unique to this Ability. These Daggers are Magical and apply the effects of Mundane Techniques like normal, do not make the Mundane Techniques Abilities, and are infinite, reforming in the skirmisher’s hands ready to throw.
}}
}}
|-
| {{#simple-tooltip: Kathar Modifier | Kathar can manifest Daggers made of red or golden light, black shadows, or any other such Void-inspired aesthetic.
|-
| style="background-color:#c0c0c0;" | Flux Shift 6
| Body Alter
| Self
| Grants the user {{#simple-tooltip: Flux Shift 6 | The user is able to change their Body Shape, Body Fat, Sex and Body Hair (including top hair and facial hair: color, texture, shape and consistency) at any point, seamlessly and instantaneously.
}}
}}
|-
|-
|-
| style="background-color:#c0c0c0;" | Essence Corrupt
| style="background-color:#c0c0c0;" | Home Enchant 6
| Region Enchant
| Player Region
| Grants the user {{#simple-tooltip: Home Enchant 6 | The user is able to use Home Enchant 6 inside any Player Region such as Rental House Region or Clandestine Base, to allow any plants to grow within it, but automatically Void-Corrupt them when planted or moved into the Region. Aesthetic sounds and other purely aesthetic effects associated with a Void-Corrupted plant environment would follow. Additionally, Sewer Rats can live in the region and flock to it regardless of where the Region is. Only one Region may be Enchanted by the user, and they must be allied or the owner of that Region. In order to represent this Enchant, the region should be filled with Soul Sand or Soul Soil.
}}
|-
|-
| style="background-color:#c0c0c0;" | Peace Reign 1
| Control Power
| Event Venune
| Grants the user {{#simple-tooltip:  Peace Reign 1 | The user may choose to, at any Event Venue either from a hosted event as found on the Calendar, or for a social gathering in their own home, apply a Control Power to diffuse anger in a character and soothe their frustration or anger if they experience it during the social gathering or event, while still on the venue. The effect is indefinite, causing the target to be more calmed, and will endure even if they leave, but will not prevent it from triggering again in the future. This has no cooldown, and may be applied to as many targets as desired, but only during the event/gathering and on venue/in home.
}}
|-
|-
| style="background-color:#c0c0c0;" | Spirit Curse 1
| Target Curse
| Emote Distance
| Grants the user {{#simple-tooltip: Spirit Curse 1 | The user can curse a Target with Spirit Curse 1 only if they have an Ability that manifests a familiar, or some type of non-Player Character pet. Once Cursed, the pet is freed from the Target’s control and goes berserk, attacking the original owner for 30 seconds. While attacked, the Target is unable to flee or use Abilities or dismiss the Familiar, but can still use Mundane Attacks, speak and perceive things around them, albeit while constantly being clawed or bit or stung. After 30 seconds, the Familiar dissipates, and goes on whatever Cooldown is native to that Familiar’s Ability Source as if it was killed.
}}
|-
|-
| style="background-color:#c0c0c0;" | Vile Vine 1
| Target Curse
| Target Curse
| Emote Distance
| {{#simple-tooltip: Emote Range | Emote Range means that it can target anyone who is within Emote Range (thus who can see your emotes when you use them).}}
| Grants the user {{#simple-tooltip: Vile Vine 1 | The Character can throw or whip a Vile Vine from their arm or hand at a target once per day, which will wrap around any body part of the Target, and then sink into skin, through clothes and armor. While Vile Vine 1 is active on a person, despite not having any Abilities or Affliction status, the person gives off Aberrant status to any Aberrant Detection mechanisms or Abilities available. This Curse lasts for a week, unless removed with Exorcism 1. Additionally, if Vile Vine 1 is used on non-sentient Plant Matter, it will Void Corrupt the plant and anything within a 5-Block Radius of the initial targeted plant.
| Grants the user {{#simple-tooltip:  Essence Corrupt | The user is able to cast a congealed ball of Essence towards the target to inflict them with the Essence Corruption Curse for 7 days. During these 7 days, the Target gives off Occult status to any Occult detection mechanisms or Abilities depending on the planar alignment of the Ability Modifier. Additionally, this Ability can also be used on any surface, causing the immediate 5 block wide area to become Corrupted with that particular alignment (send in a Ticket to World Staff to inquire about corrupting Regalian plants and trees). This Ability has two different cooldowns, a 24 hour cooldown for people, and a 7 day cooldown for areas in Regalia. Some Races or Afflictions may have additional functions when affected by Essence Corrupt.
}}
|-
|-
| style="background-color:#c0c0c0;" | Mutation Manifest 1
| Toggle Passive
| Self
| Grants the user {{#simple-tooltip: Mutation Manifest 1 | The Character can naturally manifest any Mutations from any Mutations Category (except Mutations with specific rules, unless they follow those rules), and can additionally shed them while sleeping, should they choose. Mutations manifested with this Ability do not count as Mutations for the purposes of determining Aberrancy.
}}
|-
|}
 
====Saivalathar Tribe Abilities====
{| class="wikitable"
|- style="font-weight:bold; text-align:center; background-color:#c0c0c0;"
! Ability Name
! Ability Type
! Ability Range
! Ability Description
|-
| style="background-color:#c0c0c0;" | Disguised Form 1
| Full Shift
| Self
| Grants the user {{#simple-tooltip:  Disguised Form 1 | The Character is capable of producing a shift state in which they create an alternative Nelfin appearance for themselves, where they can appear like any Nelfin race or sub-race, change gender, or change their height and Body Shape freely. Usage of this Ability can only be detected by those who have had repeated and prolonged personal contact with the individual, such as friends, lovers, and family. This Ability cannot hide visual effects and mutations caused by Afflictions. This appearance can only be changed once a month.
}}
|-
| style="background-color:#c0c0c0;" | Super Self 2
| Constant Passive
| Self
| Grants the user {{#simple-tooltip: Super Self 2 | The user can use Super Self 2 to instantly shift or move their feet or legs or ankles by either contorting, phasing, ghosting or re-shaping in such a way that any Rooting, Trapping or Snaring that is applied on them is instantly cancelled the moment it hits (all other effects of those Abilities or Mundane Techniques still apply). This Ability does not affect Abilities that apply Disabling effects to specific limbs or Paralysis.
}}
|-
|}
 
====Zolathar Tribe Abilities====
{| class="wikitable"
|- style="font-weight:bold; text-align:center; background-color:#c0c0c0;"
! Ability Name
! Ability Type
! Ability Range
! Ability Description
|-
| style="background-color:#c0c0c0;" | Void Storage 1
| Void Spell
| Self
| Grants the user {{#simple-tooltip: Void Storage 1 | The Character has a pocket dimension called the Maw of the Void, in which they can store items up to a closet’s worth of space. The Maw opens up next to them, where they must physically put things in/take them out. Things inside do not rot or decay or experience time, and a single person can be trapped or hidden in the Maw for up to 10 minutes, after which they will be ejected (but not items). A person can only be placed inside of the Maw if the creator physically puts them there like any other tangible object they would be storing, and only if they are fully restrained and incapacitated (or willing). The same person can only be trapped once in the Maw every 24 hours.
}}
}}
|-
| {{#simple-tooltip: Kathar Modifier | The Kathar can only Essence Corrupt with Void.
| style="background-color:#c0c0c0;" | Flux Shift 5
| Body Alter
| Self
| Grants the user {{#simple-tooltip: Flux Shift 5 | This Ability does two things. Firstly, with this Ability, a Constant Passive is active for the user, that allows their clothes to perfectly resize and change to fit whatever Mythic or Racial Shift they engage in except if they would somehow become quadrupedal or no longer humanoid, while also returning magically after Shifting back from any such non-humanoid Shifts. Secondly, with this Ability, the user is able to magically change the color, shape, material and appearance as well as layering of their clothing and foot and head wear, including removing and adding new pieces on the fly. This Ability acts instantly and seamlessly with no Cooldown. This Ability cannot create or emulate armor or any tough materials that add extra armoring, and materials cannot consist out of rare materials that require Abilities or Progressions to produce.
}}
}}
|-
|-
|}
|}
====Shenathar Tribe Abilities====
{| class="wikitable"
|- style="font-weight:bold; text-align:center; background-color:#c0c0c0;"
! Ability Name
! Ability Type
! Ability Range
! Ability Description
|-
| style="background-color:#c0c0c0;" | Body Claws 1
| Toggle Passive
| Self
| Grants the user {{#simple-tooltip: Body Claws 1 | The Character can retract or manifest sharp claws that ignore any type of armor that is not plate-tier, and can tear up even chainmail and cured leather. These claws utilize Unarmed Proficiency for combat, but cannot be used in conjunction with any Melee or Ranged Weapons, and must be fully retracted to wield them.
}}
|-
| style="background-color:#c0c0c0;" | Power Curse 2
| Target Curse
| Emote Distance
| Grants the user {{#simple-tooltip: Power Curse 2 | The user has the Power Curse 2 enabled on themselves permanently, however it has only one charge every 12 hours. The charge is triggered when any Knockdown or Knockback effect is imparted on the user. The effect is instead Countered, and the Character that used an Ability or Technique that caused the Knockdown or Knockback is affected by the effect instead. Other effects, damage and mechanics from Abilities causing Knockback and Knockdown still apply to the user.
}}
|-
|}
====Oscithar Tribe Abilities====
{| class="wikitable"
|- style="font-weight:bold; text-align:center; background-color:#c0c0c0;"
! Ability Name
! Ability Type
! Ability Range
! Ability Description
|-
| style="background-color:#c0c0c0;" | Servile Collar 1
| Control Power
| Direct Touch
| Grants the user {{#simple-tooltip:  Servile Collar 1 | The user can target either a willing or fully restrained unwilling person to apply a Control Power on them. Once applied, the target goes catatonic, their eyes become solid milky white, and they are no longer conscious of their surroundings. The user then has 10 minutes to give instructions to the Servile, after which the Servile must attempt to complete the instructions immediately (if the instructions are not completed, this Ability goes on Cooldown and ends). Serviles can be given multiple stages leading up to the final command (such as, for example go there, disguise as this, then stab this person), but cannot be given multiple commands (such as, stab this person, fake this document, and burn this house down). Once the Servile is either restrained, knocked unconscious, has Exorcism 2 applied to them, completes the objective, or cannot complete the objective within 24 hours, the Control Power is removed. Either way the Control Power ends, the Servile has no memory of the instructions given or any of their actions taken after instructions to before the removal of its effects. All the while the Control Power is active, the Target is catatonic but still functions like a zombie, they will continue to go about trying to complete their mission but look as if they are in a daze, their eyes milky white and will not speak or respond to any prompting. Serviles will move around obstacles and will defend themselves, and cannot be instructed to harm themselves. The Servile can never be instructed to speak or reveal things, it can only do things. This Ability has a 48 hour Cooldown.
}}
|-
| style="background-color:#c0c0c0;" | Exist Counter 1
| Trigger Passive
| Emote Distance
| Grants the user {{#simple-tooltip: Exist Counter 1 | Once per day, the Character can entirely Counter a single Ability from an Exist Based Non-Racial Ability Kit. This prevents an ability from being used, stops an ongoing ability, and cancels and removes any effects it may have imparted as long as it is used within 10 seconds of the Ability being used, and as long as it was specifically targeting the Character.
}}
|-
|}
====Bakrathar Tribe Abilities====
{| class="wikitable"
|- style="font-weight:bold; text-align:center; background-color:#c0c0c0;"
! Ability Name
! Ability Type
! Ability Range
! Ability Description
|-
| style="background-color:#c0c0c0;" | Pure Body 1
| Constant Passive
| Self
| Grants the user {{#simple-tooltip: Pure Body 1 | The Character is immune to Afflictions. Any type of Affliction simply fails to infect them, even if it would come at the end of an Ability. Some Event Characters like Arken may have the Ability to negate this effect. Additionally, the Character is unable to learn or use Sorcery, if a Character gains Pure Body 1 at a later point in time, they lose their Sorcery or Magic and do not get Proficiency refunds.
}}
|-
| style="background-color:#c0c0c0;" | Exist Counter 2
| Trigger Passive
| Self
| Grants the user {{#simple-tooltip: Exist Counter 2 | The Character is completely immune to Abilities gained from Exist-Based Sorcery, Exist Magic Kit, or Cahal Kits. They cannot affect them negatively, or positively, and they are not target-able.
}}
|-
|}
====Wolathar Tribe Abilities====
{| class="wikitable"
|- style="font-weight:bold; text-align:center; background-color:#c0c0c0;"
! Ability Name
! Ability Type
! Ability Range
! Ability Description
|-
| style="background-color:#c0c0c0;" | Hunt Sense 1
| Toggle Passive
| Self
| Grants the user {{#simple-tooltip: Hunt Sense 1 | The Character has permanent Night-Vision in dark or night-time locations, thus being able to see through Mundane Darkness, but not Ability based Darkness. Additionally, if the Character has tasted or smelled freshly drawn blood of an individual within the last 30 minutes, are able to track their location wherever they are in Regalia proper. If the target leaves to a Clandestine Base or Noble Estate however, the tracking ends. While tracking, it's not allowed to use fast travel or sprint, the distance must be walked.
}}
|-
| style="background-color:#c0c0c0;" | Rogue Gift 4
| Toggle Passive
| Self
| Grants the user {{#simple-tooltip: Rogue Gift 4 | Items held (like Clockwork or weapons) and stationary items used (like doors and hatches) do not produce any sound when used by the Character, and the character no longer makes noise when attempting to remain silent. Additionally, the character does not produce audible footsteps on any surface.
}}
|-
|}
====Wylathar Tribe Abilities====
{| class="wikitable"
|- style="font-weight:bold; text-align:center; background-color:#c0c0c0;"
! Ability Name
! Ability Type
! Ability Range
! Ability Description
|-
| style="background-color:#c0c0c0;" | Sorcery Skill 1
| Constant Passive
| Self
| Grants the user {{#simple-tooltip: Sorcery Skill 1 | If the Character has purchased at least 1 Sorcery Ability, they may gain an additional Sorcery Ability from any Category for free. This Ability can only trigger once, and if this Ability is somehow removed from the owner, the chosen Sorcery Ability is lost.
}}
|-
| style="background-color:#c0c0c0;" | Nature Gift 1
| Constant Passive
| Self
| Grants the user {{#simple-tooltip: Nature Gift 1 | While outside the City, thus nowhere near conventional rental housing, the Character moves “as fast as an Asha” (thus giving the Character Asha Agility). This Ability ceases the moment the Character returns to the urban landscape.
}}
|-
|}
====Solstithar Tribe Abilities====
{| class="wikitable"
|- style="font-weight:bold; text-align:center; background-color:#c0c0c0;"
! Ability Name
! Ability Type
! Ability Range
! Ability Description
|-
| style="background-color:#c0c0c0;" | Peace Reign 2
| Control Power
| Event Venue
| Grants the user {{#simple-tooltip: Peace Reign 2 | The Character is able to Target one specific person within Emote Distance, and make them more tolerant and accepting. This ability is not telegraphed in any way, and causes the Target to be unable to distinguish between races, including their own, and have no racial bias, preference, or prejudice. The target additionally cannot express classist, religiously intolerant, or otherwise sexist/sex or gender based intolerance. The person is still capable of being offended and is still capable of violence, but will no longer be able to have bigoted thoughts. This can affect up to 2 people at any given time. This ability is indefinite, but can be removed by any Exorcism or Possession removal mechanic. The person is also not aware that they have been altered by this ability. Additionally, as long as the character has no one currently altered by this ability, they can cast this Ability over an Event Venue, removing innate racial bias and racism (but only racial bias and racism) from all guests for the duration of the Event. When a person has had this ability removed, they cannot be re-cursed for another week.
}}
|-
| style="background-color:#c0c0c0;" | Shrewd Insight 1
| Control Power
| Emote Distance
| Grants the user {{#simple-tooltip:  Shrewd Insight 1 | When conversing with a person, the user can, once a day, detect the true disposition of a person towards them. This may be done either by detecting how much the target likes or dislikes the user, or by more specifically detecting how they perceive the user. This may need to be updated from time to time, as people change their minds about others all the time. A character with at least 10 Proficiency Points in Theatre Arts is immune to this Ability. They simply send back blank results.
}}
|-
|}
==History==
[[File:Solstithar.png|260px|thumb|right|Solstithar are the perfect entertainers, and while Shenathar think them cowards, they cannot deny their parties.]]
[[File:Shenplashss.png|260px|thumb|right|Kathar are sometimes considered a forbidden fruit, alluring, yet very cruel and dangerous.]]
[[File:Shendarsplash.png|260px|thumb|right|Shenathar revel in violence and chaos, but always aim to be lord and master of their creation.]]
[[File:Etgwsaivale.png|260px|thumb|right|Saivalthar often practice aesthetic bone-singing from Ritualism to form cranial ridges as decoration.]]
[[File:Wolandonra.png|260px|thumb|right|Among Wolathar, a Wolrond is a Wolathar with skin and horn mutations, usually made bald and living as a hermit in the forest.]]
[[File:Shendar4.png|260px|thumb|right|Among the Kathar are some of the most powerful Chaos and Darkness [[Mages]], their society perfect for breeding excellent Mages.]]
[[File:Shendar6.png|260px|thumb|right|Kathar tattoos are either very sharp with pointy lines (imitating Oscithar patterns), or intricate geometric maze-like shapes.]]
Worshipping the Void, the cornerstone of both Kathar society and history, has existed throughout the millennia of Aloria’s existence, dating all the way back to the zenith of the [[Seraph]]. Devotion to the Void, no matter how many states attempt to extinguish it, has always wormed its way back into the world through the most unexpected ways. The first true origin of worship to the Void among the Elves of the Allorn Empire is hard to accurately pin down because of how most of the early worship was done in secret. With their numbers swelling over the centuries, however, the so-called Vlae’lonä, or Void Cult, grew in number and boldness. Around 90 BC, many positions in the Allorn Empire’s high ranking government were filled with worshippers of the Void Cult. The Faith of the Dark Ancients was very innocent early on in recorded Elven History, promising everlasting pleasure and joy for a basic sacrifice, often that of blood. Indeed, the effects of Void worship and the extended influence it had over the Elven population through its leaders, started demanding more and more, but was very effective in providing exactly that elation that the Elves sought, while also empowering their magic usage.
The concentration of the Void Cult was especially strong on the western isles which would later become the Shadow Isles. This early Princedom had a flourishing elite that publicly relished in Void worship, using [[Asha]] as blood sacrifices. Many of the Shenathar cultural heritage actually descends from this specific state, giving birth to wild traditions like The Dance of Llöv and The Carnage of Thräl’laniir. Around 50 BC or so, some unknown interaction with what was later presumed to be some [[Arken]], led to the creation of the first Shadow Council, though it is more commonly known as the Princes of Osc'ïrd to the Kathar. The Princes of Osc'ïrd were the noble rulers of this western isle princedom within the Allorn Empire, as well as the lands further stretching towards Saivale, that were transformed into the first Kathar beings (notably Shenathar, Saivalthar and Oscithar). With their gift, they learned of the first Kathar forming rituals, which did exactly as Void worship had always promised. In exchange for servitude, the ritual would grant the Elf extreme ecstasy. Within a period of ten years, most of the island principality converted. The remainder of the Allorn Empire was either oblivious to it, or partook in it as well as droves of Elves converted to the gray skins (early on, there was very little difference physically between the Shenath and Saivale, the Saivale changed later), the infiltration of Void Cultists in the Imperial government making the Elven Emperor and purists blind to the changes that were overtaking the Empire.
When the first generation of the Kathar had reached critical mass, the Shadow Council enacted its first great act that would shape the future of Aloria, the Great Fire Dance, which is commonly known as the [[Night of the Fallen Star]] elsewhere in Aloria. The Kathar used vile magics and fire to tear down the [[Nenya]], first servants and emissaries of [[Estel]], slaughtering the fading loyalists to the [[Faith of Estel]] in the thousands. With one massive event all across the Allorn Empire, the Kathar shattered the Faith of Estel and tore down the foundations of the Allorn Empire, weakening it and making the Void Cult the true force in the religious vacuum left behind. It was however also this act that caused the Oscithar to secede from the Kathar, a first sign of dissent among their ranks. The Oscithar, while completely onboard with the hedonism and Void worship of the Kathar, were not on board with destroying the Allorn Empire, and believed that keeping the Allorn Empire intact for conversion was preferable to destruction and then ruling over the remnants. Their secession led to the independent Princedoms of Osc’ïrd, ironically the birthplace of the Kathar race, which then quickly shifted its homeland to the islands beyond. The Kathar (minus the Princes of Osc’ïrd) were poised to absorb the Allorn Empire in its entirety over the following years, had it not been for the Cataclysm. The rampant destruction and magic usage by the Kathar had thusly saturated the world with Magic so much that the [[Veil]] tore open once more, laying bare all the demonic forces that now poured into the world of Aloria intent on destroying all. The remnants of the Allorn Empire fought to resist the [[Fifth Void Invasion]], while the Kathar continued to usurp more and more land and power from the true Altalar. An event that shattered their momentum, however, was the destruction of the Veil and the collapse of the Demonic Invasion. The death of the Allorn Emperor created a power vacuum that exposed the true downside of the Kathar collective, their unquenching desire to be at the top. The empty throne became a hot contention item and even the Shadow Council turned in on itself as they all vied to become the strongest Kathar. What eventually halted their rise to power and diminished their numbers greatly was the unexpected arrival of the Eronidas that occurred shortly after the Cataclysm, which in itself already caused massive casualties besides the Kathar. Successive slave revolts by [[Humans]] and the Asha brought the Kathar to their knees, their shattered remnants retreating to the Shadow Isles, a last final haven where none followed them. All the land they had gained on the continents of [[Daendroc]] and [[Teled Methen]] was absorbed by the Eronidas and later reconquered by the [[Avanthar]] and the petty kingdoms of the Altalar. Even though the Eronidas presented a great setback to the Kathar, some Saivalthar and Shenathar saw benefit in what the Eronidas could bring, and started experimenting with dark magic on some captured Eronidas. Eventually, through the sacrifice of many Eronidas, the Bakrathar were born, a mixture of the most violent Kathar and Eronidas far greater than even [[Half-Eronidas]], into a new Race of Kathar, joining their fold.
It was on the Shadow Isles however that the Kathar found new allies in the same Arken that had originally interacted with them to form the Shadow Council. The Shadow Council was all but abandoned, and the Arken aided in the rise of the Empress of the Dread Empire, giving shape to the new state. The Arken then went out into the remnants of the Allorn Empire, using a mixture of false promises, bribery and trickery to draw more and more Elves who were fleeing the destruction of the Eronidas or simply chasing power westwards into the hands of the Kathar. Over the decades that followed, the Kathar were taught the principles that would eventually form their psyche, culture, and statehood by the Arken. Others yet fled into the deep walds where the rampant magic had mutated creatures into strange tall monstrosities that hid among the canopies. They would eventually become the Wolathar. Of the Wolathar, the Wylathar were created when one particular section of the deep wald was infested with a large explosion of wild magic, causing the entire hectares large forest to turn into a dreamscape of mutated plants and trees, among which the Wylathar would make their home. The Wolathar continued to be distant from the birthing Dread Empire, but eventually started interacting more with it, and took up a distant albeit involved part of their society. With much of the Dread Empire having formed its modern-day borders around 150 AC, the following decades were spent simply consolidating into the terrifyingly powerful Empire they went on to become. They began to insidiously spread their influence and roots throughout the outside world, dispatching small clusters of loyalists to begin undermining the other powers that stood opposed to them.
All the while, the Oscithar continued to diverge away from the Dread Empire, and even engaged in conflicts with it, as they tried to defend the Suvial Altalar lands from Dread Empire invasions, attempts they believed would benefit them in the long run when the Allorn Empire would be re-established. The Oscithar remained stalwart in the survival of Altalar culture among them, albeit corrupted by Void worship and a complete rejection of Estel. Similarly, a few brave pioneering Shenathar, as well as some odd-ball Saivalthar moved to the Regalian Empire to infiltrate the flourishing Ailor society. These infiltrants however grew so comfortable there, or engaged in some less-than-planned-out Dread Rebirth among the Solvaan, giving rise to the Solstithar. The Solstithar were neither at home in the Dread Empire, nor among the Solvaan Altalar, and thus moved further north to settle on the islands near Solleria, eventually becoming properly integrated into the Regalian Empire as the “Grey Regiments” in the military. Similarly, in Dread Empire society, more and more Shenathar were raised up to leading positions, giving rise to the Zolathar aristocracy, propelled into power through the occupation of priestly positions that were by and large dominated by the Zolathar.
The Dread Empire continued to wage war with the Fin’ullen, Suvial, Teledden and Oscithar neighbors, an eternal tug of war where land had to be conceded, but was also conquered, only to be lost again several years later. Around 306 AC, tensions between the Dread Empire and the Regalian Empire came to a violent apex, and war broke out. The Kathar sought to make a massive push to reclaim the remaining territories of the fallen Allorn Empire in order to expand their successor state and bring the remaining Nelfin there into their newfound and rebuilt glory, and Regalia intervened. Hard-fought and bloody on both sides, the Regalian Empire and its allies eventually pushed an offensive into border territories of the Dread Empire and began applying enough pressure that the [[Dragon]] Rikkira eventually made herself seen in a climactic battle and fled. The war came to an end there, with the Kathar efforts blocked entirely, and a tribunal was called by the Great Kaahls to speak to the Empress Volessa and her Champion. In the midst of a speech that aimed to excuse their loss, the Empress’ younger sister Melanxes immolated her in a burst of infernal Void flame, killing her before the entirety of the gathered Warlords. She was proclaimed the new Empress then and there and even earned the respect of some of the Warlords, though others still remain dissatisfied with their loss in the war and rumors of insurrection continue to spread. Nowadays, more and more Kathar leave the Empire’s borders, seeking brighter prospects in the world at large, and even begin to create their own Kaahls outside of the Empire with the hopes of amassing their own groups of power.
==Culture==
===Language and Dialects===
*Saivalthar speak Katharic, and have names similar to Altalar, but with more strong consonants like r,k,v,t,p etc.
*Zolathar speak Katharic, and have names similar to Altalar, but with more strong consonants like r,k,v,t,p etc.
*Shenathar speak Katharic, and have names similar to Altalar, but with more strong consonants like r,k,v,t,p etc.
*Oscithar speak Modern Altalar or Katharic, and have the same naming principles as Altalar.
*Bakrathar speak Katharic, and have Bakrathar (real world: Carthaginian) naming principles.
*Wylathar speak Katharic, and have Wylathar (real world: Persian) naming principles.
*Wolathar speak Katharic, and have Wolathar (real world: Hittite) naming principles.
*Solstithar speak Modern Altalar, or Common, and have the same naming principles as Altalar, but frequently also choose more Common sounding names, using their “anglicized” name for ease of use among Ailor.
===Politics===
====Dread Empire====
There are four distinct political entities among the Kathar. The first is the Dread Empire, which is a colossal Kathar Empire spanning much of the far south-west of the collapsed Allorn Empire. Within the Dread Empire, all variants of Kathar Tribes exist (except the Solstithar and Oscithar) interwoven in a complex political system. It mirrors much of the Regalian and Allorn Empires, in that it has a large civilian population ruled over by aristocrats, who in turn are ruled over by princes and princesses, who in turn are ruled over by the Empress of the Dread Empire. Structurally speaking, the Dread Empire is a fairly decentralized state unlike the Regalian Empire or even the more modern Altalar-ruled [[Altalar States]]. The Dread Empire is, however, the largest political entity that Elves control in Aloria, and also boasts the largest number of inhabitants even if the Kathar are not in the majority. Many coastal cities are controlled by the Dread Empire through mutually beneficial vassalage but also through annexation and military conquest, thus bringing vast numbers of Altalar into their empire as slaves or resources. At the very head of the Dread Empire are the Voidborne, the Pathar Dynasty. The members of this Saivalthar and Zolathar mixed lineage claim descent from the Void Prefects of Pride and Pleasure themselves making them the so-called Perfect Silven. While this cannot be ascertained as a complete and absolute truth, there does seem to be some validity to it as all their members are born as Void Silven even without the direct conception of an Arken, and they all seem to possess otherworldly skills in magic and manipulation and are sometimes compared to the Archmages of the Allorn Empire old.
They Voidborne rule the Dread Empire officially through two seats: that of the Empress, which is usually the matriarch of the family, and the seat of the Champion, which is usually not the Empress’s husband but one of her lovers who happens to be an imposing and skilled warrior. The Empress uses a variety of magics and Void Essence to enhance her Champion through mutation and enchantment and uses him to both profess and enforce her will to the people. The Empress, however, has only limited directional power for the Dread Empire at large and usually acts as a neutral party between the warring Warlords. She can still declare war and outlaw individual Warlords, but must tread with caution as the Warlords could at any time rise up and dethrone her in favor of one of her sisters. The Imperial seat is also not inherited, but taken. Any woman from the Pathar family that kills the previous Empress takes her place, and any male that kills the previous Champion becomes the new one. This has on occasion led to brothers or sons or fathers becoming lovers and Champions of the Empress, which is considered natural and normal among the Kathar, as strength supersedes family ties. While the Empress possesses the societal power to take as many lovers as she wishes, she typically constricts her carnal affairs in fear of bearing so many daughters that her successors’ lives become nonstop bloodbaths in the pursuit of the throne. The current Empress, Melanxes the Weaver, slew her older sister in the middle of a post-war meeting with the Warlords after their defeat at the hands of the Regalian Empire, a ploy that earned her their due respect.
The real, practical power is vested in the Warlords which are the 14 Great Kaahls (Kathar term for families, though not all are necessarily related by blood) who are divided across the tribes of the Kathar (except Solstithar and Wylathar), mostly concentrated among the Saivalthar and Zolathar while only one is for example held by the Wolathar. The Warlords enforce their reign each with their own hereditary artifacts called the Sceptres of Power, terrifying magical weapons that are said to have been made by the Void Prefect of Power long ago. They each command vast armies and it is not unheard of for Kaahls to engage in feuds with one another, which the Empress will then attempt to solve. That being said, they will for the most part work together to expand the Dread Empire and are content fighting the Altalar on the mainland or slaving across the coasts of various western kingdoms and states to provide the Dread Empire with labor. On a more local level, the military controls the population, which makes the Dread Empire very similar to the Regalian Empire. Officers in the armies of the Warlords often double as magistrates and important officials of towns and cities, and their soldiers under them control neighborhoods or businesses. The Dread Empire’s military structure is far more advanced and mature than that of the Regalian Empire, putting the simplistic Levy system of Regalia to shame. In practice, the Dread Empire’s army is constituted entirely of professional soldiers, which makes their army so terrifyingly strong.
The Empress regularly holds a sort of collected court where the Warlords are called to meet in [[Paärthalaär]], where the symbolic seat of her power is located in the grand palace. These gatherings are almost never without their own melodrama and inevitably fall to squabbling, threats, or entirely off-topic distractions like revelry and spontaneous Henate Duels. The purpose of these gatherings is to provide the Warlords with an opportunity to profess their displeasures with the state of the Empire or make their case to rally other Warlords and even the Empress’ influence in a declaration of war on another Great Kaahl or an exterior foe. As of the Empire’s staggering loss to Regalia, 3 Warlords and their Kaahls have pushed themselves to the forefront of the Empire’s politics, consolidating power beneath them and taking stances on the state of the Kathar. The 14 great Kaahls are as followed:
* The 4 Saivalthar Kaahls of Len-zolathaar, Len-manrathaar, Ylbakhrai, and Reiaan.
* The 3 Zolathar Kaahls of Koor-zol-Makkaar, Ruirimaanat, and Ay’llat.
* The 2 Shenathar Kaahls of Qormeiaan, and Pakhrathei.
* The 3 Oscithar Kaahls of Maelaanan, Elvonnai, and Sil’salaï.
* The 1 Bakrathar Kaahl of Doumat.
* The 1 Wolathar Kaahl of Kuwatalla.
Note: In practice, the Oscithar Kaahls are disloyal to the Dread Empire, and at war with them. Each Oscithar Kaahl has a representative in the Dread Empire, but at the same time, their Kaahls in the Princedoms of Osc'ïrd are actively engaged in military conflicts with the Dread Empire. This weird technicality is largely overlooked by day to day politics, and the Oscithar Kaahls are also largely ignored, though still mentioned by name to acknowledge their power, and probably the level of control and infiltration they have inflicted on the Dread Empire. While the Kaahls do not directly engage in politics with the Oscithar Kaahls, they would be silly to pretend that these Kaahls do not have extensive contacts in the Dread Empire through their intrigue.
=====The Slaughter Games=====
The Slaughter Games are less of a single unified hierarchy beneath their Warlord and more a collection of similarly-minded warbands who function as a collective army. The Slaughter Games are all run by former slaves, rebellious soldiers and other dissatisfied Kathar who operate their armies independently but all share in their respect and loyalty to their Warlord, Kur’ozz the Inferno. At the Slaughter Games, violence and bloodshed are the zeitgeist, their society being a series of almost nonstop battles: every single argument or decision is made through combat, and local leaders are regularly challenged and overthrown for their positions of power. The right to rule is earned by might and might alone and must always be proven. Though mostly composed of Shenathar and Bakrathar, the Games are particularly inclusive even toward non-Kathar, allowing anyone to join their ranks and try to prove themselves strong enough. As of the present, the Slaughter Games pay next to no respect to the seat of the Empress, though do not presently push upon the other Warlords and Kathar settlements, seemingly content to fight and bolster for the time being. Paramount among them all, though, is their Warlord Kur’ozz the Inferno. A violent psychopath who relishes in bloodshed, Kur’ozz is said to pierce his own skin with burning stakes before charging into battle. Many other Warlords and even leaders of external states come to him with propositions to buy him and the Games’ loyalty, and very few survive the ensuing negotiations.
=====The Court of Mortal Delights=====
The Court of Mortal Delights are the materially wealthy and self-titled upper crust of the Empire’s society, all gathered together with the singular goal of endlessly expanding their wealth and reach at the direction of their Warlord, Illana. Life among the Court is like a never-ending revel: indulgence is encouraged and almost demanded, with feasts and parties being held at every possible occasion and social status being mostly determined by how well one reigns at the celebrations they attend. Revelry is seen as a form of worship: to the Court, endlessly consuming and satiating one’s desires is how one pays homage to their chosen Prefects and the Void, and so they happily indulge in whatever hedonisms they wish. The Court is happy to accept non-Kathar among them, so long as they can provide, but they will take any opportunity to seduce Nelfin into the embrace of the Void and transform them into Kathar. The Court is overseen by Lady Illana. By and large, Illana is a kind ruler, but her goals are altogether sinister: she has her sights set on the other Nelfin populations in the world and hopes to one day convert them all to Kathar and extend the Court’s reach as far as possible.
=====The Duskeye Syndicate=====
The Duskeye Syndicate are staunch Imperial Loyalists who firmly support the ruling blood even after the Empire’s recent failures. Their leader, Viceroy Ekk’thellis, operates mostly in quiet, doing everything he can to support the Empress in her goals and keep her protected from the machinations of the other Warlords. The Syndicate mostly keeps to itself, with their standing army almost never venturing outside of their city, operating from an as-of-yet unknown place within the Empire’s borders. Rumors say they dwell underground. Societally they are quiet and reserved, and mostly focused on research, plotting, and the acquisition of knowledge. There is supposedly a great and grand library they all contribute to in their possession, filled to the brim with knowledge, no matter how dark or taboo. The Syndicate also has a subtle presence in lands distant, though how far their reach is cannot be accurately stated, as it is kept under wraps. Hardly any of the Syndicate’s members themselves have seen the Viceroy, but his presence is known nonetheless: pulling strings where they need be.


===Other Great Kaahls===
====Specials====
Beside the most prominent, 11 other reign their own pieces of the Empire, all at varying states of loyalty or dissatisfaction with the current ruling family thanks to their loss in the recent war. These Warlords are typically incredibly skilled warriors who earned their rank through strength and merciless ambition or particularly powerful mages that control and exert their influence with tact and precision. The least strong of them at times die out and are replaced by particularly ambitious lesser families, with their Sceptre of Power changing hands then.
=====Ageless=====
====Princedoms of Osc'ïrd====
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.
The second political entity among the Kathar, is the Princedoms of Osc'ïrd, where the Oscithar rule. The Oscithar are distinct from the Kathar Empire, in that they maintain much more of their Altalar heritage, and actively rejected joining the Dread Empire, even fighting the Dread Empire on occasion with their Suvial Altalar allies. Oscithar politics follows much the same model of the Dread Empire, however it lacks a central royal figure. The Oscithar recognize the Allorn Emperor or Empress as the sole rightful ruler of their people, but since the Allorn Empire collapsed, the throne remains vacant and the princes rule through a regency council. It remains up for debate whether the Princes of Osc'ïrd would relinquish authority to an Emperor or Empress should one be crowned by all of Allorndom, but for the time being, their close connections to their Allorn history makes living under them a lot easier for Altalar. Oscithar do not permit many of the Kathar tribes to live in their lands, the vast majority of their subjects being Altalar. Still, some Zolathar do exist, albeit less politically relevant than they would be in the Dread Empire. Some Solstithar have moved to the Oscithar lands to work with them against the Dread Empire, though migrations remain minimal since the Oscithar lands are in a near constant state of war with the Dread Empire.
=====Arcane Mastery=====
====Anchal Sollen Sols====
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.
The third political entity among the Kathar, are the Sols of Anchal Sollen, particularly the islands of Sciermanna, Helvalonaam, Ulmaanisla, Sadeiennaar and Solvalonaam. These islands are inhabited by the Solstithar or as the Regalians call them “acclimated Kathar”. Many of these regions contain Solstithar that were previously Altalar and through Dread Rebirth chose to stay Kathar, or simply descendants of those who wished to live in the Regalian Empire’s society, perhaps spies send centuries ago that saw Regalian society as more pleasant to live in, and decided to betray the Dread Empire. The Solstithar are the smallest of Kathar tribes, and far outnumbered by even the Solvaan Altalar living further to their south, but have played minor roles in whatever conflict Solvaan regiments were also present, creating a reliable source of Kathar collaborators for the Regalian Empire. The Solstithar rule as Sols, thus part of the Regalian Empire as nobility, serving under the Regalian Emperor.
=====Elder Satisfaction=====
====Independent Kaahls====
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.
The fourth political entity among the Kathar, are the Kaahls. Kaahls in theory exist in all the previously mentioned political bodies. A Kaahl roughly just refers to a family unit, whether among Saivalthar, Solstithar, or Oscithar, but a Kaahl can also be stateless, and roam freely. A Kaahl of Wolathar might for example have left the Wolds of the Dread Empire, and roamed all the way up to Fendarfelle where they established a self-ruled region that owes no allegiance to any political entity. These groups tend to be more nomadic, and eventually expelled wherever they go, as they still maintain their old religion and customs, which most other races and societies find repulsive. Generally speaking however, Kaahls can be found in practically every continent, except Jorrhildr, Ellador, Sendras, and Farahdeen.  
=====Vice Sense=====
====Tribal Interactions====
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.
Tribal relations are sometimes a bit more complicated than clearly outlined beliefs, but in order to get a better picture of how Kathar society operates, it is necessary to understand a default. These defaults are based on the idea that every tribe is raised to believe a certain way. For example, Shenathar are always raised to believe that Solstithar will screw them over, and Bakrathar are always raised to believe that Solstithar are weak. That does not mean that characters can change their mind over time. Additionally, all tribal relations assume neutral favor/disfavor by default. What this means is that only outliers are mentioned below for exceptional positive relations, or exceptional dislike. Note, also just because one tribe dislikes another tribe does not mean this causes endless civil wars in the Dread Empire. There is a common understanding that tribes may compete and dislike each other, but that ultimately, they are all still Kathar and as such united.
=====Bone Song=====
* The Saivalthar like the Zolathar, but dislike Oscithar and Solstithar.
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.
* The Zolathar like Shenathar and Saivalthar, but dislike Solstithar.  
=====Dread Rebirth=====
* The Shenathar like Zolathar and Oscithar, but dislike Solstithar.
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.
* The Oscithar like Solstithar, but dislike Wolathar and Wylathar.
=====Den of Illusions=====
* The Bakrathar dislike all tribes until they find someone worthy of being strong.
Whenever a Kathar is in their own Rental Region, Regalian Business 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.
* The Wylathar generally like or are apathetic to all other tribes.
* The Wolathar are distrusting of all other tribes but have no overt dislike.
* The Solstithar are apathetic to all other tribes, but like Oscithar particularly.
===Family Life===
Saivalthar have inherited much of their family lives from the Teledden. They are largely monogamous, with no clear superior gender in the household. Saivalthar Children have a somewhat happy childhood, but are mostly raised to become political schemers and have parents with extremely high expectations of them. Same-sex relations are permitted among the Saivalthar, cross-breeding with other tribes is however taboo. Zolathar inherited much of their family lives from the Fin’ullen. They are at face value monogamous, seeing only one “life partner”, but permit free roaming outside of a single unbreakable partnership. There is no gender bias among Zolathar, though matriarchies tend to be in the vast majority as they style themselves after the Dread Empire’s all-female leadership. Zolathar children have a happy childhood, and frequently make many childhood friends due to busy and overpopulated households, but many also end up in priesthood. Same-sex relations are permitted among the Zolathar, and cross-breeding with other tribes happens frequently.  


Shenathar are far more tribal than Zolathar, and do not strictly practice monogamy or polygamy. Shenathar can be monogamous, but can also be bigamist, or simply choosing to remain free of becoming settled down. There is a slight male bias in the Shenathar household, because of the tribal nature of their culture and Shenathar men usually being more confrontational and violent. Shenathar children have a happy, but wild and sometimes violent childhood where early competition with other families and peers is encouraged to make good warriors. Same-sex relations are permitted among the Shenathar, and cross-breeding is only permitted with Zolathar and Bakrathar, other pairings are taboo. Oscithar, much like the Saivalthar, maintain their old Teledden roots, and are almost exclusively monogamous, with no clear gender bias in the household. Despite this monogamy, Oscithar do practice polyamory. They may only ever have one intimate partner, but may entertain romantic non-erotic relations with others. Oscithar children are raised much the same as Saivalthar, with high political aspirations. Same-sex relations are permitted among the Oscithar, cross-breeding however is strictly forbidden with any Kathar tribe besides the Solstithar.
=====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.  
=====Magical Storage=====
Kathar can store up to a closet’s worth of items inside a pocket dimension or alternate dimension. They must magically summon the opening and physically move items in and out through the opening. Weapons of any type cannot be stored inside a Magical Storage, but ammunition can, and living things or artifacts can never be stored inside Magical Storage. If a Kathar with this Ability is Knocked Out, the contents of their Magical Storage will spill out in front of them. Kathar manifest Magical Storage through storing items directly in the Void, and pulling them out from there.


Bakrathar do not entertain the idea of marriage, and instead live with partners on a seasonal basis for however long it takes for offspring to become capable of surviving on their own. Bakrathar have a strong male patriarchal bias due to the men being larger, and more violent. Bakrathar children live a somewhat unhappy and chaotic childhood, with weak ones weeded out through malnutrition and violence, meaning only the strong survive, and become excellent warriors. Same-sex male relations are shunned in Bakrathar society, as while they do occur, the less physically imposing partner is subject to ridicule. Same-sex female relations are permitted. Cross-breeding with other tribes is responded to with a so-so attitude, as the matchings are only approved of if the children survive. Wylathar do not believe in the concept of marriage and treat intimacy and close contact as a form of basic social interaction. As such, they are neither monogamous or polygamist, the best way to describe their habits being “whatever”. Wylathar have no gender bias in their families, but do have an age bias, where elders end up running families. Wylathar children live a very creative and stimulating childhood that often leaves them thinking of the rest of the world as bland and boring. Same-sex relations are beyond the Wylathar comprehension as gender is largely ignored in their society. Cross-breeding with other tribes is also wildly encouraged, as Wylathar believe in the benefit of diversity.  
=====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.


Wolathar practice a mixture of bigamy and polyamory, but do not have believe in traditional marriage. In their tribes, which are majorly nomadic, they establish close-knit family units that can range from two parents to five. Wolathar have no gender bias in their families, but do have a bias for whoever is the most capable hunter and protector. Wolathar children have a happy, albeit dangerous, childhood as they are cared for closely by their family unit, but are quickly included in the hunting and warfare practices of the Wolathar, leaving them at risk. Same-sex relationships are permitted amongst the Wolathar, as long as, somehow, every Wolathar has children. Cross-breeding with other tribes is strictly forbidden, as the Wolathar are very insular in their own tribes and units. Solstithar have adopted whatever the Regalian Empire defines as an acceptable societal norm for their families, meaning that they are by far and large monogamous. Solstithar children have the safest and most peaceful raising, as they are raised and educated in the Regalian Empire, thus also having many options further in life. There is no gender bias in their households, and use a form of democratic elder council to lead the family, often with grandparents adorning these positions. Same-sex relations among Solstithar are permitted, and cross-breeding with other tribes is also, but only on the stipulation the child is born in the Regalian Empire.
==Language==
===Religion===
[[File:Solstithar.png|260px|thumb|right|Cult of Reason Kathar generally cooperate and function better with other Races, but can still be very self-indulgent.]]
[[File:Afaagykmhgwolf.png|260px|thumb|right|Wolf-man statuettes are an important cultural symbol for the Kathar, even if muddied a bit by the later arrival of Cahal.]]
[[File:Shenplashss.png|260px|thumb|right|A lot of Kathar can look harmless, kind even, though for many of them, this is part of the alluring ruse or trick.]]
All Kathar tribes (save for the Solstithar and Oscithar who follow Void Cultism) follow a syncretic faith that combines aspects of traditional Arken worship as well as Ancient Worship. As such, a Kathar can both be a Katharist (a follower of the Kathar faith) and an Ancient Worshiper at the same time. The way this works is that the Tribes each have a patron Prefect of the Void. This Void Prefect is seen as their great patron, but not specifically their god. In many ways, the Prefects could be seen as the prophets that proclaim their own specific version of a Void God’s central theme. This means that even though the Shenathar of Kaahl Käyth, for example, follow the Void Prefect of Pride, this Prefect can represent very different views of life depending on what Void God they are applied to. The Void Prefects are also based on real-life individuals that were most likely Arken, though the actual connection between modern Arken and what the tribes call Prefects has not been established with complete certainty. Below follows a list of all Void Prefects, and how they are seen as Prophets of the Void Gods.
[[File:Shendarsplash.png|260px|thumb|right|Kathar remain widely known as the most untrustworthy race, notably due to their rather telling appearance traits.]]
*'''The Void Prefect of Pride''' (also called the Pride Host) is generally considered to have been a very powerful Elven Arken during the waning days of the Allorn Empire. The Void Prefect of Pride has always been described as an extremely powerful mage with an arbitrary temperament, and also the creature that taught the Kathar how to read and write Void-Script. The Prefect of Pride assisted the rise of the Dread Empire by collapsing numerous strong Elven Principalities that tried to smother the Empire in its early creation. The Void Prefect supposedly took the shape of beastly terrors, assaulting city walls with armies of beast men and murdering every living being in sight. The Void Prefect of Pride is worshiped through a small shrine which includes a stone or granite statuette of a wolf-like beastman with long claws and limbs, half wolf half man. Beastmen are very frequent in Kathar folklore and legends.
[[File:Etgwsaivale.png|260px|thumb|right|Cult of Pride Kathar sometimes Bone Sing their own skeletal features to set them apart from the other Kathar Cults.]]
*'''The Void Prefect of Trickery''' (also called the Trickster Lord) is generally considered to have been a relatively low-publicity Arken during the waning days of the Allorn Empire that trapped thousands of Elves with trickery into joining the Dread Empire, some to become rulers, others to become slaves by the many. The Prefect of Trickery is said to thus have assisted the Dread Empire by providing necessary early resources. The Void Prefect of Trickery is rarely actually worshiped through a shrine, but more passively praised by deeds of betrayal and subterfuge. Each time an act of betrayal is performed or a clever plan is hatched, the Trickery worshipers bring a small food offering to wandering black cats. There is a single massive temple to the Trickery Prefect in Saivalthar lands that houses over 900 black cats.
[[File:Wolandonra.png|260px|thumb|right|Sometimes, Kathar take body art to the extremes, heavily tattooing and piercing themselves to become unrecognizeable.]]
*'''The Void Prefect of Misery''' (also called the Bottomless Misery) is considered to have had a pivotal role in the induction of the Zolathar into the Saivalthar aristocracy, by teaching them the vessels of power and ambition through the opportunities presented by the Saivalthar. That being said, his message became corrupted over time as he also caused a lot of misery by forcing the Shenathar into service under the Saivalthar, and in many ways also brutalized the people he championed by consuming them through cannibalistic rituals, a harrowing metaphor for the ever damning cycle of life and death that exists inside the Dread Empire where the strong survive and the weak die. Offerings to the Misery Prefect are brought through feeding wild animals, which seems rather mundane but is actually quite violent. Worshipers seek out a hungry pack of wolves and tie down slaves or captives where they either starve to death and have their carcasses eaten by the wolves or are eaten alive by them.  
[[File:Shendar4.png|260px|thumb|right|Among the Kathar are some of the most powerful Void [[Mages]], their society perfect for breeding excellent Mages.]]
*'''The Void Prefect of Power''' (also called the Sceptre Lord) is considered to have had an important role in the creation of the fourteen warlords that control the lands of the Kathar and lead their armies. The Void Prefect of Power supposedly created fourteen sceptres or staves of great magical power, items which by today’s terms are considered artefacts of great dark magic. These were supposedly able to incinerate a person by will or mutate a person by mere touch into a horrible monster. The holders of these sceptres continue to be the warlords that control most of the Dread Empire on a local level to this day. The Void Prefect of Power is worshiped by crafting ceremonial staves with intricate carvings, and then burning them on a once monthly Prefect Festival where these staves are planted in a circle and then set aflame.  
[[File:Shendar6.png|260px|thumb|right|Kathar tattoos are either very sharp with pointy lines (imitating feline stripe patterns), or intricate geometric maze-like shapes.]]
*'''The Void Prefect of Pleasure''' (also called the Bride of the Void) is considered to have had a crucial role in the rise of the Dread Empire Voidborne, which is a lineage of Zolathar and Saivalthar which are considered the truly ruling classes of the Dread Empire. They are a single lineage of strongly inbred Elves that claim their lineage from a passionate encounter between the Void Prefect of Pride and the Void Prefect of Pleasure, two of some of the strongest Void Prefects, giving birth to a permanent lineage of Silven, or the “Perfect Silven” as the Kathar call them. These Perfect Silven or the Pathar Dynasty, have ruled the Dread Empire ever since its creation, enforcing their rule with their extremely exceptional control of magic, and abilities that seem to thread into the realm of the Arken themselves. The Void Prefect of Pleasure is worshiped in acts which are understandably related to the concept of pleasure, usually in groups of at least four or more.
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.  
*'''The Void Prefect of Control''' (also called the Void Chains) is considered to have had a pivotal role in the allowing of Void domination by the Kathar. The Void Prefect of Control appears like a sickly old man, and is often also worshiped through small statuettes resembling that, but was always immensely powerful. The Void Prefect of Control supposedly performed the ritual on the entire Kathar race that made them immune to the Dulofall and Dulo infestations and disease. The Void Prefect of Control also taught the Kathar how to shield themselves from unintentional Void Mutations and Void control, allowing them to retain their sanity in the face of the corruption of the Void, at the cost of their humanity.  
*'''The Void Prefect of War''' (also called the War Beast) did not have any particular role in the rising of Kathar culture or the Dread Empire, but is worshiped nonetheless by the Wolond as the prime form of what it means to be strong, to defeat the strongest, and to become more powerful through martial force. Curiously, the Void Prefect of War resembles the Void Prefect of Pride through beastmen folklore among the Wolathar, though there are some differences. As opposed to the Void Prefect of Pride, the beastman form was the Void Prefect of War’s natural form instead of a shapeshifting form, and the Void Prefect of War was supposedly also much larger than a house, a monstrous beast that could wipe out entire regiments with a single slash of its claws. The Void Prefect of War is worshiped through the hunt of dangerous beasts.
*'''The Void Prefects of Nothingness & Beastliness''' are barely known, surprisingly even to the Kathar themselves because of the relative secrecy among the Wolathar and their isolation. Supposedly they are actually the same Arken in representation, but nothing more is known than the fact that this Arken supposedly had no face or hair, and had long limbs with sharp nails.  
*'''Smaller Cults''' exist outside of the boundaries of the Prefects with a variety of Arken based worship. These are including but not limited to Betrayal, Dread, Avarice, Destruction, Gluttony and Sloth. There is no centralized rules or traditions for these Cults, however because they only take up a miniscule part of the population and in general are only just acknowledged through public festivities without any real worship rituals, once a year.
It is finally not uncommon for Kaahl members of various tribes to move to the society of another tribe when cross-breeding, and then to convert to a different Void Prefect when a new child is born. While the Kathar have some temples with venerable priests and oracles spread across their Empire. While there is no official religious body in the Dread Empire, priesthood is an official position in society. The power wielded by (female or male) priests, is often proportional to however many faithful they can gather in their temple. This is usually why powerful priest lineages tend to galvanize, as they build ever bigger temples housed by ever larger numbers of faithful. There is very little conflict between the faithful of different gods, however priests of the same god might sometimes engage in what amounts to clan warfare between the faithful to be deemed the more powerful and more righteous priest.  
====Void Sires====
Separate from their faith in the Prefects is the Kathar’s dedication to the Sires, three metaphysical and philosophical conceptual figures that are known through myth and muddy, lost history. These Sires are said to have all been incomprehensibly strong wielders of magic in Aloria’s past and are something of proto-Kathar in their Void-focused mindsets, having held their ideals about magical arts, power and vice millenia before the Kathar came to be. Each of the Sires represents a collection of recognized vices and malices that a Kathar following their path chooses to embrace and dedicate themselves to. When a Kathar of any kind, excluding Solstithar,  reaches maturity, they undergo a simple ritual where they choose one of the Sires and have a family member mix their blood with ink and tattoo them with their chosen Sire’s sigil that will grow and spread outward with a web of tattoo markings over the course of their life. Due to Oscithar’s relationship with tattoos, however, they instead wear a unique type of jewelry along their neck and upper arms to represent their Sire, which can vary in appearance from Kaahl to Kaahl. This also goes for Dread Reborn: the marking placed upon them as a result of their rebirth will transform into the mark of the Sire they choose when they willingly submit to the change. This choice is singular however, and cannot be re-made or undone. All 3 Sires’ values overlap with one another in key places. Vaalek and Lumeria both embody passion and compulsion, Lumeria and Ytthanhos both encourage manipulation to achieve what one wants, and Ytthanhos and Vaalek both seek to establish and maintain order through their own methods. As a result, there is not a bevy of internal conflict among Kathar depending on what Sire they model their philosophy from, though at times there can be found some snobbish senses of superiority.
=====Vaalek, Sire of Rage=====
Vaalek, Sire of Rage, embodies fury, pride, violence, war, pain, conquest, competition, bloodshed, victory, passion, and order established through force. Vaalek is depicted as a towering figure with a multitude of weapons run through him, constantly set ablaze and bleeding. Vaalek’s sigil is a burning head with a sword or other weapon stabbed through it. Adherents of Vaalek typically believe in a ‘right by might’ style of leadership and enjoy combative pursuits above others, valuing violence and physical domination as exemplary tools in the quest for power and victory. Many of the Empire’s warlords owe their lifestyles to Vaalek and employ these teachings among their soldiers.
=====Lumeria, Sire of Want=====
Lumeria, Sire of Want, embodies hunger, lust, greed, sloth, gluttony, desire, indulgence, debauchery, hedonism, love and ecstasy. Lumeria is depicted as a great, horned figure, garbed in luscious fabrics and jewelry and always eating or drinking something. Lumeria’s sigil is an open mouth with rows of teeth and a prominent, monstrous tongue. Adherents of Lumeria see sheer wealth, physical size and raw, material possession as signs of power. Most of her adherents are found among the mercantile and wealthy in the Empire, and the pleasure-seeking are drawn into the circles where dedication to lives of hedonism are sought after. In fact, it is typically through promises of such bliss and wealth that many Nelfin who become Kathar are tempted to do so.
=====Ytthanhos, Sire of Secrets=====
Ytthanhos, Sire of Secrets, embodies deceit, subtlety, betrayal, knowledge, cunning, shadows, manipulation, law, ingenuity and discovery. Ytthanhos is depicted as a masked, cloaked figure of many limbs, wrapped in darkness. Ytthanhos’ sigil is a blank, masked face encircled by tendrils of the Void. Adherents of Ytthanhos value political intrigue and cutthroat cunning and other displays of intellect in terms of power, and politicians usually base their lifestyles off of their teachings. Knowledge is power, and words can be bent to one’s advantage instead of always needing to draw steel.


===Fashion===
'''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.
Kathar fashion differs wildly from tribe to tribe and even from Kaahl to Kaahl. The more simplistic Kaahls and their people, typically composed of Shenathar or Wolathar or Wylathar enjoy leather and light tunics or cloth wrappings. Armor is typically integrated into their ensembles, with decorative bracers and greaves often adorning wrists or legs. They do not much concern themselves with color choice (except for the Wylathar who definitely do), and typically opt for the natural colors of their materials: leather, wool, iron and blacker metals, though at times blood-red dyes are incorporated for the sake of intimidation. The most brutal of them, especially those found among the Slaughter Games, don pieces of crude metal; these are typically salvaged from the armor of those they slay and painted roughly, often fashioned into freakish masks in the shape of monsters. The higher and wealthier Kathar such as Saivalthar, Zolathar, and Oscithar prefer fine silks; their clothing is of a very fine and skillful weave, usually even outcompeting the silks found in the more eastern parts of Aloria creating a truly sensational demand for Kathar weave in other parts of the world: Regalia, for example, where the fabrics are typically smuggled in and seen as a sort of daring and avant-garde fashion choice. Tassels are a frequent decoration, as well as swirling wave-like patterns that represent the washing of the ocean and the strong waves crashing onto a shoreline from powerful gusts of wind.  


Among the Saivalthar, elegant facemasks are a common accessory: intricately crafted things that stretch up from the neck and all the way to the nose, particularly noteworthy or wealthy Saivale have theirs engraved and designed with patterns and symbols they find a particular closeness with: sometimes engraving designs related to their Sire or their Prefect or even their Kaahl. Many of the Kathar primary colors are white, black, red and purple, though others are not unusual colors and to say that the Kathar are devoid of color in their life is not accurate. In fact, the Kathar have a very lively Ruby and Emerald industry and intricate and expertly crafted jewelry sets that glimmer in the sunlight. The Bakrathar wear clothes similar to Eronidas, keeping the upper body bare, while wearing some sort of wide belt, sash covering the loins, and leather pants with fraying edges, and no shoes. Their bodies are usually adorned with trophies of slain foes, or loot captured from battle. Solstithar on the other hand just emulate Regalian fashion, taking whatever normal clothes they can get their hands on, and unlike other tribes, end up being far more reserved. Most universal among Kathar fashion, is their willingness to expose far more skin than their Altalar predecessors did by and large. Because of the time spent on their intricate tattoos and the predominant vanity among them, baring one’s body to show off their personal artwork and physical beauty is commonplace and even used as a mark of power and status among some circles of society. The only exception to this is the Oscithar, among who tattoos are a taboo, because their skin already has a natural pattern coloration, that if disturbed by tattoos, sends a clear message of trying to obfuscate one’s identity, believing that an Oscithar’s most personal expression of identity are their skin markings.
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:
===Holidays and Festivals===
* Raazz’ël-ranvanokh = The Night of the Weeping Stars
====The Dance of Llöv====
* Mannraav = The slaughter of the [[Raav]] Race on Rokhara
The Dance of Llöv is a blood sacrifice hosted on different days in the first four months of the year which involves the sacrifice of large numbers of slaves and sometimes even weak relatives of Kathar families. Neighborhoods in Kathar cities are often built in such a way that their streets all pool down to a central area with a large pit. This feast asks for the ritualistic slaughter of sufficient pre-selected slaves and relatives at the top of these streets, causing their blood to seep down to the central square and the pit. The feast effectively continues until the pit has filled to the edge in blood, after which the Kathar that are still alive come together in the pit which is often filled with blood to knee-high level, to dance, sing and revel for the rest of the night. This feast is attributed to the Cult of Dread, as it often inspires intense fear in the weak and the slaves.
* Rinz = The slaughter of Altalar Princes
====The Carnage of Thräl’laniir====
* Saar’onhk = The Void-out of [[Suvial]] Cities
The Carnage of Thräl’laniir is a tournament consisting of fights to the death which is often hosted somewhere in the middle eight months of the year. During this tourney, the fighters are challenged to kill each other in the ring, after which the victor must consume the heart of the loser and bathe in the blood of the arena. With each fight, this arena becomes saturated with blood more and more until the sand is so drenched in blood that it turns almost muddy. The winner of such a tournament is declared Mi’trais, avatar of Az’shaq, the Void Cult of Fury. After the tournament is over, the spectators revel in three days of excessive drinking until the entire city or town is in such a drunken stupor that it simply ceases to function for three days more.
* Marranahk = The Wildering
====The Brawl of Ultharanc====
* Ravat = Victory or some sort of destruction on the battlefield
The Brawl of Ultharanc is the less deadly cousin of Thräl’laniir, a tournament in which the contestants fight for the honor of strongest of the Brawl. While Thräl’laniir is more chaotic, Ultharanc is structured and organized. It is called for when an Arken or Perfect Silven visits a Dread Empire or Kathar Society gathering, and announced the Ulthar to those present. This essentially means that the Arken or Perfect Silven demands a show of strength in their honor and for the Kathar to engage in a tournament of which the victor will be chosen to perform in a night of passion that could lead to the birth of another Perfect child.
* Raqion = Worship
====Fenestrations of Melir====
* Saccaron, Saccara (Plural)= (Non Gendered) Priest
The Fenestrations of Melir are a less deadly and more cultural feast that Kathar engage in, during which they approach strangers and outsiders (even other races) and hand them black ribbons. Those who discard the ribbons on the spot are labeled as enemies of the Kathar, while those who wrap the ribbon around their right wrist are welcomed to move among the Kathar for the period of three days, as long as they show interest in learning and discussing the Kathar ideologies in a peaceful setting. While those Melir ribbbons are on their wrists, it is a heresy to the Kathar to attack them, unless they themselves break the vow to the Void by uttering insults on the Kathar and their beliefs.
* Quenqa = Violence
====Henate's Duel====
* Sanra = Blood
Henate's Duel is the penultimate Kathar battle ritual between two or more individuals for honor. If one Kathar feels dishonored by another or a group (or tries to prove a point about how they are stronger), they may challenge the other to the Henate Duel. The Henate Duel is held in a Kathar pit or duel ring, which is glyphed and enchanted with Void Ritualism She'llaq writing from a ritualist. While Henate's blessing is intact (which will remain for an hour after casting, or break after the duel is over). The duellists enter the ring, after which the ring is magically closed, it becomes impossible to enter on account of an invisible wall that pains to the touch. The fight between the fighters is to the death, but not final. That is to say, if a duellist should die inside the ring, they die, but then are immediately revived and their wounds are completely removed. This resurrection is perfect, but only works for the duration of the Duel, and cannot heal wounds gained before the duel. The winner is then declared the stronger and more honorable, and the loser(s) is often tasked or demanded to nurse or serve the winner for a period of time while they recover from their wounds, as the winner does not have their wounds restored after the fight. When the fight is over, the ring becomes inert.
====Feasting of Kolthar====
The Feasting of Kolthar is a strangely peaceful feast for the Kathar, which is mostly aimed at food. Every participant Kathar must bring their own made dish (no matter how terrible it is) and present it to all the others at the table. Then, when the feast begins (usually after a speech from the highest ranking Kathar), the Kathar have to present their food in bite-size chunks and with no cutlery, and feed the others present. For example, a Kathar who produced a plate of friend squid curls, will have to take several in their hands (or in a bowl) and proceed to present them to the others present, and if they accept, hand-feed them with the food they produced. Every participant Kathar continues to do this until all of them signal that they feel satisfied, and then the Kathar say a collective praise to the peace and stability of the food table. Why this feast is so peaceful is not known to even Kathar scholars because of how old it is, but it is speculated that this feast was appreciated as one of the few times when the Kathar did not need to fear being poisoned by anyone, since the participants have to hand feed everyone else, and if they had poisoned the food, this would immediately be seen, and they would be slain on the spot.
====Dawn of the Golden Hour====
The Dawn of the Golden Hour is a Kathar revel in which each group of Void God and Prefect worshippers gathers together to choose a single representative among their own. Generally, this should result in a representative of Pride, Trickery, Power, Pleasure and War, which are the largest groups. Then, all these representatives challenge at least 3 of the other representatives to a tactical game of Thonq (which is very similar to Chess). Those with the highest amount of wins is declared the Golden Hour Lord, and thus announce to all the others present that their chosen deity is declared the most favorable and most charitable in blessings to the Kathar. This is generally seen as a means to try and convert followers of other Prefects to one's own Prefect. (For the feast, it is recommended to make use of a free online chess program to actually play out the games fairly).
====The Blackheart Union====
The Blackheart Union is a more commonly-occurring celebration and is simply the name for a Kathar wedding ceremony. The Kaahl of the proposed to gathers and selects a single champion to represent them, where the suitor must then decide upon a challenge to face the champion with. If the suitor is victorious, they are allowed to wed, a ritual in which the Kaahl’s name is tattooed onto the new suitor and then the pair are ushered off to seal their binding in a bed of their choice. The rest of the Kaahl eat, drink, dance, sing and make love in a grueling 24-hour celebration, after which the ceremony ends.
===Magic===
The presence of the Void and specifically magic play a key role in the functions of Kathar society. To be a child born with a Magespark is something seen as a blessing from beyond the veil, and children who exhibit signs of having Sparks are treated preferentially among their Kaahl, something that is reflected in Altalar society for Mages. Most end up becoming battlemages in a Warlord’s army, though the most powerful are groomed for leadership in politics or warfare and go on to amass great power and influence by virtue of being born with a Spark. These particularly talented Mages make up a great deal of the Great Kaahls’ leadership and inner circles. Those born without a Magespark who still see magic as a calling pursuit resort to Sorcery and one of the many broadly-accessible schools among the Empire’s territories, learning from well-established Mages and sorcerers. To take up this path earns less respect than the fortune of a Sparked birth, but is still an avenue into channeling the Void’s blessings nonetheless. Sorcerers on the battlefield are unfortunately used as fodder often and eventually replaced by a new batch of fresh students. Kathar society does not have much upper mobility, but Kaahls that have magical children born in them are usually raised up to aristocracy, where they remain until their magical pool runs dry and they become common once more.
===Combat and Warfare===
Kathar Combat and Warfare is very two-fold, the Dread Empire having both a strong army and a strong navy. While the Navy itself is largely based on slave labor, both in construction and rowing, it largely focuses around naval boarding. The Kathar do not possess any artillery and use only limited skirmishing capabilities, thus focusing entirely on reaching their foe as quickly as possible and then to board their vessels. Once boarded, the Kathar proficiency for combat combined with magic really shines through like it does on the battlefield also. Regalian vessels often fare well when outnumbering Kathar vessels, but when overrun, no naval foe can outspeed or outrun Kathar ships.


On land, the Kathar boast massive armies filled with mostly Shenathar and Bakrathar soldiers and Saivalthar or Zolathar officers. Throughout nearly every level of rankings within the army, combat oriented Magic is frequently practiced and Mages are a staple warrior in any combat unit. Kathar themselves prefer fast and light combat styles, mostly related to daggers, short swords and unconventional weapons like javelins and whips, though their relatively lightweight battalions are bolstered by massive Void-warped beasts of war called Uul’thaak, the strongest of Shadow Bovine who endure magical mutation to become frightening monsters covered in layers of crude armor, their horns set ablaze and strung up with barbs and bladed chains, charging through enemy formations and scattering them out of fear. With these, Kathar tactics are typically to overwhelm their opponents and optimally force retreats from them, exerting their sheer power and bullying their enemies into submission. Kathar soldiers have a particular dedication to their weapons of choice and oftentimes name them, treasuring them and keeping them close at all times. It is not uncommon for them to spend most of their wages on the most finely-crafted weapons available and decorating them with personalized engravings and trinkets. Additionally, Saivalthar and Zolathar officers have something of a standard of fashion among them: found in heraldic, ornate armor even on the battlefield, they display their familial, Prefect and Sire ties proudly.
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.


Kathar have something of an obsession with single combat, though unlike other proud Races like the Eronidas, honor is almost a non-factor in these engagements. Any advantage one can gain when crossing blades with another is an advantage one should take, because to dispatch an enemy is an honor itself, no matter the method. Slaying another in single combat is seen as something of a religious sacrifice, as all dead depart to the Void: to send a soul to the Void yourself is a contribution to the Essences and power that all Kathar share in, and the greatest of combatants tally their lifetime of kills in order to prove their swath of donations to the Void. The Oscithar and Solstithar have far less violent expressions of combat, but are still very fond of watching gladiatorial fights or even participating in them. Their combat tactics usually align more with their Altalar cousins than the Dread Empire. Kathar principles of combat are also best known for producing the [[School of Tarakhal]] and [[School of Akhl'xarak]].
==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 one main religion, [[Void Worship]], with some [[Dragon Worship]] sprinkled in. 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 Armas.
* '''The Cult of Power''' frequently worship Qarrakh, Korroth, Ifrit, or Qaarn for Dragon Worship.
* '''The Cult of Shadows''' frequently worship Djjwa or Onu.
* '''The Cult of the Wyld''' frequently worship Armas or Eloblina.
* '''The Cult of Pride''' frequently worship Odella or Marvaal.
* '''The Cult of Reason''' frequently worship Eloblina.
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]]), and [[Esrah Alwattah]] (except instead of building one god, they want to build an army of Void-Spider robots that rearrange the world). The above provided list of Void Gods attributed to the different Cults is not strictly forced.  


===Economy and Technology===
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 Dread Empire has a self-contained economy that does not interact with the outside at all, which also covers its technological progress (of which there is surprisingly little). Most if not all of the economy is fueled by slavery, notably Altalar slaves but slaves range from Ailor to Asha to even Eronidas. Above the production engine of slavery (which usually takes care of all basic resource gathering and crafting), Magic controls a large sector of the economy too. Magic is primarily also used as a substitute for [[Technology]], and magical trinkets and resources are bartered. The more mercantile-inclined Warlords all contribute personally to the industry of the Empire, with the Court of Mortal Delights specializing in winemaking and spirit distilling and others spending their time mass-producing armaments or even making clothing. The Dread Empire Elves and thus the Kathar by extension are the only people in the world not familiar with the Regal Coin, and maintain the use of their own currency, the Shard Tablets which are small rectangular tablets made of Void Stone. Oscithar and Solstithar on the other hand are far more integrated with the global economy, trading in the Regal coin, and engaging in trading with faraway places. The majority of the Void [[Artifacts]] that get smuggled into the Regalian Empire come from the lands of the Princes of Osc'ïrd.
* '''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.
* The Kathar currency is called Void Tablets, little squares of polished black stone with the sigils of certain Kathar Empresses or Void Gods stamped in a circle on one side. Each one possesses a minor Essence charge.
* Kathar are a bit lukewarm on Vampirism. The Kathar have a unique special in that they are not affected by the mental changes occurring from Vampirism, and so they only use Vampirism for self-enrichment and the debauched lifestyle they aspire to. That being said, they also acknowledge Vampirism as some sort of failed experiment, and generally look down with pity on Vampires as parasites that can never quite achieve their level of Void connection. Their relationship with Vampires in general is very nuanced and filled with lots of ifs and buts, so it’s often a coin toss when finding out how a Kathar feels about Vampires, or indeed other Void Afflictions.
==Trivia==
==Trivia==
*Recent instability between the Empress and the Great Kaahls and doubts in the future of the Empire has supposedly led some Warlords to consider total secession in line with what the Oscithar did many centuries ago.
* 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.
*There are no recorded instances of Exist mages being born out of Kathar. Whether this is because it is impossible due to their blood’s influence by Void Essence or simply because these children are quietly dispatched is entirely unknown.
* 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.
*The Kathar are remarkably competent smiths and have perfected the creation of lightweight metalcraft armaments to aid them in their wars.
* 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]].
*Despite their brutal culture, the Kathar are actually rather fond of artistic pursuits, though their idea of art differs vastly from the rest of the world’s. In fact, some Kathar became so enthralled by the [[Ithanian]] and [[Dressollini]] styles of music and theater that they adopted them and began to create operas to tell the stories of their own people.
* The Kathar use small black stones called Void Tablets as currency.
{{Races}}
{{Races}}
{{Accreditation
{{Accreditation
|Artists = MonMarty
|Artists = MonMarty
|Writers = MonMarty, Finlaggan
|Writers = MonMarty
|Processors = HydraLana
|Processors = BirdsfootViolet, OkaDoka, FireFan96
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[[category:Races]] [[category:Magus Races]]
[[category:races]] [[category:Magus Races]]

Revision as of 00:50, 1 August 2022

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

Most Kathar Cults: Katharskins.png Cult of Pride:

Saivaless.png

Origins

The Kathar adore see-through fabrics which they have mastered over the centuries.
Kathar aesthetics is full of gold and sharp spike-like shapes. Gold paint on gray skin is particularly popular.
The Dread Empire soldiers often wield weapons which have their aesthetics enhanced with Bone-Sung material.
Cult of Power Kathar keep the old Void Cults of the Allorn Empire alive even in the midst of the revived Allorn Empire.
Cult of Power Kathar can get really big, almost identical to Eronidas, save for their dark gray skin tone.
Not all Kathar skins are cold-tone gray, some of them can also have a more warm tone or hint of brown in gray.
This Wyld Kathar is themed after the nebulas of the starry night sky, a cohesive mutation set for an ever changing person.

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

Core Identity

Introduction

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

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, except Ageless.

Abilities

Ability Name Ability Type Ability Range Ability Description Modifiers
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 Range

Grants the user Hack Familiar

Kathar Modifier

Magic Dagger Skill Power Self Grants the user Magic Dagger

Kathar Modifier

Essence Corrupt Target Curse Emote Range

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, Regalian Business 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.

Magical Storage

Kathar can store up to a closet’s worth of items inside a pocket dimension or alternate dimension. They must magically summon the opening and physically move items in and out through the opening. Weapons of any type cannot be stored inside a Magical Storage, but ammunition can, and living things or artifacts can never be stored inside Magical Storage. If a Kathar with this Ability is Knocked Out, the contents of their Magical Storage will spill out in front of them. Kathar manifest Magical Storage through storing items directly in the Void, and pulling them out from there.

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

Cult of Reason Kathar generally cooperate and function better with other Races, but can still be very self-indulgent.
A lot of Kathar can look harmless, kind even, though for many of them, this is part of the alluring ruse or trick.
Kathar remain widely known as the most untrustworthy race, notably due to their rather telling appearance traits.
Cult of Pride Kathar sometimes Bone Sing their own skeletal features to set them apart from the other Kathar Cults.
Sometimes, Kathar take body art to the extremes, heavily tattooing and piercing themselves to become unrecognizeable.
Among the Kathar are some of the most powerful Void Mages, their society perfect for breeding excellent Mages.
Kathar tattoos are either very sharp with pointy lines (imitating feline stripe patterns), or intricate geometric maze-like shapes.

The Kathar language is more commonly called Katharic, though the Kathar themselves call it Pannarokh. The language has no real-life equivalent, 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
  • Raqion = Worship
  • Saccaron, Saccara (Plural)= (Non Gendered) Priest
  • Quenqa = Violence
  • Sanra = Blood

Kathar social distinction is based on both social rank, as well as their Cult come-off. The social ranks are easiest, providing “Dar” for the common folk and the poor, “Mor” for the richer and affluent, and “Rokh” for the nobles and the powerful. This is usually hyphenated to the Pannarokh term for their Cult which are: Seld for Excess, Kedos for Power, Ornn for Shadows, Rana for the Wyld, Kiir for Pride, 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 one main religion, Void Worship, with some Dragon Worship sprinkled in. 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 Armas.
  • The Cult of Power frequently worship Qarrakh, Korroth, Ifrit, or Qaarn for Dragon Worship.
  • The Cult of Shadows frequently worship Djjwa or Onu.
  • The Cult of the Wyld frequently worship Armas or Eloblina.
  • The Cult of Pride frequently worship Odella or Marvaal.
  • The Cult of Reason frequently worship Eloblina.

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), and Esrah Alwattah (except instead of building one god, they want to build an army of Void-Spider robots that rearrange the world). 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.
  • The Kathar currency is called Void Tablets, little squares of polished black stone with the sigils of certain Kathar Empresses or Void Gods stamped in a circle on one side. Each one possesses a minor Essence charge.
  • Kathar are a bit lukewarm on Vampirism. The Kathar have a unique special in that they are not affected by the mental changes occurring from Vampirism, and so they only use Vampirism for self-enrichment and the debauched lifestyle they aspire to. That being said, they also acknowledge Vampirism as some sort of failed experiment, and generally look down with pity on Vampires as parasites that can never quite achieve their level of Void connection. Their relationship with Vampires in general is very nuanced and filled with lots of ifs and buts, so it’s often a coin toss when finding out how a Kathar feels about Vampires, or indeed other Void Afflictions.

Trivia

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

Accreditation
Writers MonMarty
Artists MonMarty
Processors BirdsfootViolet, OkaDoka, FireFan96
Last Editor OkaDoka on 08/1/2022.

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