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|languages = Pannarokh ([[Katharic]])
|languages = Pannarokh ([[Katharic]])
|naming = See Language section
|naming = See Language section
|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.
|distinction = A Race hellbent on unlocking the next stage of evolution by any means necessary, with any ally gained or any enemy crushed.
|maxage = 500 Years.
|maxage = 500 Years
|eye = Varied by Cult
|eye = Extremely Varied
|hair = Varied by Cult
|hair = Extremely Varied
|skin =  
|skin =  
Most Kathar Cults:
[[File:Katharskins.png]]
[[File:Katharskins.png]]
Cult of Pride:
[[File:Saivaless.png]]
[[File:Saivaless.png]]
|}}
|}}
{{TOC right}}
The Kathar are a relative new [[Race]], having only existed for roughly 300 years since the fall of the [[Allorn Empire]] and the last [[Void Invasion]]. What once was a cult of magical debauchery, eventually converted into a full-blown Race that would found Rokhaval (also called the [[Dread Empire]]) which many nations continue to see as the main "evil-state" in the world (though as per usual, morality is never that black and white). Kathar society is a group of loosely affiliated cults that all seek a higher stage of evolution for themselves and their Race, each developing their own distinct culture and appearance that is now far removed from the once common [[Fin'ullen]], [[Teledden]], and [[Suvial]] ancestors. With their homeland secured, many Kathar have spread into the world, seeking to establish their own cults in the far realms not yet touched by the corrupting evolution of the Void, or to seek the ancient mysteries of the world to be the first to reach Godhood.  
==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==
==Core Identity==
===Introduction===
To be a Kathar, is to be the classical "Dark Elf", though without such a clear black and white morality. Kathar are not by default evil, rather they are freed from the constraints of conscientious living and minding one's fellow kin. The Kather seek enrichment, pleasure, power, and above all evolution, often at the cost of others, but rarely in spite of others. The Kathar do not seek to inflict loss and tragedy on others, but cause it indirectly as their bargains with Spirits always come at a price. Kathar seek to achieve godhood, or something close to it, and are willing to take anyone on their journey with them, or annihilate anyone who stands in their way. Kathar are mistrusted around the world as evil Elves, and while that is not strictly true, playing a Kathar in Regalia should come with the expectation of racism and discrimination. To understand Kathar, one must know all the Cults that exist among them, of which one must be chosen when playing a Kathar. It is possible to change Cults later, though it is recommended to only do this for major events in your Character's life.  
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.
===Kathar Cults===
 
<table style="width: 100%;"><tr><td style="width: 33%; vertical-align: top; text-align: left;">
===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.
|[[File:Kathar1ppbeguiled.png|200px|thumb|left]]
===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.  
<span style="font-size:130%;><center>'''Divine Cult Kathar'''</center></span>
====Cult of Excess====
Divine Cult Kathar worship the transformative powers of [[Magic]], Mutations, the Void Gods, and Politics. They dream of a world controlled and left to the whims and vices of [[Mage]]s and the Magically gifted, to create a legacy for themselves and achieve immortality or fame. The strongest Kathar are Divine Cult, as well as many of the leading politicians of Rokhaval where Magical might often makes right. In [[Regalia]], they often seek out other Mages to bring about this world, or seek new ways to gain Magical power. Divine Cult Kathar often work with [[Vampire]]s and other Void Mages.
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====
</td><td style="vertical-align: top; width: 33%;">
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====
|[[File:Kathar1beguiledd.png|200px|thumb|left]]
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====
<span style="font-size:130%;><center>'''Beguiled Cult Kathar'''</center></span>
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.
Beguiled Cult Kathar worship the transformative powers of [[Spirit]]s, Curses, Seduction, and Populism. They dream of a world where Spirits and the Living can freely roam, not dependent or enslaved to one another, but symbiotic and mutually enhancing. It is rare to see a Beguiled Cult Kathar without accompanying Spirits, to whom they often have closer connections than the Living. Beguiled Kathar are also not unfamiliar with the seductive powers of Magic and the Void, to get others hanging from their lips and words. Beguiled Cult Kathar often work with Theurgists and business owners.
====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.
</td><td style="vertical-align: top; width: 33%;">
====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.
|[[File:Kathar1eebeguiled.png|200px|thumb|left]]
====Cult of Light====
|
The Cult of Light is a permutation of Kathar that out of the ordinary. The Cult of Light were born when the Justice Arken started force converting small groups of them, turning the Void-based Kathar into Exist-based Kathar. These groups eventually culminated into the Cult of Light or "cleansed" Kathar as they call themselves who have returned to the graces of Estellon. Cult of Light Kathar are entirely despised by all the other Kathar as the penultimate rejection of their central being, who have also been cut off from the Void and become entirely Exist based, using the Exist to sustain themselves. All Kathar Specials are also accessible to Cult of Light Kathar, they just require some common sense translations for the Exist instead of the Void. It is not possible to turn a regular Void Kathar into a Cult of Light Kathar, only the Justice Arken is able to do this, nor is to possible to convert them back without the Pride Arken's assistance.
<span style="font-size:130%;><center>'''Reason Cult Kathar'''</center></span>
Reason Cult Kathar worship the transformative powers of Science, Reason, Technology, and Collaboration. They have mostly abandoned Magical Evolution, recognizing the real risk in the chaotic unpredictability of it, instead favoring a logical approach to the metaphorical concept of immortality, scientific longevity and power through knowledge, knowledge through reason. Reason Cult Kathar can most often be found in Regalia, as they have a large domestic population of them in Solleria, where they live peacefully. Reason Cult Kathar often work with [[Allar]], [[Qadir]], and the [[Solvaan]].
|}
</center>
</tr></table>
<table style="width: 100%;"><tr><td style="width: 33%; vertical-align: top; text-align: left;">
{|
|[[File:Katuuhar1beguiled.png|200px|thumb|left]]
|
<span style="font-size:130%;><center>'''Drakon Cult Kathar'''</center></span>
Drakon Cult Kathar worship the transformative powers of Dragons, History, Geneology, and Religion. They are strong supporters of the Void God, or his [[Draconism]] alter ego Triton, and by extension consider Dragons the most powerful beings in the world, seeking either to become one, or to earn or take their powers. Drakon Cult Kathar are also known as the Princes of Osc'iird, part of the Allorn Empire, having close connections with Darkscale [[Archon]], and frequently coming to Regalia to seek Dragons. Drakon Cult Kathar often work with Archon and [[Isldar]], though may not be welcome.
|}
</td><td style="vertical-align: top; width: 33%;">
{|
|[[File:Kathar1beååguiled.png|200px|thumb|left]]
|
<span style="font-size:130%;><center>'''Mesmer Cult Kathar'''</center></span>
Mesmer Cult Kathar worship the transformative powers of Knowledge, Deceit, Lies, and Infiltration. They are spymasters and information brokers, those who believe physical immortality or godhood is a folly fairytale, and that only self-enrichment through power, wealth, or knowledge is a way to approach the greatest self that can ever be achieved. Mesmer Cult Kathar are everywhere in the world, favoring their Gods Inthalis and Odella by listening, observing, and absorbing all there is to know everywhere. Mesmer Cult Kathar tend to prefer working alone, or with their own kin or people they have subjugated.
|}
</td><td style="vertical-align: top; width: 33%;">
{|
|[[File:Kathar1beuuguiled.png|200px|thumb|left]]
|
<span style="font-size:130%;><center>'''Mythic Cult Kathar'''</center></span>
Mythic Cult Kathar worship the transformative powers of Flexibility, Change, and Dimensions other than the Void. Mythic Cult Kathar describes a group of Kathar who have abandoned their worship and obsession with the Void, some of them favoring a connection with the Exist, others with the Beyond and its Ordial entities. They are often Estellon worshipers or Ordial Cultists, seeking the same transformative and evolutionary power that other Kathar find in the Void or Dragons, but rather from a different source. Mythic Cult Kathar try to work with Exist or Ordial forces, though may not be welcome.
|}
</center>
</tr></table>


==Design==
==Design==
[[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|Rokhaval soldiers often wield weapons which have their aesthetics enhanced with Bone-forged material.]]
[[File:Oscithar.png|260px|thumb|right|The continuation of cults in Rokhaval is a point of pride for the Kathar, while the Teledden hate it.]]
[[File:Bakrathar.png|260px|thumb|right|Kathar can get really big, almost identical to Eronidas, save for their dark gray skin tone.]]
[[File:Wyleithar.png|260px|thumb|right|Some Kathar take mutations to the extreme, almost becoming near unrecognizable from pre-mutated form. .]]
[[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.]]
[[File:Shendarsplash.png|260px|thumb|right|Kathar remain widely known as the most untrustworthy race, notably due to their rather telling appearance traits.]]
[[File:Shendar4.png|260px|thumb|right|Among the Kathar are some of the most powerful Void Mages, their society perfect for breeding excellent Mages.]]
===Physical Characteristics===
Kathar when looking at their bodily proportions, are no different from the other Elven Races like the Fin'ullen or Teledden. Their most noticeable difference however, is their gray skin tone, ranging from dark gray to light gray. Their hair is frequently black, though many also have bone-white hair. While black and white are the norm, blonde, brown, auburn, ginger, gray, are less commonly seen but also possible. Kathar sclera can be white, gray, or black, while their irises have a wide range of colors from blue, green, gray, brown, black, red (even while not Vampire), gold (even while not [[Arkenborn]]), and white. They frequently have tattoos, ranging from tribal designs to more ornate and even geometric full shapes. Kathar can have horns, prehensile tails, snake-hair, long black claw-like nails, and even [[Eronidas]]-like tusks. Finally, Kathar are Ageless, meaning they can look forever young, or manually change their age appearance at will.
===Mental Characteristics===
===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:
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.  
* '''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.
==Heritage Traits==
* '''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.
When designing a Character, Proficiency Points allow for a limited Ability selection with Point Buy Packs. Heritage Traits adds free Packs and Mechanics on top of that to help with cultural themes. Free Packs grant Abilities usually, while Mechanics change the way a character functions in Roleplay through subtle, and usually out of Combat ways. In essence, Mechanics just add aesthetic flair that invest in the niche of each culture. Free Packs never raise Proficiency Points, but the character must be able to purchase them normally. (ex. if a character is a certain Affinity that locks them out of a category, they cannot take that specific free pack and must choose the alternative option.) If a Free Pack grants Magic of some type, that Magic can be of any Alignment the character can normally choose, or limited to a select alignment, which will always be written in the Free Pack description.  
* '''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.
* '''Those of the Cult of Light''' are moralistic and judgmental, a return to old Allorn sensibilities, and a moralistic crusading attitude to benefit the Exist over the Void and cast out the Dread.
===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.
* '''Cult of Light''' Kathar can appear like any of the other Cults (as they are Exist-cleansed) but instead have faintly glowing light blue hair, and glowing silver lines or tattoos on their body, as well as blue or silver glowing irises.  


===Racial Abilities & Specials===
Mixed Heritage characters (i.e. characters born from two parents of different Cultures) may take one parent's 'Free Packs' and mix and match up to 5 Mechanics from both parents, although some Peoples cannot produce Mixed Heritage children (due to Magical/Fantasy reasons).
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 Race characters select a Dominant parent, and take all the Racials & Specials from that dominant parent. (In this case, a dominant parent Kathar would be Half-Kathar) Half races must have a majority of their physical features come from their dominant parent, including which is including but not limited to skin tone, hair or fur color, ear shape, or eye color.
===Free Packs===
* Kathar can choose one [[Chem_Point_Buy|Chem]] or [[Magic Point Buy]] Pack for free, either as Mundane, Void/Exist/Ordial Magic, or Dragon Magic Alignment.
* Kathar can choose another [[Chem_Point_Buy|Chem]] or [[Magic Point Buy]] Pack for free, either as Mundane, Void/Exist/Ordial Magic, or Dragon Magic Alignment.


====Abilities====
===Mechanics===
{| class="wikitable"
* Kathar power cannot be denied to them. If anyone uses an Ability/Mechanic that would force them to use Radiant instead of Sinistral Magic, they still use Sinistral anyway.  
|- style="font-weight:bold; text-align:center; background-color:#c0c0c0;"
* Kathar can change the alignment of any Spirit to that of Void, so long as the possess/own/control the Spirit. Void Spirits are always symbiotic for them also.  
! Ability Name
* Kathar are not affected by the mental characteristics or changes of any Affliction or Affinity and are always in control of their own mind from them.  
! Ability Type
* Kathar are able to look at a person and intuit their Corruption Desire, with OOC Consent (see below). Then, the Kathar can act towards this goal.
! Ability Range
* Kathar can use subtle vice-heightening curses on those within Emote Range, heightening their Pride, Fury, Avarice, Corruption, Rejection, or Hedonism.  
! Ability Description
! Modifiers
|-
| style="background-color:#c0c0c0;" | Body Claws
| Morph Power
| Self
| 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;" | Eyes of Hunt
| Constant Passive
| Self
| 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
| {{#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: 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.
}}
| {{#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;" | Arcane Ranged
| Skill Power
| {{#simple-tooltip: Self | Self Range means that it applies to the user themselves, or something they can directly touch after casting it.}}
| Grants the user {{#simple-tooltip: Arcane Ranged | The user can use any Ranged Weapon Point Buy they have purchased while wielding any melee weapon without needing to switch to a bow. These Mundane Techniques instead are classified as Abilities of Magical nature, and can only be used if the user is not already mid-melee swing or Knocked Over. The ranged projectiles take the shape of the melee weapon wielded (this is purely visual) and can have a variety of different magical aesthetics and do not use ammunition. This Ability can only be used to use Mundane Techniques, and does not allow for the usage of Default Ranged Shot.}}
| N/A
|-
| style="background-color:#c0c0c0;" |  Weapon Summon
| Summon Power
| {{#simple-tooltip: Self | Self Range means that it applies to the user themselves, or something they can directly touch after casting it.}}
|  Grants the user {{#simple-tooltip: Weapon Summon | The user can summon any type of weapon from Melee Weapon Point Buy, or Ranged Weapon Point Buy made out of Magic. This weapon functions like a normal weapon would, has the same durability, but does not use any ammunition to fire if ranged. The user can give the weapon to someone else, but can't summon more than one. A destroyed Summoned Weapon cannot be Summoned again for 12 IRL Hours.}}
| N/A
|-
| style="background-color:#c0c0c0;" | Essence Corrupt
| Target Curse
| {{#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:  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.
}}
| {{#simple-tooltip: Kathar Modifier | The Kathar can only Essence Corrupt with Void (unless Cult of Light, in which case it is Exist).
}}
|-
|}


====Specials====
===Corruption Desire===
* '''Voidborne:''' The Kathar are born of the Void, and as such, immune to: Becoming Cahal, being Exist-Silven, becoming Exist possessed, having Exist Magic, becoming Ordial Mages, Geists, Archon, or any other Draconic, Primal, Exist or Ordial Affliction or Heritage (except Marken). Kathar can only ever be void-aligned. They can be revived as [[Undead]] under specific circumstances, explained on the Undead page.
Everyone would like to someday do a little bit of an "evil corruption arc", but doesn't always know where to begin. Corruption Desire is a good starting point. Kathar can intuit the Corruption Desire of a person by looking at them. Good Corruption Desires may be something like "Is offered power by a dark god that looks appealing" or "is flirted with by a seductive Kathar". Whatever the Corruption Desire, it should be something that is both actionable for a regular player (something they can work towards), and sets a condition for a character that is normally lawfully good to be corrupted to evil and vice by the Kathar. The Corruption Desire should act like a pivotal switch at which the Character's good qualities are reduced and their more evil qualities pronounced. To prevent this from forever damning a Character, this arc can be temporary with a clear cleanse either as an exorcism or some pre-defined action such as "goes to confession" or "is saved by one of their best friends who convinces them back on the true path". The corruption can be either magical through some kind of Void God messing with their mind, or just because the Kathar encourages their bad nature. Note, Corruption Desire does not purely need to be used to Corrupt Characters. A "Good" Kathar can also use Corruption Desire to detect the things and situations they must ever prevent from taking place, to prevent the Corruption of a person.  
* '''Ageless:''' The Kathar are Ageless, meaning that when they become adults, they cease to visually age. Additionally, they can change their age-based appearance to any Ailor age equivalent they want (so long as it is 18+).
* '''Painless:''' The Kathar have a pseudo-masochistic culture that views pain differently. Outside of debilitating combat wounds, Kathar do not experience pain as unpleasant nor are they afraid of experiencing it.
* '''Arcane Mastery:''' The Kathar can use telekinesis to automate non-combat domestic functions like opening windows and doors and levitating cutlery or retrieving items from a distance and levitating them to their hands.
* '''Vision Master:''' The Kathar can, out of combat, transfer any designed or imposed vision related to the Void, Void Gods, or Void Arken, to any non-Combat person through direct touch. Not to be used to blind others.
* '''Vice Master:''' The Kathar can, while touching or fighting a person discern their greatest vice (for example pride, greed, lust) and their greatest delight (for example beef stew, oranges, opiates, or green dresses).
* '''Bone Master:''' The Kathar can, using a combination of touch and song, reshape bone matter into whatever shape they like. This can also be used to bone sing weapons and armor with Steel quality, but not mid-combat.  
* '''Dread Home:''' A Kathar has illusion control in any Rental/Estate/Base they own or belong to or are servant in, able to manifest Illusions of any kind confined to the property, though cannot impact combat-rp.
* '''Dread Manifest:''' A Kathar can apply any Void-Themed mutations to themselves without the need for Point Buy Packs. Additionally, if Afflicted, Kathar mental and world-views remains unchanged by the Affliction.
* '''Dread Storage:''' All Kathar have a personal micro-portal into the Void where they can store up to a closet worth of items (not people). This portal must be summoned before putting in or pulling out items.
* '''Blood Element:''' The user is able to manipulate any blood, able to bend it through the air, congeal, liquify, change its color or absorb and expel it from their own body. They can also drink blood without issue.
* '''Shadow Element:''' The user is able to manipulate their own and other people’s shadows, making it change shape, disappear, re-appear, or move independently from the user.
* '''Dread Rebirth:''' A ritual can be done to convert any (unwilling restrained, or willing) Race person visually into a Kathar. This does not grant Kathar Abilities, but does remove original Race Specials and grant Kathar Specials. This does not count as a Disguise, and can be undone with any Exorcism mechanic after initial 72 hours. Can be made permanent through a prayer to the Void Gods. Does not work on Archons.
* '''Dread Rewire:''' A ritual can be done to change the mindset of any (unwilling restrained, or willing) person towards the Void. This effect changes their view of the Void to beneficial and supportive, and converts them to Void Worship from a previous religion. This can be undone with any Exorcism mechanic, and the subject will (while under effect) treat this as if their eyes were opened to truth. Does not work on Archons.


==Language==
==Language==
[[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.]]
The Kathar language is more commonly called Katharic, though the Kathar themselves call it Pannarokh. The language has no real-life equivalent, 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, meaning it is constantly shifting. 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.  
[[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.]]
[[File:Shendarsplash.png|260px|thumb|right|Kathar remain widely known as the most untrustworthy race, notably due to their rather telling appearance traits.]]
[[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.]]
[[File:Wolandonra.png|260px|thumb|right|Sometimes, Kathar take body art to the extremes, heavily tattooing and piercing themselves to become unrecognizeable.]]
[[File:Shendar4.png|260px|thumb|right|Among the Kathar are some of the most powerful Void [[Mages]], their society perfect for breeding excellent Mages.]]
[[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 Kathar language is more commonly called Katharic, though the Kathar themselves call it Pannarokh. The language has no real-life equivalent, 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.
'''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:
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.  
* 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==
Most Kathar Cults almost universally follow [[Void Worship]], while Drakon Cult Kathar are split between [[Draconism]] and Void Worship. Mythic Cult Kathar can be [[Estelley]], [[Ordial Cultism]], or any other Religion that has God Magic in it ([[Unionism]], [[Fornoss]], [[Pagan Faiths]], [[Baskarr]]). Reason Cult Kathar don't need to be religious, but can be, they can also be agnostic, or follow Allar-like principles of All-Truth that acknowledges all Gods as real, and worships a mixture of them. Even those Kathar who consider themselves atheist, still acknowledge these gods as real and worthy of respect and obedience, even if they do not outright worship or pray to them. For more information on either religions, please consult their relevant pages.
===Dread Rebirth===
A ritual can be done to convert any (unwilling restrained, or willing) Race person visually into a Kathar and forces all dimensional alignment, whether that be magic, theurgy, or mutation, to Void alignment. This does not grant Kathar Racial Traits, instead holding onto the old Race's Racial Traits for the time being. This does not count as a Disguise, and can be undone with any Exorcism mechanic after initial 72 hours. Dread Rebirth can be made permanent with a ritual involving an offering to the Void Gods. When made permanent, the Kathar Character loses their old Race's Racial Traits, while gaining the full set of Kathar Racial Traits instead. A lesser form of Dread Rebirth can be done by any Kathar to enchant a piece of jewelry with a Curse, that when worn, predisposes a person to the Kathar Race, and the Void in general, until Exorcised.


==Religion==
==Society==
The Kathar almost universally follow [[Void Worship]] with the sole exception of Cult of Light Kathar who follow [[Estellon]]. This religious connection is necessary, because these religions feed their body with the essence to sustain themselves as they are part Magic. Even those Kathar who consider themselves atheist, still acknowledge these gods as real and worthy of respect and obedience, even if they do not outright worship or pray to them. For more information on either religions, please consult their relevant pages.
===Families===
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.


==Families==
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. Rokhaval 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. Kathar society is largely polyamorous and polygamous, with a high degree of experimenting, but monogamy is not out of this world, as especially envious or jealous Kathar may even resort to killing an unfaithful husband and sacrificing his soul to the Void. Kathar don't have a concept of gender in their society, generally speaking they consider themselves genderfluid even if they present as one gender more often. When asked, they just reply "I would like to be all Genders".  
===Childhood===
===Politics===
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. 
Kathar politics can be quite brutal, especially in Rokhaval (the Dread Empire), with political espionage and assassination which puts even the [[Ithanian]]s to shame. At the very top of Rokhaval 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 Rokhaval 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.
===Adulthood===
===Fashion===
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.  
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==
World View is optional content that helps give Kathar flavor and depth.
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 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.  
* 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 Rokhaval. 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.
* 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.
* The game of truth or dare called [[Recreation|Volay Circuit]] is insanely popular among the Kathar.  
* 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.  
* 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.
* 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.
* 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 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.  
* 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.  
* 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, Arkenborn 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 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.   
* 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).
* 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.
* 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.  
* The Kathar claim that they 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.
* 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.  
* 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.
* 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 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.  
* The Rokhaval 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 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, 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.  
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* 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 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.  
* The Kathar have no preconceptions about monsters, superstitions, or Afflicted beings. Some Kathar in fact would love waking up with a monster at the foot of their bed, and would then proceed to either tame it, or make it their lover.  
* Kathar rarely ever use [[Engineering]]. This is because they consider engineering to be weak and without the very thing they sustain themselves on: Magic. Even if engineering contains Magic, they still consider the base material crude and limited, preferring the most efficiently functioning Magical constructs which use a theoretically infinite power source.  
* Kathar rarely use Machinery. 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.
* 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.  
* 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==
* 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 Rokhaval, with Dressolini slaves being particularly high in demand.
* 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]].
* 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.
* The Kathar use small black stones called Void Tablets as currency.
{{Races}}
 
{{Peoples}}
{{Accreditation
{{Accreditation
|Artists = MonMarty
|Artists = MonMarty

Latest revision as of 21:44, 10 March 2024

Kathar
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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 Race hellbent on unlocking the next stage of evolution by any means necessary, with any ally gained or any enemy crushed.
Maximum Age 500 Years
Eye Colors Extremely Varied
Hair Colors Extremely Varied
Skin Tones

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The Kathar are a relative new Race, having only existed for roughly 300 years since the fall of the Allorn Empire and the last Void Invasion. What once was a cult of magical debauchery, eventually converted into a full-blown Race that would found Rokhaval (also called the Dread Empire) which many nations continue to see as the main "evil-state" in the world (though as per usual, morality is never that black and white). Kathar society is a group of loosely affiliated cults that all seek a higher stage of evolution for themselves and their Race, each developing their own distinct culture and appearance that is now far removed from the once common Fin'ullen, Teledden, and Suvial ancestors. With their homeland secured, many Kathar have spread into the world, seeking to establish their own cults in the far realms not yet touched by the corrupting evolution of the Void, or to seek the ancient mysteries of the world to be the first to reach Godhood.

Core Identity

To be a Kathar, is to be the classical "Dark Elf", though without such a clear black and white morality. Kathar are not by default evil, rather they are freed from the constraints of conscientious living and minding one's fellow kin. The Kather seek enrichment, pleasure, power, and above all evolution, often at the cost of others, but rarely in spite of others. The Kathar do not seek to inflict loss and tragedy on others, but cause it indirectly as their bargains with Spirits always come at a price. Kathar seek to achieve godhood, or something close to it, and are willing to take anyone on their journey with them, or annihilate anyone who stands in their way. Kathar are mistrusted around the world as evil Elves, and while that is not strictly true, playing a Kathar in Regalia should come with the expectation of racism and discrimination. To understand Kathar, one must know all the Cults that exist among them, of which one must be chosen when playing a Kathar. It is possible to change Cults later, though it is recommended to only do this for major events in your Character's life.

Kathar Cults

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Divine Cult Kathar

Divine Cult Kathar worship the transformative powers of Magic, Mutations, the Void Gods, and Politics. They dream of a world controlled and left to the whims and vices of Mages and the Magically gifted, to create a legacy for themselves and achieve immortality or fame. The strongest Kathar are Divine Cult, as well as many of the leading politicians of Rokhaval where Magical might often makes right. In Regalia, they often seek out other Mages to bring about this world, or seek new ways to gain Magical power. Divine Cult Kathar often work with Vampires and other Void Mages.

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Beguiled Cult Kathar

Beguiled Cult Kathar worship the transformative powers of Spirits, Curses, Seduction, and Populism. They dream of a world where Spirits and the Living can freely roam, not dependent or enslaved to one another, but symbiotic and mutually enhancing. It is rare to see a Beguiled Cult Kathar without accompanying Spirits, to whom they often have closer connections than the Living. Beguiled Kathar are also not unfamiliar with the seductive powers of Magic and the Void, to get others hanging from their lips and words. Beguiled Cult Kathar often work with Theurgists and business owners.

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Reason Cult Kathar

Reason Cult Kathar worship the transformative powers of Science, Reason, Technology, and Collaboration. They have mostly abandoned Magical Evolution, recognizing the real risk in the chaotic unpredictability of it, instead favoring a logical approach to the metaphorical concept of immortality, scientific longevity and power through knowledge, knowledge through reason. Reason Cult Kathar can most often be found in Regalia, as they have a large domestic population of them in Solleria, where they live peacefully. Reason Cult Kathar often work with Allar, Qadir, and the Solvaan.

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Drakon Cult Kathar

Drakon Cult Kathar worship the transformative powers of Dragons, History, Geneology, and Religion. They are strong supporters of the Void God, or his Draconism alter ego Triton, and by extension consider Dragons the most powerful beings in the world, seeking either to become one, or to earn or take their powers. Drakon Cult Kathar are also known as the Princes of Osc'iird, part of the Allorn Empire, having close connections with Darkscale Archon, and frequently coming to Regalia to seek Dragons. Drakon Cult Kathar often work with Archon and Isldar, though may not be welcome.

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Mesmer Cult Kathar

Mesmer Cult Kathar worship the transformative powers of Knowledge, Deceit, Lies, and Infiltration. They are spymasters and information brokers, those who believe physical immortality or godhood is a folly fairytale, and that only self-enrichment through power, wealth, or knowledge is a way to approach the greatest self that can ever be achieved. Mesmer Cult Kathar are everywhere in the world, favoring their Gods Inthalis and Odella by listening, observing, and absorbing all there is to know everywhere. Mesmer Cult Kathar tend to prefer working alone, or with their own kin or people they have subjugated.

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Mythic Cult Kathar

Mythic Cult Kathar worship the transformative powers of Flexibility, Change, and Dimensions other than the Void. Mythic Cult Kathar describes a group of Kathar who have abandoned their worship and obsession with the Void, some of them favoring a connection with the Exist, others with the Beyond and its Ordial entities. They are often Estellon worshipers or Ordial Cultists, seeking the same transformative and evolutionary power that other Kathar find in the Void or Dragons, but rather from a different source. Mythic Cult Kathar try to work with Exist or Ordial forces, though may not be welcome.

Design

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.
Rokhaval soldiers often wield weapons which have their aesthetics enhanced with Bone-forged material.
The continuation of cults in Rokhaval is a point of pride for the Kathar, while the Teledden hate it.
Kathar can get really big, almost identical to Eronidas, save for their dark gray skin tone.
Some Kathar take mutations to the extreme, almost becoming near unrecognizable from pre-mutated form. .
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.
Among the Kathar are some of the most powerful Void Mages, their society perfect for breeding excellent Mages.

Physical Characteristics

Kathar when looking at their bodily proportions, are no different from the other Elven Races like the Fin'ullen or Teledden. Their most noticeable difference however, is their gray skin tone, ranging from dark gray to light gray. Their hair is frequently black, though many also have bone-white hair. While black and white are the norm, blonde, brown, auburn, ginger, gray, are less commonly seen but also possible. Kathar sclera can be white, gray, or black, while their irises have a wide range of colors from blue, green, gray, brown, black, red (even while not Vampire), gold (even while not Arkenborn), and white. They frequently have tattoos, ranging from tribal designs to more ornate and even geometric full shapes. Kathar can have horns, prehensile tails, snake-hair, long black claw-like nails, and even Eronidas-like tusks. Finally, Kathar are Ageless, meaning they can look forever young, or manually change their age appearance at will.

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.

Heritage Traits

When designing a Character, Proficiency Points allow for a limited Ability selection with Point Buy Packs. Heritage Traits adds free Packs and Mechanics on top of that to help with cultural themes. Free Packs grant Abilities usually, while Mechanics change the way a character functions in Roleplay through subtle, and usually out of Combat ways. In essence, Mechanics just add aesthetic flair that invest in the niche of each culture. Free Packs never raise Proficiency Points, but the character must be able to purchase them normally. (ex. if a character is a certain Affinity that locks them out of a category, they cannot take that specific free pack and must choose the alternative option.) If a Free Pack grants Magic of some type, that Magic can be of any Alignment the character can normally choose, or limited to a select alignment, which will always be written in the Free Pack description.

Mixed Heritage characters (i.e. characters born from two parents of different Cultures) may take one parent's 'Free Packs' and mix and match up to 5 Mechanics from both parents, although some Peoples cannot produce Mixed Heritage children (due to Magical/Fantasy reasons).

Free Packs

  • Kathar can choose one Chem or Magic Point Buy Pack for free, either as Mundane, Void/Exist/Ordial Magic, or Dragon Magic Alignment.
  • Kathar can choose another Chem or Magic Point Buy Pack for free, either as Mundane, Void/Exist/Ordial Magic, or Dragon Magic Alignment.

Mechanics

  • Kathar power cannot be denied to them. If anyone uses an Ability/Mechanic that would force them to use Radiant instead of Sinistral Magic, they still use Sinistral anyway.
  • Kathar can change the alignment of any Spirit to that of Void, so long as the possess/own/control the Spirit. Void Spirits are always symbiotic for them also.
  • Kathar are not affected by the mental characteristics or changes of any Affliction or Affinity and are always in control of their own mind from them.
  • Kathar are able to look at a person and intuit their Corruption Desire, with OOC Consent (see below). Then, the Kathar can act towards this goal.
  • Kathar can use subtle vice-heightening curses on those within Emote Range, heightening their Pride, Fury, Avarice, Corruption, Rejection, or Hedonism.

Corruption Desire

Everyone would like to someday do a little bit of an "evil corruption arc", but doesn't always know where to begin. Corruption Desire is a good starting point. Kathar can intuit the Corruption Desire of a person by looking at them. Good Corruption Desires may be something like "Is offered power by a dark god that looks appealing" or "is flirted with by a seductive Kathar". Whatever the Corruption Desire, it should be something that is both actionable for a regular player (something they can work towards), and sets a condition for a character that is normally lawfully good to be corrupted to evil and vice by the Kathar. The Corruption Desire should act like a pivotal switch at which the Character's good qualities are reduced and their more evil qualities pronounced. To prevent this from forever damning a Character, this arc can be temporary with a clear cleanse either as an exorcism or some pre-defined action such as "goes to confession" or "is saved by one of their best friends who convinces them back on the true path". The corruption can be either magical through some kind of Void God messing with their mind, or just because the Kathar encourages their bad nature. Note, Corruption Desire does not purely need to be used to Corrupt Characters. A "Good" Kathar can also use Corruption Desire to detect the things and situations they must ever prevent from taking place, to prevent the Corruption of a person.

Language

The Kathar language is more commonly called Katharic, though the Kathar themselves call it Pannarokh. The language has no real-life equivalent, 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, meaning it is constantly shifting. 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.

Religion

Most Kathar Cults almost universally follow Void Worship, while Drakon Cult Kathar are split between Draconism and Void Worship. Mythic Cult Kathar can be Estelley, Ordial Cultism, or any other Religion that has God Magic in it (Unionism, Fornoss, Pagan Faiths, Baskarr). Reason Cult Kathar don't need to be religious, but can be, they can also be agnostic, or follow Allar-like principles of All-Truth that acknowledges all Gods as real, and worships a mixture of them. Even those Kathar who consider themselves atheist, still acknowledge these gods as real and worthy of respect and obedience, even if they do not outright worship or pray to them. For more information on either religions, please consult their relevant pages.

Dread Rebirth

A ritual can be done to convert any (unwilling restrained, or willing) Race person visually into a Kathar and forces all dimensional alignment, whether that be magic, theurgy, or mutation, to Void alignment. This does not grant Kathar Racial Traits, instead holding onto the old Race's Racial Traits for the time being. This does not count as a Disguise, and can be undone with any Exorcism mechanic after initial 72 hours. Dread Rebirth can be made permanent with a ritual involving an offering to the Void Gods. When made permanent, the Kathar Character loses their old Race's Racial Traits, while gaining the full set of Kathar Racial Traits instead. A lesser form of Dread Rebirth can be done by any Kathar to enchant a piece of jewelry with a Curse, that when worn, predisposes a person to the Kathar Race, and the Void in general, until Exorcised.

Society

Families

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.

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. Rokhaval 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. Kathar society is largely polyamorous and polygamous, with a high degree of experimenting, but monogamy is not out of this world, as especially envious or jealous Kathar may even resort to killing an unfaithful husband and sacrificing his soul to the Void. Kathar don't have a concept of gender in their society, generally speaking they consider themselves genderfluid even if they present as one gender more often. When asked, they just reply "I would like to be all Genders".

Politics

Kathar politics can be quite brutal, especially in Rokhaval (the Dread Empire), with political espionage and assassination which puts even the Ithanians to shame. At the very top of Rokhaval 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 Rokhaval 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 Rokhaval. 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 game of truth or dare called Volay Circuit is insanely popular among the Kathar.
  • 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, Arkenborn 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 claim that they 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 Rokhaval 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 use Machinery. 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

  • Despite their culture being so crude and brutal, Kathar are excellent purveyors and patrons of art. Even Dressolini operas have become common in Rokhaval, 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.
Peoples of Aloria
Central Peoples
• Ailor • Narim • Solvaan •
Northern Peoples
• Dwarves • Isldar • Sihndar • Urlan •
Eastern Peoples
• Qadir • Sihai • Songaskia •
Southern Peoples
• Allar • Bralona • Maraya • Slizzar •
Western Peoples
• Asha • Eronidas • Fin'ullen • Kathar • Lanlath • Maquixtl • Suvial • Yanar •
Accreditation
Writers MonMarty
Artists MonMarty
Processors BirdsfootViolet, OkaDoka, FireFan96
Last Editor Firefan96 on 03/10/2024.
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