Desert Elves – Haladrae (The Radiant) – Al’Hasier
~9% of overall population
Those sylandrae that remained in Al’Hasier had to adjust quickly to the withering that overtook the land. Eschewing some of their magical talents in favor of physical pursuits, the Haladrae or “the Radiant” fashioned themselves as a fast-moving society of nomads able to respond to any sort of problem that may arise across the endless desert. This tradition persists to this day, with many Haladrae living solely as nomad caravans wandering from town to town and offering their services as mercenaries and scouts. Those that have opted for a more sedate lifestyle have congregated in Sadij and Mirasat though still gravitate towards more dangerous professions.
Physical Description: Somewhat shorter than their cousins with sun-kissed skin, the Haladrae are far more physically honed than their more erudite brethren. Though not as sturdy as the Kalabrae, they carry a nimble almost feral grace to their frames. Their hair ranges in color from black to bright gold and they take great personal delight in fashioning all manner of elaborate hairstyles, even if half the time their heads are obscured by desert-faring head wraps. Haladrae eyes come in exactly four colors: bright orange, light green, dark blue, or rich brown; supposedly a component of the elemental blessings upon Al’Hasier.
Government: Haladrae are loosely governed amongst their own kind, often engaging in lively debate until one that is perceived to be the eldest among them settles the affair with a decisive action that is rarely contested. Authority typically falls to the individual of the clan most attuned with the desert who will then designate a particularly savvy individual to handle contract negotiations with villages they pass. Otherwise they are largely a disorganized society, and when assimilating into other cultures they remain almost painfully ignorant of local politics which can occasionally lead to conflict with the local power structure.
Economy: As nomads of the sands, the Haladrae have very little in terms of material wealth aside from whatever they can scavenge from the ruins they frequent. By the same token due to their frequent travels they often have the most up-to-date information on safe land routes across the deserts and are typically the ones who set up the waymarkers that guide the caravans through the sands. The Rasz’ii Merchant Consortium makes certain that the Haladrae Sandrunners are well compensated for their efforts, if for no other reason that they can then spend that money at their own markets.
Religion/Spirituality: Many of the Haladrae pay homage to the spirits of the deserts in which they live, but they are just as prone to worshipping the various elemental forces, Illariel, or the various goodly virtues. Each Haladrae family, and individual within that family, practices their faith in a way that is unique to them, typically unorganized and deeply personal. The notion of an organized religion is largely novel to the Haladrae. The Haladrae are notably reverant of anyone possessing oracular powers and when one is identified in a community they often grow to become great leaders.
Lifestyle: Despite being long lived, the Haladrae are prone to living in the moment and lack the same characteristic patience of the rest of elvenkind. Though many are fervent defenders against the dark forces of Al’Hasier, they are known to throw fantastic celebrations that honor the history of the country, their culture, and give praise to the future. Every five years the nomad tribes gather together near Mirasat for the Alacritous Trial of the Sun, a race that starts from the plains and ends at the Arnan border. The winner is lauded with accolades and praise, their clan elevated to a position of prestige until the next Trial.
Diplomacy: A gregarious sort, the Haladrae are welcomed across the desert, even in Dubala. They make excellent hagglers which can cause them to run afoul of some of the more unscrupulous merchant lords, but otherwise a settlement is more than happy to see a Haladrae nomad caravan pass through their village. Particularly urbane Haladrae are drawn to a bardic profession and will often find themselves at the negotiating tables of the rich and powerful, often times advocating against one another on behalf of powerful factors. Such negotiations are often wild and last for days as the Haladrae weave ever grander metaphors around one another before one finally relents.
Military/Defense: The Haladrae are fierce fighters, favoring skirmishing tactics and quick movements that leave their enemies reeling and confused. They are known for finding tactical advantages in the seemingly endless rolling dunes where others would see nothing of any use. One of the greatest military legends amongst the Haladrae is the defense of Old Sadij where an entire clan gave their life against crazed elementals to defend a fleeing caravan of civilians. Such stories of pyrrhic victories are woven into the Haladrae mindset, and many have no qualms of giving their life in the face of true evil.
Adventurers: Naturally predisposed to the adventuring lifestyle, many Haladrae spend some time away from their clans on a journey to define themselves amidst the societies they protect. Few have a real concern for money and can get tricked into working at first, though once faced with the expenses of adventuring life many are quick to catch on. Haladrae are quick to bond with their adventuring groups, often considering them a part of their own clan after a few short months together. They tend towards chaotic alignments.
Half-Haladrae: As a people the Haladrae are quick to live but very rarely form a conventional monogamous marriage. Some half-Haladrae join their elven parent in their caravan but often find themselves seeking other options once they reach adulthood. Many become individual wanderers, drawn to all sorts of professions. Many find themselves welcomed in rasz’ii enclaves and they are valued laborers for their inherent endurance. Mirasat boasts a thriving half-Haladrae community with generations of half-haladrae living in homogenous family units.
Names: Haladrae naming conventions vary by clan, some opting to adhere to their more traditional roots while others adopting names more appropriate to the local language and others still naming themselves via epithet instead. As a result Haladrae names vary wildly between traditional elven, native al’hasierian, and a variety of evocative titles.
Geography/Borders: Very few permanent settlements are attributed to Haladrae culture. Nevertheless a few important sites remain scattered across the desert sands.
- Kel-Arat: Altar to the Sun – Northwest of Mirasat lies Kel-Arat, supposedly the ancient remains of a prominent Antravarcian temple dedicated to a deity of life and the sun. It is from here that the Haladrae gather every five years to start the country-wide race known as the Alacritous Trial of the Sun. When not used for this purpose, the altar is attended by a rotating clan of haladrae sand oracles, all of whom share the same curse of a crippled leg that prevents them from participating in their people’s tradition.
- Cavalona: “The Oasis” (N magical small town (population 242, 95% desert elf, 5% half-desert elf)) – The only semi-permanent settlement of the Haladrae lies just outside the treacherous expanse of sands known as the Dunes of the Lost. It is said that the elves know of the correct paths to walk to make it from the dunes to the shores of the Lake of Shrouds, however most who enter therein are never seen again. The settlement is welcoming to outsiders but does not allow any non-haladrae (or half-haladrae) to reside there permanently. The settlement is led by a powerful oracle named Dakath al-Majid (N haladrae oracle), gifted with the power of prophecy and said to be nearly a thousand years old.
- Nilenthalas – Though to exist only in myth, the lost city of Nilenthalas is said to lie somewhere beneath the sands of Al’Hasier, swallowed by the dunes and forgotten by time. If legends are true, the city was once a great cultural center for all sylandrae and housed a great cathedral dedicated to the entire ancient elven pantheon. The city was supposedly destroyed during the War of the Dark but legends have persisted since the Tenebrous Age that the city was miraculously restored and contains great wonders that could rekindle the might of the old elven kingdom.
Variants/Rules: Desert elves and their human offspring are variants on base elves and half-elves.
Desert Elf Racial Traits
- Ability Score Modifiers: Desert elves are nimble in body and magnanimous in disposition, and though hardier than their cousins they are not prudent as their cousins. They gain +2 dexterity, +2 charisma, and -2 wisdom.
- Size: Desert elves are medium creatures and thus receive no bonuses or penalties due to their size.
- Type: Desert elves are Humanoids with the elf subtype.
- Base Speed: Desert elves have a base speed of 30 feet.
- Languages: Desert elves begin play speaking Al’Hasierian and Elven. Desert elves with high Intelligence scores can choose from the following: Auran, Aquan, Common, Sylvan, Terran, and Sylvan
- Elven Immunities: Desert elves are immune to magic sleep effects and gain a +2 racial saving throw bonus against enchantment spells and effects.
- Keen Senses: Desert elves receive a +2 racial bonus on Perception checks.
- Desert Runner: Desert elves receive a +4 racial bonus on Constitution checks and Fortitude saves to avoid fatigue, exhaustion, or ill effects from running, forced marches, starvation, thirst, or hot or cold environments.
- Weapon Familiarity: Desert elves are proficient with longbows (including composite longbows), longswords, scimitars, and shortbows (including composite shortbows), and treat any weapon with the word “elven” in its name as a martial weapon.
- Low-Light Vision: Desert elves can see twice as far as humans in conditions of dim light.
Half-Desert Elf Racial Traits
- Ability Score Modifiers: Half-desert elves characters gain a +2 bonus to one ability score of their choice at creation to represent their varied nature.
- Type: Half-desert elves are humanoid creatures with both the human and the elf subtypes.
- Size: Half-desert elves are Medium creatures and have no bonuses or penalties due to their size.
- Base Speed: Half-desert elves have a base speed of 30 feet.
- Elven Immunities: Half-desert elves are immune to magic sleep effects and gain a +2 racial saving throw bonus against enchantment spells and effects.
- Endurance: Half-desert elves receive Endurance as a bonus feat at 1st level.
- Keen Senses: Half-desert elves receive a +2 racial bonus on Perception checks.
- Low-Light Vision: Half-desert elves can see twice as far as humans in conditions of dim light.
- Elf Blood: Half-desert elves count as both elves and humans for any effect related to race.
- Multitalented: Half-desert elves choose two favored classes at first level and gain +1 hit point or +1 skill point whenever they take a level in either one of those classes.
Prominent Figures:
- Aravae el-Pirani (CG female desert elf ranger) – The most recent winner of the Alacritous Trial of the Sun and one of the youngest in living memory, Aravae beat her opponents through intellect and strategy rather than raw speed. She has since used the acclaim from her victory to advocate for a more conventional alliance with the humans of Al’Hasier, a stance which has heavily polarized the desert elf clans.
- Sorthas The Exalted (LN male desert elf monk) – A wandering mystic of the Haladrae, Sorthas travels from town to town on a seemingly endless quest to bring justice and peace to communities who are in need. It is said he is not swayed by entreaties of the heart and only acts according to a peculiar logic that others have not been able to accurately discern.
- Tathra (CN male half-desert elf rogue/sorcerer) – A prominent merchant in Sadij with a questionable reputation and an appetite for the exotic. Though in good standing with the Consortium, he has been censured on numerous occasions for questionable, yet not quite illegal, business practices.