Kalashtar

The Kalashtar are members of Qahalem tribes that live in some of the northernmost regions of Ahknei and Krimark. They make up approximately 10% of the total Qahalem population.
Qahalem beliefs dictate that each person has two souls: one created by their mother which inhabits their physical body, known as the umaffia, and another created for them by their ancestors awaiting them in the afterlife, known as the ungataanut. The umaffia and ungataanut are meant to stay separate until a person dies, at which point, if a person has lived a moral life, the two will merge and finally become whole. It is believed that Kalashtar are the exception to this rule and are instead born with both souls already merged, causing their hair to grow in white and also granting them their unique psychic abilities.
Kalashtar is transcribed by some academics as Qalashtar.

Basic Information

Genetics and Reproduction

Being Kalashtar has not been shown to have any clear inherited genetic component– having Kalashtar parents or grandparents does not seem to increase a child's odds of also being Kalashtar– rather, it's hypothesized to be some sort of genetic mutation the Qahalem population as a whole is predisposed to having. Studies have not yet been conducted on the odds of children of partial Qahalem descent being Kalashtar.

Dietary Needs and Habits

They have the same dietary needs as your average human.

Civilization and Culture

Naming Traditions

See Qahalem naming traditions.

Culture and Cultural Heritage

Kalashtar occupy a difficult space within Qahalem culture; while their already merged souls present a physical example of what all Qahalem hope to achieve one day, it also means they are free of some of the usual consequences for committing taboos. Since their souls have already been joined, committing taboos will no longer pose a danger for their ungataanut. Responses to this can vary between clans and individuals.
Some see this as potentially making disobedient behavior more tempting for the Kalashtar, and so they may be viewed with suspicion or have harsher social consequences for perceived wayward behavior. Others, however, see this lack of consequences as a boon for their community; they are able to fish or hunt in sacred areas when other food sources have been depleted to help ensure their clan does not go hungry, and commit various other taboos in ways that could help others.

Lifespan

100 years

Average Height

4'10" to 5'6" (149-168cm)

Body Tint, Colouring and Marking

Kalashtar resemble other Qahalem people, with the one major difference being that they are born with white hair. Non-Kalashtar Qahalem are occasionally born with streaks or patches of white if they have recent Kalashtar ancestry, but true Kalashtar are the only ones born with fully white hair.

Related Organizations

• Qahal belief system

Related Ethnicities

• Qahalem

See Qahalem page for further information and context.