Ashura
Overview
The Ashura are by far one of the strangest races to live in Lendil both in ancient history and the modern day. They are a species that encompasses all skin tones and colors, their hair colors range across the entire spectrum and their lifespans can last up to 150 years. Their eye color is always the same, a strong golden hue with no visible pupils. On average they are 6 feet tall with the upper range being 6.5 feet and the lower range being 5.5 feet tall. By far their most defining characteristic is the eye that rests on the center of their forehead. This eye, most often seen completely closed and if seen open is a horrible sight, is what the Ashura people call their Ashurakaga. Translated from the language of Ashuran this means Eye of the People. Most Ashura do not have the ability to open this third eye and many of them will never once open it for the entirety of their lives. The effect that this eye has when closed is absolutely nothing and is entirely useless as far as most scholars can tell. However, on the rare occasion that an Ashura should open their third eye, an action which the Ashura call an Awakening, they gain immense magical energy for the remainder of their lives and are granted what can only be known as Gandur Magic.
The origins of the Ashura are shrouded in mystery as much of their history is up to superstition and legends from oral retellings. From what they claim, in the beginning they were a people that did not exist until the formation of the Demi-Gods thousands upon thousands of years ago. They believe that once the Demi-Gods were born, but long before The Fall, the Demi-Gods mated with other mortals that existed in Lendil at the time. They do not know who these mortals were, some theories being The Solus Elves, while others point to the Nathas Humans.
They claim that this is true due to the evidence written on their faces, such as the presence of a third eye that no other race has and the fact that they can perform incredible feats of divine magic that no other race has ever been able to replicate. This oversight by the Aimur and Gandur of allowing the Demi-Gods to bring forth an entire race of magically gifted children is explained by them as “divine ordination”.
When it comes to their religious preferences and practices, one would think that they would be ardent worshippers of the Aimur and would follow the tenants of the church. You would be wrong in this assumption, as the Ashura regard The Fall as a betrayal by the Aimur and an unjust punishment by the Gandur. Most Ashura are believers that the Gods do exist, however they refuse to worship those who punished the people that they view as their creators.
This would go far in explaining their lack of any elemental magical ability and their preference for warfare and battle. They often believe that the only way to prove themselves as worthy of being descendants of the Demi-Gods they must throw themselves into battles and come out victorious. The closer to death they get the better for them as this serves the dual purpose of Awakening their Ashurakaga. Almost every single Ashura who has ever opened their third eye has done so at the precipice of death, when all was thought lost. Those who wish to go through Awakening will often leave their homelands in favor of hunting only the most dangerous Monsters and taking on the hardest jobs.
Societal History and Governance
The Ashura people live in the Southeastern most land of Lendil, known as Bleak Farrow. Here they have slowly but surely worked to cultivate what otherwise used to be a rather harsh and difficult environment. As their homeland used to be made up of large swaths of land with dry grasses and deep, wet swamps. For many of the people of Lendil it would have been near impossible to cultivate, however, for the Ashura it proved to be a challenge, but a challenge they would overcome.
Their government and social structure is very rigid and only those who have Awakened are appointed to higher positions of authority. Those who reach these positions can then be put to work on the many greater national interests of the Ashura people. Those who do go through their Awakening may petition the King, known in their language as the Ankra Ahal or Awakened Lord, to be formally recognized as a member of the nobility and be given a seat at the main governing body, The Council of Lords. These men and women are the commanders and keepers of the law within Bleak Farrow. They are each given land to call their own, are allowed to marry anyone they wish without asking permission from a Lord, may take multiple wives or husbands if they so wish, and may choose to work for their nation's best interests both at home and abroad. They are given voting rights and can start working their way up in position if they so choose. Those who Awaken and become a Lord start out as Banner Lords, these are the lowest rank of Lords and are mainly in charge of villages or townships. Should they work further and make an impression upon higher Lords, they may become an Adjudicator Lord, this type of Lord reigns over multiple towns and villages in a region and answers only to the final level of Lord, an Arbiter of Ankra Ahal. Arbiters are the rules of cities and provinces, in which they are only made to answer to their King or Queen, the Ankra Ahal.
In the Ashura culture most disputes are decided by a duel of some sort. As they are a proud warrior culture with roots pointing back to divinity they pride themselves on winning at everything they do. These duels can be physical in nature, but they do not shy away from declaring duels of the mind either, such as a game of Chess to decide if someone is guilty of theft and should be let go. In their culture, anything that can be decided between two parties as a duel with a clear winner and loser can be entered into to resolve a conflict. The most famous of these types of duels happened over 800 years ago, when Ankra Ahal, Lethos Angirus III was challenged to a duel of minds by Banner Lord, Breta Moondance. In this duel she challenged him to the age-old game of “Rock, Paper, Scissors”. Upon completion of the game, Breta Moondance had won, and so was crowned as the new Queen of her people. After this it was codified into law across Bleak Farrow that “Any challenges to a duel against a Lord of Adjudicator Rank or Higher may be done through an intermediary elected by the Lord in question on his or her behalf should said Lord not be able to be present.”
The capital of Bleak Farrow, Ashuram, is on the western coast of their homeland where the Kraken Coast meets the River of Grasses. Their capital is a fortress city of great proportions and has been called impregnable by even the most experienced military minds. It is a large port city and is the starting point for many expeditions to the Island of Whispers off its coast. Ashuram is a city of battle and warriors, of arenas, gladiatorial combat, honor duels and raw power. Though this may seem appealing to some, something to make note of is that the Ashura have ruled long ago that should a foreigner be in their lands, they are subject to their rules about duels and combat. This is important should one wish to venture into Bleak Farrow.
The Ashura have a total of 7 other Provinces that make up their kingdom, each with its own grand cities and subcultures.
Unfortunately, many of these subcultures have not been studied extensively. Here I shall name the cities though, to aid in navigation should one find themselves there.
To the South of Ashuram sits the city of Ferum Hall, the final city on the Road of Ancients, the road system spanning the entirety of Bleak Farrow.
To the North of Ashuram, following the Road of Ancients, is the city of Velum, a notable city in its fortress-like design as it is carved directly into a mountainside.
Heading West we would come to the city of Keranos, a quaint and smaller settlement that sits in the middle of Bleak Farrow. This region is known as the Plains of Bladed Grasses for its sometimes 5 foot tall bladed grass that makes up its flat topography.
Further Southwest we find ourselves at the port city of Fishmouth, a rather bluntly named place that specializes in their aquatic foods and is known for its trade with Southern Continent of Malius.
Heading West along the coast we will find the beautiful city of Eluvi, a remarkable piece of architectural construction from ages past, where we find a massive statue dedicated to the people of Ashura standing over 100 meters tall above the entrance to the bay.
Here we turn North towards the border and find the fortress city of Azure Crag. It is more of a military outpost than it is a city in the proper terms, as border skirmishes in this region are so common that many of the Ashura make pilgrimage here to partake in the battles hoping that they might Awaken and finally become a Lord.
Finally, turning to the Western border we come to the city of Greet. Yet another bluntly named city that serves as the western passage into the kingdom and is the most diverse area of their homeland as it sports the most trade flowing in and out by land via the Emperors Road that leads into one of the Human Kingdoms.
For Players of Ashura
The Ashura are a very straightforward race of people. They speak plainly and literally and they mean what they say. Their word is their bond and their name is to hold respect and honor. They believe in the rule of “Might Makes Right” but will not ignore those who are weak being trampled upon in the name of allowing the strong to continue. To them, nothing is more mighty than someone who can stand up to strength and laugh in its face as they pound it into the dirt. They are good in most aspects and wish to try to gain honor not just for their status but for their family and their people. They very seldom shy away from a battle, viewing running as a last resort against an opponent they have no hope of defeating and they recognize strength and honor it when they see it. The only thing they find more detestable than dishonor are Daemons, a creature they view as a plague upon the world for its connotations with betrayal.
Ashura Racial Trait: The negative side of playing an Ashura is that they cannot start with or develop magical abilities in line with the Elemental Magic of the world. However, due to their divine lineage they are gifted with a different type of magic flowing through their veins. With this in mind, any player wishing to play an Ashura will not be required to sleep the full amount that a Long Rest requires, instead only needing to enter an uninterrupted meditative state for 2 hours to gain the effects.
Awakening The Eye: This ability is up to the DM if they wish to allow a character to have it. The opening of the third eye can only happen when the DM allows it, as it is recommended that the character go through quite a lot to ever open their eye, as many Ashura warriors die having never been able to. Should a player and DM both agree to do this, and the player succeed, it should be known that every single Ashura in existence who have Awakened are granted a completely unique ability independent of the Elemental Magic skills. This should be considered and discussed heavily by the DM during character creation.
Languages Known: Common, Ashuran and 1 of player choice.
- A Bust of an Ashura Archpriestess of Battle with a fully Awakened Ashurakaga
