Kalara

Homeland of the Twilight Elves

The isle of Kalara is just south of the coast of Belstrad and was formed from a long dead volcano, the interior of which delves down into the Underdark. This is how a group of former drow reached the surface world and became the Twilight Elves- a society of nocturnal surface elves who follow the newly ascended deity of light, Kalar, who led them here. They have mostly opted to remain on this island due to the hostility they have faced from people on the mainland of Arna (who have been raided by drow for centuries). Kalara is inhabited almost exclusively by these twilight elves, newly arrived drow, and a handful of halflings who arrived by accident and stayed. There are traces of former inhabitants, likely elvish, but the island was utterly empty when they arrived here save for a number of beasts. Recently more and more twilight elves have left for Vaskir, whose inhabitants don't share the same suspicion of their kind as do the folks of Belstrad and the Wild South. It is also becoming common knowledge that their kind are welcome far off in both Namiza and Va'Sehir, so occasionally those who feel trapped on Kalara will seek out these destinations as well.

A Transformative Society

Society in Kalara is a strange mixture of competing ideals as these are a people who are in a transitional state. They are building a new culture, a new people, and yet they come from a culture that lasted many thousands of years and change does not happen over night. The first twilight elves were those who did not fit in within Underdark society- many had been helpless servants, had had to flee to avoid sacrifice to Lolth for some action, and others had interests and passions for things that were not appreciated in drow society. Some were simply of a meek or kind disposition and had been thoroughly walked on or scorned for their perceived weakness. Many had spent their lives bowing and scraping and hoping for signs of Lolth’s favor, fearing her very real direct wrath if she detected dissent or a lack of faith.
Their descendants are an enterprising people and they very much value hard work and ambition. They retain the drow desire to elevate past their current station, whichever that may be. They value natural talent and drive, especially in regards to magic and art (especially dance). Like their drow predecessors, their culture and society is based on “Houses” - extended clans of related families and lesser families who have pledged allegiances. Most houses specialized in a business, service or craft and they are highly competitive. Having come from a rather cut-throat society, many struggled to drop the idea of class and caste even though it was what Kalar had suggested. Power is still revered, and much power comes from knowing and utilizing magic. Though they do not go out of their way to practice the art of necromancy, they are one of the few societies that do not necessarily see it as a taboo. A reckless and dangerous pursuit, perhaps, but not inherently an evil act. Twilight Elves in general encompass a gray morality. They have their laws and they enforce them, but they also take into consideration cause and effect, and the bigger picture. For example, murder is frowned upon, but there are a surprising number of reasons for which this action could potentially be excused.

Power, Class, & Politics

The seat of power in Kalara is located in the mountain. It is a sprawling fortress within a city called Underhaven and it was built in an enormous cavern where the first Drow surfaced. The dusty bones of an massive long-dead (presumed red) dragon were found within, though this former lair had been mostly picked clean of its treasure. It is assumed by most that the legend of this dragon was the reason the island remained abandoned and they found only scattered remains of what might have once been town ruins. When they first arrived they could not yet handle the bright light of the sun with any comfort, so their first settlement was built under the mountain. The entrance to the Underdark is the location of the main temple of Kalar. This is where the seat of their church resides and co-rules with representatives from each city. The leader of the church is called the Lightbringer and they serve as the largest judicial figure on the island. Kalaran Temples in most towns function as smaller judiciaries. The six major heads of houses that sit on the main legislative council (Ministry of the Green Flame) are called the House Delegates. Though only the six largest towns are represented year-round, there are delegates from the five or so smaller villages that may be called upon for especially important votes or to give insight. This church is also where one must come if they wish to be "cleansed" of the infernal blood of Lolth. The devout here also occasionally send missionaries back into the depths of the planet to convert more drow and help them "see the light" and escape Lolth's web.
Government in Kalar is a mixture of church and state. Though they came to the surface to escape the oppressive cult of Lolth, in a way they have re-created this with Kalar, which is what ultimately drives some of these elves to leave. Things that conflict with the ideals of Kalar are against the law and their priests are above most laws if they can wield a measure of divine power. The island of Kalara is also governed by the largest and most influential "Houses" in each city so it is somewhat representational, but not exactly a democracy. Like most societies, the wealthy truly rule. Under Lolth, the drow had lived in a matriarchal society. Under Kalar's influence, both males and females can lead interchangeably. Out of habit they do still lean towards female leaders.
The “aristocracy” of Kalara is mostly made of the families whose migrated ancestors had a penchant for business and got wealthy the fastest or who received the boon of Kalar and were considered exceptionally blessed. This boon is what brought color back into their skin and eyes once more and is evident in their descendants. New converts lack this boon, though it may be attained in the course of heavy worship. It is what separates drow and twilight elf. All drow immigrants usually undergo a "cleansing ritual" that breaks their blood ties with Lolth but far less become devoted enough to receive Kalar's boon. There is a ritual for this, but it only works for those who truly dedicate themselves to the teachings and ideals of Kalar. Those without it retain their sallow tones and additional appendages but as long as they have been purified their children will most likely become more elvish (and less spiderish) with each generation- especially if their spouses are full twilight elves. Those with the boon of Kalar will always be of a higher class in Kalara. That said, many of the descendants of the purified do not epitomize the holy teachings teachings any longer. If they had been born drow the ritual would likely fail them. Most are greedy, petty creatures, ambitious and cruel like those their grandparents had tried to escape from. In a way, it is quite sad. Kalar's teaching stress generosity, fairness, and empathy. Concentrated in High Society, there is a lot of dirty politics- both between houses and within as different members jockey for position. Nowadays it's not all that surprising when someone of high station is assassinated. This ruthless culture is less common to the average person who lives outside the major towns. Commoners in Kalara are just trying to live peacefully and comfortably, like anyone else.

The New Homeland

Kalara is a very wet island, mostly cool but occasionally icy. It rains or mists nearly every day and fully sunny days are rare- something the light-repulsed residents do not mind. The islanders have hunted most of the local original predators to extinction. They now keep imported chickens, sheep and goats. One of the only unnatural threats are the undead who seem to crawl out of the ocean from time to time, a tragic result of The Event. Sahuagin have also been known to cause problems. Because the residents are nocturnal, the towns come to life at night and can appear abandoned to newcomers arriving in the day. Most dwellings are stone or concrete, as the drow were more comfortable and familiar with its usage compared to wood. They tend to build houses thin and tall, with multiple stories and apartments-perhaps a cultural remnant of their stalactite housing in the underdark. In such a small place without much farmland and not much wild territory either, fishing is one of the most important trades. Most actual farming practices are underground- the cultural heritage of the twilight elves who have a great knowledge of mushrooms and lichen.
There are a number of small forests left on the island which are hunted very very carefully as to not cause all the fauna to go extinct. There are many rules and regulations for hunters. The best land for this is the wide southern coastal plain. Not many people move around here because it is constantly lashed with the worst of the storms blowing in from the south. The ground is soggy and even swampy in places close to the shore, but deer, boar, and rabbit are plentiful. The mountain of Underhaven has been thoroughly mined out, but the smaller mountain just to the north is still producing ore. The Kalarians don't look forward to the day when these mines run dry as it will mean one of two things- relying on imports, or digging right back down into the underdark which is crawling with Lolth's loyal ones (and they hold a grudge).

The nearby Dead Isle is a smoking husk of a ruin, befouled by dark aberrant magic and crawling with magical monstrosities and the restless undead. It is the location of a fallen city- one of several that crashed down into the West Twin Sea near the mainland's coast. Several of these ancient mageocratic cities have become islands of their own. The Dead isle already existed before this large floating city crashed into it, altering it forever.

The Night Cities

Underhaven: The Seat of Power. Where most drow remain due to their severe light sensitivity.
Port Kallistra: Center of Trade. Big in manufacturing. Nearby mines of Shadow Rest produce most of the island's ore.
Lolthbane: Major religious and Agricultural hub. Nearby village of Jezrene provides some of the only surface produce. Most ranches are around here.
Port Dinhrys: Infamous for its issues with the Sahuagin. Trade hub for many local hunters. Nearby town of Sinmorel is famous for it's mushroom farms.
Port Bryn: Due to its remote locale, tends to attract people at odds with the law. Lots of crime.
Port Solace: Mostly a pit stop for ships traveling between mainland Arna and Vaskir. Slightly more diverse in population. Bad Storms to deal with.

Flag:
A Green Flame on a black background

Government:
Oligarchy (mixture of theocracy & plutocracy)

Leaders: Lightbringer Alestris Sunseeker


Largest Populations:
Twilight Elves (60%), Drow (35%), Lightfoot Halflings (5%)


Trades & Exports
Fishing, Ranching, Underground Agriculture, Textiles, Magical Items

Largest Cities:
Underhaven, Port Kallistra, Lolthbane, Port Dinhrys, Port Bryn, Port Solace