Dharja
The Bulette
The hot wind stung at Sotan’s cheeks. He held the black leather bridle in his gloved hand. Swallowing the spit in his mouth rather than waste the precious water on the ground, he shifted the chador covering his head. A thin film closed over his eyes in anticipation of the coming storm. It would cover his escape, provided he could keep this fine horse calm. The great sultan who owned it would not miss the steed until morning, and by then, Sotan would have brought the animal back to his own clan. Sotan grinned as the sandstorm approached; it would hit at sundown.
The handlers moved a third group of horses out of Sotan’s sight towards a protective bluff. A lone guard stood with the remaining animals, leaning on his spear. Suddenly, the loose ground beneath the guard began to crack as a leathery snout emerged. Sotan groaned. The emerging bulette would draw unwanted attention to the area, even if it was a small one. The guard lurched back, calling for help from his absent companions. The creature snapped at him, cracking the wooden shaft of the spear. A flash of steel split the air, and then the skull of the bulette. The beast collapsed. The guard stared up in amazement. Sotan raised his blade in salute, and wheeled the sultan’s finest horse, and rode him into the coming storm.
Personality
To say the Dharja have a high opinion of themselves would insult them. Due to the hardships of life in the desert, they simply believe that they are a superior race. The Dharja believe in action, not words, and judge a person accordingly. They take offense to anyone who treats them without the respect that they feel they deserve. Offending a Dharja often results in death. The Dharja do not believe that other races deserve punishment for this weakness, but laugh when it lands them in trouble. They speak in short sentences, believing that verbosity is wasteful. In fact, everything that they do is in the most efficient and effective measure. To act in any other way invites death when one lives in the sun baked rocky crags of Carboth. The best example of this efficiency is in their water saving skills. A Dharja who wipes the sweat from his brow will often use it to cool his hands or neck. They have several intricate rituals involving water use, thanksgiving, and celebration. Few outsiders have seen these rituals.
In general, the Dharja expend as little energy as possible. Other races have a tendency to consider them lazy, but when action is called for, the Dharja waste little time bursting into action. They rarely help others who have gotten themselves into a mess, but gladly rush to the aid of their friends, comrades, and those unfairly placed in danger.
Physical Description
Dharja are towering, rail thin humanoids with leathery skin, light brown in color. They stand anywhere from six to seven feet tall. They have lanky legs, long necks, and large, oversized hands. Their hair falls from their heads in thick black curls, although most Dharja, male and female, keep it short as long hair does not keep one cool in the desert. Dharja have rather flat faces and wide, flattened noses. Their ears hug the sides of their head and are nearly circular. Their dark eyes are covered with a thick, translucent membrane that changes tints with the amount of light it receives. In bright light, the membrane darkens, like natural sunglasses. In darkness, it turns clear and begins sensing heat, giving them excellent low-light vision
Dharja generally were loose fitting clothing of white or other light colors. The lighter clothing helps reflect light and keep them cool under the hot sun. They rarely wear boots, but never go about barefoot, even in their tent-like homes. Instead, they were sandals that wrap around their calves to the knees. Most Dharja wear chadors, veils that cover their heads and eyes. These not only keep the Dharja cooler (they often soak them in water) but prevent dust and other flying matter from getting in their mouth nose, and ear. Most Dharja are excellent horsemen and dislike to walk anywhere. One Eldorian general joked that a Dharja would rather saddle up his horse and ride twenty feet to his neighbor’s tent than walk there. The general, of course, was wrong. Dharja ride bareback as often as they ride with a saddle.
Relations
A Dharja will tell you, with unfaltering faith, that of all the races on Tarien, they are superior. Unlike the Elynthi, however, who share this view, the Dharja have no desire to inflict their views upon others. Humans and their kin simply do not have the fortitude – physical or moral, to live up to a Dharja’s standard. Of all the races, Dharja find the stern attitudes of the Flind most similar to their own. Geographic separation between the two races has, however, limited relations.
Alignment
Most Dharja are lawful – as the desert has taught them that without order, they will die. To them, matters of good and evil are less important that right and wrong, so most Dharja tend to be neutral. Extremely good and extremely evil Dharja, however, often become adventurers as such extremes do not lend themselves to life with the clans.
Dharja Lands
The Carboth Desert, filled with rock, sand, and sun, make a harsh homeland. The Dharja, however, see their desert home as a test of their devotions to Fahrom, and an environment creates their strength as a people. Few outsiders travel to these inhospitable lands. Most that come are traders – seeking rare herbs and silks that grow the deserts.
Religion
As a deeply spiritual race, the Dharja place their faith mostly in the god of Fahrom. Although they worship the gods, they believe that Fahrom in particular care after their people and see him as their patron.
Language
The Dharjan language is filled with monosyllabic verbs, yet sparse on adjectives and adverbs. Scholars debate as to whether the language has helped created the Dharjashani distaste for idle chatter, or if descriptive words once exists, but have fallen out of use.
Names
Dharjashani names are curt and harsh sounding – much like their owners. Shotan, Milan, Al-Tar, and Krieten are examples of male names. Female names almost always end in the vowel a, such as Bala, Dierda, Heta, and Mira.
Adventuring
For the Dharja, life in the Carbothian deserts is already an adventure. Those that venture beyond the rocks and sand often feel that they are called to spread the will of Fahrom, or have shamed themselves in some way, and seek redemption through great deeds. Rarely do Dharja adventure solely for personal treasure, but raising funds for a cause, such as to equip a clan’s army is considered noble.
The Dharja are unforgiving and unrelenting. During the rebellion slaves fought barehanded — raining blows with their fists and feet against armored men, shrugging off gashes from swords and spears—until they overwhelmed their captors with sheer numbers and force of will. Do not — under any circumstances — engage them in hand-to-hand combat.
A Dharja Greeting a Visitor from Above
Related Organizations
Dharja Racial Traits
- Ability Scores: +2 to Constitution, +1 to Dexterity. The Carboth Deserts are a difficult place to live, filled with extreme temperatures, it takes a hearty, agile sort to thrive there.
- Size: Medium. Dharja have no bonuses or penalties for size.
- Speed: Dharja base speed is 30 feet.
- Darkvision: A Dharja can see up to 60 feet in dim light as if it were brightlight and in darkness as if it were dim light.
- Keen Sight: The protective flaps over a Dharja’s eyes allow them to keep their eyes open under any circumstances that would normally force them closed, such as sandstorms or the bright sun of the desert. They never suffer penalties due to bright lights or particles in their eyes.
- Knack for Survival: As they wander in the desert, the Dharja have learned to find their way by the sun, the stars, and other landmarks. They gain the Survival proficiency.
- Natural Riders: Horse thieves and desert raiders make up the majority of the Dharjashani population. It is said that a young Dharja becomes a man only after he has stolen his first horse. They gain advantage on any skill check made while riding or handling a mount.
- Poison Tolerance: The desert is full of venomous creatures and over the years the Dharja have gained tolerance to this natural danger. They have advantage on saving throws against poison, and you have resistance against poison damage.
- Temperature Resistance: Dharja suffer no penalties for high or low temperatures. As long as the temperature is between 20º and 120º, they feel nothing other than a pleasant change.
- Automatic Languages: Dharjan
- Bonus Languages: Choose two of the following: Ancient Eldorian, Auran, Eldorian, and Giant. A Dharja may elect to spend one of these slots to learn to read and write one of their languages instead.