Daskari (Dah-Skari)
Daskari
The deserts of Daskar are a hard and uncompromising place. Yet where once only nomads roamed, now a great empire resides. While many of the people of this land may be far removed from the grim lives their ancestors once faced, they retain the ingenuity and perseverance that helped them conquer the unforgiving deserts of their homes and form a nation known for both its fierce warriors and learned scholars. The people of Daskar are a handsome folk, lean and tall of stature, with dark skin and eyes being commonplace.
Of Salt and Sand
The Daskari Empire lies almost entirely within the desert that gives it its name. Many of its largest settlements lie upon the banks of the Ietesh River, and the annual flooding of the river brings great fertility to the surrounding lands, forming the bread basket of the empire. Barges carrying coarse salt and metals from the mines of Salam-Dul make their way downriver, bringing much wealth to the lands. At the mouth of the Ietesh sits Aram Alar, the Imperial City, the largest and wealthiest city of the empire and perhaps
even the world. Many great institutions of commerce and learning can be found here, making it the envy of the neighbouring lands as well as an important destination for many merchants and scholars.
Each Child a Scholar
Over a century ago, the great Emperor Saladesh proclaimed that 'in Daskar, every man and woman shall know letters and numbers; each child shall be a scholar.' And thus, a system of schools and centres of higher learning were created, funded by the great wealth of the empire, so that every child would learn the basics of language, mathematics and history, and those that pursued greater knowledge would have places to gather and share their ideas. That system has continued to the modern day, and now Daskar is considered to be the greatest centre of learning in all the known world. This
practice, while common in the cities, has yet to spread beyond those urban centers, where practical skills of survival in the harsh deserts are more useful.
Faith and Tradition
The people of Daskar are, in general, a deeply religious folk. The worship of Japseth, the Goddess of Illumination and Learning is particularly prominent, particularly in the cities, while in the Oasis-Towns of the desert many pray to Aquiar, the Water-Bearer, in hopes that he will continue to grant them the life sustaining necessities they require. All Daskari are taught to worship and respect the Gods, and this has become and integral part of their society. Orthodoxy is an important part of this worship, and thus
the prayers of the Daskari are usually reserved for the Eight Great Divines, while worship of other divinities is often frowned upon, if not outlawed outright, though the practice persists in some of the desert-dwelling communities.
The Arts of Talsheh
In the times before the empire, when survival in the desert often relied on taking what you could and keeping what was yours, skill with weapons was often a matter of life or death. Thus, many of the clans of old Daskar developed their own forms of martial arts, often focusing on one type of weapon to the exclusion of all others. These fighting styles have been passed down between family members for many generations, and
even now, Daskari children learn to wield these weapons alongside their study of numbers and letters.
Daskari Names
Male. Yusuf, Alchaim, Ulair, Weyfan, Qeulan, Opham, Zaphir, Jashah, Kitesh
Female. Tashah, Hyara, Elairi, Ghaila, Rhayn, Xephra, Basphira, Ninesh
Clan Names. Ulam-Tir, Dal-Enir, Kanesh-Anari, Yalam-Alaim, Nakar-Olas, Bakan-Janin
Daskari Traits
-Ability Score Increase. Your Wisdom or Intelligence increases by 2, and another ability of your choice increases by 1.
-Age. Like all humans, Daskari typically reach adulthood in their late teens and generally live for less than a century.
-Alignment. Daskari tend towards lawful alignments as a general rule, but a variety of ethos and motivations can be found among them.
-Size. Daskari vary in height and build, but are generally around 6 feet tall. Their size is Medium.
-Speed. Your base walking speed is 30 feet.
-Languages. You can read, write and speak Daskari as well as the Tradetongue. You also have a high level of proficiency in another language. This may be a common language, but might also be a more obscure language you have studied. Many Daskari scholars learn Alushar, the reconstructed language of the ancients.
-Daskari Martial Arts. Choose one of the following weapons; Shillah (Sickle), Korath (Spear), Damtaj (Quarterstaff), Kinoss (Morningstar), Saith (Scimitar), Tais (Whip), or Chalsaph (Trident). You gain proficiency in this weapon if you did not already have it. In addition, when using this weapon you gain a bonus to your attack and damage equal to half your proficiency bonus rounded up.
Subraces
There is a large difference between those Daskari who live their lives in the vast and cultured cities of the Empire, and those whose clans have chosen to live the more traditional life in the desert, as their ancestors have done for centuries. There is a mutual disdain between the two, as those in the city consider their desert dweller cousins to be less civilized and prone to worshiping unorthodox deities, while those in the desert consider their urban counterparts to be haughty, arrogant, and weak.
- Kashkar (City-Dweller) Those Daskari that make their home in the cities tend to be educated, sophisticated, and erudite. The churches here cling to a strict orthodoxy, and religious education is considered just as important as scholarly pursuits. The splendor of the cities of Daskar tends to add a certain haughtiness to their demeanour when dealing with people of other cultures.
- Favoured Classes. Wizard and Cleric.
- Scholarly Pursuits. Choose either History or Religion. You gain proficiency with that skill, and double your proficiency bonus when using that skill. Doctrinal Study. Once per short rest, you can cast either Bless or Shield of Faith.
- Doshkar (Desert-Dweller) In the desert, survival is all the matters. The unforgiving sands will wipe away the weak and scour their bones, and soon those to soft will be buried beneath the shifting dunes. Thus, those who call these places their home must learn above all else the skills that will keep them alive in a land that will kill any not strong enough to understand it. For those who do, the desert can be a land of plenty, if one knows where to look.
- Favoured Classes. Monk and Ranger.
- Tenacious Survivors. You gain proficiency in Survival, and you gain advantage with that skill when in the desert. You can go longer without food and water than others, and are slower to feel the negative effects of desert environments.
- Practical Study. Once per short rest, you can cast either Detect Poison and Disease or Zephyr Strike as a spell-like ability.
Related Organizations
