Drath: A Lost Past

Drath

A Lost Past

Found within a great plain of rolling grassland and steppes in southern Velas, Drath is the homeland of the Drathi people, or dark elves as they're more commonly known. Drath is home to a unique form of magic, blood magic, that all Drathi have a genetic predisposition for using. This mysterious realm came to be only a few centuries beforehand with the return of Aelthi that were long thought lost forever arriving in new changed forms.

The Drathi

Much like the other elves of Kyr, Drathi often have slender graceful bodies and long ears. They similarly have magic blood and are tuned to aeth naturally. They, however, have snow-white skin almost to an elf, black eyes, and naturally growing ivory-colored hair. They also seem to have genetically built-in knowledge of their particular form of blood magic. This blood magic concerns not sacrifice (like certain devils desire) but rather the literal use of blood as energy to focus aeth, the energy of magic, into spells. This has been theorized as an alternate use of kah, the energy of life, or potentially a mixture of the use of kah and aeth in a hybrid form but the mechanics are not well known by even the Drathi. Most civilizations abhor the use of blood magic whether through association with the Tithing Realms, those hells ruled by the archdevils and archdemons, or through general squeamishness. Along with this, it is rather difficult and possibly fatal to learn blood magic. 

The Return
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Drath was formed when a flotilla of strange ships bearing the Drathi peoples approached the known world. They came to sail around southern Velas having no memory of where they came from nor why they were in this part of Kyr. However, they to an elf had an impending sense of doom that they shared with anyone who would listen that the Velassian Empire was to return to their old lands one day. They begged for sanctuary from the states in southern Velas as most of those upon the ships were starving and dying. They were denied such, as Thrale could not see themselves taking them on, Katetia has a long burning hatred for their ancient Aelthi enemies, and Yagatzia was in the middle of a war. The Tarks had no such delegation at this time, still being a roaming series of tribes. The one state that would help was the Sothian Palatinate but this was during the time of establishing the Court of the Night and resources were thin. Dismayed at this state of affairs the Drathi docked their ships on the near-barren lands that the nation stands on today. They would not live to see the next spring if sacrifices were not made. A lottery was held and the winners were cut down and their blood drained to power the magic necessary to create a new settlement. Near 33% of the population on the ships died this way. This was spearheaded by a female Drathi named Lleiwyn Narain, who would become the ruling despot of the new nation.

The Despotate

Despot Narain decided she was one of the few of the flotilla that could ensure the survival of her people. A strong-willed drathi, she directed the survivors in settling this new land with help of an inner circle of guards and would hear no dissent to her plans. She was brutal in putting down any that would threaten her rule with punishments such as crucifixions, public butchery, and bloody displays of her own accumulated power. In her way, she settled what is now known as Drath over the span of a few centuries. Her subjects are equally split in abundant gratitude and deep-seated loathing. 

Blood Stones

Blood Stones are family heirlooms given to the head of a house. They are strange magical stones that can store more blood than their palm-sized round shape suggests. Often they are fed by their uses who bleed themselves to fill the stones in increments over the days. The use of a bloodstone can create powerful magics without killing the user by using the accumulated blood in one's spells.

The Drathi Diaspora

Many Drathi have fled from the Despotate and Despot Narain has wished good riddance to them. They have found new homes across the world but often find themselves in marginalized communities similar to the Fallow and Djiinari. One large concentration of Drathi is found in Uladreng, the masked realm.