Black Sky (3.5e Campaign Setting)/Races

=Races=

Dark Elves
"You want the mana-gems? Well I won't let these babies goes under a thousand platinum drakon, show me the money or piss off."

The dark elves were originally a tribe of wild elves that, at the beginning of the age of the dominion, were enslaved by the peheereka. The elves were "branded", their skin turned black to mark them as slave and inferior. They were forced to work underground, mining precious organic gems labelled 'mana gems' that are an essential part in powering spelltech. After a century of slavery, the dark elves finally revolted and with a swift strike overthrew their oppressor in one night.

The Dark Elves seized the stock of mana-gems, holding it hostage forcing the paheereka into negotiation. In the end, the dark elves had the upper hand and freed themselves forever, even entering a trade agreement with the Dominion, selling the stones for an hideous price. The dark elves's overseers, who seized the supply of stones became filthy rich, some able to build whole city with the acquired wealth. The overseer each established a 'guild', each guild ensure that the monopoly of mana-gems remain within the hand of the Merchant Houses (the heirs of the overseer and rebellion instigators).

Society
Dark Elves society is both matriarchal and mercantile, females were leading the dominion at the time of the rebellion and thus almost all overseer were females and thus by extension most houses leaders are female themselves. The entire dark elf society is based on cutthroat trading, politic and depraved lifestyle, the lower class scums mine the precious material while their master wear the finest silk, eat the est food and have the grandest castles as the Dominion did a few hundred years ago.

A dark elf of high birth or standing is expected to be alway at her best, have the finest clothes, the pretties partner and the most coins. Cheating is perfectly acceptable in the dark elven society, as long as you don't get caught. In the dark elven society, nothing is truly illegal, drugs, weapons, prostitution and even murder are regulated.

The middle class of the dark elves are the merchant, caravan drivers, slave drivers and various specialized profession. The entire middle class is tied to an house, although each particular dark elf have the right of free affiliation and thus can choose which house he will serve. The middle class is slightly less ruthless, but sill highly competitive.

The lower class are salves from other races, dark elves who fell from grace or dark elves free miners. The lower class live a hard, often short life, most often in the dark tunnels below the great cities in search of mana-gem for their masters. The lower-class is not very loyal, allowing a healthy mana-gems smuggling business to exist.

Inheritor Elves
"We were the first to walk the land, we will be the last to leave it. Surrender or not, you will die by the Dominion's will."

The paheereka or inheritor elves are one of the oldest civilized race to have walked under the Black Sky and still stand under it today. The paheereka established the Paheerekan Dominion, an ancient globe-spanning empire. Unlike the first elven empire, the dominion is lead by powerful immortal blood mages and their servants, profiteer and retinue that form the Cabal (leading body of the dominion) and the Noble Houses. The inheritor elves are spread over the globe, mostly in small but unique and tight-knit semi-independent colonies with their very own culture.

The inheritor elves practice slavery on races they deem inferior, such as goblinoid or humans, although it did bite them in the back quite a few time. While the dominion is currently at the apex of it power, few know the secrets laying behind the door of the throne room.

Society
The Inheritor Elves live in a extremely big multi-cultural empire, each of it colony existed for hundred of years and have it very own culture. Only a few things are shared between the paheerekan cultures. All cultures under the banner of the dominion is ruled by powerful blood mages, who all congregate at the capital, Myrthedes.

The paheereka, young and old are expected to be open minded toward each others culture and respect the authority of the Dynasts. The paheerekan society put a lot of emphasis on individual success, outside family, culture and faction, each elves must maker his or her own destiny. Unlike the dark elves and the old elven empire, the paheereka are completely egalitarian when it come to gender. The dominion however remain a powerful oligarchic magocracy, those incapable of magic are second-class citizen and other races are enslaved to serve or serve as sacrifice lamb for the powerful blood mages. Those found capable of magic are brought to it culture capital for training and are eventually sent to Myrthedes for apprenticeship in blood magic.