Once, the fair race of the Spiridusul spread across Arizide, living according to their environment, in perfect harmony with the land and the gods.
Then Tari and Sarapis began their war.
As the twisted battle of order versus chaos took hold of the land, so it broke many empires- the T'Arian Empire, the Rakshasa Byrdolan, the draconic strongholds all fell before the fury of warring gods. The Spiridusul were the last to fall, and their fall from grace has left a bitter taste in the mouths of many. Safeholds which once sheltered all of the race, as well as creatures of the surrounding lands, broke before the rage of Tari. Sarapis, in his desperation to hold something of what they had once created, scattered the Spiridusul to the far ends of Arizide, leaving them without homes.
Some of the Spiridusul managed to reclaim small areas, rebuild their homes and reestablish a small fraction of what they once held. The Lemnul found haven on the shores of Arizide, on a small isle that fell within a century to a curse woven by their born prince. The Josal fled north, hiding amongst the SplinterPeaks from icy winds and draconic retaliation for usurping their homes. The Kalfar found haven underground, lurking in damp caves beneath the swamplands, while the Derya created spiring homes of coral on the rocky shores. Sonar and Sivatag sought refuge in the loose sands of the desert, eking out a rough existance where few dared to tread.
A once mighty race who had claimed all of Arizide were reduced to scraps of their former lives, and no Spiridusul will claim service to either Tari or Sarapis. It is with difficulty that they will even acknowledge their "children," for the loss of what they had lingers all too clearly in their long memories.
Spiridusul (Elves):
Lemnul (wood) -extinct
(Appearance: Once thought to be the most beautiful of the Spiridusul, the Lemnul were tall, slender and finely shaped. With silken locks of wavy hair that ranged from jet black to a vivid gold, they all bore the mark of their race in having eyes that spanned every shade of green imaginable. Mahogany-skinned and mischievous, they frolicked with the fae and made pacts with the angelos freely, only to learn too late what the price of such capriciousness could be.)
Josal (snow) -pale of skin, hair and eye, the Josal are adept at surviving in extremely cold temperatures, and have established relationships with other creatures of the northern realm.
(Appearance: muscular and strongly featured, the Josal match their environment in their colouration. Hair of ice-white, pale blue and shimmering silver often adorns them, mirroring their eyes which switch shades at the changing of the seasons. Their skin, snow pale and smooth, is always cool to the touch, and many find the lower regions of Arizide uncomfortably warm.)
Kalfar (night) -dark skinned, with eerily reflective eyes, the Kalfar are masters of underground navigation and mining, finding the cool damp of undergrown caverns and the humidity of the swamplands much to their liking.
(Appearance: slim and dextrous- all the better for sneaking through the narrow passages of stone- the Kalfar have blended into their dim environment by acquiring skin in tones of ebony, dark grey and blue. Their eyes are unnerving- shining and reflective, they catch the light and hold it, allowing them to see in pitch-black without difficulty. Their true hair colour is unknown, as the Kalfar bleach their locks clean of all shade, turning it snow-white, to distinguish themselves from the other creatures of underground caves that they hunt.)
Derya (sea) -with adaptations that allow them to linger underwater nearly indefinately, the Derya know the oceans better than any other on Arizide, and have learned the tricky art of battle underwater.
(Appearance: long-limbed and quick in motion, the Derya are exceptionally graceful, even on land. Undertints of blue and green shade their skin, and they proudly wear their sea-coloured hair long, often to their knees. Only their eyes show that they were once land-dwellers, for their eyes are the colour of spring grass, threaded with sharp gold or silver lines.)
Sonar (moon) -despite the harsh, desert environment, the Sonar learned well of the arid land's traps, and exist mainly at night, with arcane magicks their weapon of choice, weaving illusions to trap the unwary who venture into their domains.
(Appearance: with the body structure of the Spiridusul, the Sonar are tricky to catch sight of during their preferred hours from sundown to sunrise. Normally, they have moon-pale skin and platinum hair, shining like starlight, with wide eyes the colour of the night's sky. Occasionally, a child will be born with the shades of the dawn- rosy skin, brilliant sky-blue eyes, hair of gold, violet or pink. Invariably, those are the children sent to the City of Masks in care of the clergy to be trained as their tithe to the gods they acknowledge grudgingly.)
Sivatag (desert) -lean, weathered and bronze of skin, the Sivatag took the daylight and left the night to the Sonar. Clever rogues who know the various tricks to survive even the hottest temperatures, they do not take kindly to those who sneer at their sandy homes.
(Appearance: sparely fleshed and tautly muscled, the Sivatag are the colour of sun and sand, with bronzed skin, wide eyes of pale beige, gold, red and wild orange. Their hair is thin and light, easily bound back, and often bleached by the sun, showing only tinges of their natural shades of auburn, blonde and light chestnut.)
