Uthasi

> "Through power, all things are done and undone."
>
> - Vostroa Herralan. Champion of the Twelve Seas

The **Uthasi** are aquatic elves that dwell on the ocean floor. These elves are considered to be the protectors of all Twelve Seas, but were born and mostly reside in the Astral Sea. Uthasi also aid, trade and convene with other Elves who have earned their good graces but send wrathful storms upon those who have wronged them. Sea Elves are considered to be the first of all elves, the great ancestors and the most ancient of all breeds; thus they are given a considerable degree of respect by other races of Elfkind.

The Uthasi are split into several Realms, the majority of them being located in the Astral Sea. Collectively, they are lead by the Azure Pantheon, a large council of a great many nobles, mystics and generals. The council is lead by the Ocean Emperor, a mighty Uthasi who exemplifies all it means to be a member of their kind.

## Physical Appearance

The Uthasi show a significant amount of variation in terms of pigmentation and colouring. Usually they have pale blue skin, gills and webbed fingers, however variables among them include: difference in skin colour (yellow, purple, red etc.) as well as a difference in size, having an unusual height variation and one larger than any other faction

.

## Religion

### **Agyar**

Agyar’s main teachings are the importance of ancestry and how select individuals are deified and viewed as those closest to the afterlife. Agyar is, in all likelihood, is the oldest religion on the planet and has greatly morphed over time, becoming less spiritual and more earthly. Agyar is dedicated to venerating and deifying those of the past as well as the present, anointing Mairik (chosen or great ones) among their number with relative frequency. Agyar is a popular religion among other cultures and, due to the selling of Agyaran texts to the Valtavien, there is a surprising section of the Elves and High Elves who have adopted this faith and venerate their own ancestors in this way.

### **Tigyar**

A more supernatural religion, Tigyar is the secondary faith of the uthasi and, while taking some of the core principles of Agyar (strength and the valuing of ancestors), Tigyar is a far more mystical, polytheistic and spiritual faith. It is theorised that Tigyar is the once-spiritual and polytheistic aspect of Agyar that has split from it and formed it's own individual religion.

#### **Gods**

* **Eion -** God of creation, the ocean, the sun and life. Eion is not so much a god as it is a concept. Eion is the concept that created the universe, is imbued within the ocean and created all life on this planet. Eion is omnipresent and is almost always depicted as a giant white whale.
* **Tarka -** God of strength, bravery and the moon. Tarka is a giant crab-like god with two sets of pincers strong enough to cut anything in two. Tarka is seen as a strong, virtuous and brave good and wrestles with the servants of Di-mhata to help maintain the prosperity of the sea elves.
* **Di-mhata -** God of destruction, death and darkness. Di-mhata is an evil god of the Uthasi and he is the King of Ahvysh, the Uthasi underworld. Di-mhata is often depicted as a giant squid with a gaping maw, coming up from the lightless depths of the ocean to swallow gods whole in a single gulp.
* **Tumatar** - God of magic and intelligence. Tumatar is a colossal octopus with uncountable tentacles and a several additional eyes strawn across his brow.

## Notable Locations

The Uthasi live at the ocean floor, and are primarily localised in the **Astral Sea**, which they call ‘**Ruinn Dúra**’. The Uthasi live in **Realms**, underwater worlds that each have a thriving population of Sea Elves. The Uthasi are primarily focussed in the Astral Sea, however there are pockets of them dwelling outside of that eldritch zone.

* **Dúr Hainn** - Dúr Hainn is the capital city of the Uthasi, it is the species’ largest city and covers a significant portion of the Astral Sea. A giant aquamarine city wrought of under-sea metals, coral, rock and shells. It is here the Azure Pantheon reside, the council who leads the Sea Elves.
* **Creia -** One of the more populous Realms in the Astral sea is Creia, a colourful kingdom in a highly biodiverse area, teeming with thousands of individual species of sea creatures. Due to this surplus in sea life, the Uthasi have used it to their advantage by taming and researching into these creatures. As a result, the Uthasi of Creia have a very numerous cavalry unit, larger than any of the other Realms.
* **Ahvish Myrk** - Ahvish Myrk is the Realm located at the heart of the Astral Sea, along the Yawning Gorge and is the deepest faction of the Uthasi. The Ahvish Myrk are a highly enigmatic and mysterious bunch, not often leaving their chasm save to defend their fellow Sea Elves. Those of Ahvish Myrk often have bioluminescence and have deified the sun due to it hardly ever being seen.
* **Tiennari** - Localised near a large cluster of geothermal vents, the folk of Tiennari have become experts in all things relying on heat, be it the cooking of certain foods or the forging of metal. Burn scars are common here and a sign of strength and endurance.
* **Duil-Darrad** - Duil-Darrad is the second-largest of the Uthasi realms, it is a centre of battle training and relies heavily on Tiennari’s geo-forges to produce weapons and armour. War is an integral part of Duil-darradan culture; youngsters are trained for war at a very young age and animals are typically used for cavalry instead of pets.
* **Cuan** - The Uthasi’s link to the surface world, Cuan is an essential market and trading district in very shallow waters, allowing for sailors to visit via sailboat or enter through a created air-bubble. Cuan is very close to Duil-Darrad and thus, murder or manipulation is uncommon there for the consequences are very steep. Cuan is often bustling with Valtavien and Faedryn ships.
* **Dealvind** - Known as the Realm of Thunder is a gloomy realm in the stormy tides of the outer Astral Sea. Dealvins usually harbours the Uthasi's greatest mystics and sorcerers, specifically those who can manipulate the heavens to their command with greater ease than most others. Dealvindish mystics are often tasked to bring down ships of nations that have earned the ire of the Azure Pantheon.

## Society

two major aspects are paramount in an Uthasi's life; respect for one's ancestors and strength, be it physical or mental. These two aspects define a Sea Elf and out-right murderers of their kind may claw back respect through strength and respect for one's forefathers.

### Eternals

Eternals are members of the Uthasi, regardless of occupation, who can trace their ancestry back the farthest while maintaining the same discipline. An Uthasi knight who's five previous forefathers have also taken up a sword and fought for their land, is an Eternal. Ancestry holds paramount importance in Uthasi culture and, as a result, those who hold the greatest connection to their forefathers and foremothers are held to extremely high regard.

## Military

The Uthasi, for the most part, have a cooperative, formal military made up of warriors garrisoning all the major Realms. All the warriors and denizens of the realms see the Azure Pantheon as a supreme authority as members of it come from all across the sea-floor. Although their combat style, disposition, weaponry and backgrounds vary, the mark of a talented leader is shown through how they can utilise these differences to achieve a single common goal.

### Infantry

* **Azure Paladons** - The Azure Paladons are the formal military of the Uthasi and are taken from every realm. These, after they have recieved the first wave of training, get to move beyond the Paladons into a more specialised and elite unit.
* Sea-Mystic
* **Darkfin Stalkers** - A discipline first put forth by Dealvindish warriors, Darkfin Stalkers are the scouts and intelligence gatherers of the Uthasi and will operate and complete their missions without making a single ripple on the ocean's surface.
* **Trenchghouls** - The murky, pallid garrison of Ahvish Myrk, the Trenchguard are warriors that prefer to pounce and rush enemies from the shadows of their midnight homeland.
* **Theldian Ventknights** - Ventknights are the warrior-smiths of Duil-Darrad and have each wrought their weapons and armour from the magma vents of the realm's floor. These are brutish champions that hunger for war and taste blood on extravagant glaives, each geo-forged by them personally.

### Leaders

* **Tidemaster** - One of the twenty rulers of the Uthasi army and a paragon of martial prowess and leadership. It is required of a Tidemaster to be an Eternal as well as have millenia of experience in the fight against evil in all forms. These are the strongest and most bull-headed of the Uthasi and can perform supernatural feats of physical prowess.
* **Grand Mystic** - An Uthasi who has spent millenia studying the ancient tablets and has achieved a terrifying mastery of their harmonious state. Grand Mystics can control the tides with a thought, summon whirlpools with a gesture and can bring down lightning with a snap of their fingers, nature itself is theirs to command.

## Notable Characters

* **Vostroa Herralan** - Valroa Herralan is the Champion of the Twelve Seas, he is the greatest living warrior of the Uthasi and a Knight of the Ocean. Vostroa has a seat on the Azure Pantheon and has a hand in ruling all Uthasi. Both his father and grandfather had his same position and rules from his own palace in Dúr Hainn. Vostroa led the expedition that discovered the lands of the Dark Elves.
* **Hirrigh Herralan** - Hirrigh Herralan is the blood-sister of Valroa, a Sea-Mystic and named the Stormqueen or Matriarch of Tempests. She holds a seat on the Azure Pantheon. Hirrigh is short-tempered and stern and has control of all storms in the Astral Sea. She can tell in a moment whether one occurs naturally or by a rival of hers, encroaching on her territory. Hirrigh’s twelve knights each own a title named after the kinds of clouds according to Uthasi Nephology.
* **Maldenari’i Teine** - Maldenari’i Teine, also known as Maldenari’i the Builder is a Sea Mystic at the Azure Pantheon and is named the Magma Shaper. Maldrnari’i is responsible for constructing some of the Uthasi’s most ambitious, detailed and moving structures that have stood the test of time. Her skill in magma weaving also makes her a highly talented blacksmith. It was initially speculated Maldenari’i is blind, however she currently has such an affinity for her craft, it's possible she’s completely adapted to her surroundings to the point where she can function as if she can see.