Dark Elf
Faor
Deuther are a mutation of the Ruvyn. When the Ruvyn spread from Ame Isla to
the mainland, they chose Faor as a settling land, and several mutated Ruvyn born
from curses laid on them by the natives grouped together and began their own
community, which they called Deuther – the city still stands, and the name for the
race stuck.
Faor, Lodar and Perl Isla
Deuther are quite rare in Chen and Bo Kan, and are nonexistent on Emer Isla. They are
just beginning to spread among the Southlands, so they are still fairly rare there as well.
They do not exist in any other parts of the world, and are currently an Aror-exclusive race.
The skin of the Deuther is always a dark shade of grey. The exact shade varies between
Deuther depending on their lifestyle and country of origin; Deuther can “tan” like humans,
but their skin grows lighter rather than darker. Some Deuther can become quite pale from
a life in the sun, but for the most part, Deuther are quite dark.
Deuther skin is usually about the same texture as human skin, but a little bit tougher, more
like leather. It’s barely noticeable between the two, but the difference is still there
regardless. Skin hardens with age, so very young Deuther will have soft skin like the Ruvyn
and very old Deuther will have hard, almost carapace-like skin, which protects them like
armor from any threats which may present themselves in their weakness.
Deuther hair is always jet-black naturally. There are no variations; every Deuther is born
with and dies with black hair. It does not grey with age or get brighter in the sun. It can,
however, become duller or shinier depending on the health of the Deuther, like in humans.
In fact, the luster of a Deuther’s hair can often be an indicator of disease. Despite the
invariation, however, Deuther hair can be dyed, though it is a very tedious process due to
the natural darkness.
Deuther eyes are a metallic silver, as if they are wearing metal contact lenses. This also does
not vary, though the shine can be different in separate Deuther. One can have eyes which
look almost like iron for their lack of shine, and another can have irises like mirrors. This
depends entirely on genetics.
Deuther faces are usually long and pointed, and fairly thin. Their ears are long and narrow,
and very thin, so they tend to sway with movement. Eyes are very large and noses are
raised and upturned and usually quite wide, almost like an animal’s nose. Lips are very full
and usually a shade lighter or a shade darker than the Deuther’s normal skin. Eyebrows are
bold and thick and good for expression.
Deuther do not blush, but their cheeks and the tips of their ears can darken almost to black
given emotional situations. They also do not cry, though their noses will run in deep
sadness or anger, depending on how they are likely to react.
Deuther are usually quite tall and thin, and in most cases weight surprisingly little for their
body size. Fully matured adult height can range from 66 inches (168 cm) to 89 inches (226
cm) and weight has no constraints, as, like in humans, it is fully determined by lifestyle and
diet, though typically Deuther have fairly high metabolisms and so are usually able to eat as
much as they wish without gaining too much weight.
The natural Deuther is normally an ectomorph, very tall and thin, fairly lanky. Because of
this build, most Deuther are capable of incredibly graceful movement, and many come to
be dancers in their teenage years before moving on to more productive occupations.
Men tend to be stronger than women, as in humans. They also tend to be taller and wider.
Women tend to be shorter than men, and thinner. Deuther do not sport large breasts;
Deuther women are born with B-cup breasts on average, C-cup at the very maximum.
About half of all Deuther are born with markings on their faces or arms, and very rarely
down to their thighs. This is based purely on genetics, so the markings could appear on any
Deuther. They begin to form at around age 15 for females, age 17 for males, and can take
any form from stripes to spots to patterns like a leopard’s fur or like lightning traced under
the skin. These markings are a few shades darker than the Deuther’s skin tone – never
lighter – and can be almost completely unnoticeable or totally visible, depending almost
entirely on chance.
These markings do not fade with age, and they cannot be removed. Once they appear, they
are there to stay.
Deuther have no extra features, though the classic mutations apply where any genetic mixup or substance abuse during pregnancy can cause extra or missing limbs, or discoloration
of any feature. Discolored Deuther are considered just as mutated as those with extra
limbs, as any Deuther who is not naturally colored is seen as fairly unattractive throughout
all races.
Invention
Deuther brains are hardwired for ingenuity and figuring out how things fit
together. They are naturally able to take any material and turn it into something
else, and from about the age of five a Deuther will always have some gadget they
have made on hand as a sort of mark of their own heritage. A Deuther without
the ability to tinker is like a human without eyes.
Herbology
Deuther have developed a natural sense for the growing world. They have no
magic that any professor has discovered which ties them to the earth, but from a
very young age (around seven for females, ten for males) Deuther are able to
naturally sense which plants around them are poisonous and which can be used
for various meals and medicines. This makes most Deuther excellent vegetarian
chefs, and some take a darker path and become talented poisoners.
Darkvision
Deuther eyes are built very similarly to those of cats, and they can see easily in low
light conditions. This said, they cannot see in total darkness, and the minimum
light requirement is a sky half-filled with stars, but they can still find their way
around far more easily than humans.
Sensitivity to Light
Because of the reflectiveness of Deuther’s eyes, they are particularly sensitive to
bright light. Bright flashes and strong sunlight will cause them physical pain, and
they must often stay inside during the hottest of summer days, though this
sensitivity can be easily remedied with a paper parasol or a wide-brimmed hat. In
some very rare cases, a Deuther can be so sensitive to light they will become
permanently blinded by a glance at the sun, but this only occurs about once or
twice a year at the very most.
Eating Sensitivity
Because Deuther are very good at sensing the herbs around them, they have
evolved to be less able to digest pure meats. They cannot eat beef or pork at all,
and birds and fish will cause them to become ill, though the severity of the illness
depends entirely on the Deuther suffering it. They can, however, safely eat insects
and small reptiles without repercussions, especially when eaten with a large salad
to balance out the meat.
Deuther are naturally agile and quick due to their body types and streamlined shape. This
occurs in all Deuther, overweight or not.
(Deuther can only have up to two magical abilities)
Illusion
Illusion is an ability which a Deuther is born with, but which must be learned and
refined to be strengthened.
Some Deuther are capable of conjuring up illusions to cloud the eyes of others.
These things can range from pulling illusory flowers out of sleeves to creating the
illusion of a raging river being dry land, or simulating one’s own death – the
possibilities are endless, but for one rule: no one can be directly harmed with
illusion. Summoning an illusory blade will do no damage, as the victim of the
illusion may feel the pain of the cut or the cold of the steel, but their bodies
cannot be harmed by something that is not real. Illusion can, however, be used to
trick people into harming themselves, but for most who carry the gift, the largest
ability is creating sparks in the air or summoning banners at a moment’s notice.
Necromancy
Necromancy is a purely learned skill; no Deuther is born able to use it.
Some Deuther are capable of raising the dead within a limited timeframe of the
death. For most, this ability is limited to reviving mice and domestic animals such
as cats or small dogs within an hour or two after their death, but for the great
minority, this ability could also mean being able to raise entire armies within
twenty-four hours of their slaughter. This ability does not get rid of disease or heal
injury – if a person died of any lingering illness or of a fatal wound which cannot
be healed by a magical medic, they will die again shortly after revival.
Spirit Speaking
This is a born skill which cannot be strengthened. If a Deuther is born with this
ability, they are able to use it at full strength from their first breath to their last.
A great number, the majority, of Deuther are able to speak to the spirits which
roam the world. They do not get a choice in what spirits they speak to, or what
the limits on their reach is – some Deuther can speak to great beings of power
while others can only see the remains of squashed pests – but this is a passive
ability and can never be removed. If a Deuther can see the spirits of the dead,
they can always see those they are able to, regardless of if they want to.
Weakness to Fire
Deuther are naturally weak to fire magic. This can take any form, most common
in burning easily and in sight sensitivity, but can also mean that the simple touch
of fire magic can cause a terrible reaction and result in near-fatal injury.
Healing Magic
Deuther are naturally connected with death magic, so healing and life magic does
not come easily to them. They have no weakness to it, but have a great amount of
difficulty learning it. Any Deuther with potent healing magic is automatically
awarded the utmost respect among all other Deuther in Aror.
The death-related abilities of Deuther are legendary among Arori people, and because of
this Deuther are often seen as evil, vile creatures, and many who have never before seen or
met a Deuther to know that they are simply normal people are incredibly afraid of them.
Deuther are taught from a young age to be fairly isolated from others. They are still a fairly
new race as races go, so they haven’t been quite accepted into society as normal yet, and as
such, most of their racial events are kept private from outsiders.
Other than this, they don’t have customs much different from the rest of the Arori people,
as they were already living in Aror when their race was born.
No living person who is not a Deuther has ever seen the Deuther passage into adulthood.
When a Deuther turns twelve, they are accepted as adult among other Deuther. They find
and catch a small animal, even if it is only a tiny insect, and sacrifice it on a handmade
shrine to their preferred god, goddess or divine. They receive the holy being’s blessing
from their priest’s hand (or, in some cases, from the hand of the divine they prayed to) and
are from then on officially considered adults.
This tradition is born from the days before modern civilization (and before their evolving
to be unable to digest meats), when a Deuther’s rite into adulthood was to go out and
slaughter a large animal to feed their village for that night.
~None Currently