Shroudlings
Shroudlings have an air of peace and sereneness about them. They have open hearts and minds, and are willing to take in outlanders as long as they mean no harm. Outside of their love of the sea and horses, they have a love for the fine arts and often excel at it. As it is, do to their long life, they often take up many "hobbies" and become masters of that trade. They are known for three things: Their love of knowledge, their love of horses, and their love of the sea. Their nature is very curious, always wanting to know about other cultures and civilizations.
Appearance: Shroudlings are a cross between immortals (or rather the Sildanai) and elves. A very tall and graceful race, their height ranges from six feet up to ten feet in height. Their ears come to a slight point with the women’s being more so and mistaken for elves, the men’s ears are only slightly pointed. Physical appearance varies, though men tend to have dark hair while women are blond or red.
Clothing: Clothing is made for durability yet elegant with men wearing dark jewel tones. Traditionally their clothing consists of black pants and boots with a long sleeved shirt tucked in to the pants in a shade lighter than the over coat. The overcoat stops mid calf with wide ‘wrap’ sleeves and a high collar neck and buttons down the front.
Women of nobility generally wear dresses of silk with intricate designs in a modest fashion in lighter jewel tones. There are two distinct style of dress for women of nobility. Those of the upper class wear dresses with an almost medieval cut to them and are two parts. The under dress is generally made of gauzy material with wide, cascading sleeves with the over dress being heavier, made of silk and sleeveless.
The noble women who choose an occupation, generally that of scholar or healer, wear dresses of three parts. An under dress with straps, an over dress with a box neckline and wide straps the sides of the dress stop just above the waist with a front and back that stops at the knees. The third part is more of a cape that has a long neck, openings that bare the shoulders, and falls to mid calf.
History: The race has often been referred to as the Knowledge Keepers, as a race, it is their duty to keep records of the ages from the beginning of Arlsyn to the end on every Arlsynian race. When a new Gate is found and a party is sent through to investigate, there is at least one Shroudling scholar that goes with to document the races that the party comes across.
Religion: Shroudlings are not religion fanatics, though they do have two major deities that they look to and do have temples for them, they are Galith the God of Wisdom, Sunlight and Healing and his wife Darci Muire, the Goddess of the Sea, Storms and Horses. There is one more of the Sildanai that the Shroudlings respect and that is Galith and Darci’s son, Anaron, who is the God of Dawn, Illumination and Lore.
Dealing with other races: The Shroudlings are interested in trade, and when on official business, their diplomats will wear a necklace with a medallion that has the Royal crest upon it. They will also wear the colours of their race, the dominant colour of their dress being the preferred colours of the diplomat's house. At this time the Shroudlings have a trade agreement with the S'Heans of Whispin with the diplomat being Shadow Silverleaf, sister to the Szar.
Abilities: There is, for the most part, no known way for a Shroudling to die. They can become badly wounded, but they don’t take on mortal wounds. Indeed there has been only two cases in the race’s existence that notes of death. Both were at sea and it is believed that they were torn a part by a sealyon. But in the case of wounds, a Shroudling will cross over into the Mir'ror. There have been cases when a Shroudling feels as though they can no longer remain in Arlsyn for various reasons. Such a case is when Queen Anemone Nev’vlar Llewellyn learned that her husband King Blagden Llewellyn was plotting to kill their grandchildren. By crossing into the Mir'ror, she crippled him in such a way that he could not regain his hold on sanity.
They have an uncanny knack for magic do to their Sildanai blood, but don't typically use it, finding that it causes life to become too easy and dull. There is also an "alternate reality" of a sort, to their city. Shroudlings have a knack for passing through mirrors into the "mirror world" or Mir'ror, its something that non-Shroudlings, if they become part of the "race" and after a few tests, are taught. Such gifts include "locking" mirrors so that others can't scry (or pry) into more of the private affairs.