Sun Elf - Shamsar

The Sun Elves or Shamsar are the founders and dominant ethnic group of the Dar-al-Shams and have been the preeminent people of the known world for nearly 600 years. They once dwelt in the Underdark and were known to the surface peoples as the Drow or Deep Elves. All that changed when a Prophetess emerged preaching a new religion called Shamsari based on worship of The Sun as the sole ominpotent deity. The Prophetess unified the Drow tribes and then led them to the surface in The Emergence. This Emergence is viewed by the modern Shamsar as the foundational event of their people, and they date their calendars from it. The current year is 597 After Emergence.

Shamsar Traits

Ability Score Increase: Your Dexterity score increases by 2 and your Charisma score increases by 1.   Age: Although elves reach physical maturity at about the same age as humans, the elven understanding of adulthood goes beyond physical growth to encompass worldly experience. An elf typically claims adulthood and an adult name around the age of 25 and can live to be 500 years old. However, due to the dangers of life, as well as the cultural expectation that all pious Shamsar should be willing to put their lives on the line to defend the Khalifate, it is rare for a Shamsar to actually attain this venerable age.   Size: Elves range from under 5 to over 6 feet tall and generally have slender builds. Your size is Medium.   Speed: Your base walking speed is 30 feet.   Superior Darkvision: From the Shamsar's many centuries underground, you have superior vision in dark and dim conditions. You can see in dim light within 120 feet of you as if it were bright light, and in darkness as if it were dim light. You can't discern color in darkness, only shades of gray.   Keen Senses: You have proficiency in the Perception skill.   Fey Ancestry: You have advantage on saving throws against being charmed, and magic can't put you to sleep.   Shamsar Magic: You know the Light cantrip. When you reach 3rd level, you can cast the Faerie Fire spell once with this trait and regain the ability to do so when you finish a long rest. When you reach 5th level, you can cast the Daylight spell once with this trait and regain the ability to do so when you finish a long rest. Charisma is your spellcasting ability for these spells.   Shamsar Militia Training: All Shamsar are obliged to go to war if their Amir calls them into service, and are trained in the fundamentals of combat from a young age. As such, you have proficiency with longswords, shortswords, and hand crossbows.   Languages: You can speak Low Solar. You may be able to read and write any of these languages depending on your Background.

Culture

  The Shamsar are characterized by their dark skin and their silvery hair. Like all elves, they are taller on average than humans, with slender graceful builds. They have excellent darkvision from their years of living underground. In war they prefer the lance and the scimitar, and fight often from horseback. Shamsar heavy cavalry is considered the best in the world, but the Shamsar boast skilled Fighters in all martial disciplines. The Shamsar also place a great emphasis on learning, both arcane and mundane. Many of the age's greatest Wizards have been Shamsar, and Shamsar Bards are renowned for their skill. In particular, Bards of the College of Lore are always in high demand among the Shamsar, as the Shamsar religious law governs most aspects of life, requiring trained scholars to adjudicate disputes and pass judgements.

But it is for their Clerics and Paladins that the Shamsar are perhaps most renowned. Shamsar Life Clerics are regarded as the preeminent healers in the known world, and often range far beyond the bounds of the Dar-al-Shams bearing healing light and the word of Al Shams. Shamsar Light Clerics tend the light of millions of congregations throughout Al-Arda, and also form one of the key pillars of the Shamsar military, bearing cleansing flames to purge the unbelievers. Paladins of Al Shams are some of the greatest warriors in the world, and their names and deeds have echoed through the ages. There are two organized orders of Paladins: the Brothers of the Moon, who quest throughout the Dar-al-Shams aiding the weak and defending the innoocent, and the Solar Guard, who protect the holy city of Al-Harq and answer directly to the Khalifa herself.

Though Shamsar religion and culture form the backbone of society in the Dar-al-Shams, the Shamsar have ruled a multi-ethnic empire for nearly 600 years. As a result, contemporary Shamsar culture has been highly influenced by the people's they've conquered, in particular by the Quanar, the Maanar, and the Dwarves. This has shown both in the Shamsar language and in Shamsar customs and philosophies. Though the Shamsar are still a distinct ethnic group within the khaliphate, they're identity is primarily religious, not ethnic. All members of the Atval, no matter their species, are viewed as equal and can rise to power and wealth, although the very highest elites are still mostly Shamsar. Though the Shamsar are renowned for their marshal skill, they are also very focused on cultural and academic pursuits. Shamsar arts are world famous, in particular their architecture, weaving, and music. Most of all, they are famous for their literature and poetry. They also are a world leader in mathematics, the sciences, and the arcane and alchemical arts. The House of Wisdom in Al Harq is the largest center of learning in the world, and many smaller universities can be found in cities throughout the Khaliphate.

The Shamsar language has mostly displaced all others within the Khaliphate, but it has been influenced overtime by those languages it displaced. As a result, the Shamsar language, called Solar is divided into two major dialects: High Solar, a liturgical language used only in religious ceremonies that dates to the time of The Prophetess, and Low Solar, the lingua franca spoken in every day life. Low Solar replaces Common in this campaign, and all characters will be able to speak it fluently for free regardless of species. Characters will generally only speak High Solar if they have a religious background regardless of species, though all worshipers of Al Shams will known certain sentences and phrases from worship.