Shal'Vara

The Shal'Vara is an elvish ethnicity adapted to live in the harsh climate of the Eshari wastes, a desert known for its blistering heat, shifting sands and the occasional oasis. It is a resilient and resourceful people who have adapted to living in a climate that few would dare call home.   While the majority of the Shal'Vara clans are nomadic and wander from one oasis to the next, some clans have settled some of these oases permanently with these oases settlements becoming sacred and being fiercely protected from both outsiders and the harsh weather, especially the sandstorms.   The Shal'Vara clans are known as skilled weavers, producing fine products from desert plants and the wool of the Lyntherin, the clan clothing is normally produced from the desert plants while the wool from the Lyntherin will normally be reserved for selling to the merchants.   Some clans that live deeper into the desert are renowned for their glassworks, made by sifting the desert sand, removing the most coarse sand corn and then directing the sunlight onto the fine sand left behind.   The Shal'Vara are known for their skills with the bow and their ability to move in difficult terrain, and due to their skills with the bow, young Shal'Varas are often hired by foreign powers into their armies.

Religion and Beliefs

The Shal'Vara believe in deities tied to the sun, moon and stars, these celestial bodies are regarded as guides who help the Shal'Vara through the dunes of the desert. The primary deity is the sun weaver named Aravahl, believed to control the balance between the scorching heat during the day and the cool respite of the night.   On the minor level, they also worship the sand spirits, elemental forces that are believed to reside in whirlwinds, mirages and the ever-shifting dunes, the Shal'Vara believe that there are both good and evil sand spirits.