The A’Shen Elves
(New Ancestry for 5e or Lineage/Heritage for Black Flag)
Erroneously called 'Ashen' or 'Ash' elves by humans because of a misunderstanding when they first met, the A'Shen elves are the descendants of the people of Lauralethea who fled to the Atterwald when their goddess entered her voluntary exile near the beginning of time...a story they have their own version of.
A tall and strong people, they are broader and often curvier than most elves. They tend to have light red-bronze skin, and their hair is either pale gold or silver (which they call sun-kissed and star-kissed, and star-kissed is considered more attractive), or much more rarely pitch black (which they call night-kissed, and prize most of all.) Their eyes are wider and more intense than other elves, and their ears slightly longer and sharper. The reason for this is that almost all of them are descendants of their first Queen, Lalatea, who they say was (or is) the secret daughter of Lauralethea and Khul. As such, they blend the features of the Haruk and those of the elves. To other elves, of course, this is sacrilegious, and other elves (especially the Aurellar) describe the A'Shen as evil and depraved.
The word A'Shen has nothing to do with ash, of course, but instead is an ancient elven compound word. 'A' means 'we', and 'shen' means remember. As a compound, 'A'Shen' means ' we who remember'. They remember the injustices of the dawn of time, the lies of Feandil, the wrath of Aurellion, the grief of Lauralethea. It does not help the linguistic mistake that the warriors and hunters of the Ashen use gray body paint and tattoos over much of their body both in remembrance of the past and to blend in better with the shadows of the Atterwald.
A note on the tattoos and paint: As a rule, when a hunter or warrior passes their trial of Ka'thel (adulthood) they choose a scene from the histories that either epitomizes who they wish to be, or represents an injustice they wish to correct or take vengeance for. Their other paint and tattoos are chosen from personally significant events, but their Ka'Thel tattoo starts over their heart and extends down their left arms. Interestingly, most A'Shen are left handed.
A'Shen society is entirely egalitarian, with no favor for birth, for sex, for gender (they have 5). Social classes, such as they are, are really more like divisions of profession: warrior, hunter, gatherer, chief. The one exception is the Kings and Queens, who are the direct descendants of Lalatea, and are thus literally divine.
Even they must prove themselves via strict trials of skill, martial prowess, and reason, before they are allowed positions of power . . . even stricter to ascend the throne. There is only one King or Queen , and a Prince and Princess, only one of whom can become sovereign. The other usually dies, unless they did not contest for rulership. If they do not contest, they become simply a normal member of their profession.
As a society, the A'Shen are primarily hunter-gatherers, but they have cultivated the surrounding forest to make these activities much easier, and though they do not strictly domesticate food animals, many of them are kept close by for easy hunting, and carefully husbanded to avoid overhunting. The A'Shen generally hunt or gather in cycles, taking most from that which is overpopulated or close to it, and never allowing any animal or pant to be taken too much of. Their home in the Atterwald is a marvel of ecological maintenance . . .but a terror for outsiders, as it is full to the brim with spiders, centipedes, snakes . . . all manner of things that creep and crawl, most of them venomous, many of unreasonable size.
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