CLAN CSARATHAIRE

[mmat 7460]

CLAN CSARATHAIRE

Favoured Blade of the Phoenix

 

“The Darkness is ever-encircling, only fire, blood and steel will keep it at bay.”

 

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SUMMARY

 

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The Children of Sarath - the Csarathaire, comprise a warrior clan which advocates a ideal of martial prowess, fiery passion and ferocious protectionism of the Elves. This belligerence leads the children of the phoenix to inhabit the extreme of aspectist doctrine, without being in any way opposed to the perceived ‘soft’ practices of many other adherents. To Csarathaires, the phoenix is a being which served as the savior of their ancestors and is now consequently revered. More practically, its members often value honour, straightforwardness in action and ferocious combat skill as the greatest virtue. Its infatuation with fire represents warmth, life and the purging of corruption from the world of the Aspects, and as a means by which to destroy their enemies. Through a covenant with their gods in the unknown frozen wastes, The Phoenix is bound to do battle with all enemies of greater life down to the last man. 

 

Avius Csarathaire, the Phoenix Ilmyumier on his chest and Ichorian markings on his face

 

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HISTORY AND LEGEND

 

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CROSS & FLAME

Many clans and seeds of the ‘ame and Alder harken back to the most ancient times to seek their origins, but this is not the case for the few remaining scions of Csarathaire. Instead, its birth was sparked in the fires which it so reveres today. Many innocent Elves were burned alive, crucified and mercilessly slaughtered during this most inhumane of times. This was the Age of Persecution at the hands of certain belligerent factions within humanity's First Empire, which occurred during the middle 1400s.

 

As valah of the Order of the White Rose and their crude allies began to slay our kin without pause, something great and terrible occurred in the consciousness of many of the survivors, and those who witnessed the atrocities. It was a revolution, one of harshly realising the descendant world’s true nature, unmasked in the most brutal fashion. Moreover, it forced them to understand the necessity of violence in order to survive. From an elfess who saw her beloved son disembowelled in front of her to a devoted husband forced to witness his wife burned alive, it became clear to this select group that their seeds were archaic and obsolete in this time, unable to protect their people.

 

From Aureon, Terin, Camoryn and many of the other old clans, one man here and a woman there disappeared into the forests and hills. From there, guerilla attacks would be launched, Imperials would be murdered and Elven prisoners saved. This was not all, however, and the Elven guerillas even began to take ‘revenge’ on what they perceived as collaborators - those weak Elves who meekly subjugated themselves to what was being done to them. It was an orgy of bitterness and the darkest age of those descendants of Malin who experienced it. Despite meagre small scale successes, it was a fleeting and grinding effort which proved in vain. The brave and scarred resistance fighters - several hundred, had to flee Anthos together in humiliation and trauma, journeying far beyond its boundaries and eventually entering a boundless wasteland beyond, marching in a column two abreast. 

 

EXODUS

Their flight was easy at first, all too easy as it turned out. Three days travel into a vast frozen tundra, the group in exodus was struck by a violent storm of snow and ice. Blinded by the horrific weather conditions and trapped in the wasteland with nowhere to go but onwards, they did so. Casualties began to mount, gradually at first, but with increasing regularity. From starvation, disease, exhaustion or simply freezing to death, the once proud Elves marched nonetheless, but looked to their side only to see an empty space where there had been a companion only minutes before. It did not matter, ones own survival was all that mattered in those shameful hours and days. 

 

Mortal assistance was far, far away from this doomed band of seemingly already-dead Elves, and it was clear that the tipping point would be reached soon. Cernunnos and Cerridwen had been named accursed during The Persecution, it was perceived that they merely looked apathetically upon the mortal suffering of their people. So, when the desperate survivors began to beseech whatever deity they could for its aid, it was not the Aspects to whom they first called. The once hated valah ‘creator-god’, whose followers had so callously attempted to exterminate the children was worshipped in hopes of redemption. After all, it was surely his power and blessing which had allowed the humans to gain supremacy in such a manner in the first place. Such prayers were met by stony silence. Old gods were hailed, along with mysterious entities with names long forgotten. It is said that even the Great Destroyer’s profane name touched the lips of some hopeless Mali before they met their end. What horrors met their souls upon death can only be imagined in the darkest moments.

 

TWIN SUNS

To whichever entity pleas were made, however blasphemous and however dark, unfortunately - or perhaps fortunately, the outcome was the same - nothing but silence. One faithful Daughter had not lost faith in her gods of the forest however, a singular, light skinned Mali’ame woman known as Sarath. Driven by some mysterious intuition or by madness in what seemed like the final moments of her life and the life of those around her, Sarath withdrew a dagger from the scabbard at her waist and limply wrapped her free hand around the sharp blade, before ripping it free and slicing the palm of her hand, all the while begging the Aspects for their assistance. Perhaps she simply wished for the end to come more quickly, but whatever the truth, what followed was precisely the opposite. Sarath’s self-inflicted wound oozed its ichor onto the formerly unstained snow, shortly thereafter followed by the blood of first those close to her, and then those further away. The intention of this gesture is unknown, but its impact was that of an unintentional sacrifice. Slowly, the gale winds slowed and the cold subsided to reveal a landscape which, in clear sight, might be considered beautiful if it were not so lethal.

 

Extending for many miles in front of the exhausted, dying column was an almost flat plain of frozen ground, dotted by the occasional boulder or dead tree and an iced lake over to the left. The most dominant feature, though, were two mountains far ahead, with a pass leading between them. Almost at one, warmth and light rose simultaneously from behind those twin peaks, the harsh glare and blistering heat of which seemed unpleasant to the survivors. As they adjusted, however, the heat became a soothing one - as though the biting cold had not already dug its claws into their very core. The light became that of pleasant ambience, majestic and yet not uncomfortable upon the eye. Incomprehensible twin suns, initially defying the mortal eye with their brilliance began their transformation into forms which were understandable to the laymen of the world. Two brilliant birds of orange-gold flame - phoenixes, glided forth from behind the mountains, similar, but not identical in aspect. The slightly larger creature - if that mere term can be used to describe it, seemed to possess a more severe gaze, one of judgement and near-menace, a hunter stalking its prey. The smaller lifegiving avian moved more elegantly in its skyborne state, dancing in flight in front and around its straight-moving companion in a beautiful manner. They only came to a halt upon approaching the Mali around the bloodied snow, remaining in flight without struggle.

 

All was silent but for the light breeze that now swept over the waste, a pale shadow of the shearing winds that had done so in the days gone by. Nevertheless, it was clear events were taking place, primarily in the mind of the one who had remained faithful - Sarath. Her eyes glowed the same kind of gold which lit the flame of the great birds. Yet, in such short time that it could have been minutes or even seconds, the divine phoenixes disappeared in a flash of glorious light, followed by the light in Sarath’s eyes fading back to reality. When asked what had happened to her, Sarath said she had been spoken to, in her mind, by a voice combining the soft tones of a woman with the harsh cadence of a man. They demanded service in return to forgiveness, forgiveness for forsaking the names of Cernunnos and Cerridwen for foreign gods, for the crimes committed against their own people. Moreover, the debt was one of life and death, for surely they would have not survived had the twin phoenixes not intervened. What that service entailed is not entirely known, but it was at that moment when Clan Csarathaire was born, pledged to the service of the forest gods and the lady avatar they chose to communicate their message.

 

Through the mountain pass in front of them, the band’s now-small remainder crossed to a new life. However, they did not remain unified and eventually diverged to live their own lives in the wild. While it is possible that lines of the original travellers still exist, it has not yet been proven either way. Sarath’s fate is unknown, but it is said that one of her distant progeny lived to find the lands of the descendants one again - Khaine. 

 

Khaine [F] and Quillian Csarathaire in ceremonial Csarathaire garb

 

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NOTABLE CUSTOMS, QUIRKS & PRACTICES

 

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SACRIFICE

It was the life-given ichor spilled from the bodies of the faithful which summoned the great birds of flame that day many centuries ago, and it is through the sacrifice of blood that their gaze might look upon the faithful once more. Therefore, it is routine for Csarathaires to slice their palms open in a shallow manner in order to draw blood, and after that allowing the ichor to drip and flow into a fire. By this means, it is believed that the Aspects eyes are opened to you, with the sacrifice serving as a signal fire, of sorts. A more brutal practice of burning people alive has also rarely been seen, but its nature as a rather heinous act.

 

ASPECTS, MANI & FAITH

The Aspects, whose fiery avatars appeared to the progenitors of Clan Csarathaire so long ago, are held with the utmost respect and reverence, while the Mani are lesser figures. While clans such as Ithelanen and Arvellon have connected with the Wolfen and Feline Mani as their patrons, Csarathaire has no such direct relationship with what they consider as lesser spirits. It is far from unusual to beseech Morea and Moccus for their assistance in warfare, for example, as those two Mani in particular are seen as superior to the others, based on sheer militancy. While the other Mani are viewed as divine - especially Amaethon, the rest are viewed essentially as useful tools moreso than divine figures in and of themselves.

 

Moreover, while the emphasis on purifying flame might seem antithetical to the lush, verdance of nature as a whole, Csarathaires do not usually have any abject differences in faith to other less extreme seeds of ‘ame and Alder. It is very common for the belligerent scions of Csarathaire to have a smug sense of martial superiority to their kin, scorning pacifism as a useless relic and even clashing with other militant clans in doctrine. In short, they grind against many other seeds like sandpaper.

 

MARTIAL STYLE

When hunting, it is common for a Csarathaire to use ranged weaponry such as spears and bows by sheer necessity. However, in battle against weapon-using enemies it is a different story entirely. During their extensive combat training in youth, a Csarathaire is taught to get in close to their enemy with swords, axes, warhammers and other relatively short pieces of equipment. Unless the situation truly demands it, extended weapons such as long spears, halberds and other polearms are almost completely eschewed, though in ceremonial occasions this can be disregarded. Due to this, it is common to find a Csarathaire in the front lines of a vanguard or on the flanks of a military force, rather than in the line of battle.

 

VIEW OF MALIN

The Sarath perspective on the Father of Elves is a middle-ground between the traditionally ‘No King But Malin’ platitude often spoken by ‘ame people and the open disdain displayed by Lathladhen’s descendants. There is no hatred among those reverent of the phoenix for Malin, only a practicality developed over time and through experience. He is viewed as the ‘ame people’s great progenitor whose accomplishments were the foundation of a golden age. However, it is generally accepted that there is no need to wait for Malin’s return in order to crown a new king, if circumstances dictate that it is the best move. This has changed from time to time, but generally remains the case.

 

TRIALS

Rite of Flame 

To prove ones unending commitment to the Aspects and their glorious service, an aspiring Csarathaire must bring the corpse of a recently defeated enemy or of a recently hunted beast to be burned as a sacrifice to the flames. It is not adequate to bring a mere passive creature like a rabbit, for example. Instead, vicious monsters such as drakes, wyverns, large bears and giant serpents must be brought to the sacrificial pyre in the form of a scale torn from its corpse or its decapitated head. If one chooses to slay another sapient humanoid, it must be in the service of the Aspects. Dark mages, infested wretches and other representatives of evil are all ripe for the purging. 

 

Rite of Steel

The aspirant must face the reigning chieftain of the clan in a duel with fully-sharpened edged weapons, or a candidate nominated by the chieftain. While victory brings prestige and draws the approval of the Great Hunter, passing this challenge only requires that an aspirant put their heart, soul and every piece of strength and stamina they have into the fight. If they make this admirably herculean effort and still fail to reign victorious, it is the decision of the chieftain whether or not the aspirant has passed the test. 

 

Rite Of Blood

Before sealing their eternal connection with the Csarathaire clan in a blood pact with the chieftain, the aspirant must partake in a ritual to summon the Aspect’s revered gaze onto them. When complete, a pledge must be made to perform a great deed, or to attempt at performing such a deed to the greatest capability possible. Only by these means will the Aspects see the aspirant as worthy of bearing the Sarath’s Plate and the Phoenix Ilmyumier.

 

OOC:

It’s pronounced SARRA-THAIR, not KER-SARA-THAIR

 

There’s also probably some spelling mistakes or grammar errors because its late

 

If you’re interested, contact iMattyz or Matt#2864

[sophiaa 778]

+1

[Rusty Derringer 1182]

Very nice! Hope to see some more of you guys running around soon!