The Isharann are one of the higher castes of the Idoneth Deepkin, trading the martial might of the Akhelians for more unusual powers, from magical spells to powerful prayers. Isharann are drawn from those Idoneth Deepkin born with full souls, and thus they live as long as their distant kin. This allows them to fully dedicate their lives to learning and scholarship of the mystical arts.
Like all aelves, the Idoneth Deepkin are highly attuned to magic. Where other mages draw their power from the elemental energy of the realms or their patrons, the Isharann of the Idoneth Deepkin are masters of a more malevolent magic, using the crushing, abyssal power of the seas and possessing a sinister form of telepathy.
Overwiew[]
As the ancestors of the Idoneth Deepkin gave birth to new generations, three distinct castes developed within their society. The great majority of their kind are classed as Namarti, those aelves doomed to die prematurely unless they can be revitalised through stolen life-force. Yet one in a hundred are born as hale as were the Cythai themselves. These blessed individuals are destined to join one of the two noble classes of the Idoneth Deepkin.
The Isharann wield magic, using their talents for a wide range of tasks, including city-building, healing, soul-harvesting and war. They draw such energies from the fabric of the realms themselves, the seas, and the darkness in their own souls. All Isharann are identified at birth by a Soulscryer, and marked to attend the turscoll, a temple of learning. During their formative years, they are taught scholarly pursuits until they are ready to decide upon a particular sphere of the arcane to specialise in. There are over a dozen different areas of expertise within the Isharann, and each school maintains a fane dedicated to their chosen art. Most Isharann feel a pull towards a certain calling.
Some of the Isharann disciplines centre around control of the environment, most notably that of the Tidecasters, who are masters of the sea and its currents. Many branches specialise in the magic of souls, unsurprisingly perhaps due to the crucial role this resource plays in Idoneth culture. The Soulscryers navigate the dark via spirit-light, the Soulrenders specialise in removing the animus from others, while the Soul Wardens practise the art of preserving souls long separated from their physical forms. Other fanes perform an eclectic mix of duties; the Tru'heas are the Idoneth's healers, the Embailors tame wild beasts, and the Chorralus are those who craft living structures using a process of eldritchly controlled growth.
With the exception of the Fuetha'n, most enclaves seek a balance of power between the members of their Isharann and Akhelian castes. Even if one faction outnumbers the other, they share rule of the enclave. Throughout the histories of many of the major enclaves, however, this status quo has not always been maintained; for long periods of time, either the Isharann or Akhelians have dominated.
Despite the Idoneth's constant research, they still possess no understanding of how bloodlines are passed on among their people. Isharann, Akhelian and Namarti all bear the same chances of producing healthy or cursed offspring, hence a tendency for merit to be the determining factor in matters of promotion rather than lineage.