M.E. (Emmi)

Personality
"Hi, I'm Me! I mean, who else would I be? I know myself through and through! so let me ask you:

Do you know who you are?

Do you know who you want to be?

And what do you hope to acheive by becoming your ideal self?

No need to answer me now, but I hope to hear your answer when next we meet."

Biography
More information coming soon.

Basics
The Ashkharhii are a biologically immortal race. This means that as long as they don’t starve or are killed, they could live indefinitely. However, they do not have to deal with overpopulation as there is practically endless land to be used in Ashkhar. Death is still common however as the realm of Ashkhar is very treacherous and filled with dangers. They do not fully mature until 1 century old, but are not considered to be an adult until 1 millennia of age, at which point, their age is kept track in millenniums instead of years. They usually grow to a height between 5–6 feet tall but they technically continue to grow very slowly over millennia, with the oldest ones reaching as tall as 8 or 9 feet. Visually, they have an appearance similar to that of humans or elves, but If one were to measure their anatomical ratios, it suddenly becomes rather clear they are neither. Their muscle structure is also much more efficient and thus have much less muscle mass while being on average much stronger that the everyday human. Their bone structure is also made of a much more durable but lighter material. In actuality, they have no evolutionary link to humans, elves, dwarves, etc, and their similar appearance is likely just a result of convergent evolution. In fact, While there body structure and appearance seem quite similar to humans and elves, their biology couldn’t be more different. Unlike the vast majority of life, their biological processes are not chemical, and are instead alchemical. This fundamental foundation to their biology has several inherent consequences. For one, they cannot be poisoned, as even the most useless/harmful of materials can be converted into a basic alchemical catalyst to be stored for future alchemical reactions. While this means they could technically digest anything, they would get injured if they tried to eat anything sharp or corrosive as it would damage their body before it could reach the stomach.

Alcohol
One process their system performs that is of particular note is converting alcohol into water and nutrients. However, while Ashkharhii still get drunk (and do so rather quickly due to low muscle & bone mass), they do not experience any of the negative side effects such as dehydration or hangovers. In fact, their biological processes could allow them to theoretically survive on alcohol alone. This has led to major cultural consequences however, as they could very easily spiral into an endless cycle of continuous drinking as a result of alcohol tasting very delicious and is nutritionally filling to them combined with the lack of inhibitions while being drunk, they will want to keep drinking more and more, and if left unchecked, would probably never stop. This has led to alcohol being EXTREMELY moderated and given a LOT of restrictions. A few examples are the following:

- Minumum drinking age of 1 millennium.

- You need a license to drink.

- You can only drink in designated locations.

- The owner of the drinking area must be present and at least 1 guard with both anti-mage training and anti-mage equipment must be stationed at the entrance for the entirety of the drinking session.

- Only up to 3 people can be intoxicated in a room at a time except during specific festivals.

- Each person must bring 1 supervisor that will remain sober to act as their effective guardian during the entirety of their drinking session.

- You must have a license and a permit to make alcohol.

- You must have a license to handle/deliver alcohol.

- You must have a license and a permit to sell alcohol.

- You must have a license and a permit to own a storage space of alcohol.

- All alcohol must be stored under lock and key while not in use.

- All alcohol facilities and all facilities that deal with alcohol must go through regular routine inspections.

Another reason for the very strict regulations is that most Ashkharhii are very proficient in magic, so things can become very chaotic at times. Thus, most drinking facilities are structurally reinforced and are usually separated a fair distance away from nearby buildings. Breweries are also given high security funded by the government itself for very similar reasons.

Aquatics
Water plays an important role in the alchemical processes of the Ashkharhii. In fact, they have an entire layer between their skin and muscles dedicated to water distribution. This network allows water to flow like rivers throughout their system. The fact that their muscles and bones take up less space then those of humans is to make enough room for this large network of water channels. It was mentioned earlier that any material that enters the body that is deemed useless/harmful is converted into a generic alchemical catalyst and stored for later use. A side effect of this is that this storage can build up in their system as excess. While this does not cause any damage to their bodies, it does cause them to feel sore, stiff, and fatigued. To counteract this, they can either stand in the rain or submerge their body and let the water permeate through their skin into their water network. This cleanses their body and removes any excess built up in their system when the water leaves their pores. Another thing to note about the Ashkharhii when it comes to water is that swimming is very difficult for them. Most Ashkharhii don’t know how to swim and those that do aren’t that good at it. The reason they have a lot of difficulty swimming is that while their muscle and bone mass is somewhat lighter then humans, the volume they take up is notably less, and thus, their density is overall greater than that of humans. This means they sink in water, and thus, have to work harder to stay afloat. Though it should be noted that the increased efficiency of their muscles does alleviate some of the difficulty and allows them to swim for a while, it’s still rather strenuous for them and overall unpleasant. Even for the best swimmers, if dumped into water unprepared, they may not be able to get enough momentum to swim out in time before they drown. Cause while they can breathe any gas just fine, they cannot breath liquids, solids, nor a vacuum.

Duality
An important theme that shows up in not only Ashkharhii culture, but also their biology is the duality between the physical and the mental/spiritual. An example of this is their sight and hearing. While their vision and hearing function the same as humans and elves (although noticeable more acute as it helps them survive the dangers of their underground world) they also have a second layer of sight and hearing overlayed on top of their standard one. When it comes to sight, they “see” a faint layer of “colors” overlapping their normal vision. These “colors” tell them more about the environment and objects on a more magical/conceptual/spiritual level. When looking at living things, these “colors” give the viewer a vague idea of their personality, current mood, and what kind of life they have been through. This doesn’t provide any specifics to the viewer, only vague generalizations such as serious vs playful, happy vs sad, a healthy life vs a painful one, etc. their hearing also has a faint layer of “noise” overlaid on top of their normal hearing. This gives them insight on the nature of their surroundings as well as the state of the current situation. For example, if the location is dead and devoid of life, they may “hear” an ominous low tone echoing. If their is a fight going on nearby, they would “hear” a dissonant tone. If all is quiet, peaceful, and full of life, they would hear a pleasant and serene humming. One last major example of duality involves a pair of organs in their chest, the Heart Prism and the Soul Prism.

Two Prisms
While almost every Ashkharhii organ can be compared with a human organ with a similar function and placement, there is 1 organ that is unique to the Ashkharhii, known as the “Soul Prism”. The Soul Prism is in the right side of there chest, opposite of the heart. Though it should be clarified first that the Ashkharhii call their heart the “Heart Prism” and is considered to be the complimentary opposite of the Soul Prism. The Heart Prism has a similar function to hearts within humans, though it’s structure is notably more crystalline. It also has gem like structures in it whose purpose is still not fully understood, but has been theorized to have something to do with the  fossilization phenomenon that occurs upon death (will be covered in a future part.) The Heart Prism is considered to represent the physical aspect of the Ashkharhii while the Soul Prism is said to represent the actual soul, and is considered to be the actual form of the Ashkharhii, with the body simply being a vessel. The Soul Prism has the appearance of a crystalline geometric shape filled with light that emanates multicolored tendrils. It should be noted that while it appears to emit light, this light isn’t actually real and cannot be used as a light source. However, as long as there is a clear line of sight, it is visible in even the darkest of environments. The multicolored tendrils are actually part of a second circulatory system that supplies magic throughout the body.

The Bond
The Soul Prism plays a very important role in something known as “The Bond”. The Bond can be used in a few ways. The first is when it comes to procreation. Not only do the Ashkharhii create a physical connection during the act, they connect on an mental, emotional, and spiritual level as well. When this happens, the Soul Prism goes through a process referred as “Opening”. The closer the participants feel towards each other, the “wider” their Soul Prisms will open to one another. The sensation is often described as a River of Light rushing out of their partner’s Soul Prism and flowing through their very being. With the Ashkharhii’s second layer of sight, this visually appears as tendrils of multicolored light flowing out of their chest where their Soul Prism is located. It should be noted however that this Bond is only temporary, though it is said that it does permanently tie their fates to one another. To create a permanent Bond, one would have to go through a ritual of marriage. In this ritual, after the opening ceremony is over, the 2 participants seal themselves in a room together by themselves, while the Priest guards the entrance. Here, the 2 will reveal their Soul Prisms to one another and open them completely, allowing the tendrils to fully bind themselves to each other. This permanently binds the 2 individuals together and they experience an intense euphoria as their hearts, minds, memories, emotions, and souls become fully synchronized with one another. When they get along, the Bond feels even stronger and they feel happier and healthier, when they are in opposition with one another, their health deteriorates greatly. When bonded, They can feel what the other feels, see what the other sees, hear what the other hears. They are also able to access the other person’s thoughts, memories, and feelings. They can even communicate with one another instantaneously via telepathy. However, they can also influence each other’s thoughts and actions too. As a result, marriage is considered sacred and a very serious decision not to be taken lightly. An Ashkharhii will only go through with marriage if and only if they both trust each other completely and absolutely. To the Ashkharhii, there is no such thing as divorce as a Bond is permanent and cannot be broken by any means outside divine intervention, in which case, would instantly kill both Bonded members. An Ashkharhii’s Soul Prism is considered to be so indescribably personal and private to them that their instincts cause them to prioritize the sacred integrity of their Soul Prism over their own life. They will never reveal their Soul Prism to someone they don’t completely trust, and as a result, makes the possibility of forcing an Ashkharhii to show their Soul Prism via any means are completely futile.

Oaths
While Soul Prisms exist to form a bond with an Ashkharhii’s significant other, The Ashkharhii found another way to use the bonding property of them. While rare, Ashkharhii can use their Soul Prisms to make an “Oath”. These Oaths are life binding and when made are virtually impossible to be broken willingly. To make an oath, the Ashkharhii involved will bind their Soul Prism light tendrils onto an object or person. Unlike during a normal bond, this is done without revealing their Soul Prism. While the tendrils of light of all participants of the oath are attached, they then swear the oath they make out loud. This then binds them to that oath, making it impossible to resist following their oath. For example, If one swears to protect something with their life, they will find their body moving on it’s own to get in the way of any attack to the object of their oath, so long as they perceive the attack coming, even if they only detect it subconsciously. Oaths are very rarely made, with the exception of the “Oath of Iron” made back in the ancient days of the Iron Kingdom. Note that while an Ashkharhii is unable to break their oath willingly, sometimes unforeseen circumstances outside of their control will prevent them from upholding their paths, no matter how hard they try. In these situations, the moment the individual does not uphold their oath, they will immediately suffer severe consequences depending on how “irredeemable” the failure was. In the case of protecting someone, if the person under their protection gets an injury such as a cut or bruise and the one who made the oath wasn’t there to protect them when it happened, they will likely receive a similar injury the moment it happens. If the same injury happens but the still did everything they could to stop it, it becomes even less severe. But if the individual they swore to protect dies even though they did everything in their power to protect them, they will likely die as well.

Death
When an Ashkharhii dies, a ceremony takes place where the Soul Prism is removed from the body and buried in the ground. A tree sapling is then planted over it. Something to note is that the Ashkharhii don’t see the body as something sacred. They only see it as a vessel for the true form of the Ashkharhii, their Soul Prism. As a result, they use the leftover body as a tool by raising it from the dead with an artificial soul. They first mummify the body in order to prevent it from decaying, after which, they then create a simple artificial soul to inhabit the body. They are then given tasks that are considered to be either unsafe or “unsavory”. These tasks are usually cleaning the streets, maintenance of sewers, and dangerous mining operations. Because some may recognize the deceased individual’s face (which would make most people uncomfortable) they are given masks to wear. These masks have a specific design on them to let others know they are an undead drone. Overtime, the body will eventually wear down until it is no longer able to preform it’s function effectively. When this happens, it is then “released” from its duties. Once released, the corpse then travels to the place where it’s Soul Prism was buried. When it arrives, it will sit against the tree, which at this point would usually be fully grown, and will curl up and  the artificial soul will dissipate, leaving the body completely motionless. Over the next few days, the corpse will undergo an alchemical process known as “fossilization” where it transmutes into a strange and unique type of stone. As for why this happens or what purpose it serves is unknown. All that is known is that the process is triggered by the Heart Prism.

Ruby Clan
More information coming soon.

The Ring (Maea)
More information coming soon.