Races of Qalia:

Sony Online Entertainment and Sigil Games Online have released new information featuring the inhabitants of Qalia. Known for the ruins left behind after it's many wars, Qalia is home to a variety of races, including the durable humans, nomadic mordebi, rugged varanthari [editors note: this race is spelled varathari in beta], cunning kurshasa, industrious gnomes, and sinister dark elves. To learn more about Qalia, visit our Cities and Villages of Qalia page.

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Qaliathari

The dominant race on the continent of Qalia, qaliathari humans enjoy wealth and luxury paralleled by very few other groups on Telon. Though they had to raise themselves up from the harsh sands of the Qarath Desert, they have built many fine monuments to their culture. From the graceful spires of Ahgram to the gargantuan statues that guard the port city of Khal, qaliathari prosperity is easily noted.

Their prosperity, unfortunately, has also made them an easy target by a plethora of unsavory groups. Overland trade is being decimated by the ksaravi ratmen and the harami bandits; many covert groups vie for power in the busy streets of Ahgram; and corruption from within threatens the ranks of city officials. The Qaliathari stand ready to battle these problems, but will they succeed when there are so many troubles threatening the world of Telon?

Like most humans, the qaliathari have a wide array of talents that have lent to their success and widespread population. They are able to be Warriors, Rogues, Rangers, Monks, Bards, Paladins, Dread Knights, Clerics, Disciples, Blood Mages, Sorcerers, Psionicists, and Necromancers.

Mordebi Humans

No strangers to hardship, the mordebi humans of the Qalian deserts have seen the destruction of their great society not once, but twice. Refusing to anger the gods again, they have learned their lessons from the desert itself. They see now where their true destiny lies.

Swift as the wind and as dangerous as a sandstorm, the mordebi find their strength now in adaptability and nomadic ways. They look to the sands of Qalia to find their home and have shown time and time again, they cannot be truly destroyed, they will always return.

The mordebi find themselves allying with the varanthari, horse-riding barbarians, more often as their views align easily. However, they are not above taking advantage of the overly rich and corrupt qaliathari humans.

Mordebi can be Warriors, Paladins, Rangers, Rogues, Monks, Bards, Clerics, Shamans, Disciples, Sorcerers, Druids, and Psionicists.

Varanthari

Descendents of the sea-faring varansul, the varanthari are master riders and infamous raiders. Their traditions of the horse and rider has influenced their culture, with horse lords leading raiders to plunder caravans and villages of the other races. In recent years, the varanthari have settled down somewhat, but the vast majority still roam for years at a time. Deeply spiritual, many varanthari claim to receive whispers from the spirits of Telon which are widely considered superstition by other races.

Despite this, varanthari have an unshakable confidence and trust in their own race, to the point of arrogance to other races. A varanthari is difficult to confuse or awe, and they always seem to have a response for anything Telon may throw at them. Because of this, they live in Lomshir, and ignore the visiting races from other worlds and planes that pass through, such as the kurashasa.

Powerful, confident, and spiritual, a varanthari can be a Warrior, Ranger, Shaman, or Druid.

Kurashasa

Other worldly trackers and fierce hunters, the kurashasa are among the most feared beings in the outer planes. Their Great Hunt of the rift walking ahnd’ka has led them to the world of Qur’xa and its temple of twisting gates.

A sneak attack upon the Temple of Qur’xa by the last vestiges of the ahnd’ka has caught the proud kurashasa by surprise, and now the savage world of Qur’xa has been transformed into a battlefield. The psychic yothkai, allies of the kurashasa and keepers of the temple, have been forced to abandon the temple to their mutual enemy. Should the ahnd’ka unravel the wards on the twisting gates and cross the planes then the Great Hunt must follow.

Cunning, powerful and intelligent, the kurashasa are feared by their enemies and allies alike. The kurashasa are deadly combatants, and make some of the best Warriors, Dread Knights, Rangers, Rogues, Disciples, Sorcerers, Psionicists and Necromancers.

Gnomes

With their sharp minds and upbeat attitude, very little fazes the gnomes of Mekalia. Their home city, under the sands of Qalia, is a marvel of engineering that rivals even the dwarves’ home of Bordinar’s Cleft.

Centuries ago, the gnomes under orders from their beloved Underking, sealed off a portion of their city and fled to higher grounds to escape the depraved deep dwarves. Though gnomes are marked by an almost fanatical faith in their Underking, the famous general Ulaben took his army and fled, seeking to find a way back into the Deep Dark to defeat the Deep Dwarves once and for all.

With their new proximity to the Upside, many gnomish expeditions have encountered the new and dangerous races of Qalia: the qaliathari, the mordebi, and the varanthari horsemen. Being new to Upside the gnomes are still distrustful of all the other races, making relations sometimes difficult. Dark elves, however, are no strangers to gnomes, and those on the Upside differ very little from their Deep Dark brethren.

Gnomes can be Warriors, Rogues, Clerics, Blood Mages, Sorcerers, Psionicists, and Necromancers.

Dark Elves

Destined to rule the world and enslave all others beneath them, the dark elves must hurdle one last obstacle, themselves. As a people, the dark elves are driven by one desire, the accumulation of power that is rightly theirs by blood, the blood of dragons.

One of the oldest races on Telon, the dark elves fled from their volcanic home of Stiirhad with their queen to establish a new empire at Pankor Zhi. They are now regrouping and preparing to destroy the mad king of Stiirhad and retake the true throne of the dark elves. First they must deal with the waifish elven rebels of Aeokor Zhi.

Distrusted by all the races on Qalia, the dark elves have few others to turn to for they refuse to ally with those beneath them. Only the varanthari horse people, masters of the northern plains, are afforded an inkling of respect. For now.

With the blood of Haelufir coursing through their veins, dark elves make masterful Dread Knights, Rogues, Monks, Bards, Clerics, Disciples, Blood Mages, Sorcerers, Psionicists, and Necromancers.