The dawn Elwens- the alalori (ah-lah-LOR-ee), which means "dawn raisers" in Primal- are the mildest and gentlest race of Elwens. Many of them spend their lives in worship of Sarastaa, God of the Dawn, Light, Peace, Rebirth, and Hope, and strive to be just like Him, which necessarily means forswearing violence. The other races mostly consider them annoying, especially the missionaries, and any number of Sarastaa's Children have died for His cause. Undaunted, they keep on persevering.
Come among them, if you will- the dawn Elwens, the Children of Sarastaa.
PHYSICAL LOOKS
Even their enemies are willing to admit the alalori are beautiful; in fact, it is what has kept some of them from death in the past. Their skin is a deep gold, sometimes unmarked, sometimes streaked with blue, pink, or other colors of sunrise. It retains a remarkable softness and smoothness throughout life that most other Elwens show only in infancy. As a downside of this, alalori tend to scar easily.
Alalori almost always have bright eyes and hair; dark eyes are thought to show admixture of foreign blood, and dark hair is considered, in some of the most isolated and superstitious communities, as a mark of Dermand, the Sunset God who is Sarastaa's worst foe. (Dark purple eyes or hair are especially feared; the parents of such children may even abandon or kill them, fearing they will turn out like the viaquia.) Their hair is blond, golden, wheat-colored, pale frost-blue, brilliant red, or rose-pink most often. Their eyes vary in hue, with blue, green, gold, amber, and rose being the most common hues, in that order. Sun eyes- golden eyes that seem to be faceted like jewels, revealing depth after depth of pure gold- occur on occasion, and are regarded with awe, as a mark of Sarastaa's special favor.
Alalori are shorter than most other Elwen races, 5'5" to 6' mostly. They typically weigh about 130 to 190 pounds, and may be mistaken for humans from a distance. Nonetheless, they can run about seventy miles an hour for short distances, and their blood is brilliant gold. Alalori may be more sympathetic to humans than most Elwens, but they are not human.
Alalori usually live out their full span of ten thousand years if they dwell in their own communities, less if they are missionaries.
EMOTIONAL MAKEUP
Alalori tend to be more fatalistic and accepting than other Elwens, believing that Sarastaa would never harm them and so apparently bad things that happen are part of the order of the world. Occasionally, a priest or priestess will manage to convince others that a particular piece of bad fortune is not Sarastaa's will, and then a community may fight it. However, most dawn Elwens see fighting against the way of the world as not only pointless but counterproductive. "The waves of the world wash over them, but Sarastaa's Children remain the same" is a common saying among them.
Nevertheless, centuries of such a philosophy has not tamed the strong emotions and pride that are the alalori's heritage; it has merely turned them outwards. Alalori regard most other races of the world (save such peoples as the sunburst elves, who also tend to forswear war and seek peace) as fallen. In their mythos, Sarastaa created the world, and the other peoples do not give Him proper credit for it. Indeed, they often intentionally violate His laws by killing each other. The whole of alalori life is often seen as a crusade to win back those fallen races.
For some races, however, it is too late. Most alalori firmly believe those who die worshipping the Sunset Lord, vampires, and their viaquia kin cannot be redeemed. This attitude is not common to all dawn Elwens, but those who believe otherwise will often avoid bringing it up, in order to avoid arguments and confrontations they do not really want.
Hand-in-hand with this seeking of peace is the attitude that the present and the future are the best parts of life, and that dwelling on the wrongs of the past is best avoided (except when such things as the sins of the viaquia are in question). Dawn Elwens rarely spend as much time holding grudges as other races, and often do not seek to avenge the deaths of those who die at the hands of annoyed Elwens or elves, or the claws of annoyed dragons. Look to the future, listen for the bells, and know that Sarastaa will show you the light.
MAGICAL MAKEUP
Rumors abound that the dawn Elwens once possessed a much greater magic than they do now, but they willingly forsook that power for the favor of Sarastaa. Regardless of the truth of this legend, these powers remain to them:
Peace aura. This is the power that other Elwens most fear and hate, relating it to slavery. Each alalori carries a shield of peace and lethargy with him, and, if he can get close enough to another Elwen, he can use it to reason (or hypnotize) him into agreeing with the alalori's chosen course of action. Those who have spent some time training with the peace aura can stop battles or influence voting. Most dawn Elwens ignore the accusations of those who say they interfere with the free will of others, claiming they use their auras only for good.
Sunfire. Alalori, at times and in desperate straits, can call on the God to give them sunlight transformed to fire. This usually comes as a great blast that destroys the enemy immediately threatening the dawn Elwen. Most spend time praying in both thanks and repentance afterwards.
Light-fire. This is a milder version of sunfire, used for non-offensive purposes such as lighting torches. While some alalori regard fire as profane, a tool of Dermand, within the temples it is considered hallowed and cleansed by Sarastaa's light. It is regarded especially kindly when used to warm the hearts of those who may be despairing or deeply grieving; it seems to have some healing properties.
Visions. At times, a praying dawn Elwen- or someone of dawn Elwen blood, as it has been known to happen to half- or quarter-alalori- will receive a brief vision of a future happening. This may not always show the correct road, or even the most significant event in the individual's future. It usually will give a hint, though, something the Elwen can use to determine his correct path. It is always accompanied by a touch of warm sunlight on the back of the neck, whether or not the sun is shining at the time.
The Sunrise Road. This is a powerful magic usually only performed at dawn, and usually only by a group of clerics, including the temple's High Priest or Priestess. The clerics will create a road of pure light from their Temple to another one, a road the one named by the High Priest or Priestess can walk. There is some evidence that this can be performed at noon as well, but it is a rare and dangerous undertaking.
Blood-coma. Some scholars claim this is an ability left over from the dawn Elwens' days as sunset Elwens, though most alalori would deny this flat out. If surrounded by blood, battle, or other things they traditionally loathe, most alalori can induce a state of shock in themselves. This convinces anyone looking on that the alalori has died. The dawn Elwen neither breathes nor has a heartbeat, and if left alone for a long enough period of time, will seem to ignite in starfire. After this, it seems, an illusion conceals the body from sight. This is a little-understood ability, as the aftermath, when the "dead" alalori returns to life, does not normally happen except among dawn Elwens.
The Flame Inside. This is another gift used only in times of great danger. In effect, a High Priest or Priestess can call sunfire from inside his or her own body. This flame is always offensive, meant to slay enemies of Sarastaa's Children, and always kills the priest or priestess who calls it. It is most often used to save children, the badly wounded, or others who cannot defend themselves.
ORIGINS AND MODERN SETTLEMENTS
The stars did not create the alalori as they are, something most other Elwen races (and especially the viaquia) do not forget. Some sunset Elwens, alarmed at what Dermand was doing to their race- corruption, as they saw it- sought out Sarastaa and asked Him to counter Dermand's influence. He did so, changing them into His chosen servants. The alalori, in this new form, attacked their one-time kin and cursed them to death, only to be terribly surprised when the viaquia survived the curse. (For more on this, see viaquia.) Since that time, the alalori have reconsidered and mostly forsaken war. They live by the Code of the Light, supposedly designed by Sarastaa, which urges them to peace in every form of life.
The alalori were born, as viaquia, in the Vantel-Realm in western Kemiebeyst, but became as they are now in the southern Tableland. From there, they have spread south and north both, establishing often isolated settlements that have become great cities.
Important modern settlements of alalori include:
The Border of Light. These alalori cities are in Kemiebeyst, not far from the Vantel-Realm. These dawn Elwens mostly believe that their cousins can be redeemed, and are perhaps the most liberal and tolerant of the dawn Elwens.
The Dawnlight Forests. Great sanctuaries in the southern Tableland, these are cities and forests combined, with most of Sarastaa's Children living among the great golden trees. The alalori who wish or are compelled to treat with the outside world live in the cities themselves.
Velwenlor. This city in extreme northern Caladariz is dedicated to spirit-healing and helping the terminally weary or grieving to live again. All races, even viaquia, are welcome here.
The Cities of the Flame. These four cities in central Fhevu are perhaps the most intolerant dawn Elwen homes. They openly advocate the destruction of viaquia and all who are beyond the embrace of the Sunrise Lord, and are determined to see the end of the Punishment, which the viaquia of Valconn have instituted to seek redemption for what the alalori have done in the past.
LANGUAGES
Scholars (as well as history and legend) have concluded beyond doubt that the tongues of the alalori are Vaneline in origin (see viaquia), born in the Vantel-Realm. Most alalori refuse to accept this, and assign a divine origin, in Sarastaa, to their languages. This may be partially true, as He has greatly influenced the sounds and structure of them.
Alalori languages are many and numerous, given that small groups of dawn Elwens live all across the continent, doing their best to spread the Light of their god. Only the most important, therefore, are here given:
Gil'eth. This is the 'high language' of lore and learning, spoken in the Border of Light as a native tongue and everywhere else as a language of learning. Most alalori clerics take new names in Gil'eth when they ascend to sufficiently high ranks in Sarastaa's service.
Liebi. The alalori language of the Dawnlight Forests, and the most influential in recent years. This is a language of politics, used in the Council of Arcadia, as well as by the Dedicated, a group that promotes racial mingling in the cities of the Tableland. Liebi is also the language of almost all the verse of Ligal, an alalori poet regarded as the greatest since the War of the Falling. No one knows his true name or nature, but many have learned Liebi in hopes of getting closer to the essential nature of his poetry.
Amalanda. The tongue of the Cities of the Flame, and aggressively pushed by the alalori of Fhevu, who would like to see it replace Liebi in the Council at least. Recently, the alalori have made a practice of capturing viaquia children from Dusksong and teaching them Amalanda, in hopes it will redeem their evil natures. The viaquia have responded by joining Valconn in the Punishment.
More to come, I promise.
