We were talking about Dhe'nar Culture tonight(as we tend to do), and this post from 2002 by JSEVERNS(Mnar) came up. Eighteen years later it is still an excellent place to start if the Dhe'nar interest you(note - the website mentioned no longer exists).
How to play a Dhe’nari Character w/o the Tower (Secrets Revealed!)
Category
Role-Playing (4)
Topic
Thoughts on Role-Playing (4)
By
JSEVERNS from PLAY.NET (Mnar)
On
Apr 26, 2002 at 16:46
Subject
How to play a Dhe’nari Character w/o the Tower (Secrets Revealed!) (20614)
Throughout this series of threads has been a pervasive theme; the Dhe’nar don’t mind if you play a Dhe’nar character outside the Tower, but there’s no way of knowing how to play a character without joining the Tower. It is a de facto barrier to non-Tower Dhe’nar.
Hopefully, this post will clear these problems up. As an aside, the things mentioned in this post are merely suggestions, based upon Mnar’s experience as a Dhe’nari character, and do not necessarily represent the views of the Tower or of Simutronics.
Some basic guidelines regarding a Dhe’nari character:
First, most Dhe’nar are not wanderers; the Dhe’nar hail from a rather strict caste-style society that discourages vagrancy. Therefore, most Dhe’nar who show up in one of the towns in Gemstone will either be a) Outcasts, b) On a Quest/Mission, or c) Older, established Dhe’nar who have discharged their duties to their caste and are following power however they choose, mostly Warlocks or Witches (Starsnuffer, Gryphon, Celtic would fall into this category).
If you’re a vagrant, don’t expect much love from the Tower. You will probably be tolerated, maybe even in a positive fashion if you have something to offer. However, there’s always the possibility you will be seen as a nuisance or pest, particularly if you go out of your way to annoy people.
If you’re on a quest, you’re in luck. Although they don’t seem like friendly people, most Dhe’nar are quite eager to help one of their own, particularly if you’re on a mission for their own particular caste. Be sure to make it clear that you are allowed to accept help on your quest, and be VERY sure to make it clear you are on a QUEST, not a TASK. Tasks are an individual undertaking, and to seek help to complete one is a failing. Note: by assist, it means to engage your character in an on-going role playing situation, not give you spells and neat equipment.
Chances are, no new character is going to show up claiming to be a part of group C.
Second, demeanor. This is mostly a personal thing, and you’ll see a wide range of personality types among Dhe’nar. Some are very standoffish and elitist (Wyseth), while others are a bit more personable and diplomatic (Mnar). However, even the nicest Dhe’nar will rarely suffer fools gladly, and the bubbly-giggling halfling-sorcerer persona that is so popular these days would be wildly out of character.
Young Dhe’nar are rather idealistic, having been raised on the teachings of their elders. As they age, a sense of anomie begins to set in among them, as they realize much of what they have been taught cannot be realized. This affects the Priesthood and the Magi more than the Warriors, who–for the most part–have a bit more of a realistic view of the world, and suffer neither from the rampant idealism of youth or the cynicism of age.
Third, Castes. Dhe’nar fall into two broad categories, peasantry and nobility. The Peasantry makes up the majority of Dhe’nar culture, probably 90-95% of the population. They are the farmers, merchants, cobblers, laborers, etc…All the people needed to run a country. The nobility are typically selected at a young age, from all three Castes.
Warriors (warriors, rogues, rangers): The lowest of the castes, the Warriors are charged with leading the Armies and protecting members of the other two castes (who according to the warriors, have their heads in the clouds). Warriors tend to be sensible, practical individuals who are aware of the world around them. Their caste is led by the Warlord, who rarely has any power outside of his caste except in times of war.
Priesthood (Sorcerers, Priests, Empaths [painstealers]): The priests are charged with keeping the traditions of the Dhe’nar alive, as well as controlling breeding among members of the nobility to keep the race pure. They follow the law as handed down by Noi’Sho’Rah. They are, in the Landing, the most common Dhe’nar and for three thousand years have held the upper-hand in Dhe’nari politics. They work (or scheme, if you prefer) together more than either of the other two castes. Their political rivals are the
Magi: Composed of either Warlocks (male wizards, Witches (female wizards) or Lorekeepers (male or female; class, typically bards). They have no ‘defined’ duties, but tend to focus on occult research and various methods of using and honing their powers. Few in number, they are unquestionably the most power individuals among the Dhe’nar, and have been responsible over the years for a wide variety of catastrophies–most of which could have been avoided with a little common sense (e.g. “the Forging of Swallow **”, “The Stareater”). Magi do not, however work well together, and this has been the cause for their recent loss of prestige compared to the Priesthood.
Goals: Dhe’nar tend to have two major goals in their lives; contribute to their caste, and accumulate personal glory. Warriors emphasize the former over the latter, while Magi prefer the latter over the former. Priests manage a nice balance between personal and caste glory.
Philosophy: Dhe’nari philosophy is based upon the Way, a series of teachings that stem from the original values of Noi’Sho’Rah and Tahlad, which were allegedly handed down to them by the Gods. A somewhat complete review on the Way can be obtained at the Dhe’nari website,
Language: Here’s the big one, the thing that so many people have been claiming keeps them from playing in character. In reality, there’s only a few words you need for the most interactions, and extended conversations in Dhe’nar-si are rare, unless we want to communicate without being understood (much like empaths). Here is the Dhe’nar-si you need to play a convincing character.
Kris har’esh — Walk with Power. Used as both a greeting and a dismissal. Note, it does not mean “Walk Powerfully”, but rather Walk with Power, as though Power were a companion or object you possessed.
Okshi’i — See you soon (colloquial). Less formal than Kris har’esh. Used among friends.
Sha’haisa — Thank you.
Kushodom — You’re not welcome. No real equivalent in common, not as impolite as it sounds. Simply signifies an individual understands he is owed a debt by the person he helped, wheras the term Shodom usually nullifies debt. If you loan someone a million silvers, they thank you, and you respond with Shodom, might not get your money back.
Q’halae — Student (literally, slave/animal). The –ae suffix indicates the plural. Q’hali is a male student, while Q’hala is female. Unlike common, the female suffix is the neuter gender, and a random individual of indeterminate or mixed-sex group is usually referred to in the female.
Sho’nah/Sho’rah — Brother/Sister. Used colloquially with any Dhe’nari noble.
Shorn’ri — Cousin, typically referring to an elf or (rarely) half-elf accepted among the Dhe’nar.
Umesha’i/a — Ally, usually non Dhe’nar
Eii — Yes
Ku — No. Used very rarely, almost always as a prefix rather than as a stand-alone word.
Su’u — Another form of Yes
Su’a — Yet another form of Yes
Sho la nei? — How are you?
Ah — And
Dhu/Mhe — You/Me
Obviously, there are many other words in Dhe’nar-si, however the ones listed above are the usually the ones that get mentioned in casual conversation.
If you can’t create a stand-alone Dhe’nari character with the information on our Website, as well as in the the post listed above, you are beyond my ability to help. Good luck.
-Mnar’s player
Avaia, player of
