Description

Hailing from a bi-planetary world system called Claueris that borders upon the leylines between the Prime Material and Elemental Planes of existence, Claurefram are a race of tall, winged, bi-pedal humanoids, and are the pre-dominate and ruling race upon their world due to their abilities of flight, innate elementalism, and their strict totalitarian and militaristic society. Xenophobic elitists and naturally aggressive but disciplined, the Claurefram race prides them on their militarism and physical strength. While they value these traits, they are highly averse to, and derisive of, magical and psionic power as well as the lesser races with their weaker constitutions and lack of dicipline and unifying focus. Being their antithesis, Claurefram have a deep-seeded, almost instinctual hatred and loathing towards Elves. They even went so far as to subjugate and enslave them upon Claueris. They cut off their ears, deafening them, and chain them together as slaves ro be used as fodder during war, or use the stronger magic-users as a type of siege weapon.

Society

Claureris is governed by a Martial Monarchy, with the highest title being King-General. The King-General is ruler of both worlds in the bi-planetary system and has near-absolute authority. Below the King-General position sits the Unified Court of Kings, which rules over the individual nations, and whom govern the regional powers-to-be, the General's Enclave. Every citizen is required to undergo seven years of military training upon reaching adolescence. After which, they may decide to return to being a citizen or can enlist and become a career or life-long soldier.

Claurefram are viewed by other races as judgmental, xenophobic, aggressive, cruel and condescending. They follow a strict but brutal code of conduct and value strength, prowess and influence over any sense of morality or goodness. While Clarefram tend to hate or at least distrust all races as inferior and weak, being their antithesis, Claurefram have a deep-seeded, almost instinctual hatred and loathing towards Elves. They even go so far as to subjugate and enslave them on Claueris. They cut off their ears, deafening them, and chain them together as slaves to be used as fodder during war, or utilize the stronger magic-users as a type of siege weapon which is generally mind-controlled by an Aujifram or loyal Human Psion or Wizard.

Appearance

A strong and hearty race, the average Claurefram male stands over six feet tall while the average female is slightly shorter, averaging about five-foot ten inches. Claurefram tend to have slightly elongated and, densely dark finger and toe nails that are slightly pointed and resemble claws. Claurefram tend to have skin tones that range along the spectrum of the cooler color palettes, with complexions ranging from as light as baby blue or green to jet black. Their hair color is predominantly white, but can also vary. Hair color is usually light, with the dark hair being rare. Some common hair colors are blonde, orange, purple, green gray, and blue. On the rarest of occasions, you can also find a Claurefram with black or even brown hair, the rarest of all hair colors. Their eye color can range the full light spectrum with dark blue being the most common and light carnation pink the least commom. Their natural wing color tends to be black, white, gray, or a very light, sometimes near-white variance of their skin color. Like Elves, Claurefram are a long-lived race, but unlike Elves they are very mortal. The average lifestan of a Claurefram is between 750 and 900 years, with the naturally oldest ever recorded Claurefram living to the venerable age of 1107 years. it is however, very uncommon for a Claurefram to live to old age, as their war-like and sinister nature tends to lead to them falling in battle, if not by murder or assassination.

There are two main sub-races of Claurefram. These are the Albino, Psionic Aujifram and the Maroon-skinned Dylagefram, whom act as a siphon for Elemental and evocational magics and energies. Unlike the standard Claurefram, whom possess an innate affinity for elementalism, particularly with the element of fire, Neither Aujifram nor Dylagefram possess that intimate connection to the elements. For this reason, nearly as much for their odd appearances, both sub-races are considered inferior and outcasts to society. They are often enslaved from birth to serve the military as fodder, weapons or assassins.

Dylagefram tend to have warm-colored skin and dark hair, a big variance from the cool complexions and light hair of most Claurefram. Due to their naturally slimmer and dexterous physiques, as well as their natural resistance to all forms of elemental and force-based energy, Dylagefram are oft-times trained as disposable assassins and spies.

Albino/Alibaster-skinned, the naturally psionic Aujifram are generally used as front-line soldiers with the sole purpose of killing, maiming, dismembering, and turning as many enemy soldiers as they can before they are cut down. Some of the more powerful Aujifram are trained and given command of Pods of enslaved Elven magic-users, and sometimes other, weaker Aujifram. ((At this time, there is only one full-blooded Aujifram known to still be living. In a fit of frustration and distrustful paranoia, Bandus order Ryma-Elin, his Aujifram daughter, to kill her fellow Psions in an act of genocide. Ryma has thre Half-Auji children))

Brief History

Fifth planet from the star known as Altus in the Alytus System, Claueris isn't actually one planet, but rather twin planets that revolve around each other at an axis point out in space half way between the two planets. This spot is it's bi-planetary axis and therefore that spot that holds the greatest gravitiational pull towards Altus. another odd fact about Claueris is that they spin in opposite directions of each other. One spins clockwise and the other counter clockwise. One of these planets is primarily plant-based and untouched by fauna. This garden paradise is known as Claueris Alpha or Minor. The other is where the humanoids called Claureframs thrive. This world is called Claureis Zeta or Prime.

For many tens of thousands of years now, the Claurefram have been the major race upon this world, but had lots of in-fighting and minor feudal settlements spread across the world. It wasn't until Iyam, the Great Consolidater, came to power and unified the world and the claurefram races under him that the race started to really thrive and advance, becoming a disciplined and vast military power. Unfortunately, that empire did not survive him. After the elves banded together to take down the tyrant king, as they saw him, sealing him away forever in some unknown location upon the plant-world, Claueris Alpha, the empire splintered into smaller nations and factions as Iyam's generals each made power- and land-grabs that resulting in many warring nations. This time, called the Great Unrest, lasted for about two thousand years. As a consequence for their treachery and act of rebellion, the Elven nations were splintered and scattered to the winds. A law of written that no elves could gather in any one place more than 20 of their race. Any operpetrators caught would be sold into slavery, their lands and property, if any, given to the Claurefram that exposed them and their bloodline eradicated as far back and/or forward as 3 generation. In the wake of the in-fighting and warring for supremacy, surprisingly the concept of nations and unifying rulers held strong for the most part. And in the end, once the Great Unrest was finally settled with a treaty of non-aggression, there remained 13 sovereign kingdoms.

It was in the year 973 CE that Theurnysank, a small nation on the Honshin continent, lead by the adolescent but ruthless King Bandus, broke the treaties and began swallowing up bordering nations through assasination, alliance, deceit, war, expanding their populous and thus their military might all the while. By the time his meteoric expansion had been noticed, it was too late to simply wipe him out. Even with all the other nations banding together to invade Theurnysank, His numbers nd tactics pushed them back until he was able to pick them off one by one. This Second Consolidation took over 225 years to cpomplete, but in the end, all of Claueris Prime was bending knee to the newly crowned King-General.

During his Consoldation and Conquest of Claueris, Bandus' army came across a beautiful and very ancient circular archway. Not knowing what it was due to having no magical aptitude, he had it place within his gardens as a decorative piece of artwork. Some decades later, while being chased by harsh and uncontrollably violent older brother, Dillsta, Rulin, Bandus' youngest inadverdantly tapped into his latent arcane affinity, something wholly unheard of in Cluarefram, and was transported to another world. for decades, is disappearance was nvestigated to no avail until one of Bandus' newly bought elven house-slaves recognised the item and tried to flee in fear from it. He was quickly apprehended and turtured until he gave up the purpose and nature of that archway. It was discovered to be a portal for Dragon armies from before known recorded history. It was used to send entire armies cross the planes and space/time in order for the creatures to conquer and populate many worlds. With the way Claueris was going they would soon no longer be able to sustain their growing population, so this was a great and powerful boom to Bandus. also, It gave Bandus a means to possibly fopund out the fate of his long-missing heir.

Eight years it took to finally gather up all the remaining menbers of that first elf's tribe and put them to the question. Finally having gathered up as much knowledge as he could muster, the Claurefram, under the leadership of King-general Bandus, had found the means and opportunity to break free from from the confines of their home and set out to explore new worlds. And that first world just happened to turn out to be Spyridon.