Astralei

The Astralei were evolved from elves by Adonis with the aid of Sutra, Goddess of the Weave, and Lexica, Goddess of the Mind during the First Age. Under Adonis's guidance, Astralei civilization flourished. For centuries, the Astralei were the leading race of Endros, becoming the first to discover and work with the magical sciences of Aether. Their legacy includes the discovery of Sorcery, the earliest great advances in Aethertech, the creation of the Astralei Portals, and the secretive magical discipline known as the Codex.

Though now rarely seen within Endros, the Astralei remain perhaps the most influential civilization in its history. Their systems still shape the realm through Dungeons, Trials, portals, alliances, and strategic interventions. Many of Endros's greatest wonders bear the hallmarks of Astralei design, and the Astralei still retain hidden sites, deep facilities, and controlled routes within Endros.

Characteristics

The Astralei carry themselves with a grace that often feels more deliberate than natural. Their skin has a subtle, underlying luminescence, like finely polished moonstone. They often wear fluid, elegant robes, a style that began as a way for the Starborn to display their Celestial Veins.

Astralei Society

Astralei society follows Adonis's teachings, centered on the cultivation of potential. They believe that worth, power, and position must be earned and proven, and that the best outcomes are achieved through challenge. They are willful, goal-oriented, and driven to unlock potential, either in themselves or in something greater, and they engineer conditions intended to reveal excellence. Because strong wills shape the world more than weak ones and produce more powerful magic, growing oneself is also regarded as a contribution to Astralei civilization, and participating in trials is both a personal pursuit and an honored duty. The Astralei understand that their trials harvest the power of choice and see nothing wrong with it, though the mechanics of their magic remain hidden from most of them.

Their society is meritocratic in form, but not gentle. It is harsh, selective, and highly conscious of rank. Advancement comes through success under pressure, disciplined performance, and the ability to prove oneself worthy of greater responsibility. Likewise, status can diminish when worth is disproven through failure, complacency, or unreliability.

Starborn

The Starborn are the Anointed of Adonis, whose Sacrament lets them perceive branching paths of potential. Within Astralei society, they serve as Adonis's most trusted disciples and overseers, entrusted with the most sensitive expressions of Astralei power and policy, and they alone truly practice the Codex. They are widely associated with exceptional perception, judgment, and composure. Many Astralei aspire to become Starborn, in part to learn the full workings of their people's magic.

The Starborn are marked by "Celestial Veins," which map out their strongest internal energy paths in constellation-like patterns along their skin. Starborn often wear robes with sections of translucent fabric that reveal their veins. With considerable study it is possible to learn what Celestial Veins are mapping, hinting at their natural talents, gifts, and personality.

Important Locations

Nexus is the present Astralei capital, located beyond Endros, where Adonis resides. Its existence is known to very few Endrosians, and its location to fewer still.

Skywood was selected as the Astralei capital in Endros because of its location, and remains the most politically visible inheritance of their civilization. It was entrusted to Concordia, Goddess of Pacts, after their withdrawal from Endros. Much of its power still depends on arrangements made between her and Adonis.

Rune was the original Astralei city and their densest center of enchantment, portal activity, and unusually powerful magical experimentation. Public rumor connects Rune to the origins of the Codex, and the city's surviving ruins, portal structures, Enchanted Forest, and trial sites strongly support that reputation. Rune is more mysterious and less publicly accessible than Skywood, but it surpasses Skywood in raw enchantment density. Rune is also the homeland of the Kitsu, who maintain one of the strongest surviving cultural ties to the Astralei. It is widely accepted that the Astralei played an important role in Kitsu development, and the Kitsu continue to regard Rune's Astralei sites with reverence.

Visitation

Astralei visitations are rare, mysterious events where Astralei meet with Endrosians under carefully orchestrated circumstances, often near a portal. Whether this is due to a practical need for travel or a deeper, symbolic connection is unknown. The Astralei emissaries seem to possess an uncanny ability to know when and where to find the people they intend to speak to. The Astralei may offer straightforward instructions, cryptic warnings, or something different altogether.

Most visitations include an invitation to a Trial of Fate, where the emissary directs the individual to a portal that awakens to their presence. Scholars have speculated that visitations play a role in Adonis's machinations.

Though most Endrosians have never met an Astralei, some rare individuals attract their attention and receive visitations somewhat regularly. These individuals often have high-impact roles in society; especially Hunters, Archivists, and high ranking Priests and Druids.