Castes

At a very early age, the Dhe'nar are sorted and examined by the members of the Temple Caste. Their aptitudes, talents, skills, and desire are all measured in a way that the priests never speak of outside their temple walls.

Once these traits are sufficiently examined, the Temple Caste then sends the Dhe'nar child, often as young as three or four years of age, sometimes as old as their early teens, to the caste that has been selected for them. Once sent to the appropriate level of Dhe'nar society, the young elf trains. Sometimes for only a few years, other times for decades, learning, honing, and perfection their profession, whether it be a spell-bending warlock, a master blacksmith, a pain-stealing empath, an industrious stone mason, or the stealthiest Dhe'nari assassin.

Caste is most often for life. Once set on a path, or directed to a path, depending on your perspective, the Dhe'nar excel at their tasks and paths. The Dhe'nar are a proud, haughty, and perfectionist race. Failure in even the smallest assigned task can have severe repercussions.

There are rare occasions where events in a Dhe'nar's life are so life shattering and changing, that they might be considering for cross-promotion to another Caste. Many Dhe'nar who tire of battle, or whose bodies no longer allow them to fight as effectively as they once did, become master craftsmen. Sometimes, a warrior develops a talent for magic that did not manifest itself in his or her earlier life, and he is trained as a Duk'sa, or even one of the Dhe'nar Templars, the paladins of the Temple Caste.

These caste to caste transitions are never easy. The Dhe'nar must prove himself all over again to his new caste, as if he were young again. However, his old skills and knowledge play a part in the tasks and tests set before him. The Dhe'nar do not play favorites, especially among their q'halae, and in this situation it is doubly so. Many Dhe'nar who show the potential to change castes never do, as they never survive the training process a second time.

Each Caste has its own structure, ranking system, and rules. In one caste, the Chairholder for the Obsidian Council may lead the caste itself, but in another caste the Chairholder simply speaks for his or her people.

The professions are broken down and fit into each caste as listed below.

Warlock Caste - Wizards, Savants, and Bards

Temple Caste - Sorcerers, Clerics, Empaths, and Paladins

Warrior Caste - Warriors, Rogues, Rangers, and Monks

Worker Caste - Smiths, tailors, tattooists, cobblers, painters, masons, merchants, animal trainers, and all other types of craftsmen.