Category:The Arak

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The Arak are the race that once inhabited the domain of Arak[1] and now inhabit the Shadow Rift.[2] Note that, as originally imagined in Realm of Terror black boxed set source, the drow were the inhabitants of Arak.[3] After the Ravenloft designers determined the drow were unsuitable for such an inclusion in the setting, the Arak were created as replacements. The Arak were introduced in the Servants of Darkness and the Shadow Rift modules[4] Sources postdating these modules carried over the inclusion of the Arak over the drow.[5] The change from drow to Arak is explained in character as humans mistaking the Arak for drow[6][7]

Despite replacing the drow as the inhabitants of Arak and the Shadow Rift, the Arak are neither humanoids with the elf subtype nor are all evil. Rather, the Arak are fey, divided into numerous "Breeds" that shape their abilities and general alignments. The origins of the Arak lie in some unknown world , and they became what they are today due to events in the Plane of Shadow[8]

Overview

Also variously called shadow fey[8] or shadow elves[2] for their association with that plane, the Arak's origins are not natural. Gwydion, an ancient fiend of god-like power lodged within the Shahdow Plane, ferried away their ellefolk ancestors and made them his race of thralls many eons ago. Gwydion imbued them with the power of darkness, transforming them into the Shadow Fey.[9] After they were liberated by their now-late leader Arak the Erlking, the shadow fey adopted Arak as the name of all their kind in his honor.[10]

Despite being all technically part of the same race, the Arak are divided into several different kinds of Breeds. There are nine major breeds, along with several Lesser Breeds that are much fewer and more specialized in nature. Breed is not inheirited but rather outgrowths of their personalities.[8] Each breed has its own role within Arak society.

The Nine Breeds comprise the political leadership of Arak society. They are split into two courts, the Seelie Court and the Unseelie Court Led by Queen Maeve, the Seelie Court is generally comprised of shee,Alven, and portune. Led by Prince Loht, the Unseelie Court is generally comprised of sith, muryans, teg, and powrie. (Fir may belong to either court.) Whereas the Unseelie Court's intentions towards humanoids are definitely evil and exploitative, the Seelie Court's intentions are fairly benign but dismissive and amoral, thus not being entirely good.[11]

Society

The Arak live in a strange society marked by distorted caricatures of human civilization marked by haphazard blends of cultural practices and fashions. With a few exceptions, their lives are shaped by the avoidance of boredom and the pursuit of pleasure rather than mortal, biological concerns. The pursuit of a trade, occupation, or even character class is an outgrowth of a particular shadow fey's interests[12]

Unlike most of the human societies of Ravenloft, Arak society is steeped in magic. Most if not all are natural spellcasters. As such, magic is seen as a natural part of everyday life.[12]

Conversely, true faith (aside from reverence for nature, as for example in the case of druids) is much less natural among the fey than among humans, and thereby Arak society is not religious in the same sense of human religion. Individual shadow fey may become followers (and divine spellcasters) of varying deities, but this service is more of a pleasurable hobby rather than true devotion.[13] The Church of the Spider Queen was perhaps one notable, and altogether horrific, exception to the Arak avoidance of organized religion. its vile rites and corrupting nature, even among the Arak, have made it the only religion almost universally hated among the shadow fey living in the Rift today.[13]

Law

The Arak that reside within the Shadow Rift exist in a multi-tiered, vaguely hereditary aristocracy sort of social structure. The Two Courts politically govern the Arak, alternating rule over the Malachite Palace.[14]

Few laws are applied or obeyed all of the time, but Loht and Maeve dominate their own courts in their own ways. Bolstered by a complex code of social nuances, Maeve governed essentially as a highly beloved and even venerated celebrity figure, rapidly exchanging favors and shaming or otherwise psychologically punishing those whom transgress her. By contrast, Loht's rule is more ordered but also more tyrannical. His whips, a title unique to the Unseelie Court, help drive obedience and steadfastness into his subjects.[15]

The Law of Arak

Set by Arak the Erlking, the Law of Arak is the only law that the entirety of the Arak obey: a shadow elf shall never cause the death of another shadow fey. If one of the Arak is found guilty of breaking this law, the offender is utter abandoned by the rest of their kind, whom will never interact with the offender again. This punishment is called the Shunning. This law has been broken only once in the past 5,000 years, by Loht in orchestrating the murder of Tristessa, with Jozell taking the blame and therefore the punishment.[16]

Alias

Arak
The Arak
Sneeuane Feallagh
The Sneeuane Feallagh
Gossomar Folk
The Gossomar Folk
Fey
The Fey
Shadow Fey
The Shadow Fey
Shadow Elves
The Shadow Elves
Dark Elves
The Dark Elves

References

  1. Servants of Darkness p. 59
  2. 2.0 2.1 The Shadow Rift (Module) p. 122
  3. Realm of Terror p. 61
  4. Comments made by David Wise on the Kargatane Reviews Page of the Red Box, archived at [https://web.archive.org/web/20030812235153/http://kargatane.com/sotk/reviews/rcs.shtml the Internet Archive
  5. Given that these two modules were written fairly late in the life of 2nd Edition, most of the sources that mention the Arak are 3rd Edition sources, such as [[Denizens of Darkness/Denizens of Dread, Ravenloft Gazetteer V, and Van Richten's Guide to the Shadow Fey (Book).
  6. TSR p. 125
  7. Gaz V p. 107
  8. 8.0 8.1 8.2 Denizens of Dread p. 22
  9. Gaz V p. 151-152
  10. Gaz V p. 106-107
  11. Gaz V p. 114-115
  12. 12.0 12.1 Gaz V p. 109
  13. 13.0 13.1 Gaz V p. 110
  14. Gaz V p. 113
  15. Gaz V p. 114-115
  16. Gazetteer V p. 114

Data from the Ravenloft Catalogue

The Shadow Rift
Denizens of Darkness - p13

The Shadow Rift - p123, 141

The Shadow Rift - p123, 141
Denizens of Darkness - p13

Arak
The Arak
Sneeuane Feallagh
The Sneeuane Feallagh
Gossomar Folk
The Gossomar Folk
Fey
The Fey
Shadow Fey
The Shadow Fey
Shadow Elves
The Shadow Elves
Dark Elves
The Dark Elves

Subcategories

This category has the following 36 subcategories, out of 36 total.

A

B

F

G

H

L

M

P

R

S

T

U

V

W

Z