Ashurati (Sandstorm)

An asherati might be mistaken for a thin human under some circumstances - at least until the asherati's rust-red skin begins to glow with a light all its own, or until he dives headlong into the nearest sand dune, disappearing without a trace.

Asheratis are a geographically established people who live below the sands and dusts of suitable wastelands, rising to the surface to hunt for food, socialize and trade with other races, and make war upon their enemies. As merfolk are to the sea, asheratis are to the sands.

Personality: Asheratis are a quiet people, given to reflection and long retreats from the presence of their fellows. However, every asherati acknowledges the value of community and fellowship, and each retreat is followed by a return to a sand-shrouded village where friendships are renewed and the needs of the community are met.

Physical Description: An asherati appears as a humanoid with smooth skin the color of rust. An asherati can make its skin glow as if with an inner fire, giving off a piercing illumination that suffuses through sand. An asherati has no body hair and eyes the color of ivory. The lithe asherati is a graceful swimmer of the dunes, and thus eschews excessive clothing or equipment, wearing only minimal, skin-hugging garments for modesty's sake. Some asheratis wear tight leather armor, streamlined so as not to hinder their progress through the sands. A typical asherati stands between 5 and 6 feet tall and weighs about 170 pounds.

Relations: Asheratis delight when nomads, caravans, or travelers of almost any race appear in the sands above their homes - by day, asherati merchants trade their wares, while at night, asherati rogues silently ascend and try their hands at pilfering. Trade continues despite this behavior, because no one can come close to replicating the delicate asherati sand sculptures, which can fetch large prices in cities far from the desert.

Asheratis tolerate other established races of the wastes, grudgingly admitting that each has found a niche. The asheratis live below the sand and the other races above. Still, sometimes conflict erupts or potential feuds smolder just below the surface.

It is not unknown for caravans moving through the desert to hire an asherati or two to act as guides and scouts. Especially adventurous asheratis have left the wastes entirely, seeking their fortunes in completely alien lands.

Alignment: Asheratis share a common concern for one another's welfare and are, therefore, good. Observing no specific rules when it comes to behavior, and having a proclivity toward thievery, asheratis are usually chaotic.

Asherati Lands: The trackless, changing waste seems an inhospitable location to claim, with the burning sun by day and frigid cold at night. That's why asheratis claim the lands below, living beneath the sand as if it were water. Under the cover of sand are their homes, communities, and even a few great cities of striking architecture. The interior of every buried building is hollow; the air is clear, and asheratis live in a way not unlike that of common humans. Cleverly constructed "sandlocks" in the floors of their homes allow asheratis to move into and out of buried buildings without disrupting the equilibrium between sand and open space.

In asherati cities, families hold the power. Powerful, wealthy, and well-respected families are responsible for the outlook of the local populace, and are referred to as the First Families. The First Families share power in a council, and truly great families are sometimes important in more than one village. Since family is such an important aspect of asherati social life, bad behavior on the part of a single family is often tolerated for far longer than in most other civilizations.

Far-flung asherati towns are usually made up of just two or three families, all working together to build their community. Usually such colonies are built to expand trade. Others are secretly established in sandy areas that abut more temperate regions to serve as a base for larceny.

Religion: Many asheratis give homage to Solanil (see page 46, Sandstorm), whom they view as responsible for building the first sand city to shelter the asheratis when they arrived in the wasteland. Particularly zealous asherati worshipers see themselves as the "seeds" that the deity has planted, just as she encourages the planting of seeds so there will be more food in the waste.

Language: Asheratis speak their own language and Common.

Names: Asheratis have given names and family names.

Male Names: Amhapar, Het, Iputhut, Iu-same, Khankhe, Menefer, M'ut, Nament, Tauah.

Female Names: Abesukh, Aned, Ankheru, Djede, Kher-ra, Nemenmo, Reht, Shis.

Family Names: Ambera, Atinani, Faihayl, Habah, Huridah, Imtimah, Manah, Nadeeha, Najeema, Nazihar, Nimah, Rawthay, Reedayl.

Adventurers: Every asherati has some measure of adventurous spirit, no matter how deeply hidden. It would be hard to name an asherati who did not try his hand at a minor bit of thievery for the fun and excitement such behavior promises. It is not unheard of to find full-time asherati adventurers, though such folk usually leave the sands of their birth far behind, finding noble quests in the far corners of the world.

Ashurati Racial Traits

Random Starting Ages
RaceAdulthoodSimple¹Moderate²Complex³
Asherati20 years+1d4+1d6+2d6
¹ Simple classes are barbarian, rogue, and sorcerer.
² Moderate classes are bard, fighter, paladin, and ranger.
³ Complex classes are cleric, druid, monk, and wizard.
Aging Effects
RaceMiddle Age¹Old²Venerable³ Maximum Age
Asherati45 years 62 years 89 years+3d10 years
¹At middle age -1 to Str, Dex, and Con; +1 to Int, Wis, and Cha.
² At old age, -2 to Str, Dex, and Con; +1 to Int, Wis, and Cha.
³ At venerable age, -3 to Str, Dex, and Con; +1 to Int, Wis, and Cha.
Random Starting Height And Weight
RaceBase HeightHeight ModifierBase WeightWeight Modifier
Asherati, male5'0"+2d1070 lb.x 2d4 lb.
Asherati, female4'9"+2d1065 lb.x 2d4 lb.

Other Races and Monster Races
Races of Faerûn
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Character Creation

Source: Sandstorm