Ashtar
http://forum.illyriad.co.uk/orc-handbook-for-elgea-elven-society_topic5133.html
Please do not harvest or hunt within 10 squares of my towns without my permission.
Temur> Kojak, Roan, and Ashtar gleam, Three eleven goddesses, a dream. Kojak's fire lights the sky, Roan's soft whispers never die. Ashtar weaves the stars' embrace, Together they hold time and space.
Ashtar: The Female Elf Warrior with an Orc Soul
In the realms of high fantasy, where magic and mythical beings are intertwined with ancient histories and epic battles, few stories captivate the imagination like that of Ashtar, the female elf warrior with the soul of an orc. Her tale is one of duality, conflict, and the search for identity in a world that does not quite understand her. Ashtar’s existence challenges the boundaries of race, destiny, and the very essence of what it means to belong.
Ashtar was born under extraordinary circumstances, the result of a forbidden union between an elf and an orc. In the ancient world, where elves and orcs were mortal enemies, the idea of such a union was considered an abomination. However, love can often bloom in the most unlikely of places, and this rare union defied the animosities that had plagued both races for centuries. What made Ashtar even more extraordinary was that she inherited her father’s soul—a fierce and indomitable spirit of an orc—while her body was entirely elven.
Her elf mother, who had once been a warrior of the elven kingdom, faced immediate consequences for her decision to bear a child of such unholy lineage. Cast out from her people, she sought refuge in the wilds, raising Ashtar in isolation. The child grew strong in the unforgiving environment, learning both the grace and agility of elves and the raw power and resilience of orcs. Yet, despite her extraordinary abilities, Ashtar always felt the weight of her dual nature—a warrior's heart bound to an elf's body, with an orc’s soul stirring inside her.
From a young age, Ashtar knew something was different about her. She could hear the primal voice of her orc soul, an urge to fight and conquer, demanding her to be bolder, fiercer, and more aggressive than her elven kin ever taught her to be. Her elven side tried to keep her temper in check, encouraging her to think before acting and to use strategy over brute strength. But her orc soul rebelled, wanting to act immediately, charging into battle without the slightest hesitation.
Her dual nature was further tested when she encountered both elves and orcs. To the elves, she was a mutt—too wild to be one of them, yet not fierce enough to be an orc. She was caught between two worlds, never fully accepted by either. The orcs, on the other hand, recognized her father’s spirit within her, but her lithe elven appearance made them regard her as an anomaly, perhaps even a weakness among their kind. Ashtar’s identity became an ongoing conflict, and she began to wonder if she would ever find a place where she truly belonged.
Despite her inner turmoil, Ashtar soon found solace in the path of a warrior. The combination of her elven agility and her orcish strength made her a formidable opponent, and she quickly earned respect from those who had witnessed her skill in battle. Her father’s soul burned with an intensity that she could not ignore, pushing her to seek out and engage in conflicts that allowed her to prove herself. However, her elven side often sought out the protection of her people, working as a defender of her mother's kin against the orcish hordes.
Her presence on the battlefield was unlike any other. In combat, she became a symbol of the struggle between grace and savagery. Her enemies, whether orc or elf, could not understand her—her movements were fluid and elegant, yet her strikes were brutal and unyielding, as though an unseen beast controlled her every move. Yet, within her mind, there was a constant battle between these two forces: her elven side, which sought peace and diplomacy, and her orc soul, which sought dominance and war.
Ashtar’s journey, like that of many tragic heroes, is one of self-discovery. Torn between two opposing sides, she eventually realized that she was neither fully elf nor orc—she was something unique, something beyond the simple categorization of race. She began to understand that her identity was not defined by the expectations of others but by her choices, actions, and how she chose to use her power.
Throughout her adventures, she became a figure of inspiration to others—particularly those who felt they did not belong, who were marginalized or outcast by society. Ashtar showed them that strength does not come from conforming to an ideal but from embracing all the aspects of oneself. Her personal growth centered on learning to balance her orcish rage with her elven wisdom, forging a new path that allowed her to become a leader, uniting disparate factions and helping them understand the value of diversity in the face of common threats.
Ashtar’s legacy is one of integration and strength—an unwavering testament to the fact that identity is not determined solely by heritage, but by the choices made along the way. Her duality, which once seemed like a curse, became her greatest gift. She was not just an elf or an orc; she was both, and in that unity, she found a power unlike any other. Ashtar, the female elf warrior with an orc soul, is a symbol of unity in a divided world, a reminder that strength is not about perfect alignment, but about embracing the complexities within and using them for the greater good.
Her story continues to inspire those who feel caught between worlds, showing them that, like Ashtar, they too can become something greater than the sum of their parts.
| Rare Herb Tile Locations | |
| Ancient Forest: | Ironstem Root, Brascan Seeds |
| Wooded Glade: | Larken Wood, Brascan Seeds, Queen's Hair, Furizion Seedpods, Sharproot |
| Blessed Oak: | Ancient Oak |
| Thick Forest: | Larken Wood, Vistrok Flowers |
| Dense Forest: | Larken Wood, Brascan Seeds, Suntree Haft, Vistrok Flowers, Furizion Seedpods, Sharproot, Brownback Moss, Baleberries |
| Light Woods: | Larken Wood, Brascan Seeds, Brownback Moss, Vistrok Flowers, Sharproot, Queen's Hair |
| Wooded Land: | Larken Wood, Brascan Seeds, Brownback Moss, Vistrok Flowers, Sharproot |
| Forested Hilltop: | Larken Wood, Brascan Seeds, Suntree Haft, Furizion Seedpods, Silverthorn, Rockweed Root, Baleberries |
| Swamp, Mire, March, Bog: | Toadcap Fungus |
| Abandoned Mineshaft: | Miner's Bane |
| Light Tropical Cover: | Queen's Hair, |Jungle| Giant Palm Leaves |
| Tropical Foliage: | Giant Palm Leaves |
| Tropical Hilltop: | Queen's Hair |
| Dense Foliage: | Giant Palm Leaves,* |
| Rainforest: | Giant Palm Leaves, Queen's Hair, Furizion Seedpods, * |
| Fisherman's Hut: | Ancient Oak |
| Abundant Clay, Exposed Clay, Turned Clay, Plains (not desert/arctic): | Warpwood Shoot |
| Oasis: | Rahan Palm Wood, Spidertree Leaves |
| Weeping Willow: | Queen's Hair |
| Palm Trees: | Rahan Palm Wood, Giant Palm Leaves, Ebony Wood, Punfruit |
| Dark Forest: | Brascan Seeds |
| Forbidden: | Ancient Oak |
| Think Rainforest: | Dyallom Gall, Mabri Fruit |
| Dense Rainforest: | Mabri Fruit |
| Rainforest Hilltop: | Punfruit |
| Petrified Forest: | Ysanberries |
| Plains (desert) during summer: | Desert Flame |
| Plains (arctic) during winter: | Snowbell |
      |
 Caravan |
      |
 Cotter |
   |
 Skinner |
 |
 Miner |
 |
 Herbalist |
Rare Resources and Crafting
[Usable Items Only]
| Graphic | Name | Crafting Products |
|---|---|---|
| Minerals | ||
| Arterium | War Axe, Reinforced Sword, Thick-Ring Chainmail, Dwarven Champion's | |
| Iceheart | Light Sword, Spiked Sword, Iron-Banded Spear, Light Spear, Trident, Splintmail, Vanguard's Armour, Extra Light Chainmail, Light Chain Armour, Master-Crafted Chainmail, Reinforced Chainmail, Light Platemail, Reinforced Platemail | |
| Obsidian | Obsidian Blade, Obsidian-Tipped Spear, Obsidian Platemail | |
| Silversteel | Silversteel Sword, Silversteel Spear, Silversteel Chainmail, Dwarven Champion's, Silversteel Platemail | |
| Herbs | ||
| Ancient Oak | Boar Spear, Dragon Spear, Trident | |
| Brascan Seeds | Extra Heavy Armour, Hardened Leather, Master-Crafted Chainmail | |
| Ebony Wood | Ebony-Hilt Sword, Ebony Bow, Ebony Spear | |
| Giant Palm Leaves | Desert Armour, Desert Chainmail, Master-Crafted Chainmail, Desert Platemail | |
| Larken Wood | Elven Spirit Bow, Poacher's Bow | |
| Lemonwood Bough | Three-Wood Bow | |
| Pale Cedar Wood | Three-Wood Bow | |
| [@c=247} | Rahan Palm | Desert Pike |
| Queen's Hair Leaves | Over-Padded Armour; Over-Padded Chainmail; Under-Padded Platemail | |
| Spidertree Leaves | Cloth-Backed Leather, Cloth-Backed Chainmail | |
| Elementals | ||
| Air Salt | Chitin-Cored Bow, Ebony Bow, Hero's Bow, Composite Bow, Leopard Gut Bow, Mammoth Tusk Bow, Dragon Spear | |
| Earth Salt | Extra Heavy Armour, Midnight Armour, Sun-Burnished Armour, Extra-Heavy Chainmail, Silversteel Chainmail, Ancient Pattern Armour, Dwarven Champion's Armour, Obsidian Platemail, Silversteel Platemail | |
| Fire Salt | Obsidian Blade, Orc Marauder's Sword, Reinforced Sword, Silversteel Sword, Spiked Sword | |
| Water Salt | Desert Pike, Harpoon-Spear, Iron-Banded Spear, Jungle Hunter's Spear, Obsidian-Tipped Spear, Silversteel Spear | |
| Anatomies | ||
| Anaconda Skin | Jungle Bow, Jungle Spear | |
| Arctic Wolf Fur | Fur-Lined Chainmail | |
| Arctic Wolf Tooth | Harpoon-Spear | |
| Baboon Fur | Seaxe, Rapid-Draw Bow, Dueling Spear | |
| Black Bear Fur | Mountain-Tribe's Sword, Hero's Bow | |
| Black Panther Fur | Midnight Armour | |
| Brown Bear Fur | High-power bow; Mountain Bow; Mountain Spear | |
| Fire Salamander Skin | Arctic Bow; Arctic Spear | |
| Gharial Tooth | Fang-Barbed Sword; Fang-Barbed Spear; Spiked Platemail | |
| Giant Beetle Carapace | Animal-Scale Armour; Highland Armour; Highland Chainmail; Highland Plate Mail | |
| Giant Rat Fur | Short Sword; Hunter's Bow; Woodsman's Bow; Forrester's Spear | |
| Giant Scorpion Exoskeleton | Plainsman's Armour; Plainsman's Platemail | |
| Giant Scuttler Exoskeleton | Razor-Edged Sword; Razor-Edged Spear | |
| Golden Monkey Fur | Jungle Armour; Jungle Platemail; Jungle Chainmail | |
| Ice Salamander Skin | Desert Bow; Desert Spear | |
| Jaguar Fur | Longsword; Battle Spear | |
| Leopard Entrail | Leopard Gut Bow | |
| Mammoth Tusk | Mammoth Tusk Bow | |
| Poisonous Crawler Exoskeleton | Animal-Scale Armour; Upland Armour; Hillsman's Chainmail; Upland Platemail | |
| Poisonous Crawler Mandible | Chitin-Crafted Shortsword | |
| Polar Bear Fur | Fur-Lined Platemail | |
| Puma Fur | Battle Sword; Marksman's Bow; Defender's Spear | |
| Salamander Fang | Fang-Tipped Spear | |
| Scaled Charger Scale | Animal-Scale Armour; Forester's Armour; Plainsman's Chainmail; Woodsman's Chainmail; Forester's Platemail | |
| Scaled Charger Vertebra | Barbarian Sword; Plains Bow; Plainsman's Spear | |
| Scritcher Carapace | Chitin-Cored Bow | |
| Simien Wolf Fur | Extra Light Armour; Light Leather | |
| Snow Leopard Fur | Fur-Lined Armour | |
| Wild Dog Bone | Bone Handled Sword; Machete; Scimitar | |
| Wild Dog Fur | Adventurer's Sword; Hillsman's Bow; Hill-Tribe Spear; Jungle Hunter's Spear | |
| Wolf Tooth | Orc Marauder's Sword | |
| Wolf Fur | Sabre; Long-Draw Bow; Pike |