User:CCRyder95/Anthera (Playable)

The Anthera are an allied race affiliated with the Alliance in World of Warcraft: The Waking Dream. They are available after completing the Antheran Hegemony faction campaign.

Background
(WIP)

Little was known of the reclusive moth-folk before the Nightmare War, most assuming they were yet another race of the Emerald Dream, the spawn of some unknown Wild God. It wasn't until certain events came to light in the subterranean caverns of Urs'var Barrow that outsiders learned of their genesis; they are an evolutionary offshoot of the insectoid Aqir. However, instead of worshipping the nebulous Old Gods, they revere Elune, who they believe has redeemed them of their corrupted birthright. What were once mindless slaves, empty vessels for the Old Gods' wills, had transcended, but the Void does not give up its hosts so easily. Marked with a cloying Hivemind, the Anthera were cursed to lapse into their former mindsets, praising their dark gods, if they ever gathered in too great of numbers. The Antheran Hegemony was a starving nation, its people spread to the far corners for fear of their instincts returning.

Since the events of the Nightmare War and the exorcism of the Hivemind from the soul of its people, the Hegemony has experienced a cultural renaissance. Finally able to support a healthy population and unmarred by their shadowy influence, the Anthera are free to witness the wonders of the waking world. The bond of Elune has cemented their ties to the Kal'dorei and the Alliance.

Classes

 * - The Anthera have a strong warrior culture and their need for isolation requires all people to have some degree of martial training to protect themselves. The mightiest are wandering Knights-errant, dueling with swords of compressed silk.
 * - A lifetime in the bioluminescent caverns of Urs'var Barrow has taught Antheran hunters how to hunt and track prey in less-than-ideal circumstances. Frankly, fighting in open daylight almost seems unfair. Antheran hunters will start with Barrowmoth worms as pets.
 * - Their redemption at the hands of Elune have made the Anthera incredibly pious, the most devout taking the next step and becoming a Lunaseer, a member of the Antheran priesthood. Even in their new forms, the Aqir's former maddening worship of the Old Gods shines through, as the Anthera are known to be fairly zealous in their philosophy at times. Whatever the source of their fervor, they have remained the most resistant to the Hivemind's touch.
 * - A number of pious Anthera took the path of the Vespertine; an order of holy knights and judges akin to more traditional paladins. Wielding righteous moonlight, the Vespertine had the heavy task of enforcing Antheran isolation, lest their former dark instincts resurface. In the event that this occurred, they would execute the afflicted with a sorrowful but unyielding heart. With the exorcism of the Hivemind, they are free to wield their strength to more meaningful ends.
 * - While their supreme deity is Elune, the Anthera also pay tribute to a number of lesser spirits within their underground kingdom. In addition, the Antheran shamans were the compliment to the Vespertine paladins; they fostered what little community they could among the Anthera, traveling between the sparsely-populated settlements to share news, stories and culture. While they may seem antithetical to the goals of the Vespertine, the two groups actually got along quite well, viewing each other as the necessary opposite side of the coin.
 * - Isolation breeds a lack of empathy, and some of the Anthera have taken to more shadowy pursuits given the absence of a solid community. Their slender bodies, soundless steps and ability to fly make the moth-folk adept at theft, subterfuge and vanishing away.
 * - A unique relationship with the Fey Dragonflight, police force of the arcane within the Emerald Dream, has allowed the Anthera to be one of the few races of the Dream to utilize true magic. They believe its source is from the stars above, the night's sky rendered into an unfathomable cosmic display through the lens of the Dream.