Sharri

The Sharri are a race of tall, long-eared humanoids from Arqar-Sharri. Their aloof personalites and differing philosophies on life and religion often put them at odds with other races, but they have nontheless maintained good relationships with other nations for centuries. Sharri can generally be categorized into two groups: the ambitious and often pious noble Sharri of the cities to the west, and the nomadic Sharri who wander the Great Sharri Waste in bands.

Physical Characteristics
Sharri are quite tall, usually ranging from 5'11" to nearly 7 feet in height, with males usually being taller. Their skin is tanned by the sun to a bronze color, with the nomadic Sharri having darker skin tones. Sharri have hair that is usually shades of brown and occasionally black. They have long, sallow faces with sharp chins and cheekbones. Most find that the most unusual feature of Sharri are their eyes, which are shades of gold and amber and have diamond-shaped irises.

The Sharri's ears are another prominent feature; they are quite long and end in sharp points. Scholars suspect that Sharri developed their long ears to hear danger in their desert home more easily, but their hearing does not appear to be any better or worse than an average human. A well-known practice of Sharri is to pierce one of their ears each time they win a victory. The most skilled of Sharri warriors and the most shrewd and scheming of Sharri nobles have ears laden with piercings of gold and glass.

Culture
The Sharri are divided into two principle cultural groups: the city Sharri of the west, and the nomadic Sharri of the Waste. Both differ greatly in terms of philosophy, habits, and culture.

The nomadic Sharri rove in bands across the Great Waste, never stopping in one place for too long and seeking shelter beneath the mountains during the hotter months. The nomads have a matriarchal culture, with the oldest mother in the band taking a leadership role. While the nomads have no written records to speak of, they do have a rich oral tradition, with untold thousands of stories and legends passed down by master storytellers. The bands range in size from a dozen individuals to hundreds. Most share the philosophy of shared goods, and treat the band as an extended family rather than as just members of the same group. Other bands, usually all male, instead raid others for food and supplies and make traveling the desert dangerous.

The city Sharri are vastly different. These individuals, particularly nobles, are often individualistic and high-strung. Due to their belief in reincarnation, city Sharri plan far ahead in the future and often neglect the present. They dress in fine silk clothes and wear jewelery of glass and gold. The city Sharri are ambitious, always seeking ways to elevate their standing within the city's political sphere as well as with their god, Arast Aram.

Relations
Sharri traditionally butt heads when it comes to relationships with humans. The Sharri are often cold and aloof when it comes to other races, whom they view as not worthy of their time. Due to the city Sharri's tendency to place emphasis on their future lives before their current one, cognitive dissonance arises when dealing with humans, many of whom live in the moment. In particular, Sharri find the Byrosians and their constant drinking and festivals to be a source of irritation and some go out of their way to avoid them.

Despite this, Aqal-Shatat has maintained a trade relationship with Kasimar for centuries, and Sharri still inhabit many cities outside of their native land, having left on personal quests or to escape the rigid and hostile environment of the city's nobility.