Excerpt from the overview

[shadesong]

Long, long ago, before humans, another race was created... the first race. The Dasaroi. No one remembers quite how; all that's known is that they appeared one day on a fresh and new world. Their appearance was human in nature, but they were immortal and gifted with powers that we'd call psychic or psionic; these powers varied in variety and strength. The Dasaroi gradually formed Houses... gatherings of people with similar appearances and attributes. As time passes, the Houses grew accustomed to producing, say, short blonde healers and empaths or tall, dark elemental mages, and that became a House attribute in itself.

The Talthar Kithrayna, also known as the First Circle, was comprised of the leaders of the seven Great Houses and led by the leader of House Tamra. The heads of the other Houses loosely formed the Second Circle, but that was mainly for internal government purposes; the Talthar Kithrayna was the true governing body.

The Dasaroi enjoyed a carefree life for centuries... the event that triggered their downfall was...
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Heh. Can't tell you that yet. To sum up, the thing that happened drove Tiala, the first Lishaya, mad, and massive carnage followed.

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Finally, the "gods" had had enough. The immortality of the Dasaroi, along with the greater portion of their powers, was revoked. Tiala committed suicide not long after, hoping for absolution in her next life.