Ayindilar Occultist

Secretive groups of ayindilar occultists gather to worship otherworldly entities or pursue magics forbidden by their communities at large. Imbuing their weapons with mind-numbing psychic energy and utilizing their occult talents to confuse and confound foes, ayindilar occultists are the root of many of the biases outsiders feel toward their people.

In the days following Earthfall, many elves retreated from Golarion's surface to the gloom of the Darklands, founding city-states throughout the subterranean continents. Over generations, more and more of these sub-surface elves were born with physical colorations that matched the muted hues of their new home, with pale lavender skin and stark white hair eventually becoming the most common ayindilar complexion.

Today, little remains of the ancient ayindilar civilizations. Their great cities lie abandoned, and the underground trade routes they once traveled are now monster-infested tunnels. Ayindilar elves can be encountered throughout the Darklands, but they rarely gather in great numbers or seek attention. Most ayindilars are nomadic, avoiding contact with outsiders as they hunt prey or follow herds of moss-grazing lizards through lightless caverns. Others live in enclaves within larger cities, primarily on Nar-Voth, dwelling in the proverbial shadows cast by more established Darklands societies.

While some elven cultures embrace arcane, divine, or primal traditions, ayindilars are more interested in occult research, and many have learned to channel the psychic energies that permeate the Darklands. The magic practiced by ayindilars tends to be subtle, and their ability to cloud minds and remain hidden from sight has garnered them a reputation as sneaks and tricksters—a notoriety that fuels many ayindilars' own distrust of outsiders. Ironically, this mutual distrust drives some ayindilars to prey on surface folk and Darklands dwellers alike, further solidifying their sinister reputations.

Lost Cities

During their exodus from Golarion's surface, some ayindilar elves traveled through the Darklands all the way to Tian Xia, while others delved deeper toward the vaults of Orv. Most settled on Sekamina, building massive cities throughout. Their greatest city was Zirnakaynin, which legend holds was the birthplace of ayindilar occultism. For reasons unknown, Zirnakaynin fell. The other ayindilar city-states soon followed, and while many of these ruins have been reclaimed by other Darklands societies, lost Zirnakaynin remains mysterious and abandoned.

Cruelty of the Crowd

Today, ayindilar elves avoid congregating in large settlements, distrusting their own leaders nearly as much as they do outsiders. According to ayindilar lore, when more than a few thousand ayindilars gather in one place, their society undergoes sinister changes. Wicked behavior increasingly becomes the norm, as customs and institutions begin to echo those of the crueler ayindilar city-states. It's unclear whether this supposed phenomenon prompted ayindilars to abandon their ancient cities, but it certainly discourages modern ayindilar elves from returning to them.