Rift's sixth playable race, the Kelari, was recently revealed, so we decided to chat with Defiant Lore Lead Morgan Lockheart to find out more about these unique elves.

When it comes to upcoming triple-A MMOs, one highly entertaining activity is to sit back and imagine what your particular character would be like. Before an MMO is really ready to launch, a significant amount of the interest it can generate is dependent on those fine people working on the game's lore. After all, without some interesting races (with interesting backgrounds!) to choose from, how will players ever be able to "see" themselves in the game?

When it comes to creating unique races with rich stories behind them, Rift: Planes of Telara is definitely a game that has this topic covered. Whether it be the physically daunting Bahmi, the resourceful and highly intelligent Eth or the steadfast Mathosians, Rift's various races are definitely unique, and they each bring a believable history that you don't see too often in an MMO. That's why when Trion Worlds recently announced the addition of the fiery, passionate Kelari race, we knew we needed to find out more, as both lore enthusiasts and MMO fans. So without further ado, read on as Defiant Lore Lead Morgan Lockheart talk about the Kelari and other races in Rift: Planes of Telara!

ZAM: Thanks for the opportunity to talk about Rift: Planes of Telara and, more specifically, the last of your announced playable races: the Kelari!

Morgan Lockhart: We've been happy to share!  We're glad that the community has gotten as excited about the Kelari as we are.

ZAM: To start things off, please give us a little background information on the Kelari. Who are they, and how did they get to be so different from their cousins, the High Elves?

Morgan: The Kelari broke from the High Elves more than a thousand years ago. Since that time, they have been physically altered by their close interactions with spirits and raw elemental power found within the jungles of the Kelari archipelago.

As a society, they were different from the start.  The elves that would eventually break off to become the Kelari were all considered deviants of High Elven society. They represented those who wished to break from the sacred duty of the elves, which was to serve as the protectors of the forests of their patron god, Tavril. They operated in secret cabals, sects that sought power from sources other than Tavril, until they finally broke off following a bloody civil war.

Where the High Elves are calm, meditative and harmonious, the Kelari are impassioned, ambitious and unpredictable, willing to take power where they can find it.
 
ZAM: What are some of the defining features of the Kelari race? What makes them stand out uniquely against their Defiant comrades?

Morgan: The Defiant races all have a few things in common. They all have a drive for perfection and power, but they all have different motivations and methodologies. Of all of the Defiant races, the Kelari are the most likely to believe that the ends justify the means.

The Eth can be accused of being reckless in their technology, but they have rarely ever engaged in any activities they knew were directly harmful. The Kelari, on the other hand, have at times participated in ritual sacrifice and other profane methods of acquiring power.

Before the Kelari fled their islands, they had been in a bloody struggle with their own people; given that many of them were happy to join up with the dragon cults. The Kelari have a truly dark past. This made it hard for the Bahmi to accept them, as the Bahmi would consider any ends acquired by such dishonorable means to be sullied and ignoble. There would be no joy in such a victory.

Within the Defiants, however, these diverse views, and the debates they foster, balance each other and make the whole of the organization stronger for it. At least, that's the sort of view the Defiants would have. The Guardians might disagree, but we Defiants know the truth!

ZAM: Judging from the Kelari's long history of elaborate ritual and spiritual power, it would seem that they would be limited to magic-related classes, given their spiritual attunement. According to other sources, however, there have been suggestions that the Kelari's racial abilities appear to be leaning more toward combat prowess. Is this due to the fact that the Kelari needed to abandon their homes (and, by extension, their spiritual pacts), thereby losing a significant amount of their magical prowess?

Morgan: If you were to ask a Kelari, they'd tell you that there isn't much the Kelari are not good at -- whether magical or martial!

When we were creating the Kelari racial abilities, we drew inspiration from that idea of the Kelari as being impassioned and unpredictable. Even when they are experimenting with Defiant magitech, the Kelari tend to be the sort of people to throw some stuff together, press the button, and see what happens. So they tend to operate in explosions, whether that is explosions of success or failure. To that end, we focused on the idea of enhancements to criticals (of whatever variety your calling tends to receive.)