Lyđuđræ
From Codex Vocrotha
Physical Description
Almost more than any other of the Sentients, it is the lot of the Lyðuðræ to be misunderstood. Perhaps some of the reason can be traced to their appearance; while of average height for one of the Sentient races, their appearance is utterly alien to the others; their skin is glossy, jet black, hairless and chitinous, jointed smoothly in a streamlined fashion that bears no resemblance to anything so much as a highly evolved insect. Their massive, faceted, hand-sized eyes are similarly black and lidless, and their tiny mouths and apparent lack of both nose and ears make them shocking to the uninitiated (though, in truth, only the nose is missing; hearing is accomplished by a combination of two tiny slits in the head and acoustic processes inside the cranium).
Perhaps, as well, it is the speech patterns of the Lyðuðræ; lacking a hard palate, they speak most languages with a decided affectation that any fop would die for, exchanging a hard S for a soft TH, and other, harder consonants for a breathy, throatier version.
Then again, it could be that the other races envy the famous Lyðuðræn taste and style. For, as everyone knows, fashion starts underground.
Sociopolitical Outlook
The Lyðuðræ are a proud race, beholden to none, following only their own agenda, and nearly unassailable in their strange underground fortresses. Given this level of accomplishment, it is somewhat surprising that these beings venture beyond their citadels, and yet something compels them to deal with the other races, to exchange both knowledge and goods, to increase trade and understanding between the Deep Peoples and the rest of what they call the "Highlanders."
It may very well be that their powers force them to seek out others; arguably the only race with natural powers of telepathy, the Lyðuðræ think nothing of playing "mind games" with each other to pass the time, and soon yearn to understand different modes of thinking than their own. Unfortunately, this tendency to probe a mind and ask questions later is ill-received by most Highlanders, and has been the cause for much conflict and bloodshed in the past.
Most especially offended by this tendency were the Kâlindur, who once shared much of the underground kingdom with the Lyðuðræ. In true Kâlind fashion, an imagined slight in a decidedly minor transaction managed to get blown into a full-scale national war, one which the Lyðuðræ only managed to survive by the timely intervention of another, far greater War that all but exterminated the Kâlindur. While the Lyðuðræ, of course, have long-since forgotten the offense and forgiven the action, the Kâlindur, somehow, bear a grudge to this day. It is interesting, however, to note that, had the Kâlindur not committed so many troops to their war against the Lyðuðræ, they might have been able to win this other Highland War.
Aside from their strange appearance and mental capacity, the Lyðuðræ have the unusual honor of being the most fashionably hip culture. While this has certainly been unintentional on their part, Lyðuðræn styles have been all the rage since time immemorial in the highest courts, and Royal Seamstresses have a fair amount of their time taken up attempting to reproduce the latest from Zhar, the Lyðuðran capital.
Allies & Enemies
The closest thing to an ally the Lyðuðræ possess would have to be the Tenebriel nation; they have worked together in the past and sometimes share resources underground, when the mines of Ice-clad Thurgar descend to touch the upper reaches of Zhar's majestic caverns. This may, in fact, be because the Tenebriel have nowhere else to turn for allies, but whatever the reason they are respectful and civil hosts, and their alliance has lasted longer than some kingdoms.
Most others fall into the neutral category -- occasional allies, occasional enemies, but never anything to be seriously trusted in the long run. The Drakkhozhn are all too often unreadable, and their motives too selfish, to trust for long, though the goods of their homelands and the decidedly different thinking of their people necessitates some sort of continued diplomatic contact. Humans, it seems, are far too squeamish to maintain any kind of long-term loyalty to the Lyðuðræ, thinking them "bugs" in their unshielded, petty little minds. Gochin think the same things, but at least have the decency to say them aloud, snickering all the while. The Kâlindival are a decent, respectful folk, but given their tendency to adopt another culture -- and their dislike of staying underground for long -- there has been very little contact between the two races; it is this same dislike of the Deeper Realms that limits contact with the Feralin races, too. As for the Solindriel, they are rather too self-righteous, flighty and undependable for alliance, and their kin the Zephriel are even more unbearable for the same reasons, if that can even be imagined. The Ur, while useful in individual capacities as hired mercenaries, are too easily duped and led by others to make useful allies.
This leaves only two races as full-time enemies, one of which remains so by its own choice -- the Kâlindur. Few as they are, their legendary pride (and their poor recollection of events as they occurred) forces them to raid Lyðuðran stores, collapse Lyðuðran mines and claim loudly how the Lyðuðræ stole their lands, slaughtered their women, raped their sheep and other such nonsense. The Lyðuðræ bear such minor annoyances with dignity, though when these criminals are caught they are incarcerated until such time as whichever homeless dignitary that currently calls themselves the Dwarven King tramps down to Zhar to request their freedom.
The other race to earn Lyðuðran enmity are the Dolgothros. Centuries ago they invaded Zhar en masse, taking over countless nobles and rulers with astounding swiftness and doing so undetected, due to their competence in the magics of the mind. Only with keen thinking and decisive action did the Lyðuðran hero Ðalryr and his companions confront the replaced rulers and destroy them, unveiling a plan to use the resources of the Lyðuðran Kingdom in an effort to destroy the other Highland realms. Since then, the security of Zhar has always been instructed in the ways by which a Dolgothros may be detected, and given instructions to slay any they find on sight.
