Description
Aleuzla's Surface
The vast underground caverns of Aleuzla contain plentiful water, and a suitably diverse ecosystem as a result. Above ground, however, water is far more scarce, but not necessarily because rain is scarce. In fact, for roughly a third of every year, Aleuzla is struck by severe monsoons. But the poor soil quality ensures that none are truly able to take advantage of these times of plenty.
To adapt to Aleuzla's cycle of drought and monsoon, Aleuzla's surface organisms almost exclusively operate in short bursts of activity; springing to life when resources are plentiful, only to immediately turn dormant to preserve energy when needed. This applies even more so to sex-feeders than other forms of life. Water is scarce in Aleuzla, but suitable sexual prey are far rarer. As a result, succubi and incubi that hunt and then leave their prey alone are very rare on Aleuzla. Instead, sex feeders tend to act much more as parasites; remaining dormant until prey approaches them rather than actively looking for prey, and forming semi-permanent to permanent bonds with prey once found. These permanent bonds can range from the mutually beneficial and social bonds of companion raptors to the parasitic and debilitating bonds of scarlet ocotillo.
Hayim
A species of sentient meerkat-like omnivores native to Aleuzla. Scavengers and nomads that very rarely form permanent homes, who instead move with their livestock in constant search of greener pastures and sources of water.
Hayim clans travel together in great caravans that double as mobile trading posts, trading with goblins, random travelers through Aleuzla, other sentients, and even on occasion more hostile species such as kobolds. Hayim are famed for their quick wits and mercantile spirits as much as they are famed for their skill at navigating their often treacherous home layer. Hayim clans are even well known to not simply welcome foreigners and aliens into their midst, but actually prefer them over the company of their own kind save for members of their own clan.
Hayim dislike for their own kind outside of their clans goes beyond simple disdain and well into the territory of hatred. They are practically hardwired for hostility towards any other hayim that is not blood related. As hayim clans are essentially extended family units, this means that their marriages and sexual relations within their own kind tend to be exclusively incestuous, with their only reproduction outside family being the result of sexual conquests following raids on other clans. Ordinarily this would be completely unsustainable, but hayim are able to maintain a stable genetic structure through gene harvesting, wherein they absorb genetic "markers" from other species they mate with. These markers are incorporated into their reproductive cells, causing any offspring to differ just enough from their incestuous parents to offset any heightened risk of genetic abnormalities.
I write all of these lore blurbs off the cuff, but these ones strike me as especially meandering and rambly for some reason. Might touch them up later.
GrandeDragonLord
MemberD'aww. They are Adorable ! ...for that world
PCaelifera
MemberWhy do they hate their own kind so much?
Are they descendants of a species from another world?
NarglFargl
MemberIt's basically familial loyalty and tribalism that their biology allows them to take to an extreme. Since they can survive off incestuous reproduction, increasingly harsh dislike of outsider hayim is no longer an extinction-level disadvantage.
GrandeDragonLord
MemberCombine dark ages medieval europe / royalty to the Village - with tribal warlord era historic Mongolia and some sprinkles of ancient tuaregs
ginkei
MemberYou could ask the same about humans.
PCaelifera
MemberAre they considered incubi/succubi?
NarglFargl
MemberNope. They're ordinary mammals who feed as humans would. They're just horny.
PCaelifera
MemberAre they (originally) from another world?
NarglFargl
MemberEasy answer: no. They evolved entirely on the Parasite World. Though you could probably find some DNA from one or two similar Earth species in there somewhere if you looked hard enough, as they've definitely crossbred once or twice in the course of their evolution.
GrandeDragonLord
MemberI seriously hope that the parasite world won't be forgotten. It has too much potential and lore ! :]
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