Troglodytes

Troglodytes are a brutish race of medium-sized humanoid Ib that reside in caves and caverns throughout the Empire

## Biology

Troglodyte biology is similar enough to humans that it is believed that they were once the same species before rampant inbreeding and cave adaptation warped and mutated their forms. They resemble primitive humans with broad, thick skulls, sharp, reptilian eyes, clumsy, gargantuan hands, wide, flat feet, a hunch-backed posture, and an excess of hair and bodily odors. Their internal biology differs most notably from humans in that their hearty digestive tract contains a crop and gizzard, not unlike that of avians, and they have the ability to consume just about any organic matter regardless of its state of decay. Troglodytes also possess far more advanced olfactory senses, not unlike that of canines, allowing them to navigate through dark caverns through trails marked by their odors.

## Psychology

While ancestor worship is common among Troglodyte tribes, an emphasis on the immediate present is core to Troglodyte psychology. A Troglodyte that is warm and full will count himself among the blessed, and if later he is cold and hungry, he will curse his gods for his sorry lot in life. Troglodyte's focus most of their thought processes in thinking of how to ensure they will have enough food to keep themselves full, and as such, they become fiercely hostile towards those they believe may hunt their prey, harvest their berries, and otherwise compete over the limited resources of the natural world. While Troglodytes are able to set aside this intense focus on the scarcity of resources in order to cooperate with members of their own tribe, they are not able to cooperate with members of other Troglodyte tribes, or any other Ib for that matter. This fear and animosity they hold towards other races lead them to diabolize all those that they are unfamiliar with, further leading into rampant isolationism and paranoia. Furthermore, technology more advanced than spiny clubs and spiked spears escapes Troglodytes, and a natural fear and reverence for fire prevent them from utilizing it for any purpose outside of religious ceremony. These psychological quirks have ensured that Troglodytes are unable to advance their race in any way.

## Society

Troglodytes live in scattered tribes composed mainly of related family clans who share common ancestors whom they revere as minor Die. Tribes are led by a singular chieftain that is typically an elderly patriarch or powerful warrior of the most prominent tribal clan and they are also deemed Die for as long as they rule. These chieftains are spiritual leaders that conduct various religious ceremonies and traditional rites that serve to galvanize their otherwise wary subjects.

Due to their intense isolationism, Troglodytes do not interact with other races of Ib unless it is for the purpose of competing over territory and resources or capturing people and livestock to use as ingredients for vile rituals. While the concept of bartering exists within Troglodyte society, they refuse to trade or bargain with other races of Ib under any circumstance, so in cases where their hostile actions require a response from the neighboring Ib they terrorize, they must be decimated completely to ensure that all negotiations are unilateral and unconditional.

## Spirituality

Spirituality is the core facet that keeps Troglodyte society functional, and for them, it is based around the reverence of the natural world and the primary elements in their purest and most basic of forms; they have an intense antipathy for magic and technology that they perceive as employing a combination of the elements. All Troglodyte tribal territories are centered around striking natural features such as waterfalls, magma pools, and rare mineral deposits and they view themselves as being in some way empowered by these elemental vistas. Troglodyte tribes are also kept unified through the worship of their ancestors which bond them together through a shared history and origin. Moreover, they are also known to worship inanimate objects carved from stone which they view as lesser Die, yet they paradoxically do not view actual Elementals, Element Lords, or other known Die as anything more than "Devilbeasts" that do not belong on Aum.

Troglodytes also deify their tribal leaders and other Ib they view as in some way extraordinary; however, any deity status that they bestow upon a mortal is revoked upon their death. This is somewhat contradictory to many tribal practices that feature ancestral worship and appears to reflect the Troglodyte emphasis on the immediate reality of being. Furthermore, it is also worth noting that Troglodytes are unique among Ib in that deceased Troglodytes will never arise as ghosts naturally and have a strong resistance to resurrection magic of any kind. The exact mechanisms of this resistance are not understood at this time but a number of scholarly theories and wild speculations exist at varying degrees of veracity.