De'Thral: An Introduction
While travelling the Panverse, you might run into various alien species.
One of the most recognizable of these species is known as the De'Thral.
They are humanoid in form, but plant-like in biology. Their skin is often green and their hair resembles the petals, leaves, and needles of plants. Some might confuse them with nature spirits, but they are just regular mortals like the rest of us.
They hail from a planet called Mi'Yaz Na'Usi. Mi'Yaz Na'Usi used to be ruled over by another alien species, but they perished in the fires of a nuclear war. From the ashes, feeding on the radiation, plants arose and mutated.
Some became giant trees, engulfing large swaths of the planet. Others stuck close to the ground, forming giant mats of creeping vines. Some, however, gained sapience.
The De'Thral inherited a cruel and unforgiving world. Resources are scarce, and the vast majority of life is locked in constant compeition.
Their planet is so consumed in this constant struggle for survival that it has been classified as a "World that authorities strongly recommend that you do not visit due to inabilities to guarantee safety" or, simply, a "Deathworld".
Considering that the Kelest decided to not colonize it, I think everyone should just stay away from it.
I have never been there. I have no plans to go there either. From what I've been told, the Grey & Green is more survivable than that planet.
But the De'Thral have managed to survive all the same.
They formed a highly structured society centered around powerful warriors and master craftsmen. The squads and guilds of the De'Thral are renowned for their immense skill, and for their ability to make do with limited resources.
Their society is led by an Apex, an elected leader that either won the position from the previous Apex by undergoing some form of trial, or was appointed to the position by the previous Apex or by the people.
The first of these was Apex Cress, who created the system to unify the De'Thral and take power away from the warlords that used to control the people.
The current one... Let's just say that De'Thral politics are currently in a state of nightmarish conflict that nobody is happy with, and everybody is having to deal with. The civil war has somehow gotten tied up conflicts over resources involving different species and it's a whole tangled mess that can be blamed pretty much in its entirety on the Kelest Empire. (Stupid intergalactic fascists always cause problems).
The De'Thral generally have a meritocracy, believing that rank should be tied to skill, but there are some who believe in survival of the fittest, where physical strength is the only thing that matters.
And as a whole, they believe that the soul, their customary armor, and one's honor are directly tied. To act without honor is to become soulless. To be without a soul means that one cannot wear the armor. To be without armor is to be without honor.
Their society is often viewed as that of barbaric, lawless warriors, but in reality, they live and die by the strict structures necessitated by the harsh world they were born into.
They are resilient. They refuse to let the cruelties of the universe break them. No De'Thral would ever go down without a fight.
That is all for now, safe travels, and remember to water your crops.
Dr. Argus