Archelosaurian

Origin: Darraknoir (natural-born)

Lifespan: 1,000 years on average, can live upwards of 2,000 years

Pros:

• Transformation into a gator

• Excellent memories

Cons:

• Sensitive to physical touch and loud noises

• Can easily become overstimulated by crowds or loud noises

• Protective to a fault over their knowledge

• Can become under stimulated when bored and prone to mischief when this occurs

Origins

There is a people spoken of in hushed tones within Darraknoir, a saurian people that carry the knowledge of ancients and live in hidden places across the land. Known as the Da’kai, the saurian people come from a reptile lineage that closely resembles the alligators found on Earth and some of the dinosaurs that came before them.

The saurian people are not a caste of warriors, like many of the castes within Darraknoir, they are a people with a long memory and a longer history. They are slow to grow and age, claiming longer lifespans than most other castes.

Traits

Archelosaurian, or Saurian’s, are a long lived species.  They do not claim the same prowess that other castes might; they are not warriors nor are they quick to move, but what they lack for in their abilities as warriors they make up for in their abilities to process knowledge and information as well as their long memories. With most Archelosaurians living up to a millennium, it is not uncommon to meet an Archelosaurian who has lived for two to even three thousand years. 

Their sensitivity to the world around them leaves them often loners or at the very most in small communities of like minded individuals. Boredom and unfocused behavior is common when they are forced outside of the activities they enjoy most. They are also extremely playful, sometimes carrying prey or people around them to see how they react. Touch is an extremely intimate part of their culture, as they can become overstimulated easily. Simply bumping softly into each other or poking at someone with their snout while in gator form is a common form of greeting those they are closest to. 

Weaknesses

Due to their nature, they can be slow to act and have a high sensitivity to physical touch. They can easily become overstimulated and often seek out quiet places to lose themselves for a time, often taking a book out into the wilderness with them to help them regain their sense of self. 

Additionally, Saurian’s prefer solitude or small communities of like-minded individuals in order to better control their environment. On the opposite side of this coin, when a Saurian becomes under-stimulated they can become extremely bored and prone to mischief in order to entertain themselves.

Background

The saurian people have a long and ancient history, their knowledge passed down over the centuries through writings within their hidden libraries. The Archelosaurian people are known as keen archivists, historians, and lorekeepers within Darraknoir. They hoarded knowledge of every kind; knowledge was a powerful tool within the lands, and something that the saurian people kept as sacred.

Although they did not often venture out and mingle with other castes, those that did became well known as knowledgeable tacticians and keen strategists, as well as being highly valued as advisors to noble families. While considering themselves neutral to most conflicts in Darraknoir, many from all castes come to saurian’s in order to gather information, trading their own knowledge to gain favor. Stealing tomes or stories from a Saurian that did not give it to you will find you at the end of a pair of powerful jaws. 

They are an inquisitive people with a thirst for knowledge and information of all kinds; tending to follow new leads until their curiosity is sated. When the Rift first opened, they found themselves on Earth’s soil so many decades ago, a new light entered their eyes. Knowledge, new knowledge, and histories that they’d never heard of. Medicines they’d never tested, peoples they’d never met, cultures they’d never sampled. They were in a wealth of plenty in this new world for them to explore that harbored the singular thing that was more precious than any gem: the unknown.

Culture

Creatures of exceptionally long age, the Archelosaurians live and breathe by their ability to gather knowledge. Whether found locked up in a library for years on end, or watching a plant’s full life cycle in the swamp, Archelosaurian’s are obsessed with learning. The archivists of Darraknoir, those looking for knowledge may look no further than the door of a Archelosaurian. But they are protective of this knowledge, snapping at whoever tries to steal what they have taken so long to learn. 

Playful from birth, and naturally curious, from an early age Saurian’s are given an education based on their natural interests. Most parents will encourage their children to chase after learning more about the things that they find curiosity over, even if it is outside of their typical wheelhouse. While Saurian’s do not have many children, even in their long lived lives, they pass along the tools they have and typically share their studies with their children to pass along to their own research, whether in the form of deep archives of books and scrolls or in stories and songs they have made. Legacy for Archelosaurians comes in the form of sharing what they have learned. 

The Archelosauran live either in small groups, known as academia, or live as solitary individuals hidden in the wilds of Darraknoir. They gravitate towards swamplands and other hard to access areas where most other castes shy away from. While some will find their ways to quiet libraries or schools of thought, they prefer their solitude of quiet places in nature, such as swamps to grant them respite to concentrate upon their studies. It is not rare to find a Saurian who has dedicated a few decades to watch a tree grow from a seed, or others that pour over an entire catalogue a library has to offer only to move on in a several years to the next. Their long lives allow them to study for longer periods of time, sometimes forgetting to care for themselves. Mismatched clothes, quickly eaten meals, and lack of hygiene is an easy way to find a Saurian who has been immersed in weeks of intense study. 

Those that choose to travel and seek out curiosities and information do so with a slow purpose. They collect information to bring back to the rest of their people, sharing the knowledge as they travel between the scattered groups and academia.

Saurian’s are also great storytellers. While some prefer writing lengthy dissertations about their favorite things, others focus on song. Singing both in their human and alligator voices, deep thumping songs that can even be heard under the waves of a river or swamp. 

Once every century or so the saurian people travel to a single location. This location, hidden from records and only spoken about by word of mouth, is kept secreted away from all others that might seek it out. Here the Archelosaurian gather and share their wealth of knowledge between one another. The younger scholars busy themselves scribing and making copies of books and writings whilst the older saurian gather to discuss and converse about the newest inventions and ideas.

More Information

The Mythos Congregation

While spending more time than not in solitude, it is, however, tradition that every century Saurian’s gather together to share their new found knowledge with one another. The Mythos Congregation is a sacred event for Archelosaurians, typically held in the deep swamplands of Darraknoir, gators for all over come together to speak on topics, share what they have learned, and speak to one another on the wonders of the world around them. 

Protective of their people and their knowledge, Archelosaurians do not permit any others into the congregation without expressed permission nor do they share the location on paper, spreading it only by word-of-mouth. These meetings are typically affairs of great speeches, long songs to explain theories and research, and sessions where other Archelosaurians can find those that have similar interests to their own. Those that have attended a Mythos Congregation speak of it as a once-in-a-lifetime event with food, festivities, and exchanges of knowledge to the most interesting degree. 

Typically lasting a few weeks, the Congregation ends as swiftly as it begins, with the area it was held being quickly cleaned, revered, and emptied of any sign that an Archelosaurian was there. 

Magical Proclivity

Archelosaurian are not naturally magical and do not have an inherent ability. However, it is not uncommon to find one that has taken to rigorous study of magic in order to understand it and utilize it. Many Archelosaurians favor one of two directives, that of natural druidic magic and that of the learned arcane. Archelosaurian become more knowledgeable of their craft with time, often taking on pupils to educate on their subject of choice. Though they are extremely selective of who they share their knowledge with.