Alterrans

Name: Alterrans Deity: Elistae- Goddess of the Underdark, Keeper of the waters of life (In Old Alterran the word for life, is also light)
Lifespan: Around 3000 years. The older they are, the less intune with reality they become. These beings are called the Diminished and leave their Hive to wander endlessly in the underdark, searching for the mouth of their life stream. Diminished are considered dangerous. Their mind has left them, and the only thing left is their primary objective to find the mouth. Some vanish, their energies returning into the earth, their physical bodies simply turning to dust, and some are lost forever and it is said that they found their mouth and returned to the waters from whence they came.
Their numbers are slowly dwindling as they have lost access to a large percentage of their eggs.
Procreation: Sex/ Egg. There must be two, but either can carry the egg to term and either can birth it through their mouths. When the egg is laid it is crystalized and the egg is embedded in the walls until maturity, around 500 years until it hatches. The birth rate is very low and children and the eggs are seen as the sacred light. The egg must be bathed in a stream of the life water and set to crystalize in the stone walls of the hive. Within the walls, it absorbs the energies of the Alterrans around it, little by little. The energies continue through the generations, over and over. If it is not in a hive, gathering the collective energies from other Alterrans around it, it will go into deep hibernation and look like stone until it is returned to the hive.

Because of this energy exchange, rebirth and reincarnation is believed in and energies and souls are thought to be connected through time.
Organization: Hives- Alterrans have built themselves cities within the stone of the underdark. They use their earth magic to hewn the stone into columns of abodes. The waters of the underdark and the plant growth it sustains create a livable atmosphere. Their diet is mostly on the plants and mushrooms they grow under the light of the crystals within the underdark, along with other food trade with the Overworld. Without the waters, their race would not continue and their crops would not grow. They will protect their Life Waters until their dying breath.
They are led by a queen or king of their Hive. There is a high sovereign over the rest that changes every few hundred years if it is decided on.
Language: Old Altarren. It’s an ancient language, much of their history is written in the stone of their homes. They often sing in Old Alterran, the sounds echoing in the underdark. Their writing is pictographs and simplified cursive of their language.
Appearance: Tall, most over six feet in their maturity, with pointed ears and horns, sometimes multiple pairs. Their skin color varies from white, to purple, blue and black. In the deep dark, their eyes reflect a silver glow. Usually white hair, but it can vary in color, even blue or green. Their Horns can be a variety of shapes and styles and they keep growing as they mature. They can break off and regrow, or be filed down to look more human if need be. The eldest have very long horns and very gaunt appearances as they near their Diminished stage of life.
Strengths: Can see in the dark, great hearing, able to pinpoint where something is, or how many there are by sound. Their sense of touch is also highly precise. Their magic is predominantly Earth magic.
Weaknesses: Harsh light. They are merely blind during the day in the Overworld, if they are above ground, they will often wear blindfolds, relying on their exceptional hearing, they use their Earth magic and other senses to move unhindered.
History: The Underdark is an expansive, cavernous land all its own underneath the span of the continent of Terra Dei. There were said to be nine sacred rivers of life throughout the whole of the Underdark, bringing nutrients and growth to even the darkest reaches of the caves. Each Hive is tied to their local River Mouth, and uses its power to sustain life, and when it is time for their death, to return to it. The Alterrans have been around for thousands of years. Their exact origin is not known, many believe that the Goddess Elistae created them in her image to rule the world of the Underdark. They are a race that is fierce in battle, and can use the cover of darkness as its own weapon, protecting what is theirs to their dying breath.
Before the Migration, all regions of the Underdark were open. Since then, the Alterrans had to close themselves off from the region that is now Terra Dei, and migrate to Marē. They were cut off from Five of the nine rivers of life, four within the region of Terra Dei and one underneath the mountain of the Svorolds. This left behind many of their eggs still maturing in the caverns, and in turn much of their numbers were greatly reduced, and the Diminished increased as they grew older and could not find their mouth at the end of their life. Those from that side have integrated into the Marē hives, but long to return to their waters and their homes.
After the war, dragons started finding solace and protecting in the caverns of the Underdark. Because of their magical nature, the Alterrans took them in, and some hives even worshiped them, protecting them from the Overworld. The Dragons would walk among them, and be provided with food and shelter. With the help of the dragons, the Alterrans have been working to reroute the river within the Svorolds. The two old races found a symbiotic relationship in each other, as the dragon’s magical energies would help cultivate the eggs so desperately needed to see to the survival of the race.
Societal norms/mores: Their hive is their home, their people. There are strong loyalties and connections to each other. They are considered the protectors of the Underdark and the other creatures that reside there.
When the eggs hatch, it is a means of celebration, and the whole hive will protect the child and cover them in flowers and gems found in the Underdark. Life is cherished and celebrated.

When Alterrans need to fight, they will cover themselves in paint and mud and gems to make their appearance look more terrifying and other worldly, a scare tactic that has worked very well to deter Overworlders that may venture into the Underdark. There are many stories in the Overworld about glimpses of the Alterrans, thinking them beings from nightmares.
They don’t often leave their home in the Underdark, but when they do, they are found in the Overworld acting as Liaisons for the other creatures of the Underdark and traveling to increase the lifestyle of their hives. They may come up during the night for trade of goods that better their Hives, such as clothes, technology and food.