Thraki

Vermin of the far-west, the Thraki are a race of Humanoid Insects whose society remains mostly closed off from the rest of Eruwë. With six appendages and a sectioned body, Thraki most often (but not always) resemble wasps, ants, and termites. Typically smaller than your average human, Thraki are nonetheless notoriously resilient, living in perhaps the harshest environment in Eruwë besides Elis Sûm; the Rotting Swamps of Syrn. Forever bound to the God of Rot and its cult, The Hive, even those few Thraki who are no longer members are still often scorned by worshippers of the Most High.

THRAKI HISTORY

During the Age of Strife, before the Dawn of Oskilor, the God of Rot infected much of western Eruwë, causing decay to fill the air. When the forces of Gormierre the Architect first confronted this "blasphemous fiend", their armies were infected with a sickness of the mind that caused them to kill and eat each other. The survivors of this massacre were cursed to become pests and called Thraki (literally "corrupted"). To this day, Thraki must feed on rotting corpses and carrion to survive.

Due to their curse, they were abandoned by the Grace of the Most High and as such, turned to the God of Rot to be the object of their worship. Over time, this cult evolved into The Hive, a religious order with the end goal of infecting all of Eruwë. Eventually, a Thraki called At'Zal'Uk was named the prophetess of the God of Rot and became the Queen of The Hive and the city-state of Coer Coeg. Despite this, it was not until the Fall of Oskilor that the influence of the God of Rot was able to spread across the entirety of the Syrn region.

THRAKI CULTURE

Most of Coer Coeg—and by extension, Thraki—culture is centered around their spiritual and territorial conflicts with Oskil. A giant mass resembling a hornet's nest the size of a city, Coer Coeg is a fine-tuned machine designed to maximize the efficiency of The Hive's expansion across Eruwë. Every Thraki is assigned a specific job that is their purpose in life; their contribution to their Queen's great project. This could be construction workers, scavengers, soldiers, hatchery nurses, or any other occupation the At'Zal'Uk deems necessary. The city sits by the Kneklat'tuk ("Pile of Blood"), a thick sanguine lake and holy site where Queen At'Zal'Uk was baptized and first received visions from the God of Rot.

Because of this emphasis on efficiency, Thraki have rarely ever have friendships or romantic relationships, instead seeing all other members of The Hive as brethren and comrades. When a Thraki, for whatever reason, leaves The Hive, they are permanently banished from Coer Coeg and their telepathic link to the Queen is broken. They are seen as traitors who will receive the highest punishment on Zal'Gaal ("Day of Judgement"), the prophesied end of The Most High's hold on Eruwë and rise of the God of Rot. These rogue Thraki are unfortunately rarely welcomed by other peoples who associate them with the Hive. However, practically all cults are still willing to include them in their ranks due to their desperation for support and Thraki's resourcefulness.

Coer Coeg is mostly cut off from trade, only occasionally doing business with merchants from Attikonia. Their goods include exotic plants and fungi that can only be obtained within the swamps of Syrn, many of which are useful in potion brewing or spellcasting, and in return they usually receive weapons. However, even this is exceedingly rare as The Hive prides itself on complete self-sufficiency.