lichenut

ruled by celestial spectres, lichenut is a society in which one must toil to even begin to hope to become. the castles lay hidden above dense clouds of purple shimmering smog, and those who live beneath it live to serve the ruling class. the lowest species is the toadskinned, with leathery hides covered in lumps and the brand of the houses they serve as mute labourers. communicating only in haggard grunts and agonized groans, they are stolen from their families at birth and forcibly intoxicated to remain compliant to their masters. each member of the toadskinned wears an amulet with a contract, or a symbol representative of a contact, to bind their bodies to the land of their masters, only to be freed in death. toadsmeat is said to taste foul, like polluted sludge, and has a slimy texture, but is rich in nutrients and so it is often dried into jerky for long travels to the howling mountains beyond the great stones of eternal unrest.