Cave Stalker Cultures Diverge

The Cave Stalkers have continued their civilization for another few millennium, still making use of their stone tablets to communicate. Each major area of the Nightlight have since gained their own distinctive societies, differing in culture and architecture. Governments run by oligarchies have become common, and some religious powers have gained more influence.

The Cave Stalkers that live in the Kelp Forests have seen a rapid diversification of their societies ever since the collapse of the First Kingdom. Most have built structures consisting of tall sturdy poles, with mounds of stone on the surface to serve as houses and to mimic the kelp, thought to be a strategy to make as much room as possible for a higher population. Meanwhile, Cave Stalkers living in the Ash Fields built their structures underground in order to protect themselves against the harsh currents, and have destroyed many of the Pocket Caves to make room.

Not much evidence of Cave Stalker civilization has been left in the Arid Dunes, likely because there was hardly any civilization at all. The sinkholes, combined with quakes, could've made life difficult for Cave Stalkers that rely on permanent settlements to survive, leaving nomadic groups to wander the dunes instead. The Sand Plains at this point is primarily being used as a landfill for unwanted items from any of the Cave Stalker settlements, which is largely managed by the Ash Field civilizations. It is unlikely that everyone agreed with this practiced, but it continued for centuries nonetheless.