Lauraume (lau-room-ay)

Known History

Beginnings

Wherever there has been living growth of any kind, the lauraume have never been far behind. Not quite fauna, but not fully flora either, they're a unique form of monsterkind that has puzzled every scholar on Veltrona since time began.   Most 'first contact' records were made by scouts or proto-civilizations bordering on growing lauraume tribes. Though initially wary and generally isolated, the lauraume grew to be willing to work alongside 'other peoples'. For them, a greater foe always awaited: the Relentless Herds and Packs.   As the Relentless engender more frequently in areas of greater biodensity–the same habitats preferred by the lauraume–the two constantly collided. In the face of such brutal conditions, they adopted fierce and warlike ways, praising life and exalting death in equal breath. No lauraume lives without loss, and the seething, endless rage of survival became their driving force. They, who loved life and its wonders, despised all that would deny them.   The hows, whys, and who's might change depending on a given land, but many civilizations were quick to establish diplomatic relations with the lauraume tribes. In the face of a mutual threat, many outsiders were willing to offer aid, tribute, or otherwise to help the lauraume stand against the Relentless. This help spurred the tribes on, providing a solid foot up in their endless struggles. Together, these combined forces created bulwarks for civilization to prosper behind.    

Nature versus Nurture

To the warlike lauraume, peace was an interlude before the next conflict. Yet, the more ground they gained against the Relentless, the greater the ensuing quiet became. Many of their leaders feared such a thing would bring about weakness; that those born without bloodshed would become brittle and frail. And, as they'd seen time and time again, the brittle and frail fell to the next doomtide, so ending the life of civilization forever.   However, they also understood that such quiet was needed for greater innovations. Weak crafts that, while not useful in war, provided support or power in other tangible ways. Most lauraume tribes split between two outcomes after a certain point: fully embracing their life in the wildernesses, or undergoing a schism. For the latter, there were those who went to the wilds and those who stayed behind in quieter lands.   Ultimately, the lauraume are concerned with survival against an eternal, unending foe that has neither compassion nor pity. If their means to survive failed, then only death awaited. Any decision they made that could compromise that survival was a gamble few were willing to take. Still, most were uncertain which route was better, if either truly was. But, like always in the face of the unknown, the lauraume confronted it with great fury and unfaltering conviction.   They understood that whatever happened, it would take time and countless sacrifices to achieve.    

A Livelier World

Though it's called a schism, the lauraume of different minds still considered themselves part of the same overarching tribe. They merely divided their labor and living locations, working by one set of standards than another. Those in the 'quieter lands', as most territories owned by other civilizations were called, would innovate and develop new things to help their wildland kindred. With less Relentless to worry over, they dreamed of new crafts to further their tribe.   Cohabiting with other species, though, continually proved challenging. Though everyone had an awareness and certain respect of the Relentless, many were not as constantly at the brink from them. They saw such deadly threats as a seasonal disaster, if that, and it fell to a certain few to stop. Lacking the unity of purpose existential threat brought, other ideas filled their empty heads, making them do stupid and erratic decisions like 'land ownership' and 'nobility over peasantry'. The lauraume understood parts of some ideas and struggled with others, constantly befuddled by the inanity of it all.   That, and the other peoples were filthy.   Even with the usage homekeeping magics, the conditions many civilizations dwelled within were borderline inhospitable to the lauraume. Fearing the disease and sickness that might come of it, they ultimately chose to establish their own settlements 'nearby' rather than in the fortress-cities proper. Honoring their agreements of wilderness patrol and protection, their would-be allies ultimately accepted these conditions, even if some felt they were being exploitative of the lauraume.   When all was said and done, these settled lauraume began the arduous task of acquiring new knowledge, learning strange ways, and developing the crafts their people so dearly needed. Were it that they only had the Relentless to worry about, the many tribes might've conquered Veltrona. Unfortunately, people can be far worse than genocidal beasts.    

Stranger Times

Although not strangers to evil and its permutations, the lauraume hadn't tackled the differences of a settled life before. As their generations rolled over, the tribes changed as their settled kin intermingled with their new neighbors. Different ideas entered their consciousness, spurring on questions they hadn't really bothered with before. Desires they hadn't needed sprung up, urging them into even stranger directions. Worse, the powerful political interests of foreign beings conspired to bring the lauraume into their designs.   What came of these problems varies across Veltrona: some tribes separated completely and turned away from their 'different kin', others were drawn into the machinations of the fortress-cities, while quite a few groups managed an equitable if turbulent relationship. The ups and downs of this muddied the histories of the lauraume, so scholars have some difficulty in discerning things unique to 'them'. The exterior tribes, who maintain their own distinct existences, diverged onto their own (and often isolated) trajectories.   Curiously, some draconic scholars regard the lauraume as an important if unappreciated contribution to the world's development. Their pervasive presence and driving optimism are a constant 'push forward' that kept others in motion. A considerable note of high regard, especially as the lauraume are placed alongside humanity as some of the biggest trouble makers around. A reputation they would earn in many, many different ways, but one epitomized the most when the dreaded Imperium began.    

Hunting Dragons

When Imperious began her campaign of global domination, the lauraume tribes were among those immediately caught in her claws. Though prominent tribes were felled in the early years almost entirely by surprise, their survivors quickly spread word. Their tales reached the ears of the bieneren, long-time allies / weird friends to the many lauraume tribes across Veltrona. In turn, the bieneren hive mind told the lauraume of Imperious and her ambitions, and they became delighted with murderous glee.   A threat of such proportions was no different than the Relentless, and the lauraume loved nothing more than to hunt such dangers.   Aided by the bieneren's vast intelligence network (both literal and metaphorical), the various tribes set about hunting the greatest of prey the world had to offer. Though they'd collided with dragons time and again, they'd never had an opportunity for open season. Even tribes long thought extinct emerged from the deep wildernesses for the first time in centuries. They, who lived beside death every day, felt only exhilaration as their hunt began.   Armed with their uniquely honed weapons, esoteric magics, and a motivation beyond fanatical, the lauraume tribes ruthlessly hunted the dragons they found. Imperial or not, they slaughtered any they encountered. The more such battles they fought, the more they gleaned about their prey, and so devised even better hunting methods. Some tribes did learn 'friend' from 'foe', but decades into the Imperium's lifespan, dragonkind began to respect the lauraume, if not fear them.   An age universally referred to by the tribes as the 'Great Hunt', though they remembered it as a period of immense prosperity, honor, and achievement, it also decimated their species. Uncountable lives were lost, and whole tribes were wiped out in the conflicts, scattering innumerable survivors across the lands. Entire new warbands emerged, ragtag groups of differing ethnicities and values that came together for the sole purpose of survival once more.   Like so many others, the destruction of the World Gate and following Great Darkness soon changed them forever.    

Sunless Torment

While not entirely reliant on sunlight, the plant-type lauraume still needed it in some form or another. As the World Gate's explosion rattled Veltrona and brought unending darkness, the tribes found themselves unable to answer this new danger. Both flora and fauna struggled in such a time, and though the abundance of rich mana spurred growth in its own ways, the world was changing.   Some tribes returned to their ways, for better or worse, and were once more never heard from again. Others, badly damaged by the Imperium, the explosion, or conflict in general, limped along. By necessity they often shacked up with other survivors, lauraume or not, as everyone tried to figure out how to survive. A great many were brought in by the bieneren themselves, preserving some of the largest tribes the lauraume had.   With great suffering, however, came great possibility.   Fungal-type lauraume, indifferent to sunlight and thriving in mana-rich environments, adapted and filled in the vacuum left behind by their plant-type kindred. They're among those who notably grew in power during the Great Darkness, even if the rampant pollution was still an issue. Having learned many means by which settlements could be raised, they formed the first true city-states of the lauraume tribes in many places.   Between their innovations and coordination with the bieneren, the fungal-type lauraume began reclamation efforts. Massive fungal spires and sweeping mycelium fields grew across the veltron, absorbing copious amounts of mana, replicating, and spreading themselves further. A great many forms of life came to subsist off this rampant fungus, becoming a vital backbone that they presevered upon.   As with most records during the Great Darkness, details are scarce, difficult to quantify, and utterly unreliable. One curious note arises that, despite the fungal-type lauraume's great success, they invariably met some form of calamity. By the time the skies cleared and sunlight returned, none of their city-states remained. The fungal fields died under the light and in their place regular plants grew once more. Only the most calcified husks of great spires and sprawling cities remain, hardening into stone-like corpses.   Even the descendants of those lauraume have little accurate knowledge of what happened. A great mystery among many others, one yet unsolved in the modern era.    

To Live and Hunt Again

Sunlight brought a healing touch to the dark-stricken world, and so life returned to pick up the ruins of what it once was. Of the lauraume who survived, the tribes within the buzzing bosom of the bieneren maintain the clearest direct line to their ancestral ways. These ones ventured once more back into the wilds, to stake their claims again and do battle with the Relentless who ever waited.   The rest of the lauraume emerged rather differently. Many, having intermingled with other surviving species, joined together in entirely new cultures. Some new lauraume tribes emerged, sewn together by many types of lauraume who'd banded together. For all of them, however, times of change meant uncertainty and opportunity alike. Many boldly struck out, seeking new fortunes to bring themselves and their fellows up to greatness once again.   The Baarham Dominion became an interesting problem not long after the skies cleared. Having grown in power during the Great Darkness themselves, the baarham, led by their Sorcerer King Ghown, sought complete domination of everything before them. Unlike Imperious and her Imperium, they were much more methodical, precise, and calculated in their measure. What tribes who, unfortunately, ended up in their path were ground away by the genocidal baarham.   With the bieneren largely silent, the battered lauraume went about their own devices. Only those in direct confrontation with the baarham went to war, joining hands with other enslaved species to defeat the Dominion. There they made a name for themselves once again, writing a fresh page in the history books as allies, fierce warriors, and ceaseless enemies. For those who forgot the lauraume of old, such a sight proved once again the fierceness of their species.   After the Dominion's downfall, the lauraume fragmented into many different directions. Separate, though kindred, their tribes regained strength, branched off into new ones, and slowly amassed their fearsome might of old. Scarred by the horrors of the Great Darkness, the Imperium, and the Dominion, however, their mindset has begun to reconsider things. A great question formed, pondering if they themselves should come together in a mighty nation of their own.   One that could defeat any threat, no matter what it was.   The question bubbles in their cultural minds, unanswered, and foreboding in what it promises.      

Biology

Anatomy and Physiology

Lauraume are sexually dimorphic humanoids with a head, torso, two arms with five-fingered hands, and two legs that end in five-toed feet. In general, females are taller, have enlarged breasts, pronounced hip structure, and 'vivid' color patterns. Males emphasize lithe physiques with more opaque color patterns.   For the sake of clarity, the term growth in reference to lauraume anatomy refers to the flora intertwining with their main body. E.g, a strawberry bush growing from their head, or a large, helmet-like mushroom cap encircling their skull, or smaller branches coming from their arms. As the lauraume are as much fauna as flora, the term growth is used to denote the flora upon their bodies.   Due to the extreme physiological diversity among the lauraume, it's also difficult to broadly categorize their anatomy. However, some common themes do emerge. One notable example is that, like scale-bearing species (e.g, dragonkind), lauraume growths favor the exterior and/or hardy portions of the body, while minimizing their interference in 'fatty' and 'muscular' areas. This ensures their bodies can move and ambulate without causing harmful friction or obstruction for the most part.   Their heads have two eyes, two ears on the sides of the head, a nose that varies between outwardly protruding to fully recessed slits, and wide lips. A noticeable recessed line connects the corners of their lips up through their cheeks and into the socket of their jaw, enabling them to unhinge and open their mouth similar to a snake. Their expressiveness is usually considered somewhat restrained, though easily conveys the feeling of a predator.   The top and backside of their head is a defining location for growth, such as bushes, an enveloping mushroom cap, miniature tree branches, and the like. Generally, lauraume 'hair' varies greatly: some have tubular, root-like strands, others are flexible branches with microleaves, some are thick bushes or dense forms of moss, and so on. It can't really be called fauna-like hair at all, but most species equate it similarly.   Their shoulders, upper arms, and upper back are notable regions where 'heavier' growth may be present. This often does intertwine with the dominant growth at the top of the head, connecting along the back of the skull and neck if necessary. While growth can be present elsewhere on the body, the 'type' of lauraume influences greatly what will be there, if anything at all.    

Appearance

Lauraume skin can vary between arthropod-like segmentation and human-like flesh. Both can even occur at the same time, with wood-esque tendrils intertwining moist and squishy flesh. These similarities can make other species find them alien or familiar, engendering unfortunate forms of discrimination for certain types of lauraume.   Colorations follow a 'from root to canopy' methodology, with their immediate skin being the 'root', and the top tips of their growths being the 'canopy'. This means the outer skin will generally have a singular strong color preference, such as red, green, blue, or yellow. The joint regions and/or 'connecting roots' of the growth will then have another color that may be complimentary or contrary to the main body. Finally, the growth itself will have its own colorations, sometimes matching the main body or being completely different.   The physical texture itself is dynamic, varying between which particular part of the body is of concern. The fatter, flesh-like sections resemble human composition with a somewhat 'spongy' and 'firm' undertone. The growth areas depends on the nature of the growth itself; plants can be squishy yet leafy, woody and hard, while mushrooms are soft yet firm, or rigidly solid and yielding.   Their eyes are considered to have a glassy, marble-like appearance, being vividly transparent while having incredibly detailed and three-dimensional irises. While this can sometimes cause their pupils to 'take on' exotic shapes, like wavy lines or hooked angles, that is an illusion caused by the iris as lauraume pupils are circular in functionality. Their iris colors are endlessly varied, even among siblings or twins in the same family. Most lauraume consider their eyes their unique and defining trait, a sort of personal 'fingerprint' only they have.    

Natural Abilities

Living Ecology – Lauraume are a curious mixture of fauna and flora, combining two otherwise disparate life forms into one functional whole.   Environmental Sensitivity – Lauraume are particularly vulnerable to forms of pollution like smoke, chemical run off, and crystalsis, making them suspectible to sickness and disease.   Extreme Omnivore – With a digestive system stopped only by solid rock or metal, lauraume can eat practically anything that fits down through throat.   Photosynthesis – Plant-type lauraume can directly garner energy from high-intensity light sources, like the sun or moons.   Mana Absorption – Fungal-type lauraume can directly absorb ambient mana into themselves.   Energy Converter – Once a lauraume's body reaches a threshold of stored fat and available energy, they begin growing fruits, tubers, and other edible forms of stored energy that is dictated by their respective type.   Pheromone Communication – Lauraume have capable olfactory senses that can discern airborne chemicals as clearly as a language, letting them 'communicate' through smell.    

Diet

The lauraume's legendary ability to consume virtually everything in their path is as awesome as it is terrifying. An ideal adaptation for Veltrona's incredibly rich biodiversity, only the most nutritionally scarce things are inedible to them. Yet, ironically, the lauraume themselves are picky eaters: their cultural tastes for certain foods, as well as what is considered 'proper' to eat, heavily restrains their consumptive habits.   Generally preferring cooked meats, ripe fruits, mature vegetables, and processed foods like most other omnivores, the lauraume often develop unusual methods of seasoning or preparation. Things like egg shells, animal hair, tough fibrous stalks, and the unusual additions to their cuisine. It's hard to speak for the quality, since most other species find such things inedible themselves. However, as the lauraume tasted foreign cuisine, they found such strange cooking methods delightful as well.   Though some chefs may not want to ever see what lauraume cooks did to their dishes.    

Life Cycle

Newborn lauraume are notably even more immobile and helpless than most species, not even having arms or legs. Instead, bulbous, cocoon-like bodies camouflage them as unripe fruit or fungal growth, with just the baby's face exposed. Sometimes affectionately referred to as pulps, these infants are silent, observant, and eerily patient. Solely concerned with nursing or eating heavily liquefied gruel, they'll remain as such for the first few years of life.   Early childhood is denoted by the pulp undergoing a molt, where their infant shell is shrugged off as their body becomes fully functional. At this stage, their bodily growth (both anatomy and floral/fungal aspect) begins in earnest. After an adjustment period of some months, the lauraume child is capable beyond most other children of their age: flimsy if serviceable muscles, a powerful biting jaw, and the coordination to scale a complex environment (e.g, trees, shrubbery, rocky cliffs).   Naturally curious and entirely too capable, young lauraume are the bane of their elders: all eagerness, no caution. At times praised as much as lamented, spritely youngsters become powerful warriors later, or so is believed. For those on the frontier, childhood is a time of learning and preparation, for even the young have a role in fighting against the Relentless. For others, a time to figure out their role in life and dream with starry-eyed aspirations.   Much like the pulp stage, young lauraume slowly grow in preparation, storing great amounts of energy. As adulthood approaches, physical and sexual maturation occurs rather quickly. This is usually denoted in the cultural meme of 'spring/summertime blooming', and are a series of rapid physiological changes in the span of some months. Until such a point, lauraume adolescents are androgynous in appearance, save certain dimorphic details like females being taller. Because of how uncomfortable such a time can be, many lauraume treat their maturation year as a time of relaxation or vacation from duty.   Adulthood proper is culturally marked by the growth of fruit, tubers, or equivalent item as a result of caloric over-consumption. By such a stage, most lauraume have a solid grasp on their role in society, whether wanted or not, and driven by youthful aspirations. As they're always eager to prove themselves, new adult lauraume tend to be shakers and movers, helping as much as disrupting the status quo. This, too, plays into the vibrant and energetic lifestyles of the lauraume, so such a thing is simply the norm.   Increasing age is marked by thicker growth on the lauraume's body, conferring a firmness only time can provide. It can be equated to a young tree versus an old tree: the latter has certain character and strength the former does not. Lauraume maintain their physiological prime for many decades, but old age is something that usually sets in slowly.   Should a lauraume survive to their final years, physical deterioration is the norm as bodily functions break down. Seemingly in preparation for death, their body begins creating one last fruit, tuber, or otherwise. This process coincides with age taking its toll, and this 'final fruit' is especially notable in its unusual richness. Death occurs as higher brain functions gradually cease, but their body continues to cannibalize itself to create the final fruit. Only when all available energy is consumed does the final fruit fully ripen.   Despite whatever distances may be between them, every lauraume culture has a reverent regard for the final fruit. Some feed it to their newborns, so that the young may grow from the strength of the old. Others plant it within the veltron, returning to the world what they'd consumed so much of. It's even treated as a last act of recognition and given to others the lauraume once knew in life.   Regardless of how or why, to desecrate the final fruit is to enrage any reasonable lauraume; it is an ultimate taboo.    

Anaxials, Hybrids, and Variants

Anaxials

In ways that continue to puzzle scholars, lauraume anaxials are actually rather difficult to discern from lauraume proper. As the lauraume themselves are so physiologically diverse, the unique traits of their anaxials stand out far less. Human-like skin is usually their most defining feature, having a more fauna consistency than floral. Their growths also tend to be fewer in number, but more expressive in quality; e.g, fewer yet bigger tree branches.   They're notably born much closer to the manner of human babies, and do not have a pulp or molting aspect to their aging.   They also do not fruit in any form, which tends to be one of the key methods of identifying them (or a lauraume with a physiological disorder).    

Hybrids

With a predisposition toward adopting expressive secondary traits, hybrid lauraume stand out with their very unusual additions of fur, scales, and even secondary appendages like tails or extra arms. Their physical coloring also tends to blend (either partially or in shades), creating unique and expressive visuals. The collision of these hybrid traits and physical growth can result in chaotic combinations, such as when tree branches grow a fine velvey layer of fur over their bark.    

Variants

While outside scholars debate endlessly over the concept of variance within the lauraume species, the lauraume themselves pay it little mind. As long as one is 'enough like them', they are lauraume, though the fine details of what that means is never quite solid. Combined with their extreme physiological diversity, sometimes any attempt at a distinction is itself merely arbitrary. Still, if only for practical purposes like medicine, classifications are attempted.   Broadly speaking, lauraume are categorized as one of two types: plant or fungal.   Plant-types are those associated with grass, trees, bushes, shrubbery, flowers, and any manner of surface-dwelling, sun-drinking growth. In recent decades, some dragons have begun to argue that they should be classified as 'sun-reliant', compared to the 'not-sun-reliant' fungal types. While perhaps having scientific merit, such ideas fall flat in common discourse.   Fungal-types are defined by their pervasive growth, exhibiting a complex if condensed structure ranging from everliving yeast to fungi mycelium and fruiting stalks. Because of their mana absorbing nature, they've diverged from sunlight reliance, and subsist in darker environments much more easily.   From these two types, different lauraume are subdivided into variants that correspond to their dominant growth features. Tree-like lauraume are considered one variant, while those with grassy or bushy features are another. Ecologists sometimes correlate lauraume with an equivalent plant found in the wild, and so the names usually crossover with conversational ease.   This has especially become important as many of the chemical or biological properties of a lauraume's growth correlates with their equivalent in nature. For example, a fruiting lauraume from a family of bushes with deadly toxins in the berries. To other lauraume it isn't a noteworthy issue as they can consume it just fine, but it's a lethal accident waiting to happen for most other species.      

Sociology

Cultural Universals

Spritely, energetic, and arguably with a built-in sense of fatalistic optimism, the lauraume are as lively and ferocious as their ancestral homelands. More 'doers' than 'thinkers', action comes first to them and longer-term consequences later on. As they grow older, wisdom tempers their eagerness, making up for the common shortfallings of both.   In many ways, other species can find a lauraume's innate extrovertism overbearing. Their strong competitive drive worsens this, as many lauraume love to compete no matter what it is about. They come off as unduly aggressive and even hostile quite often, especially to those who prefer to build calmer relations first. Taming this desire, whether in its productive or destructive forms, is an important social skill most lauraume have to mistress at some point.   Possessing an almost instinctual distrust of animals, the lauraume do not enjoy nearly any form of contact or bonding with them. While early exposure and cohabitation can mitigate this, it is a deep-seated feeling most learn to control, not resolve. As such, they tend to view animals as foes, food, or both, and do not regard them with a sanctity of life like what people have. Insects, and other animals which have never been affected by Relentless transformation, do not trigger this response in them. They do tend to love creatures like slimes and lumii, however.    

Lingual Characteristics

The 'dualistic' communication methods of the lauraume are an interesting linguistic field to tackle. When they verbalize, they prefer a sing-song approach of rising heights and falling lows, almost innately lyrical in structure. This coincides with their energetic personalities, letting them express sound as they feel in the very moment. Something like human speech, which follows even tones with small punctual moments, feels both flat and boring to most lauraume.   Their pheromone emissions is a vast subject. As best can be conceptualized, they can convey ideas as complex as any verbalization. However, both inhalation / exhalation, and transmission of the pheromones, means these complex signals are radically more unstable. Lauraume need to be in closer proximity or in places of 'controlled air flow' in order to utilize this method to its fullest.   When out in the wild, they use pheromones in simplistic, sturdy structures capable of long range transmission; similar to smoke signals, in a way. They're also capable of receiving and learning signals from other things, like plants, animals, etc, providing an entire dimension of information gathering. Historically, scent-based hunting has been one of the most effective tools in the lauraume arsenal, and they can detect all sorts of things long before anyone else ever does. This is one of several reasons why they despise pollution, because it massively assails their senses, if not causes physiological issues as a result.   Conveyance is an interesting proposition for the lauraume, as they're naturally quite close to the idea. While not as innately skilled in it as dragons, their pheromones coincide with the ideas of 'directly conveying one's self to another'. Those who practice magic in this manner can adopt it easily, and it is a common hallmark of lauraume leaders, priestesses, and other social roles.    

Arts and Beauty

Lovers of colors, visual complexity, and bold symbolism, the lauraume adore things as loud and proud as themselves. They're keen to correlate meaning to such things, however, and so always want to get some kind of 'message' from what they see. A painting of a grand vista that reminds them of home, in all its vivid splendor beneath the sunset, would be highly revered by them. An abstract collage of colors, even if discernible shapes or figures existed, would annoy them. Seeing is believing in a very real way, perhaps due to their predatory nature.   Music is a cornerstone of lauraume cultures, usually in the forms of drums, concussive instruments, and ear-piercing wind instruments. The more visceral feeling the sound, the more it draws their attention in, inspiring them in all sorts of ways. Drums and bass, in particular, with their low-pitched but powerful notes, is a favorite.   Their standards of beauty emphasize colorful fullness, physical fitness, confident auras, and enticing physical textures. Given their extreme physiological diversity, the lauraume are much more accepting of visual differences, so their attention usually goes to things that exhibit personality or well-being. In fact, dressing up in bold, defining ways is more appealing to them, as clothing itself is so different and unusual, it becomes a signature expression in itself.    

Magic and Technology

There is perhaps no species on Veltrona as capable as the lauraume in dismantling any animal they see and using it to the very last drop of blood. With a religious obsesssion they honed their bloody crafts, learning every inch of meat and bone, turning their would-be predators into weapons, clothing, houses, food, and more. Fuelled by struggle and bloodshed, they devised killing magics and deadly weapons that no animal in the world would survive against.   Practically speaking, they also developed strong proficiencies for healing, body enhancement, construction, and farming forms of magic. While the hallmarks of most civilizations, the lauraume's aversion to pollution meant things like metallurgy was much, much harder for them. Fire crysium became an important fuel source to them as it could 'burn clean', and so smelt metals without the toxicity of things like coal. Unfortunately, their reliance on a relatively rare fuel source hampered their metallurgical advancements and was a frequent source of conflict.   They focused on using living growths or natural flora of some manner to achieve their goals. Certain species of flora with high application potential, like Iron Wood, became cornerstones of their 'living technology'. Concepts like 'century / millennium / celestial wood', 'sinew of an unmatched predator', 'sap from flowers grown in Relentless corpses', and so on, embodied their very unique concepts and purposes. Surprisingly, though they arrived through very different methods, lauraume technologies often matched those of their contemporaries. They had their own strengths and weaknesses, but their reliance on local flora and fauna over raw ore or metal made them ridiculously sustainable.    

Religion and Philosophy

Ancestor worship is a norm in lauraume cultures, usually expressed through deification, holy relics, or locations of ancestral importance. The exact details vary based on how the lauraume treat their dead and the final fruit itself. Reverence of nature, insofar as flora and select fauna is concerned, often runs concurrent with, or takes primacy over, ancestor worship. In either one, or both, the lauraume demonstrate a deep system of respect for the natural world, their place within it, and their forbears who survived such awesome struggles.   This puts them at odds with more cosmological or metaphysical concepts, especially ones that are not verifiable in some way. While not outright rejecting of such ideas, their skepticism and 'matter of proof' perspective is always an uncomfortable thorn. However, when faced with the ideas of immortality and transcendence, and Cultivation Arts, the lauraume much more readily believe some great ancestor of theirs may have been responsible for such deeds.   It, in fact, invigorates them that such incredible feats or power is within their reach. Many of their philosophies are rooted in the idea of personal ability, effort, and ever-increasing achievement. To the lauraume, life is a trial to which their worth can be found within. By confronting hardship and overcoming it, they themselves become far greater beings. There is no concept of 'cannot be done', only failure or 'not trying hard enough'. The fundamental concept of a 'wall' that would prevent them is entirely absent.    

Science and Spirituality

Practical know-how is the lifeblood of the lauraume. Taking in whatever problem they have, then dissecting it and finding a solution is something they all hone themselves upon. Such thinking greatly aided them in hunting and battle, and they applied that same tool to everything else. While it greatly furthered their practical problem solving, it also led to incredible infighting over potential solutions. Their competitiveness meant that who ever was 'correct' gained social clout and importance, while the other(s) lost theirs.   Ironically, the lauraume might've made fantastic strides in their development were it not for their constant social jockeying. Tribes that managed to clamp down on such problems enjoyed rapid advancements, at least until egos got too big to hold onto any more. It would often be outsiders and their innovations that spurred on collective interest toward scientific pursuits. The 'other' would become the loser, while all lauraume banded together as the 'winners'. Much to the bane of would-be invaders, the presence of an outside threat constantly galvanized the lauraume tribes.   Owing to their pragmatic skills, the lauraume quickly understood that were many, many things beyond their grasp. Where reason and practical questions failed, wonder and uncertainty took their place. They knew without knowing, understood without learning, and so grasped at all sorts of threads to weave a meaning for the things they didn't know. Like huntresses huddled around a camp fire at night, they stared out at the Dark Ocean and the realms of things beyond the light, wondering; frightful, and audaciously brave.      

Psychology

Rest and Sleep

Their high activity levels demand just as much fulfilling periods of rest as well. In fact, achieving such a thing in dangerous environments is quite the feat, and a hallmark of civil development among the lauraume tribes. A peaceful place is a safe place, and so one may rest there without the persistent worry of ambush. These are also the areas where pulps or young children may be kept, leaving the adults to wrestle between toddlers and getting rest themselves.   'Quiet' is a nuanced cultural idea for lauraume, but generally entails minimal noise, undue disturbance, and 'peaceful tranquility'. Rather than an absence of violence or noise, it is filled with things that can only exist in such low energy / noise conditions. Pure silence itself is unerringly disturbing, as that usually means everything is being quiet because of nearby danger.   Sleep is defined as a growing unconsciousness, and the lauraume are largely similar to other species. Their sense of smell, notably, never deactivates, and has priority in alerting them when it detects things. This means potential predators, smoke, or other issues can rouse them from sleep very quickly. They also pick up on pheromonal communications, which can impact their dreams. A number of pranks among their kind involve certain signals that cause 'funny reactions' in the sleeper.    

Consciousness and Thought

The lauraume mind possesses heightened alertness and faster reaction speeds, ideal for quick and brutal encounters in jungles or forests. Their thoughts sometimes go too fast for them to adequately grasp certain issues, causing them to run around in circles (proverbially or otherwise). This can be tempered by age and experience, honing their quick mind to efficient and exacting purpose. Older lauraume, as a result, are far more difficult to confront in areas of mental contest.   Their olfactory capability imparts an interesting effect into their thought stream. While mindful of the physical world they exist in, lauraume weave the world of 'scents' into it. Building a comprehensive understanding of their environment, they can sometimes even navigate through scents alone. While the physicality is one thing, such scents also paint other ideas: fears, allurement, healthiness, receptivity, posturing, and more. The amount of information available almost makes them see telepathic sometimes.    

Motivation and Emotion

The intrinsic urge to do is a compelling force to every lauraume, the only question is 'do what?'. In many cases, survival, hunting and gathering, farming, caretaking, and other vital tasks becomes the answer they seek. However, dissatisfaction with their lot in life is easy to set in, and the lauraume soon ponder what more they could be doing. It isn't proper to consider it a form of dissatisfaction or neurological anxiety, though. They themselves see it like potential that if satisfied, life is good. If something could happen, then they can leap upon the opportunity in an instant.   That said, it's easy to confuse their strong emotional character as being highly reactive or even volatile. Lauraume carry great passion in what they do, and their great senses clue them in on how others are feeling. The push-pull of potential and feedback direct their emotional arcs, creating dynamic and responsive interactions.   They do struggle with understanding those who aren't participating in emotional dialogue, however. Sadness, sorrow, and other temporary emotions are one thing, but prolonged disinterest, introvertism, or depression is incomprehensible at the best of times. Others showing more measured patience and caution is the middle-ground that sometimes works, though many lauraume may wish to plunge ahead anyway.    

Sexuality and Love

Bonding is a serious affair to the lauraume because compatibility for them has much more complex requirements than other species. The very ecology of the lauraume themself must, in some form, cohabitate with the ecology of their would-be partner. Much like how other species may develop preferences based on beauty, intellectual, or physical characteristics, lauraume are concerned about growth ecology.   This means lauraume with incompatible ecologies (e.g, tree-like and wood-consuming fungus) are likely to bounce off each other. There are, of course, those who work together in-spite of that incompatibility, or even find attraction because of it, but they're understandably exceptional.   There is an interesting detail with other species who, lacking their own ecology, do not trigger this compatibility concern. Most scholars point to this as a big reason for lauraume interest in cross-species relations. It takes a huge worry off their plate and allows the lauraume to more readily find partners they like.   Similar to many other monsterkinds, the lauraume favor bisexuality as their norm. They're markedly normal about it, to the point of thinking little about such relations beyond practical concerns.      

Society

Social Mannerisms

No one can say the lauraume aren't helpful, but getting help from them is a world of trouble in itself. Quid-pro-quo is the norm, whether agreed upon verbally or not. While it makes them appear uncharitable, time spent helping others takes time away from their own needs, and they may have to ask for help, which rankles their 'do-it-yourself' pride. In a roundabout way, their almost transactional way of working together ensures both sides maintain their pride and accrue social clout in the process. Those who fail to grasp this respect-maintaining way of things are very quick to anger to them.   Given their willingness to work and push forward, they're great motivators at getting people to follow along. This also sends them colliding face first into most social power structures, particularly heavily authoritarian ones. The more society wants to clamp them down, the more lauraume are likely to rebel against it. Social stratification is anathema to many lauraume cultures, and those who go along with it are usually direct beneficiaries of its existence. It's a sentiment that has gotten them on well with humanity and muurun the most.   In person, the lauraume extrovert behavior shows in their bold speech, decisive action, and almost pushy social prompting. They don't half-ass anything they get involved with, and make a big deal out of being involved with anything they do. To those they know and trust, they're the light of the party that'll burn throughout the night. Those they've yet to know may find themselves getting sussed out so the social pecking order is established quickly.    

Gender

The self-actualization of the lauraume runs into awkward issues around the concept of gender roles. Generally, women embody the backbone of the tribe and family, often being the figure of authority or experience. Men, on the other hand, are given the freedom to do what they want so long as it doesn't interfere in women's work. Common vernacular regards this as a 'tree and leaf' situation: women are the trees to whom responsibility roots, while men are the leaves dancing along the winds.   While it isn't unheard of for men to occupy a leadership role themselves, they're usually seen as adjutants to some woman with greater prestige or authority. Although very successful in their early history, the advent of technology, interspecies relations, and increasing freedom loosened their gender roles. Men, in particular, were trusted more by virtue of their capability than whoever was responsible for them. This took off further when prominent male figures orchestrated entirely new fields of social development, secured powerful marriages, and similar accomplishments.   In many ways mirroring social progress for humanity, modern lauraume cultures embrace a fluid gender view. Those in more progressive areas are even headed up by male leaders, a growing trend itself since the Great Darkness. There are, however, many tribal groups out there strictly adhering to the 'traditional' ways of matriarchal power, which can lead to great friction with their progressive kin.    

Kinship and Ethnicities

Ethnic groups are usually dictated by the type of ecological growth present. This manner of identification grew in prominence as different tribes emphasized certain appearances to be 'part of them'. Those who did were, generally, considered part of the group even if they were total strangers. However, general conflict and bad actors alike prevented this from ever becoming a truly wide and open form of acceptance. Still, to the learned lauraume mind, judging by the growth usually meant a good idea of knowing where someone came from.    

Governments and Politics

The vast majority of lauraume groups coalesce into tribal structures, usually dilenated by familial bloodlines. Most tribes maintain anywhere from ten-to-thirty families, with however many direct descendants that family can support. As inbreeding is a constant concern, the various tribes usually keep an open-borders relationship with each other, particularly in their ancestral territories.   These tribes often function on a representation model: each family elects a speaker who represents them. Among these speakers, a candidate for a war leader is drawn, who is responsible for handling the command of huntresses against Relentless, foreign invaders, and any other domestic threat. On the occasion, a tribe may elect a second candidate who acts as a leading figurehead. With the blessing of the families, this figurehead guides the tribe with their vision of future prosperity.   Pragmatism underlines the functionality of the lauraume tribes, affording very little chance for waste or indecision to take root while maximizing effectiveness. A good way of looking at their methods is to consider that they will use whatever means results in most effective outcomes, and change frequently on the fly as needed. Most tribes usually work very well with this model, but larger ones start to strain under it.   In general, they do very well when faced with clear and existent threats or challenges, but pull in different directions when left to their own devices. For as much as it helps spur them to action, if everyone goes in a million directions, then they don't end up going anywhere at all. Charismatic leaders have always been important breakthroughs in this regard, garnering enough support to pull in one direction before inevitably losing their clout.    

Trade and Economics

Bartering is the way of things for the lauraume tribes, as any cumbersome concept like monetary value is too frivolous for their lifestyles. Those who can make goods are usually trainees under a mentor, or self-learned artisans. While it can be difficult creating complex wares in the environments the lauraume thrive in, they've managed to develop capable ways of doing so. In some cases, they even leave 'incomplete' pieces while on migration for another tribe to pick up and finish, or at least contribute to.   With the vast bounty of Veltrona's wildernesses at their fingertips, the lauraume never want for finding interesting things to trade off. When they migrate near settlements like cities, they'll offload much of their material wealth for things of imminent use or long-term value. It's an equitable situation as they take whatever they need from the wilds themselves, while the excess makes for good trading to settlers.   Their knowledge and experience, particularly recorded or orally-passed down, forms their greatest, and most valuable, secrets. The key to power within the tribes, they guard it carefully and, unfortunately, have often been attacked by those seeking to plunder it. While they're always interested in acquiring the knowledge of others, they almost never share their own unless it's 'common' or 'simple' ones.    

Interspecies Relations

Easily one of the most contentious species to encounter on Veltrona, the lauraume bring good fortune as much as disaster. While initially aggressive against things they don't know or understand, their willingness to embrace people can quickly make the amiable. Unfortunately, scarred by their times in war and betrayal, many have learned to treat others with a certain wariness their predecessors never had. They can come off as mercurial and randomly hostile, particularly among tribes who suffered the most.   To the lauraume, those willing to understand their forms of honor are the most deserving of their trust. Though not at all complex or even hard to grasp, the simplicity by which they live begets little room for trickery. They will know when someone is being deceitful and they have no desire to entertain such useless people. Life is a struggle in which everyone together may overcome; those who would abandon others for their own gain are truly evil indeed.   Ironically, the lauraume get on well with immortal species, as immortals often take the time to understand and cooperate with the lauraume on their terms. The continued remembrance and honoring of their traditions makes such immortals a living bridge between other civilizations and the lauraume tribes.   The species most well-regarded by them tend to be humans, muurun, karsoru, and shermadi. Dragonkind, baarham, petrakin, and aryauk are among those they do not trust, or at least have a hard time getting on with.   They have a funny relationship with the bieneren superorganism, which initially tried farming them like ordinary crops. However, as the two often inhabit the same environmental regions, they eventually learned to work together. The bieneren's steadfast behavior and straightforward mannerism has ever been appealing to the lauraume, who regard the hive mind as the most trustworthy intelligence on the entire planet.      

Associated Articles

Notable Civilizations

     

Notable Characters

Tlazohtzin, the Scourge-Maker      

Design Notes