The Dylph

[Editor's Note: This information was written by John Paul Vrolyk (jp@vrolyk.org), for his world of Malthusal. My only involvement was to convert the text to LaTeX, and then to XML for the Magic Jar project. Questions and comments about the Dylph should be directed to John Paul.]

The Dylph possess a very peaceful, well-ordered society. This is made easy by the fact that they are very nearly a group mind. All Dylph are empathic and semi-telepathic with each other. Much less so than humans are they even to be considered individuals. The order of their culture is a communist paradise. Each has a task that fits their abilities, and all share equally in the rewards.

Three particular groups within Dylphan society are of particular interest, for they are the ones that most interact with the outsiders. The Advancers are the tale-tellers, entertainers, travellers, and traders among the Dylph. They are the only ones who routinely leave the forest and travel among the humans.

The Holders are the intellectual and spiritual leaders of the race. Through communion with each other and nature, they make the plans and decisions all the Dylph follow. They assign the young to their places in society, and they decide how much of what to produce. They give guidance and comfort to others, and are also the healers and historians. They occasionally meet with the human leaders, to sign treaties or made decisions that affect both races.

The Defenders are the military of the Dylph. To them falls the responsibility of protecting the forest from intrusion or defilement. They can easily follow the trail of an invader through the woods, sneak up unseen, and attack. They can calm the savage beasts of the forests, hear the slightest out-of-place noise. Sometimes they coordinate with the human military leaders to fend off the Horga.

Most other Dylph do one of many other things: artisans and craftsman, tree-tenders, food-gatherers, algae farmers, etc..

Dylph are vegetarian. They will not eat meat, nor do they kill animals to use them, though they will drink milk, and use the hides of animals that died naturally.

Dylph reproduce sexually, but not quite in the same way as humans. All Dylphan young are female. They remain so until they have mated and given birth. Usually they have 2-4 children per birth. However, after that, the Dylph becomes male, which is how he stays for the rest of his life. In their own language, sex-related words like "he" and "his" are not used in the same way humans use them.

The Dylph speak their own language, which is not known by any outsiders. Many of them, however, especially the Advancers, Holders, and Defenders, speak the common human tongue, and some also speak the human's "The Old Tongue".