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magic bipedal creatures with traits reminiscent of both bats and goats. Entire species lives within a single colony located in a mysterious large cave (that may or may not be technically alive)
live in a complex colonial structure composed of several distinct tiered groups, each with their own sets of roles they fill.
pups - their adolescent stage, all of them look nearly identical, distinguishable only by slight variations in fur colors and patterns, the group they grow up into is not detectable for at least a few months with the sole exception of the pup that grows into the next king. live in the deepest recesses of the cave until they are old enough to begin serving the colony. aside from the king pup, a notable mark of puphood is their lack of hooves until they begin growing into their adolescent stage, which is also when their destined group for their current cycle is most certain.
pawns - lifespan: 5 - 8 years - the shortest and most versatile group, duties include gathering food, building/repairing structures and goods, caring for pups, and many other miscellaneous tasks. the most numerous group, making up a little over half of the colony. tend to be the youngest souls, also where all new souls start out.
knights - lifespan: 5 - 8 years - the muscle, main tasks include defending the colony, hunting, guarding the king, and construction. second most populous group.
royals [bishops/rooks] - lifespan: 10 - 20 years - the leaders, literally the brains of the colony. direct every group on their duties, each royal specializes in working with a specific group. rooks command lower tiered groups and bishops work directly under the king
king - lifespan: ~50 years - the most respected member of the colony and the only category that consists of a single member, dispenses the wisdom gained from their many lives.
other details - genderless and sexless, 'reproduce' via a swirling concentration of magic, commonly referred to as 'the birthing pool', deep in the farthest depths of the cave system they inhabit
barring the king, every individual is reborn back into the colony upon death, with each cycle they gradually take on more and more important roles the final one being the aforementioned role of the king, it is unknown where their souls truly go after this final death and no prevailing consensus exists but theories range from reaching an eternal paradise, being recycled into many entirely fresh new souls, or simply disappearing entirely.
every member has their own sense of self that is continued throughout each lifecycle, this includes everything from their overall disposition, preferences, habits, all the way to the memories they've made (though previous life memories tend to be much more subconscious or intuitive things like feelings associated with certain scents or colors rather than actively remembered facts).
Untervolk are notable for having a deep reverence for wormling species, many consider them divine creatures and even go so far as to worship and leave offerings for them. there exists a time honored tradition of leaving out the bodies of recently deceased kings in hope of a wormling deeming them worthy of being a host; they believe that hosts are chosen as a means of preserving a soul as well as a body and wormlings choice of host reflects on a living beings virtuosity. to them, being selected as a host is essentially saying 'you've risen above your peers and have proven yourself worthy of being immortalized'
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hierarchy
king/queen/emperor - head of the colony
bishops - royals who work directly under the king, lead their own large portions of the colony
rooks - royals who work under bishops, lead smaller specialized sections of the colony
knights - the muscle, act largely as guards but serve many other roles where strength is necessary
pawns - most basic class though also the most versatile, fulfill numerous roles of varying complexity within the colony.
the leaders consciousness doesn't continue into their afterlife, instead their soul, made much stronger through their countless lives, is broken down and used to fuel the creation of new souls and sustain the colonies birthing pool (don't tell them that tho LMAO, lil bro thinks he's going to goblin Valhalla but he really just getting turned into spiritual fertilizer 😭)
--extra/notes--
-they can live separately from the colony/cave but their soul will always return upon their death.
-some bishops are stationed away from the colony to act as ambassadors. this is the only colony position that can live away without facing ostracization upon returning.
-each individual has markings and colors that evolve with them through all lifetimes, these traits reflect their life experiences in different ways. it can typically be assumed that an underfolk with complex markings and colors has lived many more lives than those with simpler appearances, but this can also vary since some individuals learn quicker or are more observant than others, as well, the more experiences they have, the more their patterns 'grow'.
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