While this may or may not be relevant for the Codex, one thing I would be really interested in seeing is more information on the origins of the Drykas race, pre-Valterrian. To quote the codex:
Endrykas Codex wrote:Before the Valterrian, they lived in a highly successful civilization. They had libraries and temples, arenas and markets and understood as much of the world as any people. Luxuries and indulgences are not lost on the horseclans and neither are the old wisdoms of remembering history, making use of technology and the benefits of understanding one's environment.
While not confusing, this statement doesn't really give us a lot of information; saying that they had what everyone else had doesn't define them. I believe it's stated in the lore that they are of Alahean stock, so I assume that their highly successful civilization was a primarily Alahean civilization? Did the Drykas civilization have any defining characteristics beyond "as much as any other people?" Were the Drykas simply regular Alaheans, or were they a microculture within Alahea?
From the
Alahea page, regarding the growth of the empire itself:
Alahea Wiki wrote:Viewing war as a last resort, the various Emperors sought to annex neighboring city-states with promises of grandeur and clever subterfuge, often promoting riots and fueling dissent within and without the ruling class. Supravia and Lyconia both joined Alahea around 7200 BV without bloodshed after Alahean wizards infiltrated them and caused the local noble houses to spiral out of control and into civil wars. Stepping in as an 'neutral' third party for humanitarian reasons, Alahea made sure the local populations viewed them as the only viable option for a future of peace, and awed their rivals with superior displays of magic. Their propaganda machine was unrivaled on Mizahar, and neighbors were always reminded that life was longer, safer and happier in Alahea.
A few states were given greater autonomy than the rest because of their fiercely independent traditions, such as the Eypharians, whom Alahea met and annexed around 6500 BV. Recognizing their obstinate ways, Alahea merely instituted a Protectorate and kept a watchful eye over the people of Eyktol. Not demanding tributes in the form of money, they allowed the Eypharian rulers to save face in front of their people, accepting instead the highly advanced products of Eypharian art and craftmanship in exchange for their "alliance". There was no doubt, however, that Alahea's reach went as far as the southern shores of Eyktol.
And then there's the fact that, in the history portion of the Drykas page, there seems to be evidence that the Drykas arose
after the land around them was already under Alahean rule.
Drykas History wrote: Rakivas founded a herd and Serifal attracted companions… which bonded to each other. From those mares and stallions and their riders were born the Drykas and the Horseclans of Cyphrus. And like Serifal, the people who eventually populated the Grasslands were from strong Alahea stock, which simply meant their blood was touched by magic. They taught magic to their children, and their children's children, until the Grasslanders were a force unto themselves, using arcana in unique and interesting new ways. Unlike some of the rest of the world, The Drykas held tight to their ancient magics – the gift of their ancestors – and saw it through even the Valterrian, holding magic near their hearts.
There doesn't seem to be an exact age regarding the race's history, though I'd wager this means that the Drykas emerged from already-present Alahean culture. Still, I would assume that their culture diverged from mainstream Alahean culture at some point, even if just a little, due to the presence of their horses.
How much, exactly, did Pre-Valterrian Drykas life revolve around their horses? Were they just horse breeders that were especially attached to their horses, or did the bond exist as it does today? If it is the latter, how would the existence of a bond separate them from mainstream Alahean trends?
Another good resource I found was the
Webbing page; the history section seems to have a large chunk of information regarding the development of the Drykas as a race instead of an Alahean offshoot, particularly in regards to strider intelligence.
It states that, sometime before striders developed the level of intelligence they have today, Alahean war officials seized the majority of the Drykas' horses to be used in the war against Suva. Again, I don't know exactly how deeply they were connected to their horses at that point, but I still imagine that such a loss would be staggering. It seems that this event was what prompted the creation of the first Web, which was slowly added to and grown in secret for the express purpose of protecting what remaining striders they still possessed. It also seems that, through the rebirth cycle, this is what ultimately caused striders to become so intelligent, as well as providing a communications and information network that could not be tracked by any mainstream Alahean official, and that this remained a secret until and after the Valterrian.
These are the conclusions I have drawn from the lore directly:
The Drykas were mainstream Alaheans that became connected to a special breed of horse. From the outside, they simply appeared to be breeders of especially swift horses.(?) At some point, the majority of their horses were confiscated to take part in the war, which prompted the creation of the Web. This Web began as a method to protect what horses they had left, but soon evolved into something more and kickstarted the evolution of strider intelligence. This continued until the Valterrian, after which they had independent access and rulership to the newborn Sea of Grass.
Now, while this give us a lot of information, there are still a few blanks to be filled in––and the biggest one for me personally is
culture. We know what happened to the Drykas, but we don't really know who the Drykas were before the Valterrian. The lore states that they all lived in a place called Fort Endrykas, so they weren't nomadic, but they were also apparently located next to the sea. Did they participate in sea trade? How open were they to outsiders? What was different about Fort Endrykas when compared to other Alahean towns?
My biggest question, though, would have to be this: exactly how far did the Drykas diverge from mainstream Alahean culture before the Valterrian? Were they autonomous under the rule of the empire, or did they have to hide their culture?
Did they resent the empire after their horses were taken?
Exactly how much did they change for the sake of hiding their remaining horses? (Maybe they became awesome ninja-horsemen to keep their horses hidden?
How did the Drykas treat non-Drykas, or rather, Alaheans that were not born a part of their culture?
How did the empire treat the Drykas as a whole?
What did the Drykas value to be most important? (striders, family, magic, etc.)
How much ownership did they have over the land they lived on? Was it legally theirs, or was it owned by the empire and merely worked by them?
How was their leadership organized?
What would a common-born Drykas expect to learn growing up?
How common was magic?
by Ixzo on June 7th, 2016, 3:12 am 
