¡Muffin Here!
Actually, I don't like making announcements or clarifications before or after my stories.
But for this one (or maybe not) occasion, I'll do it!
This isn't a chapter.
it's more of a page from the encyclopedia/bestiary I've been writing for this story while I was out partying or during the dead times of my community service.
It's not essential to the plot, but I absolutely love writing these kinds of details.
I feel like it'd be a waste to leave them buried in my Word files, so I decided to share some parts every now and then, at least the sections about races that have already appeared. It helps give a bit of context and life to this little world I decided to call 'Niraleth.'
What does it mean?
No damn clue, but it sounds cool… doesn't it?
Also, I'm uploading this story to Wattpad (only in spanish). You should check it out. On my page, I'll be able to upload some drawings in future chapters of the encyclopedia.
"GaboBovino" or just look for "Ecos de simbiosis"
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Anthropobiological Record — Druz'ya
Official Designation: Homo affinis minor
Classification: Dependent Civil Species / Coevolutionary
Record No. DZ-12C / Institute of Coexistent Species
COMMON NAME: Druz'ya
Also Known As: The Lesser Blues
BIOLOGICAL DESCRIPTION:
The Druz'ya are a humanoid species of short stature, measuring approximately between 1.10 and 1.25 meters in height.
They have purplish blue skin with reddish undertones, the shade varying depending on the region and genetic makeup. Compact and robust skull with large orbital cavities housing big eyes with cinnamon brown irises. Sharp limbs and fingers ending in extremely sharp, retractable claws. These can be used both for combat and fine manipulation. Dense musculature suited for agility and precision rather than brute strength. Limited vocal capacity for simple phonemes, compensated by complex facial expressions and a refined system of manual signals.
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BEHAVIOR AND BOND WITH HUMANITY:
The Druz'ya evolved in parallel with the human species, developing over time a deeply rooted mutual dependence. This cultural symbiosis has made them a partially domesticated species, though not in the traditional sense. Their intelligence is notable, but their sense of autonomy is subordinated to their social bond with humans.
In cities, Druz'ya live, work, and train alongside humans in assigned roles such as:
Technical and medical assistants.
Infiltration or reconnaissance operatives.
Family or secretarial companions.
Messengers, accountants, librarians, and caregivers.
Every civilized Druz'ya is legally paired with a specific human or family unit, forming strong emotional bonds.
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COGNITIVE CAPACITY:
Despite their emotional dependence, Druz'ya possess:
Extraordinary short-term memorization.
Ability to follow complex tactical instructions.
Advanced recognition of human emotional expressions.
They lack independent social structures in their civilized form. Without a human nearby, a Druz'ya may enter a state of emotional inactivity or behavioral dissociation.
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WEAPONRY AND TRAINING:
Trained in specialized facilities, military or security Druz'ya units operate in coordination with human troops. They possess:
Adapted uniforms with reinforcements at elbows, knees, and back.
Miniaturized low-recoil rifles (caliber adapted).
Swarm coordination with pre-designed attack patterns.
Combat techniques focused on speed, precision, and dispersion.
In urban combat, a dozen Druz'ya can execute surgical strikes on targets that physically outmatch them.
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SUBSPECIES:
Wild Druz'ya: Individuals not raised in human society. They live in forests, ruins, and cave systems. Organized in aggressive clans, they avoid human contact and become extremely hostile if they feel invaded. They lack articulated language and use claws as their primary tools. This variant followed its own evolutionary path, not requiring a bond with humans to survive.
Domesticated Druz'ya (Civilian and Military): Those born and raised in human contexts. They have hygienic habits, wear uniforms, follow a controlled diet, and exhibit programmed behavior from birth.
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HISTORY AND LAWS:
The Multispecies Bonding Charter (MBC) recognizes the Druz'ya as citizen companions, though under human custody. Their adoption must be official and notarized.
Negligence in their care is punishable by law. Unassigned Druz'ya must be contained and relocated under psychological evaluation.
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Human–Druz'ya Bonding
Additional Section — Record DZ-12C
BONDING AS A SOCIAL CORE:
Since the earliest historical records, the Druz'ya have shared their existence with humanity. This bond has evolved from rudimentary forms of cooperation (gathering, environmental protection, basic communication) to the creation of a deeply rooted legal and emotional integration system.
They are not mere assistants or workers: they are life companions.
"Where a human walks, a Druz'ya follows. Sometimes in front, sometimes behind. Never far." – Proverb from the Haldon Plains
LEGAL PROTECTION:
Druz'ya are protected by federal custody and reciprocity laws. Intentionally harming a domesticated Druz'ya is equivalent to attacking a family member. Likewise, abandoning them without medical or emotional justification can lead to parental disqualification, preventive confinement, or mandatory reeducation.
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THE LONELINESS OF THE UNBONDED:
A Druz'ya without a human—whether due to abandonment, loss, or isolation—enters a state known as "prolonged silence":
Loss of appetite Withdrawal from contact Territorial disorientation Potential self-harm if not relocated
For this reason, Bonding Reintegration Centers exist, where specialists work to reestablish connections with new humans.
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Militarized Druz'ya (Type S)
Classification: Coevolutionary Species / Intelligent Tactical Support Unit Record No. DZ-MIL-S / Strategic Coordination and Biobehavioral Division
Druz'ya Soldiers (Also known as: Pocket Soldiers, Voice Phalanxes, Blue Brothers)
DIFFERENTIATION:
Unlike their domesticated counterparts, Druz'ya soldiers are raised from birth in a militarized, highly structured environment. This group upbringing grants them significant differences in:
Emotional and physical resilience.
Ability to operate autonomously for extended periods-
Collective tactical processing through pre-agreed signals-
Early conditioning prevents them from forming multiple or erratic bonds: their loyalty, identity, and emotional balance are anchored to a single human.
their commander.
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MILITARY ORGANIZATION:
Each Type S Druz'ya unit (also called a Voice Phalanx) consists of 5 to 20 members, all born from the same incubation generation and raised with a collective identity centered on their commander.
They do not separate during training or missions. They respond only to vocal commands from their designated individual. The death of their commander causes a "core fracture," a form of shared massive trauma.
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FIELD EMOTIONAL SUPPORT:
Druz'ya soldiers can operate without their commander's physical presence thanks to a sensory protocol:
Assigned Commander Photograph: Kept on a rigid support, visible in their tents or rest areas.
Original Voice Recorder: An auditory device with pre-recorded phrases, used during sleep, injuries, or combat.
This system reduces the chemical stress associated with prolonged separation and enables extended operations in conflict zones.
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COMBAT BEHAVIOR:
Coordination without visual contact
Synchronized flank attacks, interference, and containment.
Ability to act as a single entity against larger threats
Extremely strict protocols for recovering the wounded and safeguarding bodies
FIELD ANNOTATION – Commander of the 11th Voice Phalanx
"They'll never tell you they're scared. But if for some reason the voice on their recorder breaks… they cry. They cry with their eyes open and their weapons still aimed forward."
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CONFIDENTIAL ANNEX – Cross-Emotional Record No. DZ-S014
Sender: Trauma Therapist in Tactical Conflicts, Dr. Maeral Gunir
Classification: Private — Not reproducible without direct authorization from Central Command
Unit Analyzed: Voice Phalanx 7-KIN
Human Commander: Captain Arlen Roen
Observed Individual: Druz'ya designated as "Kin-4"
PARTIAL TRANSCRIPT OF INTERVIEW – POST-MISSION REST SECTOR:
Dr. Maeral: Do you know why you're here, Kin-4?
Kin-4: Because the captain isn't here. Because his voice doesn't sound.
Dr. Maeral: He's in surgery. He's not dead.
Kin-4: [long pause] But he's not awake either.
Dr. Maeral: How do you feel?
Kin-4: I don't understand the feeling. My recorder still works, but… it doesn't sound the same.
CLINICAL OBSERVATION:
Kin-4 was one of the few functional members after the ambush in the Raldhon region. His commander, Captain Roen, was severely injured. Although his recorder still functioned, Kin-4 developed a form of emotional dissonance: he recognized the voice but didn't "feel" it.
Visible signs included:
Slight claw trembling during nighttime hours Temporary refusal of food Prolonged pauses before executing automated orders
When offered the possibility of replacing the recorder, Kin-4 held it with both hands and caressed it as if it were the captain's face.
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EMOTIONAL ANALYSIS:
Kin-4 didn't fear losing his commander physically. He feared losing the "emotional frequency" that kept him alive.
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FINAL TESTIMONY – Kin-4, three days later:
"If the captain can no longer speak to me… I want someone to turn me off."
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NOTE FROM DR. GUNIR:
"They're hearts synchronized to a single human vibration. If that vibration fades, it's not that the Druz'ya dies… …it's that they no longer know how to exist."
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CLINICAL ANNEX – Prolonged Silence
Classification: Terminal Bonding Disorder / Degenerative Neuroaffective Condition Record No. DZ-SP-01 / Institute of Neuroethology and Multispecies Bonding
GENERAL DESCRIPTION:
Prolonged Silence is a progressive psychobiological state that exclusively affects Druz'ya—both domesticated and soldiers—when they lose emotional, sensory, or symbolic contact with their bonded human.
This disorder manifests as growing apathy, physiological changes, and, in advanced stages, functional behavioral disintegration. It is not reversible by conventional medical means.
COMMON TRIGGERS:
Death of the assigned human without a substitution protocol
Abrupt separation without emotional support (photo, voice, familiar environment)
Prolonged abandonment or severe neglect in civilian contexts
In soldiers: interruption or loss of the recorded vocal signal
NEUROBIOLOGICAL BASIS:
Molecular resonance studies have shown that Druz'ya possess a specialized limbic gland (Tyl-A relational nucleus) that activates and regulates their entire autonomic system when their bonded human is present.
The loss or absence of this presence collapses glandular function, triggering an inverse hormonal cascade that inhibits immune and emotional activity.
INTERVENTION METHODS (Effective only in stages 1 and 2):
Environmental Restitution Therapy: Recreating auditory and olfactory environments of the lost human.
Symbolic Assignment of a New Bond: In exceptional cases, Druz'ya in pre-silence states have been emotionally reconnected to a new human. This requires a ritual protocol and a guided cohabitation period of 7 to 21 days.
Collective Adoption: Some institutions have achieved positive results by bonding pre-silence Druz'ya to entire communities, such as schools or train stations.
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REGISTERED CLINICAL CASE – "Lúm-9"
"The last sound he made was his owner's name. After that… he didn't move again. It took four days for him to stop breathing, but he didn't cry, didn't scream. He just waited, lying next to the photo we had left him."
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Observation Fragment — Interaction Between Druz'ya in a Domestic Environment
Location: Communal gathering house, Lethari suburban district
Occasion: Malakith Day celebration
Observed Individuals: Female Druz'ya (designated Yula), Male Druz'ya (designated Rilk), extended human family
The house was filled with laughter, plates with golden crumbs, half-empty glasses, and old music playing from a staticky radio.
On a thick rug, among cushions and children's feet, Yula was picking up scattered napkins, occasionally sniffing with that curious gesture she loved to mimic from humans. Her bluish skin had purple glints under the living room lights. She moved her tail with slow elegance, the mark of someone accustomed to observing before acting.
Across the room, next to a girl eating fruit with her fingers, Rilk was juggling a couple of slices of toast. The small male Druz'ya was clumsier, more direct. Each time he failed and the bread fell, he let out a short squeak and looked at the girl for approval.
When their gazes met, it was almost immediate.
Yula straightened, her spine slightly arched. Rilk froze. A second of pause.
Then both began to walk. Not toward each other, but in a circle, as if assessing the environment before greeting. It was part of the basic social ritual among Druz'ya who didn't share a direct bond: a circular recognition dance.
Finally, they stopped face to face. They raised their right hands simultaneously. Yula was the first to tilt her head. Rilk mimicked her a second later.
One of the elderly human women watched them from the kitchen, a nostalgic smile on her face.
— They seem to like each other — she said.
Suddenly, Yula grabbed a small cushion and threw it at Rilk without warning. He caught it with both hands. They froze. Then Rilk let out a short, grunting sound—his way of laughing—and they both sat together, back to back, watching the family eat.
Ethological Interpretation:
Druz'ya recognize individuality among themselves but tend to behave cautiously when outside their primary human circle.
The recognition dance establishes a framework of trust before physical or symbolic contact.
In safe contexts (like family gatherings), playful, low-contact but highly symbolic emotional interactions are common. Gender differences are not strictly behavioral but are observed in approach styles, movement rhythms, and response patterns: females tend to be more tactical, males more physical or spontaneous, though this varies between individuals.
Additional Notes:
"Yula was always reserved with other Druz'ya. But that night, she couldn't stop looking at Rilk. I think his way of dancing won her over." — Lemi, registered caregiver