Vedalken

"Look, you were right, I should've never tried and sell those bands to them. You wouldn't believe the gear they had in there... But I swear, the way they looked at me.. It's almost as if they've forgotten that they're stuck here just like the rest of us. If they're so smart, why haven't they found a way back yet?" Enter the Vedalken, one of the many races pulled to the Neath, though they do have the distinction of being the most recent to arrive. Although the lot are rather tight lipped about the whole ordeal - which is unsurprising considering their realm warp spells clearly destabilized and brought them here by accident - the Admiralty's voracious secret seekers managed to bribe and cajole their way into discovering that their species hails from a distant aquatic realm, driven out by some unknown force. And also that they have a nearly universal love for fruitcake. How strange. The vedalken as a whole are a hardworking people, possessing the cleverness of dwarves, the magical inclination of elves, and a work ethic that would put them both to shame. It is this very work ethic that allowed them to integrate seamlessly into cities throughout the Neath. Though their exodus from their previous home was a catastrophic failure by all accounts, they were welcomed into nearly every nation when it became clear what they could contribute to society as a whole. Even the notoriously prickly and xenophobic Khanate opened their doors, which is saying something. Unlike many of the other older races in the Neath, vedalken have retained a bond with those of their own race that transcends nationality. This bond is reinforced by the Mandate, a collective of powerful vedalken mages who strive to discover or invent a means of egress from this (direct quote) "infernally dark pocket of existence", and whose primary edict is "Blood before water." Mandate mages and associates are recognizable by the decorative metal pieces fused into their skulls and arms, though some are more ostentatious than others of course. Despite their relatively seamless integration into the Neath, vedalken still tend to stick out like a sore thumb in a crowd. Their blue toned skin and hairless bodies see to that. Oh yeah, and the six finger thing is pretty noticeable too.

Relations

Special note should be given to the frosty relationship between the vedalken and elves, as Varchas shut its doors and refused entry to these planar immigrants when they first arrived. Given that seems to be Varchas' preferred status quo for foreign relations in general, however, it's unlikely this will be changing anytime soon. The Mandate, on the other hand, retains a healthy array of adversaries. Though it does not speak for all vedalken, the mages and initiates that constitute its ranks are powerful enough to command both jealousy and grudging respect from nations about the Undersea.