Clorkums

The Clorkum are a subterranean sub-species of humans that exist deep below the surface of Val. They resemble humans the least as they have black skin with gills on the sides of their neck. They exist in tribes, although a few have formed large kingdoms and empires.

Appearance
The Clorkum, being fish like and deep underground have gained fish like features, one being that they have fish gills on their necks and instead of growing facial hair, they gain tentacle like beards. They tend to have bright yellow eyes that help them see in dark places.

Culture
The Clorkums' culture is very much tribal based, but not much is known about it due to the species not really being in contact with humanity until recently. What is known is that there are numerous city states deep beneath the surface that often war with each other over simple matters. Each tribe has it's own culture and belief system. For example, the Clorkum in Tudourium worship MRI, as he saved the Clorkum tribe from a vicious attack from another tribe.

Family Life
In the Clorkum society that has been noted; due to their fish like features of breeding up to 100 eggs at a time, a Clorkum couple may only have up to five children who are the healthiest to give back to their tribe. This viscous fighting is known to be a form of population control and leads to a militaristic species.

History
The Clorkum's history as a species is known to have come into existence sometime during the Ancient SNDWVE empire ten thousand years a go. These, along with the Crabians both escaped this empire by delving deep underground sometime in the area that is known the modern day Yite. They stayed near the surface, but when the two groups argued, one went deeper than the other and conflict erupted as the groups scattered; they adapted to their new terrain by evolving features to help them, such as gills to help them rein in the rogue group. At some point, due to the lack of natural light, their eyes became bright yellow to help them see in the darkness of the underground. Their soceity depended on mold-able coral found beneath the surface and they were the first race to began using variants of the plasma tank to help advance their tribes. Since this point, the Clorkum have conquered the underground and began fighting among themselves.

Rather recently, the Clorkum have been discovered by humans numerous times and all accounts ended with them killing the explorers. But in 5643TIC, a tribe of Clorkum was forced from their homes in the Coral Caverns and moved to Runette where they have officially joined the Kingdom of Tudourium.