The DIODORUM
Hunger, ceaseless, blinding, hunger. Insatiable appetite for more. More power, more food, more conquests, more, more, more. This is the curse of the Diodorum. A pact made in desperation with deceitful Draconic Gods has led them down the path of damnation. Their quest to fill the endless emptiness within the pits of their souls driving them relentlessly forward. For their hunger is absolute.
DAWN OF A NEW SPECIES
In the great celestial realm reside many creatures and beasts of the mythical variety. Amongst them soar some of the greatest monsters of legend, Dragons. More specifically, these powerful creatures are known as Elysian Dragons. And reigning over their kind is the Draconic Council. A pantheon of the mightiest among their kin. Tiamat, the mother of Dragons, sits at the top of this kingdom alongside her bondmate, Bahamut, the lord of Dragons. Together, they have held their kind together for countless millennia, guiding them as needed in the dealings of the golden realm. Tiamat's love for her kin was nearly bottomless, and yet she always had an overwhelming desire to give life to more children. Ones with which to expand within the realm of mortals. The council warned her of the meddling in the affairs of the galactic realm and stated that should she progress down this dangerous path, she would never be allowed to interfere with the galactic realm. To do so would go against their creed and distract her from the duties she must attend to within the celestial lands beyond. She decided, under the counsel of her bondmate, she would take an oath to the pantheon and create a new brood. One that would be able to thrive within the galactic realm without her intervention, and so, with her blessing, the Diodorum were born. A reptilian-like race that possessed the lifeblood of Tiamat flowing throughout their very veins. She was overjoyed as she observed her new children walking amongst their homeworld, Invictus. Slowly, they built their civilization from the ground up, creating their own language and culture. The Diodorum worshipped the Elysian Dragons as their rightful gods, giving strength to the Draconic council. It was from their gods they drew inspiration. They raised great temples and cathedrals in their name. They respected strength and honor, shunned cowardice, and became a powerful warrior culture in little time. As centuries passed, wars were waged, empires built and remade, technology advanced upon their world. The Diodorum became proficient in the ways of battle. Their civilization boasted an impressive military force capable of combating even the deadliest of foes. That was, of course, until the great tides of demonic filth spilled forth into the galactic realm and brought them to their knees.
BROUGHT TO THE BRINK
Despite their rigorous training and dogmatic dedication to the art of war, the Diodorum were no match for the Demonic legions. They were far too young a race, their technology not yet advanced enough to aid in their survival. As the wave of void born washed over their world and threatened to erase them from existence, they fought tooth and claw to the last man, woman, and child. As they were torn apart, their flesh ripped from their bones, cries of anguish reached the ears of their mother. Tiamat wept at the sight of her children’s suffering. She was desperate to aid them but powerless to do so due to the council's binding contract.
Degurth, a sibling of Tiamat, had always held a form of contentment for his older sister. It was his belief that Elysian Dragons were primordial in nature and so should simply do as they please, not bow to some pompous gathering of elders and civilized culture. Often, he rebelled against the wishes and orders of the council, deciding instead to walk his own path in direct opposition to theirs. He watched, from his own perch, the plight of his sister and her children and devised a plan. Within the last city of Invictus, in a brilliant last stand, the Diodorum held. Only for a short time, but nonetheless, they stood firm as they battled the void born to the last. It was within a fallen throne room within the city capital that Degurth made his entrance. Surrounded by the elders of the Diodorum and under the guise of a noble champion of Tiamat, he deceived the lizardfolk. He convinced them that he had arrived with Tiamat's blessing to save her children from this darkness; they need only swear their allegiance to him. It did not take long for the Elders to eagerly agree to a pact. With the great hounds of the void knocking at their door, they trusted in the great deceiver to bring them salvation.
THE PRICE OF GLUTTONY
With their fates sealed in his hands, Degurth made good on his end of the deal. With a snap of his clawed fingers, Invictus was transported to a separate system far from demonic incursion. Degurth’s minions worked alongside the lizardkin to extinguish the remnants of the void born. It was a devastating battle, but nonetheless, the Diodorum were victorious.
When the dust settled, cheers of victory roared from every reptilian throat in the city. The day was won. And yet… many of the Diodorum felt empty. Almost unfulfilled. They had just defeated an overwhelming enemy and saved their race from extinction. Yet....... nothing. It was then that Degurth made his true intentions known to his unsuspecting victims. In exchange for their lives, a curse was placed upon each of them. A piece of their very essence stolen. They would never be sastiated again. Never know the feeling of content. Instead, they would endlessly seek to fill the hole in their souls that Degurth had rendered forevermore. And as they conquered and hunted, Degurth would observe and enjoy the sight of his hated sisters' beloved children reduced to nothing more than beasts, slaves to their own ceaseless desires. As he took his leave, the Diodorum swore an oath as a combined people. They would renounce the Draconic Pantheon, rejecting their gods, and hunt Degurth and his kin to the ends of the galaxy for the wrongs committed that day.
THE NEVER-ENDING CRUSADE
Now the Diodorum hunt. They hunt, conquer, crusade, feed, and repeat. All while Tiamat weeps at the sight of her children slaughtering each other. Degurth's maniacal cackles can be heard far from his perch atop Mount Glacies as he basks in his sister's sorrow. The Diodorum wage war across the galaxy in an attempt to satisfy a thirst that cannot be quenched. Much of their current-day culture resembles a form of old Earth's Roman era. They operate in similar ranking structures and militaristic strategies, yet they have acquired more advanced technology due to their many conquests. Now, ancient gargantuan Archiosaurs stride across battlefields equipped with a plethora of advanced weaponry in a perfect fusion of nature and science. The Lizardkin wield glowing energy-filled shields and spears into the fray, still preferring the glory and thrill of close combat. It is believed that only in the adrenaline-fueled moments where steel clashes against steel that a Diodorum warrior can finally feel something resembling fulfillment. As they continue to spread across the stars, their hunger only seems to grow more wild, fueling their rage. The children of Tiamat glide across worlds atop massive dinosaur-like creatures in the hunt for the Elysian Dragonkin. Many worlds have been crushed beneath their boots, and more are sure to follow. For their hunger is absolute.