NOLACS

The Nolacs are thought to be a primarily nocturnal species of similar physical stature to the Gigantus. That is where the similarities end. Unlike the peaceful Gigantus, Nolacs are considered well versed in the ways of conflict should they be threatened. They are an unusual species that has no audible means of communicating with one another. If there are ultra-low or high frequencies in play, I have no way of telling. There aren't even any vocal organs that are observable when staring down the throat of one (don’t ask). They do periodically utter controlled noises, so they could speak if they were so inclined, I think. This still makes difficult speculation for what their massive jaws, which occupy nearly half the skeletal structure of the cranium, are ultimately used for. Nolacs are not known to bite in combat…

The Nolacs have made homes of the massive caverns and hollows found peppered through the many valleys of the area. They are tunnelers of legendary repute seemingly able to bore through Anomaly's densest materials. How they do this remains a mystery, but their hidden travelways are believed to spiderweb across much of the deserts and mountains around us-- an unsettling thought indeed! Travelers are warned well in advance not to trespass, else risk never returning. Nolacs are ferocious in battle and almost as skilled as The People in their execution. Quite a testament given their size and bulk. It was of some surprise to find their dark world is actually illuminated during a handful of hours during the day, by harnessing an intricate array of mirrors made of polished glass. Fed with light from natural openings in the cave ceilings, the light bounces throughout the chambers offering a measure of warmth to the dark, cold world in which they dwell.

The lighting of the grottos is impressive. When we learned why this system was put in place, any belief they were merely big, scary masses of fight and fright faded immediately.

The Lashova is a water lily known to grow in a variety of environments. The Nolacs have created a massive chamber where several “corridors of light” are directed and then diffused through a coarsened crystal of some sort. The softened light spreads across an underground lake fed through unseen, underwater sources. Atop the still water are thousands of the Lashova, clearly fulfilled of their photosynthetic needs through this “light irrigation system.” It would seem the water lily is able to keep the water free of microbes that would otherwise sicken a Nolac…or anyone else, for that matter. The chamber is fed from a number of these “light corridors” and thus illuminated throughout the day by a “live” sunbeam from some branch of these caves. When night falls, if the moons are bright enough, the chamber takes on a strange, pastel shade of blue.

So how do Nolacs communicate? Dagda and Urz were helpful in this regard. It is their belief the Nolacs have the means to communicate through some sort of telepathy. They have both provided generous translation services as I tried to gain a better understanding of these… Well, there are no two ways about it. These are terrifying people. I am not alone in this assessment. Even The People refer to them as “Cave Demons.” Of note: These translations took place in utter silence between the Seers and the Nolacs. The only audible conversation was between the Seers and me. I was told this ability was a result of their intensive pursuit of The One. Nolacs claim a particularly close bond to the world in which they live. Caves are not dark, damp places of isolation. They view them as the “bosom of the world,” both figuratively and literally closer to the “heart” of the planet on which they live. Their artful manipulation of sunlight and the Lashova’s hidden gift, they claim, are but two secrets the world has shared with them.

It bears noting that no one has any idea how many Nolacs exist. They move below ground and are rarely seen on moonless nights on the surface.