Lore Deep Dive: The Zoldurytes

While the Thekals of Adamo cling to tradition and biological longevity, their exiled cousins, the Zoldurytes, have chosen a different path: Evolution through Technology. Inhabitants of the barren red moon of Umlos, they are a society of cyborgs ruled not by a king, but by a supercomputer.

Here is your guide to the Zoldurytes.

Geography & Atmosphere

Home World: Umlos (Moon of Adamo) Classification: Tidally Locked Cold Desert Capital: 2001 XQ (Located on the Dark Side)

Umlos is a stark, red, barren world. Because it is tidally locked to Adamo, one side faces the planet while the other faces deep space.

  • The Landscape: The moon is a cold desert with minimal flora and virtually no fauna. In the long winters, snow is rare; the ground is simply frozen red dust.

  • The Core: Despite the surface desolation, Umlos's core is an energetic marvel. It possesses unique properties that generate massive amounts of energy—enough to light up the sprawling, neon-lit cities that dot the dark side.

  • The Capital: 2001 XQ is a metropolis of metal and light, powered by the core and shielded from the vacuum and cold.

 

Politics: The Rule of CRUX

The Zolduryte government is the ultimate Technocracy. There are no politicians, only CRUX.

The Automated God CRUX is a decentralized, automated supercomputer designed by the founding Rythman Family. It governs every aspect of life on Umlos:

  • Scope: It manages healthcare, financial transactions, dispute resolution, logistics, and daily governance.

  • The Rythmans: The architects of this system. Today, figures like Javaid Rythman staunchly defend CRUX against rumors of "backdoor manipulation," insisting the system is a pure, unbiased utopia.

The Citizenship Score While there is no traditional class system, status is determined by connectivity.

  • The Merge: At age 40, Zoldurytes undergo the final phase of integration with CRUX. Successful merger grants high social status and perks.

  • The Disconnected: Those who fail to merge or choose to remain "offline" are relegated to secondary citizen status.

 

History: The Great Schism

The Zoldurytes were originally Thekals (the Rythman family) living on Adamo.

The Civil War Generations ago, the Rythmans believed that the secret of longevity (the Lachino plant) should be shared with the common people. The ruling Kinsingors and Parkqwins disagreed, leading to a brutal civil war.

  • The Exile: Defeated, the Rythmans and their followers were exiled to the moon Umlos.

  • The Transformation: Swearing to build a society based on equality and longevity without the plant, they turned to technology. They developed cybernetics to replace their failing biology and built CRUX to replace failing human judgment.

 

Culture & Physiology

The Four Phases A Zolduryte is not born a machine; they become one. From infancy to adulthood, they undergo four significant phases of technological transformation, replacing limbs and organs with superior synthetic parts.

The Spinal Cortex Drive Every citizen is equipped with a dual-layer data storage system linked directly to their spine:

  1. Public Layer: Accessible by anyone. Used for business, social interactions, and ID.

  2. Private Layer: Encrypted and confidential. (Though, whispers persist that CRUX may have access to this, too).

 

Gastronomy: The Efficiency Menu

Zolduryte cuisine is a reflection of their cyborg physiology. Chewing is often seen as inefficient; fueling the body is about optimization and pleasure through chemistry.

The Liquid Diet The menu consists almost entirely of high-viscosity smoothies, blended juices, and stimulants.

  • Neuro-Latte: A coffee blend spiked with neural accelerators to help the brain interface faster with the CRUX network.

  • Red-Dust Smoothies: A nutrient-dense blended juice named after the Umlos terrain. It contains essential vitamins to maintain remaining biological organs.

  • Synth-Spirits: Alcoholic mixed drinks that are chemically tailored to provide a buzz without damaging synthetic implants.

The "Robot" Menu For those with heavy modifications, "food" resembles industrial fuel:

  • Nutrient Gels: Squeezable packets of dense caloric paste.

  • Energy Cubes: Dissolvable blocks that provide instant glucose.

The Adamo Imports For nostalgic occasions or those with fewer modifications, Zoldurytes import food from their home planet, often processed for easier consumption:

  • Blended Tarandular: A soup-like version of the Thekal bird stew.

  • Imported Garra: Wrapped meat from Adamo, often treated as a rare luxury delicacy for the wealthy elites who still enjoy "biological" eating.