A race of dryad-like plant creatures whose former aggressively expansionistic empire was crushed and subordinated by the Dragon Empire.
The sathoni are a race of plant-like creatures that, through the use of magic, have spread to worlds throughout the Dragon Empire. The sathoni have always had a special bond with the planets upon which they live. Indeed, they depend upon minerals, water, and light to survive. Their traditions are well steeped in the magical forces of nature. Yet, as their populations grew, the sathoni realized that they had to establish holds on other worlds to meet their demands for resources without harming their homeworlds. To this end, the sathoni created the great starstalks, massive plants that burst forth from their worlds, spanning immense distances until they reached other worlds. The sathoni traveled inside the starstalks to new resource-rich worlds. With them, they brought their native plants and way of life. If a world were unsuitable for habitation, the sathoni employed magic and their native fauna to change the new world’s ecosystem to suit their needs. Thus, the sathoni colonized hundreds of worlds.
The sathoni expansion eventually brought them into contact with other races. Those that the sathoni could not win over with diplomacy, they overwhelmed by sheer numbers. As the number of worlds under sathoni occupation grew, the Sathoni Domain was established and sathoni expansion increased. Once the sathoni reached worlds with starcaster vessels, they realized that they could journey to new worlds much more quickly. Travel to other worlds that once took centuries could now be accomplished in days. The sathoni realized that nature—even enhanced through magic—at times had its limits. Technology, they concluded, was sometimes required to strengthen and enhance nature. Though the starstalks had become obsolete, the Sathoni Domain grew to encompass entire clusters of stars.
Then the Dragon War began. The twin kingdoms of Qesemet and Asamet quickly overshadowed the Sathoni Domain. The Domain crumbled and was quickly absorbed into the newly created Dragon Empire. Though their influence has diminished over the past 5,000 years, the sathoni have carved a respectable niche within the Dragon Empire. They have become the Empire’s chief terraformers, employing many of their ancient techniques to make hostile planets more suitable for habitation by the dragon rulers and their kin. Sathoni advances in the areas of hydroponics and environmental engineering are rivaled only by those of the elves. However, the two races often differ in their opinion as to the extent to which technology should enhance or alter nature.
Although some sathoni remain embittered about the end of the Domain, most willingly accept the rule of the Empire. The traditions of the sathoni recognize and honor the cycles of nature. Just as the mighty oak grows above the saplings on the forest floor, robbing them of light, so too are the powerful dragons expected to usurp the resources of the weaker races. Night follows day just as war follows times of peace. Sathoni teachings explain that to everything there is a cycle. Such things are not to be fought, but merely accepted. The decline of the Domain and the rise of the Empire simply marked a new phase in the cycle of the universe. Certainly the dragons knew of this, as proven by the way that the compromise of Khelorn mirrors the cycles of nature.
Some sathoni, however, point to the fact that the mighty oak will eventually grow too heavy and too old to support itself. When it falls, it provides nutrients for the small saplings it once shaded. These sathoni believe that if they are patient enough, the Sathoni Domain will once again rise in prominence.
Until then, the sathoni go about their business. Many provide agricultural resources, while others seek new worlds for terraforming. The sathoni knowledge of plants has given them considerable knowledge of poisons and the drow of the ISPD employ them regularly. A few still tend to the remaining starstalks that were left untouched by war. A few of these ancient starstalks support expansive urban centers, while others conceal pirate bases or societies of isolationists. Some say that secret cabals of “lost” sathoni dwell within the starstalks. There they bide their time, preparing the seeds of new starstalks with which to invade other worlds.
Sathoni Lands
With the advent of starstalks, coupled with their advances in spacefaring technology, the sathoni can now be found throughout the Dragon Empire. Most choose to remain planetbound, avoiding prolonged stays on starships and space stations. Even those who do take to life between the stars often bring large numbers of plants or create elaborate gardens in their living quarters.