Unctuous. Grumpy. Vaguely annoying. Notoriously snippy. These are just some of the terms used to describe the Hylotl, our three-eyed acquaintances from the ocean deep. In my travels, I've spoken to a great many sentient beings, and quite a few of them have complained to me about getting stuck in Hylotl bureaucracy or being unable to understand a Hylotl's reaction to something. This begs the question: what's the deal with the Hylotl? Let's dive into their past and take a look. We all know that the racial enmity between the Florans and Hylotl has existed for hundreds (if not thousands) of years. Bitter wars were fought with primitive weaponry, and legends from that time speak of great suffering amongst the peoples of both races. One Hylotl piece from that age in particular gives us an insight into their attitudes towards Florans: Teeth and claws, blood blue, and captives tightly strung Sharp edges, the cry of my dying young The crackle of burnt egg-pods and monsters' savage war-cries We cannot win, we can only try Someday soon I'll avenge my lover For now I've got a weapon to discover The poem above is an excerpt of a compilation of recovered art from the era called "Water and Blood: The Floran-Hylotl War" and compiled by the xenanthropologist Angie Kurov. It's obvious from this that the savageries committed by the Florans had a deep-reaching impact on the general Hylotl psyche - mention Florans in front of a Hylotl and they'll visibly twitch. Hylotl are brought up to fear and hate Florans, so it's unsurprising to see how they react. Importantly, though, the above point does not take into account that the Hylotl also committed atrocities upon the Florans during the war. Here's a little-known fact: the Hylotl were the first race to develop weed killer. Does this absolve the Florans of their crimes? Of course not, but it's important to understand that neither side is blameless in their centuries-old rivalry. The Hylotl have simply built up their defenses in a different manner to the Florans, using bureaucracy to block them out instead of weapons (usually - a warship blockade still sends a powerful message). This still doesn't explain why the Hylotl act so snippy to everyone else. Perhaps they're afraid of history repeating itself, or perhaps the relatively recent advent of interstellar flight capabilities across the known sentient races hasn't given them ample time to come out of their shells. One tiny whisper I picked up in a seedy Hylotl bar tells me otherwise, though. A hooded Hylotl who refused to identify themself told me that a storm was on the horizon. Something big. Does this mean that the Hylotl are hiding something? My gut instinct points me towards a yes, but I guess we'll have to wait and find out.



