If the average Verdimm were to describe the Marswt in three words, they would all be unprintable. The Marswt tribe is generally despised, disdained, and in some cases feared. It is rumored that the Marswt has, in the past, chosen to deal with Serpen; it is true that in the past conflicts the other tribes have had with the Serpen, the Marswt have not joined with the tribes to fight the Serpen. It is also true that the Marswt have never openly allied with the Serpen. They claim to be neutral to the conflicts between Verdimm and Serpen, when they bother to claim anything at all. Theirs is a tribe shrouded in mistrust and doubt.

The Marswt inhabit the western region of the marshlands in the southeast of Crinos; they dwell in colonies, in underground caverns to which they admit no other Verdimm. While extensive experimentation has not been done by other Verdimm, and the Marswt aren't telling, their caverns appear to have a screening effect on sha'crin and psionics (including telepathy), effectively blocking such. Whether this screening is caused by natural formation of the caves or the Marswts' sha'crin isn't clear. They emerge in groups of three or more, generally, to hunt; Marswt will not be encountered singly, and most often in groups comprised of threes: numbering three, six, nine, and so on. Unlike most Verdimm, they have no compunctions about hunting other Verdimm for food; it is even rumored that they're occasional cannibals. When they hunt, they generally do so in dimo-khu or khiulnter form; they separate to drive their prey to others of their kind lying in wait. Using both their legendary frightful hunting cry, which sounds eerily like a tormented human's screams, and their sha'crin, they're deadly and quite efficient.

Religion: The Marswt's major religious figures are a triumvirate consisting of the gods Luna, Veswlio, and Pitch. Their image of Luna is somewhat different from most Verdimm's: She is represented as an old crone, wise and venerated but often weak. Veswlio is the Marswt's patron god; they teach that in ages past, Veswlio took Luna as mate by force, and begat the first Marswt, from which grew all the rest. Veswlio is a cynical, sinister figure whose words are so powerful that "they put Shape to Fear, and Substance to Despair". Supposedly Veswlio speaks only the language of magic. Pitch is the name of a true son of Veswlio's; a demigod raised to a god's status, he is the master of the hunts and all blood is spilled first to him. Each of the Marswt's triumvirate goes through periods of dominance according to the calendars of the Marswt priests; these periods of dominance may last for months or years, with modifying factors. According to the Marswt calendar, represented in ideograms, Pitch is now supreme, with his foot on Luna's bowed head and Veswlio behind him.

Magic: Veswlio is, aside from being the all-Father, also the patron of magic. It is from him that all sha'crin comes. Marswt magic tends toward the audible, with the least emphasis on the visual; their manipulations combine sound and magic to produce often devastating results. They use their sha'crin liberally in their hunting, and warring, but rarely anywhere else.

Forms:

The dimoh form of the Marswt is nondescript: Generally thin, with scraggly hair and a somewhat gaunt appearance. Average height as compared to a human, and dark hair, eyes, and skin the norm.

The khiulnter form of the Marswt can best be described, perhaps, as bat-like; they strongly resemble the earth-mammal known as the bat, but there are several differences. They're larger, sturdier, and more humanoid in appearance and function; definitely more comfortable flying with their leathery wings, but able to walk about (if awkwardly) on their legs. They are not technically blind as are normal bats, but do have very poor eyesight which they make up for with their incredibly keen sense of hearing (in this respect they do share attributes in common with normal bats) and their sha'crin.

The dimo-khu form of the Marswt is developed extremely well for hunting. In this form, the wings grow tougher and more durable and act as more a shield than a means of flight -- in fact, they seem incapable of unaided flight in this form, using the wings to glide instead. Their legs are extremely well-muscled, double- jointed as are the arms, with talons and a rigid clawed thumb which is strengthened by bone, making it durable and shock- resistant. Multiple small spikes protrude from arms, legs and torso. The head is more like the bat's than the human's, with overlarge ears, but they can form speech easily. Fangs set within the sharp tearing teeth produce a poison, mild to Verdimm and human but causing an animal to lose consciousness and control of its limbs with just a few bites.