An ancient people, the Daryssiq are now a dwindling group of Wood Elf tribes located between the Bhinda and Vintlesh rivers in the Roundwards region of Luxiterra. An altogether different culture to both the Tekislikar to the Darkwards and Quyoshli Lightwards, the Daryssiq are not nomadic and instead live in a number of villages across the region. They primarily speak Antiel, a language unlike any of those spoken by their neighbours, and believe in Illumism - a faith centred around the duality of and balance between Light and Dark, personified as the Gods Minra and Illiq respectively. Daryssiq culture places much import on the keeping of bees, with the majority of Illumist Priests working as apiarists. In one Genidan account, it is written that over two thousand years ago a group of lizardfolk explorers purchased mead from a group of elves identifying as Darys in the lands between the two rivers.
In modern times however, the Daryssiq are slowly losing land and numbers. Darkwards, the Tekislikar's fervent idolisation of fertility has led to them expanding significantly, and while relations have not been hostile, in areas they have settled they have quickly become the dominant population, and over time vanishingly few elves speak Antiel or make the sacrifices to Minra or Illiq. Lightwards, the loss of land has been more violent. The Quyoshli tribes have rapidly expanded, subjugating or slaying all peoples in their path. It is only the Bhinda, and the existence of more promising targets, that has kept the Quyoshli from completely wiping out the Daryssiq. Some Daryssiq have fled the violence, spreading to a number of the surrounding states, with many ending up in the Imperial successor states in Luxiterra. In many, they have been welcomed - Dastipur in particular has welcomed the Daryssiq diaspora, and the knowledge they have spread, even promoting a Daryssiq mage to the title of Grand Librarian. Roshane too has traded with the Daryssiq since before the fall of the Magnapuri Empire and has been most accommodating to those who have travelled there. It has even been suggested that Illumism had an influence on the early development of the Bookburner faith, especially the elements that focus on duality and balance, though this is largely unconfirmed. However, not all have treated the Daryssiq so kindly. The Svid Magnacy in particular has declared all fleeing Daryssiq to be fair game for slavers, and many fled Quyoshli aggression only to end up as slaves to the Imperial remnant. Lukbar and Salcicum have both used the crisis to drive down prices for Daryssiq honey and mead, exploiting the beleaguered people to expand their profits, and set themselves up as the principle source of such goods in the Palaan League.