The absence of a written history has meant that the origin and early history of the Delrusian people has long been an enigma. In the Delrusian language (Iramad, which uses the infernal script), "Rus" means "a person or people" and "Del" refers to an ancient sect of "untouchable" people.
These nomadic desert dwellers have an innate magic that causes their eyes to gleam golden and gives them the ability to detect golden objects nearby. Further, they have a natural, magical ability to absorb and reshape gold that they come into contact with. They frequently display a fraction of their absorbed gold as raised golden tattoos or intricate golden jewelry. Greater mastery of their abilities allows these displays to move and react to the individuals moods and thoughts, creating mesmerising displays that writhe and snake their way over the skin. Rarely, a Delrusian gains the ability to absorb and manipulate other precious metals, including copper, silver and platinum.
Due to misunderstandings about their abilities, Delrusians have been mistreated and outcast as thieves or hoarders of wealth throughout history. As a result of increasing hostilities against their people, the delrusians developed into skilled hand-to-hand combatants and trained their children in the martial arts from an early age. Eventually, these skills saw a number of Delrusians become highly effective and infamous assassins, adding further fuel to their reputation as devious cutthroats.
Rumours of golden hoards that could be claimed by forcing a delrusian to divest it, or by cutting them open, abounded and after killings of Delrusians increased, the local government stepped in to forbid the drowning of Delrusian women and children, while at the same time declaring that anyone that kills a Delrusian male "with just cause" would not be found guilty of murder.
Hostilities continued to increase until 20 years ago, when a crusade was waged to strip them of their rights and lands and expel them from the 'civilised' lands of the Eastern Desert. Under the command of the ruling Lord Yimseah, a decree was issued ordering that "all adult males were to be hanged without trial, whereas women and young males were to be flogged and banished forever." In addition, they were to have their sinister (left) ears cut off so that they might not "hear the continual whispering of fiends that surely plague their race".