The Lithophae are beings of hard-light and memory, born from the intersection of the Feywild and the Astral Sea. They appear as humanoid figures carved from living opal or smoked quartz, their bodies thrumming with a rhythmic, internal glow that pulses in time with their emotions. As masters of refraction and perspective, they navigate the world with an ethereal grace, seeking to record every unique shade of existence before their light finally dims into permanent stone. For a player, the Lithophae offer a blend of otherworldly elegance and defensive versatility, capable of blurring their forms to avoid harm or stepping through the spectrum of light to traverse the battlefield.

A Lithophae’s body is composed of a translucent, mineral-like substance that feels cool and smooth, akin to polished glass. They lack body hair and traditional biological organs; instead, their internal structures appear as intricate, glowing geometric patterns. Their skin tones range from pearlescent whites and sunset oranges to deep, midnight violets. In place of hair, many possess crystalline crowns or flowing filaments of light that trail behind them like silken ribbons. Their eyes are solid, reflective pools of mercury or gold, containing no pupils, which gives them a focused and alien intensity.

Lithophae society is organized around the concept of The Great Refraction, a belief that all life is a single beam of white light broken into infinite colors. They live in Lattice Cities, suspended structures made of solidified sunlight and force-fields. They do not value gold or gems as currency but instead trade in memories and unique sensory experiences, often stored in small 'echo-shards' of crystal. Art and philosophy are central to their lives, particularly the study of optics and the manipulation of perspective. They are communal but deeply respectful of individual privacy, believing that every soul is its own unique frequency of light.

Most Lithophae lean toward Neutral alignments, as they view themselves as observers of the universal spectrum rather than participants in the struggle between good and evil. They generally worship The Prismatic Font, a non-sentient source of all light and life. Some, however, follow a chaotic path, believing that light must be free to scatter and change without the restriction of law or form.

Their homelands are found in the highest peaks of the Feywild or floating islands within the Astral Veil. Lithophae architecture is almost entirely transparent, designed to catch and amplify the rays of whatever celestial body is nearest. Walls are often made of 'firm-light,' which can be walked through by Lithophae but remains solid to others. Their cities are often invisible to the naked eye until a traveler is standing directly within the city gates.

The Lithophae view the shorter-lived races with a mix of pity and fascination, often referring to them as 'The Opaque Folk.' They feel a distant kinship with elves and other fey but find the obsession of dwarves and gnomes with the dark, heavy earth to be slightly claustrophobic. They are often sought after by wizards and scholars for their inherent understanding of illusion and light-based magic, though they find academic study of such things to be redundant compared to the lived experience of being light itself.