...Unlike the radanite brotherhoods who were able to live in relative comfort in their subterranean cities, humans and alpoc did not have such comforts. Languishing in hot summer days of drought and chilly winter nights of scarce foods, neither species co-habiting the commonly accepted alpoc homeworld had any advantage in survival capabilities; because while humans always had a basic grasp on remnant technology for historical reasons that not even they know, their intellect did them no good in the harsh weather for their soft feet or delicate appendages, suffering in the same way that the alpoc with their durable hooflets and sturdy spring-like legs were trapped in the instinctual urge to follow the herd masses and therefore be completely incapable of technological progression that the herd does not permit when there's no immediate benefit.

But additionally the co-habiting species had a tendency to leave the other very, very alone; only interacting in so much as to make use of resources left behind when one has already passed through an area. The Alpoc would scavenge large swaths of grass and grain-like plants for their diet of fruits and vegetation that humans grew in fields, and in turn the humans harvested the mushrooms and various objects the herd rejected. Neither one could perceive the other, as humans stepped far too silently on their feet and carried no scents when well washed, and human senses were far too weak for the expertly discrete herd beings. Most alpoc and humans would describe this period of time as "The Dark Forest". This term is a metaphorical description of the paranoia between the two races where they believed that any physical encounter with another individual could only be fatal, and the best course of action was to draw a weapon and strike them down before the other could do the same-- after all it was only what they would do themselves.

Perhaps it's hard to imagine these days that alpoc and humans were at all frightened of each other, the alpoc of the humans' fierce upper-body strength and hands like blunt clubs that could break a jaw, and the humans of the alpoc's kicking force and unrelenting charging force, but we can surely agree that there was only one way the two were going to live for a better future, and that was by mutually stepping out of the dark forest into the clearing of enlightenment-- weak, hungry and terrified-- to attempt to communicate and hopefully put to rest that fear.

Yes, these days humans are dutiful and courageous, and alpoc are compassionate and friendly, but that dark forest may never truly leave their minds for good so that they may continue to learn from and overcome that past paranoia.