The Darkin and Darklings
The Darkin are an otherworldly race born of the negative emotions of the feeling entities of the physical universe. In the otherworld, the feed on the energies that birthed them, and in the material world they act to create more of the emotions that created them. Fighting the Darkin can be very dangerous, as they emit an aura that induces the emotions that created them in others, while the Darkin themselves always appear calm and cold.
The Darklings, are mortals that have achieved Darkin apotheosis, or have been fully possessed by one. Completion of the possession is irreversible, as the possessor and possessed become one new being.
Basic Information
Anatomy
The anatomy and morphology of the Darkin depends on the type it is. This can be confusing as Darkin grow in power, as they commonly take on more humanoid shapes.
The Darklings usually retain the shape they had in their previous lives, though digging any deeper shows nothing but the "dark-matter" that constitutes the Darkin body.
Biological Traits
The Darkin have no real consistent set of biological traits. Height, weight, and length can all change based on how powerful the individual is.
The Darklings usually retain a near similar shape as the original forms, though they may change themselves over time.
Genetics and Reproduction
The Darkin do not have genetics and do not reproduce like mortals and other Otherworldly entitities. Darkin come into existance when enough negative emotional energy amasses in one place in the Otherworld. Due to the abnormal flows of time in Roth'Eld'Wor, no one can say for certain how long it takes a new Darkin to coalesce. It is believed that Darklings lose the ability to reproduce.
The stronger forms of Darkin and Darkling can create new Darkin in the Materium, but it requires both incredible emotion and mana.
Growth Rate & Stages
If there is a greater pattern to the growth rates and stages of the Darkin, only they know if. All that research has been able to gather is that they can grow both stronger and smarter with age.
In a similar manner, the only pattern that can be seen in the Darklings is the growing of power.
Ecology and Habitats
Beyond Roth'Eld'Wor, the Darkin are nomadic, constantly moving through every realm except that of the God-Fiend Barkmis.
The Darklings are a mxed bunch, with some prefering a constantly mobile life while others want to "settle down".
Dietary Needs and Habits
The Darkin do not need to eat or drink, in Roth'Eld'Wor they naturally absorb emotional energy and mana. In the Materium they require an otherworldly rift or some other source of mana unless sustained by a summoning spell.
The Darklings can exist indefinetly in the Materium, but reform in Roth'Eld'Wor when slain.
Biological Cycle
Beyond the possibility of power and intelligence, the Darkin have no discernable biological cycle.
Darklings lose their biological cycles.
Behaviour
In Roth'Eld'Wor, they tend to keep to themselves, usually acting against other races in self defence. The one exception is their antithesis, the Brighkin and Brightlings, whom they are locked in an eternal war with.
In the Materium, the Darkin display one of two behaviors.
- If summoned, they will seek to perform their task at any cost, since material death measly banishes them back to Roth'Eld'Wor.
- Those that happen upon a way to the Materium seek mana or emotion to feed on. Those with intelligence will seek to summon or create more Darkin.
Additional Information
Social Structure
For both Darkin and Darkling, the social structure is really just a scale of intelligence and power. Moving upward is merely a matter of increasing personal power and intelligence.
Domestication
While they can be magically controlled, the Darkin and Darkling cannot be domesticated.
Trying to do so is suicide.
Uses, Products & Exploitation
They can be used with summoning magic, but otherwise cannot be exploited or otherwise used, as their dead quickly dissolve away into nothing. The same happens from samples gathered from still living subjects.
Facial characteristics
The Darkin have no set facial features beyond the both their eyes and inside of the mouth appearing a stark white, complarable to a truly empty abyss. Their facial features otherwise range from insectoid, to bestial, to humanoid.
The Darklings can control their form enough to appear with their original face, though in truth it is the white eyed black face like that of the Darkin.
Geographic Origin and Distribution
They can be found almost anywhere in Roth'Eld'Wor. While in the Materium, they are always found near places settled emotionally capable entities.
The Darklings are much more elusive than the Darkin, as in the Materium they move about as their situation and goals demand.
Average Intelligence
The average Darkin is a mindless monster operating on instinct in place of a mind.
Amongst those that try to study the Darkin, the consensus is that the smarter one is, the rarer they become.
Perception and Sensory Capabilities
The Darkin are supernatural and otherworldly creatures, thus they have several perception and sensory capabilities also held by the Darklings.
- Dark Sight: Darkin can see in both natural and magical darkness, it is unknown is the levels of light effect their vision in any way.
- Emotion Sight-Sense: Darkin can sense and see the emotions of others, this can be hidden from with the preperation.
- True Sight: The strongest of the Darkin possess the ability to see through all illusion and hologram alike.
Symbiotic and Parasitic organisms
The Darkin have no symbiotic relationships and are close to parasites thanks to their ability to possess people.
The Darkling have no symbiotic or parasitic species, and any symbiote or parasite present in an entity becoming a Darkling are killed and absorbed or expelled during the transformation.
Civilization and Culture
Naming Traditions
Unless they gain intelligence, the Darkin do not name themselves.
Darklings often rename themselves after the transformation is complete.
Major Organizations
The Darkin suprisingly organize themselves like the Destruluths, with the stronger leading hordes of the weaker. Unlike the Demons, the weaker Darkin are instinctively subservient to their betters. Conflict only arises if no clear hierarchy of power can be seen, such as multiple Darkin or Darklings of equal power seeking to lead the same group.
It has also been observed that the Darkin have no real concept of religion or "higher powers". Those that received divine strength lost it upon becoming a Darkling, though they may still espouse their old faith as a part of their new personality.
From time to time, both Darkin and Darklings have joined together to make an organization, though they have always been temporary alliances of necessity. One of the few exceptions to this is the Darkling organization known as Eclipse, and in secret, the nation of Droxa is controlled by several Darkin and Darkling.
Beauty Ideals
Darkin have no beauty ideals, while for Darklings it is a retained piece of their old personalities.
Gender Ideals
The Darkin have no gender and thus no ideals around them.
Some Darklings retain these while others lose them.
Courtship Ideals
As entities that do not have genders, the Darkin have no use for the concept of courtship, though those of intelligence do understand it.
Darklings may mimic courtship, but they can no longer feel anything that may be associated with it.
Relationship Ideals
The Darkin do not have relationships as we understand them. They treat each other in a utilitarian manner, for them the loss of a companion is a loss of a resource - no grief, sadness, or any feeling at all.
Average Technological Level
The Darkin have no technology and make to effort to obtain it. Those of intelligence will use it if the immediate situation necessitates it.
Those Darklings with a mind for sciences will continue their intellectual pursuits, and defend any research with a cold brutality that suggests jealousy to the ignorant.
Major Language Groups and Dialects
The Darkin have no spoken language, and communicate via telepathy. Those of intelligence will telepathically talk to other races, mentally learning the language until they can speak it fluently.
Darklings retain any language they knew as a mortal, and can learn more like one as well.
Common Etiquette Rules
Most Darkin, as beasts of instinct, have no sense of etiquette. Those with intelligence can pick it up in dealings with non-Darkin, but otherwise the only etiquette they have is deference to the stronger.
Darklings retain knowledge of etiquette but no longer feel anything about it. Whether they act with etiquette or not depends on the individual.
Common Dress Code
The Darkin do not wear clothes unless the situation immediately calls for it.
Darklings most often wear clothes, though it is believed to be out of habit, since they can control their shape and feel no shame, embarrassment, excitement, or pride.
Culture and Cultural Heritage
The Darkin have no real culture, while it tends to lose any meaning for most Darklings.
Common Customs, Traditions and Rituals
The only custom or tradition the Darkin have is deference to stronger Darkin.
Darklings tend to continue observing traditions and customs valued in their old life out of habit.
Common Taboos
Darkin and Darklings hold no racial or cultural taboos, with such things being entirely dependent on the individual.
History
The Darkin are among the older races to trace their origins back to the World-That-Was. None but the Darkin or more terrible things truly know just how old their race is. Though they were also attacked by the Ruinous Powers, they only acted alone and seemed immune to the corruption of the Fiends.
While they have appeared in conflicts in both the World-That-Was and current universe, they are drawn into those by summoners or by those that have become Darklings.
Historical Figures
It is not known if the intelligent Darkin make any attempt to record history, though various nations and races have records of them and individual Darkin.
Darklings ignore history unless it proves relevant to their goals, with the notable exception being the Darklings of the group called Eclipse.
Common Myths and Legends
As a mostly unintelligent race, the Darkin have no myth and legends themselves, though they do appear in the myths and legends of other races.
Darklings use myth and legend when it suits their goals, though, like the Darkin, they appear in the myths and legends of other races while having none of their own.
Interspecies Relations and Assumptions
Darkin usually ignore other races, except the Brighkin and Brightlings, whom they constantly war with. One the Materium they only truly care about how they can use others to make more Darkin.
Darklings view all other races with the same antipathy, unless a particular race holds a part of the reason for the Darkling's birth.
Lifespan
Effectively immortal
Conservation Status
While the Darkin exist harmlessly in Roth'Eld'Wor, those that leave the otherworld for the Materium, and Darklings found, should be slain on sight.
Average Height
Depends on the power and type of Darkin, and the original race of the Darkling.
Average Weight
Depends on the power and type of Darkin and the original race of the Darkling.
Average Length
Depends on the power and type of Darkin and the original race of the Darkling.
Average Physique
They have no average physique, and the powerful can use their ability to control their shape to make themselves appear smaller and weaker than they really are.
Body Tint, Colouring and Marking
All Darkin look like living black voids, their skin a black that seems to just swallow the light.
The same goes for the Darklings, though they can choose appear as they used to.
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