Deadskins

Creations of the Lesser Hive

Skittering, crawling insects writhe and fall within a pit as onlookers wait for the perfect moment. With a deft nod of the head, a cloaked figure signals the beginning of the final part of their ritual, the final evolution of the creatures they create in the name of Gaar-mU-tIff. What once were normal people have been sacrificed to the whims of the Lesser Hive, their reason and ability to think removed by dark rituals and their bodies mutilated by these pits of insects.
The Deadskins are creations of the Lesser Hive, built on ideals of twisted worship and broken spirits. This cult prefers to twist and corrupt guardians of nature for their purposes, creating horrors that please the Skittering One. Decay and corruption are their greatest purpose, sacrificing their humanity and reason to be merely a host for the insects that are integral to the ways of the cult.
Little more than a puppet being led by a puppeteer, the Deadskins continue through pain and the loss of their sanity until they are slowly drawn into the hivemind and lost forever. Those that have lost their use will be consumed by the Skittering One and the insects, with nothing left of the person that once existed.

Basic Information

Biological Traits

Deadskins retain many of the physical traits of the species that they were created from but they are no longer a whole person. Seemingly hollowed from the inside out, one that has gone through the twisted rituals of the Lesser Hive become little more than a sack of skin and bones that is in a constant state of being devoured by a mass of insects. Over time, the body may become more decayed as the insects consume more and the body reaches its limitations.

Behaviour

Due to the rituals used to create the Deadskins, these creatures have been reduced to beings without reason or thought. Little remains of the mind of the original being except a shred of sanity that slowly detiorates as the insects devour the body. All behavior of these creatures is dictated by the hivemind and does not waver.

Additional Information

Perception and Sensory Capabilities

It is unknown whether becoming a Deadskin grants any specific perception or sensory capabilities but it is believed that the abilities of the being before becoming a Deadskin will survive the ritual and be used by the hivemind. The vision of Avians, the smell of Rodenta, and the heightened sensory capabilities of the Animal Kingdom races are sometimes sought after by the Lesser Hive to better serve the Skittering One.

Deadskin

Deadskin by Image via Midjourney, created by Riverfang

Created by the Lesser Hive in worship of Gaar-mU-tIff, the Deadskins are twisted creatures of decay and corruption. Once normal beings, their spirits were twisted and reason removed to create horrors with the only purpose of serving the Lesser Hive.

Origin/Ancestry

Eldritch

Lifespan

Unknown