Gloom & Its Spawn
What Is It?
The Gloom (A.K.A Celethys' Maw, Gloomfog, and Wraith Mists) is an ancient, lingering, black mist created during the outset of the Lightfall Cataclysm when Faulneroth's body was disposed of through the Rift. Historians and priests believe the malignant force was a sort of swan song for the dying god--a curse upon a world in which it could no longer influence. It is thought its creation was brought about through mixing the corrupting will of the betrayed god and the Plane of Shadow's essence. What resulted was the Gloom, an enigmatic, corrupting force that seeks to snuff out the light shed by a living soul.
Description
Celethys' Maw is fairly consistent in its appearance. Visually, it is characterized by black or extremely dark purple whisps of mist so thick it would become easy to get lost within them. Gloom Clouds are often described as frigid, damp, and suffocating by those that have gotten caught within one. One constant found within all instances of Gloom is its unique stench, that of rotten carrion and vegetation. Clouds can vary in size, anywhere from small puffs of smoke to large swells that consume entire landscapes.
Properties
Aversion to Light
When light—other than that shed by a soul—is presented to the mists, it will retreat away from it in an amount proportional to how bright the source is. This trait has a limit, however, as Gloom is not known to move further than twenty feet away from typical sources of luminescence. This trait seemed to be refuted by the invention of the Tenebrous Bulbs, as the item is able to repel the mists in a much larger radius—one hundred feet—than its mundane counter parts. Gloom is known to be destroyed when exposed to True Sunlight, a source of luminescence in short supply found only around and in an Elysian Bastion. There is a single source of light that Gloom does not react negatively to and actively hunts, however; the light given off by a soul.
Mobility
The fog is often dense and typically clings close to the ground. Clouds of Gloom prowl the wastes in wide, meandering paths in order to seek out living beings. Testing performed by arcanists and researchers in the Wissan Dominion has concluded the Gloom is not able to traverse steep or elevated terrain. The same researchers recommend that, should one ever find themselves stuck in a Gloom Cloud, to seek out an elevated position immediately. There have only ever been a few cases in which a Cloud has been able to lift more than a hundred feet from the ground, and in each one of them a certain entity, The Frayed Sovereign, has been to blame for the abnormal behaviour.
Umbrosis
Umbrosis is the proper term given to the condition found in entities that have been stranded in a Gloom Cloud without a light source for longer than one hour. Other names for it include Haze Fever, Mist Madness, and The Twist. It is a progressive condition that has a single cure once it has progressed passed the first stage: direct contact with True Sunlight. If it is caught early enough, exposure to a Tenebrous Bulb or other significantly bright light for an hour-long duration will cleanse the affliction from the victim's soul. The end result of Umbrosis is, ultimately, a Silhouette—a hollow, twisted, and corrupted version of the entity that fell to the affliction.
Stage 1
After an unfortunate soul is exposed to the Gloom for at least one hour, they will begin to feel extremely thirsty and eventually dehydrated. Moisture will begin to leave the body in a dark mist from available pores and orifices during this time. Overall body mass of an afflicted entity will decrease dramatically, and the skin will begin to get pulled taut against the muscles. Mobility is hampered, and pain throughout the body is common. Exhaustion is also common, with survivors describing it as an 'unwillingness to move'.
Stage 2
When the majority of moisture has evaporated from a victim's body (after roughly two to four hours), the Gloom's more malignant forces are able to take root. The ingrained curse of Gloom grapples an affected entity's soul and will begin to eat at and rot its soul from the inside-out. This process corrupts the individual, bringing the entity's worst traits to the surface. This curse, while still curable by the above stated methods, will leave an entity scarred—they will never be the same as they once were.
Stage 3
Stage 3 is when the damage is irreversible (after roughly eight to twenty-four hours), and symptoms will continue to get worse despite typical remedies. The entity's soul light is consumed, deadening their emotions and senses. Affected individuals will not respond as they normally did to outside stimuli. What remains will hold on to the affected entity's original voice, memories, and mannerisms though will be unable to form new or meaningful connections. Souls of the affected begin the corruption process, and all hope of curing or saving them is to be abandoned. It is recommended the affected individual is put down before Umbrosis is able to continue festering at this stage.
Stage 4
All control of the affected entity's body is lost at this stage. Entities that have progressed more than twenty-four hours in the corrupting process often retain a shred of their personality and memories. They will use these personal affects to lure other potential victims out into the Gloom if they are alone. A soft, purple light will begin to emanate from behind their pupils, which will eat and rot away the original eye's mass—eventually replacing them entirely. Mutations are common at this stage—extra/loss of limbs, shattered bones, and floating with whisps of Gloom trailing beneath severed torsos are typical.
Stage 5
All mental inhibitions that may have prevented an affected entity from inciting violence have vanished at this stage. By this point, nearly two days after exposure to the curse, entities will experience zombie-like symptoms & behaviours and will become a true Silhouette—named as such due, in part, to their uncanny resemblance to the entity it has replaced. These monsters do not crave brain matter, however, and instead seek out a mortal's soul light as sustenance. Entities slain by a Silhouette and left within a Gloom Cloud will rise again as a twisted, corrupted version of themselves twenty-four hours later, perpetuating the cycle.
Addendum
- It is to be noted that beasts and monsters afflicted with Umbrosis, that did not already have the capability of speech before their corruption, may develop a mutation during their transition to a Silhouette that allows them to mimic voices they have heard. This same mutation has been documented on humanoid Silhouettes.
- Tenebrous Bulbs repel Silhouettes after the completed transformation. All other light sources, however, draw them towards the holder. It is recommended to always carry a Tenebrous Bulb, and to have as few lights as possible when traversing the Gloom. More lights = higher chance of attack from roving Silhouettes.
- Large plants are able to be corrupted by Umbrosis, however, there have been no known cases of plants mimicking voices. These plants also do not obtain the ability to unroot themselves and move about, so it is recommended to simply avoid locations with known cases.
Once, the grass outside of our Bastions was green, the trees were verdant, and ravens would pick at the carrion. Alas, none of this holds true in our day and age. Grass beyond our walls turned to deep purples, trees stand twisted and corrupted, and the dead... the dead lie where they fell, always rotting. Does decay fuel life, providing nutrients back to the soil for plants to grow and animals to eat? Or, inversely, does life fuel the engine of decay, whose sole purpose is leaving a wake of death and black in its path? I wish I knew the answers, for if I did, I would act upon them and bring our world back from the brink of rot! I would bring color to the land, smiles to the people, and peace of mind to the survivors.
Type
Metaphysical, Supernatural
Celethys' Maw, Gloomfog, Wraith Mists, Ink Clouds
Artworks
Grim Nights in the Garden, by Aromon Holaralei
Lingering Malignance, by Ora' Tor
Lavender Malice, by Olivia Locke
An Ornate Tenebrous Bulb
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