Shadekin

Very little is known about these creatures. They appear to be largely mammalian in appearance. Seemingly very rare to encounter, there have been widespread myths of these creatures the galaxy over, but next to no verifiable evidence to their existence. However, they have recently been more verifiably documented in the Virgo system, following a mining bombardment of Virgo 3. With the most sightings coming from NSB Adephagia, on and above Virgo 3b. Something in the resulting reaction seems to have drawn them in, as there has been a huge spike in sightings all across the Virgo system.

Being as these creatures are such an unknown, a call to action among the research department has been mustering, to study these aliens. They seem mammalian, but their ability to come and go as they please with no sign of entry would appear to betray some serious lack of understanding in just what they are, and where they come from. The name and classification for this species is as yet, unknown.

The crew of NSB Adephagia have taken to calling these creatures "Shadekin", and the name has generally stuck and spread, being as they seem to lack an actual species name as far as we can tell.

Overview

A lot of the following is OOC information.

Your character would not know the contents of Lore, Biology, and Behavior unless they have been told in character or have seen it demonstrated in-game.

Lore

Shadekin get around by way of traversing barriers between different planes. Doing this, they can use one plane to get around obstacles in another. They achieve this via a bluespace tunneling effect, using energy stored within their bodies. Shadekin live primarily on a higher plane, one where most of the laws of realspace do not always apply. A formless nothingness made primarily of radical energy, which they call The Dark.

The Dark is a sort of concept more than an actual real-space. It's energy and nothingness, given form by expectation and observation of those that enter. For example, were one to travel up a mountain road, and accidentally cross into The Dark, they likely would not notice anything for a time. To them, the world would continue based on their expectations of what is ahead. The better they know the place, the more accurate it will be to their expectations. Though of course, eventually they may get to a town, and there may not be anyone they know, or those people may act strangely.

The more you doubt your new reality, the more unstable it becomes until you're left with nothingness, usually. Someone in the same situation who is striking out into the unknown though may find more long-term success due to simpler expectations. Expecting there to be land, water, trees, and familiar animals, and have those act in a way you are familiar with tends to be easier to maintain an expectation of. A persistent expectation of multiple people who stay there can keep it from collapsing into unfamiliarity. And if one were to master their expectations, they could range as far as they want, and The Dark would always lead them to where they expected to go.

The earlier example of someone wandering into The Dark on their journey up a mountain road, while unlikely, might be possible. Barriers between the different planes exist, though traversing them is not something easily done. However, a wide variety of things in one plane can affect things in another, or cause the barriers between them to thin to the point of nonexistence in some places, allowing things from one to pass into the other somewhat freely. These anomalies are very rare, and usually short-lived. Shadekin can see these barriers from within the dark with enough practice and tend to be attracted to such anomalies. It is easiest to phase shift where the barriers are weakest. These are good places to practice. The sensation of such effects on The Dark and real-space around the shadekin are pleasant, desirable, and in general very attractive to shadekin aesthetically. As such, one is the most likely to encounter a shadekin at such dimensional anomalies. One may also find them at or around the sites of man-made gateways between dimensions or points in space for similar reasons.

Origins Beyond The Dark

Shadekin have a long history of exposure to The Dark, their origins being in a now long-dead spacefaring civilization. An ancient war somewhere far away sent the scattered remnants of these people into hiding in every way they were capable to avoid the risk of extinction. Shadekins have evolved from those that used their technology to escape into The Dark.

Its Been A Long Time

Cut off from infrastructure and resources, they were not able to keep up with their previous society. Difficult to survive at all, let alone rebuild or advance. Time in this environment continues to change them. Many, many generations have passed. More than long enough that their true origins have long since passed from history, to legend, to myth, and into obscurity. So long that there are likely none who yet live who know those tales. With time and effort though, the shadekin have been able to form a sort of central hub. A place where shadekin actually live and maintain, one where they can return. It changes over time based on their understanding of The Dark, but it remains in the same place, and any shadekin who is at all familiar with this society knows how to get there.

A Nameless Species

Shadekin themselves don't actually have an official name as a species. They don't claim one. Their origins are largely forgotten to them. They tend to be called shadekin by others though due to their tendency to come and go by darkness. A shadekin who is unfamiliar with the ways of others, when asked what they are, will say their individual name because to them there isn't a difference. (Assuming they understand your language.)

Society

Their society is sort of built on the procurement of skills and useful information. With the nature of The Dark, shadekin want for little as far as physical things are concerned. With their relative mastery of that space, there is more than plenty for one to survive. However, so much of The Dark is temporary and subject to change based on expectations. The rules and materials of the worlds outside of it are different. As such, many shadekin strikes out from this central community to learn more about other places. If they can return with useful information to that society, be they languages of major powers, details about different materials, or just a good spot to pick up some choice eats, they may be known for that discovery. Shadekin who achieves exceptional skill in things may also be well known. Becoming known for something usually comes with being given an additional name, usually relating to what it is they are known for.

Naming

Names are very important to shadekin. They do not usually identify or act as a group really. They are all individuals. As such, what a shadekin's name tends to be important to them. And apart from their marr'ing, their name is almost universally the one other set of sounds that they know well. Where their first name may be more traditional. Often a proper name from a language the mother is familiar with or named by those at The Hub. They are given additional names by their peers based on their accomplishments or discoveries, and those names are usually related to what they got the name for. For example, a shadekin who is a particularly skilled fighter, well known, might be called "Sharpclaw" or someone who is particularly good at treating the injured, might be called, "Healer" or “Patch”. Just as [very poor] examples. These names can be anything, may not be English(/galactic common), and may even be names of other people/shadekin who are well own for the thing. Shadekin tends to do their best to live up to their names and may seek to defend their reputation in the case of others tarnishing it.

Biology

Shadekin can indeed vary widely in appearance. Some are huge and imposing shadows in the night, while others may very well be the short, meek shopkeeper in the odd slanted building at the end of the street. It really depends on primarily how old they are and how they’ve lived their lives. However, most do tend to share a similar body shape and structure as follows:

Large brightly colored eyes, two arms, two legs, one long prehensile tail, large very expressive ears, and they are ordinarily covered in thick fluff. Their fur tends to be darker in colors, but that is in no way a rule.

Adaptability

Shadekin are different from one another. The changes to shadekin in general overall this time have not been strictly in their ability to traverse dimensions and interstellar space. Given age, shadekin changes and grows physically. These changes are usually relatively minor, but given enough time, shadekin can grow to be wildly different based on their needs. A shadekin who gets into a lot of fights will almost invariably continue to grow larger and tougher as time goes on. A shadekin who lives in or around water may eventually develop webbed features or the ability to breathe underwater. These are not fast changes of course, but the more specific an environment or activity a shadekin undertakes, the more specialized and adept they may become there with enough practice and development.

Gender Differences and Reproduction

There are reports of somewhat traditional male and female genitals present. These reports are however very inconsistent, and the genitals of the creatures seem to be hidden ordinarily. The creatures do not appear to have any obvious tells for gender or sex ordinarily. There are reports of some with more traditional feminine or masculine body structures, but these do not seem to be consistent among their species. It's ordinarily somewhat difficult to tell without asking them, or seeing their genitals.

Lifespan

Insufficient data

Diet

They do not seem to be picky. Reports are coming in from all over, of the creatures accepting, or stealing all kinds of food from crew.

Phase Shifting

Excessive time exposed to The Dark instigates change in these creatures at an early age, which manifests itself in the ability to phase between planes. This is not of course without its dangers. The process of phase shifting for the first time requires one to deliberately overload themselves with the energy they subsist off of. Attempting to achieve this and failing, may cause permanent harm, or death. That said, they can learn to control this effect with time and practice, until it comes almost as naturally as walking. The more specialized they are at it, the more capable they are of doing so more frequently, and in well-lit areas. Though in well-lit areas and under heavy observation by multiple people, most shadekin would struggle to leave by this method. The personal cost to them tends to be greater, the more heavily observed they are. This method of travel is what they call phase shift. That said, a phase shift occurring where people can see it likely is done in an emergency, and that shadekin likely won't be able to phase shift again for some time unless they are particularly specialized in phase shifting.

Communication

Their origin species was largely empathic. They can sense the emotions and intent of one another, which made their language very simple. Only a few different sounds were needed, as a large portion of their intent is plain to see between one another. This makes their language rather impossible for outsiders to understand. And as time has gone on, the shadekin's audible portion of language has come to primarily consist of different intonations of "Mar." peppered with the sounds of their individual names where needed. Though they do also tend to 'Wurble' when they are happy or content. They can however learn and speak other languages given time and effort.

Behavior

Shadekin are influenced heavily by their surroundings. With the ability to live nearly anywhere given time and effort, shadekin can be found rarely in almost any environment. This can result in a number of noticeable changes. The most readily apparent of these though comes from the plane shadekin chooses to spend most of their time on or near. And while not explicitly a rule, these shadekins tend to fall close in line with certain patterns of behavior and physical attributes depending on these differences.

The most noticeable, most telling change is eye color.

Eye Color and Intents

Blue: Spend most of their time in real-space. They tend to be well-rounded in physical attributes. Not especially tough or physically imposing, but capable of holding their own if pressed. These tend to be interested in learning about the places they live, and the people they live near. As such, they tend to look for opportunities to help and cooperate. They are generally peaceful and are unlikely to intentionally harm others out of malice.

Red: Spend most of their time in or near red-space. These tend to be motivated by some level of greed and want greater power. This is amplified by red-space corruption. These seek out red-space, and red-space anomalies. Power is desirable to a red-eyed shadekin. This normally manifests itself in a desire to hunt and fight as they see fit. Though craftier red eyes may act peacefully for more nefarious purposes. Red eyes will fight and devour prey as they wish. Being that this is normal for them, they tend to be rather tough physically, and crafty in their tactics.

Yellow: Those who live almost exclusively in the dark. These tend to be very passive. Often knowledgeable and capable of surviving in the most extreme conditions, but with little interest in engaging with outsiders. These are exceptionally rare to see in real-space, and will likely evade strangers unless they have something the yellow eyes want. These will almost never initiate contact and are most likely to flee and disappear at the first sign of danger. While extremely hardy, these are also typically the weakest in terms of physical prowess. These are also essentially the default for shadekin, and as such, are technically the most common eye color.

• Purple eyes are the second most common, and appear to be more reckless. Not outright hostile, but more likely to retaliate if offended or attacked. Like blues, these seem to be curious about us, but seem more likely to be aggressive in seeking out their curiosity.

Mixed: Shadekin eye colors can indeed also be a mix. This mix can usually be reasonably followed as above, though some may lean more in one direction than the other. As an example: A shadekin with purple eyes is a mix of blue and red. A shadekin who spends a lot of time in realspace, but is no stranger to red-space. These may be similarly helpful, but reckless. Or they may hold little regard for themselves or others in learning and growing. Green-eyed shadekin would be a mix of blue and yellow, they may be timid, preferring to avoid people. Living in the dark and remote places in real-space rather interchangeably. These may also be very tough and territorial. Defending a place that they like to watch from The Dark. Where orange-eyed shadekin would be a mix of yellow and red. These would seek betterment and satisfaction almost exclusively in the dark. Prone to wandering the furthest of all, and generally not afraid of dipping into realspace briefly to bring something back.

It should be noted that while these trends in temperament have been recorded, the eye color of the creature does not exclusively seem indicative of their intent or personality. There have been reports of red eyes who are non-hostile, and even helpful at times. And likewise, there have been reports of some hostility from most of the other eye colors somewhat in line with trends one might expect from an intelligent, self determining set of individuals.

Standard Operating Procedures

Simply put, these are strange aliens whom seem to defy containment, and communicate with one another through unknown means. It has been determined that it would probably be a supremely bad idea to make enemies of these creatures, as in our present state, there is little we could do to counter them.

Lucky for us, they seem to be relatively peaceful and compliant with our rules. As such, they are to be treated as visitors. This means they should only be allowed into restricted areas with the permission of at least one of the crew in the area. They should not be using restricted equipment. They should not be vandalizing or damaging the station. The exception to this is in of course, dress code. They are not required to wear clothes or possess and display ID cards, though it is encouraged to issue guest passes to them with their name on them if they are allowed into an area.

Now, naturally, it should be assumed that these creatures may not be aware of our laws, so a bit of lenience should be allowed while they are learning so long as they are not actively sabotaging or otherwise damaging the station.

That said, should they repeatedly break our regulations, they are to be brigged, as with any other troublemaker. Should they resist this, they should be made to leave. Do ensure you make an attempt to deal with these creatures diplomatically. They should be made to know that they are guests here, and that we have rules.

Research Directives

As with most early contact scenarios, these creatures are largely unknown. As such, brave individuals are needed to study these aliens. It is important to note that these potentially dangerous aliens. As yet they do not appear to be hostile outright however. Should these creatures present themselves, they are to be protected for study so long as the subject is not plainly hostile. (Plainly hostile being: Attacking people for no apparent reason.) Should one of these creatures take issue with an individual's presence, said individual is to be removed, and a report to be made regarding their interactions with the creature, and any notable differences between them and other crew.

These creatures are not to be allowed to meddle with vital station services, and should be discouraged from doing so with force if necessary. It should be noted, that these creatures seem to prefer low light environments, so visibility when dealing with them may be reduced.

As for directives, we have determined that these creatures are of similar intelligence to other space faring species, though their views on the nature of the universe seem to be strange.

• Establish contact, attempt to assist compliant individuals in learning Galactic Common. Many of them seem to be attempting to learn it, and if we hope to learn from them in turn, we need to be able to understand them.

• Test the range of ability to manipulate their surroundings, such as writing or tools.

• Determine what their primary method of communication is (if any), and learn to utilize it if possible.

• Study what exactly their method of 'disappearing and reappearing' is, and how we might be able to utilize, or prevent it.

Meta

This section is purely OOC and is intended to inform players who look to apply for carbon shadekin whitelist. Please keep specifics out of character!

Shadekin Abilities

Dark Respite: Shadekins have the ability to use Dark Respite while in the dark to heal major injuries such as broken bones and internal bleeding, as well as restore blood at the cost of nutrition. If a Shadekin is about to die outside of the Dark, they will be pulled into the Dark and forced to remain there for fifteen minutes. This ability has a cooldown of twenty minutes.

Dark Tunneling: Builds a portal that leads to the shadekin hideout. Only 1 per shadekin.

Create Shade: Creates a circle of darkness around the shadekin.

Regenerate Other: Healing spell that heals others for a few seconds.

Phase Shift: Shadekin can phase in and out of reality.

Shadekin Empathy: Shadekin can communicate to each other from long distances with their own language.

Eye Color Stats

Blue Eyes total_health = 100 energy_light = 0.5 energy_dark = 0.5 Red Eyes total_health = 200 energy_light = -1 energy_dark = 0.1 Purple Eyes total_health = 150 energy_light = -0.5 energy_dark = 1 Yellow Eyes total_health = 100 energy_light = -2 energy_dark = 3 Green Eyes total_health = 100 energy_light = 0.125 energy_dark = 2 Orange Eyes total_health = 175 energy_light = -0.5 energy_dark = 0.25