Darklings





Of the races who resist the Void, only two believe in and know the truth behind the existence of those known as Darklings, the Dwarfs and the Shades. The races of the Void know of the Darklings well, as they have been tasked with their annihilation for the betrayal of their creators.

During the 1st Void Invasion, when the Great Gate was opened and legions of devils marched through behind seething hordes of daemons and dark gods set foot on the surface of Aggal, the dawning came for the Darklings in the form of Skalz, a lesser dark god of the Void. Instead of entering the world to conquer like his siblings, Skalz sought to get away. Having long endured the torments of his stronger siblings and the wrath of Chaos himself at Skalz's apparent weakness, the god took his chance and fled into the deep recesses of the world.

While war waged on the surface Skalz wandered the labyrinth of core heated tunnels far below even the Myglion territory before stumbling upon what would become his chosen children. The Darklings during this age and time were barely intelligent and barely surviving. Skalz chose one of their kind, and spirited her away from her people, experimenting on her with magics of the Void and Shadow and remade her into his daughter and the first darkling, known as Dassa. He even took one of his divine sparks and allowed her to fuse with it, making her an immortal demigoddess.

Crafty and highly intelligent, Dassa brought her father's words, teachings and crude workings of magic back to her once people. Over a thousand years Dassa and Skalz transformed the darklings into a race that could thrive in the deep parts of the world and ultimately do what Skalz had created them for, revenge against his siblings and father. They would aid the affairs of the Children of Order in one thing only, the resistance against the constantly encroaching Void.



DESCRIPTION:
The Darklings are short creatures, barely standing above three and a half feet tall. They are also thin, though they wrap their bodies in thick layers of stonehide clothing, covering all but their faces. Due to Skalz and Dassa's workings of Void and Shadow magics on their people, a darkling's flesh is withered and taut with their hair being actual shadowy flames that grow very slowly over time. Their eyes are hard and dark most appearing like coal while others have a gem-like quality in the color of light purple.

Darklings are however, very dexterous and highly nimble and agile. Their light weight allows them to transverse terrain far below the world that hangs suspended over bubbling beds of magma. Constant close proximity to the world's core has enured them to heat and makes cold the anathema to all but one Darkling tribe.

Their language is short and sharp but has a massive range for describing things, especially because Darklings see in normal spectrum, infrared, and darkvision. They also have a natural sensitivity and high tolerance to radiation being so close to the world's core, and can operate with much less oxygen.

All darkling teeth are blunt as they are also exclusively vegetarian, their diet being fungi, lightless grains and mineral rich vegetables and fruits.



SOCIETY:
While being outnumbered five to one by males, females rule darkling society. Of the two genders, females are the only ones who are able to wield their god's magic, while males have no magical sensitivity, and thus cannot touch or wield magic. Males are the mainstay of the warriors who help protect Darkling tribes as well as gather and grow food under the direction of females.

Females born with the highest sensitivity to magic are brought to Dassa and are taught how to use magic, and taught how to lead. They are then upon their graduation of learning are given a set of males to lead, forming a core unit of Darkling society called a Rung in sets of fifty males and one female. Rungs rotate yearly between patrolling the long twisting tunnels beneath the world and farming food in vast underground caverns.

 Females born with low sensitivity to magic are only trained for half the time in matters of magic by other Darkling females instead of Dassa herself and then spend the rest of their time of learning on a special field such as architecture, engineering, farming, diplomacy, history, alchemy and governance. Upon their graduation these females are sent to start working in their field of specialty for the greater benefit of their people.

 The only thing males rule in is war. All males born are tested for the first fifteen years of their lives before those on the top tier are brought away to Skalz to learn strategy, tactics and espionage. While their lesser brothers are taught to farm, build and fight, this higher tier of males is taught to wage an endless war against the many foes of the darklings.

<p align="left" style="margin-bottom: 0in; font-weight: normal; line-height: 100%"> Skitterers and Shrilkul form the greatest and gravest of threats to the darklings as both wage war beneath the world in the massive twisting tunnels. While they clash with the dwarfs from time to time, it is the darklings whom they come into conflict with most often.

<p align="left" style="margin-bottom: 0in; font-weight: normal; line-height: 100%"> Only the best of the best rise to true leadership, commanding even females in the massive conflict raging below the surface of the world. Those who do not meet standard are moved into an honorable order of gecko riders. This subterranean cavalry, while small in number is devastating on the battlefield.

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P ERSONALITY:
<p align="left" style="margin-bottom: 0in; font-weight: normal; line-height: 100%"> Darklings are curious and inquisitive by nature, crafty and intelligent. Everything they do is in the service of their gods, Skalz and Dassa and for the betterment of their people. Jealousy is a word darklings do not understand, along with murder or theft. Property rights are well understood, and what does not belong to you must belong to someone else. Others attain rank through merit rather than favoritism. If someone is higher, they obviously deserve to be there.

<p align="left" style="margin-bottom: 0in; font-weight: normal; line-height: 100%"> Even though women rule the society in nearly all aspects they do not treat males as an inferior sex. It is well understood that women do what they do best without hindrance and males do what they do best without hindrance.

<p align="left" style="margin-bottom: 0in; font-weight: normal; line-height: 100%"> Most tasks in life are assigned, but often as well darklings can choose their own path so long as they are well suited for the task and good at their chosen task.

<p align="left" style="margin-bottom: 0in; font-weight: normal; line-height: 100%"> To other races, darklings show respect, especially to dwarfs who the darklings have come to ally themselves with in the war beneath the world. It is the darklings who most often find the halls of the long lost dwarven ancestors, the Mygloin and are always eager to return relics from these halls to the dwarfs, and will do nothing to deface or harm the ancient halls. In fact darklings have fought great battles defending these ancient halls from the clutches of Skitterer and Shrilkul both.

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RELIGION:
<p align="left" style="margin-bottom: 0in; font-weight: normal; line-height: 100%"> Skalz has full form in the material plane and became stranded on the world when the Great Gate was destroyed during the 3 rd Void Invasion. While weaker than his siblings, Skalz is still a god in his own right, but lives and rules among his chosen children. He is worshiped by each and every darkling with great reverence. His name is uttered by males in a ferocious warcry before charging into battle.

<p align="left" style="margin-bottom: 0in; font-weight: normal; line-height: 100%"> Dassa works tirelessly to aid the darklings. Her hand is most often involved in their affairs, guiding them. She is revered with love.

<p align="left" style="margin-bottom: 0in; font-weight: normal; line-height: 100%"> In times of great calamity both Skalz and Dassa will lead their people directly.

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DARKLINGS AT WAR:
<p align="left" style="margin-bottom: 0in; font-weight: normal; line-height: 100%"> Being worked on <p style="margin-bottom: 0in; font-weight: normal; line-height: 100%" align="left"> <p style="margin-bottom: 0in; font-weight: normal; line-height: 100%" align="left">

Standard Racial Traits

 * Ability Score Racial Traits: +2 Dex, +2 Int.
 * Type: Darklings are humanoid with the Darkling subtype.
 * Size: Darklings are Small and thus gain a +1 size bonus to their AC, a +1 size bonus on attack rolls, a –1 penalty on combat maneuver checks and to their CMD, and a +4 size bonus on Stealth checks.
 * Speed (Slow): Darklings have a base speed of 20 ft.
 * Languages: Darklings begin play speaking Common and Dassan. Darklings with high Intelligence scores can choose from the following: Dwarven, Gnoll, Shrilkul, Skitterer, Trollish, Urkish, and Undercommon.

Feat and Skill Racial Traits

 * Void Warped: Due to their crafting at the hands of Skalz and Dassa, Darklings have a natural resistance against Void and Shadow magics and are thus unable to use those magical types. Instead Skalz and Dassa have created a crude version of each. Using such magics counts as 3 caster levels lower. Gain +10 magical absorption to avoid 10 points of damage from Void or Shadow magic.
 * Underworld Stealth: Stalking the subterranean depths has taught the Darklings the value of moving in silence. +4 to stealth checks and +3 to perception.

Senses Racial Traits

 * Darkvision: Darklings can see perfectly in the dark up to 60 feet.
 * Infrared: Can see heat signatures and +4 to survival checks related to tracking.