Ethnographies of Erelandis: The Shadowtouched

Posted on March 20, 2015 Updated on May 14, 2015

Not all the inhabitants of Erelandis originate from either Erelandis or Sheolan. In fact, there are four distinct groups that find their beginnings in the shadowy void between the two worlds. Collectively, these races are referred to as the Shadowtouched.

While traversing the planes to reach Erelandis, some settlers fell victim to the dark horrors of the void. Many of these died from the trauma, but a small group from each of the main races proved resilient enough to survive contact with the dark beings of the nether. These select few, the Shadowtouched, became twisted facsimiles of their former selves, becoming dark in complexion and mentality. Each subrace of the Shadowtouched are referred to by names based on their original race: Dark Elves, or Drow come from Elven ancestry, Tieflings are corrupted Humans, Shadow Dwarves originate from the Dwarven clans, and Blackskale are the befouled of the Dragonborn.

While the four races differ in source, all share similar transformations. Through the contact they suffered, each Shadowtouched’s mind was broken in one way or another. The severity of the damage varied from individual to individual, but the race as a whole suffers from a high degree of mental instability and volatility in personality and emotion. This has led to a full spectrum of mental states across members and also the development of transmuted forms of their original languages which allow for more efficient communication between Shadowtouched while retaining the format of the source language.

Physical malady caused by contact is less widespread throughout the race, but all Shadowtouched bear blackened pigmentation and complexions with black, red, or purple eyes. The majority of physical alterations from void contact came in the form of forced speciation, which pushed the Shadowtouched to form a fledgling and fragmented society in the midst and following wake of planewalking between realms.

One oddity of the physiology of the Shadowtouched is the guaranteed  transmission of abnormalities from the source races to offspring. Transmission of some form of physical deviation is certain, but the form of pathologies cannot be predicted based on genetics or any other biological processes or indicators. Each individual is a unique mix of complications distinct from any observable force.

Due to the shared origin, the majority of the source races maintain only a cautious distance from their Shadowtouched kindred rather than outright hostility. It is common for members of one race to draw weapons in a defensive manner when encountering Shadowtouched of a different source species than their own. The vast array of mental afflictions however makes for dangerous encounters despite shared origins, which has been cause for concern and conflict throughout the history of Erelandis. Typically, Shadowtouched are given a wide berth and are left to their own, but occasional interaction gives way to job offers as mercenaries and messengers in dangerous missions.

As violent pariahs in a new world, Shadowtouched are met usually in small clusters of members with similar, if misguided, objectives. These groups function primarily as a survival mechanism in their nomadic, stuporous travels rather than a family unit or societal system; many times, members will come and go based on whims and differences in priorities. Such desertions cause little effect on group morale or decisions as they are expected by all the members of a traveling group.

A common reason for departure from one group in favor of another is clear indications of acceptance. Being tormented beings, the major goal of all Shadowtouched is peace of mind, which can be difficult to find in a world hesitant of contact. This, coupled with systematic oppression and even destruction at the hands of Priodym, causes a loss of sense of self in many members of the race. There is a common saying that states “A will-broken Shadowtouched can’t help but bleed themselves and others.”, because without hope of peace, madness solidifies its hold on the mind of a Shadowtouched and the creature loses all parts of its personality and becalmed a beast of the darkness.