MORD- aka the Ashen

The Mord is a virtually mindless worker from Penumbra, controlled by Silence of the North, or coddled by the Mordherds of the south . Standing roughly four feet tall, thin and gaunt. as they humanoid only in that they have two arms, two legs, head, and torso. Gray mottled skin covers them head to toe, with stringy hairlike fibers extending from the center of their ovoid and somewhat pointed heads.

THE HEAD OF A MORD

What the Mord passes for eyes are seemingly vacuous dark, slightly sagging patches of flesh on their otherwise untinted upper face, a seemingly emotionless smooth surface on the front of the Mord's head. There are slight dips in the upper cheeks suggestive of an upper palate. Unlike most humanoid beings, it has no nose to speak of, other than two tiny pink openings that drip a phlegm-like mucus from time to time. Just below the dark optical macules, and above their most striking figure, a lower jaw that is radically narrower than the upper jaw, with a round, puckered, sphincter-like mouth at the end of the short but sharp chin. From it dangles the only visible sensory organ, a pulsing and undulating tonguelike tentacle. At rest, the dull black thing dangles, only slightly rocking side to side. When in motion, the tongue-like organ darts in and out of the sphincter, processing sound and aroma for the creature as navigation tools.

THE FLESH OF THE MORD

For the most part, the Mord is covered with ashy gray skin. in its juvenile stage, the mod's skin is more supple, and can sometimes be misidentified as a mite, mole-man, or other less foul denizens of the Everdark. The smooth grayness of the young mottles over time as the skin loses its elasticity. This dark coloration aids in the pursuit of their favorite foods, as it dissipates the creature's body heat, allowing them to approach without triggering the natural defenses of the fungi it prefers.

POSTURE AND PROCEDURE OF THE MORD

When at rest, the stance of the Mord is slouched, its shoulders rolled forward, and its arms dangling beside a slightly bloated midriff. Its form, if not recognized, appears to be an idle dullard, even down to the idle scratching and seeming sighs from time to time, and a constant, slightly disturbing shift from one foot to another. The Mord can stand in such a fashion for literally days awaiting the scent (or more precisely, the taste of spores on the air suggesting such foodstuffs might be around.
When agitated, either by the scene of food, mating opportunities, or interruption of the hunting state, the Mord rolls its shoulders back. While this does boost their height a few inches making them more imposing, the danger is a musk that emanates from their bunching shoulders into the space around them. Unless precautions are taken to mollify them, the Mordmusk, as it is known, causes those unprepared to suffer caustic burns to their lips, mouths, and tongues, and further risk blindness and permanent eye damage should they not be able to clear their eyes within an hour or two (clear water and cloth).
The Mord are cautious and patient hunters, and will often remain stationary, even when within scent range of food sources, if they feel or sense even more food might be enticed to grow in volume - such patience can be brought on with the added scent of rotting meat, and even, according to some experts, the very sound of the dying animals upon which the fungi they prefer in turn feast. Once they have detected and isolate a source, they are ingracious and selfish eaters, thrashing about to ensure they get the better share for themselves. For all the world, observing a pod of Mord descending on a shrieker is akin to watching sharks feed
Mord are suggestible, and though it is rare, some have learned the common language of the Way of Roads, and even will trade if the circumstance affords it. 

Politics and Position of the Mord

The MORD position is as pawns on the chessboard. Innocent at birth, the tiny infants are collected from the Breeders by either Lith or Lisks as they are cared for and either Illuminated - by the lisks, or Catechized  - by the lith. They are and have been 'good workers' despite which they serve, but the Mord, on its own, serves only the singular, never the Plural, which they deem as evil (having been an enslaved, dominated, and manipulated species does that/)

MORD WEAPONRY

• Splinterblades - Though equipped naturally with the clawlike appendages that approximate hands that could scratch and tear at victims, the Mord, as with many of the other servants of the Silence, have the capacity to Draw Light from the crystal shards that permeate Penumbran soil and rock formations, and to utilize that light as a hone, sharpening and forming a narrow dueling-style blade of tangible darkness infused with sharpened edges cut from the prismatic shards themselves. As each is custom-made, the grip and guard must be customized again to be used by those from beyond Penumbra
• Shardstars - Constructed even less sturdy than the Splinterblades, shardstars are made predominately from the shavings that were taken off constructed Splinterblades, and are intentionally one-use weapons. If they strike solid surfaces too hard for them to penetrate (such as armor that would negate their damage), the Shardstars disintegrate, tossing the sharp bits in all directions, and thus doing 1 piercing damage, even if the damage would have been negated. THis represent the shard pieces opportunistically striking at exposed places nearby.

Facts and Rumors about the Mord

• Mord have been here longer than the Lisks or Lith.  True. The Mord were the first 'sentient' species to evolve in the half light of Penumbra. There are even ancient Mord holy sites and such, if one but travels into the Highlands of West or Eastbank far enough.
• Mord eat the children of the Eldrin for their long life spans. False. The Mord just thrive on the ambient Archangel in the shrooms they hunt. 
• Mord are dolts and cannot think. False. Mord awareness is not readily visible but they do know, remember, and can learn.
• Mord like being treated coarsely as it validates their perceived role in the world. True, though they do recognize when they are being abused, and can protect themselves.
• Mord  only need to eat about once a month. True. But they get rebellious and violent if they are kept near food and physically not allowed to eat
• Untended Mord Migrate south, and ultimately become the feral Bel-Mordun. False. Untended Mord find themselves other masters of their training or skulk on the edge of towns, eating scraps until captured. Bel-mordun are a different mutation of the core Mord biologies. 

Languages: Lisk, Traloran Challenge Rating: 20