Hije

Personal Research Diary of the Alchemist Apprentice Stardeg Dreamhammer

If I don’t talk about this — at least write this down, even if no one will ever read this. I’m going to go crazy I know it. Broken chains, I probably already am.

-o-o-o-

I saw them! I saw them without a doubt. Just today I saw little miss Margret playing with the Jackenson boys, Miss Rachellia and her apprentices were doing their herb gathering and whatnot, and — those shadows… I could see them… they were on little miss Margret and a couple of the apprentices. One came out from little miss Margret’s back and it turned its head towards the others! And they came out from Miss Rachellia… oh the Gods have truly Fallen.

-o-o-o-

I know. I probably won’t last long. It doesn’t matter anymore. But I’ll do my part. I’ll find out everything I can. And hopefully it won’t be too late when others finally try to do something.

Basic Information

Anatomy

These Shadows are almost tar-like. Most are black masses in semi-humanoid shapes, their surface appears sticky, roiled and continuously withered; only just maintaining its shape whenever it appears.

It emerge from their backs - not everyone, but a lot - from the middle of the afflicted individuals back the Shadow appears to its torso and more often than not it’ll attach its arms into the afflicted shoulder blades — it melds itself into the person. On occasion I’ve seen them pull its arms out and wrap them around the afflicted - its host… these things are like parasites after all - neck, like its hugging them? More like choking.

Some have multiple limbs, other almost seem as if they have a face - I’ve seen them smiling - or their heads distort into formless blobs, their bodies seem less humanoid as it moves.

Genetics and Reproduction

Do they latch on to other people? Not everyone has one. Then again I don’t go looking into houses for these Shadows. And it’s not something I can convince—no one. I can’t get anyone I know to listen to me.

-o-o-o-

They don’t seem to be capable of jumping from one host to another, so they can’t transfer that way. I don’t know the condition for these appearances, but there does seem to be a common thread between them. Non-Native Kawan are the most common.

It seems that even those who have traveled here from outside can get a Shadow as well. But they seem more… transparent? I can’t see them as well. It was hard convincing the Chief to help me disclose that information. I might not end up a liar, it could end up helping us.

Dietary Needs and Habits

It might be us.

Our Ki, energy, Life Force, soul, health… many of the hosts are started to become ill. The Chief is none to happy with this, after all no Kawan will ever take any illness lightly.

I probably have one… what if I can’t see it? I’ve never stepped foot into the Symbol, but I have a bit more access to knowledge than most. My… symptoms are fairly consistent. Should probably add deterioration of the mental state to this possible epidemic. Let's hope not.

Biological Cycle

The younger seem have lighter versions of these creatures, almost white in some cases. I assumed that it was an age related variation, but I’ve also noticed on occasion that there are older hosts who also have brighter, clearer Shadows. Perhaps it’s less the age of the host and more to do with the age of the creature. When it first manifests it might not even be visible. Only starting to creep out of its host once it begins to darken.

So it might be that during the 'younger' period of its life, it'll have a lighter color. Then they darken (making its almost ever changing form more noticeable - it's almost as if it becomes more solid and... it's not suppose to?).

Additional Information

Perception and Sensory Capabilities

I’ve seen them react to the same stimulus its host does, but things that escape the host during regular conversation don’t hold true for them. They are responsive, at times randomly turn - in what I can only assume are soft noises or unnoticed movements. I've seen them react to noises from up to 12 meters away.

I think they can communicate with each other. If they are close enough they--melt their limbs together. I was walking with Chirika, so I knew about the school house’s broken window. Her husband shouldn’t have. Maviniren was bedridden. Who goes into a sickman’s house to tell him about a broken window? But he knew. And he mentioned it after their Shadows… combined their arms? It could be a coincidence. He could have heard about it somehow...

I haven't seen much, most people are in their homes at night when they are most active. I guess that means we can assume they have decent darkvision.

Dreamhammer was always going on about these Shadow creatures that he seemed to notice before he died, the third victim to what we are now addressing as the Toxic Flare. He may have been right.

— Note found in the Evidence Drawer