Therumbra

The following is unfinished & WIP

**This article was written to satisfy Prompt 4 of Summercamp 2021.**

**Final writing, polish and accompanying images will come later.**

"The term therumbra itself was derived from 'Monstrous Shadow Beast', and it's suitable way to explain them in many facets..."

In my previous audioblog recording I made last night on Laruia, I promised to return to the subject of the therumbra because it was complex enough that it warranted a longer exploration. So here we are... Therumbra.
Therumbra are without a doubt the most impressive and dignified of all the known types of laruia, and to be frank I think they can only exist because of human contact. The term Therumbra itself was derived from "Monstrous Shadow Beast", and it's suitable way to explain them in many facets.
These beings are incredibly rare and unique as they only exist alongside their human being counterpart. Every therumbra is known, and named, and different from every other. And each one is a unique individual with a separate appearance and capabilities.
They are beasts in the way laruia are beasts -- not of this world perhaps, but animalistic in their approach to existence and motivation, not always capable of higher thinking. Though, many argue that therumbra are indeed a step above all other laruia. Not quite comparable to a human in critical thought perhaps, but... well a good analogy would be if a standard laruia were a house cat, then a therumbra would be a dolphin. It's a very fair argument to call a dolphin a sentient creature, but their life and mind is so alien to us that it's a difficult line to define. The same is for a therumbra. Humans who are tethered to them claim they are capable of higher thinking like that of a person. But it's hard to convince the scientific community of something that intangible.
Calling a therumbra a being of shadow was an interesting choice too. When we look at the term laruia, it's derived from specter or ghost, to describe their mostly incorporeal essence-like manifestation when they first cross into our dimension. A shadow is something a bit closer to us, not by much, but does offer more to the perceptive than a ghost would in terms of having a persistent physical presence, even if still fluctuating and pretty discreet. A therumbra is also a creature dark motivation in their raw state, at least many think so due to their life cycle. Most we know are actually benevolent while alongside their human companion. But that's apparently temporary.
And finally... they are indeed monstrous. Monstrous in size, in power, in influence and oftentimes in appearance. That isn't to say they are always frightening in a scary sense... but they are big. Therumbra give their Tethered human counterparts otherworldly powers. And humans are inherently monstrous creatures too aren't they? Especially when offered incredible power. It's a fitting co-existence that caters to and exemplifies both the darkest and purest parts of the human condition, as only true power could. The ramifications of therumbra existing has caused monstrous changes to our entire society.

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(to be added next in this article-- )
-therumbra life cycle
-therumbra naming convention & examples of known individuals

Recorded by Soren Elliott

Coelarua Researcher in Opulence

Personal Audioblog Transcript

Posted Sep 4, 2887. #1