Hornd & Uyil-bound

When the Naranor or Myrkild construct, the Uyilor or Kildhornd, is bound within a human. This ritual is called the Uyilbond or Horndbond respectively. It is a form of pact, made willingly or not, that provides the Hornd and Uyil-bound great power. Power that allows them to instinctively manipulate the weakened Naranor or Myrkild that flows through them. Utilising the Naranor or Myrkild as an extension of themselves. This could be in the form of a long tendril-like arm or perhaps a stalwart shield, for example. Or, those with particularly developed Naranor or Myrkild within them may even bring forth their construct almost in its entirety.
As part of inserting the Uyilor or Kildhornd into its host, a circular runic brand is seared into the upper abdomen. In the case of the Myrkild, this brand is of Nifhellic glyphs, a written language that looks crude and violent, with almost viscous-looking symbols. For the Naranor however, the brand is of Etherial script and features layers of sacred geometric designs woven throughout its design.

Uyilor and Kildhornd

These constructs of Naranor or Myrkild creation, are not merely organs - The Uyilor and Kildhornd, at roughly half the size of a human heart, are vessels of transformation. Once embedded within the host, they ensnare the aorta, merging seamlessly with the host's circulatory system. Here, they syphon the lifeblood, analysing the intricacies of the host's DNA. From within their internal organic foundries, they craft new Naranor or Myrkild, painstakingly tailored by the unnatural organ to harmonise with the host's unique genetic tapestry. This process weakens the Naranor or Myrkild as they are mutated by human DNA.
As the ranks of these maladapted Naranor or Myrkild swell, a critical mass is reached, and stirs to life. This newly awoken construct weaves itself into the very essence of the host, forging an intimate connection. In its embryonic stages, communication is limited to a voice that echoes within the host's consciousness. Through these ethereal dialogues, the construct learns, evolves, and gradually develops individuality as well as new-found autonomy.

Benefits

As a baseline, those bound with a Kildhornd or Uyilor benefit from an innate boon to their physical capabilities. Hornd & Uyil-bound are faster, stronger, more agile and resistant than non-bound humans.
The construct can commune telepathically with nearby peers, linked by an unspoken, invisible thread. Their connection deepens and extends to the grand network of the hivemind once the construct grows further still. This expansion often remains veiled from the host's awareness, a clandestine metamorphosis that occurs in the shadowed corners of their psyche. However, there have been instances where this connection has been revealed in order to aid their host.

Consequences

Over time, the Naranor or Myrkild subtly assimilate their hosts into the hivemind. This gradual, imperceptible shift alters the host's very essence, subtly controlling their thoughts, emotions, and personality. The transformation unfolds, one heartbeat at a time, until the host is no longer an autonomous entity but an instrument of the hivemind's will, an unwitting participant in the greater games.
While the construct's independence empowers it to act on instinct, shield and guide the host, it also grants the construct the means to exert its influence. A symbiotic dance unfolds, as the construct can compel the host to move, even emerging from within to act independently when necessary.



Cost

In a similar manner to Resonants, bearing a Kildhornd or Uyilor will have differing effects based on the amount of mass the Hornd or Uyil-bound individual carries. Larger individuals are able to disperse more Myrkild or Naranor throughout their body and as such also utilise these greater quantities when flesh weaving and burst summoning. Smaller Hornd or Uyil-bearers cannot wield nor bear as much as their larger counterparts.

Kindness by Robert Chew

Type

Metaphysical, Supernatural

Practitioners

Myrkild,
Naranor

Requirements

Human host, a construct able to insert the Uyilor or Kildhornd.

Notable Hornd-bound

Ylva Svartrhjarta

Notable Uyil-bound

n/a

Utilisation

The unique aspects of each species of maladapted Myrkild and Naranor produced by the Kildhornd and Uyilor alike vary greatly, as do the capabilities, personalities and other aspects of their constructs.
Across all species of Myrkild and Naranor, Hornd and Uyil-bound have come to utilise their new found powers in two main methods, flesh weaving and burst summoning.

Flesh weaving

Harnessing a fraction of the coursing lesser Myrkild or Naranor within, the Hornd and Uyil-bound wield the power of flesh-weaving to conjure all manner of apparitions.
These chimeric appendages, limbs, or other faculties serve a myriad of purposes, each as distinctive as the will that breathes them into existence.
Yet, this formidable power isn't boundless; the quantity of Myrkild or Naranor within dictates the range of what is possible. The host can guide their Myrkild or Naranor to augment or reshape their form significantly, but the conjuration demands the host's deliberate will. Flesh-woven creations are not typically under the control of the construct within. The construct is merely the conductor, intricately weaving the apparition into existence at the behest of the host.



Female Prototype by CohenR



Burst summoning

Unleashing the torrent of their hoarded lesser Myrkild or Naranor, Hornd and Uyil-bound rapidly expel their inner-held construct in its primal manifestation. The act of burst summoning temporarily frees the construct from the host’s embrace, allowing it to navigate the world with unbridled autonomy. As part of the Uyilbond or Horndbond, the construct cannot survive for long without its Kildhornd or Uyilor, these become akin to the construct's heart, something Myrkild or Naranor do not typically have to contend with.
A companion, a stalwart ally, a vigilant guardian - the construct can fill many roles. Tailored uniquely to their host, these entities bear a semblance of fragility compared to their primordial strains. Yet beneath this fragility lies resilience; infused with the essence of human DNA, they boast heightened resistance to fire and UVc light. Furthermore, they are typically more tactically agile and wise, a further reflection of the fusion with the human facet of their existence.



Supplicant by Robert Chew