Sapient Species of the Duskscape

Intelligent Residents of the Near Umbra, Often Vaguely Familiar but Twisted in the Eyes of Waking Mortals

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Author's Note: This article describes the sapient species found in the Near Umbra, an ill-defined "region" of The Duskscape that is influenced by and reflective of the Waking world, albeit in ways that are distorted. For the sapient residents of the even more alien Far Umbral realms, see The Full Article.

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Though much of Third Age Waking Materia remains largely ignorant of the Duskscape, the Author will relay the most advanced First Age understanding of the Duskscape's residents, in general groups. Most observations seem to come from the Near Umbral region of the Duskscape, as opposed to the increasingly alien Farfields, the Ambient, Liminos, et cetera.

Sentient Duskscape Species

The following groups are fully and consistently sentient.

Demons

See also: Full Article: Demons

The most common, intelligent supergroup in the Duskscape. Demons are immensely diverse—even moreso that the humanoids of Waking Materia—and form many cultures across the Dream Time. Unlike most Duskscape residents, demons are usually communal creatures, with often complex social, religious or mercantile associations. Their reactions to Waking travelers run the full gamut of friendliness to immediate hostility.

The largest demonic civilization in the Near Umbra is the towering, cylindrical, labyrinthine city of Dis, ruled by The Dust King and his twelve Archbishops, though other major population centres like Epitaph, Orms-by-Gorr and the twin nation-cities of Sarkoldu'un-Imathratep have been described.

Fae

See also: Full Article: Fae

Existing primarily in the shifting, kaleidescent realms of Jabberwock and lead seemingly by their mysterious monarch The Toadstool Queen, fae are intelligent but unpredictable creatures, talented at crossing The Veil, where they find entertaining targets for mischief amongst Waking citizens.

Fae are poorly understood... and for poorly understood reasons. Much like the behaviour of light changes depending on the methods used to observe it, too much observation of fae almost seems to fundamentally change what the observer is seeing.

Valkyries

See also: Full Article: The Valkyries of Rom

There are twelve known Valkyries, each nearly as powerful if not equal to the Duskscape Regents. Their commander, or at least command core, is the Regent of Death, Overshepherd Rom. Like the Twelve Archbishops of the Dust King, they each hold their own purviews within Rom's overall modus operandi, and may be prayed to and offer divine power the way the Tuatha & Fomoraigh do. They are utterly devoted to the protection of deceased souls within the Duskscape, shepherding them to the Twilight Eternities beyond and commanding forces of The Pale Vigil or Honoured Dead: particularly brave souls that volunteer to stay behind and assist the Valkyries in their wars against demons, necromancers and other malicious beings.

Estrié

See also: Full Article: Estrié

It is unknown whether the Estrie are a unique group as opposed to particularly powerful, humanoid spharai or qlippoth, but at any rate these pale humanoids feed on the dreams and thoughts of Waking mortals. Indeed, they may be considered the oneiromantic equivalent to necromantic vampires.

Conceptuals

The Conceptuals, too, are perhaps not a separate group as opposed to particularly ascendant members of the above & below groups, but at any rate are individually unique and can manipulate reality in specific ways. The Duskscape Regents are considered to be the culmination of this group, however there is no clear distinction between the Regents and particularly powerful Conceptuals.

Variably Sapient Duskscape Species

The following are groups that have been known to show signs of sapience but not consistently. It is possible these classifications simply don't have a consistent xenobiological basis, similar to polyphyletic groups in Waking reality.

Chimerae

See also: Full Article: Chimerae

Chimerae have been called many things by many people, from 'yaoguai' to 'wendigos' to 'mythics'. Like the fae, these are creatures that traverse The Veil relatively easily, and indeed seem to carry physical aspects of Waking creatures, albeit twisted. If a Material settlement or individual is being harrassed by Duskscape monsters who have breached the Veil, they are likely chimerae.

Undead

See also: Full Article: Undead

Deceased souls travel through the Duskscape, allegedly to the Twilight Eternities beyond. It is common for demons to enslave undead souls of Material humanoids, and thus they are viciously opposed by Overshepherd Rom and the Valkyries, who hold deceased souls sacred. Material necromancers may also wrest them back through the Veil for various purposes. Some noble souls volunteer to remain in the Duskscape and fight under the command of Rom's Valkyries; these brave individuals are known as the Honoured Dead, the Pale Vigil and more.

Spharai

See also: Full Article: Spharai

Also known as Murphies or Carbuncles, these are dream beings; not the dreaming souls of Material peoples, but indigenous creatures of similar essence. Spharai are not so much subdivided into groups as they are individually morphic. First Age scholars of the Duskscape document a particularly common form they call "sky mantas", which indeed look like small, irridescent, flying manta rays. They are a sort of inversion of the qlippoth.

Qlippoth

See also: Full Article: Qlippoth

The Qlippoth are to nightmares what Spharai are to dreams. They feed of the fear of dreaming souls, and they are excellent at their job. Like their cousins, they are seemingly individually morphic, and particularly enjoy features like mandibles, uncanny body shapes and as many legs/arms as they can feasibly wear. They are a sort of inversion of the spharai.