An idea I've had for nearly 2 years, and something I'd at least like to lay out the idea for before procrastinating for another 2. Been learning various code languages for.. lesse, close to 6 months now? possibly more. Anyways, I learned off of Starbound modding. I was sitting in my Discord server one day, and was like, "Huh, I know how to make most of the things I need for a mod race, and there's templates everywhere for one, why not try it?". So, here I am. Making a repository for lore on the Eldritch, for anyone who gives a shit or is bored to look over. I'll be adding more over time, as the inspiration comes, and once I have a high enough quality and quantity of lore/etc, I'd like to begin their creation in earnest. Don't expect this to be a fast production in any stage, I have a life too. Enjoy, I'm hoping. "Between reality and insanity there dwell creatures perfectly at home in the twilight, they've taken many forms and been called many names. Daemons, Monsters, Nightmares, Abominations, Devils, Beasts. They call to the shadow to conceal their faces, or boast their terror to reign supreme, throughout history they've proven to be as varied and abundant as the Human race themselves. Needless to say, they are as timeless as time itself and in general they outlive most planets, though more mortal-like versions have been known, living a mere century or so, though this is generally considered taboo in their culture. What's that you say? Monsters and culture? Well sir or madame or plant or robot or- well whatever, that attitude is exactly why the Eldritch are so antisocial. None are born sinister or evil, it's simply their society that has been molded by the harsh realms of the Void that has bred them to be warlike and cautious to the extreme. On extremes, the Eldritch are very fond of them, and are generally either pacifists or bloodthirsty, ranging from Gandhi to Hitler levels of personality, and they rarely trust "Neutral" beings, even in their own circles. Being of the In Between, their experience with the outer realms (such as our reality) is limited at best, and most attempts at even modest diplomacy have gone completely out of hand (for instance the ambassador sent to the Dinosaurs of Earth threw a temper tantrum when they refused to sit for the Void equivalent of tea, and now the remnants of that ordeal can be found in most Smithsonian museums). Nevertheless, the war-torn universe the hardy and eccentric Eldritch live in is not for all of them, and some brave, slightly saner souls, make their way to the mortal plane in disguises formed to mimic humanoid appearance (most commonly, the "shadow cowl" approach of simply obscuring their forms and faces in void-touched cloaks) to pursue better lives. Every now and then, an Eldritch successfully leaves his/her home realm and integrates into a very likely unknowing society, often noted for strange tendencies and powers but on the large unnoticed. Several examples of Eldritch capable of mimicking Human form nigh-perfectly include those such as H.P Lovecraft, author of the heretical truths disguised as a "fictional" mythos of deities and beings from his homeland, Albert Einstein, who generously set the race down a highly advanced scientific path (proving that Eldritch can indeed be just as benevolent as any Humanoid race), and Donald Trump, who was reborn as the third emissary of terror, the shoggoth King, in 3027 (showing the ass-end of the spectrum). Eldritch are capable of feigning death, given that changing form is a hereditary trait that passes almost without fail. When one does manage to get itself killed, which is easier in the mortal plane given they aren't supposed to be there and the dimension 'fights back' in a sense, they tend to leave a 'shadow child' in their wake, who most often retains some memories of the previous being but is a completely new being. While Eldritch often align to one of two gender classes (much like a Floran), it is unknown even to them if they are capable of reproducing among themselves, more just "kinda appear from some random-ass hole in space" according to their experts. There is a "formation period" in which the shadow child forms, and destroying the small, undulating oval of solid shadow is how one kills it permanently, though such a practice is considered the highest form of warcrime to them, since it's like butchering several hundred possible babies at once that can all be sentient at the same time. The most powerful Eldritch, however, those of royal descent or that simply have high willpower in their own right, can undergo "shadow rebirth" upon death, reviving them a distance away until either their willpower wanes or they run out of space to revive. Most adventurers into the mortal realm are from this stock, given the completely alien nature it is to most of them and the general stubbornness to leave on their society as a whole. Currently the only thing that can permanently kill an Eldritch capable of shadow rebirth is an Abyssal Emperor, an Eldritch so ancient and powerful they can only be summoned by those stupid or mad enough to ever deem it wise to do so. One theme that seems to stay consistent with most Eldritch is their desire to "have a good time". Whether this be achieving enlightenment or butchering thousands is another case, but the desire for enjoyment is undoubtedly a gigantic driving force behind almost every action. More Human-like Eldritch have a lower urge to this, drawing limits when it's at the expense of others much like their mortal counterparts do, and others simply have no limit, as long as they get their pleasure, whatever it be. Nearly all folklore can be traced to some mishap or event involving an Eldritch, from bigfoot to a government conspiracy, it was likely an Eldritch who was terrible at covering their tracks. And likely doing something stupid in the first place, but what it could be is impossible to predict. Most are also notorious music-lovers, and generally like technology, art, and creative things as a whole. All in all, you may not even recognize an Eldritch on a strictly face-to-face basis, unless they willingly let their alienage show, which has become either a large sign of trust or in the case of those who simply stroll around in barely-to-no disguised forms, a way to flaunt power or to intimidate. A hope for mortal races is the reminder that even aggressive Eldritch tend to stick to their own species in their Outer Lands, and that Eldritch are quite notably weaker in their world, becoming near-mortal themselves, though still absolutely nothing to trifle with, given they still have the possibility of knowing the first fish to crawl onto the land of your homeworld. And may have possibly eaten the second one, for curiosity rarely kills an adventurous Eldritch." ~ 'Definitely-Not-An-Eldritch' Wilfrey, in "Of Daemons and Men". By @The Alonne
If you're wondering where the updates have been, been busy doing the Depths RP by Jareix, it's very active and takes a lot of my time.
