Hollows (Dark and Light)
Hollows (Not to be mistaken for Hallow and its dominion) are rare changeling-like beings that reside all over Alathra. Capable of shifting their form and blending in until establishing a base in a community. They are mostly nomadic beings who don’t recall memories of their past, instead usually finding connections and identity with those around them. Their magic pertains to the halves of their souls, either light or dark with slight elemental affinity. They have an attraction to the opposing elements while often stay away from too much of their main element due to their broken souls.
Appearance/Traits
Hollows can vary in appearance greatly depending on where they adapt but are often humanoid in form. Often their coloration tends to be a giveaway. Hollows are often colored in varying shades of grays or white on their skin depending on their soul, in a way that is inhuman. There are also other features depending on styles of living! Once Hollows reach an age of maturity or full identity, they tend to stick to their form and hardly ever alter it.
Non-Community Hollows: Hollows that don’t have a community or connection to hold onto lean into demonic, angelic and draconic appearance. They tend to shift a lot and will often ‘settle’a form based in common values. Ex:Light Hollows leaning more angelic.
Community Hollows: Communal Hollows who have made connections with others can often mistaken for other races. They tend to lean heavily to who ever adopts or cares for them if they did not already start with some interest. They can even mimic to look almost like the person at a young age but overtime just click with the race. They can also take appearance based of religion or import value in the region they are in, such as heights, hair or even things like gills or limbs.
Memory bound: in rare cases Hollows can retain fragments or points of memory of the ages long ago, mostly in older Hollows.Those that recall their memories of the past tend to have a sort of ‘third eye’ in the same color as their true eye, whether it works or not varies on the being. They also tend to lean onto more draconic or what are called ‘original traits’ pertaining to their old City Of Dawn, such as unique horn shapes or certain wings shapes different from dragons.
Soul form:Because their bodies consist of magical properties rather than physical their bodies strength relates to their magic capacity. Too much magic use can cause them to pass out until their mana returns. If theirs no magic around they may lie in a dormant state, only to return after favorable conditions are met, much like a flower of Jericho. Their mana bodies are also why they may appear out of nowhere in places they have lied for years, no actually body or mental state, no full form.
Magic
Hollows have a natural affinity to light or dark magic depending on their souls. Light and Dark magic has many properties than just lighting up or snuffing out a place. In order to use their magic they must consume the opposing energy. As using their magic results in an overcharge of their already unbalanced souls. If a Hollow doesn’t take that measure it can result in passing out or on rare occasions, a sort of illness.
Light Magic: Light Hollows are beings able to manipulate light. They are able to manipulate light sources and light around them. They can mold and control light at will like a physical entity as well as control the waves in which light usually runs. Being able to raise or lower its temp with careful concentration. This also gives them an affinity to control fire and the ability to use bioluminescence. As long as there's a bit of light they are able to take it and harness it. They can also make their own light using their souls.
Dark Magic: Dark Hollows are beings that manipulate Darkness, this is a bit different from shadows but they can control that too, albeit with more difficulty. It is more like a void ability, able to take light away. In the absence of light, they are able to take complete darkness and control it at will. They can essentially become invisible by merging with darkness, as well as limiting their aura by essentially absorbing it out of existence for a brief moment. They can also make little voids pockets, if they could control it well that is. They can also make voids and consume light with their souls.
Weaknesses
Their body being linked to their souls is a weakness and a curse. While it means they can handle large amounts of damage by a sword or weapon because they don’t actually bleed or have bones to break, all that damage overtime weakens the bonds of magic which tie their form. It can be seen when their body actually starts to represent that damage and eventually causes a sort of implosion as the soul tries to keep the mind together. When the being does this, it essentially goes into a ‘dormant form’. A little sphere of concentrated mana it collects before passing out. This form is extremely vulnerable and can easily be destroyed or imprisoned in a magic stealing seal which will prevent them from ever reforming. There are also rare cases in which mature beings reset again after prolonged magic loss that can be manipulated.
They are also highly anxious to magic of similar concentration to their own. All Hollows have a sort of aversion towards their own type as it causes the body's energies to be overwhelmed, as such they often avoid contact with anything or anyone exerting or having anything to do with light or dark depending on their type.
Origin
Hollows through ancient text have a connection to draconic beings, specifically those known as the ‘Dragons who seek the stars’. It is written in old texts of the Tale of Sky and Void. The young twin gods that brought Beasts called Leviathans and Beings of the land into existence.
Once one Kin unified by the earth, beings told to have unique form that could live in any part of the earth, from the hottest deserts to the frigid cold, sky islands and deep trenches. It was a kin founded upon unity until a war caused by one of the original ancient beasts tore through their souls and divided them amongst each other. The Gods in order to stop this split the beast in three, sealing them away in Scythe, Staff, and Spear.
Yet the damage had already been done, the beings divided, and world torn. So, in turn the greatest curse was brought upon this race who had the most hatred within their hearts, a heavy curse as well as a hope from each. They God of Abyss let them keep their forms as beings of the changing tides, and the God of Sky connected them to the dawn, to feel even with their souls divided, to reunite with their halves in death. The curse was done, destroying their forms, their original identity completely. Tying their life into souls now manifested into dark and light. Lastly as the Dusk came, they bestowed a blessing, a prophecy. In hopes that one day they could reunite and find peace within themselves free of malice.
To the Hollows and the beings who would become Dragons, one piece of the Leviathan in each land. They wished they would reunite one day as one kin and the dawn would rise again, on the mounds the Gods lay, never to rise again. That land would become Takumi Mountain.
However, peace never arrived,
While some hollows were able to establish a place, their small Kingdom of the Dawn, many had succumbed to an ancient madness created by the being that cause their divide in the first place. It’s body of hate never destroyed it seeks to never reunite them. The Hollows over time had many disagreements and a smaller war broke out which further divided themselves from their Draconic kin, finding a new home to call their Kingdom of Dawn away from civilization.
Yet despite overcoming some trials and paths to restore themselves and create a new home, eventually only a few scattered Hollows remained. This was due to many factors, some losing their minds and memories to strange afflictions of their souls. Others falling to desperation and despair as hope waned and drew attention to people finding them as demons. Eventually the city’s life withering away. Much of their histories lost to time and unknown to them, much like their Draconic kin who were slowly falling to a similarly ill fate.
Present History
The Hollows of today remain because they were able to establish a relationship with communities or became awoken again after years of an unknown illness related to their weak bodies. Hollows don’t often remember their history, so they make their own with who they live around. You’ll mostly find young Hollows over older ones, those that have survived or been born (or reborn) may not even know they are Hollows and will often connect to their communities' races or just go by changelings. The city of Dawn as of Now is currently being reformed and History is being returned slowly by one of the few Hollows that remembers the city as it once was.
Culture
There are ruins located in some areas detailing their civilization after the war. Their civilization revolved heavily around worship and acceptance, hopes of prophecy for a new future where they all could be one again. Lone Hollows often follow the same pattern of drawing connections with communities nearby, mimicking styles with fragments of memory left. Many just try to find some sort of thing to make them whole as many are unsure about what they really feel. Hollows find attraction and comfort in places of the opposing thing they are, which often results in them living in what is seen as unusual places depending on their type. Ex: Light hollows living in dark woods or Dark Hollows in Valleys or mountains.
Hollows try to find joy and hope in purity and knowledge. They are capable of melding into other’s cultures quite easily if given the patience.