Duskling - Night Imps

[Amanojyaku]

Also known as boggarts or night imps, Dusklings are a quirky race hailing from a perpetually dark crystal sphere that have an almost natural affinity for "jumping" in and out of the Umbra through shadows. Gregarious by nature, but with an appearance that lends itself to scaring the poor sods they encounter in the Materium, Dusklings make themselves worthy of alliance by dint of their small builds and nimble fingers, allowing them to slip into small spaces and easily repair ship parts.

Dusklings tend to regard the ability to have fun as more important than sticking to commitments, favoring emotion over logic in most cases. They form personal attachments rather quickly, despite a marked tendency to respond to differing opinions with biting sarcasm.

Physical Characteristics
Average Height: 1.4-1.7m
Average Weight: 45-60kg
Languages: Trade, Infernal
Common Personality Traits: Photophobic, jumpy, curious, reckless, sneaky
Common Physical Traits: Lean build, pitch-black skin, slitted pupils, razormouf, barbed tail
Example Names: Nightshade, Daybreak, Shadow, Darko, Gloomtail

Racial Statistics
Characteristic Bonus: +1 to Dexterity or Composure
Skill Bonus: +1 to Stealth and Intimidation
Power: Creature of Darkness: Gain Dark Sight and a free Stealth specialty (Concealment).
Size: 3

Racial Feats

Gloaming Dancer [Duskling]
Dusklings have a natural affinity for the Umbra, able to disappear into the Materium's shadow almost at a whim. Once per Scene, you can Move without provoking an opportunity attack by darting into and back out of the Umbra through your own shadow. This ability can be used twice per Scene at level 3, and three times per Scene at level 5.

In Plain Sight [Duskling]
With their light-sensitive eyes, Dusklings tend to develop a notable tendency to hide in any shadow that presents itself... and quickly. As long as there is a sufficiently large shadow within two meters, you can sacrifice the reroll(s) granted by your Concealment specialty to treat that shadow as cover to hide in.

Night Terror [Duskling]
With their glowing eyes, sharp nails, and mouths full of even sharper teeth, Dusklings are very likely the bogeymen that other races tell stories of to scare their children into line. Gain a free Intimidation specialty (Threatening Grin), and you can Feint in combat using Intimidation instead of Weaponry.

Shade Walker [Duskling, Paragon]
The legends say that in the past, Dusklings migrated freely between the Materium and Umbra without need for the Ghoul Stars. You, at the very least, still do. You may open a momentary rip in the twilight veil with little but a shadow large enough to accommodate you and the expenditure of an Action Point, exerting the ancient right your people won from the Warp. Such a rift lasts only a moment, but this is easily enough time for you to pass through, anything and anyone you were carrying in tow.

Physical Qualities

Dusklings are possessed of slim, small frames, adapted to dart and hide rather than stand and fight. They tend toward wiry sinew rather than bulky muscle, never building much in the way of mass. They're almost reptilian in appearance, with fingers and toes tipped by small, sharp nails, a face that pinches forward into a small muzzle, and a long tail with a barbed tip like a devil's. Duskling eyes are large and most commonly a jaundiced amber color, but can also appear in shades of red or green, or very rarely an odd shade of lavender. Their skin generally ranges darker shades, with pitch-black being the most common, set off by vivid hair, most commonly a fiery shade of orange.

In terms of posture, Dusklings tend to stand and walk on their toes exclusively, occasionally scrabbling on all fours like an atavistic cat when hiding. They generally wear simple, dark hooded robes, that can easily hide their brightly-colored hair. A Duskling's eyes and teeth shine brightly in the dark, having an eerie effect on mortals native to the Materium.

Dusklings can live for centuries, assuming they don't run afoul of a particularly nasty Wraith or spook someone with an itchy trigger finger. They mature around the same age as Humans do.

Playing a Duskling

Dusklings are, to be blunt, spastic little trolls that treat scaring the living daylights out of cutters like friendly handshakes. They prefer to creep about in shadows like little perverts, no doubt stealing whatever they can get their grubby little paws on. Some Gnomes have theorized that Duskling kleptomania is why socks go missing "in the wash."

Duskling society, however, is structured around loose-knit clans in a state of perfect anarchy, which at least explains why they think they can just do as they please whenever they crawl into the Materium. Dusklings generally have a hard time grasping the concept of authority, what with generally governing themselves and helping others simply because they want to... in a Duskling territory, nobody has any real power over anybody else, except for pregnant women or the elderly, who actually need the assistance.

Dusklings, then, tend to be communally minded, with a strong tendency to share what they have with someone lacking it, and generally assuming that others will do the same. While they still tend to pilfer ammo or weapons from fallen enemies or just lying around (and a weapons locker counts) to share it with allies, they won't just take something from someone who's still breathing, because of that golden rule.

Notoriously contrarian by almost anyone else's standards, Dusklings tend to show affection with a snarky mouth and coquettish body language. What the Humans call "Lima Syndrome" is very common; the Duskling who spends her childhood playing the bogeyman to someone often grows very attached to him by the time they reach maturity, eventually coming out of the closet (often literally) to help the target of her affections more overtly. Dusklings suffering from this strange affliction make for incredibly loyal friends.

Duskling Heroes

Midna is a jaded soul, ejected from her home at a young age by a psychotic uncle. She grew up at Luna's knee, learning what she needed to return to avenge her home. Never one to do things halfway, she accepted the silver tattoos as well, transforming as she did into the great black barghest... all the more appropriate for tearing her uncle's throat out.

Nadir is a painful paradox... a Duskling whose eyes burn in the light, cursed to be empowered by it. The bright golden N burned across his chest is to him the mark of some god's ire, and as much as he wishes his seeking will turn up a way to remove it, he isn't averse to using the power it grants him to make the taller folk kneel before him.

Moonshadow is an oddity among oddities, and living proof that Syrneth breeding plans transcend Umbral boundaries. Born with a strange pattern of platinum scales on her forehead, she soon developed the claws of a dragon as well, all shining like white gold in the darkness of Nostramo. She's long since left, seeking out the source of the dragon's blood in her clan.