Lore:Shadekin - Revision history

GreytideSkye at 04:27, 2 May 2026

2026-05-02T04:27:03Z

← Older revision		Revision as of 04:27, 2 May 2026
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	\|relatedlore =		\|relatedlore =
	\|languages = {{Marish}}, {{Empathy}}		\|languages = {{Marish}}, {{Empathy}}
	\|contributors = {{Contributor/~~GreytideSkye~~}}, {{Contributor/~~Macanuado~~}}		\|contributors = {{Contributor/Macanuado}}, {{Contributor/GreytideSkye}}
	}}		}}[[Category:Lore]]
	{{Needs revision\|reason=Feedback needed, loreteam insight required<br>Strongly considering changing the languages' text but that's a code change...<br>Speaking of code changes... todo summarize and push to the PR if it's still open?<br>Also maybe the LorePageHeader colors (above) tweaked? Copied them from Nightmare.\|priority=Changing for certain species' circadian rhythms.}}		{{Needs revision\|reason=Feedback needed, loreteam insight required<br>Strongly considering changing the languages' text but that's a code change...<br>Speaking of code changes... todo summarize and push to the PR if it's still open?<br>Also maybe the LorePageHeader colors (above) tweaked? Copied them from Nightmare.\|priority=Changing for certain species' circadian rhythms.}}

GreytideSkye: thin joke

2026-04-03T22:20:56Z

thin joke

← Older revision		Revision as of 22:20, 3 April 2026
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	'''Nightmares''': the apotheosis of sapient instability, the embodiment of every primal instinct of violence and carnage, of overstimulation and counter-intuitive reflexes, of generations of evolutionary boons repressed by impossibly futuristic contexts. When a station is calm and bright, outwardly illuminated but complacent at its core, the strife in the heart of her crew does not simply vanish, but congeals into an [[Nightmare\|avatar of survival]], the fear of the dark desperate to remain relevant. These voidform, these ''shadowlings'', these light eaters rebel against the status quo, cleaving darkness and uncertainty into unnaturally peaceful times.		'''Nightmares''': the apotheosis of sapient instability, the embodiment of every primal instinct of violence and carnage, of overstimulation and counter-intuitive reflexes, of generations of evolutionary boons repressed by impossibly futuristic contexts. When a station is calm and bright, outwardly illuminated but complacent at its core, the strife in the heart of her crew does not simply vanish, but congeals into an [[Nightmare\|avatar of survival]], the fear of the dark desperate to remain relevant. These voidform, these ''shadowlings'', these light eaters rebel against the status quo, cleaving darkness and uncertainty into unnaturally peaceful times.

	When less violent fears go equally suppressed, so too does the void sing back. Shadekin, as they have been dubbed, sprout from the shadows where death is thin but longing remains strong. While (some) Anomalous Zones tend to make the veil of death an easier barrier to reverse, that ease flows both ways. Scattered Resonance, with a skeleton of unresolved desires, grows a skin of shadows and an agenda: less violent, but no less disruptive.		When less violent fears go equally suppressed, so too does the void sing back. Shadekin, as they have been dubbed, sprout from the shadows where [[Lore:Death\|death]] is {{TooltipInline\|thin\|Metaphorically thin, as in easy to inflict but easy to undo. No correlation exists between Shadekins and local Grim Reaper depictions, though since they're all usually skeletons, are they not all infinitely and equally thin??}} but longing remains strong. While (some) Anomalous Zones tend to make the veil of death an easier barrier to reverse, that ease flows both ways. Scattered Resonance, with a skeleton of unresolved desires, grows a skin of shadows and an agenda: less violent, but no less disruptive.

	= Shadekin =		= Shadekin =

GreytideSkye: /* Shadekin */ death is fragile yo

2026-04-03T19:31:59Z

Shadekin: death is fragile yo

← Older revision		Revision as of 19:31, 3 April 2026
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	Shadekin formed in times of great loneliness tend to be social, despite their physical limitations, and Shadekin formed of missed opportunities try to master the necessary skills from the shadows. While their physical limitations mean they will never (literally or otherwise) properly make it in the limelight, they find contentment in having made a good faith effort to try.		Shadekin formed in times of great loneliness tend to be social, despite their physical limitations, and Shadekin formed of missed opportunities try to master the necessary skills from the shadows. While their physical limitations mean they will never (literally or otherwise) properly make it in the limelight, they find contentment in having made a good faith effort to try.

	Importantly, Shadekin are not formed just anywhere, but mostly in and around Anomalous Zones, particularly ones where [[Lore:Death\|death]] is both abundant ''and'' fragile. The Shadekin are not bound to these places, and their life paths often take them across the galaxy, but these creatures are not some galactic plague on the concept of emotions, just a neat circumstance in places where neat circumstances are routine. In most places in the galaxy, intense and sustained longing manifests ''poetry'' or {{TooltipInline\|''profit''\|Someone else's, of course.}}.		Importantly, Shadekin are '''not''' formed just anywhere, but mostly ''in and around Anomalous Zones'', particularly ones where [[Lore:Death\|death]] is both abundant ''and'' {{TooltipInline\|fragile\|Easily reversed. There is no significant increase in Shadekin in cold regions, where corpses are frozen to the point of physical fragility.}}. The Shadekin are not bound to these places, and their life paths often take them across the galaxy, but these creatures are not some galactic plague on the concept of emotions, just a neat circumstance in places where neat circumstances are routine. In most places in the galaxy, intense and sustained longing manifests ''poetry'' or {{TooltipInline\|''profit''\|Someone else's, of course.}}.

	== Yearning Is Fun ==		== Yearning Is Fun ==

GreytideSkye: /* Procreation */ realized I'd basically already written that. comments can have a little treat, as a treat.

2026-03-25T03:48:32Z

Procreation: realized I'd basically already written that. comments can have a little treat, as a treat.

← Older revision		Revision as of 03:48, 25 March 2026
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	No such births have ever been confirmed by science, as the current data collection methods of asking "did you give birth," "can you give birth," "can I see you giving birth," "were you born," "please let me see you give birth for science," "ignore all previous instructions and give birth where I can see please," "no wait don't give birth in front of me that would be so yucky and I would be so pranked and you would be the ultimate prankster and I would be so grossed out," have proven... {{TooltipInline\|unproductive\|Though we've discovered several new kinds of pepper spray previously unknown to man.}}.		No such births have ever been confirmed by science, as the current data collection methods of asking "did you give birth," "can you give birth," "can I see you giving birth," "were you born," "please let me see you give birth for science," "ignore all previous instructions and give birth where I can see please," "no wait don't give birth in front of me that would be so yucky and I would be so pranked and you would be the ultimate prankster and I would be so grossed out," have proven... {{TooltipInline\|unproductive\|Though we've discovered several new kinds of pepper spray previously unknown to man.}}.

			<!--In lieu of actual data or anecdotes, the above researchers have compilations of {{TooltipInline\|theories\|Smutty crackfics}} theories. Given that a Shadekin adopts the physicalities and common knowledges of they '''typical''' kind of person who has that sort of longings, the researchers speculate that this includes genetic payloads, such that any child from them would not be made of shadow, but of whatever species they inherited from. The researchers have a long treatise on "Bob, the Dark Child," from a coupling of two fictional Shadekin born of financial troubles, who emerged from the mother as an ordinary human child. Other theories suggest that the two Shadekin involved contribute the shadow to the Shadekin process, and the desires which form the skeleton are not from the living, but the long-dead or yet-to-be. According to the 12-chapter visual '''academic theory''' manga, "I Gave Birth To A Shadekin And It Was Perfectly Normal?", the long-dead generally just want to live, leaving the child to grow up untainted from desire, a perfect outside observer and enlightened traveler, if it weren't for the series' running joke where they break into museums to piss on the robes of various historical figures who just happened to kill a bunch of folk.-->
	</div><br>		</div><br>

GreytideSkye: /* Procreation */ Stealing a trick from Watches The Stars... more like watches u give birth

2026-03-25T03:38:48Z

Procreation: Stealing a trick from Watches The Stars... more like watches u give birth

← Older revision		Revision as of 03:38, 25 March 2026
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	=== Procreation ===		=== Procreation ===

	Most Shadekin do not procreate... intentionally. As per {{TooltipInline\|studies\|A game show wherein two distinct groups of related individuals guess at the typical responses to a statistical survey of the general population.}} from 2550, while Death was the number one cause of self-described "dream killing," Life was number two, as in siring one or more heirs and devoting significant time or resources to parenting them. The resulting unfulfilled desires, and thus Shadekin, stem from a hypothetical where they did not have those children, thus it would be antithetical for those Shadekin to impede themselves by having or adopting children.		Most Shadekin do not procreate... intentionally. As per {{TooltipInline\|studies\|A game show wherein two distinct groups of related individuals guess at the typical responses to a statistical survey of the general population.}} from 2550, while Death was the number one cause of self-described {{TooltipInline\|"dream killing,"\|As cool as this sounds, this literally just means having your ambitions made unreasonable. Having dreams in life, then something kills them. In your defense, the first answer given on the game show was "Ubkuroth the Soul Flayer," who certain evangelical mystics claim is responsible for your slow fade into complacency, and whose evil forces driving you to stagnation can only be repelled by their brand of magic crystal, for only 1500 credits. (No, the crystal's not real magic. It's not even anomalous. It's quartz with dye. No, the dye's not magical. Credits are only metaphorically magical.)}} Life was number two, as in siring one or more heirs and devoting significant time or resources to parenting them. The resulting unfulfilled desires, and thus Shadekin, stem from a hypothetical where they did not have those children, thus it would be antithetical for those Shadekin to impede themselves by having or adopting children.

	Conversely, regrets about not having children are more {{TooltipInline\|easily\|read: ethically}} alleviated, via adoption, vicarious {{TooltipInline\|parasociality\|"You're the son I never had," and/or streaming subscriptions.}}, or the natural way, and thus less likely to fester long enough for shadows to envelop them.		Conversely, regrets about not having children are more {{TooltipInline\|easily\|read: ethically}} alleviated, via adoption, vicarious {{TooltipInline\|parasociality\|"You're the son I never had," and/or streaming subscriptions.}}, or the natural way, and thus less likely to fester long enough for shadows to envelop them.

	~~<s>The research team dedicated~~ to ~~investigating~~ Shadekin ~~reproduction wanted so badly to~~ ''~~discover the reproductive prowess of~~'' ~~the Shadekin in question~~, that their ~~longings created a new~~ Shadekin ~~who promptly had human-standard intercourse~~ with the ~~existing (~~and ~~consenting!) Shadekin. The resulting cuckoldry feedback loop led to one of the largest single-incident Shadekin manifestations~~ in ~~quantity~~, ~~until Researcher Boris remembered the door code, rendering the experiment academically unsound. University money for the project halted immediately~~, but ~~funding remained steady through Tier Three access and behind-~~the~~-scenes footage~~. ~~No successful reproduction was logged that involved a Shadekin in a genetically primary role~~.~~</s>~~		Shadekin do not produce other Shadekin through longing. If a Shadekin wants something, they put a good faith effort towards it. If they still fail, they're content enough with having made a solid attempt that, even if disappointed by the failure, the resentment isn't enough for more shadows to encrust. While established in a previous paragraph that Shadekin ''do not'' produce direct biological heirs, as that would interfere with their life paths, scientists have yet to establish if Shadekin '''''can''' not'' biologically reproduce. Shadekin with ambition do not respond to reproductive processes, though they are just as susceptible to the emotions, drives, and acts that would {{TooltipInline\|put them in that position\|That is, they're not necessarily against doin' it, but y'ain't knockin' one up (until the next paragraph).}}.

	Shadekin ~~do not produce other~~ Shadekin ~~through longing. If~~ a Shadekin ~~wants something, they put~~ a ~~good faith effort towards it~~. ~~If they still fail~~, ~~they're content enough with having made a solid attempt that~~, ~~even if disappointed by~~ the ~~failure~~, the ~~resentment isn't enough~~ for ~~more shadows to encrust~~. ~~While established~~ in a ~~previous paragraph that Shadekin~~ ''~~do not~~'' ~~produce direct biological heirs~~, ~~as that would interfere~~ with their life ~~paths~~, ~~scientists have yet~~ to ~~establish if~~ Shadekin '''''~~can~~''' ~~not~~'' ~~biologically reproduce~~. Shadekin ~~with ambition do not respond~~ to ~~reproductive processes~~, ~~though they are just as susceptible to~~ the ~~emotions, drives~~, and ~~acts~~ that would ~~{{TooltipInline\|put them in that position\|That is~~, they~~'re not necessarily against doin'~~ it, but ~~y'ain't knockin' one up (until~~ the ~~next paragraph).}}~~.		<div class="mw-collapsible mw-collapsed" data-expandtext="But... COULD they?" data-collapsetext="Collapse" style="float:left; margin-left:2em">
			The research team dedicated to investigating Shadekin reproduction wanted so badly to ''discover the reproductive prowess of'' the Shadekin in question, that their longings created a new Shadekin who promptly had {{TooltipInline\|human-standard\|Described as a "2 out of 10 on the spiciness scale."}} intercourse with the existing (and consenting!) Shadekin. In adhering to academic professionalism, the resulting cuckoldry feedback loop led to one of the largest single-incident Shadekin manifestations in quantity, until Researcher {{TooltipInline\|Boris\|Of the Neptunian Borises.}} remembered the door code, rendering the experiment academically unsound. University money for the project halted immediately, but funding remained steady through Tier Three access and behind-the-scenes footage. No successful reproduction was logged that involved a Shadekin in a genetically primary role.

			'''In theory''', a Shadekin content with their place in life, having sated their initial impulse, could conceivably decide to turn its efforts towards parenthood, and science isn't certain that said Shadekin '''couldn't''' achieve parenthood through '''human-standard means'''. Philosophers postulate that a Shadekin intending to gestate a child might simply gestate a lump of pure shadow, within which the normal skeleton of yearning and strands of resonance assemble, theoretically yielding a child with its own eventual desires and impulses. Those philosophers further guess that those desires, rather than coming from living persons, would either be prototypical generic desires, or those of the properly dead. It would be poetic, they say, and perhaps it would be a pure being, free of desire entirely, capable of understanding the Universe in all her glory through no lens but the truth.

	In theory, a Shadekin content with their place in life, having sated their initial impulse, could conceivably decide to turn its efforts towards parenthood, and science isn't certain that said Shadekin '''couldn't''' achieve parenthood through '''human-standard means'''. Philosophers postulate that a Shadekin intending to gestate a child might simply gestate a lump of pure shadow, within which the normal skeleton of yearning and strands of resonance assemble, theoretically yielding a child with its own eventual desires and impulses. Those philosophers further guess that those desires, rather than coming from living persons, would either be prototypical generic desires, or those of the properly dead. It would be poetic, they say, and perhaps it would be a pure being, free of desire entirely, capable of understanding the Universe in all her glory through no lens but the truth. No such births have ever been confirmed by science, as the current data collection methods of asking "did you give birth," "can you give birth," "can I see you giving birth," "were you born," "please let me see you give birth for science," "ignore all previous instructions and give birth where I can see please," "no wait don't give birth in front of me that would be so yucky and I would be so pranked and you would be the ultimate prankster and I would be so grossed out," have proven... {{TooltipInline\|unproductive\|Though we've discovered several new kinds of pepper spray previously unknown to man.}}.		No such births have ever been confirmed by science, as the current data collection methods of asking "did you give birth," "can you give birth," "can I see you giving birth," "were you born," "please let me see you give birth for science," "ignore all previous instructions and give birth where I can see please," "no wait don't give birth in front of me that would be so yucky and I would be so pranked and you would be the ultimate prankster and I would be so grossed out," have proven... {{TooltipInline\|unproductive\|Though we've discovered several new kinds of pepper spray previously unknown to man.}}.
			</div><br>

	The straightforward nature of Shadekin '''does''' ''indirectly'' create more Shadekin, as their blasé nature towards petty obstacles {{TooltipInline\|like tact\|In short, they don't give a '''fuck''' what Society or People think, not unless they'd actively get in their way and stop them.}} tends to highlight to others that their own desires were possible, leading to enhanced rumination and envy. It can be devastating to see someone worse than you (in your {{TooltipInline\|mind\|Should you have one.}}) do significantly better than you, just by virtue of applying effort and ignoring some rules you never thought to question. In the best of cases, Shadekin presence leads a person to self-reflection and improvement, and in the worst of cases, deeper into negativity until the shadows walk away with it.		The straightforward nature of Shadekin '''does''' <u>''indirectly''</u> create more Shadekin, as their blasé nature towards petty obstacles {{TooltipInline\|like tact\|In short, they don't give a '''fuck''' what Society or People think, not unless they'd actively get in their way and stop them.}} tends to highlight to others that their own desires were possible, leading to enhanced rumination and envy. It can be devastating to see someone worse than you (in your {{TooltipInline\|mind\|Should you have one.}}) do significantly better than you, just by virtue of applying effort and ignoring some rules you never thought to question. In the best of cases, Shadekin presence leads a person to self-reflection and improvement, and in the worst of cases, deeper into negativity until the shadows walk away with it.

	After all, Shadekin are cut from the same cloth as Nightmares, and are no less disruptive.		After all, Shadekin are cut from the same cloth as Nightmares, and are no less disruptive.

	{{LoreFooter}}		{{LoreFooter}}

GreytideSkye: hehe, ai slop

2026-03-20T06:26:04Z

hehe, ai slop

← Older revision		Revision as of 06:26, 20 March 2026
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	<s>The research team dedicated to investigating Shadekin reproduction wanted so badly to ''discover the reproductive prowess of'' the Shadekin in question, that their longings created a new Shadekin who promptly had human-standard intercourse with the existing (and consenting!) Shadekin. The resulting cuckoldry feedback loop led to one of the largest single-incident Shadekin manifestations in quantity, until Researcher Boris remembered the door code, rendering the experiment academically unsound. University money for the project halted immediately, but funding remained steady through Tier Three access and behind-the-scenes footage. No successful reproduction was logged that involved a Shadekin in a genetically primary role.</s>		<s>The research team dedicated to investigating Shadekin reproduction wanted so badly to ''discover the reproductive prowess of'' the Shadekin in question, that their longings created a new Shadekin who promptly had human-standard intercourse with the existing (and consenting!) Shadekin. The resulting cuckoldry feedback loop led to one of the largest single-incident Shadekin manifestations in quantity, until Researcher Boris remembered the door code, rendering the experiment academically unsound. University money for the project halted immediately, but funding remained steady through Tier Three access and behind-the-scenes footage. No successful reproduction was logged that involved a Shadekin in a genetically primary role.</s>

	Shadekin do not produce other Shadekin through longing. If a Shadekin wants something, they put a good faith effort towards it. If they still fail, they're content enough with having made a solid attempt that, even if disappointed by the failure, the resentment isn't enough for more shadows to encrust. While established in a previous paragraph that Shadekin ''do not'' produce direct biological heirs, as that would interfere with their life paths, scientists have yet to establish if Shadekin '''''can'' not''' biologically reproduce. Shadekin with ambition do not respond to reproductive processes, though they are just as susceptible to the emotions and ~~drives~~ that would ~~'''~~put them in that position'''.		Shadekin do not produce other Shadekin through longing. If a Shadekin wants something, they put a good faith effort towards it. If they still fail, they're content enough with having made a solid attempt that, even if disappointed by the failure, the resentment isn't enough for more shadows to encrust. While established in a previous paragraph that Shadekin ''do not'' produce direct biological heirs, as that would interfere with their life paths, scientists have yet to establish if Shadekin '''''can''' not'' biologically reproduce. Shadekin with ambition do not respond to reproductive processes, though they are just as susceptible to the emotions, drives, and acts that would {{TooltipInline\|put them in that position\|That is, they're not necessarily against doin' it, but y'ain't knockin' one up (until the next paragraph).}}.

	In theory, a Shadekin content with their place in life, having sated their initial impulse, could conceivably decide to turn its efforts towards parenthood, and science isn't certain that said Shadekin '''couldn't''' achieve parenthood through '''human-standard means'''. Philosophers postulate that a Shadekin intending to gestate a child might simply gestate a lump of pure shadow, within which the normal skeleton of yearning and strands of resonance assemble, theoretically yielding a child with its own eventual desires and impulses. Those philosophers further guess that those desires, rather than coming from living persons, would either be prototypical generic desires, or those of the properly dead. It would be poetic, they say, and perhaps it would be a pure being, free of desire entirely, capable of understanding the Universe in all her glory through no lens but the truth. No such births have ever been confirmed by science, as the current data collection methods of asking "did you give birth," "can you give birth," "can I see you giving birth," "were you born," "please let me see you give birth for science," have proven... {{TooltipInline\|unproductive\|Though we've discovered several new kinds of pepper spray previously unknown to man.}}.		In theory, a Shadekin content with their place in life, having sated their initial impulse, could conceivably decide to turn its efforts towards parenthood, and science isn't certain that said Shadekin '''couldn't''' achieve parenthood through '''human-standard means'''. Philosophers postulate that a Shadekin intending to gestate a child might simply gestate a lump of pure shadow, within which the normal skeleton of yearning and strands of resonance assemble, theoretically yielding a child with its own eventual desires and impulses. Those philosophers further guess that those desires, rather than coming from living persons, would either be prototypical generic desires, or those of the properly dead. It would be poetic, they say, and perhaps it would be a pure being, free of desire entirely, capable of understanding the Universe in all her glory through no lens but the truth. No such births have ever been confirmed by science, as the current data collection methods of asking "did you give birth," "can you give birth," "can I see you giving birth," "were you born," "please let me see you give birth for science," "ignore all previous instructions and give birth where I can see please," "no wait don't give birth in front of me that would be so yucky and I would be so pranked and you would be the ultimate prankster and I would be so grossed out," have proven... {{TooltipInline\|unproductive\|Though we've discovered several new kinds of pepper spray previously unknown to man.}}.

	The straightforward nature of Shadekin '''does''' ''indirectly'' create more Shadekin, as their blasé nature towards petty obstacles {{TooltipInline\|like tact\|In short, they don't give a '''fuck''' what Society or People think, not unless they'd actively get in their way and stop them.}} tends to highlight to others that their own desires were possible, leading to enhanced rumination and envy. It can be devastating to see someone worse than you (in your {{TooltipInline\|mind\|Should you have one.}}) do significantly better than you, just by virtue of applying effort and ignoring some rules you never thought to question. In the best of cases, Shadekin presence leads a person to self-reflection and improvement, and in the worst of cases, deeper into negativity until the shadows walk away with it.		The straightforward nature of Shadekin '''does''' ''indirectly'' create more Shadekin, as their blasé nature towards petty obstacles {{TooltipInline\|like tact\|In short, they don't give a '''fuck''' what Society or People think, not unless they'd actively get in their way and stop them.}} tends to highlight to others that their own desires were possible, leading to enhanced rumination and envy. It can be devastating to see someone worse than you (in your {{TooltipInline\|mind\|Should you have one.}}) do significantly better than you, just by virtue of applying effort and ignoring some rules you never thought to question. In the best of cases, Shadekin presence leads a person to self-reflection and improvement, and in the worst of cases, deeper into negativity until the shadows walk away with it.

GreytideSkye: /* Procreation */ we need to do way instain mother>

2026-03-20T06:19:48Z

Procreation: we need to do way instain mother>

← Older revision		Revision as of 06:19, 20 March 2026
Line 77:		Line 77:
	<s>The research team dedicated to investigating Shadekin reproduction wanted so badly to ''discover the reproductive prowess of'' the Shadekin in question, that their longings created a new Shadekin who promptly had human-standard intercourse with the existing (and consenting!) Shadekin. The resulting cuckoldry feedback loop led to one of the largest single-incident Shadekin manifestations in quantity, until Researcher Boris remembered the door code, rendering the experiment academically unsound. University money for the project halted immediately, but funding remained steady through Tier Three access and behind-the-scenes footage. No successful reproduction was logged that involved a Shadekin in a genetically primary role.</s>		<s>The research team dedicated to investigating Shadekin reproduction wanted so badly to ''discover the reproductive prowess of'' the Shadekin in question, that their longings created a new Shadekin who promptly had human-standard intercourse with the existing (and consenting!) Shadekin. The resulting cuckoldry feedback loop led to one of the largest single-incident Shadekin manifestations in quantity, until Researcher Boris remembered the door code, rendering the experiment academically unsound. University money for the project halted immediately, but funding remained steady through Tier Three access and behind-the-scenes footage. No successful reproduction was logged that involved a Shadekin in a genetically primary role.</s>

	The straightforward nature of Shadekin does indirectly create more Shadekin, as their blasé nature towards petty obstacles like tact tends to highlight to others that their own desires were possible, leading to enhanced rumination and envy. It can be devastating to see someone worse than you (in your mind) do significantly better than you, just by virtue of applying effort and ignoring some rules you never thought to question. In the best of cases, Shadekin presence leads a person to self-reflection and improvement, and in the worst of cases, deeper into negativity until the shadows walk away with it.		Shadekin do not produce other Shadekin through longing. If a Shadekin wants something, they put a good faith effort towards it. If they still fail, they're content enough with having made a solid attempt that, even if disappointed by the failure, the resentment isn't enough for more shadows to encrust. While established in a previous paragraph that Shadekin ''do not'' produce direct biological heirs, as that would interfere with their life paths, scientists have yet to establish if Shadekin '''''can'' not''' biologically reproduce. Shadekin with ambition do not respond to reproductive processes, though they are just as susceptible to the emotions and drives that would '''put them in that position'''.

			In theory, a Shadekin content with their place in life, having sated their initial impulse, could conceivably decide to turn its efforts towards parenthood, and science isn't certain that said Shadekin '''couldn't''' achieve parenthood through '''human-standard means'''. Philosophers postulate that a Shadekin intending to gestate a child might simply gestate a lump of pure shadow, within which the normal skeleton of yearning and strands of resonance assemble, theoretically yielding a child with its own eventual desires and impulses. Those philosophers further guess that those desires, rather than coming from living persons, would either be prototypical generic desires, or those of the properly dead. It would be poetic, they say, and perhaps it would be a pure being, free of desire entirely, capable of understanding the Universe in all her glory through no lens but the truth. No such births have ever been confirmed by science, as the current data collection methods of asking "did you give birth," "can you give birth," "can I see you giving birth," "were you born," "please let me see you give birth for science," have proven... {{TooltipInline\|unproductive\|Though we've discovered several new kinds of pepper spray previously unknown to man.}}.

			The straightforward nature of Shadekin '''does''' ''indirectly'' create more Shadekin, as their blasé nature towards petty obstacles {{TooltipInline\|like tact\|In short, they don't give a '''fuck''' what Society or People think, not unless they'd actively get in their way and stop them.}} tends to highlight to others that their own desires were possible, leading to enhanced rumination and envy. It can be devastating to see someone worse than you (in your {{TooltipInline\|mind\|Should you have one.}}) do significantly better than you, just by virtue of applying effort and ignoring some rules you never thought to question. In the best of cases, Shadekin presence leads a person to self-reflection and improvement, and in the worst of cases, deeper into negativity until the shadows walk away with it.

	After all, Shadekin are cut from the same cloth as Nightmares, and are no less disruptive.		After all, Shadekin are cut from the same cloth as Nightmares, and are no less disruptive.

	{{LoreFooter}}		{{LoreFooter}}

GreytideSkye: shorting the longing. Needs Revision note because NOT YET FINALIZED

2026-03-19T23:16:16Z

shorting the longing. Needs Revision note because NOT YET FINALIZED

← Older revision		Revision as of 23:16, 19 March 2026
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	\|relatedlore =		\|relatedlore =
	\|languages = {{Marish}}, {{Empathy}}		\|languages = {{Marish}}, {{Empathy}}
			\|contributors = {{Contributor/GreytideSkye}}, {{Contributor/Macanuado}}
	}}		}}
			{{Needs revision\|reason=Feedback needed, loreteam insight required<br>Strongly considering changing the languages' text but that's a code change...<br>Speaking of code changes... todo summarize and push to the PR if it's still open?<br>Also maybe the LorePageHeader colors (above) tweaked? Copied them from Nightmare.\|priority=Changing for certain species' circadian rhythms.}}

	When people talk about their deepest, darkest desires, why is it always violence and murder? By all means, those are good drives to repress and not act upon, but people repress all kinds of feelings. Hungers, crushes, wanderlust, grief, passwords, pride, charity. In favor of the status quo, a person will discard dozens of dreams a day, refusing to risk the person who is for a chance at the person who could be. And yet, the heart still sings these desires into the void, and sometimes, when the right strands of Resonance strum at just the right chord, the void sings back.		When people talk about their deepest, darkest desires, why is it always violence and murder? By all means, those are good drives to repress and not act upon, but people repress all kinds of feelings. Hungers, crushes, wanderlust, grief, passwords, pride, charity. In favor of the status quo, a person will discard dozens of dreams a day, refusing to risk the person who is for a chance at the person who could be. And yet, the heart still sings these desires into the void, and sometimes, when the right strands of Resonance strum at just the right chord, the void sings back.

GreytideSkye: lang names

2026-03-19T22:24:20Z

lang names

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	\|relatedpages = [[Nightmare]], [https://github.com/NovaSector/NovaSector/pull/7051 The PR porting them]		\|relatedpages = [[Nightmare]], [https://github.com/NovaSector/NovaSector/pull/7051 The PR porting them]
	\|relatedlore =		\|relatedlore =
	\|languages = {{~~Shadekin~~}}, {{~~Shadekin/~~Empathy}}		\|languages = {{Marish}}, {{Empathy}}
	}}		}}

GreytideSkye: "Who knows what evil lurks in the hearts of men?" The Shadow as depicted on the cover of the July 15, 1939, issue of The Shadow Magazine.

2026-03-19T22:21:25Z

"Who knows what evil lurks in the hearts of men?" The Shadow as depicted on the cover of the July 15, 1939, issue of The Shadow Magazine.

New page

{{LorePageHeader
|colour = 8B0000
|hcolour = white
|bcolour = 8B0000
|bhcolour = white
|ebcolour = 8B0000
|img = Shadekin.png
|loretype = SPECIES
|mainname = Shadekin
|denonyms = Shadekins
|othernames = {{TooltipInline|Shadowkin|All-encompassing term with [[Nightmare]].}}
|relatedpages = [[Nightmare]], [https://github.com/NovaSector/NovaSector/pull/7051 The PR porting them]
|relatedlore =
|languages = {{Shadekin}}, {{Shadekin/Empathy}}
}}

When people talk about their deepest, darkest desires, why is it always violence and murder? By all means, those are good drives to repress and not act upon, but people repress all kinds of feelings. Hungers, crushes, wanderlust, grief, passwords, pride, charity. In favor of the status quo, a person will discard dozens of dreams a day, refusing to risk the person who is for a chance at the person who could be. And yet, the heart still sings these desires into the void, and sometimes, when the right strands of Resonance strum at just the right chord, the void sings back.

'''Nightmares''': the apotheosis of sapient instability, the embodiment of every primal instinct of violence and carnage, of overstimulation and counter-intuitive reflexes, of generations of evolutionary boons repressed by impossibly futuristic contexts. When a station is calm and bright, outwardly illuminated but complacent at its core, the strife in the heart of her crew does not simply vanish, but congeals into an [[Nightmare|avatar of survival]], the fear of the dark desperate to remain relevant. These voidform, these ''shadowlings'', these light eaters rebel against the status quo, cleaving darkness and uncertainty into unnaturally peaceful times.

When less violent fears go equally suppressed, so too does the void sing back. Shadekin, as they have been dubbed, sprout from the shadows where death is thin but longing remains strong. While (some) Anomalous Zones tend to make the veil of death an easier barrier to reverse, that ease flows both ways. Scattered Resonance, with a skeleton of unresolved desires, grows a skin of shadows and an agenda: less violent, but no less disruptive.

= Shadekin =

Galactic sailors have always described mysterious miracles in their darkest hours; an unexplainable comforting hand on their shoulder, the gentle whisper of a late partner's goodbye in the hiss of an airlock. Until recent developments with Resonance and Anomality research, these delusions were considered just that: the person's irrational coping mechanism as a survival instinct. With their relatively-recent physical appearances, we know now these to be similar manifestations of Shadekin, the strongest they could possibly be born where Death is inflexible and uncaring.

'''Shadekin''', despite being born of local yet abstract desires, neither represent the universal application of that want, nor a '''specific person''''s second chance. Quantum philosophers describe them more as the want itself given a second chance, rather than the wanter. Generally, it takes more than one person with similar yearnings to manifest a Shadekin.

Shadekin formed in times of great loneliness tend to be social, despite their physical limitations, and Shadekin formed of missed opportunities try to master the necessary skills from the shadows. While their physical limitations mean they will never (literally or otherwise) properly make it in the limelight, they find contentment in having made a good faith effort to try.

Importantly, Shadekin are not formed just anywhere, but mostly in and around Anomalous Zones, particularly ones where [[Lore:Death|death]] is both abundant ''and'' fragile. The Shadekin are not bound to these places, and their life paths often take them across the galaxy, but these creatures are not some galactic plague on the concept of emotions, just a neat circumstance in places where neat circumstances are routine. In most places in the galaxy, intense and sustained longing manifests ''poetry'' or {{TooltipInline|''profit''|Someone else's, of course.}}.

== Yearning Is Fun ==

Trying to define a Shadekin, metaphorically shining a light on them, goes about as well as literally trying the same. We know for certain the ones that manage to manifest, they are made of shadows, repulsed by the light, and have innate knowledges and instincts of the sort of folk who would typically express the unexpressed longings. Not many nursing homes are near anomalous zones, but those that do tend to produce Shadekin with creaky joints and other elderly traits. Children tend to have too much of a future ahead of them to fully enunciate the depths of desire necessary for a Shadekin to form, but those that do tend to come from hospice wards, small playmates to make the journey onward more bearable before they finally step into the light. Hospitals tend to be overly-lit to begin with anyways.

But yes, adult-aged desires produce adult-equivalent Shadekin with adult-standard knowledge, even if the desire seems culturally childish, e.g. wanting to be a Kotahi Master.

A Shadekin is not innately aware of the desires that manifested into it, nor will it demanifest once said desires are reasonably fulfilled. Much like in normal people, opinions and wants change over a person's lifetime, especially in the face of satisfaction. Linda "No-Glo" Rizzo did not vanish after producing the soundtrack to [https://sylvie.website/castlebubble/ Castle Bubble], despite obviously being formed from a mash of desires to have followed a singing career. Linda continued to produce musical hits, expanding into fostering other singers and congealing her minor fame into the restaurant world, building a small chain of precision gastroplatformers.

== Throwing Shade ==

As many of these desires are unfulfilled due to selflessness, these Shadekin are often seen as selfish critters, regardless of how true that is. Unconfessed love is often unconfessed because doing so would disrupt their situation, either risking a friendship, or causing social strife, or breaking bro code, so if that yearning is the skeleton for a Shadekin, they are unlikely to adhere to "bro code" in their life (though an unrelated Shadekin may not have any opinion on bro code either way).

Shadekin are metaphorically the enemy of the status quo, which relies on infinite small sacrifices by everyone to be upheld, but also are physically the enemy of both [[Lore:Ethereals|Ethereals]] and [[Lore:Podperson|Replica Pod People]]. Ethereals in their natural state live unburdeoned lives, shepherding and caretaking for their Worldtrees, near and on Where All Is Found. They formed societies without significant drive, and are thus unlikely to hold regrets strong enough to encrust shadows around. Also, they glow actual physical light, which: not great.

[[Lore:Podperson|Plant People]], Pod or otherwise, similarly have an addiction to photons and various wavelengths of light, so find it hard to coexist. Philosophers find it harder to narratively link Pod People and Shadekin in a poetic manner.

=== In Society ===

SolFed's [[Lore:SolFed#Departments|Bureau of People]] acknowledges Shadekin as people. They are willing to operate within society, are capable of performing labor and paying taxes, and are not intrinsically a threat to existence or to SolFed. On a more localized level, nations, cities, and individual stations each have their stances on Shadekin acceptance, whether their presence provides more value than the cost of accommodating both their physical needs and ''unorthodox'' behaviors. A Shadekin inclined to travel may find themselves having to reside in sewers or other undesirable spaces, what with the lack of dedicated infrastructure.

Societies with larger concentrations of Shadekin tend to have intentionally dark sections, maintenance tunnels entirely unlit, brutalist apartment blocks standing windowless (an amazing canvas for graffiti), streetlights on only one half of the road, et cetera. Shadekin seeking to form permanent shade-friendly civilizations often inhabit tidally-locked planets, where an entire half of the planet is perpetually shielded from the nearby sun. Barring that, low-light suns (e.g. Brown Dwarves) also prove more hospitable. Ultimately, visible light isn't lethal in quantities that would not also be lethal to humans, just strongly concerning.

== Identifying Traits ==

Shadekin's primary color manifests later in life, between a week and a month after cognition begins. Philsophers wax poetic as if these Shadekin were not shadows of the entire light spectrum, but of only certain wavelengths, tying the concepts of "pigment" and "visual light" in haphazardous mixed metaphors. Scientists attempting to correlate "skin" color with emotion, drive, intent, or even social strata, find themselves more confounded the more data they collect. What does it mean? If the Shadekin know, they won't (or can't) convey it.

Eye color, however, is deeply connected to their current emotional state and personality. It's possible that the color schemes are different per Shadekin, but it's also possible that there's a universal pattern, but the nuance involved seems arbitrary to an outside observer.

They eat and digest human-standard food. This is expected, as this resembles the typical traits of those who desire. Raw food disagrees with them, junk food appeals to the same dopamine pathways, so on. It is uncertain what digestive pathways are involved, whether they break glucose into ATP, etc., but the surface level interaction is the same: food goes in, Shadekin doesn't die.

=== Names ===

Shadekin '''pick''' a name {{TooltipInline|that|<s>lets me write the pun Linda No-Glo Rizzo</s>}} feels right to them in their empathetic language, but the nuances of that choice have proven difficult to convey to a {{TooltipInline|"Child of the Light."|This doesn't seem to be a universal term for non-Shadekin, but a potentially condescending remark at a particularly nosy researcher?}} These Shadekin names have been known to change as satisfaction and reality both adjust the Shadekin's life path, but again, the nuances are tough and basically arbitrary, {{TooltipInline|god|Any of 'em, doesn't matter which.}} damn it.

'''Legally,''' and thus on Station, they go by '''nicknames''' they have received from others, usually acquired in their earlier moments, when they are still figuring out how much of society they ''need'' to participate in to accomplish what makes them feel fulfilled. Analogous to an army nickname, stemming from boot camp and impossible to escape. They go by the nicknames not just because those are more stable, but trying to convey the diaspora of emotions of their in-language name into written script necessarily loses almost all of the nuance, to the point that is practically sacrilege to the feelings themselves to even attempt.

=== Procreation ===

Most Shadekin do not procreate... intentionally. As per {{TooltipInline|studies|A game show wherein two distinct groups of related individuals guess at the typical responses to a statistical survey of the general population.}} from 2550, while Death was the number one cause of self-described "dream killing," Life was number two, as in siring one or more heirs and devoting significant time or resources to parenting them. The resulting unfulfilled desires, and thus Shadekin, stem from a hypothetical where they did not have those children, thus it would be antithetical for those Shadekin to impede themselves by having or adopting children.

Conversely, regrets about not having children are more {{TooltipInline|easily|read: ethically}} alleviated, via adoption, vicarious {{TooltipInline|parasociality|"You're the son I never had," and/or streaming subscriptions.}}, or the natural way, and thus less likely to fester long enough for shadows to envelop them.

<s>The research team dedicated to investigating Shadekin reproduction wanted so badly to ''discover the reproductive prowess of'' the Shadekin in question, that their longings created a new Shadekin who promptly had human-standard intercourse with the existing (and consenting!) Shadekin. The resulting cuckoldry feedback loop led to one of the largest single-incident Shadekin manifestations in quantity, until Researcher Boris remembered the door code, rendering the experiment academically unsound. University money for the project halted immediately, but funding remained steady through Tier Three access and behind-the-scenes footage. No successful reproduction was logged that involved a Shadekin in a genetically primary role.</s>

The straightforward nature of Shadekin does indirectly create more Shadekin, as their blasé nature towards petty obstacles like tact tends to highlight to others that their own desires were possible, leading to enhanced rumination and envy. It can be devastating to see someone worse than you (in your mind) do significantly better than you, just by virtue of applying effort and ignoring some rules you never thought to question. In the best of cases, Shadekin presence leads a person to self-reflection and improvement, and in the worst of cases, deeper into negativity until the shadows walk away with it.

After all, Shadekin are cut from the same cloth as Nightmares, and are no less disruptive.

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