FA+
Shop
Dark Shift
16 years ago
Dark Shift ( Shiftian )
Planet:
The home-planet of the Dark Shift is not, in fact, a planet at all. Chauk'patah is an asteroid approximately the same diameter as Earth. It's mass is
entirely different, however, the rock comparable to swiss cheese with it's vast craters and depthless tunnels.
The Dark Shift race is not a surface species, the asteroid top-layer too harsh to sustain any life and almost completely without a viable atmosphere. Thus
the Dark Shift are an entirely subterranean species, and have had to adapt specifically to the harsh environment of Chauk'patah.
All the Dark Shift cities are inside the asteroid ( although there are a few ruins of older cities left on the surface ), and further protected with the
Shiftian technologies that have helped ease the tension of space upon what remains of their homeland; forcefields and atmosphereic generators make it
possible to continue living on the gradually deteriorating rock.
Chauk'patah is located outside of Earth's solar system, but in fairly close proximity, if one disregards the necessity for warp travel in order to
accomplish crossing the vast reaches of space to ever come to the terran planet. The Shiftian planet rotates at a drastically slower rate than earth, and is
located so far from its sun (a blue star which is also on the eve of its inevitable collapse) that it exists in a state of perpetual night. The distant sun
coupled with Chauk'patah's six moons (which are actually large portions of the asteroid that broke off before the Dark Shift race was an 'intelligent'
species), keeps any real light or heat from entering the asteroid core.
The moons - Tala ( the largest, pronounced tah-yah ), Taikar ( tie-car ), Huigat ( we-gah ), Vonclef ( von-cliff ), Tija (
teej ) and I'ie'myar ( the smallest, pronounced ee-eye-myar ) - circle Chauk'patah counter-clockwise, and Chauk'patah circles the sun (
Auvryn'iol, pronounced aw-vree-nee-all ) clock-wise.
The asteroid also has its own asteroid belt comprised of countless particles of the surface broken off over the millenia that ( like the moons ) orbit the
asteriod due to the gravitational pull created by it's immense size.
Chauk'patah has very few plants and animals of it's own, the Dark Shift being the only remaining "sentient" species. At one point, the asteroid had
verdant fields and vast pools of collected water on its surface, capable of sustaining the few animals that lived there. However the Shift could not be
sustained for very long, and eventually the Dark Shift and the constant decay of the surface all but completely wiped out any other life on the asteroid. Now
what little plants and animals remain are raised by the Dark Shift specifically for regular harvesting in order to maintain order and life.
Racial History:
According to Dark Shift historical texts ( etchings in the deepest carverns of Chauk'patah ), the Dark Shift probably came from another planet that the
asteroid was once a part of. When the planet was destroyed in some cataclysmic explosion or other equally decimating circumstance, the asteroid shot off into
outerspace, colliding time and again with other planets and objects in it's path, along with other stellar debris from the planetary destruction in it's own
system ( possibly responsible for the scarring on the Earth's moon and the extinction of the dinosaurs ). It -is- known that a great deal of Dark Shift
language structure is similar ( and even duplicate ) to numerous Earth names and words. The Shiftian texts depict a number of occurances in which they are
seen interacting with humanoids, some shockingly similar to human biblical texts describing interaction between demons and humans. The correlation is
evident, and the possibility that Dark Shift may have been responsible for earlier "demon" sightings in human history is not so difficult to believe. What is
known is that the Dark Shift no longer exist on Earth and have not for many centuries, but the Shiftian texts still run parallell to compiled history on
Earth in many instances.
In the last five hundred years of Dark shift evolution, the species has come to a dramatic and possibly fatal halt. All the resources of Chauk'patah are
gone, their technology has reached a standstill and they themselves are as of yet incapable of relocating to another planet, as their biological make-up is
incompatible with every other clime they have encountered.
Thousands of years ago, in the equivalent of the Shiftian Dark Ages, the Shift people began the cultivation of a solid culture, and created a powerful,
religious lifestyle centered around the balance of strength, intelligence and spirit. The traditions created in their less turbulant past have remained
remarkably unchanged and also are wholly responsible for the more recent developments in the Dark Shift race that could save them from impending extinction.
In the past, the Dark Shift were very determined to keep themselves and their blood pure, being a highly xenophobic people upon their own planet. However in
the hunt for knowledge, they sought ways around their inability to leave their planetary environment for more than a few hours at a time. They found that
loophole in interbreeding with other species.
They started with humans ( Half demons? One wonders. ) then moved on from planet to planet finding better biologically compatible organisms. These Half
Bloods were capable of reaching a higher spiritual plane than Pure Bloods and thus were better for the use in communing with their God, Kier'shak.
Kier'shak had given them all the secrets to save the Dark Shift race, but before the Half Bloods were discovered as a useful tool, the means to follow
Kier'shak and his words were yet hidden.
Any Pure Blood Dark Shift that attempts to do the ritual set for Half Bloods either perishes in the attempt, or finds death in completion. Half
bloods are capable of the travel that Pure Bloods cannot accomplish, and in the last three hundred years, Half Bloods have become the most coveted creatures
in Dark Shift society.
More recently, through the use of knowledge collected by Half Bloods, the Dark Shift have found that breeding with other species makes it possible for
them to live off Chauk'patah. In the last two decades of Dark Shift history, a strict breeding program has been organized, setting into motion the last ditch
effort to rush against time in the race to save their people from being destroyed either by their planet crumbling or their sun exploding.
Outlook:
Dark Shift, as a rule are generally sadistic, destructive and deceitful, no matter the extreme technological advances they have made. Great
intelligence does not necessarily denote a peace-loving culture.
They despise all other races they encounter and view them with a sort of disdain bordering on outright contempt, tolerating them only out of
necessity for trade since their planet alone can no longer sustain them, always viewing themselves as a superior race. How not? When they have survived
untold hardships, and remain with claws dug deep into the flesh of life, refusing to be shaken off, where most races would have given into the apparently
inevitable end? Half Bloods and New Bloods are the only real acception to this rule. Even among their own kind, the Dark Shift are cruel, suspicious
and physically brutal. There is little to no room for love among them, and they trust their own family about as much as they trust known enemies. They forge
alliances only when they know they are overpowered, have information that has potential as blackmail or share a common enemy. Even then they are always on
the look-out for turn-coats.
Society:
Dark Shift society is highly patriarchal. Males dominate every place of power within the race and typically most females are seen as little more than
breeding-fodder and a convenient source of amusement. Females are generally kept in a state of pregnancy, as much out of necessity to further the survival of
the race as to keep them out of the way.
Women are capable of rising in power and prestige among the Dark Shift, but they cannot hold any official positions among the ruling classes.
The Dark Shift are a brutal, war-like race with many dark rituals and unique behavioral patterns. While they have intense warrior instincts, and spend as
much of their lives fighting as doing more mundane tasks intended to keep the race thriving, war is virtually unknown among them. Since the Shiftian Dark
Ages, war has never broken out. All challenges are made with an opponent face to face, not standing behind an army. There are so few Dark Shift that it is
simply madness to spare lives to war. However there is nothing wrong with killing a challenging opponent. Males and females alike perform the ritual of
challenge as a means of exerting authority. Often these fights are among the lower caste Dark Shift, short-lived, and marked only among themselves. However
when a challenge is made among the upper castes, it is a violent, bloody spectacle that is catalogued and made known throughout all the Dark Shift community.
When a chu'loc ( chieftain ) is challenged by an underling for his position, a battle ensues. Typically the chu'loc defeats the challenger in the fight,
which is called the Ritual of Challenge. When the opposing fighter has been defeated, the chu'loc enacts the Rite of Order, a holy rite of domination. The
Rite of Order is the ritual used to organize the caste system. When a chu'loc decides that the castes need to be reorganized without a challenge previously
made, grand contests are held in a gladiator-like arena, with fights going on for months at a time until the winners are ordered from the lowest and first
loss to the highest and greatest winner.
However when the Rite of Order is enacted after the Ritual of Challenge, the caste organization is far more brutal and humilating. The triumphant opponent
gathers the Dark Shift in his clan, and one after the other, in the order he sets, they forcibly copulate with the defeated opponent, no matter gender. The
purpose of this is that Dark Shift count it as clear as branding flesh. This caste system is used on slaves the Dark Shift take as well. The first Shift to
force himself on the defeated Shift is the highest caste, then the next Shift, and the next, moving down until the new ( or old, depending on the outcome of
the fight ) chu'loc says to cease, and the new order has been completed, leaving the defeated Dark Shift to either will itself to die, or spend it's life
humiliated and fighting its way back up. Naturally most Dark Shift have enough sense not to challenge an opponent they even think may be more powerful than
themselves.
In the case of a Ritual of Challenge proposed by a female, the female is not even reordered into the new caste, but rather murdered by over impregnation.
Dark Shift females are always capable of mating and producing young, however their unique breeding circumstances make it so that each mating produces a
separate child. Mating with multiple Dark Shift produces multiple children. Thus too many matings will inevitably result in the death of the female due to
rupturing her insides. Females that succede in a Ritual of Challenge can enact the Rite of Order, but still remain under the highest caste male, which is the
chu'loc.
Regularly, females use the Ritual of Challenge among themselves in order to fight for the best mates. These tactics and traditions have not been frowned
upon primarily because it sates much of the Dark Shift bloodlust, and allows the weeding out of weaker Dark Shift, so that breeding produces only the best
young.
In recent years, two new branches of Dark Shift have come into existance: The Half Bloods which are the peak of spiritual balance in the Dark Shift and are
the only ones capable of travel off-planet, and the New Bloods, which are Half-Bloods with -no- spiritual training, bred specifially for creating Dark Shift
more compatible with off-world lifestyles.
Half Bloods are rare and in order to have one, a chu'loc must pass all the physical and mental requirements set by the Shiftian scientists, before taking
a brief trip to another planet in which they literally kidnap a female of a race of their choice to bring to Chauk'patah. The female, willing or not, is
mated with and produces a Half Blood. The birthing has always caused the death of the mother, due to extreme complications, since Dark Shift lay eggs and are
cold-blooded, and most chosen females are live-birthing and warm-blooded. While the Dark shift have found ways to mesh the genetic structure of generally
completely incompatible species, they have not spared to time or effort to find ways to save the mothers. The only concern is the young, keeping the mother
under constant surveillance and performing genetic alterations where necessary, as an embryo left unsupervised can quickly mutate and will arrive stillborn
without intervention on a critical level.
Half Bloods are trained from birth in the Dark Shift ways. However they are excluded from the caste system and are not allowed to be challenged, because
they are too important to risk losing. At any one time, there are only seven Half Bloods. This prevents a surge of Dark Shift trying to escape and leave the
rest of the race behind, and prevents unmonitered breeding and distilling of Dark Shift blood. Unless the death of a Half Blood is confirmed, or they are
missing for more than five years, another Half Blood will not be bred to replace him. Half Bloods tend to be rebellious, and a smaller number of them in
existence typically makes them easiter to keep track of. Also, Half Bloods are prone to homosexuality, a "tragic" result of their altered chromosomes and
chemical imbalances - according to Dark Shift scientists. This is by no means acceptable in Dark Shift society. Homosexuality is punishable by death. That
does not mean it doesn't exist among males and females. Those Dark Shift in need of more satisfying companionship, emotionally, often resort to their own
gender.
Another unfortunate downfall to Half Bloods is that mentally, they have a severe imbalance resulting in a three part mind: the Dark Shift, the other half
( whatever the mother was ) and the melded true Half Blood. The Dark Shift is always mad, brutal and the worst extreme of the Dark Shift nature. The half
related to the mother is always the extreme of that species. The middle mind is always perfectly balanced. More often than not, the Half Blood will try to
compensate for this imbalance by giving each persona a different name. In truth, they are not wholly different personalities, but rather extreme mood swings.
However they are -so- dramatic, it may appear that they have become a different person altogether, when an emotion or situation inspires a swing.
Female Half Bloods are typically sacrificed to the Shiftian god, Kier'shak, considered unfit for service to the species. There have been acceptions made,
however. It is possible, though highly improbable, that in the races dire situation, they have begun to evolve into a less inherently blood-thirsty species.
This is unlikely, though it is certain that challenges are fewer in number. This could be due merely to the fewer numbers of Dark Shift.
New Bloods are Half Bloods without the spiritual training required to take them off-world without the aid of transport. In recent years, Dark Shift
scientists have set up a strict, monitored and methodical breeding system, attempting to breed out all the Dark Shift weaknesses that keep them bound to
Chauk'patah. With every birth, they feel they grow closer to solving their dilemma, and this very well may be true.
Each New Blood created is catalogued, studied, force-bred and eventually injected, killed and dissected for the greater good. There are thirteen New Blood
Dark Shift that have not and will not be terminated. They are under careful watch and allowed to visit other planets with two Pure Blood guardians at all
times, for their protection, and to make certain they do not attempt escape. Most New Bloods are lucky enough to get mild-mannered Pure Bloods, as most
ill-tempered Pure Bloods won't even apply for the job. Unfortunately, this is not always so, and all too often the Half Bloods come back to Chauk'patah to
wait out the birth of young caused in a fight during one of the three specific mating seasons (in the case of females) or have to endure long-term medical
treatment due to pecking-order fights (in the case of males).
In regards to Half Blood and New Blood escapees, they are few, and far between, considered fugitives, and are never allowed to return to Chauk'patah or
they will be killed on sight as traitors to the race. This does not mean there have not been any bold and courageous souls too kind for the cruel ways of
their race, and even Pure Bloods sometimes leave the homeland in search of a better life free of the social constraints of their brutal kin.
Language and Literacy:
The Dark Shift language is a harsh combination of German and Hebrew, if explained in human terms. All of their names come from (or inspired) Hebrew names.
Their written language is a simple symbol alphabet that has remained unchanged since its creation. They are, however, incredibly adept at learning new
languages, and retain information with the complex precision of a computer. They are skilled mimics in more ways than only verbal, though they are capable of
a nearly limitless range of vocal expressions, and if they were not so barbaric in the eyes of other races, would make fantastic intergalactic linguists.
Racial Abilities and Features:
Dark Shift are capable of changing from bi-pedal, to quadrupedal or even use of all six appendages in movement. Their hips are extremely flexible and
their spines bear a greater range of movement than that of humans.
They average at seven feet tall and weigh anywhere from a mere 180lbs to a hefty 400+lbs.
While outwardly Dark Shift appear to be very complex creatures, their inner anatomy is not terribly hard to unravel, thus making the jobs of Dark Shift
geneticists remarkably simple in regards to the breeding program, provided care is taken and supervision unwavering.
Dark Shift bones are hollow, birdlike and spongy, but made of a far more dense material than human marrow, counteracting the constant pressure on their
bodies from the extreme gravity of the asteroid. They have spacious chest cavities to allow for larger organs and dual stomaches, but otherwise vary in build
as much as humans, some being "overweight" others being willowy and serpentine in appearance.
Females are always more slight than males, built for speed and agility over strength and stamina. There are numerous traits between the genders that make
telling them apart very simple. However, like in most races, there have been a few anomalies where males will exhibit feminine traits or females will have
male traits. As in most cases of genetic inferiority, these young are usually ritually sacrificed when the traits begin developing, so few survive to
adulthood.
Skin and scale colors are few, the race living in a subterranean fashion even before their homeland began its rapid deterioration and thus having few uses
for pigment. Males are always pale and can be almost any grayed shade of blue, green, yellow or purple. At a greater age, males that have spent several
decades as chu'locs sometimes darken, occasionally so drastically as to be ebony, violet or deep emerald green. It is not known why this shift in pigment
occurs, though popular belief is that seasoned males adapt to the pressure of constant mating and develop more attractive mating colors. Females tend to be
more colorful, but only in the sense that they have a wider range of colors to develope, again, presumably for mating purposes. Male throats and chin
"whiskers" always have brilliant coloring, a residual anatomical development from centuries before when mating seasons were the time for Dark Shift to travel
to the surface, same as the female colorations.
All male Dark Shift males have one set of horns, of various types, large or small, and consider them a status symbol, taking great care of them and often adorning them
with trinkets and baubles. Very few have more than one set of horns, and those generally become priests of The Four-Horned. Females have ornate frills starting at their temples and usually ending at the napes of their necks, though some end behind the
ears.
Dark Shift ears are -very- keen, as are their abilities to sense vibrations in the ground. Male Dark Shift have better vision than females, light or dark (
both have superior vision in darkness, eyes being highly reflective, and take a minimum of three months to fully adapt to daylight ), though females have far
better hearing. Female Dark Shift ears are considerably larger than males, as are their eyes. Female skulls are more elongated than males, males having
sloped frontal skulls and thicker bone plates, often used during challenges in brutal head-butting or as protection against opponents attempting to gouge
eyes with their horns.
While Pure Bloods do not have hair, they have fleshy "spines" on their skulls that sometimes grows along their spines as well, much like the spines on an
iguana. These "spines" have no nerves or blood-vessels, and can be grown or cropped at will. They are always a darker tone of the Shiftian's base skin-tone.
Female "hair" is not as thick as the hair of males, and is often done in elaborate styles.
Dark Shift have scales on their bodies, ranging from smooth, delicate scales no larger than bits of corn, to thick, leathery plates capable of
deflecting minor blade weapons. Scales, unlike flesh, often have natural designs, which can be anything from stripes to spots.
As they grow, Dark Shift shed once a year. Shedding is an uncomfortable process, takes several days and leaves the Shift hungry and irratable.
Dark Shift males have chin whiskers that grow as they age, and are filled with dozens of complex facial muscles. Longer whiskers and greater control of
whisker movement signifies greater age and status in the owner. Long whiskers are often used as "helper hands" around the mouth, for scooping food into the mouth and
are used in gathering moisture, dew collecting on the flesh sustaining the Dark Shift for some length of time.
Males and females have long tongues, in varying shades of pale pink to deep purple. The tongues are not forked, but are incredibly strong and flexible,
capable of reaching lengths of up to 13 inches.
Females have the anatomical equivalent of human female breasts, but only in appearance. Incorrectly assumed to be mammory glands, they are in fact venom
producing sacs, capable of a nearly inexaustible poison supply. Only females have this unique development, and it is their one boon in protection from males.
Males are not immune to female venom from the fangs. However the posion females can secrete from their skin is harmless to males, and is in fact a mix with
the female's natural pheramonal secretions and rather then driving males away, attracts them almost mindlessly. Most males ( unless not remotely attracted
to females ) cannot ignore a female who has secreted her posions. This is a double-edged sword, because if a female used it as a defense tactic, it can also
gain unwanted attention from nearby males, and result in forcible mating, unless the female is capable of fighting the male(s) off long enough for the poison
to lose it's potency. Once the skin-poison is introduced to open air, it's chemical components begin breaking apart, rendering the posion completely harmless
in approximately one hour. The toxin is a Haemorrhagin, which causes damage to blood vessels resulting in often lethal bruising.
Dark Shift males are sometimes born with vestigial wings, which are usually removed at birth to help gain a full range of movement with both sets of arms.
Females have never been born with these wings.
All Dark Shift have two sets of arms, the Primary and Secondary. Primary hands can have anywhere from three to seven fingers and can have one or two
opposable thumbs. If a hand has more than four fingers - or four fingers and an extra thumb - the first two fingers are always joined together. This can be
surgically adjusted or remain, it does not help or hinder the Dark Shift.
Secondary hands always have two fingers and two thumbs. They are less flexible than Primary hands, but considerably stronger, and often used when the Dark
shift is walking on hands and feet.
Dark Shift legs are similar to that of a terran ostrich or prehistoric velociraptor. They are remarkable runners, capable of reaching speeds of 40mph in
Chauk'patah's gravity. In gravity on other planets they've been known to reach anywhere from 65 to 70mph sometimes taking strides as long as 20ft. Their
hands and feet are outfitted with strong talons, used in fights and for gripping the stone surfaces they live upon.
Dark Shift have no molars for grinding foods, and thus must swallow meals whole, their teeth only suited to tearing and biting. Primarily carnivores, the
depletion of livestock on Chauk'patah has greatly affected the race, and ritual cannibalism has sky-rocked. When a Dark Shift is sacrificed to Kier'shak,
they are devoured by their clan. Thus in more recent years, worship has become thrice as fervent as in the past.
Males and females have whip-like, prehensile tails, from three to seven feet in length. Tails have no ornament aside from cartilage formations, very small
to non-existant in males. In females, tails sometimes develop wide fin-like structures. Half Bloods almost always have fins or soft spines on their
tails.
Half Bloods/ New bloods are shape-shifters, and bear most or all of the Dark Shift physical make-up, with only slight adaptions, when in their Dark Shift
forms. Their secondary form is usually more akin to that of the non-Shiftian parent.
Albinism is very common in the Dark Shift race, though most common among Half Bloods, which fanatic Kier'shak worshippers swear is a sign from their
lord.
As mentioned in previous sections, Dark Shift are incapable of surviving off Chauk'patah for more than a few hours. This is not entirely true. Without
aid, a Dark Shift cannot breath on other planets, or cannot walk in the lighter gravity of some planets. Heat is a dangerous factor on many planets they
visit and they simply have no way to adapt. However with the aid of a breathing apparatus and stability-braces on their legs, they are just as dangerous on
another planet as their own. This is still temporary, and they must make frequent visits to their ships for conditioning, as many airborne toxins other
species are immune too, harm the Dark Shift's delicate biology.
[ Adult Material ] (Skip it, or button-up, I'll take no flames. Big Babies.)
Dark Shift reproduce year round, but have four mating seasons per terran year occuring approximately every three terran months, in which the males are
consumed by the desire to mate and challenges break out in every city. They are intelligent enough to keep the fights in designated arenas, as not to cause
unecessary destruction in the city, but accidents will happen and tempers will flare. Females are not as mentally effected, but their colors deepen and grow
more vibrant during this period.
Dark Shift mating is a long, sometimes violent process. Dark Shift sex, is rare - since Dark Shift generally do not couple out of love and
therefore rarely seek casual relations - and generally short in comparison to mating since they have 'better things to do'. When Dark Shift engage in casual
relations in a serious fashion and plan on long term, they typically have to secret this fact from other Dark Shift, as such actions denote weaker emotions
and attachments that can be used against them.
Dark Shift female reproductive systems are similar to the average reptile. They are capable of caryying three eggs to full term safely with no threat to
their health or the health of the young. Eggs at full term are approximately the size of seedless watermelons and weigh about ten pounds at passing. Eggs
tale about eight and a half to ten moths to fully develop, and the laying process can take a day or more for new mothers, or as little as six hours for
frequent layers.
Males have general male anatomy: testicles, seminal vesicales, the penis itself, etc. However unlike many animals that have the physical evidence outside
the body, Dark Shift males, like common reptiles, have concealed reproductive organs. When not in use the organs are protected behind thick scales and the
opening is nearly invisible. When in use, the organs press against the opening and slide free easily. Similar to a canine penile structure, the male
reproductive organ has a muscular knot that expands during mating and prevents the mate from removing itself before fertilization occurs.
Males use their considerable advantage to express their superiority, and more cruel Dark Shift will not wait til the muscle tissue has relaxed, but instead
forcibly remove themselves from the mate, especially when displeased with the overall experience, no matter who was at fault.
Dark Shift are not monogamous by any means and keep groups of mates, fighting for mates that belong to other Dark Shift. Particularly powerful females
sometimes have their own harems, but this is rare if they live under a chu'loc.
Life Expectancy:
The life expectancy of the average Shift is relatively short. However strong Dark Shift that lead realtively "peaceful" lives have been known to pass the
century mark. There are several Dark Shift of over three centuries in age, and few signs of physical deterioration. However no Shift has died of old age in
Shiftian history, and likely never will.
Magic and Lore:
Dark Shift do not believe in magic, per se, but rather the power of the mind over the forces around them. Few Pure Bloods are capable of complete mastery
of any elements of nature, their minds being too unbalanced. However Half Bloods ( and New Bloods, if they were ever trained ), can easily reach the state of
higher mental spiritualism required to manipulate the energies surrounding them.
All Dark Shift -know- about the Balance. However on the flip side of things, they prefer Chaos, and thus Dancers ( as their 'spellcasters' are called )
are rare.
Any Dark Shift can learn to Dance.
It is called Dancing for a simple reason. In order to rouse itself into a feverish mental state, the Dark Shift seeking to perform a ritual literally
Dances. No two Dark Shift Dance alike, some tossing themselves around like rag-dolls, others spinning about wildly and others presenting a hypnotic, graceful
show.
There are a number of solid occupations based on Dancing and spiritual communication with the Gods.
The only form of Dancing that is Half Blood specific is Plane Dancing. Half Blood minds are more open and their bodies less bound to Chauk'patah. They are
the only ones born with the knowledge of how to dance as well. Kier'shak blesses them with the knowledge, according to the priests, because the God
wants his people to survive.
While Dancing, a Dark shift cleanses their mind of all thoughts not focused on their goal. What others view when the Shift Dances can be anything from the
Shift writhing about in a rune-circle, or even sometimes, an eerie glow around the Shift, signalling the energies gathring around them.
There is no explaination for this development in the species, and no way to determine how such a generally barbaric race could evolve to reach such a higher
mental and spiritual plane.
Deity(ies):
Kier'shak and Kel'tau are the genderless Gods of the Dark Shift. Kier'shak the Many Armed is the warrior God of the Dark Shift. Historically speaking the
Dark Shift have never had real Gods. Kier'shak and Kel'tau are the progenitors of the Dark Shift race, the first two to walk Chauk'patah and the Writers of
the Wall.
Kel'tau the Four Horned ( all Dark Shift born with four horns are immediately entered into the preisthood of Kel'tau ), is the God of Balance while
Kier'shak is the God of Chaos. Naturally Kier'shak has more followers, however Kel'tau has grown in appeal among the younger generations, specifically the
Half Bloods and New Bloods who are usually not nearly as violent as their parents, and the females of the Dark Shift who have always been opressed by the
overwhelming cruelty of males.
Kier'shak has, inarguably, assisted the Dark Shift on many occasions after he has already left the mortal coil. Many non-Dark Shift races speculate that
Kier'shak and Kel'tau are in fact the first of the Dark shift to reach the higher plane of existence that they teach their followers. They also speculate
that Kier'shak and Kel'tau allow only Half Bloods to learn Plane Dancing, because they want change in the race, and the Dark Shift merely have not come to
understand this yet.
Followers of Kier'shak offer ritual sacrifices regularly. They offer defeated foes, their own young, and often, their mates. Kier'shak accepts all
sacrifices with open arms, but prefers blood spilled in battle. Thus annual tournaments are held in Kier'shak's name.
Kel'tau promotes the Balance, and was the creator of Dancing, while Kier'shak was the teacher. Kel'tau does not ask for, nor decline offered sacrifices,
however those sacrificed to Kel'tau must willingly go into the next life, not be forced.
Relations with other races:
Dark Shift view all other races as inferior, and assert their superiorty through wars, pillaging of neighboring planets, raping the lands of valuable
resources, stealing young to raise as slaves and potential mates and always, poor diplomacy.
The Dark Shift have come in contact with many races, and are almost always classified as demons. There are few races they meet who do not eventually come
to fear them.
Some races, however, the Dark Shift have found a gruding respect for, because they are either just as blood-thirsty, or skilled merchants the Dark Shift
could not otherwise do without.
Favored mating species are humans and elves, their physiology the easiest for Dark Shift to alter. Breeding with Fae is expressly forbidden, because it
produces offspring far too powerful to be considered controllable or safe. Dark Shift have bred with a number of leess physically describable races, in the
case of Letnep Saltas, or Joachim, whose 'mother' was a formless mass of sentient flesh with tentacles, no eyes and no visible mouth. The mechanics of
breeding with such a creature are best left unexplained.
Special Classes:
There are hundreds of occupations and walks of life for Dark Shift to take, from rogues and priests to merchants and scientists. However here are listed a
few Dark Shift Specific classes for your use.
Plane Dancers - A Half Blood only class, Plane Dancers cane instantly travels anywhere in space, including other planes in the multiverse, giving the
explorers unlimited access to unlimited realms.
Shift Dancers - Any Dark Shift, Half Blood or New Blood can learn the techniques required to alter their physical form through thought alone. It is primarily
an illusion, and does not change their weakness to sunlight or inability to breathe off Chauk'patah, nor does it alther their organs, only the size. However
they are like superficial anatomical chameloeons, capable of makign themselves look like any race they encounter, within reason. IE: they cannot become
formless balls or light or change their molecular structure to be water or air.
Blade Dancers - The warriors elite. Blade Dances achieve perfect harmony - with thier weapons. The swords, daggers or other bladed weapons that the Blade
Dancer is trained specifically in, has become an extension of the Dancer. They are superior at handling the weapon of their choice, and are never without a
pair close. The very best Blade Dancers know how to their weapon of choice in all four hands.
Shadow Dancers - Sometimes called Shade Walkers, Shadow Dancers pass through shadows like normal people pass through door ways. They can walk into a shadow
in one place, and step out of a shadow in another. Many Dark Shift learn Shadow Dancing, but few can master it. Usually only Half Bloods and Elders manage
the level of skill necessary to use it as a for of transporation rather than a handy battle-tactic. Some Dark Shift that have mastered the Dance, have been
rumored to 'walk' hundreds of miles. There are few to none able to accomplish this feat, but it is possible.
All Dance skills are extremely taxing on the performer, and each Dance completed requires a period of no less than ten minutes of rest afterwards. Plane
Dancing requires a minimum of one month for the first visit to a place, after that the Shift can return to that place and require no more than an hour of
rest.
Tattoos: Dark Shift get tattoos for aesthetics, for expression and for assistance in Dancing. Tattoos can be imbued with power and used to add an additional boost to spiritual strength as a focus. Many clans have tattoos representing the mark of their chu'loc and there are tattoos symbolizing great people, the gods, among other things.
*Names*:
These are a few important names among the Dark Shift race, and brief summaries about them. All Half Bloods have two official names. The Name given by
their non-Dark Shift parent, and their legal Dark Shift Name. New Bloods and Dark Shift all have one name.
Seamus O'Reilly / Malachi : One of the greatest Half Bloods Known, Malachi discovered and opened paths to fourteen semi-inhabitable planets where the Dark
Shift have begun constructing small compounds for research, farming and mining. He has discovered three planets that are mineral rich and unclaimed, thus
providing the Dark Shift with exports to barter with. He was a skilled Shadow Dancer, one of the best in recent history and a skilled Blade Dancer with
daggers. A While not very good at Shift Dancing, he was capable of minimal changing and thus one of the most revered Half Bloods. He is presumed deceased,
having been missing for two years after a Dance to an uncharted territory.
Kies Enqui / Lazarus : Once a highly celebrated Half Blood with a number of contributions to the continuance of the Dark Shift race, Lazarus was 'made an
example of' and executed for committing acts of mating with a member of his own gender. While still a celebrated Half Blood, Dark Shift are asked to remember
that even heroes must obey the laws. He was seen as compassionate and mild-mannered, which led to his downfall.
Letnep Saltas / Joachim : Half unclassified life-form, Joachim is an all-around cruel, vicious, blood-thirsty Half Blood with no concern for anything but his duty. He is single-minded in his pursuit of surpassing the legendary Malachi in accomplishments.
Judas - A Pure Blood, and the mastermind behind all the recent scientific developments. Judas created the breathing and gravity apparatus that allowes Shiftians to survive off-planet. He created the breeding program, and his the unofficial father of all Half Bloods and New Breeds, being the one Dark Shift that knows -everything- about Shift anatomy and genetics. He is a skilled biochemist, surgeon and self-professed experimentor. Considered a little mad, and quite twisted and heartless, he is the lastest step-stone in Shift intelligence, and a credit to their dangerous capabilities.
So have fun. Create a Dark Shift. Enjoy it and please - send me your art! I'd LOVE to see other people's interpretations of this dark race!
Examples:
http://www.furaffinity.net/view/2836654
http://www.furaffinity.net/view/2836662
http://www.furaffinity.net/view/2836665
http://www.furaffinity.net/view/2836666
http://www.furaffinity.net/view/2836681
There are a number of choices one can make to create a Dark Shift, including being one of the great Half Bloods. There are very few positions left, so apply
now! Anyone can create a Pure Blood. Just choose a name off the site below and start making your monster! You can ONLY choose names from that site. After the
names are all used, character creation is closed. You can only have one New Blood or one Half Blood. You can have up to three Pure Bloods.
http://www.biblicalbabyname.com/
Half Bloods
1. Joachim - Letnep Saltas - Male - Unclassified species cross.
2. Malachi - Seamus O'Reilly - Male - Unconfirmed cross, elven? (presumed dead, not yet proven, does not take a Half-Blood spot)
3.
4.
5.
6.
7.
8.
New Bloods
1.
2.
3.
4.
5.
6.
7.
8.
9.
10.
11.
12.
13.
Pure Bloods
Judas - Male - Scientist
Planet:
The home-planet of the Dark Shift is not, in fact, a planet at all. Chauk'patah is an asteroid approximately the same diameter as Earth. It's mass is
entirely different, however, the rock comparable to swiss cheese with it's vast craters and depthless tunnels.
The Dark Shift race is not a surface species, the asteroid top-layer too harsh to sustain any life and almost completely without a viable atmosphere. Thus
the Dark Shift are an entirely subterranean species, and have had to adapt specifically to the harsh environment of Chauk'patah.
All the Dark Shift cities are inside the asteroid ( although there are a few ruins of older cities left on the surface ), and further protected with the
Shiftian technologies that have helped ease the tension of space upon what remains of their homeland; forcefields and atmosphereic generators make it
possible to continue living on the gradually deteriorating rock.
Chauk'patah is located outside of Earth's solar system, but in fairly close proximity, if one disregards the necessity for warp travel in order to
accomplish crossing the vast reaches of space to ever come to the terran planet. The Shiftian planet rotates at a drastically slower rate than earth, and is
located so far from its sun (a blue star which is also on the eve of its inevitable collapse) that it exists in a state of perpetual night. The distant sun
coupled with Chauk'patah's six moons (which are actually large portions of the asteroid that broke off before the Dark Shift race was an 'intelligent'
species), keeps any real light or heat from entering the asteroid core.
The moons - Tala ( the largest, pronounced tah-yah ), Taikar ( tie-car ), Huigat ( we-gah ), Vonclef ( von-cliff ), Tija (
teej ) and I'ie'myar ( the smallest, pronounced ee-eye-myar ) - circle Chauk'patah counter-clockwise, and Chauk'patah circles the sun (
Auvryn'iol, pronounced aw-vree-nee-all ) clock-wise.
The asteroid also has its own asteroid belt comprised of countless particles of the surface broken off over the millenia that ( like the moons ) orbit the
asteriod due to the gravitational pull created by it's immense size.
Chauk'patah has very few plants and animals of it's own, the Dark Shift being the only remaining "sentient" species. At one point, the asteroid had
verdant fields and vast pools of collected water on its surface, capable of sustaining the few animals that lived there. However the Shift could not be
sustained for very long, and eventually the Dark Shift and the constant decay of the surface all but completely wiped out any other life on the asteroid. Now
what little plants and animals remain are raised by the Dark Shift specifically for regular harvesting in order to maintain order and life.
Racial History:
According to Dark Shift historical texts ( etchings in the deepest carverns of Chauk'patah ), the Dark Shift probably came from another planet that the
asteroid was once a part of. When the planet was destroyed in some cataclysmic explosion or other equally decimating circumstance, the asteroid shot off into
outerspace, colliding time and again with other planets and objects in it's path, along with other stellar debris from the planetary destruction in it's own
system ( possibly responsible for the scarring on the Earth's moon and the extinction of the dinosaurs ). It -is- known that a great deal of Dark Shift
language structure is similar ( and even duplicate ) to numerous Earth names and words. The Shiftian texts depict a number of occurances in which they are
seen interacting with humanoids, some shockingly similar to human biblical texts describing interaction between demons and humans. The correlation is
evident, and the possibility that Dark Shift may have been responsible for earlier "demon" sightings in human history is not so difficult to believe. What is
known is that the Dark Shift no longer exist on Earth and have not for many centuries, but the Shiftian texts still run parallell to compiled history on
Earth in many instances.
In the last five hundred years of Dark shift evolution, the species has come to a dramatic and possibly fatal halt. All the resources of Chauk'patah are
gone, their technology has reached a standstill and they themselves are as of yet incapable of relocating to another planet, as their biological make-up is
incompatible with every other clime they have encountered.
Thousands of years ago, in the equivalent of the Shiftian Dark Ages, the Shift people began the cultivation of a solid culture, and created a powerful,
religious lifestyle centered around the balance of strength, intelligence and spirit. The traditions created in their less turbulant past have remained
remarkably unchanged and also are wholly responsible for the more recent developments in the Dark Shift race that could save them from impending extinction.
In the past, the Dark Shift were very determined to keep themselves and their blood pure, being a highly xenophobic people upon their own planet. However in
the hunt for knowledge, they sought ways around their inability to leave their planetary environment for more than a few hours at a time. They found that
loophole in interbreeding with other species.
They started with humans ( Half demons? One wonders. ) then moved on from planet to planet finding better biologically compatible organisms. These Half
Bloods were capable of reaching a higher spiritual plane than Pure Bloods and thus were better for the use in communing with their God, Kier'shak.
Kier'shak had given them all the secrets to save the Dark Shift race, but before the Half Bloods were discovered as a useful tool, the means to follow
Kier'shak and his words were yet hidden.
Any Pure Blood Dark Shift that attempts to do the ritual set for Half Bloods either perishes in the attempt, or finds death in completion. Half
bloods are capable of the travel that Pure Bloods cannot accomplish, and in the last three hundred years, Half Bloods have become the most coveted creatures
in Dark Shift society.
More recently, through the use of knowledge collected by Half Bloods, the Dark Shift have found that breeding with other species makes it possible for
them to live off Chauk'patah. In the last two decades of Dark Shift history, a strict breeding program has been organized, setting into motion the last ditch
effort to rush against time in the race to save their people from being destroyed either by their planet crumbling or their sun exploding.
Outlook:
Dark Shift, as a rule are generally sadistic, destructive and deceitful, no matter the extreme technological advances they have made. Great
intelligence does not necessarily denote a peace-loving culture.
They despise all other races they encounter and view them with a sort of disdain bordering on outright contempt, tolerating them only out of
necessity for trade since their planet alone can no longer sustain them, always viewing themselves as a superior race. How not? When they have survived
untold hardships, and remain with claws dug deep into the flesh of life, refusing to be shaken off, where most races would have given into the apparently
inevitable end? Half Bloods and New Bloods are the only real acception to this rule. Even among their own kind, the Dark Shift are cruel, suspicious
and physically brutal. There is little to no room for love among them, and they trust their own family about as much as they trust known enemies. They forge
alliances only when they know they are overpowered, have information that has potential as blackmail or share a common enemy. Even then they are always on
the look-out for turn-coats.
Society:
Dark Shift society is highly patriarchal. Males dominate every place of power within the race and typically most females are seen as little more than
breeding-fodder and a convenient source of amusement. Females are generally kept in a state of pregnancy, as much out of necessity to further the survival of
the race as to keep them out of the way.
Women are capable of rising in power and prestige among the Dark Shift, but they cannot hold any official positions among the ruling classes.
The Dark Shift are a brutal, war-like race with many dark rituals and unique behavioral patterns. While they have intense warrior instincts, and spend as
much of their lives fighting as doing more mundane tasks intended to keep the race thriving, war is virtually unknown among them. Since the Shiftian Dark
Ages, war has never broken out. All challenges are made with an opponent face to face, not standing behind an army. There are so few Dark Shift that it is
simply madness to spare lives to war. However there is nothing wrong with killing a challenging opponent. Males and females alike perform the ritual of
challenge as a means of exerting authority. Often these fights are among the lower caste Dark Shift, short-lived, and marked only among themselves. However
when a challenge is made among the upper castes, it is a violent, bloody spectacle that is catalogued and made known throughout all the Dark Shift community.
When a chu'loc ( chieftain ) is challenged by an underling for his position, a battle ensues. Typically the chu'loc defeats the challenger in the fight,
which is called the Ritual of Challenge. When the opposing fighter has been defeated, the chu'loc enacts the Rite of Order, a holy rite of domination. The
Rite of Order is the ritual used to organize the caste system. When a chu'loc decides that the castes need to be reorganized without a challenge previously
made, grand contests are held in a gladiator-like arena, with fights going on for months at a time until the winners are ordered from the lowest and first
loss to the highest and greatest winner.
However when the Rite of Order is enacted after the Ritual of Challenge, the caste organization is far more brutal and humilating. The triumphant opponent
gathers the Dark Shift in his clan, and one after the other, in the order he sets, they forcibly copulate with the defeated opponent, no matter gender. The
purpose of this is that Dark Shift count it as clear as branding flesh. This caste system is used on slaves the Dark Shift take as well. The first Shift to
force himself on the defeated Shift is the highest caste, then the next Shift, and the next, moving down until the new ( or old, depending on the outcome of
the fight ) chu'loc says to cease, and the new order has been completed, leaving the defeated Dark Shift to either will itself to die, or spend it's life
humiliated and fighting its way back up. Naturally most Dark Shift have enough sense not to challenge an opponent they even think may be more powerful than
themselves.
In the case of a Ritual of Challenge proposed by a female, the female is not even reordered into the new caste, but rather murdered by over impregnation.
Dark Shift females are always capable of mating and producing young, however their unique breeding circumstances make it so that each mating produces a
separate child. Mating with multiple Dark Shift produces multiple children. Thus too many matings will inevitably result in the death of the female due to
rupturing her insides. Females that succede in a Ritual of Challenge can enact the Rite of Order, but still remain under the highest caste male, which is the
chu'loc.
Regularly, females use the Ritual of Challenge among themselves in order to fight for the best mates. These tactics and traditions have not been frowned
upon primarily because it sates much of the Dark Shift bloodlust, and allows the weeding out of weaker Dark Shift, so that breeding produces only the best
young.
In recent years, two new branches of Dark Shift have come into existance: The Half Bloods which are the peak of spiritual balance in the Dark Shift and are
the only ones capable of travel off-planet, and the New Bloods, which are Half-Bloods with -no- spiritual training, bred specifially for creating Dark Shift
more compatible with off-world lifestyles.
Half Bloods are rare and in order to have one, a chu'loc must pass all the physical and mental requirements set by the Shiftian scientists, before taking
a brief trip to another planet in which they literally kidnap a female of a race of their choice to bring to Chauk'patah. The female, willing or not, is
mated with and produces a Half Blood. The birthing has always caused the death of the mother, due to extreme complications, since Dark Shift lay eggs and are
cold-blooded, and most chosen females are live-birthing and warm-blooded. While the Dark shift have found ways to mesh the genetic structure of generally
completely incompatible species, they have not spared to time or effort to find ways to save the mothers. The only concern is the young, keeping the mother
under constant surveillance and performing genetic alterations where necessary, as an embryo left unsupervised can quickly mutate and will arrive stillborn
without intervention on a critical level.
Half Bloods are trained from birth in the Dark Shift ways. However they are excluded from the caste system and are not allowed to be challenged, because
they are too important to risk losing. At any one time, there are only seven Half Bloods. This prevents a surge of Dark Shift trying to escape and leave the
rest of the race behind, and prevents unmonitered breeding and distilling of Dark Shift blood. Unless the death of a Half Blood is confirmed, or they are
missing for more than five years, another Half Blood will not be bred to replace him. Half Bloods tend to be rebellious, and a smaller number of them in
existence typically makes them easiter to keep track of. Also, Half Bloods are prone to homosexuality, a "tragic" result of their altered chromosomes and
chemical imbalances - according to Dark Shift scientists. This is by no means acceptable in Dark Shift society. Homosexuality is punishable by death. That
does not mean it doesn't exist among males and females. Those Dark Shift in need of more satisfying companionship, emotionally, often resort to their own
gender.
Another unfortunate downfall to Half Bloods is that mentally, they have a severe imbalance resulting in a three part mind: the Dark Shift, the other half
( whatever the mother was ) and the melded true Half Blood. The Dark Shift is always mad, brutal and the worst extreme of the Dark Shift nature. The half
related to the mother is always the extreme of that species. The middle mind is always perfectly balanced. More often than not, the Half Blood will try to
compensate for this imbalance by giving each persona a different name. In truth, they are not wholly different personalities, but rather extreme mood swings.
However they are -so- dramatic, it may appear that they have become a different person altogether, when an emotion or situation inspires a swing.
Female Half Bloods are typically sacrificed to the Shiftian god, Kier'shak, considered unfit for service to the species. There have been acceptions made,
however. It is possible, though highly improbable, that in the races dire situation, they have begun to evolve into a less inherently blood-thirsty species.
This is unlikely, though it is certain that challenges are fewer in number. This could be due merely to the fewer numbers of Dark Shift.
New Bloods are Half Bloods without the spiritual training required to take them off-world without the aid of transport. In recent years, Dark Shift
scientists have set up a strict, monitored and methodical breeding system, attempting to breed out all the Dark Shift weaknesses that keep them bound to
Chauk'patah. With every birth, they feel they grow closer to solving their dilemma, and this very well may be true.
Each New Blood created is catalogued, studied, force-bred and eventually injected, killed and dissected for the greater good. There are thirteen New Blood
Dark Shift that have not and will not be terminated. They are under careful watch and allowed to visit other planets with two Pure Blood guardians at all
times, for their protection, and to make certain they do not attempt escape. Most New Bloods are lucky enough to get mild-mannered Pure Bloods, as most
ill-tempered Pure Bloods won't even apply for the job. Unfortunately, this is not always so, and all too often the Half Bloods come back to Chauk'patah to
wait out the birth of young caused in a fight during one of the three specific mating seasons (in the case of females) or have to endure long-term medical
treatment due to pecking-order fights (in the case of males).
In regards to Half Blood and New Blood escapees, they are few, and far between, considered fugitives, and are never allowed to return to Chauk'patah or
they will be killed on sight as traitors to the race. This does not mean there have not been any bold and courageous souls too kind for the cruel ways of
their race, and even Pure Bloods sometimes leave the homeland in search of a better life free of the social constraints of their brutal kin.
Language and Literacy:
The Dark Shift language is a harsh combination of German and Hebrew, if explained in human terms. All of their names come from (or inspired) Hebrew names.
Their written language is a simple symbol alphabet that has remained unchanged since its creation. They are, however, incredibly adept at learning new
languages, and retain information with the complex precision of a computer. They are skilled mimics in more ways than only verbal, though they are capable of
a nearly limitless range of vocal expressions, and if they were not so barbaric in the eyes of other races, would make fantastic intergalactic linguists.
Racial Abilities and Features:
Dark Shift are capable of changing from bi-pedal, to quadrupedal or even use of all six appendages in movement. Their hips are extremely flexible and
their spines bear a greater range of movement than that of humans.
They average at seven feet tall and weigh anywhere from a mere 180lbs to a hefty 400+lbs.
While outwardly Dark Shift appear to be very complex creatures, their inner anatomy is not terribly hard to unravel, thus making the jobs of Dark Shift
geneticists remarkably simple in regards to the breeding program, provided care is taken and supervision unwavering.
Dark Shift bones are hollow, birdlike and spongy, but made of a far more dense material than human marrow, counteracting the constant pressure on their
bodies from the extreme gravity of the asteroid. They have spacious chest cavities to allow for larger organs and dual stomaches, but otherwise vary in build
as much as humans, some being "overweight" others being willowy and serpentine in appearance.
Females are always more slight than males, built for speed and agility over strength and stamina. There are numerous traits between the genders that make
telling them apart very simple. However, like in most races, there have been a few anomalies where males will exhibit feminine traits or females will have
male traits. As in most cases of genetic inferiority, these young are usually ritually sacrificed when the traits begin developing, so few survive to
adulthood.
Skin and scale colors are few, the race living in a subterranean fashion even before their homeland began its rapid deterioration and thus having few uses
for pigment. Males are always pale and can be almost any grayed shade of blue, green, yellow or purple. At a greater age, males that have spent several
decades as chu'locs sometimes darken, occasionally so drastically as to be ebony, violet or deep emerald green. It is not known why this shift in pigment
occurs, though popular belief is that seasoned males adapt to the pressure of constant mating and develop more attractive mating colors. Females tend to be
more colorful, but only in the sense that they have a wider range of colors to develope, again, presumably for mating purposes. Male throats and chin
"whiskers" always have brilliant coloring, a residual anatomical development from centuries before when mating seasons were the time for Dark Shift to travel
to the surface, same as the female colorations.
All male Dark Shift males have one set of horns, of various types, large or small, and consider them a status symbol, taking great care of them and often adorning them
with trinkets and baubles. Very few have more than one set of horns, and those generally become priests of The Four-Horned. Females have ornate frills starting at their temples and usually ending at the napes of their necks, though some end behind the
ears.
Dark Shift ears are -very- keen, as are their abilities to sense vibrations in the ground. Male Dark Shift have better vision than females, light or dark (
both have superior vision in darkness, eyes being highly reflective, and take a minimum of three months to fully adapt to daylight ), though females have far
better hearing. Female Dark Shift ears are considerably larger than males, as are their eyes. Female skulls are more elongated than males, males having
sloped frontal skulls and thicker bone plates, often used during challenges in brutal head-butting or as protection against opponents attempting to gouge
eyes with their horns.
While Pure Bloods do not have hair, they have fleshy "spines" on their skulls that sometimes grows along their spines as well, much like the spines on an
iguana. These "spines" have no nerves or blood-vessels, and can be grown or cropped at will. They are always a darker tone of the Shiftian's base skin-tone.
Female "hair" is not as thick as the hair of males, and is often done in elaborate styles.
Dark Shift have scales on their bodies, ranging from smooth, delicate scales no larger than bits of corn, to thick, leathery plates capable of
deflecting minor blade weapons. Scales, unlike flesh, often have natural designs, which can be anything from stripes to spots.
As they grow, Dark Shift shed once a year. Shedding is an uncomfortable process, takes several days and leaves the Shift hungry and irratable.
Dark Shift males have chin whiskers that grow as they age, and are filled with dozens of complex facial muscles. Longer whiskers and greater control of
whisker movement signifies greater age and status in the owner. Long whiskers are often used as "helper hands" around the mouth, for scooping food into the mouth and
are used in gathering moisture, dew collecting on the flesh sustaining the Dark Shift for some length of time.
Males and females have long tongues, in varying shades of pale pink to deep purple. The tongues are not forked, but are incredibly strong and flexible,
capable of reaching lengths of up to 13 inches.
Females have the anatomical equivalent of human female breasts, but only in appearance. Incorrectly assumed to be mammory glands, they are in fact venom
producing sacs, capable of a nearly inexaustible poison supply. Only females have this unique development, and it is their one boon in protection from males.
Males are not immune to female venom from the fangs. However the posion females can secrete from their skin is harmless to males, and is in fact a mix with
the female's natural pheramonal secretions and rather then driving males away, attracts them almost mindlessly. Most males ( unless not remotely attracted
to females ) cannot ignore a female who has secreted her posions. This is a double-edged sword, because if a female used it as a defense tactic, it can also
gain unwanted attention from nearby males, and result in forcible mating, unless the female is capable of fighting the male(s) off long enough for the poison
to lose it's potency. Once the skin-poison is introduced to open air, it's chemical components begin breaking apart, rendering the posion completely harmless
in approximately one hour. The toxin is a Haemorrhagin, which causes damage to blood vessels resulting in often lethal bruising.
Dark Shift males are sometimes born with vestigial wings, which are usually removed at birth to help gain a full range of movement with both sets of arms.
Females have never been born with these wings.
All Dark Shift have two sets of arms, the Primary and Secondary. Primary hands can have anywhere from three to seven fingers and can have one or two
opposable thumbs. If a hand has more than four fingers - or four fingers and an extra thumb - the first two fingers are always joined together. This can be
surgically adjusted or remain, it does not help or hinder the Dark Shift.
Secondary hands always have two fingers and two thumbs. They are less flexible than Primary hands, but considerably stronger, and often used when the Dark
shift is walking on hands and feet.
Dark Shift legs are similar to that of a terran ostrich or prehistoric velociraptor. They are remarkable runners, capable of reaching speeds of 40mph in
Chauk'patah's gravity. In gravity on other planets they've been known to reach anywhere from 65 to 70mph sometimes taking strides as long as 20ft. Their
hands and feet are outfitted with strong talons, used in fights and for gripping the stone surfaces they live upon.
Dark Shift have no molars for grinding foods, and thus must swallow meals whole, their teeth only suited to tearing and biting. Primarily carnivores, the
depletion of livestock on Chauk'patah has greatly affected the race, and ritual cannibalism has sky-rocked. When a Dark Shift is sacrificed to Kier'shak,
they are devoured by their clan. Thus in more recent years, worship has become thrice as fervent as in the past.
Males and females have whip-like, prehensile tails, from three to seven feet in length. Tails have no ornament aside from cartilage formations, very small
to non-existant in males. In females, tails sometimes develop wide fin-like structures. Half Bloods almost always have fins or soft spines on their
tails.
Half Bloods/ New bloods are shape-shifters, and bear most or all of the Dark Shift physical make-up, with only slight adaptions, when in their Dark Shift
forms. Their secondary form is usually more akin to that of the non-Shiftian parent.
Albinism is very common in the Dark Shift race, though most common among Half Bloods, which fanatic Kier'shak worshippers swear is a sign from their
lord.
As mentioned in previous sections, Dark Shift are incapable of surviving off Chauk'patah for more than a few hours. This is not entirely true. Without
aid, a Dark Shift cannot breath on other planets, or cannot walk in the lighter gravity of some planets. Heat is a dangerous factor on many planets they
visit and they simply have no way to adapt. However with the aid of a breathing apparatus and stability-braces on their legs, they are just as dangerous on
another planet as their own. This is still temporary, and they must make frequent visits to their ships for conditioning, as many airborne toxins other
species are immune too, harm the Dark Shift's delicate biology.
[ Adult Material ] (Skip it, or button-up, I'll take no flames. Big Babies.)
Dark Shift reproduce year round, but have four mating seasons per terran year occuring approximately every three terran months, in which the males are
consumed by the desire to mate and challenges break out in every city. They are intelligent enough to keep the fights in designated arenas, as not to cause
unecessary destruction in the city, but accidents will happen and tempers will flare. Females are not as mentally effected, but their colors deepen and grow
more vibrant during this period.
Dark Shift mating is a long, sometimes violent process. Dark Shift sex, is rare - since Dark Shift generally do not couple out of love and
therefore rarely seek casual relations - and generally short in comparison to mating since they have 'better things to do'. When Dark Shift engage in casual
relations in a serious fashion and plan on long term, they typically have to secret this fact from other Dark Shift, as such actions denote weaker emotions
and attachments that can be used against them.
Dark Shift female reproductive systems are similar to the average reptile. They are capable of caryying three eggs to full term safely with no threat to
their health or the health of the young. Eggs at full term are approximately the size of seedless watermelons and weigh about ten pounds at passing. Eggs
tale about eight and a half to ten moths to fully develop, and the laying process can take a day or more for new mothers, or as little as six hours for
frequent layers.
Males have general male anatomy: testicles, seminal vesicales, the penis itself, etc. However unlike many animals that have the physical evidence outside
the body, Dark Shift males, like common reptiles, have concealed reproductive organs. When not in use the organs are protected behind thick scales and the
opening is nearly invisible. When in use, the organs press against the opening and slide free easily. Similar to a canine penile structure, the male
reproductive organ has a muscular knot that expands during mating and prevents the mate from removing itself before fertilization occurs.
Males use their considerable advantage to express their superiority, and more cruel Dark Shift will not wait til the muscle tissue has relaxed, but instead
forcibly remove themselves from the mate, especially when displeased with the overall experience, no matter who was at fault.
Dark Shift are not monogamous by any means and keep groups of mates, fighting for mates that belong to other Dark Shift. Particularly powerful females
sometimes have their own harems, but this is rare if they live under a chu'loc.
Life Expectancy:
The life expectancy of the average Shift is relatively short. However strong Dark Shift that lead realtively "peaceful" lives have been known to pass the
century mark. There are several Dark Shift of over three centuries in age, and few signs of physical deterioration. However no Shift has died of old age in
Shiftian history, and likely never will.
Magic and Lore:
Dark Shift do not believe in magic, per se, but rather the power of the mind over the forces around them. Few Pure Bloods are capable of complete mastery
of any elements of nature, their minds being too unbalanced. However Half Bloods ( and New Bloods, if they were ever trained ), can easily reach the state of
higher mental spiritualism required to manipulate the energies surrounding them.
All Dark Shift -know- about the Balance. However on the flip side of things, they prefer Chaos, and thus Dancers ( as their 'spellcasters' are called )
are rare.
Any Dark Shift can learn to Dance.
It is called Dancing for a simple reason. In order to rouse itself into a feverish mental state, the Dark Shift seeking to perform a ritual literally
Dances. No two Dark Shift Dance alike, some tossing themselves around like rag-dolls, others spinning about wildly and others presenting a hypnotic, graceful
show.
There are a number of solid occupations based on Dancing and spiritual communication with the Gods.
The only form of Dancing that is Half Blood specific is Plane Dancing. Half Blood minds are more open and their bodies less bound to Chauk'patah. They are
the only ones born with the knowledge of how to dance as well. Kier'shak blesses them with the knowledge, according to the priests, because the God
wants his people to survive.
While Dancing, a Dark shift cleanses their mind of all thoughts not focused on their goal. What others view when the Shift Dances can be anything from the
Shift writhing about in a rune-circle, or even sometimes, an eerie glow around the Shift, signalling the energies gathring around them.
There is no explaination for this development in the species, and no way to determine how such a generally barbaric race could evolve to reach such a higher
mental and spiritual plane.
Deity(ies):
Kier'shak and Kel'tau are the genderless Gods of the Dark Shift. Kier'shak the Many Armed is the warrior God of the Dark Shift. Historically speaking the
Dark Shift have never had real Gods. Kier'shak and Kel'tau are the progenitors of the Dark Shift race, the first two to walk Chauk'patah and the Writers of
the Wall.
Kel'tau the Four Horned ( all Dark Shift born with four horns are immediately entered into the preisthood of Kel'tau ), is the God of Balance while
Kier'shak is the God of Chaos. Naturally Kier'shak has more followers, however Kel'tau has grown in appeal among the younger generations, specifically the
Half Bloods and New Bloods who are usually not nearly as violent as their parents, and the females of the Dark Shift who have always been opressed by the
overwhelming cruelty of males.
Kier'shak has, inarguably, assisted the Dark Shift on many occasions after he has already left the mortal coil. Many non-Dark Shift races speculate that
Kier'shak and Kel'tau are in fact the first of the Dark shift to reach the higher plane of existence that they teach their followers. They also speculate
that Kier'shak and Kel'tau allow only Half Bloods to learn Plane Dancing, because they want change in the race, and the Dark Shift merely have not come to
understand this yet.
Followers of Kier'shak offer ritual sacrifices regularly. They offer defeated foes, their own young, and often, their mates. Kier'shak accepts all
sacrifices with open arms, but prefers blood spilled in battle. Thus annual tournaments are held in Kier'shak's name.
Kel'tau promotes the Balance, and was the creator of Dancing, while Kier'shak was the teacher. Kel'tau does not ask for, nor decline offered sacrifices,
however those sacrificed to Kel'tau must willingly go into the next life, not be forced.
Relations with other races:
Dark Shift view all other races as inferior, and assert their superiorty through wars, pillaging of neighboring planets, raping the lands of valuable
resources, stealing young to raise as slaves and potential mates and always, poor diplomacy.
The Dark Shift have come in contact with many races, and are almost always classified as demons. There are few races they meet who do not eventually come
to fear them.
Some races, however, the Dark Shift have found a gruding respect for, because they are either just as blood-thirsty, or skilled merchants the Dark Shift
could not otherwise do without.
Favored mating species are humans and elves, their physiology the easiest for Dark Shift to alter. Breeding with Fae is expressly forbidden, because it
produces offspring far too powerful to be considered controllable or safe. Dark Shift have bred with a number of leess physically describable races, in the
case of Letnep Saltas, or Joachim, whose 'mother' was a formless mass of sentient flesh with tentacles, no eyes and no visible mouth. The mechanics of
breeding with such a creature are best left unexplained.
Special Classes:
There are hundreds of occupations and walks of life for Dark Shift to take, from rogues and priests to merchants and scientists. However here are listed a
few Dark Shift Specific classes for your use.
Plane Dancers - A Half Blood only class, Plane Dancers cane instantly travels anywhere in space, including other planes in the multiverse, giving the
explorers unlimited access to unlimited realms.
Shift Dancers - Any Dark Shift, Half Blood or New Blood can learn the techniques required to alter their physical form through thought alone. It is primarily
an illusion, and does not change their weakness to sunlight or inability to breathe off Chauk'patah, nor does it alther their organs, only the size. However
they are like superficial anatomical chameloeons, capable of makign themselves look like any race they encounter, within reason. IE: they cannot become
formless balls or light or change their molecular structure to be water or air.
Blade Dancers - The warriors elite. Blade Dances achieve perfect harmony - with thier weapons. The swords, daggers or other bladed weapons that the Blade
Dancer is trained specifically in, has become an extension of the Dancer. They are superior at handling the weapon of their choice, and are never without a
pair close. The very best Blade Dancers know how to their weapon of choice in all four hands.
Shadow Dancers - Sometimes called Shade Walkers, Shadow Dancers pass through shadows like normal people pass through door ways. They can walk into a shadow
in one place, and step out of a shadow in another. Many Dark Shift learn Shadow Dancing, but few can master it. Usually only Half Bloods and Elders manage
the level of skill necessary to use it as a for of transporation rather than a handy battle-tactic. Some Dark Shift that have mastered the Dance, have been
rumored to 'walk' hundreds of miles. There are few to none able to accomplish this feat, but it is possible.
All Dance skills are extremely taxing on the performer, and each Dance completed requires a period of no less than ten minutes of rest afterwards. Plane
Dancing requires a minimum of one month for the first visit to a place, after that the Shift can return to that place and require no more than an hour of
rest.
Tattoos: Dark Shift get tattoos for aesthetics, for expression and for assistance in Dancing. Tattoos can be imbued with power and used to add an additional boost to spiritual strength as a focus. Many clans have tattoos representing the mark of their chu'loc and there are tattoos symbolizing great people, the gods, among other things.
*Names*:
These are a few important names among the Dark Shift race, and brief summaries about them. All Half Bloods have two official names. The Name given by
their non-Dark Shift parent, and their legal Dark Shift Name. New Bloods and Dark Shift all have one name.
Seamus O'Reilly / Malachi : One of the greatest Half Bloods Known, Malachi discovered and opened paths to fourteen semi-inhabitable planets where the Dark
Shift have begun constructing small compounds for research, farming and mining. He has discovered three planets that are mineral rich and unclaimed, thus
providing the Dark Shift with exports to barter with. He was a skilled Shadow Dancer, one of the best in recent history and a skilled Blade Dancer with
daggers. A While not very good at Shift Dancing, he was capable of minimal changing and thus one of the most revered Half Bloods. He is presumed deceased,
having been missing for two years after a Dance to an uncharted territory.
Kies Enqui / Lazarus : Once a highly celebrated Half Blood with a number of contributions to the continuance of the Dark Shift race, Lazarus was 'made an
example of' and executed for committing acts of mating with a member of his own gender. While still a celebrated Half Blood, Dark Shift are asked to remember
that even heroes must obey the laws. He was seen as compassionate and mild-mannered, which led to his downfall.
Letnep Saltas / Joachim : Half unclassified life-form, Joachim is an all-around cruel, vicious, blood-thirsty Half Blood with no concern for anything but his duty. He is single-minded in his pursuit of surpassing the legendary Malachi in accomplishments.
Judas - A Pure Blood, and the mastermind behind all the recent scientific developments. Judas created the breathing and gravity apparatus that allowes Shiftians to survive off-planet. He created the breeding program, and his the unofficial father of all Half Bloods and New Breeds, being the one Dark Shift that knows -everything- about Shift anatomy and genetics. He is a skilled biochemist, surgeon and self-professed experimentor. Considered a little mad, and quite twisted and heartless, he is the lastest step-stone in Shift intelligence, and a credit to their dangerous capabilities.
So have fun. Create a Dark Shift. Enjoy it and please - send me your art! I'd LOVE to see other people's interpretations of this dark race!
Examples:
http://www.furaffinity.net/view/2836654
http://www.furaffinity.net/view/2836662
http://www.furaffinity.net/view/2836665
http://www.furaffinity.net/view/2836666
http://www.furaffinity.net/view/2836681
There are a number of choices one can make to create a Dark Shift, including being one of the great Half Bloods. There are very few positions left, so apply
now! Anyone can create a Pure Blood. Just choose a name off the site below and start making your monster! You can ONLY choose names from that site. After the
names are all used, character creation is closed. You can only have one New Blood or one Half Blood. You can have up to three Pure Bloods.
http://www.biblicalbabyname.com/
Half Bloods
1. Joachim - Letnep Saltas - Male - Unclassified species cross.
2. Malachi - Seamus O'Reilly - Male - Unconfirmed cross, elven? (presumed dead, not yet proven, does not take a Half-Blood spot)
3.
4.
5.
6.
7.
8.
New Bloods
1.
2.
3.
4.
5.
6.
7.
8.
9.
10.
11.
12.
13.
Pure Bloods
Judas - Male - Scientist
