many others have since felt the curse of having a direct connection to these spirits Though no darkling has been corrupted on the same level as Moaro, all darklings are susceptible to the Darkling Curse This curse is much like lycanthropy and, similarly, is exacerbated by the moon The curse currently lies dormant in most darklings but can become active without warning, turning those affected into darkling beasts Developments: Most recently, some of the darklings that have taken up the dangerous work of exploring the nature of the bond between the darklings and these ancient spirits have suggested that the spirits are powerful darkling ancestors from yet an earlier era of darklings that sloughed off the limits of the flesh but retain a tie to their descendants If true, would this set Memento Mori Moaro’s memento mori is a small, delicately curved dagger The hilt is encrusted with obsidian, the crest of the grand matriarch inlaid on the pommel Typically worn on the hip of the heir to the grand matriarch, the dagger symbolizes everything Moaro lost in her transformation and reminds her of whom she once protected Moaro’s personality is already fractured and unpredictable The loss of the dagger would break her mind completely: her old self would be lost to her Shadow’s purpose In that inevitability, she would turn her attention to Zussael She would call her darkling beasts to make a pilgrimage back to Zussael to bring all darklings into her shadow If the dagger is returned to her, she will regain her senses and forget her shadow urge to claim Zussael, though she will certainly become enraged and lash out at those around her before calming and returning to her isolation — 134 — the current darklings in their “Third Chance”? Environment: The Shadow Plane is a stark and twisted landscape The darkling city-state of Zussael sits isolated in the midst of the Plains of Desolation, and few ever venture outside the walls The city itself holds untold secrets and hidden threats, buried beneath the veneer of safety and security offered by the grand matriarch The Plains of Desolation are dangerous for any darkling who attempts to cross them—darkling beasts, grue, and Moaro herself are but a few of the risks one could encounter To the north of the plains lies an expansive mountain range known as the Shards Riddled with caves, it is home to many other creatures as well as exiled darklings To the south, the Glass Sea spans the horizon, its jagged, rocky shores offering haven to would-be smugglers Society: The city-state of Zussael has been under martial law for the past few centuries, ever since Moaro’s transformation Every darkling has twenty years of compulsory service in the military, though many opt to serve longer, and the grand matriarch plucks the most promising and loyal darklings to fill the ranks of her Hidden Blades Arranged marriages are now the norm in Zussael, part of the grand matriarch’s plan for tempering emotion Children are conceived on a strict schedule, and only two children per family are allowed Those that show signs of the Darkling Curse are taken by the Hidden Blades, never to be seen again Naturally, there are those who rebel against this confining way of life Squashing emotion is not so easily done, after all Such dissenters not vocalize their opinion unless in the most trusted of company—and maybe not even then—for fear of being turned over to the Hidden Blades The grand matriarch emphasizes loyalty above all else, and it is not unusual for a mother or brother to report a family member if they hint at subversion or show even the slightest sign of the Darkling Curse In order to not leave a family without its primary provider, the Hidden Blades leave behind a token when a darkling is taken into custody This token, a silver coin the size of a darkling palm, bears the face of the grand matriarch and can be brandished for food and other necessary items