Nightkin are a rare breed, few have heard of the species and fewer still know any substantial facts. They have the capacity to live up to 500 years, no more but often considerably less. When they near the 500 year mark, nightkin must Acquiesce- pass on their abilities to a fresh host- or perish immediately. The gift must be given to an unborn fetus, their chosen Kin, via a simplistic ritual. The mother need not be willing, the procedure will not be remembered afterward. This rite must be completed by the age of 487, if not the Nightkin will die within the next year. Without true immortality, Nightkin who make it to their 488th birthday will age considerably. In this last stage of their life, after the Nightkin has Acquiesced, they are known as husks. Most husks live out the rest of their life peacefully, sometimes spending what time they have left with their Kin.
Regardless of how they chose to live once they become husks, nightkin live only 13 years after they Acquiesce until their Kin receives the Imprint, which saps the last bit of their life-energy. The Imprint is a sudden, crippling realization instilled by the "parent" nightkin, who impart his/her abilities to a new generation before meeting death. It contains memories, knowledge, and understanding of nightkin as a whole. This epiphany is what allows the legacy of the nightkin to continue and is one reason why awareness of the breed is so limited. If they want their Kin to receive the Imprint, nightkin must live through the thirteen year period as husks. Young Kin who do not Imprint, will die unexpectedly shortly after their thirteenth birthday. Some nightkin bloodlines have ended due to such irresponsibility. The Imprint is the last gift a nightkin passes onto their chosen Kin. The parent nightkin will die shortly after the Imprint is given, once reaching their 500th birthday.
A nightkin's greatest weapon is his shadow. They can assume full control of their two-dimensional double, by doing so they shift out of their body and into the shadow. As such, their bodies are left empty, a limp and quite vulnerable cadaver. To adapt to this weakness, nightkin take on companions early in their lives. More than pets, these familiars act as guardians of the body their masters leave behind when they become a shadow. They can move freely in the two dimensional world, either shifting along walls and any surface shadows are cast on. They can also assume the three dimensional shape of an ethereal shadowy mass. If the nightkin's body is killed while the shadow is away, they will be unable to return and must remain as a spirit. Without a vessel, the spirit cannot survive for very long. Some spirits have been known to inhabit the body of their familiars, but the nightkin dies when the creature does.
When in shadow form, nightkin make excellent thieves, able to slip through their environments without being noticed. Whether two or three dimensional in form, as a shadow all nightkin are invincible. An ability older nightkin learn is possession, which allows them to take control of people, animals, and objects by passing their shadow into the host. This skill is difficult to learn, and is often only obtained if the knowledge is passed down from their parent during the Imprint.
Using their abilities puts nightkin in extreme risk, they must put complete trust in their familiars. Some nightkin are lucky enough to find human, or other supernatural, confidants to watch over the body they must leave behind. Otherwise, the species is a sensitive breed. They are not known for their brute strength, rather making better thieves than assassins. While they can tread in daylight, they are more active at night. Most are content to be completely nocturnal. Nightkin are no stronger than a normal human and but do possess a few other outstanding skills, such as increased hearing and superb night vision. Extended exposure to sunlight or other sources of bright light cause fatigue.
Graveyard Terracoon
