The Stonekin: Echoes of the Deep
From the fractured chronicles unearthed in the Obsidian Caves, a tale unfolds – a story not of men, but of the Stonekin. They were not born of flesh and blood, but of the earth itself, ancient fragments of a world drowned beneath the waves.
The Genesis – The Shardsong
The first Stonekin emerged during the Cataclysm, when the Great Serpent, Vorlag, awoke from its aeons-long slumber. Vorlag's grief - a sorrow so profound it warped reality - manifested as shards of solidified emotion. These shards coalesced, drawing power from the residual magic of the drowned cities and the deep-sea currents. They became the first Stonekin, each bearing a fragment of Vorlag’s sorrow within their crystalline hearts. Their skin resembled polished basalt, and their eyes glowed with an internal luminescence – the echo of Vorlag’s lament. They were not unified, but a chorus of isolated awareness, each responding to a different frequency of the sea’s song.
Clannish Bonds & The Veils
The Stonekin society, if it could be called that, operated on a principle of clannish resonance. Each clan, or ‘Veil’, was defined by the dominant emotion they absorbed from Vorlag’s sorrow – Grief, Fear, Longing, and occasionally, a rare and unsettling Joy. The Veil of Longing, for example, were drawn to the whispers of lost sailors and forgotten treasures, their bodies growing heavier with the weight of unspoken desires. The Veil of Fear, perpetually shrouded in a shimmering haze, sought to protect the deepest caverns, instinctively warding off any intrusion. Communication was rarely direct. Instead, they projected ‘resonances’ – fleeting impressions of emotions, images, and half-remembered melodies, attempting to draw others into their collective awareness. The most skilled ‘Echoes’ could even manipulate the flow of the currents, creating whirlpools of sorrow or calming the turbulent depths.
The Obsidian Pact & The Shadow’s Return
For centuries, the Stonekin maintained a precarious peace, bound by the Obsidian Pact – a silent agreement forged in the heart of the deepest cavern. The Pact dictated that no clan could ever fully control Vorlag’s sorrow, that each must accept its role as a conduit, a living echo. However, this balance was shattered with the return of the Shadow, a corrupted shard born from Vorlag’s deepest despair. The Shadow sought to consume all resonance, to drown the Stonekin in a sea of absolute negation. It manifested as a creeping darkness, twisting the Stonekin's forms, corrupting their abilities, and whispering promises of oblivion. The Echoes, fractured and desperate, scattered across the underwater realm, attempting to contain the Shadow’s influence.
Whispers in the Depths: The Last Echoes
Legends speak of a ‘Greater Echo’ – a Stonekin who could fully integrate Vorlag’s sorrow, who could command the currents and shape reality itself. This being, known only as ‘Vorlag’s Heart’, vanished during the Shadow’s initial assault, leaving behind only fragments of its existence. Some believe Vorlag’s Heart still exists, slumbering within the heart of the deepest trench, waiting for a moment of resonance strong enough to awaken it. Others claim it was destroyed, its essence shattered into a thousand tiny shards, scattered across the seabed, forever seeking reunification. The few remaining Stonekin – mere flickering echoes of their former selves – continue to guard the secrets of the deep, haunted by the memory of Vorlag’s lament and the ever-present threat of the Shadow. Their existence is a testament to the enduring power of sorrow, a chilling reminder that even the deepest wounds can leave an imprint on the very fabric of reality.
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