HISTORY

• Most Fragments exist in stasis in the Nowhere, a pitch black plane of existence between several other realms. Because of this environment, Dark Fragments are actually the most common. 
• They are often enslaved or tricked into working for others. Sometimes even adopted and raised by important families if they are noticed early enough. There are royals who would offer their own child for a chance to raise a Fragment instead, simply because of their espionage/military/leading possibilities. Imagine having a son who you forced to give up their 'self-worth', you now have a very very powerful pawn.
• Rogue or full-grown Fragments are never trusted, as you cannot tell which might be the original.. AND, a very powerful Fragment might be able to force their Splinter into another person's body, allowing them to take control of that person.
•  Their weakest Splinters appear as elemental silhouettes corresponding to their bond.
• Glossary of terms-
  Splinter | The corporeal copy made by the sacrifice of a Fragment's trait
  Whole | The main form of the Fragment, their core.
  Nowhere | Spawning/staging ground for all Fragments. (Very rare for them to leave of their own power as they are in stasis).
  
  

ELEMENTS

Fragments are tied to elements that allow them certain abilities. Their innate element is their starting point and many of them never go beyond that or master it beyond parlor tricks and elemental Splinters. Under certain circumstances a Fragment may warp beyond their base element and gain a new sphere of power. 

• earth -> life/disease
  fire -> chaos/steel
  light -> astral
  dark -> death/sin
  air -> (help)
  water -> ice 
• While warping can afford a greater sphere of power, there are disadvantages. The warped element could be erratic or costly and take much more time to master. While Fragments with base elements are technically weaker, their mastery of a single element can make them a significant threat. 
• There are endless possibilities for each element, and multiple warps of the same Fragment are possible. 
• Fragments who warp under great stress are unlikely to ever master their element. 
• There is legend of a Fragment who has warped so many times they have crossed all the elemental lines and are considered the Absolute. Just a legend though.

PHYSIOLOGY

Fragments rely on the host body to create their physical characteristics and imprint very little on the form offered to them aside from their markings. The markings grow over the maturing period of the host body and can take up anywhere from one appendage worth of space to their entire body. There is a small link between a Fragment's power and their markings, as they can grow or intensify with their elemental use. 

They are easily identifiable by their markings or their elemental splinters, but doppelgangers created from greater sacrifice are harder to tell apart from the original creator. 

Any humanoid race/species. 

RARITIES

Primal Fragments are very rare as they created from direct shattering of an element, and not just a spirit tying to an element. Primals may have greater control over their scope, and often do not sacrifice traits to create splinters, but rather something else. For example, the Earth Primal Tygaol, sacrifices his flesh to create butterflies to pollinate and tend to his forest, but at greater risk to himself.

fire fragment, Vulcan