Robber art by missmab
Writing by missmab
Background art by rooty
Subtype Concept by raptorslut
SEVERBLIGHT
There was a time when “starrobber” was synonymous with “monster”: the terrifying undead that roamed the countryside in search for prey. The creatures that parents would tell their children would come get them if they didn’t eat their veggies. With fair reason. Most early reports of starrobbers did speak of their feral and violent nature. Many attribute the early incarnations of the starrobber as Helgin’s novice attempts at creating “life”, though the less religious tend to view such claims with skepticism. In any event, with the rise of Queenie’s empire and the sudden concept of starrobbers as a race of their own...many stardragons had slowly begun to set their old taboos and superstitions aside.
But then came the reports of the severblight. Disfigured and mutated, feral and deadly, a creature of nightmares...and the infection they carry a dangerous threat to the lands of Jo’Arca itself. In particular, the effects the disease has on robbers is especially horrific as it often twists and disfigures the afflicted while (perhaps in a form of irony) “robbing” them of their mental abilities...turning them into the walking monstrosities of old legend who seem to want nothing more than to attack, consume, and infect. Multiple eyes, toothy maws that spread across the entirety of the face, some even have reports of tendrils protruding from seams along the robbers flesh.
It is hard to truly pin down a simple physical description as no two severblight seems the same. Some will develop pustules and boils along their skin, others will end up scratching at their own flesh until it tears away leaving nothing but ragged bone. Some end up with jaws that cover their entire face. “Body horror” is perhaps the best way to describe these creatures.
The majority of severblight robbers originate from the Gravewastes, in the northern continent of Canes. To an extent many seem content to just prowl through the misty swamps and valleys that make up the abandoned settlements and battlefields. However, small outbreaks have been reported in all the continents. It is uncertain if this is due to an unknown carrier or rumored cult activities.
The severblight have no culture to speak of. They are in many ways the walking undead. There has been some instances of severblights who are able to retain their sanity and sense of self, leaving them mentally the same as a normal starrobber. But due to the growing stigma and fear of them being contagious, those who endure usually find themselves in a far more hostile world than even the average robber.
A note about severblight(the disease):
The effects of the disease are currently being researched, though it has been noted the effects are different between living hosts and robbers.
For living hosts, the infection acts often as a fever combined with symptoms similar to the flu. Once it advances into stage two, the host appears to suffer from decaying brain function as they become more agitated and aggressive (or in some cases more clingy and desiring of close contact). This seems to be a twofold purpose in the disease trying to find new hosts as the disease requires an exchange of fluids to transmit (saliva, blood, etc) but also prolong the subject’s life by syphoning life from those around it...as it has been noted that consuming the flesh of others or draining their magic causes the symptoms to lessen. Some theorize this is because the disease is now feeding off the lives of others instead of the life essence of its host. In most cases though the third stage results in death, though some have reported that those who can endure long enough have the disease go into a dormant stage...rendering them still infectious but functional.
For undead hosts, i.e. Starrobbers, the infection acts somewhat similar as above but the body begins to mutate and disfigure...and the third stage is not death so much a total conversion to a rabid almost feral state.
In both cases, there has been reports of those naturally immune to the malady as well as those who have managed to fend off and recover fully from the disease. However those are woefully the exception, often only one or two survivors from an entire village. If they are even able to make it out safely as the village spirals into madness and decay.
Several groups have come together in the hopes of studying and finding a cure. But as of the time, only minor remedies and methods in which to delay the symptoms have been discovered. A few religious have begun to speculate that the severblight is the result of the God Basut in an attempt to twist and distort Helgin’s chosen race...making a mockery and forcing those to consume the lives of others in order to survive themselves. Followers of Basut have begun to celebrate the blight as a miracle of defiance, and are beginning to conduct their own dangerous and cultish research to follow the will of their god.
Note: To be infected there needs to be a transfer of fluids. Saliva, blood contamination, other things. The risk of contracting is usually fairly high due to poor personal maintenance on the severblight's part. (They're not entirely known for their hygienic behavior) However there has been cases of those with a natural immunity and some who developed an immunity. As well as some severblight whose illness mutated to a state where they are no longer contagious themselves.
Robber art by Rynies and background art by sharkbutts
Writing by cloneclone and missmab
VAMPIRE
“Don’t tell me you’ve fallen into believing that Basut cult rubbish too? Pshaw! Bunch of rubbish. Everyone knows Helgin created the robbers...”
Ever since the triple eclipse of Jo’Arca’s three moons, there have been growing rumors that the event actually released the scorned child Basut from his prison. Among them, talk of a strange new type of StarRobber… often overlooked because of the growing severblight plague. But according to said rumors, no less dangerous. If anything, the few hushed whispers regarding them seem to consider them a potentially greater threat.
For unlike the severblight Robbers who are made from corrupted StarRobbers, the vampiric StarRobbers are in fact StarDragons created by Basut himself. Created from the souls of StarDragons who had a strong thirst for power and magic as well as sinister intents. While this primarily extends to StarShooters, particular StarDragons who have had a thirst for power and magic have been known to be brought back by him. Moreso, unlike Helgin’s creation of StarRobbers where there is never a guarantee the fallen will return… whispers are about that the Cult of Basut have created a ritual which can guarantee the dead to return as a vampiric Robber through conversion to the cult and sacrifice. *(please note, in Jo’Arca canon this ritual still does not replace the no StarRobber kids/babies clause.)
Physically fit, and often considered otherworldly attractive, the vampiric StarRobbers often take attributes of their Shooter brethren with ears that perk and sharp claws with sharp fangs even by Robber standards. Most often boast a tiny frill around the neck as well as ridges down their sides and even a few with almost batwing like ears.
However the most unassuming trait is in a way the most devious in that vampiric StarRobbers are devoid of a life gem. Instead they siphon the magical energies and life from living StarDragons in order to fuel themselves and their magic. Those who know of them often suspect much like many gifts from Basut, it is symbolic of the desire to take power from others for oneself. It is true that a well fed vampiric Robber is a powerful sight to behold… but they also must be careful to not overexert themselves because without proper feeding they will weaken until eventually withering away entirely. This process can be non-lethal, but it isn’t uncommon for one to get overzealous and end up killing their host.
As it stands, most vampiric Robbers tend to circulate around Shooter cities deep in the catacombs and abandoned mansions. Those who have manifested outside of ritual often find themselves drawn to the more urban areas, if only out of necessity to feed. Those with ties to the cult of Basut often act as subtle agents if not outright leaders of small cult clusters as they are able to go places and into circles that the average shooter would not be allowed to enter. Like many of of their Shooter associates, they have forgone the habit of keeping flowers and most of their culture tends to reflect what they have had in life.
DRENCHED
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OVERGROWN
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ARTIFICIAL
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ANCIENT
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(StarDragons are an Open Species, created by DeleteTheStars, RaptorSlut and CloneClone. bellumi was given moderation of the community by the creators.)