Riftling

A Riftling is a being that is born within a Rift or otherwise originates from another Riftling. The original Riftlings were the Dweller and the Creature, who were created by the Father. Riftlings possess a number of special abilities and non-corporeal Riftlings are able to use humans as host bodies. Before their true origin was known, they were believed to be Nephilim.
== History ==
The original Riftlings, the Dweller and the Creature, were created by the Father in the Rift and initially existed as a single consciousness. The two split apart and lived out a false past created by their own minds, which became true when they emerged from the Rift, altering the history of the universe in which they emerged. When the Dweller's final human host, Josh Rallus, tried to commit suicide, the Dweller attempted to stop him and the two merged together to become Emet Rotter.
Emet Rotter, who was said to be a vessel for spreading the Dweller's influence, placed some of the Dweller's power within Stephen Patrick and Alana Hudson, which eventually became the Collector and the Dreamer respectively. The Collector, a Riftling hybrid that was slowly assimilating his host's mind as he grew, then "collected" the Dreamer into himself and the two shared a body, with Collector remaining in control. After being taken to an alternate universe by the Father, Collector forced that universe's Josh Harris to murder RHO 3, who Emet Rotter had been using as a host while he waited for that exact event to occur. Soon after, the Collector was temporarily killed by Josh and the Dreamer transferred over to his body, now sharing it with Emet.
Emet later assimilated both Josh and the Dreamer to become the Dweller Reborn. With Collector later killing the Creature, he and the Reborn were left as the only known remaining Riftlings.
=== Known Riftlings ===
* The Dweller (nonexistent; combined with Josh Rallus to become Emet Rotter)
* The Creature (deceased; killed by the Collector)
* Emet Rotter (nonexistent; assimilated Josh Harris and the Dreamer to become the Reborn)
* The Collector (Riftling hybrid; active)
* The Dreamer (nonexistent; assimilated into the Reborn)
* The Reborn (active)
== Abilities ==
Riftlings are ageless beings that are able to store hundreds of years worth of knowledge in their minds. They also possess a special form of energy, which they can use for a variety of purposes. Each Riftling seemingly possesses their own unique abilities, such as using the flesh of humans to heal themselves or reanimating the dead. Riftlings are able to feed on Rifts, and as such, grow more powerful while within one. Rifts also have a rejuvenating effect on Riftlings. In addition to using them to travel between alternate universes, it is possible for Riftlings to utilize Rifts for a form of time travel.
In order to survive outside of a Rift, a Riftling must possess some sort of physical anchor. As such, they may take on humans as hosts, or in the case of the Creature, construct a host body for themselves through other means. If a Riftling is unable to jump into a new host body or a Rift when its current host dies, it seemingly dies along with them. While in a host body, Riftlings possess a number of special attributes in addition to their unique abilities. They are physically superior to normal humans and can manipulate their bodies so that they never grow tired or hungry. They can also heal wounds and prevent their cells from deteriorating, which can allow for genetic modification to be performed on their host body.
While possessing a human host, Riftlings can choose whether they remain dormant and only take control of their host at certain times or assimilate their host's mind and become their body's dominant consciousness. It is also possible for two Riftlings to share a body. In such cases, one Riftling may assimilate the other or the two may merge together to form a new entity. When part of a Riftling is torn off, it becomes a new being. As such, it is possible for Riftlings to split off a part of their own power and place it in a human host to create a new Riftling.
== Riftling Hybrids ==
Depending on how the tear in an existing Riftling is made, it is possible for a newly-created Riftling to possess no preexisting mental faculties and take on the brain patterns of its host after a long period of inhabitation. This variety of Riftling is known as a Riftling hybrid.
The only known Riftling hybrid is the Collector, who was created by a portion of the Dweller's power assimilating Stephen Patrick's mind as it grew. The Collector's abilities are significantly different from those of other Riftlings, as he does not feed on Rifts the way most do, but instead controls them. Although the Collector has never left his host body, even when it was temporarily killed, Riftling hybrids are able to leave their body once their host's mind has been imprinted on them.
== Notes ==
* In addition to the non-corporeal Riftlings, there are other non-human entities that exist inside of the Rift. One such creature was encountered by the Collector during his search for Emet Rotter. However, it is unknown whether entities such as that are considered Riftlings.
* Much like the Collector, the Dreamer was also created from the Dweller's power being inserted into a human host. However, as he did not assimilate his host's mind as he grew, took on a different personality, and identified as a different gender, he was likely a normal Riftling rather than a Riftling hybrid.