Dark one

* 3e

The **dark ones** were a race of humanoids dwelling in the Underdark. They were natural rogues with powers of stealth and shadow. They were divided into two subraces: the short, gnome-like dark creepers and the human-like dark stalkers. However, it was hard to say if they were actually the same race.

## Description

Although dark creepers and dark stalkers looked very different, all dark ones wore only black clothing.

## Powers

Thrice a day, a dark one could envelop itself in cloak of shadows, concealing it from view even in bright light, aiding its defense. This darkness was magical, so a foe needed the ability to see in magical darkness to penetrate it.

A dark one could utilize all its acute senses—hearing and smell as well as sight—to discern its surroundings and locate beings. Even in absolute darkness, it had perfect sight out to 60 feet (18.3 meters).

However, when caught in daylight (natural or magical), a dark one was dazzled or badly demoralized in all ways.

## Personality

The dark ones hated light of any kind, and would assault any being who carried a source of illumination, whether a lantern, a torch, or magic. They did not harass those who passed without the aid of an artificial light source.

## Combat

Dark ones were craven creatures, but highly skilled in stealth and in ambush. They usually surprised and picked off their foes from the shadows. They were natural backstabbers, most dangerous when making a sneak attack from flanking or surprise. Dark ones fought in total darkness wherever possible, and beat a hasty retreat if they lost the upper hand.

## Society

Among the dark ones, the dark stalkers were the leaders. They led dark creepers in ambush and combat.

If not working alone, dark ones typically operated in bands of two to five dark creepers led by one dark stalker. Their tribes comprised less than a hundred members, with twenty to eighty dark creepers and two to five dark stalker leaders.

Dark ones spoke their own tongue, called Dark One. They seemed to comprehend Undercommon, but no one ever heard them utter it. They also knew Common.

## Relations

The dark ones were an enigmatic people, even to other races in the Underdark. They usually only came into contact with outsiders when they stole some item from others or defended their lairs from their foes.

## History

In the Year of Lightning Storms, 1374 DR, a group of dark one mercenaries (a dark stalker and four dark creepers) were hired by clerics of Shar involved in the operations at the Temple of Mystra in Wheloon and the Lost Refuge in the Vast Swamp in Cormyr. By early Eleint, they'd taken up residence in the Tomb of Chonis to watch over the petitioners travelling between the two points. In particular, they watched for groups investigating these petitioners. Adventurers investigating the Temple of Mystra may have encountered them.

## Appendix

### Further Reading

* Paul Leach (August 2004). “The Ecology of the Dark one”. In Matthew Sernett ed. *Dragon* #322 (Paizo Publishing, LLC), pp. {{#regex:30–38|%(,)(\S)%|$1 $2}}.

### References

1. ↑ 1.00 1.01 1.02 1.03 1.04 1.05 1.06 1.07 1.08 1.09 1.10 1.11 1.12 1.13 Eric Cagle, Jesse Decker, James Jacobs, Erik Mona, Matthew Sernett, Chris Thomasson, and James Wyatt (April 2003). *Fiend Folio*. (Wizards of the Coast), pp. {{#regex:37–39|%(,)(\S)%|$1 $2}}. ISBN 0-7869-2780-1.
2. ↑ 2.00 2.01 2.02 2.03 2.04 2.05 2.06 2.07 2.08 2.09 2.10 Richard Baker, Bruce R. Cordell, David Noonan, Matthew Sernett, James Wyatt (2007). *Cormyr: The Tearing of the Weave*. (Wizards of the Coast), pp. {{#regex:38, 44–45|%(,)(\S)%|$1 $2}}. ISBN 07-8694-119-7.