Shadowlings

Shadowlings are a fanmade species made by KySketch.

Their first major appearance was Nightroad. They were labled as a lawful good sort of species.

## History

Shadowlings weren't involved in many significant wars. They preferred to remain hidden and out of sight. They established kingdoms and clans, each being unique and setting their own rules.

Their creation started when a darkness god from another realm fled to the Splatroad world to avoid defeat and rest. When they met the species that lived there, they offered them dark magic in hopes that they would cause destruction and that this universe would fall to darkness as well. Unfortunately, the main creatures the god had given it to (the most notable one being Caliber, the first inkling shadowling ever) overpowered the darkness with their teamwork, and used the powers only for good (of course, a few became evil later as many things do when they have powers). They drove away the god and forced it back through the rift where it came, then sealing up the portal with magic.

The god still left a scroll within the woods however, in hopes that someone might find it and use it to embrace the darkness and take over the world in the god's place.

## Evolution

Shadowlings are sea creatures with dark magic. They are either born via two Shadowling parents, or by reciting the spell that was written on a scroll and left in the woods. Usually it is only the humanoid creatures that are Shadowlings, as unevolved creatures have a lower percent chance of surviving the magic when they're converted. However, there are a few Shadowlings that have survived this, a notable one being Belphegor (mutant fangtooth Shadowling).

"Shadowling" is an umbrella term, as the individual species that can become a shadowling do not change the overall name.

## Appearance

Shadowlings resemble Inklings and other "lings", but their tentacles are entirely black (still shiny though) with no visible white or suckers anywhere. Creatures li ke Nautilings will still have their shell on. Their ears are similar to fish fins, except they are skin color tipped with black. Their clothes are also mostly monochrome or dark colors, but there are a few exceptions to this.

Their appearance changed due to the god that gave them the magic. It was a darkness dragon with fish fin ears, so they obtained that.

## Powers

Because they have dark magic, Shadowlings have the power of shadow manipulation. They can create things out of darkness and hide in the shadows. They can also shadow travel, which is similar to swimming in ink except they do not need ink to move. They use the 7 sins instead of traits, though it is possible to purify your sin or be sinless. More than one sin and a fusion of sins is not possible.

Regular cephalopod ink will not affect them, so one must acquire a shadowling weapon with dark magic to "splat them". The ink will more or less become half inkling half shadowling. This does not mean they are immortal/invincible though, because they can still be harmed by non ink weapons (guns, swords, etc).

Some shadowlings can fly with the aid of shadow wings, though not all shadowlings choose to fly. Some are also just not good at it in general, and some have had their wings destroyed by the use of a certain deadly spell. Some shadowlings also have a shadow form, an animal form in which they use to fight or disguise themselves. They can shapeshift in general, but there's always one go-to form they have. Again, like wings, not all of them choose to use this. Some think it is unfair, some don't want to put the effort in, some simply find no use for it, etc. Mythical/extinct/etc. creatures are limited to royalty bloodlines only.

They are weak to bright lights in the face, though the daytime in general is not usually considered a weakness. However, night and dark places can still strengthen their powers more than day/light. There is also a certain crystal that can drain them of their powers and return them to their normal, but forcefully removing their powers without a justified reason is considered illegal/bad/cruel.

## Fusion

Shadowlings have the ability to fuse with other species, also called "Shadow Fusion". When they do this, their powers may weaken or strengthen depending on who they fuse with. They will become unable to turn into a shadow form, and will not be able to hold their wings for long either.

The exceptions to the wing limitation are the "fallen" Skylings, as their wings are not made of shadows but modified fins that were strengthened by the dark magic.

## Major Shadowlings In Splatroad

Ebony

Crow

Negro

Noir

Kuro

Pitch

Jet

Heise

Luna

## Clans

Shadowlings often form groups called clans, and these usually run by a monarchy, with the clan being named after the ruler (examples: EbonClan, BeryClan). There are some clanless shadowlings however (Acro), and switching between clans can also happen as well. Some can also live elsewhere, outside or without relation to a clan (like in Inkopolis).

### Current Clans:

EbonClan: Where Ebony and the shadowlings for the main squidbeak reside.

SearClan: Where Seirscha (female) and the shadowlings for the CC (and several more) reside. The leader of the guard is named Damien (male), and Axel is in this clan as well.

DarClan: Led by Darius (male), the shadowlings here work on purifying their sin.

WynClan: (Pronnounced "wine" and not "win") Led by Wynn (male), and is a more rich, aristocratic-based clan in a way. They are well known for growing fruit and making wine. Some people try to steal their high quality fruit, but there is always punishment for doing so.

RamClan: Based on medieval kings, and was once led by a cold tyrant named Ramala before he was killed by Sen Pyras and Stigian Vidos.

MavClan: High up in mountains, and led by a Fallen Angel shadowling named Mavros (female). She was a tyrant, and crazy for power like Calliope (she is not Calliope's shadow counterpart), but was ultimately killed by Sen Pyras and Stigian Vidos.

Somb(re)Clan: Led by Sombre (male), this clan is tech based. Umbra's parents lived here before they moved to space via a rocket. Sombre however, was strict and stern to the point of making people overwork themselves, and was soon killed by Sen Pyras and Stigian Vidos.

CaiClan: Led by Caiman (female), and also a more tribal themed clan. Performed rituals involving live shadowling sacrifices, leading to Caiman being killed by Sen Pyras and Stigian Vidos.

MelClan: Led by Melan, a crazy woman with a magic crystal ball. Focused on being high in worth (high in power, etc.) as well as crystals and being "pure/clean". Melan was killed by Sen Pyras and Stigian Vidos for her rather sadistic tendencies and being inhumane at times.

PiceClan: Led by Piceous (male), a very harsh and powerful ruler. In an intense showdown, he was killed by Sen Pyras and Stigian Vidos, though he nearly overwhelmed them in power.

KogosClan: Led by Kogos (female). The shadowlings here dye the tips of their tentacles and hide their ears, so as not to be recognized as shadowlings. Kogos is a kind motherly type, but she keeps by her rules. This clan is one of the kinder ones, as long as you follow the rules set up.

ReéClan: Led by a leader who never stays there for long, though the royal staff and guard are perfectly capable of keeping things orderly. It is well known for changing its aesthetics on a weekly to monthly basis, and is very pleasing to the eye.

RocketClan: A clan led by Rocket, Jet's thought-to-be-dead dad. Xeno shadowlings live here, and while females are actually more in power than males, Rocket respects this.

## Variants

Standard: Any species fused with dark magic.

Hybrid: Half shadowling (shadowling parent), half non-shadowling. Their powers are often watered down. (Seira, Umbra)

Fallen: A shadowling Skyling, capable of flight with strengthened modified fin wings. (Mavros)

Luminous: Currently a **closed species** (to prevent people from abusing their powers and boasting they have some Overpowered OC when there are really a set line of rules for them that they may be breaking), as the possibility that one is born and survives is almost rarer than 1/10,000,000. They are luminous, but the light and dark magic clash, often resulting in unstable powers. **The only ones in existence at the moment** are Heilo and Tyd.