Shadinok

The Shadinok, known also as the "Whispering Ones" are something of a legend on Har'Ol'Nek'Preya and it is a hotly debated topic if they are actually a being that exists or they are known fauna that has mutated or been misidentified given most reports of Shadinok are from people already in a heightened state of distress or did not get a look at whatever they saw. Thus, for most in the city, they are merely a fun story to share around to give someone a good spook or to jokingly claim were the culprits to some event. To others though, the shadinok are a very real beings and ones that may not be benign.

## Appearance

Shadinok sightings are often very similar to each other with those that claim to have seen the creatures giving the same general description. These creatures are described as being average in height with a humanoid build, although the arms are longer and slender, nearly reaching the ground. Each hand has three fingers, ending in claw and often seemed to be merged with shadows, rarely seen in open areas.

The most arresting feature of the Shadinok though is the large single "eye" that dominates most of the head, although many debate that it is not an eye at all but is instead a gem of some sort as they are able to flare it up and darken it in a way more akin to a foci being lit up and darkened. Most of the head seems to be a bony crest with a nose that is elven at the bottom. The ears are placed high on skull and are very long and tufted. Most though describe the mouth in great detail as being wide with exposed teeth that they constantly seem to click together .

These however, are descriptions based on eyewitness accounts alone as a living Shadinok has never been confirmed, let alone a body of one ever found. All that exists are artistic renditions of what a Shadinok is perceived to look like.

## Behavior

Eyewitnesses describe Shadinok as being clearly intelligent creatures that are often are encountered watching people for long periods of time, stalking them for a time, and in some accounts, getting extremely close as if studying the individual. In general, they seem to avoid areas of high populations as most sightings tend to not occur near any city centers or cavern areas that see a lot of foot traffic, although reports of Shadinok are frequently made about the highway systems, skulking along the lights there.

Some believe they are benign beings given their habit of merely observing, but there have been reports of more violent behaviors, such as sudden mental ailments, visual impairment, and hallucinations created by the whispers they seem to give off. Some who have supposedly encountered Shadinok have suffered from bouts of insanity and anxiety for years afterwards.

Other than what eyewitnesses report though, nothing is known for sure.

## History of Sightings

Enthusiasts and true believers of Shadinok point to records of "shadow beings" in the earth dating all the way back to the moon age dark elf empires, although these records are questionable and may be referring to something else entirely rather than a race of deep earth dwelling fae. However, if one were to look at the records of Alfheim, there may be more credence to something being in the earth.

A record of mining operations dictated that even though the caverns making up Har'Ol"Nek"Preya were indeed rich with ore, that no attempts should be made to mine the ore due to "a dangerous presence" being discovered. This is backed up by deliberate collapsing of tunnels in the area in the ancient times although when dark elves would eventually flee into the depths to take shelter in the caverns, they would find them untouched, making this report debatable. The Yurak'Riti people though do have a slight discomfort of the deep tunnels of the city and often will fall to strange superstitions such as whistling loudly or singing which is suppose to ward off the "dark dreams" in the deep. If these superstitions are connected to the Shadinok or are merely a means of self-comfort in areas of the city that are too closed in for Yurak'Riti tastes is debatable.

The earliest recorded sighting of a Shadinok was by the first dark elves to enter into the city heart where there was reports of "moving shadows" among the crystals, although this may have been spooked dark elves feeling closed in and with few numbers, jumping at any strange shadow. Another account would come from the same group when they explored the mushroom forest, although in this account they noted several "large glowing singular eyes from many beings" watching them in the dark and clicking and whispering until they were supposedly scared off by mana flares.

Since then, there have been many hundreds of sightings, most of them centered in the Murmuring Depths, Mushroom Forest, and Shimmering Caverns with a few cases found in the Magma Tunnels up into the Cavern's Heart. However a few major incidents have been noted.

### The Wildcat Incident

There was a largely report sighting in the Cavern's Heart's southern sector that had as many as two hundred different people coming forth to report the sighting of a strange creature moving between the rooftops of buildings at a quick speed. The being was reported as having a bright singular eye that flickered and changed colors like a foci and making a hellish screeching noise. Guards reported the event, although at the conclusion of the event, they claimed it was nothing more than a wildcat that had escaped the clan. To those who saw the creature, they noted that it was not a wildcat as it ran on two legs and was able to climb up the walls more akin to a humanoid and to some, it was heard speaking. Many believe the Val'Duran'Desh investigated and noted something more but claimed it was a wildcat to avoid public hysteria.

### The Murmuring Ones Incident

The area known as the Murmuring Depths has always been a hot spot for Shadinok sighting, but in the year 603, a year long reign of terror would happen as hundreds of reports would come in of shadow beings lurking in the streets, stalking people home and even breaking into homes to watch individuals closely and "speak" to them. This led to many locals banding together to sleep in homes guarded by lights and loud singing to be common at night as they picked up on Yurak'Riti superstitions to try and drive the creatures away. All the sightings of these shadow beings matched descriptions of Shadinok sightings in the past, however, many believe this was a case of mass hysteria left out of control. After the year, there was a sharp decline in Shadinok sightings in the area for a time after.

### The Quake Prophecy

A few commoners claim that the Shadinok returned mere months before the great quake occurred as there was an uptick in sightings and several individuals reported that the Shadinok spoke to them, warning of a great devastation that would most likely occur in the months to come and to leave the area. Some families who survived claim they only did so because they headed the warnings and moved to to the edges of the region. This has sparked the rise of a cult in the area that now worships the Shadinok as living, breathing beings that bring prophecy. Others believers of Shadinok lore believe that the Shadinok themselves were the ones responsible for the quake or caused it while doing something in their underground kingdom and merely sent the warning as an afterthought to "lesser beings" above. Again though, this is all based on mere speculation and eyewitness accounts with no basis in truth, especially given many grow a touch mad living so close to the strange whispering phenomenon of the area.

## Speculations

There are many speculations as to what Shadinok are with several theories arising. Of course to true believers, the Shadinok are a real being, a fae species that is separated from the elves and have lived in the deep earth for untold eons, living in mana rich pockets akin to the geyser fields. They live at such depths, no encounters have been made or could be made without large scale exploration, something no clan is really interested in.

Others though believe that Shadinok are simply misidentified fauna such as wildcats, stray jungle wildlife that wandered in and got trapped, in particular night specters, given their general similarity in appearance and already unnerving nature; or perhaps some unknown species of shy fae beast that has eked out a living in the dark, thus the reason for the rare appearances. Some even jokingly claim they are kahles with bright collars that were set lose for laughs by the Val'Indawo.

Another speculation is they are in fact agents of a clan doing training regiments among the population, testing new gear. The singular gem-like "eye" has given rise that this is actually a helmet of some kind being worn. Given the fact that the Val'Ezbehqesi often employed the sightless in their ranks, the disturbing mouth and teeth could be linked to them rather than some unknown shadowy creature.

Yet despite the more mundane theories as to what Shadinoks might be, true believers throw those asides as merely red herrings. The most extreme of believes claim that the shadinok are able to use some for empathy to a high degree to muddle the senses and their close observations are to better mimic drow behavior in culture so as to live among the populace in plain sight. Of course that is a far-fetched theory, even within the realm of the true believers. Whatever the case, at hte end of the day, the legend of the shadinok endures and continues to spark the imagination in the darkest corners of Har'Ol'Nek'Preya.