Hollows

## Introduction

Hollows, also known as *Phantoms* or *Shadows* to the mortal world and as *Ur Athrag* to their masters, are unliving servants of the Garauth. The are made from Animus Vitae and controlled by articifical souls or the spirits of the fallen Servitors.

### Phantoms

Phantoms or *Cothrai*are temporary bodies consisting only from Arath Borr. They have almost no intelligence and are controlled by a artifical soul connected to Arafel. Phantoms are easily destroyed even if they have no vital areas. Their body functions simple and is ususally made to perform simple tasks like repairing tunnels or performing magic rites to strengthen the magical seals protecting the Garauth cities.

In battle they are used as shock troops, attacking the flanks of enemy formations or their backs while phasing in and out of Arafel. Their soulbond is usually strengthened but they can be destroyed with a few blows and usually come in large numbers. Without a real soul or flesh controlling them they are slower then other Hollows and are quickly crumbled.

To mortal eyes they appear as ghosts, usually strange froms moving with unnatural grace, neither real nor unreal. Their bodies resemble the ancient Garauth anatomy, even if they are nothing be faceless schemes, walking through their cities and tunnels or traveling through the Web of Shadows and appearing out of nowhere to perfrom strange dances and rites.

### Revenants

Revenants or *Almathri*are Hollows that contain the flesh and the soul of a fallen Servitor. Similar to the bodies of Garauth, they require several parts of their former body to function, the most important being the head and the hear. Unlike their masters, Revenants do not float and are incapable of magic, even if their former self did. They can activly think and speak. Instead of vocal coards like the living or telepathy like their masters, Revenants let their whole body vibrate to speak or cause sounds. That way, then can express themselfes, even if their voices sound more like a ghoulish wishper then a real voice.

Revenants are capable of performing much stronger and complex rituals then their fleshless counterparts. Besides that they serve their masters as advisors and additional minds when they transfer information over the Web of Shadows. They carry orders to other races and are often objects of mortal worship on many worlds surface.

In battle, most of them are extremly agile and strong, phasing in and out of realtiy and teleporting across the battlefield to strike where the enemy is must vunerable. Unlike Phantoms, they are able fully benefit from their unnatural bodies since their soul is anchored in it permanently. That way, they are relativly hard to kill, only falling when getting in contact with titanic energies. The easiest way however is to destroy their mortal remains and pierce their heart or head.

### Silent Guards

Silent Guards or *Ur Athriel* are the Garauths personal bodyguard and the guardians of their temples and borncrypts. Silent guards are stronger Phantoms, consisting only from Animus Vitae. Still, they contain a Garauthheart and a stronger artifical soul. Like Revenants, they do not simply crumble and cant loose their souls. They never speak and their only purpose is to protect their masters or destroy invading enemies.

Silent Guards can use Arafel almost as good as their Garauth masters. Instead of casting magic with it, they can use is to phase between realities and teleport. Instead of other Hollows, they can do this in increadible speed which makes it almost impossible to hit them. Equally deadly is their ability to manipulate the flow of time around them, making their movements increadibly quick and devastating aswell as reducing the damdge caused by enemy attacks. Like the Garauth, their skin creates a smoll forcefield which is able to convey magical energies away from their funerable parts and sometimes even back at the enemy.

In battle, Silent Guards are one of the most dangerous forces of the Garauth. They appear in the middle of the enemy, moving increably fast while constanly blinking in and out of reality and striking quicker as the eye can follow. If a enemy manages to hit them, most of their body is almost immune due to the hyperadaptive Animus Vitae. Only if a strong blow manages to pierce through their skin and heart, they are destroyed permanently.

### Faceshifters

Faceshifters or *Ara Kathrai* are Hollows created to interact with other species either to negociate or controll them. Faceshifter are always made to decieve a certain race. Thus their bodies are filled almost entirely with the entrails and flesh of the chosen race. They have a special organ deep in their belly that is able to digest food and transfer it into energies useful to them. Only their skin, their bones and some of their organs are replaced with Animus Vitae. Their soul is either chosen from a captured member, a fitting soul of a Servitorrace or a enhanced artifical soul.

Faceshifters are able to think normally and feel the same emotions as their living counterparts, even though most of them are more cold and logical. Because of the feelings clouding their mind, their masters often do not fully trust them. They either have ways to monitor them or form their psyke in a way that they dont even know they serve their unliving masters. Most of them infiltrait soceities unaware of the ture purpose of their actions, following false memories and set morals.

Faceshifters are not only stronger, faster and more resilient due to their Animus Vitae skin, each of them also possesses latent magical ability and is born a minddancer. Those who are aware of it can use their connection to Arafel to shift between realities, teleport and warp around with the same prescision of a regular Revenant.

Even though Faceshifters seem normal, their true nature can be revealed relativly easily. Even though their skin is warm, even hotter then normal and they can digest food, their inner flesh is still dead and conservated. Their heart is not beating and there is no blood running through their veins.

### Ghasts

Ghasts or *Drathron* are massive Hollows that serve as Guards and monstrous infantry in the Garauth armies. They usually contain mortal organs to stabilize their souls, even if thats not necessairy since they host weaker souls. This gives them the intellect and selfcontroll of a usual animal. They can teleport and blink between realities like all other Hollows. They however struggle with it the most and use it only for quick escapes and to deploy behind enemies.

Their size varies heavily. The smallest Ghasts reach hights of two meters while the biggest grow taller then six meters. Generally they are can be differenciated to two kinds. The first towers over the averedge Phantom and serves in larger groups as heavy infantry. They can run faster then horses and cause heavy damdge thanks to their superior strength and weight. They usually attack behind or at the enemies flank and easily break their lines.

Greater Ghasts usually guard the temples and crypts of each Geomantical city and serve and stronger and taller defenders to fight against monsters and other greater creatures.

Ghasts usually have four arms, two big that support them while running and two smaller designed to carry weapons or transport objects or prisoners.