Skintaker

*"I will walk among the monsters of the abyss, not as prey but as predator.*

*I shall move like them, stalk like them, act like them.*

*When the time comes, I will crush them.*

*I shall break them so utterly, they fear the dark that birthed them."*

- Skintaker Creed

The Skintakers are an infiltrator and saboteur corp fielded by the Negentropic Union, with focus on anomalous threats.

## Description

The Skintakers are an organisation made up mainly of Shardbearers with some Transcends and Old Brethren. Skintakers are so named due to their ability to hide their own physical forms and metaphysical presences with those of another. This is done through implantation of a metaphysical augment known as a Form Mount, which allows its bearer to absorb the remains of a dead being and project these remains into a simulation of the entity as if it was alive. The Form Mount also allows a being to gain the memories of those it has absorbed for better infiltration.

While the Skintakers are mainly deployed against more anomalous threats such as those found in the Liminal Gap, they have also seen widespread use against hostile polities as saboteurs and spies.

## History

The origins of the Skintakers lie during the worst days of the Scattering, when communication and transport between realities were either cut off or sparse. In the chaos, various monstrosities plagued the survivors of the Tor Crisis as multiple powers attempted every measure at their disposal to survive. It was during this time that such incidents were commonplace on the borders of the region that would come to be known as the Liminal Gap. Isolated individuals and communities on the border often came under assault and fell prey to a species that fed on the Void protoplasm given off by Transcends. At the time these entities were unable to be observed, due to their own extremely faint metaphysical presence and their ability to blend into the metaphysical presences of those nearby. As the survivors gathered in fortified strongholds, this species, now known as the Mundiis began infiltrating larger communities and performing mass abductions of the local Transcended population.

As the numbers mounted, the survivors near the gap looked for ways to combat the Mundiis. After several years of little success, a Shardbearer killteam accompanying a Ferryman managed to kill a Mundiis and retrieve its remains. Research was conducted on the Mundiis corpse, eventually giving rise to a new metaphysical augment known as a Form Mount to combat this threat. This augment allowed a being to absorb a being and disguise themselves with the absorbed entity's physical and metaphysical makeup. It was in this way that the first Skintaker was created when a memebr of the initial Shardbearer killteam was augmented with this technology and sent to infiltrate the species. This Shardbearer, Cadim, managed to kill and retrieve the corpses of several more Mundiis, bringing them back for other Shardbearers in his team. As the group grew and brought in more remains, the Form Mounts were given to other survivors whom absorbed the remains of the Mundiis remains. These new Skintakers ventured back into the wilderness to act as infiltrators, scouting for information on Mundiis whereabouts and hunting grounds.

Over the next few years, the Skintakers mapped out the Mundiis population and found where the abducted Transcends were imprisoned. The prisoners were painfully bound and kept in a near-comatose state as the Mundiis fed on the emanations of their Void Cores. As the information was compiled, the survivors near the Gap planned measures to drive the species out and take back the prisoners being fed on. The research on the Mundiis had continued on the meantime, eventually yielding a potent cognitoblight specifically designed to counteract Mundiis camouflage. The survivors mobilised their forces and put them on standby waiting for the signal to advance on the Mundiis.

Multiple Shifts were implanted with this information hazard and sent into known Mundiis hunting grounds, whereupon they possessed individuals of the species and begin broadcasting the cognitoblight to other Mundiis. In an event known as the Illumination, the majority of the species became infected with the cognitoblight, greatly amplifying their metaphysical presences and crippling their ability to blend into those of others. The moment this occurred, the mobilised forces of the Gap's survivors stormed the hunting grounds, erasing every illuminated Mundiis they could find while making a beeline for the the prisoners. As soon as all the prisoners were secured, the survivors launched a second advance, aimed at driving out the entirety of the species. Witnessing what had happened, the predators fortunate enough to not be illuminated retreated into the Liminal Gap.

This resounding success drove the survivors to formalise an organisation managing these infiltrators and gave them the title of Skintakers in recognition of their ability and triumph. Witnessing the success of the Skintakers, other surviving polities began trading for the technology to create them to use them for their own ends. For the rest of the Scattering, the Skintakers saw deployment to the edges of the Liminal and the regions surrounding them, infiltrating and destroying anomalous threats.

Near the end of the Scattering, the Skintakers were formally integrated into the newly formed Negentropic Union. The organisation saw extensive expansion in its numbers and scale of operations, being dispatched across the Weave Remnant and its frontiers.

Post-Scattering, one of the more notable Skintaker victories was achieved in the depths of the Liminal Gap. In an event known as the Breath of the Iron Bellows, a Skintaker team purged a cult worshipping a malignant entity, followed by the destruction of the entity's species. In the prelude to the event, individuals in a few Bound civilisations reported hearing the tolling of a large bell. Soon afterwards, the individuals in question were found deceased, with visible but no visible wounds. Metaphysically, however, the souls of the deceased were found to have been missing from the area. These incidents continued unabated, until a Skintaker visiting their Bound relatives happened upon them. Miruk, the visiting Shardbearer and Skintaker, noticed one of their family members missing and asked on what had happened to them. Their family explained what had happened to the missing member, with Miruk deciding to investigate. After an initial comb of their home's timeline yielded few clues, they decided to pursue other means of investigation. The timeline was relatively clear, yet what was responsible for the string of deaths was unclear due to a lack of spectres and a readily apparent source for the noise.

Miruk asked for testimonies by those who heard the tolling, and noticed several key elements; those who heard the tolling were taken over by a sudden insomnia, quickly accompanied by paranoia and delusions of being stalked. After an indeterminate amount of time, the victims simply dropped dead. Testimonies also indicated hallucinations of figures that were invisible to anyone who had not heard the tolling. Sketches by the deceased showed a spindly, almost arachnid entity being the one hallucinated.

Having gained a lead, Miruk started tracing the location of the deaths and the individuals who heard the bells. They found the source of the tolling in the hands of an unsteady and restless adolescent; a small, metallic bell of seemingly mundane bronze that nonetheless seemed difficult to perceive. Using a Shardbearer's naturally faint metaphysical presence to blend into their surroundings, Miruk followed the adolescent from a distance as they made their way back to their home. Watching from above their habitation block, Miruk waited for several minutes as the adolescent tossed and turned in their capsule, trying desperately to sleep. Miruk carefully observed with their own metaphysical senses and sensors, noticing a very faint spindly figure materialising a few metres away from the adolescent.

Immediately, Miruk used their Shardbearer abilities to instantly kill the creature. They then absorbed the entity's remains, reading through their memories to see what had transpired in the incidents and their prelude. In the memories, Miruk witnessed how the creature ripped out the souls of the inhabitants of their home, taking the disembodied spirits to a heaving iron cage in the shape of a ribcage and head. The souls were interrogated and asked questions, with refusal to do so being met with torture. As soon as a soul told a lie, they were incinerated. They watched as other species and civlisations were drained dry feeding the cage. With all this witnessed. Miruk made preparations to travel. Taking the bell with them, Miruk took on the form of the spindly entity and travelled to a nearby universe.

In the guise of the creature they killed, Miruk watched as others of its kind travelled to and from this reality while ferrying souls through several wormholes. Wanting to be thorough in their purge, Miruk retreated to another reality, contacting their peers and sending information of their find. After assembling a strike force, Miruk hunted down several other of the arachnid entities for their allies' use.

As soon as the force was assembled, Miruk gave the order to spread throughout the wormhole network and infiltrate the entire web. Miruk travelled on a route shown in their entity's memories make a beeline straight for the iron cage, dubbed the Cradle of Feasting by the arachnid entities. Just before entering, Miruk discreetly changed their disguise into that of a soul being fed to the being.

As they walked into the iron cage's maw, they made a series of statements to gather the information on the being's motivations in order to determine their course of action. Completely disregarding the prodding from the arachnid entities, Miruk made the statement that the Cradle could die. The cradle did not attempt to incinerate Miruk. They then made the statement that the Cradle was in possession of great knowledge it was willing to impart for a price. Again, Miruk was left untouched. Over the next couple of statements, the Cradle made no attempt at incineration; the statements being that the Cradle was a merciful and benevolent being, that it was objective in its answers, enjoyed its sacrifices and that it relished its sacrifices' suffering. Miruk then said that the Cradle would be willing to spare its sacrifices, resulting in Miruk being blasted by flame. Miruk then told their audience that the Cradle was afraid of the being inside it, eliciting another blast of flame. Miruk repeated the statement, but this time the Cradle made no attempt to incinerate Miruk.

Shedding their disguise and giving the signal to the strike force to commence the attack, Miruk reached through the cage, shattering the ribs and placing a hand through the Cradle's skull. In the first time since its birth, the Cradle physically moved, its skull hanging open in a silent scream while its spine spasmed back and forth. Miruk then proceeded to rip the being's soul out, erasing its body while they dissolved and absorbed its spirit. Reading through the memories, the Skintaker found multiple more Cradles being spawned in a pool while arachnid entities lifted them from the liquid.

While mopping up the remainder of the cult, Miruk shared the information with the rest of the strike force, some of whom retreated to equip themselves and their comrades with Unmaker weapons. Not allowing the shock of the first purge to subside, the freshly equipped Skintaker force were led to the Cradle's pools. In a matter of months, the rest of the arachnid entities and Cradles in the Liminal Gap had all but become extinct outside the few that surrendered. Miruk was promoted after this even, earning their place among the Skintaker high command.