| Darkling | |
|---|---|
 | |
| Vital statistics | |
| Alias | Demon Familiar |
| Status | Active |
| Relatives | Darkness (Creator) |
| Location | |
| First Appearance | |
A Darkling is a creature conjured by the Darkness to act as its emissaries in the material world; typically manifesting as an extension of the psyche of whichever host is carrying the power at the time. Coming in a seemingly endless variety and in similarly endless numbers, Darklings are the foot soldiers of Darkness bearers; bound to their will and possessing only varying degrees of autonomy according to the desires of the Darkness itself - even if it means usurping their current wielder.
Unlike Angelus Warriors - who take time and energy to fashion and bring to life; often over a year to create even one - Darklings can be conjured by the dozens or more on a whim by their host. This gives the Darkness an immediate advantage against its nemesis as its host has the benefit of far superior numbers despite his greater sensitivity to light.
Despite their typical appearance as demonic imps or serpentine beasts, Darklings can evolve in accordance to their host’s mastery of the Darkness; becoming noticeably more aggressive and bulkier while also being able to act more independently of their wielder by instinctively knowing what he wants them to do even without him telling or directing them. Darklings have also been seen to merge together in order to grow into a stronger construct such as a dragon or a hydra.
Attributes[]
- Preternatural Strength: Although this is largely according to the size of the Darkling, with the bigger ones being far more powerful than their smaller brethren, Darklings on average - even the more impish ones - possess enough heightened strength to throw a car as well as chew through human flesh and bone with ease. The more serpentine Darklings have been known to constrict around their prey like a boa and crush them in moments as well as pierce through their chest cavity completely. Their strength is best measured in how they attack the similarly superhumanly strong and durable Angelus Warriors; being able to slaughter them either individually in their smaller form or en masse in their larger forms.
- Enhanced Durability: Darklings have been seen to survive otherwise lethal injuries such as gunfire to the head and impalement through their torsos without any apparent discomfort. Curiousy, they’ve never been shown to be able to regenerate from injuries the same way their hosts can, leaving it to be assumed that they return to the shadows to recover before being summoned again. A few more evolved Darklings have been seen to have their own version of the Darkness armor, presumably granting them the same level of resistance to common weapons as their wielder.
- Shadow Travel: Like their host, Darklings can traverse almost instantaneously through shadows; bending space by entering an otherworldly sub-dimension and moving through it like a network or web where every heavily shaded area in the vicinity is accessible to them. Because they are born purely from the Darkness’ own essence, Darklings use this ability instinctually and more prolifically than their host; able to manifest en masse from any shadow under their wielder’s influence or even through a black hole should their master be skilled enough in shadow-melding.
- Hive Telepathy: All Darklings share a mental connection to each other and their host; able to see and hear through his eyes and vice versa and well as hear his commands in their minds. This connection can evolve to such a degree that Darklings act on their host’s subconsciousness; instinctively knowing what their host wants from them just as the idea enters his head. It’s also common for Darklings to enter their host’s dreams to communicate with them on a deeper level; imparting knowledge of the Darkness and its intentions for the host.
Limitations[]
- Strong Light - Darklings are vanquished by strong light.
- Sun Dagger - Darklings can be killed by the Sun Dagger.
- Hosts of The Darkness - Hosts of The Darkness can kill Darklings with ease; making their heads explode just by snapping their fingers. In addition, if a host dies from having sex, so do his Darklings.
- Witchcraft - Aram was able to create a spell that nullified any Darkness-borne material or being within 10 feet of his presence. Darklings cannot attack Aram as they will be vanquished instantly by his anti-Darkness magic.
- Decapitation - Decapitation can be used to stop a Darkling.
- Spear of Destiny - The Spear of Destiny can be used against Darklings. When used against merged Darklings it makes them involuntarily disperse.