Tenebris

Tenebris are a race of beings native to the Shadowlands, an area within the Shadow Region of Purgatory. The Shadowlands are particularly dark and Isolated even for the Shadow Region of Purgatory. Tenebris were only discovered recently by the Legion, when a microgate opened in a small village, the inhabitants were saved by the Sunraisers, at the time led by Daylen Invictus. Daylen would tragically lose his life when the Sunraisers mounted a rescue operation into the Microgate. During this incident, several Tenebris were captured, allowing the Legion to study the creatures in a controlled environment.

Shadowlands
The Shadowlands have no been explored in depth though it is widely agreed upon that their would not be much to find. The most visually distinct feature of the Shadowlands is the complete and utter lack of visibility. The Shadowlands is completely and perpetually shrouded in darkness. There is no sign of any sun, moon, or other natural light source anywhere within the region. This darkness is clearly supernatural, as the darkness also seems to slowly sap any source of energy within it's confines. This ranges from mundane sources such as torches and candles, but also saps the energy of awakened individuals, and would likely kill a normal human in a matter of minutes. This process is slow but poses enough of a risk that it is one of several reasons that a long term expedition into the Shadowlands has yet to occur. The Shadowlands show little to no sign of architecture, though the Sunraisers did report seeing what could have been ruins, though they were unable to make any kind of detailed report on the matter due to the brevity of their excursion.

Legion Study of the Tenebris
The Tenebris are the only known inhabitants of The Shadowlands. They have many different forms and stages, but there are a few key traits that all Tenebris seem to share. They all possess a ravenous hunger, greedily absorbing any energy they can from their surroundings. Tenebris seem to be able to subsist on a wide variety of substances. The most basic and numerous of the creatures seem satisfied just by absorbing ambient Sunlight, while more advances stages will actively seek out more intense sources of power. Stage 1 Tenebris that are left to bask in the sun will reproduce, splitting in a method very similar to mitosis. Should a Tenebris be exposed to anything that gives it too much power to consume in too short a time, it will undergo a kind of metamorphosis before later attempting to split should the level of energy they are exposed to be maintained. Any Tenebris that metamorphizes demonstrates considerably enhanced physical and mental capacity, and seems to gain greater definition to their physical form. One transformed, Tenebris do not revert to earlier stages, even when starved. Starved Tenebris do regress, but this regression only seems to be mental, and greater quantities of energy are required for the upkeep of the minds of more advanced Tenebris.

Stage 1 Tenebris
Stage 1 Tenebris appear as little more than translucent balls of black smoke. Some hover through the air, while others glide across the ground. Like all Tenebris, they create a slight warping and darkening of their air around them as they absorb and consume any ambient light that may be in the area. Stage 1 Tenebris are practically indistinguishable due to their lack of physical definition. Individually, Stage 1s are of little danger do anything but an average human. While it is possible to physically pass through a Stage 1 due to their wispy nature, doing so can be quite dangerous. Stage 1s can absorb energy with deceptively exceptional speed, and can drain a human of their life force in a matter of moments, usually resulting in a metamorphosis. This absorption also seems quite effective against attacks generated by awakened individuals, and Stage 1s require far more effort to be destroyed by non-physical attacks than their diminutive stature would imply. Physical attacks are very effective however. A Stage 1s barely cohesive form can be disrupted with enough force, such that any trained awakened individual should be able to easily generate sufficient force to disperse it's smoky form. Should a Stage 1 be dispersed across too wide an area this way, it's body will simply evaporate into the air, which seems to kill the creature. Caution should be expressed, as prolonged contact could allow a Stage 1 to siphon sufficient energy to evolve and/or kill the one touching it outright.

As previously mentioned, Stage 1s are of little threat to more than individual humans. They seem to possess no intelligence beyond a basic survival instinct, and some form of sensory ability that guides them to the nearest source of energy to feed upon. Stage 1s tend to focus more on finding sustainable sources of energy to quickly reproduce, rather than seeking higher volumes of power. It does not take much for a Stage 1 to evolve, with the death of a single human, or even focusing the natural rays of the Sun through a lens seeming sufficient to trigger their transformation.

Stage 2 Tenebris
Stage 2 Tenebris are more defined in their physical form, but not to a massive degree. Still rather small, they are rarely greater than the size of a young child. Their sizes are usually that of small, black creatures of various design. They can be bipedal, quadrupedal, or lack limbs entirely and float through the air. All seem to display eyes, with few other facial features. If properly sustained, a Stage 2 seems to have similar levels of intelligence to a young wild animal. They are able to recognize other members of their species, and seem to recognize authority, as they will follow the lead of the strongest member of their race in their vicinity. Unlike Stage 1s which seek to absorb energy constantly, Stage 2s seem to be able to store some energy, only needing periodic rather than constant sustenance. While sustained, they show no inherent hostility toward humans, though they are not particularly friendly. While more visibly distinct, Stage 2s are still not completely physical. It is possible to move one's arm through one of the creatures (preferably when the creature is not hungry), though there is resistance almost like pushing one's arm though a viscous liquid. This process seems to confuse the creatures more than harm them, but like the Stage 1s, sufficiently dispersing their physical forms is enough to kill the creatures.

Stage 2s are physically more capable than Stage 1s. They are very strong for their size, and a single individual could easily overpower an adult human, and groups could likely give lower level Awakened people a difficult time. While sated, they are very docile, almost inactive. When starved, Stage 2s become ravenous, and will violently seek out any source of sustenance. These violent outbursts have a single exception in that Stage 2s will never turn on each other, even if one is fed while the rest in a group are starved, they will instinctively hunt together to sustain the rest of the pack.

Stage 3 Tenebris
Stage 3 Tenebris are of great interest. They possess far greater intelligence than any of their younger counterparts, and have a far greater variety of physical appearances. The appearance of a Stage 3 will vary greatly depending on what was consumed in order to trigger than evolution. One fed energy directly from a legionnaire or other human source will become vaguely humanoid in appearance, with particularly advanced Stage 3s almost looking like Silhouettes of their donors. They can also have non-human appearances. If fed a beast or mana core, their shape will resemble that of the creature the core was taken from. If exposed to a great source of natural energy, they will look like Silhouettes of elemental creatures, sporting pitch black flames, vines, or waves around their bodies. Stage 3s are far more intelligent than Stage 2s. Rather than simply being content when full, they will actively seek out sources of power so that they can assure future sustenance. They seem to recognize humans, and some have shown understanding of human language. Those whose transformation was triggered by a human source are particularly adapt, even capable of very basic writing in some cases. This level of intelligence can requires a great deal of energy to maintain, and Stage 3s show one very interesting personality trait. If there is not enough energy to sustain them all, they will prioritize an individual, trusting that if one of them is left capable, it will find sources to restore the others. They will even siphon energy from themselves, further reducing their own intelligence to keep their designated leader functioning. Stage 3s bodies are far more physical than the previous stages, and they can not be passed through even with effort, being as physically solid as a human. This solidity seems malleable, as they seem able to phase through physical objects at will. This phasing is limited, and they can not pass through completely solid objects, requiring some small opening so they can squeeze through.

Stage 3s vary in strength quite a bit, usually depending on the source of their evolution, though all are formidable. Their capabilities ranged from Enhanced to Superhuman levels, though the upper echelon of them has shown the capability to dip into Champion level capabilities if given sufficient material for evolution. Due to the more physical nature of their bodies, they are impeded far more by injury than their earlier forms. Though they do possess regenerative abilities, able to sacrifice excess energy to reform their bodies, sacrificing their intelligence to maintain their lives if need be. Should a sustainable means of maintaining their intelligence be discovered, with proper training and instruction, Stage 3s could likely serve as soldiers, though this idea has been met with much scrutiny.

Stage 4 Tenebris
Stage 4 Tenebris are extremely difficult to produce as extremely dangerous to study. Their formation requires a core from a particularly powerful monster, or subjecting a Stage 3 to a great deal of energy from a powerful Legionnaire, falling into a difficult equilibrium of enough power to trigger the transformation without killing the Tenebris or the Legionnaire. Stage 4 Tenebris like their predecessors can have a variety of shapes but seem to prefer humanoid ones, regardless of their source of their power. Despite this preference, they are capable of shaping their physical form in various ways to achieve various tasks. Regardless of the shape of their bodies, Tenebris are always still pitch black in appearance, with few discernable facial features. Stage 4 Tenebris display levels of intelligence on par with that of some humans, and those whose power source was a human or another intelligent creature can beyond the intelligence of many humans. A Tenebris of sufficient Pedigree can be downright brilliant, geniuses by human standards. For a very short time. A Stage 4 Tenebris requires such extreme amounts of energy intake to maintain their sentience that it is simply not feasible in most situations. A Stage 4 can slow it's degradation by intaking any energy it can find, but it will almost inevitably regress eventually. The greater the intelligence, the less time it remains. With energy that can be reasonably acquired without killing and consuming incredibly powerful people or monsters, a Stage 4 can maintain it's sentience anywhere from a few weeks to mere hours. Stage 4s display a very interesting trait when on the brink of losing themselves, they split. Much like a Stage 1 they split themselves into 2 physically identical copies. These copies will be weaker and of lesser intelligence, but will be able to sustain themselves longer. Eventually any Stage 4 will go insane and turn completely feral in it's attempts to satisfy it's ravenous hunger.

Stage 4s, intelligent or not, are extremely dangerous. While they have the widest gradient when it comes to strength, by their nature they are all incredibly powerful. The level of their physical capabilities will be largely dependent on the source of their Evolution. The process that triggers this evolution seems to magnify the power in some way as it interacts with and molds the Tenebris' body, usually resulting in creatures that surpass the source of their creation. As a result, a Stage 4 could conceivably be a match for all but the best Legionnaires, depending on where it's power came from. Their abilities extend far beyond their physical capabilities however. A Stage 4 will display supernatural powers that seem to mimic any unique traits or awakened abilities the source of their power possessed. These abilities will always manifest in shadowed versions of that which they mimic, and will inherent the Tenebris own ability to absorb energy, with a particular effectiveness against energy sources similar to the attacks own nature. Intelligent or not, Stage 4 Tenebris pose an extreme threat, and all efforts should be taken to prevent any of their number from existing.

Further Stages?
It is very possible that some higher stage of Tenebris exists if they manage to consume some currently unknown greater level of power. Though given the threat that Stage 4s can pose individually, and that lower stages can pose in numbers, there have been no attempts at creating a hypothetical Stage 5 or greater Tenebris, should such a thing even exist.

History of the Shadowlands
The Tenebris and the Shadowlands were spawned from a being known to the Tenebris simply as "The Father", and with others he uses the name Aleph. Aleph lived prior to the separation of Purgatory from the Valiant Sphere, and was left stranded in the Shadow Region of Purgatory after it's separation. Aleph, being the primordial Tenebris, quickly found himself lacking for sustenance in his new home, and began spreading his influence across the ground and through the air, allowing him subsist on anything that passed into his sphere on influence, creating the fledgling form of the Shadowlands. As Aleph grew older he had to expand the Shadowlands further and further until the stress of maintaining it began to outweigh the energy he would gather from it. Aleph began to slowly drift toward insanity until he instinctively split off part of himself. This process weakened him, and causes several blank spots to form in Aleph's memory, but it slowed his degeneration to a crawl.

The pieces that split off from Aleph eventually formed into humanoid creatures very similar in shape to Aleph himself. The Damage to Alephs memories had come from memories of dozens to hundreds of animals, monsters, and people Aleph had consumed to survive over the decades. This caused what would come to be known as the First Generation to each become very different individuals as they grew into their shapes. While they were able to live comfortably for some time, eventually the degeneration of the mind that plagues all Tenebris began to slowly wear down the First Generation just as it had Aleph. The First Generation had children of their own, and this cycle repeated for decades.

Eventually, the balance Aleph and his children had held was broken. One Tenebris of the Fourth Generation was too frightened to break off pieces of himself, and waited much too long. Madness took this one, known now in the histories of the Tenebris only as "The Wretch" for his act of hiding his own dying mind. Eventually his mind regressed to the point that it could not be hidden, and he became little more than a while beast. Several of his elders and generation brothers restrained him, and attempted to split him forcibly, in hopes of restoring his mind. They instead created something new and terrible. The creatures split off from The Wretch had no form, and reproduced constantly in the presence of the slightest form of sustenance. Despite their efforts to eradicate them all, several of these creatures escaped the borders of the Shadowlands.

The Feral Tenebris multiplied exponentially and swept across areas of the Shadowlands like plague. While the tide was eventually halted, those who had been beset considered this, along with the Shadowlands ever growing border, to be an act of war. When Aleph's pleas for parley were ignored, more feral beats were torn from The Wretch's body and unleashed against their enemies in great waves. As the creatures fought, some of them evolved, mirroring traits of the people they killed. Aleph found that while these creatures lacked any signs of advanced intelligence they would follow orders without hesitation if they came from himself, or any of the stronger among his children. Even with these measures the battle was a slow, bloody, losing affair for Aleph and his people. Eventually the assailing forces decided rather than taking the time needed to exterminate the Tenebris, that they would lock them away.

Eventually, the Shadowlands were surrounded on all sides, and a dome of pitch black began to encompass it. Despite their best efforts, the Tenebris found themselves sealed away completely from the outside world, with any outside of the barrier when it formed being slaughtered. Aside from the physical barrier, the Shadowlands became completely devoid of any and all light, and Aleph and his people began to slowly die. New generations were formed more and more quickly with the Tenebris having nothing to sustain themselves. Eventually, the Tenebris reached a point where they could survive for several years between generations, though this left the vast majority of them greatly weakened from their primes. The Shadowlands could still pull a miniscule amount of energy in, that was used to sustain Aleph and key members of the older generations. The Tenebris able to sustain their minds became known as the Unseen Court, the governing body of a dying people in a lightless land.