Aisling Shadow Hunger

by Gokuden Ishraki in Dark Ages

In my studies of the Sgrios religion, one aspect of their fervent worship astounds and amazes me, a condition I have dubbed the "Aisling Shadow Hunger Phenomena," or Shadow Hunger, (as the aforementioned title is a bit longwinded). Shadow Hunger, the act of claiming of an aisling's soul, is a "trait" seemingly passed down from Sgrios, the god of death, to his followers. As most aislings know, Sgrios feasts upon the souls of fallen, and through Shadow Hunger, his followers mimic this action on the living. The benefits for the worshipper that great, for it cause Sgrios' favor in them to rise, and the consumption of another’s' soul greatly adds to the ki of the follower that invokes the act. Using the magic Art of White Bat Kung Fu, I have witnessed Shadow Hunger "rages" first hand. I will now share with you some of my discoveries...

Dangerous Hunts

Dangerous hunt are like a festal board for those wrought with the Shadow Hunger, as in most cases, there are many deaths and many souls to consume. In a hunt in Astrid, I witnessed two young warriors fighting off hordes of kobolds as a goblin warrior, smelling the death in the air, came from deeper parts of that forsaken place. The goblin attacked the two warriors, and though skilled for their years, the warriors were overpowered, and the goblin's fury won over their armor. As the two warriors faced their last moments, a young male monk (whom would later be my primary study), appearing from nowhere, placed his prayer necklace on the ground and recited a chant to Sgrios. He then partook of their souls, one by one, gaining from each of their deaths ki and the fancy of his god. He then rummaged through their belongs, took their gold, and faded into nothing...

Another hunt gone wrong took place in the East Woodlands. A young female monk and a wizard were hunting wolves in the forest. The monk, capable in her own right, was fighting close combat with the stealthy weres, as the mage hit them from afar with magic. However, a few wolves emerged from the shadows and attacked the unsuspecting wizard. Overwhelmed, the mage cried for aid as he could feel his life force slipping. The young woman said something in a strange tongue, and another monk, the aforementioned young man, walked from the shadows and consumed the poor fellow's soul. He then bade farewell to his lover, and disappeared again into the brush.

Finally, a hunt in the Mileth Crypts showed me the depths of what the Hunger can do to an aisling. My subject and another monk went into the crypts in search of scorpion stings, a most valued prize among young monks. The two engaged the beast in combat, fighting valiantly until the other monk fell, dying from the scorpion's poison. He begged his partner for help, but my subject just laughed at him. He then placed his necklace on the ground and recited a chant to Sgrios, sending his partner to his god. He then finished off the scorpion, took the gold of his brother, and disappeared into nothing...

Sgrios Summons

Sgrios summons and the Shadow Hunger were perfectly designed for each other, as the dubhiamids' hunger for destruction runs parallel to a worshiper's hunger for souls. Two incidents stand out in my mind when I try to ponder of this way one indulges his hunger.

While walking through the town of Undine, I witnessed a young rouge shining gems in an alley. The young monk passed the alley, and whispered in an archaic tongue, and soon the area was filled with many horrible creatures. As the dubhiamid tore at the rouge's flesh, the young monk placed his necklace on the ground and recited a chant to Sgrios. He tore the soul from the rouge's body, chuckled, and vanished after taking the jewels. Knowing that such beasts were out of place in Undine, I knew that it was a Sgrios summon, and that he called them forth. The coldness of the murder, shocking as it was, caused me to chuckle as well.

Though Sgrios worshippers seem to be a solitary lot, on occasion, they come together to wreak large-scale devastation, which contributes greatly to satisfying the Hunger of many Sgrios members at once. Like a mother delivering food to her young, an older member of Sgrios Faith will perform a massive summon of demons, creatures so foul that even the dubhiamid tremble in their presence, such as the East Woodland event propagated by Lord MaX at the beginning of the Year of Sgrios in Deoch 9. During the chaos, many of the brave souls who fought the monstrosities died, and from the shadows, young Sgrios worshipers relished in the rampant death around them, including that young male monk.

Unexplainable Hideous Rituals

The most twisted rituals involving the Shadow Hunger are also the most perplexing...

Some aislings, though curiosity, love of a mate, or other secret reasons willingly give themselves to a member of Sgrios to appease his hunger. One incident, involving my study, took place in the Mileth Crypts. He and a beautiful young warrior walked, side by side, into the depths. Upon reaching the third floor, the young woman proceed to remove her clothing, giving her precious items to the monk for safekeeping. Sensing her defenselessness, centipedes and demon bats emerged and swarmed her body, killing her in moments. The monk then placed his necklace on the ground, and recited the chant to Sgrios, claiming her soul. He then killed all the beasts then stood as if patiently waiting for something. Time passed, then the young woman came down the stairs, having receiving new flesh from Sgrios. He then gave her back her possessions, and the two exited the crypts, hand in hand.

Another ritual among Sgrios members suffering from Shadow Hunger is the brutal contest Shinmatae, which in common tongue translates to "The True Fight." Members of all Paths compete in contest of mortal combat, the winner claming the soul of his fallen opponent. Contestants are grouped by level of insight, so at to make both the fight and the reward of ki equal among combatants. The dueling aislings then summon demons, an act which destroys Daanan's control over the aisling soul, and allows men to harm each other physically. The contestants then claim each other’s soul, and fight a battle to the death.

The final act, almost to bizarre in nature to describe, takes place once again in the Mileth Crypts. A large congregation of Sgrios worshipers, usually after a mass, gathers in the Crypts. Many enter, with nothing but ragged clothes, torn blouses, and the prayer necklace of Sgrios. Then, in a sick orgy of death, they proceed to claim each other’s souls and kill one another. As they are revived, by other followers in the Deoch temple in Suomi, they continue the self mutilation, slaughter, and suicide until everyone present has partaken of the soul of everyone else, and through massive consumption of souls the overall faith of the group is exponentially increased.

These are but a few of my many observations into the world of the Sgrios Religion involving Shadow Hunger. Seeing such lengths the followers of this religion go to appease their god and satisfy their own dark appetites has proven to me that Sgrios' control over his servants is strong, and his hunger all-consuming. With those final words, I end this tome, for now I must feed again...

Gokuden Ishraki

The Aforementioned Young Male Monk....