Netherkind
Netherkind are entities associated with Dark Energy, Rathsern, and the Nether. In both religious tradition and modern scholarship, they are commonly described as things neither fully alive nor fully dead, formed from or sustained by Dark Energy rather than the natural Light-sustained life of Mundus. Their oldest known manifestations on Mundus are nocturnal, but in the current era increasingly powerful and varied forms have begun appearing in broader numbers as the world's Light declines and Dark Energy surges.
Origins
According to Aetherian tradition, the Netherkind were first fashioned by Rathsern, the Cursed One, after he turned against the works of the Four. Ancient accounts describe them as his "children", creatures born of bitterness, Dark Energy, and the unmaking of life. The gods are said to have later bound the Netherkind to darkness, preventing them from roaming freely beneath the full light of day, before sealing Rathsern and his realm away within the Nether.
Though the exact nature of their creation remains debated, nearly all surviving traditions agree on two points: Netherkind are tied intrinsically to Dark Energy, and their existence is inseparable from the history of Rathsern and the Nether.
History
Early manifestations
Netherkind have existed on Mundus for as long as reliable records have survived. The earliest commonly documented forms were the kind that appeared at night in the wilds beyond settlement boundaries. In those older centuries, they were dangerous but generally manageable, and city guards were usually considered sufficient protection so long as settlements remained vigilant after dark.
After the War of Grief
Following the War of Grief, Netherkind activity appears to have intensified. Surviving accounts from the age of Saint Niam record the use of Netherkind summoning in open warfare, including the horde unleashed against St. Stylinson's defenders during the war's final days. In the generations that followed, stronger urban defenses became more common, including higher city walls and improved street lighting intended to reduce the risk of Netherkind materializing within population centers.
After the War of the Empires
After the War of the Empires, Netherkind were observed to have grown stronger still. Their increasing lethality, combined with the growing inadequacy of conventional walls and guard patrols, eventually drove engineers and scholars toward more advanced solutions. Roughly a century after that war, Directionland successfully developed protective forcefields powered by concentrated Light Energy. These forcefields were then installed in major settlements, creating the now-familiar forcefield tower network used to keep Netherkind out during the night.
The precise reason for this long-term escalation remains unknown.
Current era
In the present crisis, Netherkind manifestations have entered a new and more dangerous phase. Dark Fissures have begun opening across Mundus, swallowing people, corrupting their surroundings, and disgorging hostile creatures. At the same time, Netherkind believed to originate more directly from the Nether itself have started appearing on Mundus in greater numbers. This change is widely associated with the severe drop in ambient Light Energy and the corresponding rise in Dark Energy.
Known forms
Netherkind do not all share a single body plan or origin. The term is used broadly for several related classes of dark entities.
Nocturnal Mundus manifestations
These are the oldest widely recorded Netherkind on Mundus: night-spawning creatures that materialize in darkness or in regions where Dark influence is strong. Early chronicles often treat them as the "common" Netherkind threat faced by travelers, farmers, and city guards.
Transformed beings
Some Netherkind appear to originate from previously living mortals who have been corrupted by Darkblight, prolonged Dark exposure, or occult intervention. Modern Darkblight research notes that extreme late-stage cases may end in grotesque transformation akin to lower-order Netherkind, or in the creation of mindless husk-like entities drawn to Light. This category likely includes certain corrupted hosts, blighted vessels, and beings whose former identities are only partly retained.
Skeletal and bone-born forms
Another recurring type consists of animated skeletal beings or other bone-formed constructs sustained by Dark Energy. Some are thought to arise naturally in places of heavy corruption, while others are suspected to be the result of deliberate summoning or occult manipulation.
Pure Netherkind
So-called "pure" Netherkind are beings made almost entirely of Dark Energy rather than transformed flesh and bone. These forms are most strongly associated with the Nether itself and are often described as more grotesque, unstable, or destructive than the older nocturnal varieties known on Mundus. The best-known example is the Ghast, a floating horror capable of wailing, hovering, and launching explosive fireballs. Piglins, sometimes called the "Golden Children", are also associated with the Dark One's higher Nether-born ranks.
Materialization and behaviour
Netherkind are most commonly linked to darkness, corrupted terrain, Dark fissures, ritual summoning, and areas where Light Energy has collapsed. Many appear instinctively hostile to living beings and to Light-consecrated spaces. Others seem to be directed or strengthened by outside agents, particularly summoners, cultists, or greater powers tied to Rathsern.
They vary greatly in intelligence. Some behave as little more than predatory dark constructs, while others appear capable of memory, speech, hierarchy, or long-term purpose.
Countermeasures
Historically, the main protections against Netherkind have included:
- armed city guards and patrols
- walls, gates, and controlled night access
- stronger street lighting and other anti-materialization measures
- sanctums and other Light-consecrated spaces
- forcefield towers powered by concentrated Light Energy
In modern scholarship, Netherkind are also studied in relation to Darkblight, since advanced corruption can produce Netherkind-like outcomes and because areas rich in Light remain one of the few known means of slowing Dark progression.
Notable cases
- Saint Niam's wartime horde remains one of the oldest well-documented examples of Netherkind used in organized battle.
- Groggle is a rare recorded example of a Netherkind later purified into a Munduskind by Duke Cedric of Kingsvalley.
- Recent Dark Fissure events have produced corrupted Netherkind in multiple regions of Mundus.
- The attack on St. Stylinson during Crowley's betrayal demonstrated that large-scale Netherkind incursions into major settlements are no longer confined to older patterns of isolated night activity.
Scholarly uncertainty
Many important questions remain unresolved. Scholars and clergy continue to debate what precisely causes Netherkind to grow stronger across the centuries, why the current age has seen such a dramatic increase in Nether-born manifestations, and whether all Netherkind are ultimately variations of the same phenomenon or merely related expressions of Dark Energy under different conditions.
What is clear is that Netherkind are no longer merely a rural nighttime hazard. In the current era, they are one of the principal existential threats facing Mundus.