The Darkness

The Darkness is a force of fundamental evil, the act of Creation perverted into death and despair. It is tied to the life force of Jackie Estacado, descended along an unbroken genetic line from father to son for millennia. It is a product of the twisted desire of the ancient and formidable Chthon, who seeks dominion over all life in the universe.

It is the great legacy of Chthon, a weapon created to oppose the ideologue of life known as Gaea. The Darkness takes no physical form; it is bound to the bearer's soul. It craves death, domination, and subjugation, and whispers constantly in the bearer's ear to indulge those vices. Many a damned soul has been sent to Hell for surrendering to those whispers. With the Darkness, the wielder can pervert the act of creation to make anything they wish, conjured of darkness and shadows. Weapons, armor; blades, guns, machines, minions, even intelligent creatures. It puts the bearer on par with the New Gods, granting tremendous physical strength and endurance. The bearer can heal from otherwise mortal wounds in moments, endure powerful blows, and needs not sleep, eat, or breathe.

The Darkness is weakened by light; the shadows it summons are mighty but brittle. Even a candle can hold the dark at bay. Magical flame and light purifies the effects of the dark corruption in moments.

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ExpandDark Origins

Shortly after the First Firmament shattered, many potent First Gods found shelter in the nascent structure of the still-sleeping Demiurge. Among the most potent of their numbers were Gaea and Chthon, brother and sister-- life and death, growth and decay, corruption and purity.

The community of these Elder Gods grew indolent and decadent. They raised entire civilizations up and brought them down to sup on their souls. They fought for power and territory, killing each other to attain the harmony of lesser spirits as they clawed for every scrap they could get.

Chthon reveled in the destruction; he saw a universe corrupted and bloated with decay, ripe for his absolute rule. Gaea, in despair, called out to other primal forces. She bonded with the nascent Demiurge and produced Atum, the God-Slayer; a merging with Destruction of the Endless created the weapon known as the Witchblade.

To counter Gaea, Chthon channeled his malevolence and hate into an idealogue of corruption and mire. It spread across the life-giving worlds, poisoning them. It threatened to corrupt the roots of Yggdrasil and either kill the Demiurge or turn it into a being of unparalleled malice. Atum interdicted, killing thousands of major and minor Powers. Chthon was forced to flee his nephew's flaming blade, and left The Darkness curled in a box in the blackest of pits under the Earth's soil to be found by a suitable host.