Neoshadows are strange entities native to a certain group of worlds. Visible light is anathematic to them; they can only survive in areas below a certain threshold of illumination. Any part of a neoshadow's body that is exposed to light above this threshold will steadily-disintegrate, its mass slowly being converted to radio waves; having small parts of their bodies illuminated is not immediately-dangerous, though any exposure results in loss of mass.
Neoshadows are entirely-amorphous, capable of changing shape at will. Their malleability is such that they can even change the texture of their body's surface, becoming slick, rough, or sticky as the situation warrants. When in a sufficiently-large dark area, neoshadows typically take the form of a grotesque humanoid.
Neoshadows can turn invisible at will when not illuminated, though being exposed to light above a certain threshold forces them to become visible. When visible, they appear to be composed of a black, tar-like substance.
Neoshadows have mass, which changes depending on how well-fed they are; however, they are typically very light, seldom weighing more than a few grams. This lack of mass restricts how much force they can apply to things normally, though attaching themselves to heavier objects (such as a person) increases the amount of force they can effectively exert. Despite being apparently-solid, they do not appear to have a set volume; they can expand or contract at will, though they do have a maximum volume that they cannot expand past and a minimum volume that they cannot become smaller than.
Neoshadows can consciously phase through solid matter below a certain density, though this appears to require a great deal of effort on their part. Flesh and wood can be passed through, though stone and metal typically prevent access.
Neoshadows feed on energy, being capable of absorbing any manifestation of energy that is not visible light and storing it as mass; UV, infrared, and even kinetic or thermal energy are all viable food sources. The stored mass is then used to fuel the neoshadow's movements. The absorption is not instantaneous, instead being restricted to a certain rate; a neoshadow cannot instantly bring an object to a stop by absorbing all of its kinetic energy.
Neoshadows often attach themselves to a living host for multiple reasons; the host provides a convenient, mobile shelter against light, and the neoshadow can leech thermal energy from the host's metabolic processes and kinetic energy as they move. Symptoms of a neoshadow infestation are coldness and increased appetite as well as weakness and sluggishness due to the neoshadow sapping their kinetic energy, though the latter becomes less-noticeable over time as the host's muscles adjust to the neoshadow's interference.
Neoshadows that have attached to a host will typically protect the host at all costs, presumably because the host is a convenient source of nourishment and shelter; additionally, though not truly sapient, neoshadows are reasonably-intelligent -- their intelligence level being comparable to that of a raven -- and it is likely that they develop an emotional attachment of sorts to their hosts. A neoshadow that has recently attached to a host will typically attack anyone who comes close, regardless of their intentions, though they usually become acclimatized to people eventually, and some particularly-docile specimens appear to allow people to approach immediately, without the need for acclimatization.
A single neoshadow inhabiting someone's body is not usually dangerous to their health, though multiple neoshadows infesting the same host can be lethal, as the host is not left with enough energy to sustain their life processes.
Neoshadows, despite their aversion to visible light, are capable of detecting the frequency and direction of electromagnetic radiation that strikes their bodies, allowing them to 'see' all around themselves, albeit with questionable resolution.
Neoshadows appear to hear by detecting vibrations along their bodies; the large contact area seems to allow them to determine the directions of incoming sounds with great accuracy, and they appear to navigate via echolocation. Additionally, they can vocalize by vibrating the surface of their body to produce sound waves. They possess some linguistic ability, being capable of forming associations between words and actively constructing meaningful sentences, though nuances such as plurals, tenses, or articles are beyond their comprehension.
Neoshadows reproduce via division; any portion of a neoshadow above a certain mass that is separated from the main body will develop its own intelligence and move of its own accord. Portions below the mass threshold remain inert, typically dissolving in the ambient light unless the neoshadow re-absorbs them. It is unknown whether neoshadows are capable of re-absorbing seperated pieces that have gained intelligence.
It's a bit weird, honestly :V I sort of wrote it like an SCP.
Incidentally, this does open up a third possibility for Rose's backstory, which is that she was abducted by Ballpoint and used as a live test subject, being deliberately-infected with a neoshadow for research purposes. After testing had concluded, Ballpoint wiped her memory and dumped her in a random backwater where she couldn't make trouble for them; her 'living shadow' would likely come off as schizophrenia to others, but someone who knew what a neoshadow was (i.e. Mr Frog) would likely realize its true nature immediately.
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Topic: [34.11] Spearbreakers - It shudders and begins to move (Read 2280271 times)