Maj Space: Durin - Dargold (1st draft)

What do people think of this proposed addition to the Durin spec
for Maj Space?

People said that classical 'Martian' novels should be consulted!
[grin]


Dargold - 05/Aug/06

What no one seems to have noticed yet, or if so they are keeping
quiet, so that it is not general knowledge, is that there are far
more people living in the Maj colonies on Durin than actually
arrived from Maj.  Maybe twice as many.  These people seem to
perfectly blend in, to anything short of True Sight, and are in
fact Dargold, the supposedly original native people of Durin.

The Dargold are perfect mimics, in many respects too good mimics
for their own health, as they completely lose themselves in the
role that they take on.  They typically become the perfect
partner that someone has always been looking for, with just
enough courtship to be credible.  If they have children with a
non-Dargold partner then the child is perfectly healthy, but has
none of the Dargold race's characteristics, except for possibly
being more empathic.  Dargold are as fertile with non-Dargold as
is normal for their apparent race.  As their partner grows older,
typically so do they, but unless the partner actively wishes that
they die before them, then after their death they can usually
slip away into a new role.  Unless, of course, there are
children, or even grandchildren, who need them...

Another possibility is that they can become a child that was
lost, but they will never grow up, unless this is expected of
them.  Occasionally they have wound-up as a visiting long-lost
aunt, who then never goes away.  Or, at their most distant from
any one individual, an ancient and wise neighbour, who everyone
local goes to for advice, and calls 'Granny'.

This is one reason that the Dargold, though theoretically as
immortal a race as the highest elves, are dying out, but they
find it very difficult to resist the attraction of new peoples,
and new cultures, this being a very strong addiction amongst
them.  They are not any more fertile, among their own kind, than
elves.  Their own culture is a deceptively simple one, apparently
hunter-gatherer, with some basic agriculture, but in fact making
very efficient use of the sparse resources of Durin.

Dargold, living among non-Dargold, who cannot bind themselves to
one being who has a clear idea of who they should be, can be in
considerable danger.  If faced by multiple people who all want
them to be different they can find themselves flicking from one
shape to another, one personality to another, and the strain of
this can kill them.  Even though they can normally only change
shape when no one's attention is on them even this can break-down
if too many people know their secret, and focus their desires on
them at once.  This break-down will almost certainly cause rapid
death.

Dargold will retain their assumed shape, as long as they still
live, even if asleep or deeply unconscious, but on death return
to their own form.  This has resulted in a few very shocked
families, if the Dargold has not managed to make proper
arrangements for their death (other Dargold will typically be
very accomodating), and a few quick cremations or closed-coffin
funerals.  There are a few, very rare, diseases that afflict
Dargold, and the most magical and rarest forces them to return to
their own form, permanently, and usually kills them.  If needed
for their roles Dargold will catch diseases, and if it is
expected of them, die.

No more than half of any group will be Dargold, as this will
dilute the culture they seek to experience too much.  In a group
which contains non-Dargold the Dargold will not be attracted to
their own, though they will in general be polite and try get on
with other Dargold, if they can fit this into their required
role.  Even though the next generation have no obvious Dargold
characteristics, the Dargold don't find them so attractive,
though they might marry them due to social pressures, and by the
third generation there is no further attraction, though any
Darkgold already snared by the culture will likely remain, unless
forced out.

If the proportion of any group is nine-tenths Dargold or more
then the Dargold will not change shape, for example when there
are visitors to their tribes, but individual members may be
seduced into following visitors, usually to be sucked into their
culture.

A very few Dargold learn the strength and discipline to control
first their own minds and personalities, and possibly later their
shapes, but these skills are only acquired after a great deal of
work, which will involve taking the risk of interacting with
non-Dargold.  Generally this development only goes smoothly with
the assistance of some understanding non-Dargold, who preferably
have a great deal of mental discipline themselves.


Dargold Legends and History

One theory about the origin of the Dargold is that they were the
elf-like races who built the glass or stone structures, which are
the little that remain of that time.  The Dargold themselves
claim to not know for sure.  It is suggested that they nearly
destroyed themselves, but on the final brink changed their very
natures, so that they would fit in with others, as they purged
the 'waters of emnity' from their entire race.  As with many such
great transformations, things did not go exactly as planned, and
while all seemed to work initially, they had in fact become too
adaptive.

A few dwarves and gnomes shipwrecked on Durin led to Dargold
finding that they could completely fit in, becoming the perfect
required dwarves or gnomes, and some of those original Dargold
still live among the clans, as honoured elders.

A crashed ship of hobgoblins, with ogre slaves, led to more
losses, but still the novelty wore off, after a generation or so,
and the remaining Dargold managed to stick to their own peaceful
lives, slowly building up their numbers again.  Again, a few of
the original Dargold still wander with the hobgoblins or ogres,
and are accorded the stature of legendary elders, though the
Dargold accomodating personality means that they are not leaders,
at most advisors.

-- 
Dreamer
dreamer@??????.?????.??.uk
http://www.romsys.demon.co.uk/