Pale Children

The Pale Children are a young race of quartz simulacra, forged by Netharna from quartz and magma and imbued with a soul. It is unknown if any true Pale Children settlements exist in the Nether, or if Netharna's play things are merely withering away in the horrific expanse of her realm. For any matter, no cohesive society of Pale Children can be observed and only mere individuals or warring parties are ever reported.

History
The Pale Children are quite the young race, created in recent memory by Netharna. They are exclusive to Templehelm and mostly keep to the Nether within which they were forged.

Templehelm
The Pale Children, while diverse in variety, have only taken two appearances in the land of Templehelm, outside of the embrace of Netharna's fire and netherrack.

1st Era
During the days when Lesh laid siege to Templehelm, a band of orks who called themselves the Squigoroth settled a sizable camp within the continent’s borders. The deity Netharna posed many obstacles to the clan, seeking to challenge their strength. Weeks after the chief Skaar’grim first landed the deity of fire opened a portal between her realm and Templehelm and sent an army of demons and hellspawn through in order to test the green brutes. As is to be expected, the orks defeated the invasion and even went so far as to go on the offensive- rampaging through the wastes on the other end of the portal. Netharna, suffice to say, was impressed. She offered her patronage to the orks and Skaar’grim refused, having already pledged himself and his tribe to Cavilon.

This event is what caused Netharna to mold the first of her Pale Children, those referred to colloquially in Templehlem as “Quorks” and as Alphas among other Pale Children. She drew of the quartz which lay buried in her domain and built minions of like mind and temperament to the Tuskans. These, then, were deployed against the orkish clan. Still, they were battered back into the portals from whence they came.

3rd Era
The end of the 3rd Era delivered the first Gamma beneath the sun of Templehelm. A larval Pale Child was taken by the Scourge of Mycelyix and imbued with false memories. Upon realizing this, they developed into a Gamma Pale Child and claimed the identity of "The Vessel". Until the end of the era, they relentlessly built up the fallen city of Blighthollow, fulfilling imperatives inherited from memories of the past.

Characteristics
All of the Pale Children are the color of quartz in their hair and skin with eyes that glow like the yellow stones of the nether. While they are artifice, this constructed people is of a similar- if not greater- complexity to biological creatures. Their bodies are cellular, like any other; however, the operation of their bodies differs greatly from that of organic peoples.

Circulatory System - Similar to the biological equivalent, this system is composed of a large pump and a massive network of veins and arteries. Rather than blood, the Pale Children circulate magma throughout their bodies- providing energy in the form of heat to individual cells. Additionally, netherrack-based masses at hubs of the system ensure that the magma never cools. The location of the pump varies by individual- to prevent vulnerability.

Digestive System - The digestive system of the Pale Children breaks down nutrients and minerals that the individuals consume, separating more useful items from junk that can be added to the magma flow.

Muscular and Skeletal System - Identical in form and function to the overworld equivalent.

Nervous System - Very similar approximation of the nervous system of overworld races.

Phylacterial System - The Pale Children possess an extra system which anchors the spiritual being of the individual in its body and allows it magical potential. The location of this system varies by individual- to prevent vulnerability.

Much of the phylacterial system is forged of soul sand- the spirits trapped in the grainy nether substance are reformed in the creation of this system into one, new, cohesive soul.

Nonexistent Bodily Systems - The Pale Children lack a respiratory system, reproductive system, lymphatic system, endocrine system, exocrine system and renal system.

The Pale Children do not reproduce and any new additions to the race are constructed by Gamma mages from materials gathered by the Deltas. Gammas are all feminine. The other castes are entirely masculine. Additionally, the Pale Children do not breath or produce hormones. Their hair and skin is purely for decoration and serves little real purpose other than to grant the creatures a semblance of biological nature.

Variations
Since the creation of the Alphas, Netharna has added variety to the Pale Children. When she saw that her orkish copies sank in water and floundered at combat in her brother Akwal’s domain she made the Betas; tall, gilled people which seem to be a combination between an Ichthy and a Merperson. They have the build, skin and hair (very thin filaments of quartz) of an Ichthy and the scaled fins of a Merperson. Their bodies have a strange interior of webbed filaments rather than a solid filling in order to maintain a lighter body than their Alpha brethren while still maintaining much of their structural integrity. Thirdly, Netharna created the Gammas- imitations of ‘Helmian Fae. They’re willowy creatures with slightly pointed ears- entirely feminine in appearance, these creatures make up just five percent of the population of the Pale Children. They are more intelligent, logical and magically adept than their Alpha and Beta brethren and they guide large parties of the other groups which are more suited for combat. Prior to the introduction of the Gammas, the Alphas and Betas lost many a confrontation due to simple incompetence. Realizing that her first two breed of children were created for war and her third for planning, Netharna carved out a fourth to labor for its siblings. The Deltas, as they are called, are small, compact creatures who are skilled at crafting, mining and building for the other castes. They are visibly similar to dwarves or gnomes.

Alphas
The strangeness of the stark white Ork at once both confuses and terrifies. The quork emanates a toughness and virility in its swift, powerful movements and it can seem almost animalistic- even in comparison to its overworld counterparts. Alphas stand at about 6’6” tall and can weigh 500-600 lbs. They are heavily muscled and their skin is rough and not easily broken. Alphas are completely hairless. Tusks peek out from their mouths, slightly smaller than a normal ork’s.

Betas
The Betas are odd variants to peer at, not quite like Ichthy and not quite like Merpeople. The Beta is quick and fidgety, and its fins seem awkward out of the water. Most Betas stand about 7 feet tall and weigh around 200 lbs. They’re made much lighter than the other castes due to the hollow structure of their bones and other areas which are primarily solid matter in the other castes. Additionally, they are muscled to a much lesser degree than the Alphas are and this helps to cut down on weight. Their skin is smoother, like a human’s. The Betas have prominent fins like a merperson and many have hair atop their heads.

Gammas
Their marble-skinned appearance make them look like the phantoms of native sorceresses and seers of old. Willowy and lithe, they move with artificial elegance, giving them a robotic aura. Gammas stand around 6 feet tall and weigh around 200 lbs. They lack any notable muscle, their skin is soft and they typically wear long hair atop their heads. The Gammas are feminine in build though any features which add to this aesthetic are nonfunctional. The nervous and phylacterial systems of the Gammas are developed to a far greater degree than those of Alphas, Betas and Deltas.

Deltas
The Delta are short, stolid and deliberate creatures. They move with an almost mechanical precision and operate tirelessly- often an eerie thing for an overworlder to witness. Standing at a maximum of 4 feet and weighing about 200-300 lbs., the Delta are a compact, hardy caste. Their skin is tough and they are well muscled. The Delta grow hair both atop their head and on the face, often yielding long, elaborately styled beards.

Notable Individuals
The Vessel

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