Splinters of my soul CUT THROUGH YOUR SKIN

Shellings are the raw concentrated energies that the Nothingness sloughs off its being. Shellings themselves aren’t inherently sentient. They are not born, nor do they live or physically exist: they are often times physical manifestations of, but sometimes directly are abstract concepts that are lost to the multiverse almost as soon as they’re thrust from the Nothingness. However, on occasion, there are such heavy concentrations of a concept that it begins to manifest itself into a being. It could be organic; that is, the shelling itself could mould into a shape and form over thousands of years and create new life out of pure concentrated concept. Or, it could come from possession: say, a mother who has known great loss. If she has known enough loss, and finds herself lost not just to the Nothingness through any of the Five Deaths, but also lost to the concept of her grief, she may be reborn as something entirely new. No longer a mother who grieves, but a mother borne of despair, and thus drawn to become a Hunter. The same applies to any of the shellings cast off: hope, will, faith, prosperity, wisdom, magic, and justice. The rarest of shelling is love, for love hardly escapes the Nothingness in such extremes.

While difficult, it is also possible for a shelling to “switch” from any of the major overarching concepts expelled by the Nothingness. It takes a greater concentration of the new shelling concept than the previous one. The same mother, borne of despair, could discover a horror so great she can do nothing but force herself to have hope for the future, thus trading in her despair for hope. She is then said to have “fallen prey to the taste of” hope. A child once borne of despair, now torn asunder and completely reshaped in hope’s eyes. It is a whole system-shock, something so deeply profound one cannot help but face the Five Deaths once more, but, then again, it often is quite damaging when one discovers something so life changing.

Though each individual is unique, there are many traits a Shelling may have. Most are particularly related to their role in the universe, and many cannot fight their certain shelling type’s instinctual nature and must obey their “stereotype,” as it were.

Hunters are those borne of despair. Hunters travel through light and seek out those like them. They are drawn to despair like starving wolves to a bleeding elk and have no qualms with chasing the elk to its last waking moments. They see nothing but the despair, but through that, they find power and courage. Hunters seek to help alleviate those suffering and force them to rise through their suffering and empowering themselves to become more, better, stronger, greater. As noble as they may be, it is unfortunate that the only thing misery loves is company. Many times Hunters get so caught up in their own desire to see people thrive that they will torment and warp those suffering in despair until they become a Hunter or end their lives and join the Nothingness. The individual is always far more important than the greater good for Hunters, which often blinds them and creates more despair in the long run when it comes to ██ ████.

Gatherers are those borne of hope. They use the cover of the Nothingness’ darkness across the multiverse to mend the worlds with the goodness of hope and bring prosperity to the lands that have none, but are often blinded by their purpose to an almost ugly degree. The greater good is always far more important than the individual, although hope can spread easier through individuals, making them perfect contenders for preachers, conspiracy theorists, and soap-box mantras. These individuals seek to bring hope to the hopeless and rest for the weary. They seek to guide individuals to overcome their wrongs by choosing hope, and are gentle to an almost meek and sheepish degree because of it. Those gatherers who burn with passion are often the most influential, although their fire threatens the very lives of those who catch it (and thus it is easy to burn out and decay should one be too passionately hopeful). They invite any and all to find within them the strength to believe in goodness and righteousness, no matter how bleak the outcome, and encourage them to push on and fight through anyways (similarly to Will, leading to Pioneers and Gatherers being closely tied together). To hope for the future, even if the future cannot be seen, to hope for a better outcome even if one cannot be seen, and to call into being that which cannot be seen in order to make it seen and real. They are prone to self-isolation, however, being akin to priests and monks who don’t like spending too much time around their flock. They expect the flock to learn and then persevere on their own with as little guidance and interference as possible and may be mistaken as cold or stand-offish because of this.

Seekers are those borne of faith. They are high fliers, spirit soarers. They run off adrenaline and seek out the best of the best in the universe. Faith in oneself is the ultimate goal of a Seeker, however it is not above them to also inspire faith in a cause or in an individual as well (though cause has a higher success rate, as individuals are often flawed in greater ways than beliefs are). Carefree and ignorant to the goings-on beyond what they seek, Seekers often claim that personal freedom is better than collective success and will do anything to keep from being chained down. Flaky and unreliable, these individuals take risks no other would even dream of as they have the strongest faith of anyone alive. They can walk on water and believe that food will come to them, because why wouldn’t it? And, thanks to their faith, it would be so. While they can live off faith to an utmost degree, they have little ties to reality and do not stop to realize not everyone can live as risky and carefree as they do. Seekers, while often loving and completely doting, will not hesitate to drop those close to them if their own personal faith and freedom calls them to.

Pioneers are those borne of will. They are strong and sturdy and often pave the way for the rest of the universe to find their element. They are not afraid to take risks, however are grounded heavily in reality and the iron spine of their own will. Determined to the end, it is rare for those borne of will to die without a fight. They will not rest until the world has been discovered and their own personal goals have been achieved. Unfortunately for everyone else, this often means they are blinded by their goal similarly to Warriors. However, unlike Warriors, these goals are not believed to be holy or just. Some are downright terrible, but that won’t stop them from achieving it anyway they can, even if they are filled with grief due to it. Many pioneers have multiple goals and may be willing to compromise on one goal so long as the others are met. They are also surprisingly open to change and adapt well, at least until one of their goals becomes the target of change. Pioneers work hard, play harder, and nothing - whether physical death nor spiritual fight - will keep them down. Some famous Pioneers are said to still influence the universe despite having passed on several cosmic cycles ago.

Shepherds are those borne of wisdom. Now, wisdom is at times subjective, however it is believed there are general lines of wisdom that always ring throughout the cosmos. Whether or not wisdom is the truth is debatable; while it is true the Cosmos needs rules, it is wisdom that says these rules do not need to be cruel. It is true that a man may use money given to him to buy drink, but it is wisdom to give it to him anyways because - in your wisdom - you know you cannot possibly know what he’s going through nor the outcome of his purchase. It is general wisdom that love is the kindest and strongest of all elements, even if it’s true that love does not come commonly. Wisdom tells you to love anyways. Wisdom leads those who know it intimately to the ultimate truths of the universe, then tells them to go beyond. To look outside the box, to think between the lines, to break the rules. Those who are wise do not always come from academia nor do they always strike you as gurus, but they’re out there. They can be anyone, anything, but they often find a herd of their own to guide, even if said herd is themselves. They can often be seen talking to nothing, although, if you look closely, you might just find yourself staring down the intense eyes of a spiritual manifestation of their wisdom. Do you hear it calling you, too, or are your ears burning, making it too hard to hear their wisdom beyond your own truth?

Forerunners are those borne of magic itself. It is a rumor that most forerunners get their magic from the creator of magic itself, Princess Kelpie. Many disputes on the origins of magic argue who is and isn’t the rightful heir of the title, but in the end, there is no doubt when it comes to who has the most potent magic. Princess Kelpie bestowed upon the cosmos her gift of magic, having taken such a rudimentary and basic element of the cosmos and turned it into something much more beautiful in such a way that it became possible to benefit from it. Potential, then, is ultimately what the forerunners specialize in: they, like their originator, can bend Potential to their will, whether it’s in giving or taking it from those who do and don’t need it. Likewise, magician Forerunners were born (or borne, aka came into power vs being physically born with it, depending on their origins) with their peak potential: they will never pass that cap, though they can learn their way up to it. They seek the freedom and proper use of Magic first and foremost, and will wreak havoc on those who seek to destroy any magical Potential without their judgement, or those who misuse magic and its power. While independent, these magicians are often incredibly in-tune with the cosmos and will do anything in their power to keep it and the status quo intact,███ ███ ███, no matter how terrible the outcome.

The Bold are those borne of prosperity. Prosperity can be anything, from financial riches to the riches of the heart, and one who is Bold does not necessarily always look it at first glance. Although, yes, it is true- the bold dress boldly, what constitutes as “bold” to one individual may read as something else to another. The Bold are not afraid to take control over themselves body mind and soul, allowing them to utilize everything about their persona to their advantage. They seek to give this boldness to others through uplifting and sharing their own talents, often times for no return, meaning it is very possible for someone who is Bold to be below poverty line. Surprisingly enough, many Bold ones started out from the bottom and rose to whatever peak they now sit upon. Their circumstances led them to thriving, for Fate favors the bold as they say. Unfortunately, Fate is not always financially generous, and as such, there are those Bold ones who remain (whether by choice or by circumstance) below the poverty line. Their work does not impact the world as a whole, but their society, their community, the individuals around them. For the Bold, it is enough to keep those immediately around them uplifted. There is no need for them to fight the world; that is what the Warriors are for.

Warriors are those borne of justice. They seek to right wrongdoings in the world and to overcome any injustices that may have happened - whether on a personal scale or a grand one. Shield brethren, they sometimes call themselves, bound to a code of honor that the Nothingness imprinted on them ‘til the day they die or convert: Do no harm, take no shit, and always fight for those who cannot. Raise your shield in the honor of the fallen, and you’ll find yourself among the strongest warriors the universe has to offer. Warriors’ shields are made out of a material most dear to the individual, whether it be physical or representative, and can always be summoned in a great time of need. The highly skilled warrior can summon a shield whenever, but does not do so unless it’s truly needed. Their souls are intertwined with said shield, for it is their Purpose: they cannot fight without it, and without it, they are lost and no longer Warriors. To help counterbalance such a hefty, weighted thing, the Warriors also grow tails - sometimes temporary, others permanent - to keep them balanced and grounded in their judgment. These tails have a mind of their own and, should the Warrior be at imbalance, will purposefully stumble them until things are righted. Warriors fight for the world at large, for although their Purpose may be small and individualistic, their impact is not. They must be careful not to tip the balance too far lest they destroy what they fought so hard to protect through a sense of self-righteousness and holier-than-thou attitude.

It is believed there may also be shellings that have no names to their concepts yet, who remain hidden and perhaps dormant for when they are needed most. Most shellings, regardless of concept, have a set concrete form that follows a specific aesthetic fit for their existence.

Hunters always have a form where they are nothing but an animal skull, imprisoned within many wings, that floats above a body dressed to the nines in formal wear.

Gatherers are human skeletons wandering in jewels and armor, often with holy sun rays and halos above their heads.

Seekers are jesters hidden behind decorated masks, some animal, some more akin to human or partial, always shrouded in long capes, fur, and mystery.

Pioneers are hikers not of flesh, but of doll-like parts. They may wear shorts or may wear longer clothing, but always have their heads hooded and their eyes glowing with shrouded faces much like the moon on a dark, clear night. Pioneers give off a “deep woods witch/monk” vibe as well.

Shepherds often manifest a physical familiar made of concentrated wisdom, one who whispers secrets into their ears as they dream and traverse the universe.

Those borne of magic - Forerunners - tend to glow, with magic literally carved into their entire being. These magicians have high magical Potentials that can cast off an aura - often dangerous to those who cannot withstand their magical prowess.

Warriors may be borne with armor in their hands or they may look like you and me, but always utilize a shield to their advantage. This shield can speak, but only to them, and only to fellow justice-borne. They are also often gifted tails of an appropriate size for successful counterbalance to their shields, depending on how large and heavy the shield may be (for it may be big enough for just them, or big enough to shield an entire team or rarer yet, a whole community).

Prosperous ones are not only bold in their words, but in their attire as well. The Bold make themselves look and act bold, however you’ll tell these from the rest by the scarifications across their bodies and their faces as well as the joy dancing in their eyes. It is rare for the Bold to truly be haughty and cruel, for they have known cruelty and poverty to such a close degree (no matter the kind) and would never spread such awful things. Though rich in spirit (and sometimes currency), you can always tell a Bold one from the rest by how prosperous they want others to live- spreading the prosperity to such degrees that no one goes starving, unclothed, or homeless in their communities, even at their own expense.

That little girl has been blessed by the Goddess✨

Hollywood Bowl

‘Course it does!