The Netherkin
The Netherkin
ORIGIN, STRUCTURE, CURRENT STATUS
The Netherkin (also called Orebloods) are a subterranean species historically native to the understrata beneath Refugium/Raptoraem. They predate Imperium expansion. Pit folklore holds they were born from the “song” of the earth: special vibrations within the stone.
Whether that’s theology or geology is irrelevant.
They were there first.
I. NETHERKIN PHYSIOLOGY CHART
🕯 Do Not Copy // Distribution Is Recorded 🕯
TRAIT |
DESCRIPTION |
NOTES / FOLKLORE |
|---|---|---|
Height |
2.1–2.4m (7–8ft) upright |
Adapted to high-ceiling caverns; hunched gait in low tunnels. |
Build |
Extremely slender, elongated limbs; double-jointed elbows/knees |
Allows for unnatural reach and contortion in tight spaces. |
Skin |
Pale stone-grey to almost white; faint mineral striations |
Striations glow faintly when blood is heated (anger, injury). |
Eyes |
Oversized, faceted irises; reflective tapetum |
Glows copper, green, or gold in dim light; complete darkvision. |
Hands / Feet |
Long, clawlike nails with metallic sheen |
Can cling to vertical stone surfaces; nails used in ritual etching. |
Respiration |
Very slow breathing rate; can hold breath ~20 minutes |
May "taste" the air for vibration/scent; considered unnerving to humans. |
Senses |
Echo-location via subsonic hums |
Used for navigation, hunting, and long-range communication. |
Blood |
Dark, viscous, mineral-rich |
Spilled blood hardens into crystalline ore overnight. |
Diet |
Omnivorous; preference for deep fungi + fish |
Capable of digesting bone and cartilage. |
Lifespan |
150–200 years (est.) |
Hybrids live roughly 1.5× human lifespan. |
Reproduction |
Compatible with human females |
Hybrids almost always carry Half-Deep traits, even after several generations. |
Magical Affinity |
Naturally conductive to ley currents |
Some full-bloods were Stone-Whisperers; hybrids may have latent talents. |
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III. EARLY CONTACT
Netherkin were not initially hostile. First incidents were attributed to “accidents”: collapsed galleries, missing crews, dismantled rigs found in impossible locations.
Imperium expansion and uncontrolled mining operations changed that.
Early deep-drill projects poisoned Netherkin water tables, collapsed sacred tunnels, and blasted open breeding halls. After those breaches, Netherkin response shifted to active defense. Targeted sabotage. Mysterious cave-ins. Disappearance of foremen.
No bodies were ever recovered.
II. SOCIAL STRUCTURE
Netherkin lived communally in large cavern systems: vaulted chambers, linked galleries, and narrow bleed tunnels. Their social order was built around “songlines”: layered resonant calls mapped to specific tunnels and chambers. Songlines served as navigation, memory archive, boundary control, and alarms.
They maintained “breeding halls” — high-humidity nursery chambers where infants were guarded collectively.
These became priority targets during extraction pushes.
IV. POLITICAL DESIGNATION
Solarium’s early Synod declared Netherkin “vermin,” classifying them as a non-human threat to lawful extraction zones.
This opened the door to legalized extermination and bounty structure. Clearing Netherkin became a condition of mineral claim rights.
You kill it, you own what’s under it.
V. HYBRIDIZATION / PRESENT DAY
Full-blood Netherkin are now functionally extinct in Raptoraem. A few are believed to have retreated to deep strata under the Pit, and within the Deadlands. Survival status unconfirmed.
The rest did not disappear. They integrated.
Several Netherkin tribes took human mates, under duress or alliance, and produced viable offspring. Cross-breeding proved stable. Children were liveborn and generally healthy.
Those hybrids — and their descendants — are still here.
Modern terms: Half-Deep.
Observed traits:
Eyes catch light unnaturally in dim rooms.
Marble-like faint veining just under skin at collarbones, wrists, temples.
Slow pulse, slow breath.
Nails with a metallic sheen.
Instinctive navigation in dark, enclosed spaces (no map required).
In some cases, unconscious humming to stone or metal to “settle” it.
Half-Deep are not Mages. They’re magically sympathetic. Their bloodline conducts, anchors, or amplifies outside magic. Certain rare individuals manifest direct ability tied to stone, resonance, pressure, and structural awareness. A rare subset manifests active ability tied to stone, pressure, and structural awareness. Informal term: Stone-Whisperers.
Known expressions:
Finding exits or safe paths underground with no map.
Feeling stress points in walls, supports, catwalks seconds before failure.
Sensing nearby live magickal current or breach.
Half-Deep are established in the city’s population. Most present quietly. Some wake all at once.
Most never do.