The Dark Crystal: Divided

Prologue

Another world, another time, right?

...

No.

No more waiting for things to change.

This world, this time

We'll fix things.

Things wont be the same... they'll be better.

We will make things better this time.

Thousands of trines ago, this land was whole, and the creatures of Thra lived in harmony. Perhaps not in peace, but the order of the world was in balance. However, an evil presence came from the stars and struck the Crystal of Truth, the heart of Thra, dividing the land and shattering the harmony, throwing the inhabitants of this land into chaos. The most widespread species, the Gelflings, were split into 7 clans and separated. As the evil, which came to be known as 'The Darkening', continued to poison the land, the 7 clans had to evolve to suit their new harsh, ever changing environments.

The Stonewood Clan, suffering from long, terrible winters, grew thick manes and thick fur on their tails. They became one of the most resilient and hardy clans. These Gelflings mastered fire and the art of forging weapons strong enough to fell the savage beasts that became more prominent after the Darkening. They built their home, Stone in the Wood, and stayed there, unsure if they could cross the cracks in the land caused by the Darkening, and unwilling to find out.

The Grottan Clan nearly succumbed to the Darkening, but managed to form a symbiotic relationship with the Arathim, a hive mind of frightening arachnids. The Arathim ruled the caves of Grot, and had done so for centuries. However, the Darkening snuck up on them in the form of a herd of darkened Nurlocs. The enraged beasts attacked the Arathim and managed to destroy many of their nests before the Gelflings arrived. Using their wings and long ranged weapons, the Gelflings, with the aid of the Arathim, drove the darkened Nurloc away, deep into the cave system before closing off all but a few entrances. Through one of the entrances fell the seed of a Great Tree, which, under the care of the Grottans, would go on to become Vliste-Staba, the Sanctuary Tree.

The Vapran Clan was forced into the harsh mountains, and it soon became obvious that those with wings had a significantly higher survival rate. They used their magical knowledge to make potions that would allow the males of their clan to grow wings after a few generation. Over time, their wings, along with the rest of them, became more and more avian, until they sported feathered wings, talons instead of paws, large eyes and a crushing bite. Their Maudra's and elders kept them above the clouds, away from the chaos below, and convinces the next generations that their whole world was the mountain range above the clouds.

Of all the Gelfling clans, the Sifa Clan changed the most. They were forced off of their cliff side homes and backed more and more into Thra's ocean. As a result, they evolved gills and strong, finned tails. They sported bioluminescent markings and vibrant, sturdy fins. In the ocean, they were safe from the Darkening, and were free to travel around the ocean as they pleased. They built an underwater village and tamed some of the aquatic wildlife. They remain there even now, forgotten by history

The Swamp of Sog is where the Drenchen Clan was forced. Initially loosing many to the dangerous terrain, the clan made their way to an enormous tree, and made their home within it, while still keeping it alive and healthy. They developed thick, amphibian tails and natural camouflage in the form of green, brown and gray markings. Their eyes are frog-like and they grew gills and webbed paws. These Gelflings are very strong, and have a knack for trap making and catching aggressive aquatic creatures.

When the Darkening divided Thra, the Spriton Clan lost their connection to the beasts of Thra, and had to fight to tame the savage creatures that roamed the Sun Plains. Physically, they remained mostly the same, the only real change aside from the increase in strength and speed was the development of light brown stripes that helped them camouflage on the plains. They domesticated an equine-like species and learned to ride them, using them to better hunt and plow land.

Finally, the Dousan Clan, the largest and most colourful of the Gelfling clans, retreated into the desert. The Darkening, as it had with the rest of Thra, altered the desert, making the heat of the suns nearly unbearable to childlings. Faced with a high infant mortality rate, the Dousan evolved pouches that they could use to shield their children from the heat of the Three Brothers. Their long legs also keep their vital organs away from the hot sand. They have a deep respect for the balance of life and death, and never kill unless it is necessary. When they do kill, they use every part of the animal, and are sure to honour its life. They treat all of the deserts creatures with the utmost respect, and are the only ones who have risked venturing into Darkening infected areas in search of a way to fix things. Those who tried, however, never returned.

Now, centuries later, during the long Era of Thra's Division, another Great Conjunction is going to occur soon, and those most connected to Thra can feel the land's fear. The fear that this last surge of power will enable the Darkening to consume everything. Thus, it is decided among the 7 Great Trees that heroes must be chosen. Each tree will select a Gelfling to embark on a journey to find the Crystal, which has been wiped from memory, before the land is divided completely, and Thra is lost to the Darkening forever.