You know what riles me up the most? Rumour has it that a couple of FBI guys caught themselves a Pale. A young one, I’m guessing as it walked straight into their trap. Of course, the Feds didn’t know what to make of a heat sucker like a Pale and ended up killing the damned thing in a bath of boiling water. God damn it, the best chance in decades to understand what these things want with us, and these two meatheads cook it like some sort of lobster. I’m telling ya, that rumour better not be true or I’ll be royally pissed!
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The Pale (n.) Darklings driven by their need for ambient warmth. Hunters with desires that cannot be satiated by blood or terror. But what are the Pale, and why are they in our dimension?
While the Dark Conspiracy rulebook details how these creatures work mechanically (see page 226 of the 1st edition rulebook, or page 221 in Dark Conspiracy Rules), it never examines much beyond the basics. So where do the Pale come from, how do they survive and what motivates them to hunt in our reality?
This article is the first of an ongoing series examining some of the most iconic and unique Darklings created for Dark Conspiracy. Each new entry will explore further ideas, motivations and goals for the threat, hopefully helping potential Referees bring them life at the game table. However, as nothing is ever as it seems in Dark Conspiracy, each one of these entries will provide a range of information, leads and ‘facts’ about the creature, leaving it up to the Referee and players to determine which, if any, are true…
The Spectral Feeders
The Pale pose a dynamic threat to the players when they are brought to the table, and as such deserve to be more than just another ‘throw-away’ monster to be gunned down by the Minion Hunters. Below are several options as to why the Pale are here, how they act and their ultimate goal in our dimension.
Origins
Just where did the Pale come from and how did they arrive on Earth? These are some of the theories Minion Hunters have raised in the past:
- Refugees from Elsewhere – The Pale hail from Ambient, a protodimension located near Earth’s plane. The natural properties of Ambient’s reality allow the Pale to exist without taking life, absorbing the heat generated by the atmosphere and unique elements of the realm. Recently, a great conflict erupted across Ambient and a small portion of the dimension’s population has fled their homes looking for other habitable worlds in which to hide. Some say that the Pale were once the nobles of Ambient, and appear now on Earth having been overthrown by their old subjects, while others postulate that they are victims of another Darkling incursion, forced to hide on our plane as few others provide the resources of heat and energy they need to survive.
- True Legends – These creatures are nothing more than the original Vampires of man’s myth and legend. Cursed long ago by a being of immense power, the original Pale and its descendants have always existed at the edge of humanity, preying on the weak and innocent. As with all creatures of immense age, many of the Pale have knowledge and memories of history long lost, and it is the promise of wisdom that draws new victims to these Darklings even today.
- Dark Lord Puppets – Like so many other Darklings that threaten mankind, the Pale are – in fact – victims of betrayal themselves. Drawn to our dimension by a promise of power and freedom, they have since found themselves trapped by the entropic barriers that protect Earth from everyday incursions from beyond. Forced into enslavement – their new master utilising their heat absorption abilities to its own end – it is only recently that the Pale have begun their own fight back against this Dark Lord’s influence.
Modus Operandi
How do the Pale operate and what do they want? While we know that these creatures have a specific way of feeding, this perceived weakness has also allowed them to be hunted and destroyed. To make things more difficult, rumour has it that the Pale rarely operate in the same way; each ‘family’ grouping looking to achieve their goals in their own unique way.
- Strike from the Shadows – With the natural sunlight of Earth posing a problem to the Pale, this race has found itself forced underground, only ever appearing at night. Utilising guerilla-like tactics, they never hunt their prey in the same way twice – rarely leaving the bodies of their victims in the same location and often disguising the injuries on the dead to look as if they’ve been killed by other means. Forget everything else you might have ever read about predators, the Pale are the true hunters of the night, working alone or in small groups to survive against all the odds.
- Corporate Manipulators – The Pale are an intelligent race, and while limited by their weakness to our sun, have used their intellect and knowledge to rise up the ranks of the various corporations that now dominate everyone’s lives. Here they use their power and influence to make others do their dirty work; if a new food source is needed, then corporate security kidnaps a likely victim; a new safe house is to be set up, it’s the company’s lawyers who acquire an appropriate premise, etc. The Pale rarely need to expose themselves to the masses, and will only do so if directly threatened.
- Masters of Disguise – With their needs such as they are, the Pale rarely stay in one place too long. Using a variety of disguises – from a band of travelling musicians, through to members of a gypsy fair – they travel across Dark America, claiming victims as they need along the way. As they are very selective in their choice of food source, it is unlikely that the authorities, even if they cared to, will discover evidence of the Pale’s activities until the perpetrators are long gone.
Goals and Motivations
What motivates the Pale? Why are they such a threat to humanity and how do they end up in conflict with Minion Hunters?
- Hunting for a New Home – The Pale are simply looking to return to their native dimension. While they have the ability to Dimension-walk, this power is limited to travel to the protodimensions closest to Earth as they are unable to break the entropic barrier protecting our reality. The question of how best to shatter this entropy has splintered the Pale into several disparate factions, all of whom seem just as keen to fight with each other as they with humanity.
- The First Wave – It is nothing short of an invasion, the Pale have come to Earth to take it over for their own ends. While they’re few in number, they have the cunning and influence to slowly change the planet to meet their needs. And more will come, it is only a matter of time before the conditions are right for a complete assault.
- Slaves to a Greater Influence – Like so many other Darkling races, the Pale are under the direct influence of a Dark Lord and as such are little more than minions in its greater plans. The Pale’s only goal is to further the influence and power of their master, and ultimately work towards breaking down the barriers that stop it from entering our reality. Many murders undertaken by this Darkling race are part of a larger plot to undermine humanity and remove any opposition to their mission. But maybe, just maybe, the Pale could be freed from their Master’s power, and then, perhaps we could gain another ally at our side, rather than yet another enemy to fight.
The Pale in Play
While it is tempting to present the Pale as yet another ‘run of the mill’ Vampire type, the unique nature of these creature feeding habits opens them up to become much of a threat to any Minion Hunters encountering them.
- More Than Cannon Fodder – Even if you are looking to use a Pale as a lone threat, there is no need for them to be just some sort of mindless killer. While somewhat restricted by their weakness to natural sunlight, they will look to mitigate the problem any way they can (either by the tactics they evoke or perhaps even by the use of technology). As a result, a Pale should be played as an intelligent and calculating hunter who utilises all their natural abilities and the wits (and not to mention the general malaise of society) to act as it pleases.
- Playing up their Goals and Motivations – It should be rare for Darklings to be randomly encountered (i.e. accidentally come across during something as mundane as when they are hunting for heat). Instead, the Pale should always be looking to further their own goals – whether these are obvious to the Minion Hunters or not.
Final Notes
The illustration of the Pale presented here was drawn by Jake Ekiss, for The Gamers’ Conglomerate’s edition of Dark Conspiracy. Part of my motivation to create this Darkling series is to allow this art to see the light of day…