The Darkin by

<div class='cover-header'>The Darkin</div>

<div class='cover-footer'>With each foe felled, your seemingly living blade drinks in their blood, empowering and fueling a brutal, elegant campaign of slaughter.</div>

\pagebreak

/* Background */
.phb { background-image: url('https://gmbinder.com/images/OoFEE9F.png') }
.phb { background-size: cover }

/* #, ##, ###,  ####*/
.phb h5, .phb h4, .phb h3, .phb h2, .phb h1 {font-weight: normal;}

/* #'s */
.phb h1 { font-size: 420% }
.phb h2 { font-size: 250% }
.phb h3 { font-size: 186% }
.phb h4 { font-size: 145% }
.phb h5 { font-size: 135% }

/* Class Table */
.phb .classTable
{
    border-image-outset: 25px 10px !important;
    align:center;
    width:90%;
    margin-left:auto;
    margin-right:auto;
    line-height:11px;
    border-image-source: url(https://gmbinder.com/images/5xtTr8S.png);
}

.phb hr+section blockquote tr:nth-child(odd) td { background-color: inherit; }

/* Tables */
table tr:nth-child(odd) td {background-color: #ffcce6;}

/* Notes */
.phb blockquote {background-color: #ffcce6 }

/* Footer */
.phb:nth-child(odd):after{ 
    content          : '';
    position         : absolute;
    bottom           : -12px;
    left             : 20px;
    z-index          : 100;
    height           : 336px;
    width            : 99%;
    background-image : url('https://gmbinder.com/images/rIiBrzN.png');
    background-size  : cover;
}
.phb:nth-child(even):after{ 
    content          : '';
    position         : absolute;
    bottom           : -12px;
    left             : -12px;
    z-index          : 100;
    height           : 336px;
    width            : 99%;
    background-image : url('https://gmbinder.com/images/rIiBrzN.png');
    background-size  : cover;
}

/* Footnote */
.phb .footnote{
    position   : absolute;
    right      : 80px;
    bottom     : 32px;
    z-index    : 150;
    width      : 700px;
    text-align : right;
    color      : #c16e8d;
    font-size  : 13pt;
    letter-spacing: 0.5px;
    font-variant: small-caps;
}

/* Page Number */
.phb .pageNumber.auto{
    font-size: 13pt;
    color: #c16e8d;
    position   : absolute;
    bottom     : 32px;
    width      : 50px;
    text-align : center;
}
.phb:nth-child(even) .pageNumber.auto{
    left      : 5px;
}
.phb:nth-child(odd) .pageNumber.auto{
    right      : 5px;
}
</style>

# The Darkin

#### "his weapon was a prison, sealing his consciousness in suffocating, eternal darkness, robbing him even of the ability to die."

<p style='text-align:right'>—Lord Imperius IV </p>

### Harbingers of Death
Group of fighters stride into battle, sword and
shield at the ready. They prepare themselves for
the onslaught, staring into the fiery brimestone and salted smoke, ready for whatever was to come
next. These fighters, they stand in a line, slowly
making their way through the darkness, flickers of ember and cries of pain echo in the abyss. Halting, the
leader stops, motioning the others, something
doesn’t feel right. Through the black cracks wide a pair of glowing red eyes,
alight in the shade of night. A blade comes down through the shadows, the sheen of
its edge going so far that the handle is barely
visible, with all but a pair of massive red talons grasped at its hilt. The
leader, his eyes glazing over, with a sweeping blow is cleaved in half. As he dies, the
fighters watch in horror as his blood is sucked from his body,
ever pouring into the blade. The other fighters, turn, looking at one
another to run but no one moves -- for it is too late.
The blade hungers for blood and it's master shall never be sated.

### Otherwordly Patrons
The origin of the parasitic beings known as the Darkin is
technically unknown, but most scholars believe that their
arrival coincided with the fall of an ancient civilization to the corruption of the abyss. The neighboring
kingdoms did their best to repel the spread of the
Darkin at this point, but had little success. Desparate,
they sought the aid of a celestial called Zariel in their
quest and, having seen the destruction the Darkin brought,
Zariel agreed. Together, they managed to eradicate most of
the Darkin and sealed them in their own weaponry and armor now hidden in various vaults across the land.
Yet with time, mortals came across these vaults, and the some of these artifacts were taken. There was a quiet period, but
now the Darkin have
begun to return.

### The Corruption
A creature who wields the weapon of a Darkin develops the Darkin curse and
must succeed on a Wisdom DC 15 saving throw or become attuned to the weapon, incapable of letting it go.
Almost instantly, the creature will hear whispers in their
mind attempting to make them submit. This is important
because the curse can only live for one month in the host if
the host does not submit. It will offer the humans greatest
desires, threaten them, give them small tastes of power, and
so on to get the creature to submit as quickly as possible.
Once a creature chooses to submit to the curse, their mind is
instantly taken over. Within a day, their body changes to have
red eyes and chitinous crimson skin, and they gain new abilities,
becoming something entirely new in the process.

###  Darkin Names
Darkin name are based on the Abyssal language, an old dialect that is barely spoken anymore by the most common folks since the Sealed Abyss, The Darkin share no last names.

Male Names: Rhaast, Aatrox, Varus, Dyraxos, Kayn

Female Names: Morigan, Zenox, Xethra, Loust

### Darkin Traits
The Darkin are a parasitic lifeform that corrupts and dominates.

**Ability Score Increase.** Your Constitution score increases
by 2 and your Dexterity, or Strength score
increases by 1.

**Age.**  Darkin increase their hosts lifespan, but their
maximum lifespan is. Some say 150 years, and others say
they are functionally immortal.

**Alignment.**  Darkin personalities are heavily based off
of their host. An evil host would create an evil Darkin, a
good host would create a good Darkin, and so on.

**Size.** Unlike a human, you tower over men ranging somewhere between 7 and
8 feet in height. You are a medium creature.

**Speed.** Your base walking speed is 30 feet.

**Language.** You can speak, read, and write Common, Abyssal (evil) or Celestial (good)

**Darkvision.** You can see in dim light within 60 feet of you
as if it were bright light, and in darkness as if it were dim light.
You can't discern color in darkness, only shades of gray.

**Flesh Fiend**. Made of blood, viscera and hardened crude flesh your form is intimidating and fierce. You gain proficiency in Intimidation, if you already have proficiency in this skill you may instead double your proficiency bonus when making Intimidation skill checks.

**Darkin Weapon.** Once per long rest, as an action, you cover a weapon in Darkin energy for 1 minute. The weapon deals additional necrotic damage equal to your level once per turn. You also gain temporary hit points equal to half your level at the start of your turn.

Additionally, you attune to this weapon it 
becomes magical, if it isn't already and is designated it as your Darkin weapon. This weapon can never be disarmed and if you are to die permanently you instead have your essence drawn into your weapon and you live on within it trapped for all eternity until a new host can be found.

**Demon Vassal.** Darkin are plated with chitinous plates for protection. When you aren’t wearing armor, your AC is
12 + your Constitution modifier. You can use your natural armor
to determine your AC if the armor you wear would leave you
with a lower AC. A shield’s benefits apply as normal while you
use your natural armor.

> ##### Art Credits
> Aatrox by Tom Lishman

\pagebreak

## Customization Options
The following customization options are available to Darkin.

### Corruption

The Darkin are a parasite, they live and feed on the life of their victims foolish enough to wield them. Some people are able to hold off the effects of the transformation for longer than a few minutes. Some have been known to last decades, and others have even tamed and conquered their Darkin intruders, stealing their power for their own.

Regardless, the stages of descent are spured by the blood of your victims, with ever creature you slay with a Darkin weapon, the stronger the Darkin becomes and the weaker your will to fight off it's advances.

#### Stages of Descent

| Creatures Killed | Corrupted |
|:----:|:-------------|
| 10  | Sword Arm + Hand |
| 20  | Back |
| 30 | Other Arm + Hand |
| 40 | Chest |
| 50 | Waist + Legs |
| 60 | Neck + Head |
___
If a creature ever attempts to un-attune from a Darkin weapon, it must make a contested DC 25 Charisma check.  On a failure, the creature remains attuned, and cannot attempt to un-attune for another week.

### Feats

#### Blackened Regeneration

Prerequisite: 8th Level

"To war, Aatrox! They shall not rob us of our nobility! We shall stand, and spit venom at our tormentors for eternity!"

Your weapon holds they key to your existence, stored within it's structure is the well's of blood from your countless victories.

- Increase your Constitution score increase by 1, up to a maximum of 20.

- At the start of combat when initiative is rolled you gain
temporary hit points equal to twice your level.
These temporary hit points fade at the start of your next turn.

- At the start of each of your turns, you may regain hit points equal to your proficiency modifier plus your constitution modifier. You can use this trait a number of times equal to your proficiency modifier. You regain all uses of this trait at the end of a long rest. This trait does not function if you are incapacitated.

\columnbreak

#### Immortal Host

"March flesh, march toward them! We have horrors to sow! Lives to reap! Let me make them regret... being free."

You could never die, but now in the hardest of times may burn through your vessels body to keep fighting on.

- Your Constitution score increase by 1, up to a maximum of 20.

- You have advantage on death saving throws.

- If your hit points fall to 0, you can choose to not fall unconscious and continue fighting. When your negative hit points is equivalent to or greater than your maximum hit point total your flesh burns away, your life is sapped back into your Darkin weapon, and your body dies immediately.

#### Lifestealer

"See what beasts they have reduced us to... Creatures of flesh sustained only by this filth's blood and form!"

The blood and flesh of your enemies are for you to rend and devour, let you steal their life for your own purpose.

- When you hit with a critical strike or a reduce a creature to 0 hit points, you heal 1d4 + your Constitution modifier hit points. This can only activate once per round.

- Whenever you receive healing, roll a d20. On a 19 or 20, you add another die to the amount healed. This can be used a number of times equal to your Constitution modifier.

#### Unholy Executioner

"I shall take their limbs. I will reap their beloved! I will tear from their consciousness, the will to live. Yes, this is my purpose."

You are but an aspect of destruction, an unholy executioner bound by their will to destroy. Let this be known to all that face you.

- Increase your Strength or Charisma score by 1, up to a maximum of 20.

- When you critically strike or reduce a creature to 0 hit points with a melee attack you may use your bonus action to provide a violent display and strike fear into the hearts of those around you. Creatures within 30 feet who can see the display and have less than or the same total hit points as the afflicted creature attack you with disadvantage until the end of your next turn. Creatures immune to being frightened are unaffected.

- When you reduce a creature to 0 hit points you can choose to permanently blind, deafen or reduce its speed by half. Lesser restoration can undo these effects.

<img 
  src='https://cdn.discordapp.com/attachments/476404734673158145/558901262993850388/LingerBoi2.png' 
  style='position:absolute; top:-870px; right:0px; width:840px' />
  
  \pagebreak
   
   <style>
     /** Change the p2 to whatever page number is the last page in your document **/
     .phb#p2:after { display:none; }
   </style>
   
   <div class='back-cover-image'></div>
   
   <div style='margin-top:20px;'></div>
   
   <div class='back-cover-header'>
   
   Practice
   
   Safe
   
   Homebrewing
   
   </div>
   
   <div class='back-cover-text'>
   
   People love to flex their creative muscles while composing new homebrew content. More often than not, the inspiration for you homebrew comes from another source. Sometimes significantly. Other times just as a spark.
   
   What is important for the community is that you share your sources of inspiration. This back cover can serve as an easy to find, easy to read place for you to do just that.
   
   So go ahead, remove this chunk of copy and tell everyone who inspired you.
   
   Cover Art: [Skiorh](https://skiorh.deviantart.com/art/Old-wizard-475018762)
   
   </div>
   
   <div class='back-cover-diamond' style='top: 679px;'></div>
   
   <div style='margin-top:35px;'></div>
   
   <div class='back-cover-close'>
   
   When you're ready to share with the community, don't forget to mark your document as public so people can find it in the [GM Binder Search](https://www.gmbinder.com/search)
   
   </div>
   
   <div class='back-cover-logo'></div>
   
   <div class='back-cover-logo-link'>
   
   [WWW.GMBINDER.COM](https://www.gmbinder.com)
   
   </div>
   
   \columnbreak
   
   <div class='back-cover-right'>
   
##### Art Credits
   
The Omen by Alena Aenami 
  
Aatrox by Tom Lishman

##### Inspiration 
League of Legends, the Darkin from Runeterra, characters of Rhaast, Aatrox and Varus all belong to Riot Games, these characters, names and ideas were taken from the wonderful game that I so greatly love.

Ideas for feats, features, skills, and templates for information have been gathered from a variety of Lore pages, and other homebrews I have encountered over the years.

Although formated and collected by me I can not with full heart claim everything in this document as my own, if you see anything that resembles your work, let me know and I'll make sure to properly credit you and or remove conflicting content, feel free to let me know :)

</div>