Supernatural
Creature Data Files: Blackwings
Description: Blackwings are a necromantic
form of undead. Unlike many kinds of undead, they are not difficult to kill. They
are, however, incredibly infectious – a single scratch from their claws, or a
minor contamination from their blood, is enough to begin an infection that will
kill any human within twenty-four hours. Following death (symptoms are similar
to toxic shock, ending with a massive heart attack), reanimation occurs
immediately. At this point, individuals are joined to the hive mind of the
infecting blackwing (so long as a member of the infecting ‘hive’ is within
range (suspected to be roughly five kilometres) of the victim).
After becoming a blackwing and joining with the hive the individual’s personality is overwritten with that of the hive. Their knowledge and skills are retained, and will be transferred to other members of the hive where useful (often newly joined individuals will have a set of useful skills – such as advanced weapons training – transferred to them). Members of the hive are still individuals, and may act individually or with what seems to be unnatural levels of co-ordination as necessary.
In rare cases (mostly within older hives), the hive is an ‘average’ of the differing personalities in the hive. Differences in personality and aims will, however, often cause hives to split (this is also caused by large distances between members); as such, large and old hives are both rare.
Blackwings have four identifying characteristics. They have black blood, which gives them an unusual, sickly complexion; they possess claws that slide from under their fingernails (and are their primary infection vector); they have strangely distorted eyes (solid gray with a thing white ring where the iris should begin); and their eponymous black spined wings. Infected individuals lose about forty percent of their weight (though, seemingly, not that much mass) and are able to fly. Older blackwings are able to hide the characteristics of their infection.
After becoming a blackwing and joining with the hive the individual’s personality is overwritten with that of the hive. Their knowledge and skills are retained, and will be transferred to other members of the hive where useful (often newly joined individuals will have a set of useful skills – such as advanced weapons training – transferred to them). Members of the hive are still individuals, and may act individually or with what seems to be unnatural levels of co-ordination as necessary.
In rare cases (mostly within older hives), the hive is an ‘average’ of the differing personalities in the hive. Differences in personality and aims will, however, often cause hives to split (this is also caused by large distances between members); as such, large and old hives are both rare.
Blackwings have four identifying characteristics. They have black blood, which gives them an unusual, sickly complexion; they possess claws that slide from under their fingernails (and are their primary infection vector); they have strangely distorted eyes (solid gray with a thing white ring where the iris should begin); and their eponymous black spined wings. Infected individuals lose about forty percent of their weight (though, seemingly, not that much mass) and are able to fly. Older blackwings are able to hide the characteristics of their infection.
Physiology: As with other necromantic
beings, blackwings seem to possess no ‘life’ when ESP individuals scan them.
They are animated by necromantic energy, that has permeated their blood and
their flesh (though with minimal effect beyond tainting it all with the light
devouring black of necromancy). Blackwings are not difficult to kill, unlike
most necromantic creatures; they are no tougher than they were when alive. They
require no sleep, nor sustenance.
The wings of a blackwing are roughly two metres wides (giving a total wingspan of four metres). They consist of overlapping and melded together spines; with two large ‘bones’ giving structure and supporting musculature needed for flight. Investigation of severed wings indicates that much of the necromantic energy gained from the ‘life’ consumed within the infected individual is used to create these wings, as they consist almost entirely of some form of concentrated necromancy. These wings are capable of allowing the blackwing to fly, along with a load of up to forty kilograms. This is suspected to be possible due to necromantic energy subverting (to an extent) gravity, similar to what has been noted with ghouls.
The claws that blackwings gain – essentially thin spines – are made of the same material as their wings, and are usually hidden within the fingers of blackwings. When desired, they can protrude these claws from under their fingernails and use them to infect others. This can be done rapidly; skilled blackwings have been known to infect without the target even noticing the wound.
The eyes of a blackwing (as mentioned previously) are a symptom of the general corruption of their body by necromancy. This is also evident in the complexion of blackwings, although not as blatantly. As blackwings age, they gain control over their infection (this does not seem to be a transferable skill, and may thus be a product of the infection stabilising or furthering itself) and are able to hide obvious physical signs, instead appearing as normal humans.
Blackwings are highly allergic to several components of garlic, which rapidly destroy and disperse the necromantic curse that creates and sustains them. Garlic is the only known cure for infection from a blackwing (beyond having a skilled and powerful necromancer on hand to replace or alter the curse). This is due to a safety measure (and, to an extent, a joke) by the original creators.
The wings of a blackwing are roughly two metres wides (giving a total wingspan of four metres). They consist of overlapping and melded together spines; with two large ‘bones’ giving structure and supporting musculature needed for flight. Investigation of severed wings indicates that much of the necromantic energy gained from the ‘life’ consumed within the infected individual is used to create these wings, as they consist almost entirely of some form of concentrated necromancy. These wings are capable of allowing the blackwing to fly, along with a load of up to forty kilograms. This is suspected to be possible due to necromantic energy subverting (to an extent) gravity, similar to what has been noted with ghouls.
The claws that blackwings gain – essentially thin spines – are made of the same material as their wings, and are usually hidden within the fingers of blackwings. When desired, they can protrude these claws from under their fingernails and use them to infect others. This can be done rapidly; skilled blackwings have been known to infect without the target even noticing the wound.
The eyes of a blackwing (as mentioned previously) are a symptom of the general corruption of their body by necromancy. This is also evident in the complexion of blackwings, although not as blatantly. As blackwings age, they gain control over their infection (this does not seem to be a transferable skill, and may thus be a product of the infection stabilising or furthering itself) and are able to hide obvious physical signs, instead appearing as normal humans.
Blackwings are highly allergic to several components of garlic, which rapidly destroy and disperse the necromantic curse that creates and sustains them. Garlic is the only known cure for infection from a blackwing (beyond having a skilled and powerful necromancer on hand to replace or alter the curse). This is due to a safety measure (and, to an extent, a joke) by the original creators.
Identification and Destruction: As with all necromantic undead,
blackwings are easy for ESP agents to detect, as though mobile, they are not ‘alive’.
A skilled ESP agent may also be able to tell blackwings apart from other forms
of necromantic undead, due to unique properties of their physiology (such as their
claws).
Without the presence of an ESP agent, and taking into account the abilities of older (20+ years) blackwings, the optimal method of blackwing detection is to check an individual’s blood. No known blackwing has been able to recolour their blood properly (several attempts have been observed, but none have been successful enough to be of note).
Blackwings are, thankfully, easy to kill through any method that would kill an ordinary human being. However, due to the number of skills most have been imprinted with from their hive, engaging in hand to hand combat is not advised; use of projectile weapons, offensive powers, and tactical superiority through ESP is necessary. In a pinch, or strange situations, it is possible to use garlic to kill blackwings; however, as one must force them to ingest or directly inject garlic this is often more difficult that it would be to simply inflict bodily harm.
Tracing a hive requires presence of a necromancer (they are, it seems, able to trace the links between hive members). As such, if exterminating a hive, please contact the Meander Corporation for assistance.
Without the presence of an ESP agent, and taking into account the abilities of older (20+ years) blackwings, the optimal method of blackwing detection is to check an individual’s blood. No known blackwing has been able to recolour their blood properly (several attempts have been observed, but none have been successful enough to be of note).
Blackwings are, thankfully, easy to kill through any method that would kill an ordinary human being. However, due to the number of skills most have been imprinted with from their hive, engaging in hand to hand combat is not advised; use of projectile weapons, offensive powers, and tactical superiority through ESP is necessary. In a pinch, or strange situations, it is possible to use garlic to kill blackwings; however, as one must force them to ingest or directly inject garlic this is often more difficult that it would be to simply inflict bodily harm.
Tracing a hive requires presence of a necromancer (they are, it seems, able to trace the links between hive members). As such, if exterminating a hive, please contact the Meander Corporation for assistance.
Other Details: Blackwing fever, as the symptoms
of infection are commonly referred to, progresses over a twenty four hour
period from initial infection. Early symptoms include headaches and a fever,
followed by a coma at around twelve hours. Victims remain in this state for a
further twelve hours. Roughly twenty four hours after infection, the individual
will seem to be on the cusp of slipping away quietly, however they will then
suffer a massive seizure and heart attack, before returning almost immediately
as a blackwing.
In some cases an infected individual will die instead of becoming a blackwing. This is the result of an individual strongly resisting the overwriting of their self; to avoid the creation of ‘free’ blackwings the hive will resort to overloading the mind of the resistant individual, killing them. This occurrence is more common when the infected individual knows what they are ill with, when they know that the attempted override is coming, and also if they have been given special training. As per standing orders, all IPC agents should have received training to ensure death, rather than return as a blackwing, from infection.
Blackwings are the greatest threat we know of to mankind – more so than anything else we have encountered. Their high level of infectivity, ability to go unnoticed (shades and physical removal of wings mean even a recent victim can return to their ‘ordinary life’ as a blackwing) and great amounts of shared knowledge make them hard to track, and dangerous. The initial encounter with blackwings in 1979 – with, as we have discovered, their first ever hive – resulted in the destruction of the hive’s lair. However, our lack of knowledge led to the escape of many hive members, and the formation of a large number of splinter hives.
Despite extensive – and ever greater – attempts to wipe them out, blackwing numbers have been rising ever since. It is suspected that blackwings will be the reason we reveal ourselves to the world at large, as has been predicted many times (see Power Data Files Supplementary: Important Premonitions).
The origin of blackwings is known in detail following our alliance with Meander Corporation (which, in fact, mostly exists to attempt to curb the rising blackwing population), though many details were known beforehand. In the early 1970s, a Meander Corporation project to create a next generation type of zombie (with the primary aim of utilising experiments towards a shared intelligence) backfired when the creations (the initial blackwing hive) rebelled against them.
Though many of the individuals added to the hive (especially after the first wave) were unquestioningly loyal to Meander, their minds were overwhelmed by the rest of the hive. The linking was too powerful – and, through cunning, the hive hid its existence from Meander. Eventually they broke free (in June, 1975) and hid away from the world until 1979, when we discovered them.
In some cases an infected individual will die instead of becoming a blackwing. This is the result of an individual strongly resisting the overwriting of their self; to avoid the creation of ‘free’ blackwings the hive will resort to overloading the mind of the resistant individual, killing them. This occurrence is more common when the infected individual knows what they are ill with, when they know that the attempted override is coming, and also if they have been given special training. As per standing orders, all IPC agents should have received training to ensure death, rather than return as a blackwing, from infection.
Blackwings are the greatest threat we know of to mankind – more so than anything else we have encountered. Their high level of infectivity, ability to go unnoticed (shades and physical removal of wings mean even a recent victim can return to their ‘ordinary life’ as a blackwing) and great amounts of shared knowledge make them hard to track, and dangerous. The initial encounter with blackwings in 1979 – with, as we have discovered, their first ever hive – resulted in the destruction of the hive’s lair. However, our lack of knowledge led to the escape of many hive members, and the formation of a large number of splinter hives.
Despite extensive – and ever greater – attempts to wipe them out, blackwing numbers have been rising ever since. It is suspected that blackwings will be the reason we reveal ourselves to the world at large, as has been predicted many times (see Power Data Files Supplementary: Important Premonitions).
The origin of blackwings is known in detail following our alliance with Meander Corporation (which, in fact, mostly exists to attempt to curb the rising blackwing population), though many details were known beforehand. In the early 1970s, a Meander Corporation project to create a next generation type of zombie (with the primary aim of utilising experiments towards a shared intelligence) backfired when the creations (the initial blackwing hive) rebelled against them.
Though many of the individuals added to the hive (especially after the first wave) were unquestioningly loyal to Meander, their minds were overwhelmed by the rest of the hive. The linking was too powerful – and, through cunning, the hive hid its existence from Meander. Eventually they broke free (in June, 1975) and hid away from the world until 1979, when we discovered them.
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