Shien

The shien is a demon archetype which originates from the Shien'tyr valence. It has two subtypes, darklings and shadowlings. They are both classified as minor demons, and as such, can be summoned through the use of Minor Summoning (725).

Physical Description

The shien is humanoid, hazy enshrouded being which closely resembles Grik'tyr's Imps. Their bodies are cloaked by a swirling shroud of shadowy haze that is quite similar to the haze that is present in Shien'tyr. This haze is what differentiates the two subtypes of shien, the darklings having a blacker haze, while the shadowlings possess more of a grey haze. Both types can be found with a bluish hue in their haze, but this is simply a shared variation of both subtypes. The body and the haze of the shien seem closely linked, and both possess a certain impermanence. Parts of the shien's body often spontaneously vanish, only to be replaced by another seconds later. This also gives the shien the ability to simply move through physical obstacles, as their haze drifts past, their body seemingly is absorbed into the haze and reappears on the other side of the object. The shien are also capable of exceptional control over sound, most likely due to their existance in the sightless Shien'tyr. They are able to perfectly mimic noise, repeating even whole conversations flawlessly. Even using the sound offensively is within their abilities. The shien are able to generate sound through their shroud, and often will separate a cylinder of their shroud which will carry sound to its designated target. Like their imp cousins, their faceless heads will occasionally mimic the faces of those around them, leaving an impression temporarily upon the haze. The origin of the similarities between imps and shien is unknown, but it is clear that they share some connection.

Society and Behavior

There has been no observation of the shien in its natural valence, therefore, all conclusions about it are drawn from how it acts in Elanthia. Through this, it has been seen that the shien do not seem to be concerned at all with their surroundings. Even threat of danger does not seem to catch the attention of the shien, and it will continue to stand seemingly unaware of its surroundings. Taking the shien's skill in manipulating sound into consideration, it seems possible that interaction with others within its species seems likely, but there is no proof for this.

Mechanical Benefits and Flaws

The shien's strongest ability is that of holding mana. The shien have a base mana capacity of 24, higher than any other, and have a decent growth rate. Their capacity for holding coins is quite low, a base of only 300. They are notably slow in completing tasks. The shien possess a special ability when delivering messages. When instructed to deliver a message in a dark room, a shien will emit a cylinder of haze which carries the message to the recipient. The recipient can then WHISPER HAZE (message) and the response will be returned. The summoner of the shien can then do likewise to send an additional message. Unlike other demons, this method can be used to hold a continous conversation, with no downtime between each set of messages.