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The following information contains secrets unknown to most characters.
Native to the so-called "Astral Space", the presence of a Kha'din on our world causes reality to ooze and run like melted wax. Insubstantial poltergeists, they are undetectable save for a black shimmering in the air, a warbling drone and a feeling on the skin like ground glass or nails scraped across the chalkboard. Usually Kha'din spirits are subtle and do not give away their presence, but occasionally they will create a truly vile body of illusion and shadow stuff--one which will send mortal men screaming in terror, even causing stalwart heroes to quake in terror. These physical manifestations of Kha'din appear to have been pulled from some insane nightmare--formless masses of writhing tentacles, eyes, and mouths run together like melted wax. In order to prevent damaging itself, the mortal mind places its own meaning upon the formlessness, drawing from primal and subconscious fears. Thus, some stories describe the nearly-formless shapes as gigantic squids, vine-wrapped trees, or insects of hideous size, although they are warped and corrupted in gruesome ways. Even if two men saw the same creature, each would likely describe it in his own way.
While the touch of a Kha'din's form can corrupt reality itself, the Kha'din rarely make blatant displays of power, preferring to keep their insidious nature hidden, whispering in the night and creating illusions to deceive the mind. Kha'din speak in whispering voices of crooning insanity--the sounds of nightmares and mad voices whispering just beside your ear or inside your head, or shaping your dreams. This voice can drive mortals mad or become consumed with a hateful, killing rage. They manipulate mortals by promising gifts of great knowledge, power and fulfillment of hidden desires. Those who willingly accept these offers are doomed, for the Kha'din posses their bodies and devour their dreams and thoughts until all they experience are insane nightmares. Their bodies are devoured by Taint, slowly transform into insane, hideous masses of writhing tentacles known as Akuma. When the being dies it becomes one with the Kha'din, who are said to have a single mind or shared consciousness which their entire race experiences together.
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