Description
Glowfolk, sometimes called will o’ the wisp or jinn, are somewhat humanoid entities which vary in stature and appearance. Glowfolk appear to possess two glowing white eyes and (occasionally) a mouth which shares similar attributes. While adolescent Glowfolk are incapable of communication, fully-developed Glowfolk are capable of both understanding human speech and holding a conversation. These creatures do not start out intelligent. Rather, they learn from their environment and are shaped accordingly. Their native level has not been recorded yet, but they have been reported to appear in a number of other levels.
Glowfolk tend to be physiologically androgynous, but are known to experiment with both masculine and feminine body types. They may be found in a variety of colors, with some bearing multiple colors. Being made up entirely of neon flames, their skin is – for the most part – impregnable. As such, Glowfolk manipulate the flames of their silhouette to mimic hair or other physical features, which are not inherent aspects of their forms. This manipulation is not entirely perfect, as the flames which make up their bodies are constantly in flux, subtly shifting from the desired appearance. One may observe the flames surrounding a glowfolk flickering.
Biology
Glowfolk are spectral anomalies consisting of different combinations of elements in their respective plasma and gaseous forms. This primarily includes Neon (Ne), Methane (CH₄), Hydrogen (H), and more elements; many of which remain be identified. Glowfolk may take any shape, though most seem to favor a humanoid form; likely as a result of the large humanoid population in the backrooms. Glowfolk often express emotions through the behavior of their flames. The stronger their emotions, the brighter and more sporadically their flames burn. The general personality and abilities of a Glowfolk are often connected to the color of their flames.
Growth Cycle
Contrary to popular belief, Glowfolk do not start off fully grown. Instead, they begin as a spark – a being without knowledge of the world around them. Glowfolk learn from the stimuli of their environment and whatever other beings they may encounter. The color of their flames, as well as their personality and mannerisms, are entirely determined by the events and actions which occur around them in this formative stage. Eventually, the spark will grow and mature to become a Glowfolk.
Sparks:
Sparks are a colorless, anomalous chemical reaction of neon and phosphorus, possessing consciousness but lacking awareness. Sparks do not naturally develop intelligence or sentience, but rather acquire it through gradual knowledge. They are highly observant creatures, and can often be found either in the furnace being tended to by older Glowfolk, or stalking wanderers from a distance. Due to their shy nature, they’re often seen in a wanderer's peripheral vision, only to zip away when directly observed. Such encounters may cause wanderers to question the reliability of their minds, but rest assured, these beings are real. When in close proximity to a spark, be wary of their radioactive properties; while not as radioactive as adolescent or adult glowfolk, prolonged exposure to them can prove hazardous, especially considering their tendency to gravitate towards wanderers in groups. The progression of a spark’s maturation is dependent on several factors: the accumulation of a set amount of knowledge, the development of a pigment, and the acquisition of significant fuel with which to “burn” and push their transformation forward.
Flames:
In this pivotal stage of a Glowfolk’s life, they are more capable of defending themselves and effectively interacting with the world around them. By now, they have likely developed the ability to communicate with others, and display traits of their main color more prominently. However, this is also when they become more dangerous to be around, due to the increase in radiation which they emit, comparable in quantity to those of alpha rays. Along with this, they’re generally the most volatile of the three stages, due to having newfound abilities regarding their flames and bearing a juvenile demeanor. It is easy to “set off” a young glowfolk, particularly red-flamed ones, and if you’re not cautious you can find yourself on the receiving end of extreme radiation burns or worse. It is assumed that Glowfolk achieve full maturity from here through the same means they achieved this stage from the Spark stage. However, physical maturity does not equate to mental or emotional maturity, which varies between each Glowfolk.
Glowfolk (Infernos):
The final stage in the growth-cycle of the glowfolk (as well as the most dangerous). Infernos are primarily known for their colorful appearances and the flames that surge off of their bodies at all times. They display the most vibrant emotions out of the three stages, having spent enough time studying the emotions of others. They have likely developed a proficient understanding of themselves and their own attributes, and have mastered one of the main abilities of the inferno, shapeshifting. They have also fully developed into their primary color, and while some are capable of changing said color either subtly or noticeably, still show clear attributes from that color. Infernos are relatively friendly toward non-hostile entities and wanderers, but are unfortunately highly dangerous to be around. They emit an amount of radiation equivalent to gamma rays, which can kill a wanderer in minutes depending on the proximity of exposure. Not to mention certain infernos can reach up to 8000°K in temperature depending on their color, and the fact that certain infernos can glow brightly enough to cause temporary or permanent blindness. Some are fully capable of controlling the intensity of his flame brilliance and could theoretically disable numerous wanderers if he so desired.
Behavior
As stated prior, Glowfolk are a constantly growing species fueled by their surroundings. The information they acquire shapes and molds them into their adult form. For this reason, Glowfolk as a species tend to be extremely curious, intuitive creatures. They are quick to pick up on changes in the environment, and are usually the first to sense a hostile presence. Sparks, Flames, and Infernos are all known to stalk wanderers in an attempt to obtain knowledge about the world around them. Sparks are the most curious, requiring observations of wanderers in order to shape their appearances and identities as a whole. However, as aforementioned, Sparks are timid creatures, and will disappear from the corner of someone’s eye when observed. Due to this behavior, Sparks have the easiest time draining wanderer sanity, even if they’re unaware of this. Interestingly enough, Sparks tend to emit energy in a way similar to that of a sneeze when going through a brief change. This is commonly observable by wanderers they’ve chosen to mimic, and there have been reports of brief squeaking noises behind people in numerous levels where glowfolk have been reported. While they display basic traits of shapeshifting like their other stages, they have no real control over their color or vibrancy until they mature, and the shapes they can make with themselves are rudimentary at best. They are only capable of copying basic traits.
Flames, too, are rather curious, needing to observe other species in order to figure out how to interact with the strange world around them, along with forming a proper sense of self. Being the erratic middle-stage of the Glowfolk growth cycle, they are quick to lash out depending on how they’ve grown, and are generally more on edge than their previous stage and future stage. While they have a basic understanding of their shape-shifting abilities at this stage, they tend to be more unstable, and have been observed fizzling out and having to forcibly return to their original form when trying to shapeshift into something not in front of them. To put it simply, they are incapable of using their ability when challenged with using an abstract vision instead of one able to be copied. They are incredibly stubborn creatures a majority of the time, and have been observed to go up in small bursts of light when denied something by an Inferno. They are less likely to know how to differentiate hostile from peaceful, and are most likely to attempt to harm others on a whim when unsupervised. Some Flames are also observed to have minor hallucinogenic abilities, while others are seen having better control on the vibrancy of the light controlling their bodies. For this reason, it is safer not to interact with flames.
Infernos primarily stalk wanderers for information on how to communicate better, or for an attempt at brief interaction with one of the lesser hostile species within the backrooms. They have been observed to have a number of abilities, including; visual and tactile hallucinations, advanced shapeshifting unlike the basic variant their predecessors have, control over their vibrancy, color, and shade, and are also masters at the element of surprise, much like their previous stages. But unlike their previous stages, Infernos are generally on the more intelligent side of things, and are capable of using their abilities to a tactical advantage when required of them.
A Glowfolk’s personality varies from colors, environment, and how they were raised. Younger Glowfolk are capable of changing their color more easily. Each color indicates how they were raised and the type of environment they were raised in. For example; red Glowfolk are generally aggressive, and blue Glowfolk are generally more somber or even melancholy in nature, depending on the shade of their color. Glowfolk have been recorded to bear practically every known color.
Despite being a relatively neutral species, Glowfolk have a passive ability that makes them significantly more dangerous to wanderers. Due to being composed of phosphorus in high quantities, Glowfolk are extremely radioactive, and should not be entertained for long without the proper equipment to deal with them. Sparks are best comparable to Alpha-ray radiation, being able to be withstood for a while before serious damage can occur. Flames are Beta-ray radiation, able to be withstood for a few minutes before radiation burns become a risk, whereas Infernos are gamma-ray radiation, able to be withstood for only a few minutes before the risk of death starts to loom over the heads of individuals unprepared for confrontation with them. Glowfolk are also capable of giving third degree burns to individuals who choose to touch them without the proper equipment, and Infernos are capable of blinding people through the light they give off. Due to this, it is advised that the child and adult stages of Glowfolk are to be ignored, while Sparks are not to be followed.
Being neutral entities, Glowfolk are relatively difficult to provoke. Some of the only reported ways of provoking Glowfolk are through knowingly attacking one, endangering a spark, or simply being assumed hostile by one of the many Glowfolk that can be found patrolling their native levels. There are also a number of outliers who have been reported to be hostile without any prior event taking place. Should you find yourself at the hands of hostile Glowfolk, you should be aware of the fact that they excel at teamwork. Glowfolk generally attack in pairs rather than solo, which exponentially raises their radioactive potential. Not to mention, it helps them easily overwhelm their target. They also excel in the element of befriending and betraying wanderers. After observing their friendly behavior, a majority of hostile Glowfolk are more than capable of mimicking this and forcing their target to let their guard down. This game of mental manipulation and trust severing can lead to them draining the sanity of their target, which is advantageous to them given their ability to show up to wanderers suffering from lower sanity. Unfortunately, not many individuals who have been at the receiving end of a Glowfolk attack have lived to tell the tale.
Original Author and Rewrite Director.:
TheAgentAnonymous
Amazing team of Co-Authors! They did pretty much all the work.
Ora - Writing pretty much the whole page, Ideas.
Corp - Writing Biology Section, Ideas.
Nook - Art, Ideas.
Insomni - Ideas. This is his alternate account.
Scalezz - Ideas.
The First Glowfolk Contributors (Thanks for giving us our start!)
TreeLookinHairline
FreeWillyNilly
JustaWhiteSkull
Art By:
Oracoreri and Nooknic14
