Darkspawn

Born from the defilement of life itself, no one is quite certain where the Darkspawn originate from. All that is known is that the blighted creatures spread mindlessly until a tainted powerful being takes their reigns and a Blight is formed. Then the horde of darkspawn bellows forth from the deep caverns in which they spawn and multiply and ravages the land, leaving nothing but death and disease in their wake. The Darkspawn are rightfully feared by many, although it has been centuries since the last real Blight ravaged the surface. This has led many in the Southern Kingdoms of the Westfork, Zemeria and further to doubt the very existence of darkspawn.   Although the origins of the first Darkspawn and the blighted disease that they carry is unknown, what is known is how they come to be. During Darkspawn raids the darkspawn often take living, female prisoners. These are then turned into broodmothers in a twisted process, spawning masses of the foul creatures as a result. It is said the race of the broodmothers determines the kind of Darkspawn that they bring forth as some twisted mockery of the world that is. Genlocks for example are spawned from dwarves, whereas Hurlocks are the result of a human broodmother.    Darkspawn usually have their lairs deep underground, meaning they are a constant source of struggle for the dwarves of the Kingdom of Orzammar. The dwarves and the Legion of the Dead are therefore the most imminent experts on everything related to the darkspawn taint, and eradicating it. The Blights caused by the Darkspawn infecting a powerful being, like an archdemon or a dragon, give the dwarves some much needed relief as it usually means the Darkspawn abandon the Deep Roads and flood to the countryside. Another nation that knows the threath darkspawn pose all too well is Asgarnia. The splintered kingdom of humans has seen several darkspawn incursions during the last centuries, some more grave than others. This makes them an exception to the other human realms that remain blissfully unaware of the threath darkspawn can pose.