| Race | Enemy | Trivia |
A forest that has been corrupted by Collapsal pollution
Collapsals, called Andskotarnir (ᚨᚾᛞᛊᚲᛟᛏᚨᚱᚾᛁᚱ)[note 1] by the Samifjod, are a collective term for various malevolent extradimensional entities in the world of Arknights as well as entities overtaken by their influence.
The Terrans often called Collapsals demons,[1][2] wicked spirits,[3][4] and poltergeists,[5] the first of which can lead to confusion with the Sarkaz who are sometimes referred to as "demons" in a derogatory sense.
Overview
The unexplored borders of Terra in the north and south are inhabited by various monsters that remain unknown to the civilized world, and are considered alien to Terra itself, hence called "Collapsals" by Columbian researchers who studied them extensively through modern science. They possess many strange, grotesque features, such as numerous structures resembling "limbs" and "eyes", black, foggy, formless bodies, and psychic powers such as space-time manipulation.[6] They are considered an infohazard who can gain power and manifest themselves simply by being known, hence why all Terran nations heavily suppress the passing down of knowledge regarding them, with only the highest authorities of their nations permitted to be aware of their existence.[1]
The ancient portal on the North Pole, which is the "gate" for the Collapsals into Terra
The Collapsals' origin remains unclear, but they are said to be from dimensional cracks across Terra, especially in the Sami tundra.[7] Notably, they come to Terra through an ancient portal on the edge of the Icefield, close to Terra's northern pole (likely the crater-like region beyond the Icefield); the portal itself is likely a relic of the Ancestors used as the means of sub-space or interdimensional transportation that somehow went awry.[8] It is even believed that the Collapsals may be the probes of an extradimensional invasion of unknown origin.
Signs of presence
The signs of Collapsal presence can be indicated by the following phenomena:[9][10]
- Blooming plants with no visible roots, especially in the form of flowers. These actually act as anchor points for the Collapsals and can pollute the surrounding area with their influence if not contained.
- Pitch black snowfall or the sudden appearance of black fog, a sign of their psychic pollution in certain areas.
- Objects resembling human hands such as the Frozen Claw.
- Phantom-like beings such as those resembling the Ursine Emperor's Blades.
- Blackness that cannot be observed through photography or other optical instruments.
Collapsals will prey upon their victims through many supernatural methods like mind control, hallucinations, and mirages amidst a blizzard. Entities exposed to Collapsal pollution can also undergo physical and mental corrosion, while awareness of a Collapsal or even just seeing an image of one is sometimes sufficient enough to invite corruption. Victims of Collapsal corruption can be noted by the following traits:[10]
- Bodies having black patches and being hollowed (i.e., an absence of organs).
- Black blood oozing out from their bodies. Sometime stronger entities also produce black snow or fog in their surroundings.
- Literal walking dead with abnormal behavior such as extreme convulsion and uncontrolled speed.
- Faces becoming literal black holes that absorb light from artificial devices.
Relationship with humans
Since the birth of civilization, mankind has been keeping the Collapsals from invading Terra through their warriors and fortresses stationed at the frigid Infy Icefield and the arid Foehn Hotlands, such as "Emperor's Blades" – Ursine supersoldiers created with Collapsal shards and heavily armored Wendigo armies, Sami Snowpriests born of sacrificial rituals, Yan's most powerful elite Tianshi and soldiers assisted by the city of Yumen and the "Chamber of Heaven's Designs", and the undying Sargonian Zhayedans. The struggle reached its climax at the dawn of the common era a thousand years ago during the world-wide conquest of the Nightzmoran Khagan who drove away all the Collapsals of the Hotlands, thus keeping the south from their presence forever, and set his eyes onto the north before disappearing into history.[11] However, these conflicts often came with a heavy cost such as huge casualties or regions being irreparably corrupted by the Collapsal influences.
In the modern era with thriving technologies, many nations still retain their ancient mindset regarding the Collapsals, except the Columbians who attempt to conduct experiments on them out of scientific curiosity. Nevertheless, without proper precautions, these experiments often end in tragic meltdowns. One example is a research project done by Beachbrella where corrupted meat was fed to animals and resulted in their deaths, upon which they failed to contain the Collapsal pollution, almost leading to a disaster if it weren't for the interference of Typhon and a local Snowpriest.[10]
Notable
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- The "Emperor's Blades" are created from shards of the Northland Collapsals. Their creation is shrouded in occult rituals and they need to wear specially designed suits to contain and stabilize the Collapsal shards. Losing control of the shards proves devastating as the Collapsal influence will lay waste to the surrounding area and corrupt the land for eternity.
- Typhon's arrows are made of the polluted fragments of the Northland Collapsals that are then restrained by ancient Sarkaz Originium Arts.[12] The combination of the two could easily "neutralize" the rampaging Collapsals.[10]
Note
- ↑ "Enemies" in Icelandic which has the poetic meaning as "devils".
References
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