The Longest Journey[]
The Dark People aboard a Shadow Ship
The Dark People are the most mysterious race April encounters. Clad in long black robes, they are described in the Scriptures of the Balance as 'keepers of the dark flame, the eternally dark, the mariners', as they travel the seas in Shadow Ships. They also serve the Old God or Blue of the Kin, preparing a Star Map for April on his orders.
Very little is known about the Dark People. They travel on strange ships that are shrouded in fog and clearly possess powerful magic, often replete with extensive libraries (which are said to rival the library at the Sentinel Enclave in Marcuria). They tend to be brusque and to the point, simply giving April their piece of the Stone Disk and the star map.
However, they do make April admit that she is not just an ordinary girl; that she is April Bandu-Embata, the Windbringer, the Waterstiller, and the Kan-ang-la. To the Dark People, April is a 'Wave' that moves forward into the future, changing everything in her path: this is also how Benrime Salmin of the Journeyman Inn describes April. This may be the 'ordeal' she needs to undergo to prove herself, as it is clearly hard for her to finally admit she is not just an ordinary girl.
Though they help April readily enough, the Dark People are not a 'safe' race like the Banda. The one who speaks to April warns her not to approach the others. This suggests that outside of serving the Old God, the Dark People often work to their own agenda.
The Dark People's Emissary is voiced by Jeff Meller.
The original TLJ site had this intro to the Dark People:
"We carry the black flame, and we ride the Waves. We are mystery, and to know us is to be us. We are shadows."
"Come closer, do not be afraid. We do not kill -- not you, not now. You are from across the Divide, are you not? We see your face. There is no magic. You are a child of science. You are a child of Stark."
"Step into the dark light. Step lightly. Do not wake my brothers. They may not take kindly to a stranger on board our ship. Look out there. Listen. The sea is quiet. There are no waves. But we are waiting for one particular Wave. One Wave to carry us into the darkened future."
"She is a Wave. She is to appear in the sea, before our ship, and we will carry her to safety and give her our stone. She is a Wave, and she will carry the twin worlds past Chaos, past the Division, into Reunification."
"Go now. Go, and tell no one what you have learned here. For these are secrets forged in magic, and in the heat of the black flame."
Dreamfall[]
The Shadowguide in Dreamfall
The Dark People return in Dreamfall, but there are a number of differences. Firstly, though they were clearly seen walking in The Longest Journey, in Dreamfall they appear as hooded robes which float in midair. Whereas previously their robes were plain black, they now have dusky blue and gold ornamentation. And, finally, when April first met the Dark People, they were individuals who could refer to themselves as "I", but in Dreamfall, the Dark People are part of a collective consciousness, a hive mind where each individual speaks for the whole. Their houses are beehive like structures, in which they "rest" high on the walls. It is not known if they actually ever need to sleep, per se.
Their aspirations as scholars have also expanded, as they now seek to collect every written word in existence - quantity over quality, as one of their acquisitions proves - keeping their collection at their great Library. There is also no mention of the Dark Flame, or the fact that the Dark People serve the Old God, which is strange considering the fact the Draic Kin are apparently being attacked.
"Please, be quiet. We are resting."
A Shadowguide speaks to April at the docks in Marcuria, but something seems amiss. Though all the Dark People should know and recognise her as a Wave, this individual does not, and April has to find a rare book to barter passage - though this Dark Person can speak to his brothers at the Library without a problem. April mentions this oversight when she reaches the Dark People's City, but the representative she meets is unable to explain. He suggests the one April spoke to may have been 'blinded' though he does not suggest how or why. This fact has been the subject of much speculation.
The Dark People seem to be the only 'Magicals' who are not persecuted by the Azadi; they are permitted to trade in Marcuria, though the Shadowship does dock in Shady Quay rather than the main harbour. The obvious reason for the Azadi's tolerance would be that the Dark People are sea-faring and not present in Marcuria long enough to fall under Azadi jurisdiction. The other factor is that the Azadi are not stupid and incurring the wrath of the Dark People would no doubt be extremely unwise.
The Dark People are voiced by Jonathon Dow.