I gotta admit, I love these Anonymous asks. The Dark Crystal fandom is always so passionate and welcoming and my fellow fans inquire about the funnest and the funniest things sometimes and it really just makes my day. I wanted everyone who interacts with me to know I appreciate all the love I get for SkekBel the Soothsayer and my Dark Crystal AUs.
Anonymous #1 asked, "How do the redeemable skeksis purge their bodies of the darkening? Do their soul bonds clense them of the illness by passing it through the gelfling or something?"
Answer: The soul bonds do help suppress the pain and hasten their initial recovery by providing the repentant skeksis with a direct link to Thra, but the entire healing process is more complex. The skeksis' bodies are so damaged from long-term exposure that they have to distance themselves from the castle (the original site of contamination) just for the healing to start.
Their higher brain functions shut down to minimize use of energy and allow mental recovery. They're forced to rely on instinct and sensory based memories in order to survive, which means their gelfling counterparts bear the responsibility for their safety and care.
A perfect example of this is Gurjin and SkekEkt's bond. The Ornamentalist didn't "remember" Gurjin due to past interactions. SkekEkt remembered the drenchen prince by his scent and her instinctual ability to sense he wasn't a threat to her. In doing so, he is able to lead her out of the castle into the resistance camp where he can watch over her while she endures withdrawals from the Crystal of Truth's corruption.
Anonymous #2 askes, "What kind of habits and personality traits do the skeksis exhibit while they are reliant on their lower brain functions?"
Answer: SkekEkt gets the zoomies and becomes very affectionate bringing Gurjin stolen gems, shiny stones, and fabrics she finds to line her nest (yes, skeksis nest).
SkekSil, SkekLa, and SkekYi are calm, and respond well to music. They maintain a safe distance from their gelfling but remain close enough to protect their gelfling if danger arises.
SkekSil and SkekLa like to stalk Kira and Jen out of curiosity and a desire to learn even in their primal state which sometimes leads to accidental jump scares.
SkekZok and SkekOk are clingy and protective of Deet and Brea. If either gelfling goes somewhere their skeksis can't follow, the skeksis starts making animalistic distress calls and pacing back and forth until the gelfling returns to them.
SkekOk shows his loyalty and gratitude by bringing Brea books, quills, ink pots, and scrolls (it doesn't even matter if they're written on).
SkekAyuk is laid back and waits patiently for Naia's return when she leaves her tent to do chores or carry out other tasks. He will do anything for treats and is always happy to see her even when the withdrawal makes him feel so sick he loses his appetite and can barely stand.
SkekVar is a natural guarder who stands at attention by the foot or side of Maudra Fara's chair. He's agitated easily and immediately squares up to perceived threats whether there is actual danger present or not.
SkekTek is finicky, skittish, and aggressive if he feels cornered or if Juni is being threatened. She's the only one who can approach him.
SkekSo and SkekBel are the two most difficult. SkekSo is extremely territorial and aggressive. He won't allow anyone near Seladon and brings her dead or dying animals he hunts himself and gets aggravated if he's not praised for it. SkekBel drives Rian crazy on a daily basis by tearing things up, nosing through all his stuff, and basically knocking over knick-knacks and breaking fragile trinkets just because she's told not to. The only time she lets Rian close to her is during meals, when she sleeps, and if her ankle or arthritis are hurting her which makes her demand comfort and reassurance through cuddles.
All the skeksis run around on all fours and are prone to hunting for their food and water. Some of the skeksis, like SkekEkt and SkekOk, play and wrestle with each other. They are all reliant on body language and sounds (growls, hisses, chirps, trills, ect.) to communicate until they regain their memories and higher brain functions.
Relying on primal mental function doesn't make the skeksis docile. They're not pets. They're exceedingly dangerous (possibly more so than when their minds are fully functional). The only ones even remotely safe around these skeksis are their bonded gelfling. Everyone/everything else is either a snack, a plaything, or a potential threat.
Anonymous #3 asked, "Aside from SkekMal, who do you think is the best hunter/tracker out of the skeksis?"
Answer: It depends. In my AU, SkekSo is an ambush predator. He can't use his nose, so he's reliant on his other senses to catch prey.
SkekVar and SkekAyuk are better at herding than they are hunting because they're bulkier and run at a slower pace than the others.
SkekEkt and SkekGra are lean and energetic which helps when chasing prey over long distances.
SkekSil and SkekLa have the best sense of smell in my AU so they're the best trackers. SkekLa also has the best eyes due to being an illustrator so she's often the first to sound an alarm when danger approaches.
SkekOk's small size, speed, and long, narrow beak give him an advantage when he hunts smaller prey because he can access burrows and bolt holes.
SkekYi is the best fisher as her light, thin build lets her glide through the water and she can use her sharp beak to spear/snatch up aquatic prey.
SkekZok's a total nocturnal hunter. He's accustomed to moving and working in the dark. He can hunt with the other skeksis if/whenever necessary but prefers to hunt by himself and isn't prone to sharing his prey.
SkekTek and SkekBel are more scavengers than they are hunters. Tek's eye and Bel's ankle put them at a disadvantage during hunts because his mechanic eye doesn't provide peripheral vision and her ankle makes it impossible for her to keep up or run without being in pain (La has a similar issue with her injured finger and thigh so Sil often takes the lead when they track). This means they are reliant on their gelfling and the other skeksis to bring them food.
SkekOk, SkekYi, SkekEkt, SkekSil, SkekLa, SkekGra, and SkekAyuk share food with Tek and Bel if/when the prey is large enough.
SkekZok only shares what he hunts with Bel and will lash out if anyone else tries to steal food from her.
SkekSo and SkekVar never share with anybody. These two will get violent when it comes to food. They aren't afraid to steal from another skeksis either, especially if the skeksis is too weak or small to fight back (Ok, Tek, Yi, La, and Bel when/if Zok isn't there to guard/protect her while she eats).
Ayuk, Ekt, Zok, Gra, and Sil fight back and usually hold their own if it's one-on-one against So and/or Var.
That being said, no one beats or outshines Mal when it comes to hunting/tracking. He's the Hunter!
Anonymous #4 asked, "Anyone else notice how the skeksis tend to maim each other?"
2. La (finger and thigh).
5. Shod (permanent brain damage).
6. Gra (nail stuck in head). 7. Zok looks like he got punched so hard his beak dented inward and the tip fell off.
8. So kept at it with the purple putty until his nose rotted away.
9. Var hits and kicks Sil so often it's a miracle he's not crippled.
11. Mal avoids them all like they're a plague.
The entire skeksis species is so dysfunctional but we love them!
The Dark Crystal, The Dark Crystal Age of Resistance, and all of the canon film/show characters belong to the Jim Henson Company.
SkekLa and SkekYi belong to @skekla (Lavinia).
SkekBel belongs to me @aurorasilverthorne.
If you use these characters or OCs in fanfiction/fanart, please always remember to credit their creators. Thank you!
