Dark Powers were unknown, mystical forces that had the ability to control the Deepmists, pulling regions from the Prime Material into the Umbral Realms. They roamed the Deepmist that filled the in-between, and had complete control over who could enter or leave their domains. They sought to gather energy from these worlds, but could only do so in ways specific to the individual, and so had to manipulate their planes to create ideal feeding grounds.
While the abilities and scope of Dark Powers were completely unknown, they could grant individuals immortality and great magical possession, along with other terrible gifts. In order to "feed", Dark Powers would manipulate these individuals into accepting bargains to become a Darklord. Once accepted, these mortals would then create environments that allowed the Powers to gather energy, typically by giving them domains to rule of their own.