Grey's Thread of Horrible Things

[Grey]

Evening all.


One of the things I enjoy doing is coming up with monsters, but I've not done so in a while and I could use more. One of my favourite ways to come up with monsters is through images.


So, here's what I'm asking - if people post images of monsters in this thread (and right now I'm of a mind to do monstrous humanoids), I'll then try to follow up with an idea for a monster based on the image. In Crucible, primarily - I'll even include stats and abilities. Maybe some WoD.


Ideally, then, things of a medieval to Renaissance bent are preferred because monsters of the modern day live very much in their time.


I'll see about some examples in a bit. Don't expect this thread to move fast unless I see something I really like.

 

[Silvertongued]

I got some nice bits~


Sea Gribbly


Something Dead


I like Masks


I'll upload more as I find 'em.

 

[Cthulhu_Wakes]

I've one that I wrote a small story on once -- The Wellman. Nasty fucker. In need of a makeover and better history, but one of my prouder moments in creating a good ghoul.

 

[Teh Frixz]

that third image reminds me of Hooper

 

[BenTipex]

Ladies and gentlemen, I present to you : the rockfish!


Become a fisherman, they said... It's a calm and quiet life, they said...


Aren't crows supposed to feed on carion?


Oh, you wanted to sleep tonight? Too bad, take a caterpillar/tiger.

Yeah, sure, it's only a statue.​

​

I'll go through the desert! That way, I can avoid their army and... oh f*** it.

 

[Grey]

Sea Gribbly

I like it, but it's main trait is being huge - which I don't work well with since it tends to inform all the personality of the image. That said, I can see this being a Fifth Circle Domain or hidden Communer laboratory.

Something Dead

Some Necromancers have family issues. Reluctant to let go, they seek to entrap the ghosts of lost loves or forge vessels for their souls. That kind of ambition, and grief, does not mix well with a lack of expertise. It seems no Necromancer of the Dark Age has avoided this particular trial - from Graveth the White's own mute son, to Nicodemus Selanmere's secret shame.


Cousin to the main line, Nicodemus lost his baseborn son Garth shortly after elevating him to knighthood in an effort to have him legitimized. In grief, the Necromancer tried secretly to restore his son by binding his spirit to a construct made for a darker purpose. The serving staff of the manor spread rumours for months of some dire presence in the cellars, something moaning and shuffling around. It was no surprise that little Alessa should become curious. Garth, horrified that his little sister should see him like this and unknowing of the terrible might in his new limbs, accidentally slew her when trying to push her away. Driven mad with loss, Nicodemus tried to save her, succeeding only in solidifying her ghost and fettering it to her brother.


The purported haunting became too much for the household, and so Nicodemus fled with his children, into the wilderness.


What became of Nicodemus Selanmere is unknown, but stories tell of a great, mute golem of bone and the little girl it serves guardian, forever wandering the moors of Kelen.

I like Masks

Just makes me think of the Porcelain Caged Envoy of Nightmare's Palace again. Check back later in case I think of something.

 

[Grey]

Ladies and gentlemen, I present to you : the rockfish!

Rockfish are a doomed breed. Created as an early warning system by a long dead Magus, Rockfish patrol the waters where Communer Zendas once laired. But only a few dozen were ever bred, and are functionally immortal - protected from almost all harm in their rocky shells, able to emit a minor electrical pulse to fend off attackers, and very sensitive to magic. However, their internal organs are prized by ambitious Alchemists, and their numbers dwindle as more and more are, albeit with great difficulty, captured.

Become a fisherman, they said... It's a calm and quiet life, they said...

Man, I like that image but it's just a big sea-serpent.

Aren't crows supposed to feed on carrion?

Necromancers, being artists, have a flair for the dramatic and a fondness for irony. When in need of eyes in the sky, an intimidating display, sentinel servitors, a terrifying swarm-weapon, or something to make the outer walls a bit more lively, undead crows are a popular choice.

Oh, you wanted to sleep tonight? Too bad, take a caterpillar/tiger.

Manticores are native to the arid highland regions of far Southern Lama, though some smaller specimens have been seen further north. Resembling a hybrid of tiger and some kind of beetle, Manticores' origins are unknown. They are fiercely territorial carnivores that hunt by ambush, bursting from the sands to catch large animals such as ostriches. Manticores can project venomous spines over short distances, too, which can paralyze their prey. Curiously, their venom has preservative properties that allow them to keep a meal over quite a long period. Some vials of their venom can be found in the ancient laboratory's of Magocracy Necromancers and Communers, who must have found some use in its preservative effects.

Yeah, sure, it's only a statue.

Hm. I'll get back to this one.

I'll go through the desert! That way, I can avoid their army and... oh f*** it.

Hell is not easy territory to navigate. Demonic Beasts, existing at the bottom of and outside the Hierarchy of Sins, will not hesitate to attack Demons of any Rank seen traveling the wilder places of Hell. Demons are, by whatever quirk of nature, naturally urban beings anyway.


Hellhounds are the main threat to travelers trying to cross the basalt plains of Wrath. Immense, quadrupedal monsters with fire for blood, Hellhounds are terrifyingly fast and effective pack hunters that fall upon their prey without mercy. They can project a cloud of searing ash on their breath to wound and disorient foes, and the more of them hunting together, the more they can generate a dread pyroclastic flow in their wake.


They are led by an 'alpha' hound; Kerberus, larger then the others, smarter, stronger, with an exposed heart of flame some say is a star stolen from the heavens by his master Telak-Roz, The Ruination of Towers.

 

[Grey]

BRING ME MOAR IMAGES MY PLAYERS DO NOT YET SUFFER ADEQUATELY

 

[Silvertongued]

Well, you did ask:

Spoiler

 

[Teh Frixz]

Spoiler

 

[Silvertongued]

And have some more:

Spoiler

http://i.imgur.com/aqAnVCI.jpg

 

[Cthulhu_Wakes]

That cat is full of stars!

 

[PixelWitch]

SPHESSCAT

 

[Silvertongued]

Because I felt you needed to be sad.

 

[Shining Lotus Sage]

Spoiler

and

and

 

[Kaerri]

This was prettier than I remembered, but enjoy all the same. Weedy sea dragon.

Spoiler

 

[Grey]

Spoiler

The Deepguard





Castle Dour lies at the bottom of the Sleeping Sea, and the cruel Dellebronim who rule there demand protection at every depth.


Enter the Deepguard - once mortals, Indentured by the House, and subjected to a monstrous transformation by a biological machine commissioned from The Shaper himself.


Deepguard are stronger and tougher than normal mortals, but slower for the most part. The precise nature of the transformation varies, but the results are adequately horrifying. Dellebron pirates often crew their vessels with Deepguard, better to spread fear of the House.

Too generic. Could be a Demon, or a very Tainted mortal. Might come back to 'em as a character later.

Spoiler

Dryad's protect their groves fiercely not only because they rely on them to survive, adrift in the mortal world, but with time new Dryads are born from the fruit of their trees. It's a slow process, one that requires the lives of many unfortunate men, but ancient groves can be akin to small villages of hungry, dangerous Dryads.

Free Shadow is the patron spirit of the Tribe that bears his name. He has led them through the dark jungle since the rise of the Scaled Masters, protecting them from other spirits and wild beasts. He asks a terrible price, however - a human sacrifice, adding their soul to his army of Chained Shadows.


That was until the khuabara Lanaya Whisperwind fought him, and forced him to change the covenant with the Tribe. Though the sacrifices were halted, Lanaya was exiled for her blasphemy, and Free Shadow has a long memory.


Free Shadow is impossible to contain or hold back, moving easily through the jungle, jumping from shadow to shadow. He catches interlopers in his long tail and summons his Chained Shadows to strike them.

No, this is getting too silly.

In the deep forests of Hrothgard, in the far north where the snow falls year round, one might encounter Whitefeather.


Like all faerie, her true name is not to be spoken, and she is feared. Unlike many of her kind, Whitefeather is frequently benevolent toward mortals. She often tells secrets to the Clan of the Snow Owl who guard her sacred woods, and will share wisdom with any traveler who treats her with the courtesy of the old ways.


She is still a predator, however. Sometimes she will ask a riddle, or to hear an old poem. If you cannot satisfy her, she will devour you.


It is said that she can hear anything that happens where snow falls.

Vandal dan Shaukur, Black-Glass Titan, General of the Hellsun Gate


Vandal is Shaukur's most vaunted servant. Unlike many Pride Demons, he takes the form of a man carved of black glass with golden eyes - though he often wears gilded armour into battle, wielding his great mace. Of his unique powers, his ability to absorb the infernal light of fellow Pride Demons makes him a valuable asset - they must meet him on the field of battle.


Vandal is remarkably philosophical, a quiet and introspective Demon who takes courtesy very seriously and enjoys discussing the mysteries of existence with anyone, from mortals to his own superiors.

Mermaids are a dangerous parasitoid that dwell off the colder coasts. They lure mortal men in with a keening, magical song. Once they have them, a gruesome mockery of coitus follows that leaves the unfortunate victim bloating with mermaid eggs. Mortal women they simply devour.


Leading scholars believe they must be the result of Magical tampering, but to what end other than sheer wickedness someone would create such a thing is unknown.

Nice. I'll come back to it - maybe a Hulbrad.

Hm. Definitely coming back to this later.

 

[Mooalally]

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