Difference between revisions of "Zaykenspawn"

Revision as of 05:15, 13 July 2007

Zaykenspawn are the horrible creatures created by the monstrous man creature Zayken as experiments in his quest to Perfection. They are usually created by taking a base creature and remolding and mutating it through an unindentified process similar to Zayken's own personal evolution. In recent years, creatures have also appeared with a more arcane bent.

Herein describes some of the Zaykenspawn that have appeared to date. New ones will be described as they are witnessed.

"Zombies" Some of Zayken's earliest experiments resulted in these creatures. Although not undead, these poor souls were men and women mutated by Zayken. They exhibited reduced intelligence, emaciated bodies and distorted features, as infection ravaged their body. They also had a slow, staggering walk, resulting from their fat and bloated lower legs, which appeared as if all the fat in their bodies had drained into their calves and feet. Although not very dangerous on their own, these tortured creatures often moved in groups and had the capacity to become Maggots, and eventually, Shriekers, Stalkers or Brutes.

A variation of these were the 'struggler' type. These zombie Zaykenspawn grew membrenous 'strait jackets' around their head and upper body as they began to pupate into Maggots. Although typically docile, if they sensed a potential meal they would begin to fight furiously against their cocoons as they stalked their prey.

Maggots

Maggots were part of Zayken's initial wave of Zaykenspawn, and were a secondary 'evolution' of the zombie types. After consuming enough food, the zombies would go into their 'struggler' phase and eventually cocoon themselves entirely. Their lower bodies, especially, became thickly entombed, as their bloated legs grew together to form a large "tail" like protrusion. Maggots were rarely encountered, as they could not defend themselves very well, hindered in the same way as strugglers until eventually becoming completely cocooned and vulnerable. Eventually Maggots would 'hatch' into Brutes, Stalkers or Shriekers.

Brutes

The Brutes made up the core of Zayken's first wave of monsters. Barely resembling their human stock at all any more, Brutes had thick, leathery, rust coloured skin, beady black eyes, and jaws that protruded far forward like the snout of a canine, making their gums and thick teeth very pronounced. With double jointed hind legs and powerful, clawed forearms, Brutes were fast and vicious, capable of tearing flesh with ease. As well, their spines seemed to extend into long, thin, jagged tails. These were occasionally used to bludgeon prey but existed primarily to augment the agility of the Brutes when they were giving chase. Brutes were also heavily built, able to withstand a fair deal of punishment before falling.

Stalkers

Occasionally Maggots would develop into Stalkers. Strange creatures with nearly featureless faces and rubbery black, slippery skin, Stalkers were quiet, extraordinary humanoid creatures that could climb walls with the ease of an insect and move with the agility and grace of an acrobat. They served primarily as spies for Zayken, but occasionally as assassins, or under his direct guidance, would sometimes join mass combat to flank foes from confusing angles, distracting enemies from the rush of Brutes and Shriekers. Stalkers have the unusual ability to bend their limbs in any direction, giving their wallcrawling a most disturbing appearance.

Shriekers

Shriekers were perhaps the most terrible thing to hatch from a Maggot - although not as directly dangerous as a Hunter, their departure from the stock they were born from displayed the extent that Zayken was eventually able to manipulate a base creature. As well, Shriekers had the ability to fly, allowing them to harass enemies from any direction. Shriekers had an appearance similar to a humanoid torso, however they lacked a head and neck, shoulders overdeveloped and nearly grown together. The arms of the base creature would split apart during metamorphosis, becoming membrenous wings, while the hind legs largely atrophied, becoming almost birdlike, if not for the rusty, leathery skin, complete with small talons, usually for gripping onto high perches. Most horrifically, between the chest and stomach of the former creature, a gaping maw formed, from which the Shriekers would scream incessantly while in combat, confusing and frightening their prey as they buffered them with swarming tactics, biting and clawing. Shriekers often accompanied Brutes, harrying foes from the air with hit and runs as the vicious Brutes pressured foes in melee.

Spiders

The Spider Zaykenspawn were similar to the Shriekers in that they were headless torsos with gaping maws in their chest - their mouths formed between the pectoral muscles, however, and they retained blackish eyes between their shoulders. Spiders also had a darker colour, and were overall much smaller, their bodies tapering more towards the 'waist' with slimmer shoulders. In place of each normal humanoid limb, Spiders had two long legs, similar to those of their namesake. Like Stalkers they could crawl on walls with ease, however they were more numerous and vicious. Spiders typically attacked by leaping upon prey and grappling it against their body as they bite and chewed through it. Not as dangerous as some of the other Zaykenspawn, Spiders were mostly worrisome only in swarms. They never worked tactically with other Zaykenspawn, perhaps because unlike the previous examples, Spiders were not born from humanoid stock, despite similarity to Shriekers and their 'mutated' appearance. Their origin, however, was perhaps far more gruesome.

The Lady in the Room

After witnessing a Spider fleeing into an open window on the second floor of the Broken Dagger, Quincy and Ariane broke into the sealed room to which it corresponded. Inside they discovered the horrible creature there. The shape of a woman, her legs and arms had grown into long, tentacle root like appendages which webbed around the room. She appeared to be grown into the corner of the room, unable to move. Her eyes and tongue were missing, and the creature could do little more than writhe and moan in apparent agony. As well, her skin was slick and blood red, creating a flayed appearance. Most gruesomely, from her distended womb the monster perpetually birthed small Spiders, which would flee into the wood and quickly grow, hunting food to return and feed their horrid 'mother'. Disgusted by this scene of torture and gore, Quincy and Ariane slaughtered the Spiders present, and mercifully, the woman herself. This creature hinted at an important detail - Zayken's inability to create new life without reshaping that which already existed.

The Gatekeeper

Mason

Originally, Mason appeared to the people of Myrken as a well-meaning soldier looking to help save the village of Kanpar from Zayken. However, the heroes that followed he and Sawyer to the village soon discovered the extent of Zayken's abilities. Mason seemed to transform almost instantaneously from a normal human man into a towering, winged monstrosity, with an appearance somewhat similar to

The Golem

Sawyer/Phantasm

Shyntei/Myuu

Since his original attack upon Myrken, death, and rebirth, Zayken has begun to create new, more advanced Zaykenspawn. Few of these have been closely examined to date. Some are described here.

Torment

Another category of Zaykenspawn are the spawn of Shyntei. Although not created personally by the efforts of Zayken, they can be considered 'second generation' Zaykenspawn.

Wraiths

Judges

Butchers

Stranglers

Imps/Children

Matrons