I'd love to help you out Dossta. I'll reserve my voting for later and give you some possible thoughts for one of the original six; feel free to use or discard them as you like:
Anndrais: The Monster Patron
The first-born and eldest of Maire's monster children, albeit only by several months. Anndrais's mother was Siùsan, the timid redhead who Maire first found wrapped around her husbands loins. Being the first and most volatile of Maire's experiments, Anndrais has some troubles with his regeneration; it seems he must expunge twice as much of his soul to replenish just as much flesh as his younger brothers and sisters do. In spite of his increased need for flesh consumption, he only rarely preys on humankind for sustenance; only when his wounds dire or his craving insatiable.
Anndrais took much of Maire's teachings to heart and became quite well learned. In adult life, he is a land owner; playing the game of politics and holding quite a high standing in the courts. Anndrais hides his 'affliction' well, and very few people know of his true nature.
Being the eldest, he considers himself guardian of his younger siblings and will always seek to help them in any way he can - whether financially, or using his political power to get them out of trouble (yet again!!), or finding his poor, weak youngest sister a tasty beggar to sate her thirst on. While Anndrais rarely gives into his craving for human flesh, he forgives even the most bloodthirsty of his family for their discretions.
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Anndrais's plot hooks:
- The PC's have been invited to dinner at the manor of Anndrais. The lord is quite accomodating and pleasant. However, something does seem... odd, about him. Hopefully Anndrais isn't TOO hungry or the PC's may not make it out of his manor alive!
- the brave PC's have managed to slay/lock away an undead menace who has been terrorizing the town, killing beggars and prostitutes in alleyways! But soon, the militia is after them instead! The whole town has turned against the PC's, as Anndrais uses his power in the courts to criminalize them, as revenge for daring to attack his younger brother!
other thoughts;
Since each of these zombies have sentience they would adopt their own unique personalities. Some could reject their blood-shedding ways, some could revel in it. Some may be timid, others violent. Some may choose to blend into society, becoming wealthy and of a status (yet hiding their secret.). Others may choose to roam the wilds almost animalistically, preying on passing caravans for sustenance. It would be cool to think of the 'stately, reclusive but suave mansion-owner' as a zombie and not a vampire for a change!! Go to Comment
I would actually combine this sub with the other, considering how intertwined they are. I was actually hoping for some personal details about the first Six Go to Comment
Since they were artificially conceived by a mad necromancer, they can all have meaningful names drawn from mythology. It would also be fun to invert positive deities into defiled versions, such as a rotting zombie warrior named after the god of health, or a hideous she zombie named after the goddess of love. Go to Comment
Could two of this siblings conceive a child, maybe that child would more Mother Monster could stand and she would have to call the PCs to deal with it? Actually I now have an idea for that... Go to Comment
I wanted to leave this as separate since one is an NPC and one is a life-form. However, I agree that this needs more detail and adding in some of the autobiographical stuff about the Six is a great idea. Will modify soon! Go to Comment
Update: Taking Scras's advice to heart here. I would definitely love to expand this sub with details about the original Six monsters created by Maire (see Mother Monster), but am drawing a bit of a blank. I would like to keep the Gaelic-sounding naming scheme for them, but am otherwise throwing this one open to the community. Looking for some ideas to work with. Go to Comment
Update: Still working on this one, but I didn't want to lose my changes. Throwing this one back out there with a partial edit. I think that the first part needs a cleanup as well, to better explain the nuts and bolts of how a Monster works. Is there anything that was really confusing to you all on your first read-through? Go to Comment
Update: Still need plot hooks for the youngest, but am running dry for today. If anyone has suggestions for Iseabal (or any of the others), please let me know! Go to Comment
I don't know what you had in mind, but with the combination of modern education and mysticism, I see this in a sort of supernatural 19th century Europe.
I like the added detail for the other sub. Go to Comment
She has heard of some compound or book or something that can cure (or perhaps regenerate her soul slightly) her of zombiism. She wants the PCs to go get it.
Anyways, I like them. Adds good details to Mother Monster.
And now for advice...
I think what you have is good. All I'd say you'd need is a plot hook for iseabal, to continue the pattern. I have that one idea, which I just gave, so if you want, go use it. You should probably add a couple more details, though. Go to Comment
The origins of the first zombie and the creation of the Art of Necromancy. Not a small feat!
The only thing I wanted a bit more of was her background of medicine and magic and how she used it through the years as she visited all these different places/people to fix herself. I had a need to see her taking that eclectic knowledge as her own and experimenting with it or something. Then when the big reveal comes and she brings her husband back, it isn't such a stretch that she could figure it out. Took me a second read to remind me that she did have a magic/medical background from family for it to make more sense, but that still leaves me hanging a bit.
I love the narration, I like the story and I like the idea. As a write up for NPC though, you give us history, but you don't give us her. We don't have a sense for her style or current state. Go to Comment
Lifeforms (Constructed) (Any)
Anndrais: The Monster Patron
The first-born and eldest of Maire's monster children, albeit only by several months. Anndrais's mother was Siùsan, the timid redhead who Maire first found wrapped around her husbands loins. Being the first and most volatile of Maire's experiments, Anndrais has some troubles with his regeneration; it seems he must expunge twice as much of his soul to replenish just as much flesh as his younger brothers and sisters do. In spite of his increased need for flesh consumption, he only rarely preys on humankind for sustenance; only when his wounds dire or his craving insatiable.
Anndrais took much of Maire's teachings to heart and became quite well learned. In adult life, he is a land owner; playing the game of politics and holding quite a high standing in the courts. Anndrais hides his 'affliction' well, and very few people know of his true nature.
Being the eldest, he considers himself guardian of his younger siblings and will always seek to help them in any way he can - whether financially, or using his political power to get them out of trouble (yet again!!), or finding his poor, weak youngest sister a tasty beggar to sate her thirst on. While Anndrais rarely gives into his craving for human flesh, he forgives even the most bloodthirsty of his family for their discretions.
__________________
Anndrais's plot hooks:
- The PC's have been invited to dinner at the manor of Anndrais. The lord is quite accomodating and pleasant. However, something does seem... odd, about him. Hopefully Anndrais isn't TOO hungry or the PC's may not make it out of his manor alive!
- the brave PC's have managed to slay/lock away an undead menace who has been terrorizing the town, killing beggars and prostitutes in alleyways! But soon, the militia is after them instead! The whole town has turned against the PC's, as Anndrais uses his power in the courts to criminalize them, as revenge for daring to attack his younger brother!
other thoughts;
Since each of these zombies have sentience they would adopt their own unique personalities. Some could reject their blood-shedding ways, some could revel in it. Some may be timid, others violent. Some may choose to blend into society, becoming wealthy and of a status (yet hiding their secret.). Others may choose to roam the wilds almost animalistically, preying on passing caravans for sustenance. It would be cool to think of the 'stately, reclusive but suave mansion-owner' as a zombie and not a vampire for a change!! Go to Comment