Fantasy Creatures Reimagined
Recently, I've been watching a lot of videos on speculative biology, and one topic that comes up a lot is âreimagining fantasy races and creaturesâ. So, Iâve decided to take a crack at it with my own⊠interesting flare. In a way, this is a callback to the old Monstober articles I used to write every October. If any of you remember those, you know weâre about to go places.Â
Elves: Starting things off, we have the elves. Like a lot of popular fantasy races, the image we have of elves is based on how they were presented in Dungeons and Dragons, which in turn was based on how they were presented in the works of J. R. R. Tolkien, which in turn was based on various tales from Icelandic, Germanic, Scandinavian, and Old English legends. While there have been various reimaginings of elves, there are a variety of traits that are considered universal: pointy ears, magical prowess, long lifespans (or immortality depending on the writer), and being incredibly beautiful to the point of being androgynous. With all of that in mind, Iâve come up with a particularly interesting take on them, here me out: jellyfish. Jellyfish are surprisingly appropriate to use as inspiration for elves, especially when you remember the existence of the immortal jellyfish (a real life jellyfish thatâs capable of reverting back to a polyp when it experiences damage, basically bypassing death all together). So with that in mind, letâs get cracking.Â
Resembling humanoid jellyfish (taking elements from moon jellies, Portuguese man-o-wars, and sea nettles), elves float effortlessly through the air in an almost serene manner. While they resemble beautiful, ethereal women or young men wearing long flowing dresses and round hats (actually their tentacles and their bell), theyâre actually hermaphrodites (thatâs about as androgynous as it gets). In fact, they donât even reproduce naturally like most creatures do, rather, their bodyâs split apart into several, smaller jellyfish-like creatures upon taking severe enough damage (their head retaining the elfâs original consciousness and regrowing a full body in a few weeks, while the other spawn will fend for themselves and eventually grow into new elves). Because of their method of reproduction and their absurdly long life spans, elves donât really form familial bonds, instead, forming bonds through scholarly studies and research, being incredibly studious in the field of magic. Theyâre actually credited with countless discoveries in the magical arts, as well as the invention of several commonly used spells.
Dwarves: After what I posted for elves, this oneâs going to feel pretty mundane in comparison. Dwarves are often depicted as being just short, stocky, bearded men in modern media, but when you go back far enough, youâll find that theyâre something a lot stranger. In ancient Norse mythology, the world was said to have been crafted from the dead body of a giant named Ymir. Squirming about in this body were several maggots, which the gods gave reason and humanoid forms, turning them into the first dwarves. This feels like a detail thatâs often not acknowledged in most media (along with some tales that claim that they arenât born natural, but carved from stone). This is actually an idea Iâve had before, but what if we took that idea, and made dwarves more⊠buggy.Â
Dwarves are a race of highly evolved, bipedal beetles, sporting thick patches of hair on their chests that act as filters to keep dust from entering their spiracles, and living in intricate underground communal cities. Hatching from eggs as large grubs, they are cared for by various caretakers in special nursery sectors until they pupate into large, stone-like chrysalises, after which, theyâre taken to special machines that infuse the developing pupa with all the information theyâll need when they finally hatch (usually with the aid of a caretaker cracking their chrysalis open with a hammer and chisel. Dwarf society is incredibly utilitarian and heavily structured, though all dwarves trade off jobs in a monthly cycle, ensuring that every individual gains experience in a variety of fields, with older individuals eventually settling down in directorial positions. Despite being only three feet tall, theyâre incredibly strong, easily capable of lifting ten times their own weight. They also have incredible engineering skills, crafting a variety of impressive machines to improve upon life. While they donât really understand most civilizations (especially those that have familial groups and fixed jobs), they are willing to form bonds and alliances with them, offering their own special âsweet aleâ as a sign of good will (seeing as the ale is one of the few luxuries they actively indulge in).Â
Goblins: Next up, we have goblins. While theyâre more often depicted as just short, green little monsters, when people get creative with goblins, they reaaaally get creative (Iâm looking at you, Jim Hensonâs Labyrinth). That being said, what I have in mind here is partially inspired by an article on Bogleech.com⊠just expanded upon and focusing on goblins as both a race and a magical pest.Â
Throughout the course of magical studies, witches and wizards (much like scientists) often dabble in animal testing when working on new spells and potions. Ranging from bats, rats, crows, toads, snakes, lizards, snails, and spiders, these test subjects experience a variety of changes, mostly becoming humanoid. These creatures became the first goblins, soon escaping into the wild, grouping together by some unnatural sense of community, and began forming their own little kingdoms and breeding like rats (biological barriers be damned). Their descendants feature a bizarre hodgepodge of features, some with multiple bulging eyes with chunky, warty bodies, others with feathered crests and large bat ears, and many more combinations of that nature, a result of countless generations of crossbreeding. Naturally given to scavenging and possessing a basic knowledge of weapon crafting, they often form roving bands of bandits to rob travelers or raid villages, utilizing traps and weapons along with claws, fangs, and poisonous spit to steal what they can. With their stolen haul, goblins will return to their villages and use their loot to craft new weapons, makeshift armor, or decorations to adorn themselves and their nests. They have a particular affinity for shiny objects, and can be bribed if given something that catches their eye.Â
Trolls: Moving on, we have the trolls. The interesting thing about trolls is the fact that the term âtrollâ is really more of a blanket term for any mythical creature in the Nordic regions of the world (similar to how âfairyâ and âyokaiâ are in the British Isles and Japan respectively). It wasnât until fairly recently that trolls were given a more defined set of traits, from the big dumb brutes of fantasy settings, the small, hairy cutesy trolls, and of course⊠the alien race that created the world as a result of a game and who became the epicenter for a particular rabid fandom (yes, this was a reference to the Homestuck community). However, thereâs one element of fantasy trolls that I want to play around: their ability to regenerate from any injury, including dismemberment and decapitation, only truly being killed by fire. So why not combine this trait with another trait seen in Kuo-toa from Dungeons and Dragons and the Orks from Warhammer 40k (and if you know what those two have in common, youâll see where Iâm going with this).Â
Trolls are a surprisingly hearty and sturdy race, having a strong connection to the earth itself. Theyâre fairly normal looking all things considered, almost looking like humans save for their tufted tails, stocky figures, pointed ears, and earth tone skin colors (ranging from dirt brown, sandy yellow, grass green, and stone gray. However, they possess one of the most incredible abilities of any creature: they are capable of surviving almost any injury that would kill most other creatures. This isnât because of any physical anomaly on their part, but more of a magical quirk of the species. All trolls possess a low-key form of reality bending magic that functions on belief; if the troll believes they can survive something, theyâll most definitely survive it. This leads to several accounts of trolls surviving various fatal encounters through sheer childlike belief and shonen protagonist levels of self confidence, from high falls that wouldâve reduced the skeleton of anyone else to loose gravel, impalement, and even decapitation, the body casually walking on its own and reattaching the severed head without any trouble. However, for whatever reason, fire is the only thing that can permanently kill a troll, with trolls either actively avoiding it or treating it with the same amount of caution humans would treat radioactive material.Â
Ogres: I have a confession to make: originally, I was going to include orcs on this list, but for the life of me, I couldnât come up with anything interesting for them. I did find out that the word âorcâ has the same origin as the word âogreâ (that being Orcus, the Etruscan god of the Underworld), with âorcâ being an Old English word for ogre (it didnât really help much with inspiration for the orcs on my part, but itâs still a pretty neat fact). However, while ogres are often seen as brutish monsters, in fairytales, theyâre often seen as stand-ins for despotic barons and lords, from Puss in Boots to some versions of Jack and the Beanstalk (hell, even the beast from Beauty and the Beast could count as an ogre, or rather, a man transformed into an ogre). It feels like it wasnât until Shrek first aired that the idea of ogres as swamp dwelling brutes was solidified (ironically, in the book the film was based on, Shrek was never referred to as an ogre, leaving it up in the air as to what heâs supposed to be). That being said, the evil aristocrat angle is worth revisiting, wouldnât you say.Â
Ogres are a particularly dangerous race of shapeshifters, feared for both their strength and their cunning. Capable of changing their size and shape at will, they often use their abilities to amass large swathes of treasure, either sneaking into vaults or using brute strength to smash their way through any barriers to take what they want. Using this ill gotten wealth, they conscript builders and laborers to build elaborate castles for themselves, declaring themselves lords of vast tracts of the surrounding land. Living in the lap of luxury, ogres take a twisted pleasure from flaunting their wealth, especially to people living under their rule. Theyâre also particularly vain, using their shapeshifting powers to idealize their own appearance (though, considering their tastes, this usually results in them becoming particularly beastly). However, they know better than to push their luck, lest they incite the wrath of their peons.
Fairies: Wrapping things up, we have the fairies. Now we all know how fairies are often portrayed as sparkly little sprites who grant wishes and decorate the rooms of little girls (we have Disney to thank for that). However, back in medieval times, fairies (or âthe fair folkâ as theyâre known back then) were something to be feared, causing plagues, starting fires, kidnapping people, and just causing general mayhem for shits and giggles. However, in a couple of stories that feature the latter interpretation have actually reinterpreted them as some weird middle ground between angels and demons (with some Christian tenants claiming that fairies are actually demoted angels⊠which is apparently different from the fallen angels of hell for some reason). With that in mind, if fairies are supposed to be the middle ground between angels and demons, why not have some that represent the middle ground between the Seven Deadly Sins and the Seven Heavenly Virtues, each one sporting features of animals that represent these middle ground traits, (along with the usual insect wings fairies are often portrayed with). These fairies are:Â
Aroused Fairies (lust+chastity): Aroused Fairies are a particularly unsettling bunch. Unlike most fairies, who can breed whenever they want, aroused fairies have a fixed mating season. That being said, while they remain celibate for most of the year, that doesnât mean they donât get the urges, making them perpetually horny. As a result, they can be particularly unpleasant to deal with, as they often creep around settlements, spying on people, and just generally being horny pests trying to seduce people into assaulting them. As if this wasnât bad enough, they also have traits to salmon (because while some animals wait until the end of their lives to breed, none are as famous for it as salmon are), specifically spawning salmon; so while men will have to deal with silvery skinned fairy girls with fins for ears, women have to fend off green faced, red bodied, lob jawed, goonish goblins constantly flitting about on wings too small for their hunched over bodies.Â
Gourmand Fairies (gluttony+temperance): Chubby fairies that have traits of bumblebees (because what other animal besides bees actively make their own food), gourmand fairies are a particularly jovial bunch. Capable of creating a variety of delectables and treats, they have a particularly strong sweet tooth, spending time savoring their creations. Theyâre surprisingly popular with people, who enjoy their plump bodies, jovial nature, and delicious treats.Â
Parvenu Fairies (greed+charity): Fairies that have traits of rats (due to rats being a symbol of good fortune and luck in some cultures), parvenu fairies are something of a mixed bag. If thereâs anything they value more than anything else in the world, itâs wealth, amassing large amounts of money, as well as sharing it with those less fortunate (which, to them, is everyone else). While they do mean well, they do go to some particularly unpleasant lengths to obtain more wealth, mostly through scams. Even when theyâre being generous, they can cause trouble, sometimes handing out enough money to upend a villageâs economy.Â
Parasocial Fairies (envy+kindness): Sickly grey fairies that have traits of leeches (due to parasitism), parasocial fairies are one of the more dangerous varieties of fairies. Rather unassuming for fairies, they have a natural affinity to be around other people, often becoming servants just to be close. While they are rather friendly, it doesnât take long for people with parasocial fairies for companions to start feeling a bit weaker while the fairies themselves seem healthier. This is because this particular type of fairy is parasitic, sapping a little bit of their hostâs life force each day. Mercifully though (if you can call it that), they never drain enough to actually hurt or kill their host, mainly because they need them (and in a twisted way, see them as friends).Â
Stubborn Fairies (sloth+diligence): Long eared fairies with traits of mules (due to mules being hard working, yet self aware enough to stop when it feels exhausted and refusing to do any more work until it recovers), stubborn fairies are an industrious type⊠when they want to be. Surprisingly strong for their size, they can perform a surprising amount of work in a short span of time, from farm work to construction. However, whenever they feel like theyâve reached their limits, theyâll simply stop working and lounge about, regardless of whether theyâve actually finished the job or not. While they will refuse to do any more work until theyâve recovered, they can be encouraged to pick up the pace with a hot meal and a cold drink.
Biding Fairies (wrath+patience): Scaly skinned fairies with traits of alligators (due to gators being ambush hunters), biding fairies are among the more unpredictable types of fairies. A particularly creepy bunch with their staring orange eyes and snaggletoothed grins, they are surprisingly placid, simply staring at people, judging them. Living by a strict, yet oddly obtuse, set of rules, biding fairies expect others to follow them⊠even if they have no idea what those rules are. If they ever see anyone breaking these arbitrary rules, theyâll immediately attack the perpetrators, their jaws extending from their mouths and delivering painful, rapid bites.Â
Coy Fairies (pride+humility): Fairies with traits of monkeys (due to monkeys relying on their wits rather than their actual strength), coy fairies are something of a paradox. Quite skilled in a variety of fields, they often downplay their own actions to an almost self deprecating degree. This behavior has earned them the nickname âhumblebrag fairiesâ. While this may came off as a bit annoying, it actually stems from a bizarre lack of self confidence found throughout this type of fairy, as well as a constant need for approval from everyone around them.Â
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