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Do you have any subverted creatures?

Peregrine

Troubadour
What animal or humanoid mythical creature or creature of your own imagination have you subverted in:
- appearance
- different powers and weaknesses
- society/culture (if it is not a animal)
- abandoning common clichés and stereotypes (ex. vampires are repelled by garlic)
- non-conformity (ex. unicorns don't always have to be white)
- other subverted things
 
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shangrila

Inkling
I have feathered dragons in one of my WIP. They're also titanic creatures, the size of small mountains.

I also tried (and kind of failed) to come up with my own spin on vampires and werewolves. Both transformed; vampires into reptilian creatures and "werewolves" into something closer to a very large, very hairy gorilla. That was fine, more or less, but I wanted a third type to create a trifecta of sorts that I couldn't get to work. I even had a thread on here about it IIRC and while there were some good ideas (as always) nothing really stuck.
 
I have feathered dragons in one of my WIP. They're also titanic creatures, the size of small mountains.

I also tried (and kind of failed) to come up with my own spin on vampires and werewolves. Both transformed; vampires into reptilian creatures and "werewolves" into something closer to a very large, very hairy gorilla. That was fine, more or less, but I wanted a third type to create a trifecta of sorts that I couldn't get to work. I even had a thread on here about it IIRC and while there were some good ideas (as always) nothing really stuck.

I have feathery dragons! Mine range from sparrow-sized to a ridable size. The biggest is maybe comparable to the Monstrous nightmare in HTTYD, nothing like Temeraire dragons or those in LOTR.
 
As for subverting creatures, I did somewhat of a subversion of zombies in my WIP. The condition is caused by addiction to a drug and zombies are mostly sad, placid creatures except for when they're withdrawing. In which case they do grow violent and supernaturally strong.

I also have were-creatures, which turn into various animals. One important character is a weredog, and not dangerous (but badly behaved) while transformed.
 

Albatross

New Member
For me, vampires get an infection in their magical essence, which gives them some abilities and disabilities along with turning there skin pale and there eyes a strange, red glowing colour
 

Annoyingkid

Banned
Rather than being close to nature, the spirit of the Earth is actually gets angry with the elves in my setting for making homes inside trees, Even though only one state does that.
 

LWFlouisa

Troubadour
I have farefolk like in other fantasy, however their origin is based more on genetic engineering, and are actually humans that split into various sub-species of homo sapiens: by this point only the elves and fairies remained as of the prologue, with fairies winning out ... but having a fate worse than death. They shall live the rest of their days under the shadow of radioactive slime that slowly threatens all life in the fantasy world.

This is a separate world from the waking world, which is like ours but further in the future.

Think something like the Time Machine.
 

D. Gray Warrior

Troubadour
Well, gryphons became my alternative to dragons as I find them more practical. I have read somewhere that it would be impossible for dragons to fly unless they have hollow bones and maybe some more bird-like features, so I ended up just using gryphons.
 

skip.knox

toujours gai, archie
Moderator
I try to make each of my non-humans interesting in one way or another. As for creatures, I have not done much with those; there's such a variety of monster-types, I don't feel as strong a need to shift things around. I do, though, keep an eye out for under-used creature types. So, in one story I have a lindwurm. In my WIP I have a tarrasque.
 

skip.knox

toujours gai, archie
Moderator
I don't know that I've encountered one in a novel or short story, only in a D&D monster book.
 

skip.knox

toujours gai, archie
Moderator
The tarrasque comes from the Pyrenees Mountains. It still forms a part of civic ceremonies in a few places.
 

Saigonnus

Auror
I have dragons. They are similar in look; though greatly dependant on the environment they live in. Some places they resemble newts or salamanders, other places like iguanas or horned lizards. None possess any sort of breath weapon, or high level of intelligence (most are equivalent to a horse, cow or domestic pet), and few have extraordinary abilities; and those that do have "natural" abilities (like chameleon-like powers, infravision or even poison saliva) They are also considerably smaller than most depictions of dragons, only 10-12 feet long from nose to tail and NONE have wings or the ability to fly. Most have deadly claws and teeth and use them easily when threatened.

They reside in family units, each with a fairly sizable hunting ground and most make their homes in caves or burrows. Many cutures have attempted to breed them as service animals or mounts, and most found them too unpredictable to be truly useful. The one culture that does use them have a special charm used to tame them, and never share the secret with anyone, giving them a distint advantage.

I wouldn't say it's a complete corruption, just enough to make them part of the word they live in.
 
I have a race of people similar to elves in my story. The only real resemblance they have is longer lifespans and fair features. They are not concerned with nature though, and tend to be rather racist to other people and cultures. They are a vast empire ruled by an upper class that is more concerned with wealth than the well-being of their people. Their architecture, clothing, etc, is modeled after a combination of Rome and the Han Dynasty.

I'm also working on a collaborative post-apocalyptic project with a friend of mine where we have lots of interesting spins on fantasy creatures, such as radioactive dragons and fae that are bioengineered guardians of certain research facilities :p
 

CupofJoe

Myth Weaver
I'm toying with the idea of nice, cooperative Trolls. Not quite as NICE as Terry Pratchett's Sgt Detritus, but definitely far away from D&D/LotR concept.
For them I'm trying to make a society that isn't human inspired so there may be a group mind along the lines of a Bee or Ant colony. But a group mind can be incredibly powerful, so what limits to give it...
There may be small Giants too. And the Giants and Trolls don't get along...
 
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