Family: Spirit
Type: Elemental
Habitat: Wherever humans live
Disposition: Compassionate, virtuous, pure, incorruptible
Diet: Gold, spirit energy
A hesperid (HESS-per-id) is an exceptionally rare and high-tier mamono species that is often treated as nobility or even royalty. While hesperides (hess-PEAR-eh-deez) are named after the golden rays of a sunset, they are in fact gold elementals. Sometimes confusion arises as to the difference between a creeping coin and a hesperid, for the former are also associated with gold. However the “gold” creeping coins use is mamono realm gold, a magical material that only looks like gold. This is why creeping coins are sometimes referred to as “fake treasures.” Hesperides, on the other hand, are the real deal and are made of actual pure gold. Being elementals means they are distantly related to all other elementals. Not surprisingly, of the four core elemental species the gnomes are their closest relatives. Like the other elementals hesperides can form a covenant with a man too, though theirs is quite different from the usual elemental bonds.
Even by mamono standards hesperides are exceptionally good looking. While their skin color can vary they always have golden eyes and light-blonde hair and pliable, well-endowed curves. Aside from having elfin ears and wearing golden crowns hesperides have humanoid bodies of flesh and blood from the knees up. However, they lack lower legs and instead have pools of liquid gold swirling around their legs which they can shape, move, and harden at will. Most often they form golden lower legs for the purpose of mobility and a more humanoid appearance. Since gold is a malleable metal so too can hesperides make small adjustments to their bodies.
The amount of pure gold present in an adult hesperid -- which she needs to survive -- is absolutely staggering and easily exceeds 250 kilograms (550 pounds). This is a main cause as to why hesperides are so rare. A hesperid would have to absorb that much additional gold before birthing a daughter, for if she does not she would sacrifice herself to give her daughter the gold she needs to survive.
Being made of so much pure gold puts hesperides at risk of being hunted for their gold, but they have many tools to dissuade would-be hunters. They cannot cast magic themselves, but they can reflect any and all magic cast at them back at the caster. Furthermore, they can dazzle and disorient anyone that gets close to them with ill intent. They can manipulate their gold into thick armor and/or shields. And lastly, their most powerful defense is their supernatural ability to inspire compassion in others and their likability. This goes so far that most would rather be their friends than rich.
As the purest and noblest of metals hesperides tend to have pure and virtuous personalities. They will not stand for injustice and they cannot be corrupted. This is not to say that hesperides have flawless personalities, but in the grand scheme of things their flaws are minor and mostly harmless. Hesperides often find themselves in positions of influence if not outright leadership, though they acquire such positions through earning people’s trust and/or respect rather than through force, intimidation, or deceit.
Gold is one of the least reactive substances and similarly hesperides are not really “reactive” either. This means that they can only truly connect with a human man who is compassionate and holds himself to high moral standards. Therefore hesperides go through lengthy dating processes to determine if the man they fancy is indeed compatible before they commit themselves. When they are intimate with a compatible man for the first time they will enter a covenant with him where they extend their ability to reflect magic to him. Furthermore a hesperid can use her malleability to make her sheath perfectly match his shaft.
Name That Mamono: Aurelia
Aurelia hails from Umbra, the capital of what is now Ahmose’s domain. She is the first hesperid known to have been born to an echidna. From the moment she was conceived to the day she was born, her (thankfully well-off) mother developed an inexplicable compulsion to eat golden objects. Despite costing her mother a literal fortune Aurelia was a welcome child and was raised with all the love and care in the world. At a young age Aurelia developed a love for playing the harp. When the civil war broke out she fled to the coast. There she dedicated herself and her considerable wealth to feed, clothe, and provide health care to the haggard refugees of the war. While her actions saved hundreds from misery and starvation it has left her impoverished… but at least she still has her harp.
LAAK
Family: Lizard
Type: Reptile
Habitat: Wilderness or urban areas in temperate, tropical, or desert regions
Disposition: Sneaky, family-oriented, lustful
Diet: Carnivorous; spirit energy
Laak (lah-AHK) are the smallest members of the lizard family; it would be easy to mistake them for children if they weren't as developed as adult women. The colors and sometimes patterns of their skin and hair vary to blend in with their habitats. Laak are best known for lacking the martial skills of their kin. They are skulkers rather than warriors... but it would be a mistake to call them harmless.
Laak have superhuman physical ability, but not in strength; the strongest laak are weaker than the strongest humans. Their reflexes and agility rival those of feline mamono, and they are excellent climbers with superhuman running speed. The average laak can leap a distance of three times her height with ease or jump over a human's head from a standing start. Their surface coloring, small size, and naturally quiet movement make them amazingly stealthy. To take advantage of their protective coloration laak wear as little clothing as local custom allows -- because of this they are in the habit of traveling light, and they avoid cold climates. If a laak relocates to a different region her protective coloration gradually shifts to match her new habitat. The change can take anywhere from a few days to several weeks depending on the degree of change required.
Despite their athleticism the true danger of laak lies in other qualities. Laak are resistant if not immune to all natural toxins, including the venom of other mamono, while they themselves can deliver a paralytic venom with their bite. The second and much greater threat is the fact that laak are rarely alone -- they travel in troops that consist of sisters, mother and daughters, or some combination thereof. One laak can catch small animals, but a troop can bring down prey as large as buffalo. Their preferred hunting tactic is to spring onto prey from ambush, bite, and retreat to a safe distance until the venom incapacitates their meal. The fact that the meat is full of poison means that laak rarely have to worry about other predators stealing their kills.
Laak play the mating game as a team sport. In the absence of human males the most submissive member of the troop becomes a futanari for her troopmates' pleasure. When the troop finally finds a man they'll stalk him -- sometimes for days -- to test his suitability as a mate. If he meets with their approval they'll herd him into a good spot for an ambush and pounce. What follows will be an all-night orgy fueled by the laaks' venomous saliva, which is an aphrodisiac and stamina enhancer in humans. The troop will take turns ravishing the man until he is exhausted or they are. If he can satisfy them all without passing out he will become the troop's alpha and they will obey his every command... but they'll do so in their own devious way and might intentionally misinterpret his orders in ways that get them more sex. Even when they've been tamed by a husband laak remain sneaky and lustful.
Name That Mamono: Qyamel (KIE-uh-mell)
Qyamel -- "Mellie" to her family and close friends -- is part of an urban troop that consists of her, her two older sisters, their aunt, and the aunt’s daughter. All five of them have pale skin and hair to blend in with the stones of their home city, and Mellie has gorgeous bright green eyes. Qyamel typically wears a bikini-like garment in deference to local custom and a pair of sturdy sandals to protect her feet, but she gets naked as soon as she enters the troop's nest in one of the city’s parks. As the youngest and least assertive member of the troop Qyamel is a futanari. Despite being a tiny girl -- she stands all of 150 cm (4’ 11”) -- she packs a member that, when fully erect, would make a porn star proud. When not erect it's barely visible. Qyamel, her siblings, her aunt and her cousin are the only surviving members of what was once a much larger troop. Mellie doesn't like to talk about what happened to the others, but she seems to carry a great deal of guilt about it.
tygertygerJul 25, 2022 8:36 AM
"When you have bought your own load of hooey, you know exactly what it is worth." -- Bruce Sterling