UnnaturalGas
Member since: 2011I recently GMed a story arc that involved visions of former Sith Lords and Ladies (Sith Lady sounds like something a kid would say, like 'teacher lady', in retrospect), and I had a perfect picture of one of them in my head that just kinda stuck, but I can't put it down on paper. Frankly I need to get it out of my head by seeing it on (digital) paper.
Lady Maripose (taken from 'mariposa', 'butterfly' in latin) was one of an extremely short-statured alien species from Sith space who was active during one of the many early Sith incursions into Republic space. As a child, she was recruited into the ruling class on her planet on account of her Force sensitivity and willingless to learn and practice Sith alchemy. After proving her keen intellect to her masters time and again, she became a retainer for Darth Toxis, a Sith Poisoner, who displayed unrivaled ingeneuity in genetics and alchemy, able to weave the two together in unforseen ways to create monstrous vitriolic beasts. Despite her small stature and deceptively demure habits, she was rightfully feared among her peers for both her aptitudes and appetites. Her master was given command of a fleet, but through quick action and a bit of luck, the Republic managed to route his ships before he could seed too many worlds with his Sith abominations.
After fleeing from heavy losses in a nearby nebula, Darth Toxis and his retainers crash-landed on a hospitable planet, and he was mortally wounded. Lady Maripose, along with eight other retainers, decided to perform a Sith ritual that would allow their lord to rejuvenate, but it will cost them their lives. An altar is built, and the sacrifices are performed; two by fire, two by water, two by earth, and two by air, and the final by self-evisceration to bind them by intent (it was a horror arc, so I had to throw in just enough gore to top the cake).
The ten spirits remained trapped in the vicinity of the altar as they lured local wildlife into the area and killed it, the animals' blood being used to reconstruct the Dark Lord's body over the course of decades (based in part on an episode of Doctor Who I saw as a kid where the baddies were trying to resurrect an ancient vampire by collecting vats of blood). He was the priority, of course, and was to return after being made whole again to ensure his faithful acolytes were similarly restored. It's been more than 5,000 years since he left, however, and they have decided he's not coming back for them. The Dark spirits eventually make peace with the PCs whom they have been trying to kill, based on Lady Maripose's realization that their master has abandoned them, and while they may never be free of their unnatural state, they have begun to atone, within themselves, for their deeds.
The best way to describe the alien I see in my head, and it's meant to be a little silly, is that her core has the dimensions and stature of a bowling pin, albeit with appropriately short arms and legs, and various frills, the most prominent of which is a fan-like crest on her head that doubles her apparent size and looks not unlike a webbed hand. I borrow alot from Farscape, only realizing it in retrospect, and this one seems to be from a character named Natira. While the farscape character is humanoid, the digits coming up out of the head, if they were webbed, and the blue-grey skin tone are fairly descriptive of what I came up with. I also imagine eyestalks incorporated in the digits, or just eyes, or what passes for eyes, suspended in the webbing. I think of her frills, to inlude the head crest, to be in the vein of guppy tails, and wonder to myself if I'm in the minority growing up in a family that would breed guppies for their tail patterns. In fact, I wonder if this character is actually just an up-ended guppy. Takes the wind out of my sails a bit.
My players got to see her formally alongside other Force spirits surrounding an evil altar deep within the ubiquitous scary cave at the conclusion, if a dramatic atmosphere is needed.
I'd love for someone to give this a shot, and I applaud anyone with the fortitude to have made it this far.
Thanks for your time.
Gas, this post inspired me to do an alien design. It's mostly based on your desciption, with some creative liberties: http://swagonline.net/image/unknown-species
Lol, I recognized it as soon as I got to the home page. Great rendition.