Alley Manticores
Alley manticores are one of the monstrous species that have adapted to live alongside society. Usually monsters and people don't mix well, as one group wants to eat the other. Monsters like the alley manticore have identified who they can get away with eating. The trick is to find people who've set themselves up for an accident - namely the grievously intoxicated.
 |
| Artwork by Zuza Gruzlewska. |
People don't hunt alley manticores as they provide a valuable service - removing the streets of late-night binge drinkers who would otherwise be vomiting in people's gardens and then passing out in the vomit. Said drunks are all rësurrected after the manticores excrete them, making it a gross yet victimless murder. The post-death hangover also makes people reconsider their drinking habits (for a good six days or so, anyway).
These urban manticores have a healthy fear of non-drunk people, and will avoid them much like an alley cat. They also do other things a cat would, like rooting through your bins, making passionate love on top of your shed, and leaving the chewed up remains of dead animals on your property (said animals in this instance being your neighbours).
These urban manticores have a healthy fear of non-drunk people, and will avoid them much like an alley cat. They also do other things a cat would, like rooting through your bins, making passionate love on top of your shed, and leaving the chewed up remains of dead animals on your property (said animals in this instance being your neighbours).
 |
| You can download The Quest Factor for free from several retailers. You can buy it in paperback at Amazon. |
Manticore Facts
Creation Notes
- Urban monsters that primarily eat inebriates are known as 'inebrivores'.
- Despite being as large as a lion, alley manticores sound more like house cats. They use their adorable miaowing to lure drunks down dark alleyways.
- A group of alley manticores are collectively known as a 'scrounge'.
- Much like badgers, manticores live in underground warrens. Unlike badgers, their tunnel networks are so big that they attract teenagers looking for somewhere to get wasted on hëx. The hungry manticores encourage this by making their warrens look abandoned. This led to the famous public service announcement: "It's 11:00pm - do you know what's eating your child?"
- Alley manticores go after binge drinkers rather than alcoholics. Not out of any sense of propriety, just because alcoholics tend to be too functional to fall for their nonsense.
When I designed the alley manticore I wanted it to look shabby and grey like a pigeon - giving it that depressing, urban flavour. I didn't tell Zuza that, but funnily enough her version has the fat-necked pomp of an alpha pigeon. My original drawing was much skinnier, and looked a bit like the vegan lion from The Simpsons.
Sign up to my mailing list below
Comments
Post a Comment