Creating An Enemy: Mudbeasts
The idea behind the Mudbeasts in The Demon Under the Mountain was to create an enemy that works more like a force of nature than a species. Something that’s unnerving and chaotic, but sympathetic at the same time due to their circumstances.
We see them as enemies in the book through the eyes of humans who happen to be victimized by them, but there’s quite a bit more to them that’s simmering just under the surface that astute readers might pick up on.
There is a hint to their origin in Leon’s conversation with Mariella on the creation of the Surface-Hydras.
The Mudbeasts are a tragic species. They are primal herbivores, a twisted fusion between native boars and the indigenous people of the island trying to escape the genocide of the first wave of imperial colonizers. They suffer from strong suicidal tendencies, even before the madness. It’s the core attribute of every failed species crafted and twisted by the odious father of the Dominion.
The only reason the Hydras can overcome their suicidal tendencies is because of their frenzied and overwhelming core trait; The Thirst. It’s the essence of their father, gifted to them in their genetic makeup – his manic greed and lust for life.
The Thirst makes the Hydras almost incapable of resisting temptations, but it’s also the one thing keeping the suicidal tendencies at bay. The Mudbeasts have no such thing keeping them clinging to life, and the man-made psychosis inflicted upon them eventually pushes them over the edge.
These elements are only hinted at in the book, while we see them from the point of view of human characters who view them in a uniquely grotesque light based on their own experiences with them.
It’s my hope that thorough readers will pick up on these nuances and have a richer experience going through this convoluted tale of man vs beast; a match of unfortunate errors on the path to the elusive ‘greater good’
We see them as enemies in the book through the eyes of humans who happen to be victimized by them, but there’s quite a bit more to them that’s simmering just under the surface that astute readers might pick up on.
There is a hint to their origin in Leon’s conversation with Mariella on the creation of the Surface-Hydras.
The Mudbeasts are a tragic species. They are primal herbivores, a twisted fusion between native boars and the indigenous people of the island trying to escape the genocide of the first wave of imperial colonizers. They suffer from strong suicidal tendencies, even before the madness. It’s the core attribute of every failed species crafted and twisted by the odious father of the Dominion.
The only reason the Hydras can overcome their suicidal tendencies is because of their frenzied and overwhelming core trait; The Thirst. It’s the essence of their father, gifted to them in their genetic makeup – his manic greed and lust for life.
The Thirst makes the Hydras almost incapable of resisting temptations, but it’s also the one thing keeping the suicidal tendencies at bay. The Mudbeasts have no such thing keeping them clinging to life, and the man-made psychosis inflicted upon them eventually pushes them over the edge.
These elements are only hinted at in the book, while we see them from the point of view of human characters who view them in a uniquely grotesque light based on their own experiences with them.
It’s my hope that thorough readers will pick up on these nuances and have a richer experience going through this convoluted tale of man vs beast; a match of unfortunate errors on the path to the elusive ‘greater good’
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