#animal harm mention
Grims are the result of an ancient, powerful spell laid some time in the distant past. It is unclear who spun it, or exactly when or where it was cast. Some theories hold that it was cast upon another world entirely, and has since spilled over into our own. Whatever its origins, it has since grown far beyond the bounds of any other curse I have ever seen.
And it is a curse. This spell, though seemingly cast in defense of creatures all over the world, cannot be reasonably termed anything but a curse. Crucially, it is a curse laid mostly upon the cruel members of society, and usually more or less harmless to those not meant for it to target.
The Grim curse takes action when an animal is killed cruelly and senselessly. The more violent and needless the death, the more likely for the curse to activate. It primarily acts upon non-human mammals, though has also been seen to take effect in birds, reptiles, and fish. Regardless of species, the effect is the same; after the animal’s death, it transforms into a Grim. The transformation usually takes some time, but may be rushed if other creatures are in immediate danger.
An animal turned Grim is a monstrous version of its former self. They grow much larger and stronger than they were in life, and a new intelligence, a new intent, finds its way into their eyes. Newborn Grims are generally confused and disoriented, but, in the first few weeks of their new lives, their minds are filled with comprehension and understanding far beyond what they had before.
A Grim Knows, instinctively, who was responsible for its death, and its first task is to track down and slaughter the person responsible. Most types aren’t inherently violent towards bystanders, and they frequently come to the defense of animals or people who need it, but Grims show no mercy to those responsible for their creation. A Grim can only be born from an act of wanton malice, from something so needlessly cruel that it draws down the might of a centuries-old curse. Responsible hunting or farming of animals can never create a Grim, nor can a genuine accident that incidentally causes an animal to suffer. Grims arise from acts of intentional cruelty, or rarely from cases of intentional neglect.
When a Grim is born, its creator’s fate is sealed. No force on this planet can reliably stop a Grim from finding and killing the one responsible for its creation, as they will pursue their progenitors to the ends of the Earth. They cannot be soothed, cannot be dissuaded, cannot be reasoned with. Until its progenitor is dead, the Grim exists only for destruction.
When it has killed its progenitor, and it is a matter of when,notif, the Grim’s rage will generally be soothed. Some Grims will simply fade away afterward, their driving rage gone. Some rare, dangerous variants can never be calmed. But most will settle, often slinking off to curl up somewhere quiet and run through the knowledge and understanding so suddenly and rudely bestowed upon them.
A Grim that has killed its progenitor and had time to settle into itself is a clever creature, far more intelligent than the animal it used to be. Most Grims are sapient, though their thought patterns may not run along the same lines as ours do. Grims that come from social species generally attain the ability to fold themselves down into some semblance of their former selves, or at least into something resembling a normal animal. Given a few decades, they can mimic a normal animal, almost flawlessly.
There are, however, always a few giveaways. Very few Grims manage to hide the intelligence in their gaze, the sensation that to look them in the eyes is to meet another person. Grims are almost always a deep, lightless black, even species that normally carry little to no black pigment. Their body temperatures are often abnormal, and it takes them considerable effort to maintain life signs similar to a living creature. When touched, they feel solid and strong, and are often much heavier than their size would suggest. With exceptions.
Settled Grims can make lovely, faithful companions, for those who understand them and respect their intelligence. Some young Grims are known to intentionally ignore much of their intelligence and understanding, in favor of living a life something like what they might formerly have led.
It is important to note that, although many variants of Grim appear to be injured, they invariably never suffer from whatever killed them. Rather, a Grim typically takes the essence of its death into itself, so that nothing like that can ever harm it again. Drowned Grims are forever suffused in water, Scorched Grims burst into flames at the slightest provocation, and Frostbite Grims chill everything around them. More than that, they are incredibly difficult to harm by anymeans- they resist physical injuries, heal rapidly from anything that fails to destroy them, and cannot be killed by almost any mortal means. Grims are almost impossible to physically destroy, making them formidable allies. Or incredibly dangerous enemies.
Do not cross them. If you encounter a Grim seeking its progenitor, there is only one sensible action:
Run.
Anyone remember my old Grim worldbuilding? I”m digging that up and dusting it off, with better writing and a whole separate blog. Hopefully this gets more than, like, two posts.
Do note the warning in the blog description.
also to say this cause people are starting to get worried; for once I’m not blaming this on myself. We did all we could for Tippy, and I’ve never seen a dog so loved before. life is just incredibly fucking cruel. But I’m not internalizing this, I know I tend to and it’s comforting to know people have recognized that and they’re looking out for me. I really do appreciate it in a time where I feel completely empty and alone
And since that last post about tippy he’s had 3 seizures in the last 24 hours and scared us all shitless. We’ve got a vet coming out even sooner than we could originally do and we have medication for him to take in the meantime but Jesus this is stressful as fuck. I don’t wanna ask for prayers cause… chr*stianity be low-key triggering lately but like. Idk. Just keep him in your thoughts please. I’m not having a good time rn
So now I’m resorting to staying awake as much as possible and keeping tippy with me as much as I possibly can so my sister can actually get some sleep. So guess I’m playing the switch til 4 am today!
And since that last post about tippy he’s had 3 seizures in the last 24 hours and scared us all shitless. We’ve got a vet coming out even sooner than we could originally do and we have medication for him to take in the meantime but Jesus this is stressful as fuck. I don’t wanna ask for prayers cause… chr*stianity be low-key triggering lately but like. Idk. Just keep him in your thoughts please. I’m not having a good time rn
