PREVIOUS PAGE
NEXT PAGE
COULROBANS
MAGICAL ALIGNMENT: Dark, sin following.
TRANSMISSION: Unlike vampirism andtherianthropy, coulrothropy is a macroparasitic infection. Tiny worms, almost invisible to the naked eye, lay their eggs in each and every body cavity, leaving all bodily fluids contagious, especially blood. This can affect almost** all humanoids, and is totally incurable.
LIFESPAN: Coulrobans follow a relatively average humanoid life cycle, and are not protected from sickness, injury or aging. Most live 70-90 years.
APPEARANCE: These beings bare a remarkable resemblance to clowns, mimes and fools, with pale or pastel skin, pointed ears, brightly coloured hair and (usually) colourful markings across the face. All have sharp, mismatched teeth, capable of tearing through meat with ease. Other than this, they are humanoid in both shape and height.
- Bodily markings are much less common, but do exist.
- Some even feature bells, buttons, bows and ribbon-like appendages across the body. These feel like skin to the touch.
- A round, rubbery nose or chunky, glove-like hands have also been noted.
ABILITIES: The mischief a coulroban is able to cause with their lesser magic is nothing to write home about. However, there is one unusual ability all of these creatures possess, infected or born. A pocket dimension inside of their mouths. When their snake-like jaws unhinge, they reveal a cavernous expanse capable of storing almost anything.
This is how such a vast, hellborn parasite can reside in such a
small host - by cloaking itself smaller.
*Taking six hours of excruitating pain, the transformation into a coulro is horrific to say the least.
OVERALL BIOLOGY: Despite being hijacked by what is essentially an other-worldly leech, the internal organs of a coulroban remain almost untouched. Their respiratory and cardiovascular systems are identical to that of a human's, and their digestive system remains a long pondered mystery. Their muscular structure is where they differ: muscle fibers expand, becoming elastic and rubbery, able to contort themselves into positions that would otherwise be extremely uncomfortable.*
DIET: Being opportunistic omnivores, these creatures can and will eat almost everything. The transformation into a coulroban comes with an insatiable hunger, and in order to accommodate such an enlarged stomach, they must eat almost constantly. Most opt for a meal every two hours or so, a great inconvenience when you work a 9-5.
EXAMPLES OF TYPICAL COLOURATIONS:
SLEEP/REST: Due to the disruption of their eating habits, there is little time left for a coulroban to rest. It's usual for these beings to take frequent naps, but fatigue and sleep deprivation simply come with the 'face paint'. There's not much that can be done to avoid it.
REPRODUCTION: Both born and infected coulrobans do not have any kind of menstrual cycle. Instead, they are induced ovulators, able to reproduce pretty much on demand. Their gestation period is around six months, and although giving birth to a single infant is most common, twins, triplets and even quintuplets are born once in a blue moon.*
SEXUAL DIMORPHISM: Although coulrobans do have two chromosomal sexes (male and female), variations of these are far more common than in humans. Typically, females have the more vivid colourations, more adornments and a slightly smaller stature.
HYBRIDISATION: With great ease, coulrobans can produce hybrid offspring* with animalfolk, werebeasts and harpies, particularly bunfolk*. Other 'hybrids' exist through those turned, but clownlike traits are easily diluted.
*These altered muscle fibers can 'squeak' when compressed.
*Due to the thousands of meaty tendrils within their mouths, and with the risk of infection, it's rare that a member of another species dares to romance a coulroban.
*Unlike most dark and light mana combinations, a coulroban and a light mana being have a 50% chance of yielding blessed offspring.
*Commonly known as a coulrobun.
CHILDHOOD AND DEVELOPMENT: A coulroban infant, commonly known as a 'chuckling' or a 'giggle', develops at almost exactly the same rate as a human child. The main difference is their constant need for nutrition, even more so than an adult in comparison to their size.
​
ORIGIN: The parasite that causes coulrothropy is believed to have originated in The Underworld, and deposited accidentally in The Overworld via interdimensional travel.
CULTURE: These beings live to entertain, and although they devote themselves to a sin (most commonly gluttony), there is one thing they value even more - bringing joy to others. A coulroban thrives on others' laughter, and can turn almost anything into a celebration. This gives them a major advantage in death: the cheery attitude of these freakish clown-creatures makes redemption almost inevitable. Provide worthy entertainment and decent morals, and the Gods will smile upon a coulroban.
​
Biting, kissing and sexual contact are the most common ways that coulrobanism is spread.
Preventative medication can be taken to avoid infecting others, but it is not foolproof.
While it is possible to be infected with both coulrothropy and vampirism, this usually kills the host.
As far as naming traditions go, shorter, object adjacent monikers are far more common. Sometimes even the name of an animal, like Mouse or Goose, if the parents are feeling particularly uninspired Aside from on official documents, coulrobans prefer to use only a first name for simplicity.
Upon transformation, a mime coulroban will entirely lose the ability to speak. This can be extremely distressing.
Much like dragonborns, a coulrobans blood is often unusually and brightly coloured (except in the case of a greyscale variant). It does however taste 'normal'.