In the Alters’ World (and the series of books found here), creatures of legend reveal themselves to the world. Born through genetic abnormalities, defects and mutations, the Alters have lived for centuries as outcasts of human society, hiding their true nature from the world while colorful stories have been written by many to describe what they’ve seen. How are these creatures different from what was described in the stories? What relationship do they have with humanity? Every entry of the Alterpedia will delve into a new creature from around the world. This week we cover:

Empyreals

Throughout the world there have been stories of beings of light who embody a divine presence of a higher plane than we mortals could understand. Creatures like these have been described as existing as beings of smoke, light or fire that interact with us but are not a part of our world. These entities have existed under many names and many forms throughout history and across different religions.

It didn’t look pleasant either

Continue reading Alterpedia: Empyreals →

In the Alters’ World (and the series of books found here), creatures of legend reveal themselves to the world. Born through genetic abnormalities, defects and mutations, the Alters have lived for centuries as outcasts of human society, hiding their true nature from the world while colorful stories have been written by many to describe what they’ve seen. How are these creatures different from what was described in the stories? What relationship do they have with humanity? Every entry of the Alterpedia will delve into a new creature from around the world. This week we cover:

Witches and Warlocks

Those who practice in the dark arts, magic users who have lurked in the shadows, corrupting our youth and making people act in unnatural ways. Often times in the modern day the term witch can be used to describe not only the supernatural mythology but the practitioners of certain new age beliefs. A dark time in history had people killing each other over the accusations of witchcraft until society grew past the fear of witches and the belief that they even existed.

 However, are the myths really just myths and superstition, or is there some truth that there may be people who practice in witchcraft in the world?

Or at least in the UK?

Continue reading Alterpedia: Witches and Warlocks →

Succubi & Incubi

The other creatures of the night, vampiric entities that tempt the unwitting into tawdry, lustful acts – Succubi and Incubi are often whispered about in the same sort of tone as their Vampire cousins. Coming to the sleeping and entering their dreams, their thoughts, and their desires, the Succubi and Incubi can turn and twist even the most pious individuals towards their more carnal natures

But is the fear of these people really a genuine threat from these somewhat sinful creatures? Or has their reputation been generated by the irrational fears of religious zealots shaming people for taking part in acts they do not approve of? What’s the truth about these tempting denizens of the night?

Continue reading Alterpedia: Succubi & Incubi →

In the Alters’ World (and the series of books found here), creatures of legend reveal themselves to the world. Born through genetic abnormalities, defects and mutations, the Alters have lived for centuries as outcasts of human society, hiding their true nature from the world while colorful stories have been written by many to describe what they’ve seen. How are these creatures different from what was described in the stories? What relationship do they have with humanity? Every entry of the Alterpedia will delve into a new creature from around the world. This week we cover:

Sirens

Continue reading Alterpedia – Sirens →

In the Alters’ World (and the series of books found here), creatures of legend reveal themselves to the world. Born through genetic abnormalities, defects and mutations, the Alters have lived for centuries as outcasts of human society, hiding their true nature from the world while colorful stories have been written by many to describe what they’ve seen. How are these creatures different from what was described in the stories? What relationship do they have with humanity? Every entry of the Alterpedia will delve into a new creature from around the world. This week we cover:

Leprechauns

Mischievous, greedy, strangely well dressed for people who live underground – The Leprechaun are forever tied to the traditions of the Irish people. Though, like almost everything about the Irish across the ages, the Leprechaun have been treated unfairly as inhuman creatures with a sometimes evil origin and borderline evil behavior.

Though they are sometimes angry drunks

So, in the interest of giving them a fairer shake, let’s take a look at these figures and how they really relate to mankind.
Continue reading Alterpedia – Leprechauns →

In the Alters’ World (and the series of books found here), creatures of legend reveal themselves to the world. Born through genetic abnormalities, defects and mutations, the Alters have lived for centuries as outcasts of human society, hiding their true nature from the world while colorful stories have been written by many to describe what they’ve seen. How are these creatures different from what was described in the stories? What relationship do they have with humanity? Every entry of the Alterpedia will delve into a new creature from around the world. This week we cover:

Woodwoses

Long depicted in artwork, rarely seen in lore, the Woodwose is both at once one of the most famous and unknown figures in mythology. Unlike those spoken of previously, the Woodwose are not frequently identified by casual observers. Though they’ve been in many works of art over the years, many have not known that the wild men of the woods were depictions of Alters. This has led them to being granted a privilege not many Alters have had: the ability to blend in. Though, even there, they’ve come to superstition, stereotype and misunderstanding.

Continue reading Alterpedia – Woodwoses →

In the Alters’ World (and the series of books found here), creatures of legend reveal themselves to the world. Born through genetic abnormalities, defects and mutations, the Alters have lived for centuries as outcasts of human society, hiding their true nature from the world while colorful stories have been written by many to describe what they’ve seen. How are these creatures different from what was described in the stories? What relationship do they have with humanity? Every entry of the Alterpedia will delve into a new creature from around the world. This week we cover:

Vampires

One of the most storied and varied Alters in fiction and folklore, the Vampire is found in variations across the world with differences from one region’s legends to another. Ranging from the popular European depictions to the more modern depictions from film and literature, many stories spread about Vampires and their kin. The accuracy of these stories range from accurate to completely off the mark – leaving the question: which of these are true?

If we studied every aspect of these legendary figures we would spend an eternity addressing all of the subtle changes from one variation to another. Instead we shall address the most significant features of Vampires, both real and imagined. Continue reading Alterpedia – Vampires →

In the Alters’ World (and the series of books found here), creatures of legend reveal themselves to the world. Born through genetic abnormalities, defects and mutations, the Alters have lived for centuries as outcasts of human society, hiding their true nature from the world while colorful stories have been written by many to describe what they’ve seen. How are these creatures different from what was described in the stories? What relationship do they have with humanity? Every entry of the Alterpedia will delve into a new creature from around the world. This week we cover:

Zombies

The term Zombie originally meant someone cursed with a mind-control spell which made them shuffling, mindless drones that took their master’s every command. Over time this definition has fallen out of use (to be taken up by Palin supporters) and the more common definition has come into use. Despite using the Haitian name, the concept of walking corpses is a worldwide phenomenon, this was thought to be due to a common fear of death and the occasional corpse being dug up by canines (sometimes by the individuals mentioned two posts back.)

They were wrong.

But, given the vast waves of undead folklore, it’d be hard to weed out myth from reality if we focused on all of those. Instead, we’ll focus on the most commonly known depiction of these complex and thought provoking figures.

Continue reading Alterpedia – Zombies →

In the Alters’ World (and the series of books found here), creatures of legend reveal themselves to the world. Born through genetic abnormalities, defects and mutations, the Alters have lived for centuries as outcasts of human society, hiding their true nature from the world while colorful stories have been written by many to describe what they’ve seen. How are these creatures different from what was described in the stories? What relationship do they have with humanity? Every entry of the Alterpedia will delve into a new creature from around the world. This week we cover:

Werewolves

Long has man been concerned with the concept of people being able to transform into animals. These creatures have been seen throughout history in depictions of tall and dark attackers pouncing on helpless women in…

Art

Film

And Literature

These depictions are often inaccurate, filled with myths, hearsay and teenage wet dreams. However, the truth behind the creatures is not far from the majority of these portrayals.

Continue reading Alterpedia – Werewolves →