Tiakei

As The Witch traveled across the wasteland, she came across what appeared to be the corpse of a wildclaw, its skin rotted and sloughing off beneath wraps of dusty fabric. She stared at the poor creature for a moment, giving a small shriek when it moved.
"Shh! Don't be frightened...I can smell you...I can smell your fear....I want to taste your...NO!" It whimpers, biting and clawing at itself.
"I'm sorry...I..I'm not myself....My father was...was a terrible creature and bestowed this on me...I hear voices..they tell me things..secrets."

The witch thought for a moment, eyeing the wildclaw before speaking. "I lead a Clan. We are the discarded, the broken, the damned. You can join us, if you wish. Free of judgement. Our doctor's might even have a look at you."

The Wildclaw's tail twitched. "Could...could they cure me? My mother was a healer..she was afflicted too...I know herbs and can help with spells..."

The Witch nodded. "You can assist Tiefling, the Alchemist....what is your name, child?"

The wildclaw shuffled off, gathering her things. She wasn't entirely blind, but her vision was poor enough. "Tiakei."

When Tiakei reached the clan a Brute of a Bogsneak greeted her...BloodSkull. She reasoned that she could save him and tolerated horrific abuse for the sake of trying to help him. The final straw was when he took her two daughters, her firstborn offspring, and convinced her he had killed them. For the first time Tiakei submitted to her illness and by the time it was over, bloodskull was dead. She wept, and began searching for a mate like her....

The Witch searched high and low, searching the auction house until she found Thrasher, a carrier of Maledictus but not outwardly infected. When he was grown Tiakei was allowed to court him and for the first time...she felt real love. They bore two children- Narcissa, with her love of fashion, and Severus, a necromancer. Thrasher has asked Dr. Spectre to help him become like Tiakei, but even if that never happens they ar forever intertwined. After their first offspring reached adolescence and left the nest, Tiakei and her mate exchanged a matching ring and collar....and were mated.


This dragon is one of a small number of dragons who have happened upon a concentrated form of the dark force called Malum by the Ancients, literally the force we call Evil. Once Malum has entered a dragon, it attempts to use them to wreak havoc and to harm others, like a voice that whispers in your ear and tricks you into perceiving its words as your own thought. Some fight against this dark force and use their new powers for good. Others give in and allow this dark force to consume them, losing themselves and turning them into a walking embodiment of Evil. It is up to the dragon.

From what is known, this condition cannot be cured. Those who are afflicted live pretty normal lives considering their appearance and blindness, their new magic, and the dark voice inside their minds. They eat, sleep, and some even procreate. Children of a Maledictus inherit the magical abilities of their afflicted parent, but they do not always inherit their blindness or transparent skin. The Evil that lives inside the Maledictus does not transfer to offspring.

Much is left to mystery. No two Maledictus seem to gain exactly the same new magical powers or experience the presence of Malum in the same way. All are individuals and cannot be judged based on appearance.


by LaWombat