Marikith = xenomorphs?

[alhoon]

I'd compare them to Aliens, due to their hive nature and the sort of horror I associate with them (which is not a bad thing).

Well, they have their queen, like the aliens.

[Ryan Naylor]

Problem is I had to get over the whole 'They make me think of Kif from Futurama...' Thing!

Kif Quote: "Actually my body is composed of several liquid filled bladders..." or such...

If it helps you get over this, A.G., you should know that this is basically how a sea cucumber's body works. They're boneless critters that crawl up walls or into small crevices like marikith do, and they seem very alien for something native to IRL Earth.

If it helps, when I wrote Shadow of the Knife, I definitely gave them the features of sea cucumbers. Or at least echinoderms.

I agree with Zettaijin though. I'd say CHUD was the original source, mixed in with IT, which flavoured the rest of the domain. The Marikith Queen, for example, is just the spider-IT from the end of the movie.

And as Jester said, if they were real predators, they'd be camouflaged to look like the contents of a sewer rather than the shiny black exoskeleton of a xenomorph.

[InVinoVeritas]

Here are a few things I use for inspiration regarding Marikith:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=TcKpx2DxGwY

http://www.flickr.com/photos/11152879@N08/3024503721/

http://www.flickr.com/photos/phill_dvsn/2517598480/

http://www.flickr.com/photos/romanywg/4084961045/

Also, the song "Embodying" by Delerium (from Archives, Vol. I) is, in my opinion, a Marikith song. I sometimes imagine them as somewhat techno, with protruding pipes with unrecognizable purposes. A lot of the music from Silent Hill makes for a great muse, too.

[A G Thing]

Ya know it sort of does!!! Thanks Roti!!! And also Ryan Naylor!!!

Speaking of Ryan however...

Ryan Naylor wrote:

The Marikith Queen, for example, is just the spider-IT from the end of the movie.

I don't outright deny that you are right but, while I can accept CHUD cause it makes alot of sense... (Almost perfect match) I am having trouble imagining IT as an influence on the Queen besides IT's true shape.

IT worked alone and used mind games to lure people to... well IT. IT also could be basically harmed by silver or was it that the people using it had conviction that the silver would work. IT did not create minions nor did IT reproduce.

But even with all the illusions and crazy mental intimidation there was no hive mind aspect to IT, so I don't see what besides the shape is found in the Timor Hive Queen, but once again I am however only able to base this off of Denizens of Dread so if you know something I don't please tell me...

[Zettaijin]

Just wanted to say I'm feeling very vindicated. *thumbs up*

I always knew that the CHUD would make their way to Ravenloft one day...

Now to adapt Spookies to RL...

[Ail]

I do believe C.H.U.D. might have inspired the original design...

Well, at least it was fun to read the review

[Ryan Naylor]

I don't outright deny that you are right but, while I can accept CHUD cause it makes alot of sense... (Almost perfect match) I am having trouble imagining IT as an influence on the Queen besides IT's true shape.

But even with all the illusions and crazy mental intimidation there was no hive mind aspect to IT, so I don't see what besides the shape is found in the Timor Hive Queen, but once again I am however only able to base this off of Denizens of Dread so if you know something I don't please tell me...

I actually did mean, just the shape.

But I remember the original authors of Islands of Terror saying that IT was the inspiration for the domain of Timor as a whole. Obviously, whenever something is adapted, things are lost or changed in the adaption, and obviously too a lot had to change to make a playable domain based on IT. Which is where the other influences, like CHUD came in.

The similarities are more obvious in Islands of Terror, when Timor was both the sewers and the city above it. Again though, it was the domain, and not the Hive Queen specifically that was inspired by IT. She was however a creature that lived on fear, like IT, and she looked like IT's natural shape.

The Hive Queen was retconned for Domains of Dread and the similarities downplayed a little. Timor was Clustered with Paridon, which further downplayed the similarities. And DoD became the definitive version, as much as these things ever do.