Sludges

Sludges are a particularly disgusting species of demihuman, and considering their patron Power ( Ancient of Filth) you'd expect nothing less. They are best described as amorphous blobs of every slimy and disgust fueling noun you can think of who leave behind bits and pieces of themselves with every second of movement, and some say the smell itself is enough to cause sanity damage to the average Initiate.

Sludges themselves aren't particularly hostile to most mages but considering the fact they have been the cause of multiple epidemics, both in the Initiated and Uninitiated parts of history, their treatment has gradually gotten worse in modern times.

Another trait of their kind is their voracious appetite, which they will eat anything to satiate. Be it bits of paper in a trash bag to entire morgues in some particularly extreme cases.

Basic Information

Anatomy

Sludges are exactly what you'd expect from the name, living sludges. They can take a humanoid shape but this is optional as they can shift their forms through limited-shapeshifting abilities. They can even choose to present as whatever gender they choose, if they bother choosing at all.

Despite not seeming to have vocal cords, or any identifiable internal organs for that matter, they are capable of speech, but will sound distorted, as if gurgled or coming from underwater.

They produce a pungent smell as a side-effect of their digestive process.

Genetics and Reproduction

Sludges are capable of reproducing, even with baseline humans (the man that discovered that by having consensual sex with a female-presenting sludge is... something). All of the resulting children will be sludges.

Ecology and Habitats

They are commonly found in junkyards as it's basically a buffet to them, and are thus typically situated in heavily polluted cities that produce large amounts of garbage.

Sludges can generally be found anywhere you'd expect filthy things to accumulate.

Dietary Needs and Habits

Sludges are capable of eating, and in fact, only capable of eating anything that's rotten or otherwise filthy. This can range from rotten food, to rotting human corpses, to actual sewage.

Additional Information

Geographic Origin and Distribution

The more polluted a country, the more a sludge can thrive. Sludges are thus most commonly found in the most polluted countries.

Perception and Sensory Capabilities

They have heightened senses of smell, meant to detect their favourite rotting foods.

Civilization and Culture

Gender Ideals

Being limited shapeshifters, a sludge can present as whatever gender they choose to be, if they choose at all. They, more than most other demihumans, are very understanding when a baseline human has any gender identity other that what they are assigned at birth.

History

The treatment of sludges over the course of human history varied with human understanding of diseases and how they spread.

Up until and including the middle ages, they were seen as useful garbage disposers due to them eating the rotting refuse, thereby getting rid of them for baseline humans. However, when medical science improved, Initiates began connecting the dots between Sludges and outbreaks of diseases. This resulted in mages forming lynch mobs against Sludges.

In modern times, lynch mobs forming against Sludges are rare due to, ironically enough, further improvements in medical science making it harder for disease outbreaks to result in anything near the devastation of the Black Death. That doesn't mean Initiates like having Sludges around, but it does mean they have less reason to hunt them down in case one shows up.

Sludges

Summary

Type: Demihuman
Subtype: Ancientbound
Status: Tolerated [Barely]
Estimated Numbers: 30,000 to 60,000
Censor's Veil: Displayed as humans.

Alignment

Creator Power: Ancient of Filth
Alignment Status: Varied
Sanity Damage: Immune [fear]
Corporeal Stability: Immune [physical harm]
Magic: Free casting of Filth magic [amplifies hunger]

Combat

Combat Behaviour: Brawler
Threat Rating: 2
Physical Damage: Vulnerable
Magical Damage: Vulnerable
Glyphs: Immune to Wards
Notable Vulnerabilities: Industrial-grade cleaning chemicals