Ghoul
These Progenies are humans whose veins flow the blood of Nycterion, the Devourer of Realms.
A Ghoul appears as a pale, strong-jawed human with eyes sensitive to sunlight and veined with a lucid, feverish madness.
As time passes, a Ghoul becomes increasingly stooped and unnaturally thin, losing the ability to assimilate nourishment from anything but the flesh of sentient species. Over time, Hunger slowly devours the mind of a Ghoul who becomes an increasingly feral being in the grip of his instincts.
If a Ghoul survives too long, they will grow in size and require more and more nourishment to the point that they must cyclically enter a hibernation necessary to keep from losing too much strength.
When a Ghoul reaches this condition, they are called an Ancient Beast. Their family begins to worship them as a deity, with entire generations celebrating them by always preparing new prey for their next Awakening.
The reason the Ghouls need to feed on sentient species stems from their connection to Nycterion, the non-Euclidean entity that feeds on ideas, memories, and thoughts. Some can even assimilate the memories and knowledge of the prey they feed on. These Ghouls are called Rememberers, and act as priests and heads of households since Hunger does not affect their minds.
Want to play them? Our next post on Substack will feature a freshly written Stat Block for Blood Engine Essential, illustrated by Simone Tammetta, a man of a talent beyond good and evil.