Melanie_

Melanie's picture provided by Liz. See her gallery here!

((The short version: Melanie is a former human who through an everlasting prejudice against her - resulting from her lack of magic - came to both despise and be fascinated by others, particularly humans. She captures them, restrains them and then slowly eats them, testing what she perceives as humanity all the while. Although used to chewing up her prey thoroughly she is now capable of swallowing/absorbing them completely.

Melanie's heart is a magical artifact, inside of which dwells a malevolent, twisted and seductive version of herself, which has the ability to irretrievably scatter her prey's essence through Melanie's body if, in the latter method of vore (absorption) they are unable to overcome the magial entity.))

The long, plot-filled version:

In a world where magic was prevalent and infused with the souls of billions from birth, Melanie was among those who were born completely free of the gift from the gods. Never, it was told to her, would she wield a fireball in her hands and feel its warmth, nor would she feel the unspeakable sensation of a healing spell on her fingertips. In many ways, they said, she was less than a human.

From a very early age Melanie became fascinated with what made a human while at the same time she became envious of what she was told she lacked. Unwilling to call herself a human because of the scorn which always followed, especially from those her age, she took to calling herself "Melanie" above all else - she would always be this, if nothing else, although even the security of this statement was questioned as they asked what being an empty shell was worth. For years she took it as best she could, but when she was fifteen she finally broke under the prejudice that never faltered. She left the home of her parents, unable to take the burden of their ashamed eyes for a moment longer. Leaving the massive city behind, Melanie wandered alone through the valleys and across plains, making her temporary home when her feet could no longer carry her.

Her journey, inevitably, brought her into contact with mages, many times in which an ethereal or spiritual foe threatened her life. Most looked at her with pity when she confessed her handicap, some few with scorn. Either way Melanie saw in them the private thought that she was lesser and would inevitably become angry, leaving her new companion behind. Her self-taught skill with a blade was all she had and it was worth little against such foes. When she came to other towns she was curious to see how the nature of humanity varied, from civilized towns ruled with law after law to the more brutal bandit camps, ruled by the one who was the strongest. Humanity let both good and evil exist, she decided, and so those who deemed humanity to be kindness of the highest order were fools. More than that, she decided that the entire concept of "humanity" was a fool's dream and that she had spent her life being looked down on for nothing.

It was with this realization that Melanie decided to test the nature of humanity. She was enlightened by her time in bandit camps, in providing herself as coinage for a night's warm bed and in witnessing the tortures of captives while in the good graces of a bandit or four, a changed woman in many ways. There was something strange, she thought, about a bound woman, one that made her stomach growl so loudly. Although she had kept it at bay, uncertain of what it was, she could not do so forever and one morning, during her stay in a small hamlet she encountered a priestess whom she witnessed forgiving a thief for stealing food and attempting to kill her to keep said food for her family, on accounts of that dedication making her "only human". When nobody could see her, Melanie captured the priestess and bound her, asking if she would forgive her. Shock filled the priestess's eyes but she did not answer, instead asking that Melanie release her. She simply repeated the question, until at last the Priestess told her that forgiveness would come upon her release. Melanie pointed out that all she had done was bind the priestess's arms and legs and she was not forgiven, whereas the other had attempted to kill her. The priestess was startled by this, asking if she was a test from their spiritual leader.

Melanie smiled her reply away, placing a hand on her shoulder. Seeing her, bound and helpless, had brought the rumbling back, and with no bandits around to claim her she finally decided to indulge it. Kneeling down by the Priestess, Melanie claimed that she needed food for the beginning of her journey home so that she could see her parents once more, and asked if the priestess would forgive her for eating what was at hand. Eager to please the Priestess nodded and Melanie's smile grew. Without waiting for further confirmation she took her arm and bit into it deeply, covering the priestess's mouth as she tried to scream in pain. Hatred and disbelief filled her eyes, but with her mouth full Melanie simply pointed out that she was a human - humans hungered, and she was eating what had been promised to her. The priestess was duty-bound to forgive her. Swallowing the priestess's flesh and blood she licked her wound and then took another bite, claiming her thumb. Tears of pain sprung from her eyes and on a whim Melanie licked them away, becoming instantly captivated by the salty delights which dissipated on her tongue. Accused of being demonic in doing so, Melanie countered by saying she was curious - a human trait.

The Priestess, in horrible pain, cracked when Melanie asked her one last time if she would be forgiven. She informed Melanie that to forgive was in fact a mercy of the divine. She was but a human, and with all her heart she hated and wished darkness upon Melanie, quite certain by now that this was not a test she would survive. Expecting Melanie to be taken aback, she was startled when Melanie laughed and crossed her arms, declaring that she had never expected more of humanity in the first place. Hatred and scorn was the nature of humankind. She informed the priestess that she had passed her test, and that as a reward her suffering would now end. She had only a moment to look relieved before Melanie descended on her, consuming her until she was but a bloody mess of a skeleton and rags that had once been clothes. As she licked the last of the priestess from her lips Melanie reflect on how delicious she had been, and the truth of which she had spoke. Her bloated stomach gurgled with anticipation and, in that moment, Melanie swore that she would show humanity the truth of their 'humanity, one human at a time.

{{WIP}}