Monstrous Identity: Monsters and their LGBTQ Fans

Monsters have always been a prominent part of the games we play; the moblins of Zelda, the demons and darkspawn of Dragon Age, the orcs of Shadow of Mordor, even the grues of Zork – creatures of disparate biology, origin and motive that are clustered together because they are the inhuman enemy – the Other, a concept that is prevalent throughout fantasy and sci-fi genres in all media.

However, there has been a great deal of interest in art, academia and other avenues of exploring what “monsters” really are, how we as a society construct them, and what their relationship to humanity is – which has led to complex understandings of monstrosity that move beyond a simple catch-all category for anything deemed inhuman.

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Monstrous Lore: Neapolitan Gnolls

Sometimes reviled, but often envied, neapolitan gnolls are well known for their enticingly decadent lifestyles and outré appearances, and have carved a niche out for themselves in villages, towns and cities as unorthodox, foppish bohemians. These gnolls struggle with their supernatural hunger as much as any other, but have adapted a means of sublimating it into their eccentric, dandyish behaviour and satiating it with their hedonistic festivals. Neapolitan gnolls are also referred to as metropolitan gnolls, urbane gnolls, and burgher gnolls. Continue reading “Monstrous Lore: Neapolitan Gnolls”