NOTE: Not as a whole, but split between the many monstrous creatures in your world. Eldritch monsters do qualify, but they are well eldritch creatures and they tend to over qualify, honestly. So, I will take semi-eldritch monsters.
Here is the poll.
0: Not even remotely scary/no threat whatsoever.
1: Maybe a bit scary, but it isn’t enough.
2: It’s getting there, yet it isn’t at the same time.
3: Whew, I am starting to feel a bit afraid.
4: Yeah, the fear is rising and I am shivering.
5: Aw hell, that is the scariest creature or thing I’ve ever seen/DO NOT COME NEAR, JUST STAY THE HELL AWAY!!!
Let’s talk about our scary monsters and what makes them scary and/or nightmare inducing to the people in your fictional world and even you as the writer?
This poll doesn’t quite work for me. I’m not scared of weird looking things. I don’t like jump-scares, and am intellectually terrified without emotion for things that are intellectually disturbing.
I’ve got a demon that can shield itself from being seen in When This World Ends. It’s basically described as a demon that is a cross between a spider, scorpion, and dragon. That’s enough to freak some people out. I’m over here going…enh.
The Jabberwocky in Between Roses is thought to be so scary the sight of it can make people go mad, and Charcoal from TPL is supposedly so terrifying that if a human were to see his full body, they would pass out from fear.
Reasons:- Aporica is not frightening at all… Essingvaux is a Dragon (Okay we all fear Drakes of his size, and Drakes in general), but Curinthus is the one which puts a bit more fear into his looks that is… I’m still yet to fully design this creature, and it does indeed fill me with dread to behold what I have already in my mind… Mostly from the MC’s who will see this thing for the first time, and within their own understanding of the world in which they live…
Mine are demons that tend to look on the eldritch side of horror, so I’d say they’re pretty terrifying not only to look at, but because their intentions are pretty evil. (This is the story I am currently working on, so it’s what I voted with. Number 5.)
In my other story with spirits, they range from not terrifying at all to pretty terrifying as I inspired many of their looks and behaviors on fae lore/legends, but also Studio Ghibli XD --but they’re far more harmless.
