This is the “backstory” of my faux taxidermy creatures. Each one has its own personality and I always find myself thinking of stories behind their character when I am making them. What did they do, what are their secrets, special talents or likes and dilikes etc.
Having an animal’s head on your wall, even if it is clearly not real, is not for everyone and that is understandable. I had to chuckle once when a friend said they weren’t their cup of tea beceause they are a vegetarian. This is, after all, the ultimate in vegan taxidermy.
But of course, in what circumstance would having an animal’s head on your wall be acceptable to everyone?
Since I was a kid, I’ve loved fantasy stories that feature animals as main characters. Jungle Book, Dunkton Wood, Watership Down are books that I used to hide under the covers reading at night when I was supposed to be asleep.
So this is what I dreamed up. I present…the backstory of my enchanted Menagerian Guardians…
A Magical Land in another Universe
There is a magical land in a parallel universe. In this land, humans share the world with all the regular species that we do in this world.
But in that world, there are other magical, wonderful, fantastical beasts. They are called the menagerians. And they are our friends.
The Menagerians
Menagerians are very special beings. They can communicate with each other, regardless of species, and they can also communicate with any other creature in the land, Menagerian or not. That also means, of course, that they can communicate with humans.
In this land, humans are only kind and they love their world. The plants and beasts of the land are revered and cared for, and they suffer no problems with climate change, animal extinction, deforestation or any of the cruel and unecessary negative impacts that we experience in our world. It really is paradise, if it wasn’t for…
The Chaos
No, all is not 100% hunky dory in this world. For there are the Chaos.
The Chaos are entities that no-one really quite understands yet. They seem to generate from thin air. The Chaos don’t care for each other, they don’t care for Menagerians, and they certainly don’t care for humans, even in a world where humans only do good.
All they want is Chaos. It feeds them. It nurtures them. It makes them powerful. They inhabit the universe by destorying planets, feeding on the energy created by their destructon, then moving on to the next planet.
A Weakness and an Alliance
The Menagerians and the humans work very hard together to prevent this chaos. On the whole, they managed fine, but for one coincidencental event which saw the Chaos inadvertantly working together. The Chaos almost managed to cause an apocalyptic event, which in turn brought the Chaos Wars. In the victorious but deeply broken aftermath, the Menagerians approached the humans with an idea.
The Menagerians are not vulnerable to the Chaos, but humans are. They are the only species on Earth that are sensitive to certain frequencies that the Chaos produce. And it is through these frequencies that the Chaos are able to manipulate and control humans to produce more Chaos.
Menagerians are not only immune to these strange and destructive frequencies, they can also negate them, thus preventing any effects on those within a certain radius, just by being present. Certain very special Menagerians can also turn that energy in positive energy, which then transforms the Chaos that delivered it into a pure being.
The Enchanted Menagerie
Menagerians have the ability to enchant themsleves after death, so that there spirit can remain. Furthermore, if they are preserved, their spirit can live in the preserved part for as long as it exists, and become a member of the enchanted menagerie.
It is the spirit of the Menagerians that purifies the energy of the Chaos. It only takes their spirit to be present to prevent a human from being coerced.
Enchanted Guardians
And so Menagerians now have a choice. After death they may rest in peace. Or they can choose to live in spirit as a guardian for their fellow world inhabitors. A truly altruistic act, and one that the Humans work every day to repay.
I hope you enjoy my enchanted menagerie and the story behind my creatures. Why not check out who’s looking for a home to see if any of my enchanted guardians speak your language?