Blemys are cyclopes that have no heads. Instead, they have a single great cyclopean eye, along with a nose and a mouth, in the center of their chests. These cyclopes usually live alone, filled with anger and bitterness. Their simmering anger often boils over during battle, making them an even more fearsome foe.
Something to Prove#
Despite their almost comical appearance, blemys are formidable foes. Underestimating their capabilities can lead to an untimely death. A blemys that does not receive due and proper deference from weaker creatures will demonstrate its giant strength by tearing such disrespectful foes apart.
Blemys are frequently assumed to be unintelligent due to their lack of a cranium, and many non-blemys believe, incorrectly, that they are literally brainless. In fact, blemys are the most intelligent type of cyclops, often able to outwit the average mortal settler, just as they outwitted their civilized cousins, the gygans, in ages past.
The best strategy to avoid conflict with a blemys is to challenge it to a battle of wits. Letting the creature win and then begging for mercy may be flattering enough for it to spare the loser’s life. However, if a blemys is beaten by an obviously superior intellect, its humiliation will likely drive it to attack in a fit of rage. In such situations,
opponents can take advantage of the blemys’s limited field of view. If a dexterous and observant individual avoids the monster’s extreme tunnel vision for long enough, then it may be convinced that its quarry has escaped and give up its search in tearful frustration.
Nomadic Lifestyle#
Blemys’ prickly personalities and antisocial tendencies prevent these creatures from forming communities. They live by raiding poorly-defended settlements for food and other goods and, given the opportunity, they may even steal from their own kindred. As a result, blemys often find themselves wandering alone, as they are quickly driven from an area once survivors of their raids recover and organize.
Uncertain Origins#
The origin of these outlandish cyclopes is unknown. Some scholars believe that their condition is a divine curse. Blemys progenitors may have comprised a civilization of particularly intelligent, charismatic, and social cyclopes that were uncharacteristically prone to vanity. This, possibly combined with the nonreligious nature of most cyclopes, attracted the attention of cruel gods who decided to punish them for their pride and narcissism. Robbed of their good looks and affluence, the blemys’ civilization quickly collapsed, driving their descendants into lonely lives of perpetual dissatisfaction.
