Species
Minikin
Once ordinary house mice, the Minikin were born when Lady Elara's final spell pulled Lockheart Manor out of time and transformed their hearts into clocks. Now, the Minikin navigate an opulent, abandoned estate filled with spectral cats and Elara's secrets, scavenging for fragments of the past to keep their hearts, and the Manor itself, from winding down.
Key Design Aspects
Clock Heart
Lore: If a Minikin's heart stops, they freeze, but don't die. Their clocks must be constantly wound with a unique key to stay active.Design: The clock heart can have any design! It must be located on the character's chest, and cannot be so large that it expands beyond the chest area. If the design is obscured, a separate reference is required.
Windup Key
Lore: A Minikin must guard their key with their life. Many like to wear it as a necklace, while others hide it in a secret location.Design: The windup key can have any design! If it is located on the back and hidden by the character's pose, a separate reference is required.
Biology
Growth
Just like regular mice, the Minikin are born as tiny baby Minikin with tiny clock hearts and a tiny key. As they get older, their clock's mechanism will become more complex and grow in size on their chest. The clock and key will stop growing once they are fully matured, and at that point, the pace of ticking will fully stabilize. A Minikin can die of natural causes, although there is no sickness in the Manor, and the Minikin equivalent of dying of old age is when their clock heart eventually slows down and stops after decades of ticking.Diet
The Manor's pantries are enchanted to periodically replenish food and ingredients. While fresh ingredients such as fruits and vegetables are available, it is extremely difficult to cook properly, given the size of these items compared to the Minikin as well as the general lack of useable cooking appliances. The Minikin much prefer to munch on premade treats, consisting of various pastries and breads, and over time, they have evolved to survive off of an extremely sugary and objectively unhealthy diet with no problems at all.Culture
Colonies
Minikin are deeply communal creatures. They live together in colonies, which are scattered all throughout the Manor. Because survival relies on keeping their clocks wound, a task that requires the help of another Minikin, these colonies serve as tight-knit circles where members trust and care for each other unconditionally.Beliefs
The Minikin see Lady Elara almost as a deity of sorts. She is the greatest mystery and source of storytelling in their culture and literature. Objects that were once held dear to the Lady are handled like precious artifacts, and sometimes, the Minikin even set up mini temples and offerings in front of your portraits.1 result found.