Echidneidae

The Echidneidae (Romaji: Iikiddoneidai; Kana: イーキッドネイだい) are a species of monsters whom are indigenous and unique to Bosco.

Appearance and Description
The appearance of an echidneid is dependent upon the echidneid's generation. All 108 members of the first generation of echidneidae take the appearance of humanoids, while all of the second and third generations of echidneidae take the appearance of the creature that they were enthralled from.

The first generation of echidneidae are curse-wielding humanoids with the unique ability to "enthrall" a creature by reanimating the creature's corpse into an undead, while the second and third generations of echidneidae are curse-wielding undead.

The difference between the second and third generations of the echidneidae lies in their intelligence. The second generation of echidneidae are naught but the mindless but programmable slaves of the first generation of echidneidae. As a result, the second generation of echidneidae tend to be referred to as being the first-generation echidneidae's Thralls (Romaji: Suraru; Kana: スラル). In stark contrast to the second generation, the third generation of echidneidae are free-willed and sapient. As such, the the third generation of echidneidae tend to do as they please with little — if any — regard to the whims and wishes of the first generation.

Notably, while the third generation of echidneidae may exhibit the appearance of the creatures that were "enthralled" into them, they do not exhibit the memories or personality of those creatures. For the undeath of a third-generation echidneid is distinct from the life of the creature that was "enthralled" into the third-generation echidneid. As such, "enthralling" the corpse of a creature does not restore the creature to life. But rather, it surrenders the corpse to undeath.

Lastly, the third generation of echidneidae are born from the deaths of the first genration of echidneidae. Whenever a first-generation echidneid dies, all of the first-generation echidneid's thralls will be "promoted" from second-generation echidneidae into third-generation echidneidae.

Background
Unbeknownst to most, the Echidneidae are a subrace of the Etherious. Once upon a time, a dark mage named Typhon tore out all of the 108 pages of a Book of Zeref named Echidna. Subsequently, Typhon summoned each of the 108 members of the first generation of the Echidneidae from one of the 108 pages of Echidna and then sicked the Echidneidae onto the people of Bosco as a means of punishing Tiger's Eye for its facilitation of the abducting and enslaving of his little sister.

Known Echidneidae

 * Anti
 * Echidna

Trivia

 * The singular for echidneidae is echidneid.