Skeleton

Skeletons (Latin: Homo-Sceletus) are a subspecies of Monster that are found all over the world. They are an ancient and proud race, claiming their heritage from a far away realm they call Scados which has thus far never been located.

Physical characteristics
Skeletons are classed as undead and are therefore less held to laws of normal biology. They do not have skin, muscle, or any internal organs. They are simply bones in the shape of a person.

A skeleton can lose various parts of their body and still be fully alive and conscious. Some skeletons have lost their entire body and are only heads.

A skeletons bone colour can range from off white, to yellow and even dark greys. Some skeletons even dye their bones unnatural colours such as green or red. The dyes are often bioluminescent which cause them to glow in the dark.

Biology
As Skeletons are made of bones they do not have a strict "biology" as such. They are held together with some form of ancient magic; their consciousness suspended around their body. They do not feel pain in the same way that other life forms such as humans do.

Birth
Skeletons are born via magic and are formed in one of 2 ways. The first is via reanimation. a dead human, or other such sentient creature is reanimated after death with their original consciousness[citation needed] placed in their new skeleton body.

The second way a skeleton can be born is through a method known as "bone weaving" where dead bones are put into a cauldron filled with other ingredients and blessed by skeleton priests. The bone fragments melt together and form a baby skeleton. The child is named and given to the expecting parents.

History and Culture
The culture of Skeletons is filled with many sacred songs and dances. It is regarded as one of the most spooky cultures in the world. Skeletons take great pride in their history, despite it's relative difficulty to verify. Many Skeletons claim their ancestral home as a place known as "Scados" where it is claimed the first skeletons were made over 5000 years ago.

Song and dance is very important in Skeleton culture. Almost every skeleton event begins and ends with a song and dance. The most popular of these is "Spooky Scary Skeletons" an ode to the great skeleton pilgrims who left Scados over 3000 years ago and began their search for a new home.

Human and Skeleton relations
Skeletons first made contact with humanity around 3000 years ago though some evidence points to small earlier conflicts between the two species as far back as 1500 BC. The relationship between humans and skeletons has been tense at times especially in the medieval period where many kingdoms banned Skeleton residency and vilified them in art as demons and creatures of evil.

Along with many other monsters who lived on Earth, a large number of Skeletons were banished underground in the late middle ages, there they lived out their lives in the subterranean cities abandoned by the English in the 11th century. In the 1730s, Skeleton rights activist took to the streets of London in protest of unfair skeleton treatment. Many were injured and some killed in the ensuing violence but it eventually lead to the Skeleton rights reformation act of 1756 declaring skeletons to be equal to all men, yet it did not allow them to take any positions of power in human affairs. This would not be allowed until 1852 almost 100 years later.

Impact on the world
Skeletons are known for their love of song and poetry, many great skeleton authors and poets are known throughout world history. Some people even theorise that William Shakespeare may have in fact secretly been a skeleton, or that he at least was reanimated as one after his death in 1616.

Religion
Skeleton religion, often referred to as "bone worship" by outsiders, is a deep and ancient faith. The core tenant of the faith is the worship of a deity whose name translates to "Mr Skeltal". In the religion it is prophesied that one day he will blow his horn and summon all the great skeleton warriors to fight in what is called "the skeleton war".

Followers of the religion gather to worship in great bone churches, called Scalls. Worship is presided over by the local Skeleton Priest, who leads the congregation in prayer and song. another duty of a skeleton priest is to ensure the Scall's supply of milk is high enough for every attendee of a service to have a drink, as calcium is a holy element in the faith and must be drunk before prayer.

Notable Skeletons
The following is a list of notable Skeletons
 * Mr. Bones
 * Skelly
 * St John of Bonetown