Aldous

Aldous is a character played by plagueJester.

Appearance
Aldous is a large, shaggy creature covered in blue-grey 'fur', bearing a pair of similarly colored antlers. Their eyes, tusks, horn points, as well as natural bio-luminescence in their fur glows bright cyan, matching the three souls in its chest cavity. Said cavity bears a set of jutting ribs. They have a heavy build and large arms, these being decorated with bony chitin and blunt digging claws. They also have a small, cow-like tail.

Recently, Aldous's horns have grown out with rigid frills much like a those of a Warden. Their ribs seem to flex far too wide in time with their breathing, and the souls in their chest are writhing erratically.

Bio
A typically gentle giant with few memories of their life before arriving in Laundry Town, Aldous will often be found tending their garden, fishing, catching bugs with other denizens of the world, or training to become stronger.. for what? They aren't sure. They have been referred to as a 'Sculkbeaste' by Cato and Aelius, but only recently came to remember that this isn't quite the case.

Personality
Friendly and sometimes trusting to a fault, Aldous tries to assume the better of the people it interacts with. If they begin an interaction with apprehension, proceed with caution. It also tends to be deeply curious, poking their nose into places it probably shouldn't be. In situations of elevated aggression, they may lose themself and lash out physically.

Events
Having fallen into a deteriorating, starving state since their awakening in the world, Aldous finally succumbed to the will of the Sculk in their body. Not fast enough to lock itself away before the Sculk took hold, Aldous was piloted into DeVille, where it encountered Bandaids, currently hosting the Source. Sensing a kindred spirit in the parasite, it offered Aldous as a body to co-host with the Source, stating that they could both spread more effectively in alliance. The offer seemingly accepted, Aldous now bears some of the early tells of their Source infection, and is primarily acted and spoken through by the newly Sourced Sculk itself. Aldous's Sculk speaks mostly in two to three word statements, usually denoting it's current emotion, portrayed by } { around it's words. Formerly entirely blind, it seems to delight in observing everything around it, sometimes becoming distracted by passing creatures. It still seems to desire spread and souls, currently working through Aldous's remaining stock of lively lanterns.

This Sculk has taken on a more defined personality in the recent months, referring to itself as "Kindred".

After many months using burning potions and various other methods to fight back both the Source and Sculk in their body, a time of distraction due to working on a Sculk cure, as well as their grieving for the Deep Dark System, allowed Kindred to take back control. It located Bandaids and Amethyst, pretending to be Aldous in order to get close to them. It then dropped the act, taunting Bandaids and sourcing Amethyst before being taken out by N/A. Aldous has since locked themself in their lab, in order to both focus fully on the Sculk cure, and to prevent anyone else being infected by their hand.

Relationships

 * Buttercup - Wants nothing to do with him after the murder of the Deep Dark System. Rot.
 * Peas - Best bug hunting pal. It hasn't seen the little one in a while, and hopes they're alright.
 * Cato - Held a respect for his knowledge of the Sculk and willingness to seek a cure. They didn't like how he handled everything, but they understood why he did things that way. They wish they could've stopped it.
 * Aelius - While initially hostile when Aelius hunted souls on the full moon, they were more than happy to engage in a friendly spar. Trusted him a fair bit more than Cato, mostly on account of him being less cryptic. They wish he could've seen his son grow up healthy.
 * Lichen - A neighbor turned friend, they enjoy hearing tales of the creature's travels through other worlds, and the two have bonded over botanical interests. Has employed them as an assistant while they do lab work.
 * Oracle - Initially unsure of what to make of the robot, they've grown fond of him through time and mutual suffering at both the Source's and Cato's doing. Would love to figure out how to keep them from being possessed.
 * Thistle - Though they only spoke a few times, they deeply worry for her, often having visited with a warm drink and attempt at gentle conversation. They are unaware of her current fate.
 * REQUIEM - Aldous came to care for the unnerving imp during their time living in the Gethsemanes Garden town together. They haven't seen it in a long time now, and fear for it's wellbeing.

Alternate Timelines
In Fillet's timeline, Aldous loses their struggle with Kindred and becomes a feral, soul starved monster. Someone has managed to trap them in a Blackstone bunker, and passing near their prison, one can hear a mix of bestial screaming, and Kindred pleading in Aldous's voice to be released.

Trivia

 * Aldous's horns are thick but hollow, allowing sound to be picked up and resonate more clearly.
 * They have proven able to effectively harvest souls from soul sand, and have amassed a supply of souls in lanterns that are far more lively than the usual. They are currently unwilling to reveal the process.
 * Aldous can speak and understand Ancient, but has no memory of where they learned it.