Grimm

The **Grimm** or the **Grimm Horde** are the universal antagonist of *GrimmFall**,* inhabiting most parts of Earth.

They are creatures of darkness which lack a soul and unable to use Aura. They are drawn by negative feelings: fear, envy, sadness, loneliness and hatred, which often drawn the Grimm to the source of the emotions. Many cultures derived from the Grimm for thousands of years, in modern times it was widely known that they came from the meteor that crashed into the Earth 65 million years ago.

But what they don't know is the Grimm, are in fact the creation of a demonic entity from an alternate timeline known as Aku who changed history so that the universe will forever know fear and terror of his 'children.'

They are the alternate counterparts of the creatures of a world called Remnant that follow a different path where they were created by the God of Darkness

## History

### Origin

In the depths of space, a giant black mass of emptiness appeared and threatened to consume the entire universe. Luckily before that happened three powerful Gods arrived and attacked the mass of darkness. The Gods battled against the Darkness in a fierce battle that ended with the Gods destroying every single piece of the Great Evil, saving the universe from a terrible threat.

But not all of the Evil was destroyed.

During the battle a fragment broke off and drifted from the battle and vanished into the cosmos. After eons of drifting through space the fragment finally crashed landed into what would be known as Earth, crashing into what would be known as the island of Japan. The impact of the fragment caused the extinction of the dinosaurs, leaving behind a tar-like substance that grew and expanded as time passed. As life on Earth begins to evolve, many people and animals fall victim to the deadly pit.

By the time Japan's monarchy is established, the pool's invasion, along with the forests that have started to impale homes and buildings, had grown so out of control that the current Emperor decided he must destroy the threat at its core. After receiving an elixir of poison believed to be the key to putting an end to the tar pool once and for all, the Emperor, along with a unit of elite cavalry, rode into the forest toward the centre where the heart of the pool lies. Before long, spikes start to erupt from the ground as if the forest has come alive, killing all of the Emperor's men, but he rode on.

Eventually, the Emperor reached the center of the forest. He took an arrow and laced it with the poison. After saying a prayer, he fired the arrow into the sky where it catches fire from the sun before landing directly in the center of the pit. At first the plan seems to have worked, as the spikes start to retreat back into the pool. However, it is soon revealed that the plan has backfired completely: instead of destroying the pool of blackness, the elixir gave it life.

From the black pool came what could only be described as monsters.

They came in many forms but all shared the darkness that formed their bodies along with white mask like skulls and red glowing eyes. These creatures, emerging from the black pool began attacking all humans in sight. The Emperor and his army fought to protect their homes from these monsters created by the very evil they sought to destroy but found their new foe to be too powerful, too numerous and as the
horde fell upon the kingdom three monks came and showed the Emperor how to stop these monsters.

Forging a weapon from the purity of his soul and teaching him how to manifest his soul as a
power in the form of an aura that gave him great strength and power that was needed to defeat these monsters the Emperor fought back against the monsters, pushing them back and rallying his armies, teaching many disciples how to unlock the power of their Auras. However the monsters continued to spread and evolve, spreading across the world and attacking many more kingdoms. The Emperor sent disciples chosen by him to distant lands, teaching many they had come across how to unlock their Auras that allowed them to protect many kingdoms, villages, and countries from the monsters that would become famous for defending against the beasts.

In some places they were welcomed as great warriors, magicians, and even divine beings but in other places they were treated with hate and fear for their powers, refusing to heed their warnings. Those reacted with hostility were soon quickly attacked by the monsters, villages, homes, and even kingdoms destroyed in a matter of days. The disciples saved as many as they could, driving back the monsters while risking their lives and many fighting the beasts. It was only after seeing these monsters did some repent their fear but others still held on to their grudges for whatever reasons they could find.

However the monsters continued to form from the black pool, their numbers growing too fast
to be destroyed. The Emperor realized that in his quest to destroy the evil that had polluted his home he had unleashed a plague upon the world. Thus he ordered the Black Forest to be sealed by a great wall, protected by a small army of warriors that had had been trained to fight the beasts of darkness by the Emperor himself. This would not stop the monsters from spreading across the world but it would halt how fast they would expand.

Eventually the wall was built but the Emperor was fatally wounded in battle and in his last moments he passed his sword and power onto his son. The monsters would continue to grow and spread across the world, attacking anyone they would find. Taking up his father’s sword, the Emperor’s son would continue the battle against the monsters, traveling across the world, saving countless people and teaching those he deemed worthy of learning how to unlock their Auras and gain the powers they needed to vanquish that evil that had taken the life of his father
and countless others. Eventually as more warriors were created something else was created that proved to be a key source of power against the monsters.

It was named Dust by a man named Monty Oum.

The Dust seemed to be formed around the time of the war against the monsters, possibly a product created by the rise of the monsters and though none knew where it came from it appeared to be a key source of energy that appeared in many places where battles against the dark monsters had been waged. The strange Dust was able to heighten speed, strength, and even Auras, seen by many as an advanced form of magic. Over time, many of the disciples and their own students congregated to
share in their knowledge and strength, creating a unified opposition to these monsters.

Knights, assassins, warlords, pirates, humble foot soldiers, healers and wise men from across the world created Orders formed for the specific purpose of combatting the other worldly horde. From among these groups, many began to study this enemy in search of a weakness. They came upon a pattern in many of the attacks against heavily defended settlements and fortresses that would have deterred attack from any ordinary foe. Places where these beasts gathered in force usually had undergone a sort of travesty, be it a plague or a war or a death which has instilled a sense of dread or loss in many.

Soon it was established that these beasts were drawn to the emotions of sentient begins, specifically emotions associated with anger or melancholy. This discovery gave rise to a name for the dark horde which ravaged the world wherever they went.

They became known as the Grimm Horde, and individually identified as Grimm.

It was at that point that the surviving kingdoms had started fortifying their borders to
protect themselves from the Grimm, building great walls and heavily defended outposts and even daring to establish colonies across the seas. The most well-known attempt at colonizing outer lands was when Great Britain colonized a land that was populated by natives who were skilled at using the land to their advantage to fight and outwit the Grimm. The Britain colonists utilized their powers and newly crafted weapons crafted with Dust to help fight against the Grimm in many places but, upon seeing the skills of the natives, offered to show them how to unlock their Auras and the powerful properties of Dust. The natives accepted and in many ways seemed more powerful than the visitors to their lands as when they learned to unlock their Auras and mixed it with Dust it caused a great transformation.

The natives believed in respecting and communing with nature and as their Auras were unlocked they seemed to become closer to nature by taking on the forms of the animals that lived with them. It was beyond shocking to watch humans take on partial forms of animals, becoming faster and stronger to fight and even successfully drive back the Grimm Horde alongside the people who had come to their lands. A genuine bond seemed to have been forged between these cultures as they shared knowledge, power, and aided each other in battle. It was only after as more people arrived did the colonists decide to make a decision that would affect history.

They wished for independence.

The Britain Empire was understandably hesitant about allowing its colonies to become independent,
losing much needed resources and personnel needed to fight against the Grimm. The colonists led by a man named George Washington and the natives came together and negotiated with the Empire, proposing an alliance between the
colonies and the Empire showing the potential of the natives who were named Faunus for their animal traits, the name derived from Faunus who was the Roman God of forests, wild, and nature. Eventually the Empire agreed and thus the new country known as the United States of America was born with the country of Canada existing next to it in the northern most regions of the continent where Britain and America would maintain their alliance.

And back in Japan, the land where the Grimm had originated from the people continued to advance in
fighting the Grimm and finding new ways to utilize Dust for not just weapons but also for economic growth, becoming one of the most prosperous countries on the planet followed by North America, Great Britain, France, China and Russia which was the largest of the countries but had the least interactions with the Grimm due to its cold temperature that for some reason the Grimm were either not able to live in or preferred to avoid, making Russia one of the more safer
countries. Other countries fell behind in technology and army size but maintained a sizable fighting force of warriors trained in the use of Aura, eventually named Huntsmen and Huntresses that were trained for the sole purpose of fighting the Grimm.

## Biology

The births of Grimm are depicted, with Beowolves emerging from black pools in the Land of Darkness in Remnant, and the However, most of Humanity is unaware of the origins of Grimm. Ancient Human cultures believed the Grimm were animals possessed by evil spirits or even the tortured spirits of animals themselves. Further study has disproved this theory over time, however, due in part to the discovery of even more species of Grimm which have no animal counterparts, such as Creeps and Griffons. With the discovery of new types of Grimm every day, scientists are left with more questions than answers. For the Grimm in Earth GF-007, the Grimm obediently follow and obey a sub-race known as the Fallen.

Grimm come in a variety of shapes and sizes; the latter appears to be a factor of age. Grimm are very biodiverse as different individuals may be born with less size, armor, spikes, etc. They are said to be the only creatures without souls, thus being deprived of the use of Aura, but they make up for this with strength, durability and savagery. Some Grimm even have special abilities such as possession or usage of lightning and fire. Grimm are stated to be attracted to generally negative feelings such as sadness, hostility, anger and fear, and even congregate in areas that, although the races of Remnant and Earth has long since abandoned, still hold residual traces of these feelings.

This behavior will even lead to them to join in on an attack in progress if the a sentient being attacked begin to panic. Grimm typically form packs or other types of large groupings with other members of their own specific species. While some lone Grimm may stray from the pack for hours or even months, they will inevitably rejoin their group to continue their instinctive drive to hunt the people and destroy any artificial creations associated with them.

The longer a Grimm lives, the larger it becomes, with species such as the Beowolves growing from just over the size of an average man to massive behemoths that dwarf Atlesian Knight-200s. Although Grimm have a more reckless and aggressive nature during their youth, older Grimm who have managed to survive their battles have the tendency to learn from their experiences. While sometimes requiring hundreds of years, the Grimm's accumulated experiences over the course of surviving their battles with man can cause them to begin exercising caution.

This perverse form of self-preservation can even lead them to avoid unnecessary conflicts altogether. Yet, despite this ability to learn, their instinctual hostility still remains, as shown by their preference to patrol the borders of Kingdoms for any weaknesses they might someday exploit. This demonstrates that for all their apparent intelligence, older Grimm simply use it as a means to become more effective in their singular drive and purpose of killing.

Grimm display no enmity towards normal animals except for Mobians, and they only clash during territorial disputes. Although Humans, Faunus, and Monians are the common races they attack on sight, there have been other sentient races they attacked such as the Gems upon bite or scratch that infect them and shatter. Grimm can also choose not to eat, and it is commonly believed that they do not require sustenance. When a Grimm dies, their corporeal form evaporates, preventing detailed anatomical or biological studies. This also means that Huntsmen that kill for sport cannot stuff and mount Grimm bodies as trophies, making replicas instead.

Also of interesting note is that Grimm usually die off when in captivity if they cannot kill their captors or escape first, implying that they cannot be kept alive by normal means.

Initially, the cold climate environments proved to be inhospitable for the Grimm for a very long time. Over time, however, the Creatures of Grimm grew to adapt to the cold regions such as Solitas and the artic regions, now said to be the strongest species of Grimm. However, in recent history, the Grimm adapted at a supernaturally fast rate, leading many to wonder the cause of this change.

Grimm are shown to have tar-like interiors underneath their skin, which can splash into things as if it were blood before dissipating into smoke.

## Grimm Species

* **Skeleghoul**

The Skeleghoul is a new breed of Grimm, capable of possessing a skeleton and reanimating it. This Grimm is unique in that it evolves from a less powerful Grimm known as a Zombie Geist, or a human corpse possessed by a Geist. They have the ability to reassemble themselves and combine into a more powerful form.

**Appearance:** Entirely skeletal, possessing a sinister smoky appearance around its chest and head, with blood red lights in the eye sockets

**Abilities:** Skeleghouls have a very annoying ability to constantly reassemble themselves into their humanoid state. They can also combine into more menacing and powerful forms. This very ability is what makes them so dangerous when confronted in larger numbers by ordinary human Hunters. Only those with uncanny or seemingly limitless endurance can take them on, but it is advised by *ALL* Huntsmen to run when encountering these things.

* **Destroyer class Beetle Grimm**

A type of Grimm that are considered extremely dangerous, especially in large numbers. They crawl on land like actual insects but they could also stand up on two legs. They travel in great speed on both land and air. They are armed with four powerful scythes attached to their body as legs and large pincers. In sufficient numbers they can be a threat to even the strongest Huntsmen, especially when taking the orders from a Fallen.

* **Infiltrator**

**Classification:** Insect

**Appearance:** Resembles Destroyer Grimm, having black beetle shaped bodies with white claws and pincers and red glowing eyes.

**Abilities:** Infiltrators are able to burrow through the ground and sneak into high security areas to disable them from the inside. They work by locating the power lines and tearing through them, disrupting power and communications. Companies like DexLabs are always working around the clock to create new and better security systems in an attempt to counter
 these Grimm but have only achieved minimal success.

* **Traveler**

**Classification:** Insect

**Appearance:** Resembles a praying mantis with scythe shaped arms, red underbelly, white mantis shaped mask/face and red glowing eyes.

**Abilities:** Travelers have the ability to open portals in and out of space and time, traveling to a pocket dimension known as the Shadow Zone. Once inside the person trapped cannot be seen, heard or felt by the outside world. This ability is valuable when on missions requiring stealth but the Traveler or Fallen must be present to open a portal out of the dimension, otherwise anyone inside would remain trapped for all eternity.

* **Scythe Simian**

**Classification:** Monkey

**Appearance:** Tall, lanky and resembles a monkey but has scythes where the hands would be on the arms and wings on their back.

**Abilities:** Scythe Simians are capable of flight, using their bladed arms as their main weaponry. They are fast and lethal, using speed and precision over
strength and brute force like their Beringel counterparts.

* **Mice**

**Classification:** Mice

**Appearance:** Resembling humans with mice ears and noses. Unlike most Grimm they lack white skeletal armor.

**Abilities:** Blind Mice Grimm form bows and arrows from their own bodies, virtually having unlimited ammo supply. Their hearing is like sonar and can pick up even the slightest bit of sound. With unlimited arrows they can rain arrows down in a matter of seconds and have unparalleled precision and accuracy.

* **Creeplings**

**Classification:** Gremlin

**Appearance:** The form of a Gremlin with wings with sharp fingers. A tail with sharp teeth, bone armor and bat-like ears.

**Abilities:** Are quick witted and capable of swift flight. Slightly more intelligent
 than usual Grimm and can produce a red energy bolt from their mouths. Are cautious of the unknown. They obey and only obey Dark Kat.

## Trivia

* Despite the fact the Grimm are very similar to both worlds they have different origins: on Earth they were created millions of years ago by Aku to alter the timeline. On Remnant they were created by the God of Darkness.
* The name for the creatures of Grimm may be a reference to the Brothers Grimm and *Grimms' Fairy Tales*, a famous classic collection of German fairy tales compiled by the brothers. Notable stories include "Little Red Riding Hood", "Snow White" and "Hansel and Gretel", all of which serve as inspiration for *RWBY*characters.
	+ In "The Lost Fable", Jinn refers to the Grimm as "The Brother's Grimm", pronounced the same as "The Brothers Grimm", strengthening the allusion.
	+ Additionally, the word Grimm is German for fury, wrath, fierceness or grim.
* Different parts of the world have different species of Grimm. The crew stated that they try to theme the Grimm based on the location they are found. The icy continent of Solitas features Grimm based on prehistoric and ice age animals.
* Miles Luna has compared the Grimm to Pokémon, stating that some will pop up in every region while others are region specific.