Posey Morris, the Scarecrow of Pediophobia
The Sanity Circus was created by Tas Mukanik, it can be read on Hiveworks
Welcome back to the blog! I gotta give a SPOILER WARNING since this delves into important story beats. With that said, let's get into it.
Background
"The Last, his will… none of it matters. I can't imagine being in a world where you're not there."
The city of Sanity is anything but. It's a place of untold secrets where magic thrives. People can turn into animals, vampires and magic beings embodying worldly concepts exist, and there's an entire race of living instruments that transform into humanoid soldiers to defend the city from magic threats.
While the most common dangers in Sanity are demons, there's one race a step above them that spells doom every time they appear: the Scarecrow. Their existence isn't well known considering their scarcity, but they are the remnants of the final remaining sorcerer simply known as the Last.
After the humans wiped out the other sorcerers in the Magic War, he created the Scarecrow to spread as much despair as possible. They may appear human, but in reality they're wicked beings based on different phobias that tap into peoples' fears to drain them of their lifeforce. The fear they embody dictates whatever powers they possess, like creating giant snakes or turning their eyeballs turn into giant monsters.
The Scarecrow terrorized humanity for years, but were ultimately vanquished after the Last was killed… or at least, that's what was believed. The Last was killed centuries ago, but the Scarecrow are too stubborn to go down so easily. Every time they are killed, they reincarnate after an extensive period of time. They can't be permanently killed unless the multiple souls occupying their body are all extinguished.
Why do they keep coming back? To complete their creator's Will, of course. Before he died, the Last cast a terrifying curse that seeps through everything it touches living or otherwise, until all of Sanity is under its control. While the Scarecrow can get by just on feasting on humans' lifeforce, coming together to orchestrate the Will would spread as much misery and suffering imaginable.
That brings me to Posey Morris, the definitive example of an ideal Scarecrow. She may act like an innocent and sweet young girl, but that's what she wants you to think. Underneath her porcelain façade is a cunning and heartless monster with no shred of empathy for humans. She embodies the fear of dolls, so she bears many powers that reflect that.
Posey has been thriving in modern Sanity undetected for years now, but she makes her appearance known when she takes a job to capture a girl named Attley Grimshaw. Attley is a normal, if offbeat girl who has lived a sheltered life due to the dangers the outside world poses. Posey approached her out in the open to be her friend, but she'd drop that act days later to hunt her down.
Why is she and the other Scarecrow set on this seemingly mundane girl? Turns out she's actually a Scarecrow too, and a powerful one at that. However, upon her reincarnation something went wrong and she lost her memories. She was then taken in by a secret organization and raised as a human in a normal family.
This is where things get murky, since prior to their reincarnation Posey's relationship was Attley was highly uncharacteristic for a Scarecrow. While the Scarecrow do share a sense of camaraderie, it's only out of obligation and purpose. Posey finds the rest of her kind insufferable to be around, with the exceptions being her lapdog Sammy… and Attley.
The memories are fuzzier the further she thinks back, but Posey and Attley were inseparable. They were so tight-knit that Posey promised to find her in their next life, which she did! However, Attley's memory loss throws a wrench in the equation because she sees Posey for what she is: a cruel sadist who has no qualms hurting her friends and family and innocent people in general.
Posey is adamant in trying to help Attley return to her old self, especially when the harsh truth is that if she doesn't she's of no use to the other Scarecrow, Attley is better off dead. She doesn't remember anything, her powers are weak from her lack of feeding, and above all else she thinks too much like a human. If she's against their cause, she'd be a problem since a Scarecrow can permanently kill their own.
There's no convincing Attley, even after regaining her lost memories. That devastates Posey, which is peculiar for an unfeeling monster. This of course catches the attention of the Scarecrow ringleader Tedley, who threatens her if her feelings get the better of her.
Posey's internal conflict builds as Attley's continued existence is less tolerated by the rest of her kind. She dedicated her entire life to seeing the Last's will through, but in the end, she chooses her emotions over her purpose. She'd rather not be in a world where Attley isn't there.
Posey rescues her from Tedley, apologizing and abandoning her cause. With her memories restored, Attley accepts her apology and lets her fight by her side. Sure, Posey loses an arm in the fight, but earning Attley's trust is worth more to her than that. Once the Will being unleashed becomes a more looming threat, Posey is motivated to help Attley stop it.
At this point, Tedley is the only Scarecrow left alive dedicated to his purpose, sewing chaos across the city. Posey's redemption and Attley's mere existence are evidence that Scarecrow are capable of love and compassion. These feelings don't hold them back, they're what makes them exceptional.
While the heroes are able to put an end to Tedley, they can't halt the Will, which wreaks havoc on the human population. With no other options left, Posey and Attley decide the best course of action is to rewrite the spell itself. That comes at the cost of the continued existence of magic, which the lives of Scarecrow are tied to.
It's a tough call to make, but by manifesting their own wills, they're able to rewrite the Will and save all of Sanity.
Thankfully no magic beings like the redeemed Scarecrow and instrumen are erased, they simply became normal magic-free humans. For once, Posey can live a normal life with the person she loves more than anything.
Experience and Skill
Posey retains her past lives' memories up to a certain point before they become hazy. Her prior lifetime gives her an edge in terrorizing humanity. Prior to her redemption she was pretty manipulative. If you're an instrumen that can see through her ruse or street smart in dealing with demons, her innocent young girl act takes her far.
While she is used to bullying the weak and defenseless with her powers, she is able to fight other Scarecrow that share her technique. She's even able to beat talented instrumen like Luth.
Posey retains her past lives' memories up to a certain point before they become hazy. Her prior lifetime gives her an edge in terrorizing humanity. Prior to her redemption she was pretty manipulative. If you're an instrumen that can see through her ruse or street smart in dealing with demons, her innocent young girl act takes her far.
While she is used to bullying the weak and defenseless with her powers, she is able to fight other Scarecrow that share her technique. She's even able to beat talented instrumen like Luth.
Equipment
Wind-Up Key
Posey owns an oversized wind-up key she can stick through a person's back. Turning it a few times is enough to kill them, but the worst part is that once she lets go, the victim's corpse is reanimated under her control for a brief period of time. She had this unfortunate man march into a building, deliver a message, and fall dead on his face.
Posey owns an oversized wind-up key she can stick through a person's back. Turning it a few times is enough to kill them, but the worst part is that once she lets go, the victim's corpse is reanimated under her control for a brief period of time. She had this unfortunate man march into a building, deliver a message, and fall dead on his face.
Abilities
Scarecrow Physiology
Scarecrow appear human, but their cover drops once stitches appear over their mouths. Based on previous research, they're made out of demon blood, dark magic, and potentially human body parts.
Scarecrow appear human, but their cover drops once stitches appear over their mouths. Based on previous research, they're made out of demon blood, dark magic, and potentially human body parts.
Magic
Posey can fire magic attacks in pulses or through touch
Posey can fire magic attacks in pulses or through touch
Spycrow
Posey summons a crow with a creepy eye on its chest to see out of and track people. This familiar can be absorbed back into her body at any time, and she can lend it to other people. In a fit of anguish she spawned a bunch out of her back once, it wasn't pretty.
Posey summons a crow with a creepy eye on its chest to see out of and track people. This familiar can be absorbed back into her body at any time, and she can lend it to other people. In a fit of anguish she spawned a bunch out of her back once, it wasn't pretty.
Explosion Manipulation
With maaaagiiiiic…
With maaaagiiiiic…
Paralysis
She has a spell that can paralyze people in a small radius. It can be broken out of with enough effort.
She has a spell that can paralyze people in a small radius. It can be broken out of with enough effort.
Shadowshifting
Posey can turn into a shadowy blob that sticks to walls and grants her a boost in speed.
Posey can turn into a shadowy blob that sticks to walls and grants her a boost in speed.
Laser Projection
No one expects the zigzag lasers…
No one expects the zigzag lasers…
Fear Manipulation, Lifeforce Manipulation, and Energy Absorption
Posey has to make physical contact in order to feed. During the process, she renders her target terrified and uses their fear to tap into their lifeforce and devour it. This even works on the undead, so long as they have an energy source they can absorb.
Posey has to make physical contact in order to feed. During the process, she renders her target terrified and uses their fear to tap into their lifeforce and devour it. This even works on the undead, so long as they have an energy source they can absorb.
Soul Magic
Along with life magic, she can also use magic to directly hurt the souls of beings that can't conventionally be killed like demons and other Scarecrow. In the past, Scarecrow have demonstrated being able to tear out the souls inhabiting their own kind.
Along with life magic, she can also use magic to directly hurt the souls of beings that can't conventionally be killed like demons and other Scarecrow. In the past, Scarecrow have demonstrated being able to tear out the souls inhabiting their own kind.
Immortality (Type 4)
As a scarecrow, she reincarnates after dying thanks to harboring multiple souls inside her body. It usually takes a years for a Scarecrow to reappear, but they always comes back……
It should also be mentioned that when a scarecrow reincarnates they're already a fully-developed child. The process doesn't always go smoothly, like Sammy's double irises and Attley's memory loss, but Posey's current body is in tip top shape.
As a scarecrow, she reincarnates after dying thanks to harboring multiple souls inside her body. It usually takes a years for a Scarecrow to reappear, but they always comes back……
It should also be mentioned that when a scarecrow reincarnates they're already a fully-developed child. The process doesn't always go smoothly, like Sammy's double irises and Attley's memory loss, but Posey's current body is in tip top shape.
Phobia Form
Accelerated Healing
She can heal wounds faster than a human can, but her regeneration only extends to reincarnation.
She can heal wounds faster than a human can, but her regeneration only extends to reincarnation.
Stitch & Snip Spells
Posey can put magic stitches on person's body to bind peoples' limbs of lips. Pulling the stitches out is a herculean task, so the most efficient way to free them is for Posey to summon magic scissors.
Posey can put magic stitches on person's body to bind peoples' limbs of lips. Pulling the stitches out is a herculean task, so the most efficient way to free them is for Posey to summon magic scissors.
Reincarnation Negation
As explained before, she can stop a Scarecrow from reincarnating by destroying their soul.
As explained before, she can stop a Scarecrow from reincarnating by destroying their soul.
Willpower Manipulation
In the final act of The Sanity Circus (when the webcomic transitioned to a script format), Posey and Attely manifest their own wills through magic to rewrite the Will. This ultimately led to the destruction of magic.
In the final act of The Sanity Circus (when the webcomic transitioned to a script format), Posey and Attely manifest their own wills through magic to rewrite the Will. This ultimately led to the destruction of magic.
Resistances
- Body magic resistance: Of the three types of magic, Scarecrow resist the most common body magic. This includes any spell that targets the body specifically, i.e. Posey's own paralysis spell likely wouldn't work on herself. They can still be damaged, or even killed by them, but it can't stop them from reincarnating.
- Body magic resistance: Of the three types of magic, Scarecrow resist the most common body magic. This includes any spell that targets the body specifically, i.e. Posey's own paralysis spell likely wouldn't work on herself. They can still be damaged, or even killed by them, but it can't stop them from reincarnating.
Techniques
N/A
Feats
Overall
- Rescued Attley from the demon she sicked on her
- Beat the cello instrumen Luth
- Stopped Teddley from ripping out Attley’s soul
- Discovered she had a heart all along
- Rewrote the Will with Attley, destroying magic and saving Sanity
Strength
- Decapitated a demon
- Blew up a door
- Sliced Luth in half
- Impaled a guy with a wind-up key
- Cleaved through a balcony
- Slammed Tedley through a wall
Speed
- Moves faster than Attley, Fletch, and Steven when shadowshifting
- Rewriting the Will quickly returned the sky back to its natural color
Durability
Scaling
- Attley ripped out Tedley's heart
- Attley beheaded giant snakes
- Attley beat Tedley after he grew nearly building-sized
- Attley survived being shot
- Attley was hit by a needle that harmed her soul
- Sammy tossed a man through storage shelves
- Sammy kicked Steven's head off
- Sammy was hit through a barrier
- Steven blasted apart a chair
- Steven shot through a window
- Donovan's safeguardian threw Sammy far from the circus all the way back to the city
- Rios destroyed a wall with magic waves
- Tedley destroyed a couple streets
Weaknesses
- Her yankable ponytail is exploitable
- If she isn’t careful with how much energy she exerts she could faint
- Too cocky prior to her redemption
- All scarecrows have a part of the Will inside them. When she defies it, it lashes out and causes pain.
- She’s weaker when she isn’t feeding on lifeforce as often, unable to sustain her phobia form as long like she's used to
Matchup Potential
I'm sure there's a character out there that would fit Posey really well. She's a villain from an inherently antisocial and sadistic race who was really close to the protagonist in their previous life, and wants to return them to how they once were. Ultimately she goes against her nature and chooses their emotions over purpose, proving that someone as heartless as her is capable of love.
The main issue I see in finding a fitting matchup is someone that matches her low scale, but as long as the dynamic and main theme work well, I can be sold on it.
The closest I've found to a cool matchup for her is Pitou from Hunter x Hunter, but the issue here is that the connections compare Attley to two separate characters, which doesn't sit right with me.
NEXT TIME ON WCAB… whenever I feel like it
