| Folterseele | |||
|---|---|---|---|
| |||
| Naming | |||
| Binomen | N/A | ||
| Morphology | |||
| Body type | Humanoid | ||
| Intelligence | |||
| Sentience | Sentient | ||
| Sapience | Sapient | ||
| Aggressivity | Low | ||
| Ecology | |||
| Locomotion | Bipedal | ||
| Behind the Scenes | |||
| Universe | Grimm | ||
A Folterseele is a poisonous, amphibian-like Wesen species: a liminal being that spends most of its time in human form, but is capable of shifting into its actual form either voluntarily or involuntarily.
Biology[]
In their natural state, Folterseele are frog-like humanoids, although they still possess hair. Seemingly an all-female species; their human form is always beautiful, which often attracts the attention of humans and other Wesen alike. In response, they have evolved a natural defense mechanism.
Among all known Wesen species, Folterseele are unique in that the mechanism that triggers their transformation is not based on an emotional state, but rather on being in the presence of someone who feels sexually attracted to them. As such, it functions as a defense mechanism against sexual predators, who will be poisoned the moment they touch the skin of the Folterseele, even if the latter is still in her human form at this point.
The Folterseele's secretion consists of a lethal kind of batrachotoxin, which provokes grotesque swelling and nearly instantaneous heart failure. Folterseele have no control over this and will secrete the toxin automatically in the presence of anyone who intends to harass them.
There are two known methods that can be employed to neutralize the deadly touch of a Folterseele. The first one, which has been traditionally employed by some members of the species, is to scorch their faces with a red-hot branding iron, leaving a large and grotesque scar that covers a substantial portion of the face. It's not clear whether this actually prevents them from releasing toxins or serves only to make them less attractive and thus less likely to find themselves in a situation where they would secrete their poison in first place.
The second method; which had never been tested before the events of "Heartbreaker"; is to consume a potion containing another strong substance, such as tetrodotoxin or saxitoxin, to depolarize the skin membranes and induce an antagonistic effect which nullifies their natural toxin. However, this method too has the unpleasant side effect of turning the skin permanently green and mottled, so either way it ends up having a negative impact in the Folterseele's human appearance.
Appearances[]
- Grimm, s04e16, "Heartbreaker" (2015)