MitD XV: The Other Dark One

[Grey_Wolf_c]

The more important takeaway, IMO, is that it has to be a dramatically interesting monster.

No it doesn't. The reveal, which will reveal his species, can be dramatic without having the species reveal be part of the drama, just a necessary part of the scene. Your entire thesis fails the moment you disregard Ruck's approach.

INone of these say "Obscure monster that 99% of my audience has never heard about" to me.

"I trust that someone will figure it out eventually." implies he a) thinks it can be figured out, so it is not simply unguessable and b) it is difficult enough to figure out that he doesn't expect everyone to figure it out. As far as I am concerned, that pretty much eliminates all the famous monsters, whatever "famous" means. Which nevertheless leaves the hundreds if not thousands of "obscure" ones.

GW