Grinions are “spawns”, commanded by the King of Laughter Warai. But there's a bit more to it than that... let's start from the beginning.
The world
The story of Warai and the Grinions is generally just speculation. The timeline in Little Laughters is not intended to represent a set event. In the Tritoria timeline, the Grinions are completely omitted and even there it is uncertain whether Warai exists at all. The little that is known in Tritoria comes only from a literary piece written by someone who claims to have seen Warai himself. In Little Laughters, however, the player controls the timeline, as the fate of Warai, Little Grin, Sumairu and Smiley Cindy is decided by the player.
Warai
Warai is a large wolf-like creature with six legs, white and red fur, two long horns and a constant wide grin. His only ambition is to eternalize his face and laughter into every person's conscience... in the form of a trauma. The strategy is to stalk individuals, stare at them and break them with its hypnotizing laughter. Fear of others is the nourishment this creature needs to feel complete.
Grinions
However, the Grinions are in other books, but all authors agree that the little servants of Warai are created to get his face to the people faster. The writers who are convinced that this story is true, however, they wonder why Grinions are so... different. While Warai wanders around as a wolf-like creature, Grinions are much smaller and have a more humanoid build. The “substance” from which these Grinions are made is the flesh and fur of the brood mother. The fully grown ones (both physically and mentally) literally grow out of her body.
The Brood mother
The broodmother's outer façade was never really visible, but considering that the inside of her is a chaotic swirl of fur, flesh, teeth, eyes and horns, her appearance shouldn't be the prettiest thing ever.
Warai was her first “son”. He was to be her successor when she realized she was falling ill. Warai was born with the gift of spawning other helpers, in this case the Grinions. Warai uses the flesh of the broodmother for this, but it is difficult to work with the diseased substance, most Grinions are born with defects.
The "cave"
Whenever sketches of Grinions are seen where they are sitting in the fur-covered den, this is the inside of the brood mother. The location of the Broodmother is everywhere and nowhere, she seems to exist in another dimension where only Warai and his Grinions have access... in theory.
The sickness
In the churches of the dying world, it is reported that a group called the “Sinhunters” has gained access to the world of the Brood Mother. Complex rituals and the study of Warai and further links to supernatural events have enabled them to see a part of the Broodmother for a short time. The Sinhunters travel the world to remove the supernatural, and they took this opportunity to “curse” the Broodmother with a blessing, causing her to become seriously ill and slowly die.
Defects
Working with the sick flesh of the brood mother is a difficult task for Warai. Many Grinions spawn that do not come close to Warai's desired quality. The grin isn't wide enough, the laughter doesn't resemble his, the fur color isn't right... Many things go wrong. He or his servants will then throw them into the deep hole, where a giant set of teeth will devour the defective Grinions and the flesh will return to the brood mother.
Prognosis
But the world of the Grinions will collapse at some point. When the broodmother dies because of her illness, no more Grinions will follow. Even if Warai and his servants are hard to kill, they too will eventually perish, especially if their ambition for the planned victims becomes more and more transparent.
Canon Grinions:
Little Grin
Warai is particularly proud of the creation of Little Grin. A small Grinion that is super agile and quick to pick off several victims. However, Little Grin is not completely geared to Warai's ambition and is very capable of learning. On his journey of being a monster, he questions his lifestyle more and more and wonders whether fear-mongering should really be the goal of his life.
Smiley Cindy
Cindy understood relatively early on that they were merely slaves for the master's goal. She very quickly developed a need for love and kindness, which is not possible with the lifestyle demanded by Warai. She increasingly avoided other Grinions so that no one would tell on her and end up in the big recycling maw of the brood mother. She realized that Little Grin is also very capable of learning and tries to make him understand that life can be better even as a little monster and that not everything has to be about scaremongering.
As she fiddles with man-made objects with curiosity, she often appears awkward and clumsy. Cindy is also able to roughly change her shape. For example, she can flatten herself out or become round as a ball and, if necessary, change her size a little. Not an effective Grinion... has only ever frightened one person so far, from then on she simply didn't want to anymore.
Sumairu
Sumairu is the only Grinion who, despite a serious defect, is allowed to remain among the Grinion people. He was born without vocal cords and was thrown into the deep hole immediately afterwards, but due to his physical strength he was able to climb out of the deep hole and still knelt before Warai, proving his great will to serve. Warai shows no empathy, but Sumairu's strength definitely impressed him and decided to use him to capture and dispose of defective Grinions. Sumairu is Warai's personal henchman and “clean-up man”.
Bitey
Here and there Bitey gets a victim to shake, but otherwise he spends the day lazing around. Lying around somewhere and looking stupid. Funnily enough, nobody catches him doing it. Socializing is not so important to him, although he does have an eye for Smiley Cindy. It's just a shame that she always has to hide, and when he does see her, he hardly feels like getting up.
Other Grinion facts
-Grinions are extremely resistant to physical attacks. Blessed weapons are most effective against the half-spirits.
-Grinions do not have a digestive system, nor do they need one as they do not eat. If something disappears down their gullet, it will eventually come out again.
-Grinions also have no sexual organs and therefore cannot reproduce.
-Grinions sleep with their eyes open.
-Grinions have no ageing process. If they have no learning ability, they are born fully developed.
-Most Grinions have no feelings and their only goal is to spread fear.
-Grinions usually have a belly button, as the fabrication of the physique is to become more human-like. Warai was not interested in the origin or the actual development of a belly button.
-Deceased Grinions simply vanish into thin air. First the flesh, then the fur.
Warai's and the Grinion's laughter
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=6cwRxRvYUak&pp=ygUQZ3JpbmlvbiBsYXVnaHRlcg%3D%3D
Little Laughters short
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=C7GY1VCMYdg&pp=ygUQbGl0dGxlIGxhdWdodGVycw%3D%3D
...
There will be more, work in progress...
Special thanks to Gamerbirb for proofreading.
Portrait of Warai by Spitty.
Portrait of Cindy by Lena T.
Big painting of Warai by Nellorain
