Adapting Sombra · 4:22pm Aug 19th, 2021
Hello,
So, I was replaying Red Dead Redemption 2 the other day, and I got an idea out of the blue: in Son of the Howlite Howler, Kodo's villainous actions are driven by Sombra gaslighting and manipulating him, and I intended to adapt Son of the Howlite Howler into it's own standalone fantasy without Equestria or Hasbro characters. Which obviously means Sombra needs to be replaced by an original character.
But instead of an evil spirit, what if the character who replaces Sombra was more like Micah Bell from Red Dead Redemption 2: someone who manipulated Kodo (who'd be similar to Dutch van der Linde) and got him to do bad things?
The character was quick to follow: Nyx, a black dragon-demi-wolf hybrid created by the anarchist Luco to help in his bid to spread chaos and conflict across the land.
The one thing I'm worried about, however, is the execution: in Son of the Howlite Howler, Kodo was born with Sombra in his head, which gave Sombra an advantage, as he was able to win the young pup's trust very early on. Nyx doesn't have this advantage, as I gave him a bit of a different story:
Kodo and Celine find Nyx lost in a forest, and he begs them for help, telling them he had just escaped from a cult that believes what Luco does is right, and they were raising him to be a weapon; sort of like the Daughters of Aku from Samurai Jack.
Taking pity on him, Celine brings him into their pack. But then the cultists come looking for him, and in the resulting fight, Shiva is taken.
Kodo is infuriated, and goes after her, and Nyx agrees to help, tearing apart the cult in a revenge-induced rage. However, when they fail to find Shiva in the ruins of the cult's base, Nyx proposes to Kodo that they tear apart the land to find her, leading to similar events to Son of the Howlite Howler playing out.
Now here's where I'm having trouble: what is Nyx's game here? Should I play him completely straight to Sombra and Micah, and have him be on Luco's side the whole time, manipulating Kodo so he'll spread chaos? Or should I play him as more angry at the world and enjoying the rush he got from bringing down those weaker than him.
If I play him as on Luco's side the whole time, I'll have to figure out why he'd allow Kodo to cripple Blaze, who (as I mentioned in the blog Scorching Solutions) is with Luco as well, and thus Nyx's secret ally. While letting her get crippled could be a way of earning Kodo's trust, it still feels a little too under-handed. 
Better yet; should I reveal whether he's on Luco's side or not, or would it be more interesting to have it be played more ambiguously, with Celine and the reader trying to figure out what Nyx is doing by leading Kodo on this rampage?
I'd really appreciate your guys' advice on this. Please let me know how you think I can make my equivalent to Sombra a little more interesting.
Thanks for your time. 
sounds to me like this Dragonwolf is working his OWN angle for power and influence...young Kodo is simple a means to an end...think Sith Master and Apprentice type of deal...
Great idea, I like the whole plot line. Nyx manipulates Kodo, becoming his 'friend' before completely going villain mode. I like those types of villains!
5571150
Thank you for your feedback.
I like the idea of Nyx having his own agenda with Kodo simply being a means to an end. Considering Nyx's backstory, it doesn't make sense for him to be working with Luco, yet at the same time, he's clearly not with Kodo out of loyalty.
Yeah, I like the idea of Nyx having his own agenda beyond Luco or anyone else. That would help him stand out more.
Thank you again.
5571251
And thank you as well, Chill, for the support. I agree that villains that pretend to be your friend at first can be really spectacular twist villains, especially if you don't see them coming.