Abominations were originally an advanced and cruel form of punishment, devised on a whim by the Sovereign. Ensconced deep within an Abomination lies the body of an Exile who has betrayed his trust or breached the most sacrosanct of Spire laws. Survivors speak of a keening whine, just on the verge of hearing that pervades their memories, a sound that registers deeper than the cries of their fallen comrades. This is the only sound an Abomination can make, the only sound it is allowed to make: a keening howl to convey the depth of their misery and torment.
Invasive cerebral procedures impairs the cognitive function of the condemned, as chemical and hormonal treatments are applied to make them lose control of their Life-Binding gifts and forcibly bond them to a lower organism. The humble ant’s instinctive hierarchical physiology somehow made it more susceptible to pheromonic command, forcing the body to respond to orders while allowing compromised psyche trapped within the hellish amalgam only enough control to wail its anguish even while enacting the will of its tormentors.
