BESTIARY

[moustre]

MAIN LOGS OOC
PREMISE RULES FAQ GAME WIKI SETTING LOCATIONS FESTIVALS
BESTIARY COVEN BONDS CWYLD QUESTS
TAKEN RESERVES APPLY HIATUS/DROP
CANON UPDATE PLOTTING
PLAYERS MODS

Aeternae ✱ Often gluttonous, hedonistic or selfish, these are horned, tailed Monsters loosely based on demons or oni, who appreciate the finer things in life. Arachne ✱ Half-human, half-spider. Can be any spider, regardless of its habitat or habits. Can include non-spider arachnids such as scorpions, ticks, mites, harvestmen, and solifuges. Chimera ✱ A monstrous mix of creatures. Can be a combination of any 2-3 extant animals. This can be any pre-existing "chimera" as well - sphinx, griffin, nue, manticore, wolpertinger, etc. Dryad ✱ Rare Monsters who are more plant than person. Dryads can be based on up to three real-world plants, trees, or fungi. Dragon ✱ A creature that is rare to see even in this setting. Can be any eastern or western type, so long as it has four limbs (besides tail). As such, they can't be of the wyrm variety, but can be of wyvern variety or qualify as a sea serpent so long as it has the four limbs. Fae ✱ The fairfolk, now far more uncommon than they once were. Can be based on any extant, winged insect. (This will primarily be from the Pterygota subclass, but so long as it has wings, a Fae's appearance can resemble it.) Faun ✱ Typically half-human, half-goat, they can be any one (1) animal from the following: cows, sheep, goats, deer, elk (moose included). Harpy ✱ Half-human, half bird. Can be any extant bird, and can be any gender. Keep in mind that, by nature, a Harpy is a creature of flight - a flightless bird will be considered an oddity in Geardagas and players may need to consult the mods to make sure their changes are appropriate. Merrow ✱ The world's variety of merfolk. Can be any extant fish (including sharks), cephalopod, or porpoise (dolphins, whales, etc), as well as any extant seal (walrus, seals, etc). Naga ✱ Half-human, half-snake. Capable of being any kind of snake, they may also be any legless lizards, even those that have "legs" - so long as the legs are non-functioning for movement. Puca ✱ A shapeshifter typically considered a trickster spirit. Can be any extant rabbit, hare, or pika. Less commonly, may also be any extant mouse, rat, hamster, or other small rodent. Sagani ✱ Otherworldly, elemental spirit-like Monsters who can harness the power of one element: fire, air, water, or earth. Turnskin ✱ The world's variety of shapeshifters. Can be any mammalian carnivore, excluding seals. ie; this can range from household cats and dogs to wild animals like bears, lions, wolves, weasels, and hyenas. Vampire ✱ An undead being that feeds on the lifeforce of others - specifically, blood. They can take the form of any extant bat. More in-depth information on the types of Monsters available can be found in the links to the right. In the world of Talam, a portion of the population is made up of creatures historically called Monsters. No two Monsters are alike, even when they come from the same species, and each one reacts differently to magic and the affliction that's hit this world. In some parts of the country, Monsters are looked at with superstition and fear, as they're still seen as dangerous regardless of their control or lack of infection. Aefenglom, while holding a chilly social divide, is far more welcoming to Monsters - many people believe this is because of the largest branch of the Coven calling the city its home. New arrivals are not expected to adjust immediately, especially not those who find themselves suddenly a Monster. Support is now in place to ensure that each arrival has resources at their disposal as they go through the changes that are expected of their new life, to guarantee that they're useful, rather than a danger. Programs already exist to round up any Monsters that might be at risk of going feral, or who may be infected by the Cwyld, as even a rumor of infection is taken with utmost seriousness. If corrections are necessary to ensure the safety of the city, measures will be taken. TRANSFORMATION New arrivals who become Monsters do so at a speed that largely varies from person to person, but will be expedited on full moons and any time they set foot outside of Aefenglom due to their connection to the city's magic slowing the rate of change. It takes, at minimum, 3 months to fully change into a Monster, and at most 9 months. Fighting the changes may put the Monster in question at risk, as this is fighting the nature that has been given to you upon arrival, and will result in the instincts pushing back just as hard as you fight it. The full moons in the month they arrive will result in Monsters experiencing: restlessness, exhaustion, and/or agitation at best depending on their Monster, with aggression and mild states of feral behavior at worst. They'll also notice their Monster traits starting to come in, if they hadn't yet prior to the full moons, due to the two aforementioned ways for their changes to be expedited: leaving the safety of Aefenglom's Wall, and the full moons. As such, a moon shift won't ever occur on their very first month, but could happen on their second for the first time if a player chose. Or it could happen on the third, or fifth, or even the ninth when the transformation is finalized. It depends entirely on how you want to progress through the character's changes, but they will progressively experience the effects of the full moons they go through, and the strength of their effect will increase over time until they're forced to take this form. MOON SHIFT & LUNAR CHANGES Every Monster experiences the aforementioned lunar changes, as this is not specific to only Turnskin. Further information on these changes can be found under each Monster's entry in the bestiary, but there is one specific thing to note: Monsters will only experience a full change (their moon shift) on full moons at a player selected point past their first month. For example: Say Character A, a Harpy, experiences their first full moon after spending the time since their arrival slowly gaining their feathery traits. If they have an increase in feathers, elongated teeth/claws, etc on their first month's full moon - they are stuck with those! This is because no character in their first month experiences a moon shift. They'll simply notice a sudden increase in traits: a Harpy getting even more feathers, sharper teeth and claws, perhaps the itching and aches that come with wings developing. However, say Character A experiences their first full moon, acquires the above, and finds themselves stuck with this. For their next full moon, their player may decide to have them experience their moon shift after developing more feather growth, maybe even sprouting small wings. They become more wild appearing, have greater feather growth, and may even find themselves with large wings or a tail. But when the full moon passes, it's a player's choice if they retain these traits at the max that they were experienced, or if they only keep some of it in a smaller dose. Moon shifts become more monstrous the more full moons a Monster experiences, and more of the traits remain over time after, until they're finalized. Admittedly, Turnskin will find themselves the most likely to transform during their second month in Geardagas, as the lunar pull hits them the hardest. They can fight it, but, again, it is strongly recommended they don't. GOING FERAL Because Monsters are, after all, already constantly at risk of going feral, where they lose control of their human consciousness and can attack those around themselves. This can be caused in a variety of ways: ▪ Fighting your newfound monstrous instincts, nature, and changes - this results in a sort of backlash of the magic that is inherent in what you are now, and will overwhelm your human mindset. ▪ Having minimal control of yourself during lunar changes - due to the sister moons of the world you now inhabit, all Monsters are twice as susceptible to full moons and the sway that they have over instincts and emotions. Fighting against the changes is even more dangerous during these times, and it's easy for those not in control of their emotions even as humans, or those not comfortable with their new form, to find themselves going feral even if they don't fight the changes. ▪ Monsters without a Bond will find themselves more susceptible to the magic of the world. While residing in Aefenglom protects them to a degree, there is some amount of "noise pollution," as it were, that manages to make its way into the city. Because Monsters are the perfect conduit for magical energy, if they don't have a Witch (or even another Monster to share the load with), the loss of control is a slippery slope if they don't find a means of cleansing this energy that builds up in them.

Comments

FAQ ANSWER INDEX: MONSTERS

[moustre]

• About species mixing and patterning/colors on Monsters.
• About suitability criteria.
• More specifics on Merrow.
• Additional and optional additives on Monsters.
• If Vampires are true undead, as in do characters die and become them.
• Clothing for Monsters.
• If characters are told if they're Monsters, and if they are informed about what kind.
• ... and if Monster characters are able to speak when fully-shifted.
• About hybrids in the setting.
• Qilin Monster categorization.
• ... and if Vampires can feed on recently deceased animals.
• If Monsters receive their advantages/weaknesses upon arrival, and when they can access their fully shifted and secondary forms.
• If transformation/the change is always painful for Monsters.
• Current limitations on Monsters being based on and having traits from extant Earth animals.
• If Monster changes are permanent once the setting is left.
• Clarifications on Nagas and the possibility of hydras.
• On androids, (...) and how being electric may fair with their being Merrow.
• Extended information on Vampires, and if the Force is with you.

JUNE 23RD CHANGES

[moustre]

June 23rd Changelog:

• Clarifications that players have some freedom with purely cosmetic changes such as fur color and patterning.


• Clarification where lore-based abilities must be run by mods first, but behavioral changes are fine.


• Animal shifts added for: Chimera, Faun, Harpy, Naga, Puca, and Turnskin.


• Arachne may now be based on any extant arachnid, including scorpions, ticks, harvestmen, and solifuges.


• Clarification on Arachne configurations.


• Dragon blood may have non-gamebreaking magical properties based in dragon lore.


• Experienced Fae may create fairy rings.


• Experienced Fauns may have the ability to cause a fear response in others while out in the Wilde.


• Merrow can now have scaled, finned legs during the full moons to allow for easier movement, unless they are even partially submerged in water.


• Puca may now be based on any extant mouse, rat, hamster, or other small rodent.