Monsters (Character Role)

Monsters are one of the two main “species” or roles your character can take upon entering the game world, the other being a Witch. Players are free to choose between Monster or Witch, as well as what type of Monster. This choice cannot be reversed once your application is accepted.

Since **Dragons** and **Fae** are rare in the game’s lore, players must provide a brief justification on their application for why they’d like the character to be either a Dragon or a Fae and how it suits the particular character, as well as a secondary choice in case the reasoning is not sufficient.

For more information about the role of Monsters in the world of Geardagas and how they fit into Aefenglom society, see Monsters (Faction).

## Transformation

Monsters gain their Monster traits over the course of several months. Each Monster type has their own set of mandatory and optional traits. For example, a Harpy must have wings of some kind (mandatory), but you can also choose to give them additional feathers on other parts of their body (optional). Changes will occur even for characters who are already non-human. The changes will simply take over their original form (i.e. the Beast from Beauty and the Beast will gain scales over his fur if he is a Dragon.)

There is some flexibility within mandatory changes. For example, you are free to choose the patterning of the Harpy’s wings based on a bird of your choice or pick the colors of a Fae’s wings based on a certain butterfly’s patterning. See Types of Monsters for more details.

It is up to you whether you want the transformation to begin immediately or if you want to wait for the first full moon. There are some limits: **a full transformation requires a minimum of three months to complete and will take no longer than nine months to finish**. A full transformation means that all mandatory and optional traits you’ve decided for your character have manifested. Once nine months have passed, your character will no longer gain any additional features or traits. The speed of the transformation can 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.

Fighting the changes may put the Monster at risk of going feral, 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 them.

And before you ask, yes, the traits gained from being a Monster *can* include those of a sexual nature. This aspect is entirely up to player discretion.

## Shifting

Shifting can occur either when the character is in a state of high emotion (anger, fear, stress) or when the full moons come around. **New arrivals do not experience a shift during their first full moons**, but will begin to do so for the subsequent full moons afterwards. Turnskins often feel the strongest effect of the full moons and thus may be forced to shift as early as the second moon. Other Monsters may have until the third, fourth, or even ninth moons to experience a shift.

Monster transformation is *not* the same as shifting. A transformation is the change that occurs steadily over time, outside of the influence of the full moons or any heightened emotions, and is permanent for as long as they remain in the game’s setting. A shift is triggered only by these two states, and once the state subsides, they will return to their un-shifted form.

Like the transformation, each Monster type has their own set of mandatory and optional changes when experiencing a shift. These options are detailed on the Monsters' individual information pages.

## Secondary Forms

While some Monsters may have a secondary form they can control, it’s not to be confused with their full shifted form that occurs under the full moons.

**Example**: A Turnskin whose full shifted form is that of a wolf during the full moon may appear to have the same form for their secondary form. However, a Naga whose full shifted form is half-human, half-snake but includes harder scales and longer fangs will not take on these traits as their secondary form. Instead, their secondary form would be that of a full snake. More details are available on the Monster’s individual entry regarding secondary forms.

## Lunar Effects

The full moons can influence things other than a shift. It can also cause increased agitation, restlessness, exhaustion, or otherwise amplify certain traits depending on the Monster type. You can choose to have your character experience these feelings the week leading up to the full moons, or have some lingering effects for a few days afterwards. Monsters who possess magical abilities (Fae illusions, Vampire hypnosis) will find these abilities increasing in strength and potency under the full moons.

The full moons can also cause a transformation to speed up. Monsters may find themselves developing an especially prominent trait (tail, horns, etc.) during the full moon, for example. Again, this is up to player discretion, but consider the lunar effects to be a way to press forward a milestone in your character’s Monster transformation if you’d like.

## Going Feral

Ferality is a risk for all Monsters, a state in which 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 twin moons, all Monsters are twice as susceptible to full moons and the sway that they have over instincts and emotions. Fighting against the changes is especially dangerous during these times. 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.

While it’s rare for Monsters with a Bond to go feral, if the Bond is weak or there are external influences, it can still be possible. Nonetheless, Bonding is the best way for Monsters to ensure they don’t become a risk to themselves or others. The longer a Monster goes without a Bond, the more prone they are to slipping into a feral state entirely -- and the harder it will be to get them out of it.

### State of Mind

A feral state is almost always accompanied by a full shift. Monsters who are feral may experience the following things:

* Falling into their animalistic instincts, such as hunting, defending their territory, or aggressively guarding their hoard.
* Inability to completely understand human speech or communicate
* Increased aggression, to the point where they may barely recognize friends and loved ones, or not at all, and attack them
* Lack of memory the next day of the night’s events. They might awaken somewhere in the woods without knowing how they got there, for example.

Of course, this is not an exhaustive list. It’s up to you how you want to play out the feral state of your character, but essentially, they would have far less awareness and consciousness of their usual self.

### Reversing Ferality

Feral states are usually temporary, although there are some Monsters who have gone permanently feral. The best way to prevent becoming feral is to be Bonded. However, if a Monster has no Bondmate, then there are other methods.

Depending on what caused a Monster to become feral in the first place, reversing it can involve calming them down, subduing them and waiting out the full moons, feeding them enchanted food and potions, or sharing their magic with the Monster if a Witch is present.

One other effective method is feeding the Monster the blood from a Witch. This is *not* recommended, even with the best of intentions, as this is how maneaters are made.