Monsters

Creatures that were historically hostile to the Races of Man and Divinities, particularly the Titan Cronus, but that have in recent centuries transitioned to a posture of aggressive sexual pursuit towards their former prey. Monsters trace their origins to the Golden Age of Man, and while the exact reason why they exist is often disputed and debated among scholars and sages, the fact that they have spent the vast majority of their existence as the enemies of mankind is not. Monsters come in myriad forms that were originally adept at causing all manner of mayhem and death, and while the vast majority are now roughly humanoid in shape, they still retain all of the potential to wreak havoc that their previous shapes did, even when this would seem physically impossible. They simply choose to no longer do so.

Monsters in the modern era appear as sexually attractive individuals, with the majority being female. Roughly three of every four Monsters is female, with the remainder being either male or a functional hermaphrodite, with the exact ratios of these three possibilities varying by species, bloodline, and environmental factors. All Monsters retain an instinct to attack and prey upon the Races of Man, though the degree to which this manifests and the amount of self-control the Monster can exert over it varies from species to species and individual to individual. As do the methods they use to attack. However, under the current Overlord, this impulse has shifted from one of killing and eating to one of catching and mating in most Monsters, as the influence of the Overlord's own Succubus nature and nonviolent ideals has changed the preferred manner in which most Monsters feed on Man. All Monsters may now feed on their prey as traditionally only a few could before; by draining their victims of Mana through sexual intercourse and living entirely on that magical energy. This is far from the only method that Monsters may use to sustain themselves, or even the most common, but most prefer it, as the influence of Succubus instincts on the minds of other Monsters has both increased their sex drives and linked that sexual appetite with their literal appetite. That the Overlord's own romanticism also colors her Mana and the feelings of Monsters through it only exaggerates this, driving many to seek out sexual and romantic love as an ideal beyond simply desiring copulation for food and procreation.

## Perceptions of Monsters by Man and Man by Monsters

The conflict between Man and Monster has defined virtually all interactions between the two beings throughout their histories. Considering that, for the most part, Men and Monsters only interact with each other and not the Divinities that stand above it or the alien lifeforms that have settled or visit the world, the impressions of the two towards each other have in turn shaped both societies to an unfathomable degree. That things have begun to mellow in recent centuries is itself remarkable due to the eons of violence between the two.

### Humans of Monsters - Embodiments of Mortal Sin

The Races of Men have generally been taught by the Divinities that Monsters are the result of Man's deviation from the proper way of living as described by the Gods. Exactly how this came to be is told differently within the different religions of the world, but the general concept remains the same; Monsters are the incarnations of human wickedness, deviation, and sin. They were born from the corrupted Mana of twisted human souls, a form of Karma. Some believe that this happens spontaneously, others that this sin only takes form when it is washed away from the Souls of the dead in preparation for the next life, where that wickedness falls into the Abyss and takes the form of Monsters.

As such, Monsters were seen as the ultimate enemy of Man, and the struggle against them a direct manifestation of the inner struggle of every Man over proper morality, ethics, and lifestyle. Monsters are manifestations of human flaws and failings and must be fought lest they become consumed by their own wickedness and become Monsters themselves. Monsters are the adversary, the uncompromising and unforgivable foe. The enemy which gives no quarter and should receive none. Their forms and behaviors might change depending on their rulers, but they were ever and always the thus.

That these beliefs might be false is a consideration that would have been unthinkable for most Men until relatively recently in the 4th Age, and even still brands those who suggest it as apostates in more traditional or conservative cultures. However, since the rise of Lilith, more and more Men have begun to question this fundamental idea. The belief that Monsters are sins made flesh persists, and in some places has grown stronger with their new, hypersexual behavior, but it is now no longer a universally held preconception. Many now suspect that Monsters are simply living creatures that were made *different*, with quite a few taking the Monsters' own beliefs and claims about their origins as possible. However, there are many places still where voicing such ideas can land one in various sorts of trouble.

### Monsters of Humans - Meat for the Table

Monsters traditionally saw Men as prey; they were created to inflict pain, suffering, injury, and death to them, to feed on them, to steal or destroy their works, and to revel in sowing discord and chaos in their ranks. Monsters were not created *explicitly* to be the perpetual enemies of Man, but wreaking havoc on mankind was itself a way to punish another. Monsters were, in essence, merely a hammer made to break another's playthings, and Man were those selfsame playthings. Monsters reveled in this; it was their sport and their purpose in life, their means of survival and an expression of themselves, a way to assert dominance and further their own lives and ambitions. Man was food. Man was foe. To kill Man was natural and right. To be killed by Man was unfortunate, but also natural. Such was the lot of a Monster.

Various Overlords changed and altered this perception, from the mild Stolas to the ambitious Circe, to the seductive Gremory, to the perverse and manipulative Asmodeus, to the domineering Ravana, to the savage and bloodthirsty Bael and the weirdly honorable Vritra. However, throughout history, it has remained constant that Monsters fed upon Man. All that changed was how and how ruthlessly.

With the ascent of Lilith, that still remains true. However, her influence has granted Monsters a greater understanding of humanity and a manner in which to feed on them without killing them. Monsters continue to see Men as food, but now have a deeper kinship with them, and a desire to love them as people that was previously absent. They can now recognize in Man something akin to themselves and not merely prey to be slaughtered and consumed. They now see Man as something to be desired, to be lusted after and loved.

## The Nature of Monsters

Monsters are distinct creatures from most other organisms. They possess innate Conceptual capabilities akin to those possessed by Divinities, known as Authorities, the capacity to dominate and distort the environment and create demiplanes (also similar to the Gods), an instinctive, irrational drive to prey on the Races of Man, and a strangely interconnected Mana that produces something akin to a mutable collective subconscious. Man believes this to be due to Monsters' nature as sin made flesh, a dark, malevolent reflection of human nature and the evils it can work on itself and the world.

The truth, however, is that Monsters have these unusual characteristics by design. Creations of Gaia devised to punish her son Cronus vicariously through his *playthings,* Man, when he displeased her by mistreating his younger siblings, the mighty Titaness devised a number of characteristics in the first Monsters that make them adept at tormenting their intended prey. Some of these same features also made them easy to control for the Divines, to reign in and constrain, especially as the Gods came to better understand what Gaia had made and how they could be used. This has led to a steady distorting of their purpose and nature, twisting them to fit the wants and needs of the Gods and the demands of the time and place.

Ultimately, regardless of how much they may have changed, their fundamental nature is to be the adversary of Man, their counterpoint and nemesis. This is what they are. This is what they *should be.* However, since the rise of Lilith, this nature has been pushed aside and replaced by a drive to *be* human. In thought, behavior, and relations. This is unnatural to Monsters. It is a fundamental rejection of their purpose, in the same manner that a gun with awareness might wish *not* to be a gun. It is a struggle, a battle against instinct, against the will of the Gods, and even fate itself.

They are *winning.*

### Predators of Men

The desire to hunt and prey upon the Races of Man is an integral part of the nature of Monsters, being the primary purpose for which they were created and to which their instincts and capabilities are attuned. Though the methods by which they do this vary between species and individuals, doing so (or at least attempting to) is key to a Monster’s mental well-being. Those that don't exercise tactics and abilities used in search of such prey, whether active hunting or passive trapping, physical violence or seduction and flirting, mental and magical manipulation or theft and property destruction, find themselves frustrated and depressed with time. Turning these tactics against Beasts when possible helps, but is nowhere nearly as satisfying as employing them against Men. Thankfully, the influence of the current Overlord has rendered them all capable of satisfying these needs through romantic pursuit and sexual congress with mankind rather than violent action in the modern era.

Unfortunately, Man and Monster have both adapted to a world where the prior status quo was the norm rather than te exception. The world itself as well, with ecosystems having adapted to the regular conflicts between the two forces. Animals and plants have evolved to take advantage of this, from wild plants that grant combat-advantageous magical benefits to creatures that consume their fruits, dispersing their seeds, to animals that can sense the Mana of Monsters or Men and respond with distress calls, to parasites that grant their hosts benefits akin to magic items, and many, many more. With Monsters largely eschewing their role in the ecosystem, many of these species have declined somewhat in the centuries since Lilith rose to power.

Despite her ascent, however, some Monsters continue to prey upon Man in ways that are more in line with their historical roles; Monsters often become tyrants, muggers, bandits, raiders, kidnappers, slavers, rapists, mercenaries, thieves, and other sorts of criminals, complicating Lilith's agenda. These Monsters find great satisfaction in these lifestyles, especially when targeting humans, as it allows them to indulge in their baser impulses and drives. Few actively seek to kill and eat Men these days, short of those who have gone Feral, but there are legitimate reasons for Man to be concerned with Monsters yet. That said, they still represent the minority of Monsters in the modern era. Most are quite eager to integrate with human cultures.

### Instruments of Divine Retribution

Monsters were ultimately created as a tool for one Divine to punish another. They yet retain this nature, as it remains possible for the Divines to help give rise to Titled Monsters and push them into conflicts with the servitors of other Divinities. This practice has largely fallen out of favor among more conservative Divinities since Lilith's rise, but remains popular among those deities with more open-minded views on the current state of Monsters... particularly those who are actively worshipped by Monsters and are looking to expand their cults through raiding, slaving, and forced conversion, as the sexually-addictive nature of Monsters often makes it easier to convert others to a faith the Monsters themselves share. Monsters generally no longer act as agents of death and destruction against Men as they once did; under Lilith's rule, their drive to prey on people is far more likely to be sexual than atavistically violent.

Curiously, however, some that were very close to the Divines in nature are more liable to be violent and less likely to be excessively lustful. This includes Monsters such as Church Grims, Alke, Houris, Maenads, Cancers, and Hydra, among others. Such Monsters have a stronger connection to the Divines due to their respective Monster Lords and the purpose for which they exist, protecting them somewhat from the influence of the Overlord.

### Elements of the Ecosystem

Monsters are, or perhaps *were*, fully integrated into Gaea's ecosystems; they would consume other organisms to survive and be consumed in turn, often by other Monsters. Some would photosynthesize, acting as producers. Natural animals would interact with them, consuming their byproducts, living in their habitats, serving as food or scavengers or parasites or symbionts. When Monsters died, they would most often return to the life cycle (though some might persist as Undead, to be sure). Their habitats and creations would then be subject to the use of other organisms or reclamation by nature. However, the single most impactful way in which they contributed to the ecosystem was by killing Men and destroying their creations. The Races of Man are particularly good at extending their own lives, reproducing, and reshaping their environment in ways that intentionally delay their transitions into the following phases of the circle of life. Monsters were among the most effective creatures at cutting these delays short, rivaled only by disease and natural disasters like drought and famine that unavoidably harm other aspects of the ecosystem. This was their most important role.

Since the rise of Lilith, this has changed. They have vacated that ecological niche almost entirely, now behaving increasingly like their human prey. They no longer kill their food, instead effectively parasitizing it, and even extending its life-expectancy and the resilience of its creations. Monsters are now doing the opposite of what they once did, barring a few exceptions. In this way, they are turning against their original nature and have yet to find a proper niche of their own. They are now *more* disruptive to the environment than ever before as they integrate with the society of their former prey.

### Sexual Beings

Sex and sexuality are core to the nature and identity of modern Monsters. Their mutable nature, now under the influence of the Mana and mentality of a Human-turned-Succubus, reflects the sexual desires and fantasies of the Races of Man. Each are now infused with a bit of the essence of a Demon that feeds through intercourse, seduces, corrupts, entices, and tempts man and woman alike. Each species has come to innately cater to the particular sexual preferences of mortals, even without accounting for their own tastes and turn-ons as their physiology has warped and adapted to appeal to the Races of Man as sex objects.

Sex is central to their society now, especially among those species that had little or no culture of their own to begin with. It is linked with their need to eat as well as reproduction and their desire for gratification, comfort, community, acceptance, togetherness, and love and affection. How Monsters approach sex, who they desire sex with, who they are *willing* to have sex with, when and where and why, all are deeply important questions to them. All Monsters view the world and the people and places and things in it through the lens of their own sexuality and carnal needs and wants, even when their libidos are actually relatively low. It is how they frame their understanding of themselves and life now. In defining sex as the method by which Monsters naturally hunt and feed, as beings that were expressly created to be predators of Man as their true purpose, Lilith has made sexuality itself the core element of all Monsters. All mature Monsters have a strong grasp on their own desires, with most *very* open about it in both word and deed and normally quite willing to try new things and new *people* so long as they haven't truly fallen in love with their current partner.

The only things that keep most Monsters from being serial rapists, kidnappers, or constantly engaging in casual sex is Lilith's own personality, which bleeds into and influences the mentality of her subjects through their spiritual connection to her and her Mana. Her soul. Lilith's desire for romantic love, for devotion and marital bliss, and her love and respect for human culture, individuality, and society help to give most Monsters a bit of restraint in indulging their own wanton lusts... but often only *a bit* of restraint. More than a few, especially those who live remotely from regular interaction with the Races of Men, tend to be far more open and aggressive. Clothing itself is often optional, save where it's purely practical, and sexual exhibitionism is only frowned upon due to its tendency to result in orgiastic chain reactions among them. Even among those who are more "civilized," more adapted to the societies and cultures of Man due to exposure and inclusion, Monsters are almost always willing and ready to have a "snack" if one is offered to them... and when they truly become hungry or find a "morsel" that excites their appetites in just the right way, "restraint" is usually the furthest thing from their minds; there is little difference between casual dining and casual sex with them. Those who know how Mankind reacts to such actions in public are likely to exercise enough restraint to at least move to a secluded, secure place before indulging and will generally accept "No," for an answer in the short term... but usually not *forever.*

The profoundness of sexual and romantic desire instilled in Monsters through the Overlord's Authority is so fundamental to them that it actually affects how they view competitors for the same mates; Monsters instinctively empathize with the intense yearning they have for sexual and romantic fulfillment and the manner in which the Races of Man satiates their predatory drives that they'll *share* such a partner with other Monsters even when they would naturally prefer to monopolize them. This applies to both male and female Monsters. Once a Monster falls in love with someone, especially a Human, Elf, Dwarf, Halfling, or other member of the Races of Man, only extreme mental and spiritual changes or gross incompatibility between the two partners can break that love. It's akin to an addiction to them; only when the "drug" is changed in composition, in effect, does it lose its hold on them. That said, Monsters are not prone to falling in such intense love instantly, though they *do* desire it and actively seek it out, often through "sampling" various "products" when given the opportunity. They rarely have much concern for concepts like virginity and chastity, save for a rare few species such as Unicorns, and a great many Monsters completely lack any anatomical features that distinguish virgins from those who are not.

### Vessels of Taint and Agents of Corruption

Every living thing, and even things that are not conventionally understood to be alive, has Mana. Mana is the energy of the spirit, welling up from the core of the Soul and serving to protect and shelter that core from the outside world. It is through this power that all manner of wonders beyond the limitations of the normal laws of nature may be achieved. While Mana can generally be used in the same manner regardless of source, it always carries a bit of the nature of its source, as it is born of the mind and spirit itself. This is usually innocuous, though often useful. However, Monsters are uniquely complicated on Gaea in this regard.

The Mana of Monsters has the distinction of being known as *Taint.* The name itself implies corruption, poisoning, and defiling. And that is precisely what it does. The Mana of Monsters was devised by Gaea in such a way as to make it a threat to Man just by existing; a dangerous energy that was particularly effective at wearing away their own Mana. Monsters were, after all, intended to be weapons against Man. She wished for them to better be able to destroy their works and tear through their defenses, and so she gave them an innate power that was adept at doing so. Those afflicted with Taint find that it clings to their spirits like a parasite, preventing them from properly regenerating their own Mana and impacting their thoughts and emotions, infecting them with the mentality of the Monster that injecting its energies into them. Throughout most of Gaea's history, this has caused people to become more violent and dangerous, falling slowly under the influence of the Overlord of the day, and in some cases even beginning to transform into a Monster or an individual known as a Sineater. Under Lilith, this has only become more of a concern, as her Mana was corrupted from that of a Human into a Monster that is itself oriented towards corrupting others. Taint's influence can be spread to animals, to plants, to the spirits of the land and nature, and to the very soil, sea, and sky themselves, transforming all into something that one would expect of the Abyss rather than the material world as it should be.

Making matters worse is the fact that Monsters constantly leak this energy, especially during sex... and they engage in *a lot* of sex, considering it's how most would prefer to eat and spend their recreational time. While it does naturally dissipate with time, as with any Mana, it is slow to do so and lingers long when put upon the Races of Man... and once something becomes a Monster, it naturally produces Taint henceforth. This means that Monsters, without really meaning to, are living instruments of corruption that work to spread the will and influence of the Overlord. Just by existing, and by doing what their instincts tell them to, they distort the world and the people around them subtly and slowly.

### People by any Other Name

For all that Monsters are psychologically, magically, and spiritually distinct from Man, they are still *people*. At least in their current state. They are self-aware, rational, emotional. They think and feel and learn and grow. They have wants and needs beyond just the physical. They have dreams and aspirations. They can be as petty and cruel and immoral and wicked as Men... and just as kind, generous, forgiving, and self-sacrificing. They are people, even if different in appearance and behavior.

## Types of Monsters

### Aberrations

Ominous and alien, most Aberrations originate from a truly otherworldly source; Nibiru. The vast majority of Aberrations are either true aliens that have been transformed into Monsters or creatures spawned or transformed by them. Aberrations are known for their bizarre anatomies, life processes, and reproductive behavior. Many have truly strange sexual practices when left to their own devices, such as sexual parasitism, dreaming their offspring into existence, or reproducing by corrupting and transforming corpses.

### Constructs

Objects that have been given life through magic or a similar process, Constructs are akin to robots or machines... and some quite literally *are* robots and machines. Others are simple objects, such as lanterns or parasols, that have come to life on their own.

### Dragons

Powerful reptilian creatures with chimerical features, Dragons are among the strongest of Monsters. Most are capable of wielding terrible forces just by breathing, and many are adept at magic as well.

### Elementals

Living embodiments of the raw forces and energies of nature itself, Elementals are spirits that inhabit the material that makes up the world. While not inherently Monsters in their own right, they can very easily become corrupted and transform into such.

### Fey

Akin to the Elementals, the Fey are nature spirits. Unlike the former, however, they trace their origins to the Men of the First and Second Ages and the lesser Divinities with which they consorted. Kin of Men and the Divines, the Fey are manifestations of the natural world given physical form and bound to that world through their Mana. Not inherently Monsters, their spiritual nature and lack of the true Divines' ability to purify their Mana leaves them susceptible to corruption and transformation.

### Magical Beasts

Originally resembling animals with strong, consistent magic across all members of their species, Magical Beasts now resemble Humanoids with animalistic features. They retain their magical properties, however, making them more potent than one might expect. More cunning and powerful than common animals even before, the enhanced intellect that Lilith has brought them makes them still more potent.

### Monstrous Humanoids

Humanoids that possess the properties of Monsters while having a Humanoid shape even before Lilith rose to power, Monstrous Humanoids were generally originally Men or were related to them in some fashion in antiquity. They are very likely to have their own distinct cultures and societies when compared with the relatively primitive trappings of most other Monsters, who remain new to these ideas.

### Oozes

Resembling single-celled organisms, slime molds, jellyfish, and other gelatinous creatures, Oozes have amorphous bodies. Adept at changing their shapes, Oozes generally now imitate Humanoid forms... mostly. They aren't known for being particularly intelligent as a category, though there are exceptions to that. They are, however, known for not being very picky eaters...

### Outsiders

Encompassing both the Fiends and Celestials, Outsiders are among the most powerful, intelligent, and dangerous of Monsters. The former category make up those individuals most likely to have become Overlords in the past, to the point that the term "Demon Lord" itself references a subtype of Outsider. Besides those born as Monsters, this category *also* encompasses those Divinities that have become corrupted and transformed into Monsters... commonly referred to as Celestials. In truth, not all Outsiders are Monsters, as Celestials need not be Monsters, per se. It's ultimately a term that can be synonymous with Divinity. However, it's usually inappropriate to call a Monster a Divinity, even when it *is*.

### Plants

Monsters that developed from plants and fungi, and have plant-like features. A surprisingly high number of plants on Gaea have developed into dangerous organisms that feed on other living things. Most of these came to be classified as Monsters, especially when they fed on Men with any kind of regularity, resulting in them slowly becoming Monsters in their own right. They tend to live fairly sedentary lives, even though most now have Humanoid forms; they're still plants, even if now intelligent and mobile, and generally have little interest in living any other way.

### Undead

Monsters created from the reanimated bodies of the dead, restless spirits that refuse to reincarnate, and the raw, elemental energies of decay and death, the Undead are not living things in the same sense as other creatures. They are like rents in the tapestry of life, holes that drink in the essence of other living things, destroying them in order to survive. They feed on decay and destruction itself, on the ruin of others. Under Lilith's influence they have become less destructive in nature, feeding on Mana instead of flesh, blood, pain, and death... but they still destroy what they consume, Mana, in the process, for their very existence is anathema to the natural order of the world. To exist, they must destabilize it.

### Vermin

Monsters with the features of insects and other arthropods, including molluscs, cnidarians, and the like, Vermin have bug-like features just as many other Monsters have animal-like ones.

## The Origins of Monsters

Monsters began their existence as common animals during the Golden Age of Man, long before the Titanomachy was waged. Twisted by Gaia into horrific and deadly forms and subjected to her mandates through the Titaness's Authorities, the first Monsters spilled forth from the forests, jungles, caves, peaks, and depths to maim, slaughter, and destroy the First Men, their consorts, and their culture when and wherever they could. This bloody birth was short-lived; the Monsters held their greatest animosity for Cronus and his pious worshippers, and so the devious Titan tricked the creatures into the Abyss, an infinite, multi-layered, oubliette plane created by Erebus in the depths of Tartarus, by sending some of his own faithful into the realm and infusing it with a bit of his own Ichor. As a plane without a natural exit, there was never a way out for Cronus’s "bait," nor the hordes of Monsters that flocked to the various entrances to it Cronus created... only to become trapped by the one-way portals.

These Monsters were left, sealed away, for countless generations of the First Age, until they were all but forgotten, passing into the culture of the First Men under the name *Daimons*, and later *Demons.* Cronus told the common folk that these creatures were the results of their own wickedness, their *sin* in straying from the proper worship of the Divines, but that those whom Cronus had in-truth used as bait had *actually* willingly sacrificed themselves to cleanse these evils from the world. This was, of course, a lie as well, but the First Men had no way of knowing the truth.

For the Monsters themselves, this was a timeless age of self-destruction. Trapped in the Abyss and removed from their natural prey, they turned on one another. Eons were spent in that dark realm killing and eating one another, rutting and breeding, mutating and evolving into horrific and unnatural forms, reshaping the Abyss and being further twisted by it in turn. It would not be until the Titanomachy that the gates of the Abyss were cracked open by a curious young God searching for an edge in the war... and promptly sealed once more after he saw what seethed within.

In time, the war ended. Zeus and his followers were victorious, and his ascent as the King of Heaven brought changes to the world and suffering to Man. Prometheus, Zeus's Titanic ally and the loving creator of Man, defied and humiliated Zeus in the process of trying to make a better life for his creations. Zeus was *not* pleased. He subjected Prometheus to a horrific form of torture, and to man, through Prometheus's careless brother Epimetheus, he granted the curse of Monsters. Zeus commanded Hephaestus, God of the forge and craftsmanship, to create the first woman, Anesidora, upon whom the Gods lavished innumerable blessings, virtues, and gifts. Among these were a pair of jars, one small, and the other massive. She could open the small one at will, for it was said it contained hope and would bring her husband great joy. However, the other, large enough to easily contain a man, she was forbidden from opening. The Gods would not reveal what lay within, only that she must guard it and let none lift its clasped lid. However, the Gods made certain that Anesidora was both gifted and cursed with curiosity, and so despite their commands and due to her husband's own unwitting nature, she inevitably broke the seals of the massive urn.

The jar contained a gateway to the Abyss, and once opened, merged with Anesidora and the pithos of hope she'd carried, transforming her and her womb into a portal through which all of the Monsters sealed in the Abyss might flow, pouring from her body and the massive urn as a black mass of Taint so dense it had become a liquid. She became the first Demon Lord, and the first Jar Devil, now known as Pandora, her essence distorting the natures of the Monsters that were birthed from her. Driven to madness by the experience, she turned upon her own people and laid waste to the First Men, destroying them all.

She would eventually be sealed up by the Gods themselves in order to allow for the creation of the Second Men. However, they too displeased the Gods, and she was once more unleashed upon the world to slaughter and destroy. Pandora once more eradicated mankind, leaving nothing but ruins in her wake. It was not until the Third Men were created, so advanced and impious, that she was finally defeated by mortals and sealed for good in an infinite Demiplane bound to the Abyss itself. The Gods themselves destroyed the Third Men, and afterwards chose to create a less egregious method to control their successors, modern Man.

Since then, the Gods have created a complex hierarchy within Monster society, bestowing them with Titles and Authorities, and influencing the minds of their rulers through divine messages, omens, superstitions, and direct advice, and gifting powers and blessings akin to those granted to Men. By controlling the elites among Monsters, who possess and instinctive drive to submit to those more powerful than themselves, they are in turn able to manipulate the whole community beneath these natural authoritarian rulers. Monsters became agents of destruction and rebirth for mankind on a variety of different scales, from local communities to the whole world, depending on the needs of the Gods. The fact that most Monsters were little better than animals mentally made this all the easier. Millions of years have passed since then with the system only growing more complex. It was only with the advent of Lilith that it began to derail... and even then, not totally.

### Natural Monsters

On a more individual level, there are a number of origins for Monsters. Most, like with any other creature, are the result of conventional reproduction. They have parents like anyone else. Monsters that come into existence in this way may or may not have a human parent, but many if not most are the product of Monster-on-Monster pairings. These natural-born Monsters often have instinctive values that are very different from those of Men, save when they are raised by a human, whether their parent or not. They commonly have little interest in being clothed, in protecting their chastity, are often sexually precocious, and have little concept of common decency or modesty when it comes to activities performed in public. They are, put simply, animalistic but possessing sufficient intellectual capacity to compare with Men. They merely don't see a significant value in the ways in which Men comport themselves within society, making them in some ways comparable to Cynics such as Diogenes. They can and do comply with human social mores and expectations when dealing with Men, but more as a matter of convenience and out of a desire to not be pushed away from them socially, but may well revert to a near-animalistic norm once beyond the judging eyes of Man. Communities of natural Monsters are often borderline nudist colonies (made worse by the fact that many Monsters are environmentally adapted and suffer no ill effects from extreme heat or cold), where public copulation is only frowned upon due to the chain reaction it can cause when many Monsters become aroused simultaneously, resulting in orgies.

Such Monsters also grow to physical maturity quickly, often within a decade even in species that historically were very slow to age (such as dragons). Such creatures still develop their powers at the same rate as their previous forms, they merely have a mature physique and mentality. Monsters are very instinctual creatures, with most of their life skills coming purely from instinct. Those that develop beyond this baseline are usually notable, and often take up Classes just as Men do. However, most Monsters can function with almost no education whatsoever; Gaia originally designed them to trouble mankind without need for any great education or preparation.

Natural Monsters sometimes experience culture shock when put into the societies of Man. While their cultures are sometimes complex, they are rarely so complicated as those of Men. Likewise, what Men value in leaders and how they rise to power or are born to it are often dramatically different from the ways Monsters do, to the point that the whole process can be inscrutable. They also generally don't understand why Men are so restrained, why they deny themselves their own desires so readily for the sake of public appearances, why incest is viewed as bad by Men (as Monsters almost never experience detrimental mutations of any sort, *ever*, even when committing to close incest for many generations due to the manner in which their Mana naturally corrects such potential flaws), and a host of other cultural problems that stem from different physical and magical realities. Monsters are by and large more powerful than the common Man, and they lack many of the difficulties that Men are subject to, leading them to have less need for complex societies to compensate for physical and magical weaknesses.

## Monster Physiology

### Appearance

Due to the influence of Lilith's Mana and Authorities, the physical appearances of most Monsters have changed dramatically. The vast majority now naturally assume physical forms that are sexually attractive to humans... though the exact *preferences* they appeal to vary dramatically. These appealing characteristics are mingled with more traditionally monstrous features. For example a Manticore classically looked like a lion or tiger with a humanoid face with row after row of razor-sharp teeth, bat-like wings, and a long, barbed tail able to throw dart-like needles. Under Lilith's reign, they retain their sharp teeth and claws, their wings, their tail and its barbs. However, now they are bipedal instead of quadrupeds, their torsos virtually identical to that of an attractive person's. Likewise their heads and faces, which carry only superficial resemblances to their previous forms. Only their extremities remain truly monstrous, and even then they are adapted to operate akin to a Man's. However, their Mana *remembers* their old forms, from before Lilith's influence. It retains the size and shape of the old creature, and all of its power and presence should the Manticore wish to assert them. This is true of *all* Monsters, so that even though a Great Wyrm Red Dragon may have the size and appearance of a child, and move about as one, if he wishes to assert his true power, it is as if he were a fifty-foot long, multi-ton embodiment of flame and death.

Many Monsters are capable of adopting, either partially or fully, their old forms even in appearance. However, few who are not intimate with Men can do the opposite, taking a totally humanoid appearance. Those that can can't truly conceal their Mana, but can fool at least a cursory examination.

## Monster Society and Culture

### Feral Monsters

While most Monsters have embraced their new normal under Lilith's influence, some, by choice or by accident, have not. Known as Ferals, these Monsters either still prey on Men in the traditional sense, or have started to do so again. A sort of Corruption in its own right, Feral Monsters normally end up this way after consuming the flesh or blood of Men. Some Monsters are naturally resistant to this (such as Vampires and their capacity to drink human blood or Succubi due to their naturally feeding habits), but for most, consuming human flesh and blood carries a risk of Corruption. It is addictive to them, as it's what most were originally built to consume. To eat it is to return to the natural order. Such Monsters grow in power, retaining their mental faculties, but reverting to their old instincts to kill and eat Men.

Some Titled Monsters actively encourage this in their followers, or force it upon them by becoming Feral themselves and using their Authority to compel similar behavior in their subordinates. These rogue Monsters are seen as a menace by Lilith and virtually everyone else, and are frequently hunted down and killed by both Monsters and Adventurers when discovered. To more conservative human cultures, Ferals serve as a tool to perpetuate myths about the normal behavior of Monsters and claim that their current state is but a deception, making them doubly troublesome to other Monsters.