Monsters

Untamed and free, Monsters are the strange and unpredictable communal creatures that make up one extreme of Arae Rul's population.

Like Humans, Monsters don't have a name for themselves, though they are happy to use the name 'Monster' than Humans gave them. Don't let it fool you; while many Monster are large, hulking beasts, only a small selection are genuinely vicious terrors. Monster's sometimes refer to themselves as being 'Colourful Spirits', or as 'The Heart of the Lady'. Ascendants also use the term Monster, typically, though they do sometimes use their native word for them, 'Craveous' (Sing. 'Craveum') or an insulting synonym, 'Vasaitee', meaning 'Savage'. More common nicknames for Monsters include 'Wild-touched', 'Land-Borne' and 'Chainless'.

Abilities
Monsters have enormous natural potential, often exhibiting through amazing physical feats. They are not well inclined to train or refine themselves, and so their skills mostly come from their sheer natural ability. Like Humans, Monsters aren't privy to the enormous mystical potential that grants Ascendants their power, but that isn't to say that they are in any way helpless. Monsters are often natural spell casters and even without training of any sort may intrinsically understand things better than a seasoned expert. Often Monsters come across as less competent to those unfamiliar with them due to a lacking in proper lingo to explain their understanding.

Monsters earn their power from Aspects, with which they are only fundamentally aware. Aspects form and develop on instinct and need, often reactively. Monsters are born with Aspect traits which develop and grow over time. The nature of Aspects actually make Monsters more transparent than the other races, as Aspects reflect and influence the personality of the individual and normally alter their appearance as well, allowing an outsider a cursory understanding of a monster with a glance. Despite this, most know that you can't judge a Monster on looks alone.

As stated, Aspects influence the appearance of a Monster. Newly born Monsters look fairly similar to Humans, in fact, showing only basic traits of their strongest Aspects which develop as they age. As Aspects grow stronger, so does their effect on the appearance of the Monster, though some older, more powerful Monsters have exhibited abilities that they do not appear to have had an impact on their appearance, leading many to believe that powers developed later in life may not necessarily have the same impact on a Monster's body. Aspects are somewhat mysterious, as their limits and definitions are still somewhat unclear. The majority of Aspects are clearly based on the forms of beasts, including some predominant varieties (Like Wolf, Bear, Shrew and Iguana) and some less common ones (Crawfish, Antlion, Arcrat); a smaller number exist based on objects (Marionette, Cloak, Bomb) and plants and other non-animal life (Mushroom, Lichen, Tree); on rare occasions some are based on classical elements and similar varients (Fire, Stone, Ice). There could be more, but they have not been clearly observed thus far.

Law
Monster Law is simple and intuitive, it is the law of the community, the law of intent. Crime is not clearly defined, but it is clearly enforced -- anything done of malice is a crime, more or less. Anything done with intent to harm another is punished as decided by the community. In practice, this typically means several elder Monsters agree that a crime was commited and that a punishement be enacted, and they will similarly declare the punishment. This is often a completed process in hours or at most days of the crime's observation.

Monsters punish crimes weighted on the consequences and intent over the actual crime. Someone who commits murder unintentionally or while under deception of some kind may be completely waived of punishment. Another who disrupts a group by giving them something of value, knowing they'll fight over it could be given something as extreme as exhile. This isn't to say that someone doing something terrible with innocent intent will be let off without punishment, rather it means they'll be unlikely to be punished severely for it.

Their law exists only to serve the community who supports it, and in all monster communities, the crime rate is typically exceedingly low. However, this also leaves Monsters prone to confusion when exposed to restrictive Human law or the vastly more severe and impersonal Ascendant Law. Monster Law is typically used only to keep the community going strong, so the idea of rules and predefined punishment that adress the action, not the intent, is often not understood.

Attitudes
Monsters often fit under one of two main schools of thought. First is 'Live and Let Live' -- don't bother anyone who doesn't bother you, et al. The other, more prevailant one would be 'We're all one under nature' -- welcome all that lives as bretherin, as close to you as blood. Because of this, Humans and Monsters have healthy ties. Humans are curious and like to see what they can learn from Monsters. Monsters are open and honest and welcome those unlike them.

The rational for this is physical in nature and easy to observe in Monster communities. Foremost, Monsters themselves are not like each other. Even from mother to child, there may be no similarity in physical traits, so Monsters are used to dealing with totally foriegn creatures from birth. Secondly, while they have a humanoid figure at their core, many Monsters lack traits that Humans take for granted, even if the trade off is enormous power and potential. Many Monsters have Claws or similar manipulators, but they may be lacking thumbs. Some are small and nimble, others large and strong; they may be mobile or powerful but little else. This has created a commonly symbiotic relationship in Monster communities, where Monsters with particular abilities help those who cannot do things themselves.

Monsters in persona tend to be reflected in their Aspects and appearance. Predictably, (as most Monsters bare a beast Aspect of some sort) most Monsters are a bit wild. They are often excitable, passionate and a little unpredictable. They may be reliable for tasks, but have a short attention span when they have nothing pressing to do. It varies widely what kind of personality traits they have, but comonalities do occur.

Lastly, Monsters have a communal approach. Since they live primarily in communities where the group acts more or less together, they are fiercly protective of their territory and neighbors from threats. Occurances of traitorism is very rare amongst Monsters, and they essentially never commit a planned crime -- crimes of passion occur, but not commonly.

Language
Monsters do not possess their own language and speak the common tounge of Arae-Rul. But they have one particular element that makes their speech their own -- they view words as very fluid. As such, they'll say things in whatever way is most comfortable to them. They'll change words all the time for the aural aesthetics or out of easy. 'Blacksmith' might be repeated as 'Darksmith'; 'Light' could be 'Fire', 'Spark', 'Floating', or any number of alternatives.

Similarly, most monsters like to be clear and to the point, often speaking in short phrases and rarely adding much flowering to their conversation.

Monsters also aren't terribly fond of writing. They're mostly literate, but they will often produce pictograms and illustrations on paper before they create text.

Home
Undoubtably, the Monster capitol is Circle, in the Dark Wood Province. It's a chaotic mess of a communal shelter, surrounding a single large clearing in the woods. While the city is rather rag-tag and has a shambly look to its construction, the community is, without question, one of the most welcoming places in all of Arae Rul. Everyone in Circle, Monster, Human or Ascendant is considered family. It's difficult to determine how large Circle is, as it has no planning and sprawls out, deep in to the woods.

Monsters live predominatly in the Dark Wood Province, though there is little place where they are not found in healthy pockets. There are very few of them amongst the walls of Dechpri Libri Province's cities, but even in the Ascendant homeland they can be found.

[End]
[Any questions on Monsters? Post them here and I'll adress them! Next: Ascendants!]