While Monsters are generally autonomous, many do claim territory of a given size. Monsters who Claim a territory leave a mark around its perimeter that can be sensed by anyone Marked. This territory rarely extends past a few acres of wilderness or a small lot in a city for a single Monster.
A small group of Monsters, generically called a Troupe, together can have a larger parcel of land ranging to a small geographic region of wilderness or a few city blocks. Werewolf Troupes are called Packs and are always led by an Alpha. Vampire Troupes are called Syndicates, Sorcerers are called Circles, etc.
Various Troupes may ally together to form Counsels. Counsels themselves have no claim to any sort of territory - they are simply a coordination of various Troupes to help coordinate matters between Troupes when issues cross bounds of territories.
Most large geographic areas also have a Great Counsel of powerful Monsters that claim no territory, but ensure that the Laws are followed. North America, for example, is ruled by Thirteen different Counsels.
In times of dire need, a representative from several Great Counsels will meet in what is known as a Convention.
Thursday, January 20, 2011
Monsters: The Laws of the First Covenant of Beasts
Most monsters generally are semi-autonomous but, because of the Dark Days, generally all follow some basic rules. These rules were penned down at the end of the Dark Days by the first Covenant of Beasts, and read as follows.
- Keep the flock placid and walk among them as a wolf in sheeps clothing less the days darken. In other words: when among Normals do your best to hide your Monsterous nature.
- Tread where you may with one you are not at war with, but keep in mind the Lord of the Land and respect him always. Many Monsters have a claim to a Territory and rule it. If you are in the Territory under the claim of another Monster you are not actively fighting with he must allow you to be there. However you must abide by his rules and wishes, and not disrespect his Territory.
- A wolf who eats all his food with no den to sleep in soon finds himself surrounded by hungry wolves. This is generally considered to be an edict on keeping the monster population in a given area low in order to keep both available prey plentiful as well as to keep Normals from discovering the Monsters.
- Put down the rabid Beast. It has forgotten what it like to be Normal, and threatens all around it. This is the edict to destroy any Monster who becomes a Nasty or greatly causes problems among the human flock.
Monsters: Brain dump thoughts
OK... drawing some inspiration on a lot of popular mythology, some role playing games, and my own twisted mind to come up with a new Gothic-Horror RPG called Monsters.
The central premise is that Monsters are real and human. The system will be largely free-form and flowing, but will have a few core templates that can be pulled from. They're all loosely bound and powered by a genetic and spiritual quirk known as the Mark.
Humans (Normals)
Normals are humans that have absolutely no trace of the Mark upon them. Normals have absolutely no psychic powers and barely any magical powers. Normals may be hunters, though they must be Resistant in order to sanely function around any Monsters.
Marked Humans (the Marked)
The Marked is a term Monsters use for any Human that has a degree of the Mark upon them. Marked Humans represent roughly 2% of the human population, give or take. The vast majority of the Marked seem no different from a Normal. A Marked may, however, have moderate access to some psychic or Magical powers or, when Afflicted, gain further power over their psychic or magical abilities. Marked humans are somewhat Resistant.
Monsters
Monsters are Marked Humans who, either through accident, encounter, magic, or advent of birth, become Afflicted and go through the Change to become a Monster. Monsters can be any sort of sub-species of Monster.
The Skin Walkers (aka the Walkers, aka Lycanthropes)
The Walkers are any sort of human-animal based Monster. They generally all share an ability to fully assume Human form and have some sort of connection to their Beast. Werewolves, for example, as humans are often harrier than normal humans, prone to greater size and strength, and often fierce and quick to anger. Some Walkers can even fully Change into the classic Wolf-Man. Some still can even assume the form of a wolf. The type of Werewolf seems to be mostly a trick of genetics than anything else.
The Vampires
Vampires are Monsters who must take sustenance form other living Humans to survive. This could be anything from psychic energy (fear, love, lust, greed), to blood or flesh. Some Vampires can survive - although not healthily - on animals. The type of Vampire a Marked human becomes when Afflicted is dependent upon the Vampire that changed them or their parent, if born to one or two Vampires.
Ghasts
Ghasts are Marked who died a traumatic death before they were Afflicted. They may be ghosts or even posess their own bodies as an animate Zombie. Some Ghasts are can even be Sorcerers who preserve their own bodies with magic. Some may manifest a physical form through their own will, while others are Shades of their former selves.
Sorcerers
Wizards, witches, and psychics of great power - these Afflicted wield the power of the Mark to change the very fabric of the universe.
Rabble
Rabble are monsters who really do not fit into any of the above categories and, because of their predilection to becoming Nasties, are often distrusted.
Nasties
Nasties are Monsters that have been Corrupted by their Darkness. While many of the Afflicted are prone to acts of both good and evil, Nasties have no vestige of their Souls left. They may pretend to be human, or they may simply give over and become Demons, Devils, and foul creatures of dark legend.
The central premise is that Monsters are real and human. The system will be largely free-form and flowing, but will have a few core templates that can be pulled from. They're all loosely bound and powered by a genetic and spiritual quirk known as the Mark.
Humans (Normals)
Normals are humans that have absolutely no trace of the Mark upon them. Normals have absolutely no psychic powers and barely any magical powers. Normals may be hunters, though they must be Resistant in order to sanely function around any Monsters.
Marked Humans (the Marked)
The Marked is a term Monsters use for any Human that has a degree of the Mark upon them. Marked Humans represent roughly 2% of the human population, give or take. The vast majority of the Marked seem no different from a Normal. A Marked may, however, have moderate access to some psychic or Magical powers or, when Afflicted, gain further power over their psychic or magical abilities. Marked humans are somewhat Resistant.
Monsters
Monsters are Marked Humans who, either through accident, encounter, magic, or advent of birth, become Afflicted and go through the Change to become a Monster. Monsters can be any sort of sub-species of Monster.
The Skin Walkers (aka the Walkers, aka Lycanthropes)
The Walkers are any sort of human-animal based Monster. They generally all share an ability to fully assume Human form and have some sort of connection to their Beast. Werewolves, for example, as humans are often harrier than normal humans, prone to greater size and strength, and often fierce and quick to anger. Some Walkers can even fully Change into the classic Wolf-Man. Some still can even assume the form of a wolf. The type of Werewolf seems to be mostly a trick of genetics than anything else.
The Vampires
Vampires are Monsters who must take sustenance form other living Humans to survive. This could be anything from psychic energy (fear, love, lust, greed), to blood or flesh. Some Vampires can survive - although not healthily - on animals. The type of Vampire a Marked human becomes when Afflicted is dependent upon the Vampire that changed them or their parent, if born to one or two Vampires.
Ghasts
Ghasts are Marked who died a traumatic death before they were Afflicted. They may be ghosts or even posess their own bodies as an animate Zombie. Some Ghasts are can even be Sorcerers who preserve their own bodies with magic. Some may manifest a physical form through their own will, while others are Shades of their former selves.
Sorcerers
Wizards, witches, and psychics of great power - these Afflicted wield the power of the Mark to change the very fabric of the universe.
Rabble
Rabble are monsters who really do not fit into any of the above categories and, because of their predilection to becoming Nasties, are often distrusted.
Nasties
Nasties are Monsters that have been Corrupted by their Darkness. While many of the Afflicted are prone to acts of both good and evil, Nasties have no vestige of their Souls left. They may pretend to be human, or they may simply give over and become Demons, Devils, and foul creatures of dark legend.
Monsters: Introduction
Here there be Monsters.
Scribed since ancient days on maps of parts unknown, and spoken of in myth and legend man has always known that there are monsters out there. What he rarely acknowledged is that the monsters lurk in him.
I myself am a Monster - a wolf wearing human skin. Mortal like man, though longer lived, I am not even the darkest beast that stalks the streets of the city. Witch and Wizard, Vampire and worse - they all exist in man, or just 'neath the surface.
We aren't exactly high in number - by best estimates there less than half a percent of the population isn't exactly human. While that number may seem small, that means over forty-thousand Monsters lurk in New York City alone.
So then what makes a man a Monster? An acquaintance of mine is a genetic researcher by trade, and a Monster himself, has found a few genetic markers that mark a predilection to being a Monster and even a few indicators as to what type of Monster you have the potential to be. But there are so many other variables that it is impossible to tell exactly how or why we become what we are.
For example - I was born to, as best I can tell, normal parents and to my knowledge was never exposed to another Werewolf until my first change. Others may have the same genetic markers I do but would not actually be a Werewolf until bitten and until I do so are normal humans - albeit a bit harrier than normal and with a shorter temper. If I bit a normal human without any prediliction to being a Monster they would maybe feel a bit angrier than normal until after a full moon, but that's it.
Vampires are another great example of the diversity of what makes us Monsters that you're familiar with. Vampires themselves are a broad category of Monster. There are various types and strains of vampires, mostly dependent upon genetic background and of the type of vampire that bit you to activate the latent genes. I've met mortal vampires, psychic vampires, vampires repelled by garlic and crosses, and vampires who are simply undead bloodsucking humans.
Then there are the Nasties. Nasties are Monsters that really cannot be allowed to live - the ones that are truly the stuff of Nightmare. A Werewolf in full Beast form is a terrible sight and will leave a normal human traumatized for ages. Nasties can give even the bravest Monster the shakes.
So kid... now that you know about Monsters, its time for me to let you know - you are one.
Scribed since ancient days on maps of parts unknown, and spoken of in myth and legend man has always known that there are monsters out there. What he rarely acknowledged is that the monsters lurk in him.
I myself am a Monster - a wolf wearing human skin. Mortal like man, though longer lived, I am not even the darkest beast that stalks the streets of the city. Witch and Wizard, Vampire and worse - they all exist in man, or just 'neath the surface.
We aren't exactly high in number - by best estimates there less than half a percent of the population isn't exactly human. While that number may seem small, that means over forty-thousand Monsters lurk in New York City alone.
So then what makes a man a Monster? An acquaintance of mine is a genetic researcher by trade, and a Monster himself, has found a few genetic markers that mark a predilection to being a Monster and even a few indicators as to what type of Monster you have the potential to be. But there are so many other variables that it is impossible to tell exactly how or why we become what we are.
For example - I was born to, as best I can tell, normal parents and to my knowledge was never exposed to another Werewolf until my first change. Others may have the same genetic markers I do but would not actually be a Werewolf until bitten and until I do so are normal humans - albeit a bit harrier than normal and with a shorter temper. If I bit a normal human without any prediliction to being a Monster they would maybe feel a bit angrier than normal until after a full moon, but that's it.
Vampires are another great example of the diversity of what makes us Monsters that you're familiar with. Vampires themselves are a broad category of Monster. There are various types and strains of vampires, mostly dependent upon genetic background and of the type of vampire that bit you to activate the latent genes. I've met mortal vampires, psychic vampires, vampires repelled by garlic and crosses, and vampires who are simply undead bloodsucking humans.
Then there are the Nasties. Nasties are Monsters that really cannot be allowed to live - the ones that are truly the stuff of Nightmare. A Werewolf in full Beast form is a terrible sight and will leave a normal human traumatized for ages. Nasties can give even the bravest Monster the shakes.
So kid... now that you know about Monsters, its time for me to let you know - you are one.
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