MONSTER
The Basics:
Monsters
1. (noun) An imaginary or legendary creature, that combines parts from various animal or human forms.
2. (noun) A creature having a strange or frightening appearance.
3. (noun) An animal, a plant, or other organism having structural defects or deformities.
4. (noun) One who inspires horror or disgust: a monster of selfishness.
- Known Sub-Species::
xxxxx• werewolves
xxxxx• yeti
xxxxx• swampthings
xxxxx• "created" beings made from living parts
and
xxxxx• EVERYTHING ELSE
The Stereotypes
Social Status:: They're the low men (women and things) on the pecking the order, and have been for centuries. Monsters are the "mutts" of Halloween society, with all sorts of flaws assumed about them. The number of large, thuggish-type creature who populate the Monster'hoods, are usually seen as slow and stupid. Where as the smaller beings scurrying about are seen as sneaky "pests." ALL Monsters, however, are seen as wild, savage, and lacking culture. And this is one assumption that is rather treasured within Monster Society.
Social Tendencies:: The very differences and strangeness that separates them from other species are both prized and encouraged here. The more monstrous your behavior and appearance, the more of a Monster you truly are! Socially they can be considered to be aggressively outgoing, often using loud voices or impressive/bizarre physical displays to get their point across. Their festivals are usually loud, wild and heated. Constantly spiralling out of control with little order or sanity, never let it be said that Monsters don't know how to party.
FEAR: Strengths & Weaknesses
Strengths::
xxxxx• Unpredictability is the Monsters' greatest strength as whole. Something that looks strange yet harmless could easily end up sprouting poison needles if you look at them wrong. A species or Monster taking on another Monster in battle, had best be either familar with their opponent and their abilities, or they could be in for a nasty surprise.
xxxxx• Adaptability is another major strength generally attributed to Monsters. Because of their low social atanding, and wild ways, even the most frail looking of Monsters are hardy creatures, capable of shrugging off many forms of discomfort. When entering a new enviroment or the human world, they're usually among the first to get used to get acclimated.
Weaknesses::
xxxxx• Lack of, and a vulnerability to magic is one the major weaknesses found in nearly all Monsters. Without any real unifying characteristics, developing and refining magical abilities over countless generations has simply not been possible. While some are still able to develop their own small magics, they really aren't comparable to those of other species. This leads to a certain amount of fear/contempt when it comes to most magic.
xxxxx• Suggestions?
The Devil in the Details:
Monster Festivals::
xxxxx• The Moonlight Masque: held on the second night of every full moon, and one of the times when other species are made most welcome in the Monster districts. Many creatures wear monsterous masks and costumes, and many more do not, the game is in guessing which is which!
xxxxx• The Wild Rumpus
xxxxx• October Fool's Day
Physical Appearance::
xxxxx• Wild and varied, the sight of a particularly outstanding Monster can take you to the limits of your imagination and beyond. Expect anything from horns and tails, to tentacles and ooze.
xxxxx• Not every Monster is lucky enough to be amazingly bizarre, so the ones with less flashy and startling appearances often try to make up for it with strange and eye-catching clothes and accessories.
Diet::
xxxxx• Ranging from nearly-human habits, to extremely alarming for any creature small enough to fit in one's mouth.
xxxxx• Originally started to make their often cheap and bland foods more intersting, spicing foods, no matter the type, to become punishingly hot has become something of a hobby and past-time for Monsters. Their culinary "holy grail" is to make something hot enough to force a yeti to belch fire.
H8-ons and Hard-ons:
H8's::
xxxxx• Reapers. Their appearance is much too close to human for Monster standards, often leading to a sense of disgust. The fact that Reapers are usually skilled in magic, the Monster's greatest weakpoint, adds a certain sense of fear into this mix. Monsters lacing restraint are often strongly tempted to scare the human-looking Reapers, usually much to their regret.
xxxxx• Ghosts. They aren't even solid, and not interesting to look at all, if you can even see them, that is! Overall, ghosts are strange in ways that Monsters don't appreciate, and their abilities leave Monsters feeling uncertain and uncomfortable around them.
Hards::
xxxxx• Undead. Are freaking awesome. Vampires can be a bit "meh" but zombies, ghouls, and re-animated creations? These creatures can compete with Monsters in freakish appearance category in ways Monsters can respect and admire. Its not unusual for a Monster to consider an undead friend as kind of an "honorary" Monster.
Neutral::
Demons. They think a lot of themselves, and sometimes make it hard to just ignore them. They look a bit human, but at least they often have interesting oddments and know how to have fun once they let loose. There have been a number of Great Demons in the past, that Monsters still look back on in admiration, but their current contemporaries never quite match up to their illustrious ancestors in the eyes of the Monsters.