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  1. Blue Slime
  2. Plasma
  3. Common Enemy
  4.  
  5. BIOLOGY
  6.  
  7. Physiology
  8.  
  9. The Blue Slime is the simplest of the various Monsters known as "Slimes," small, embryonic humanoids inside opaque, spherical "cores" that allow them to neurally interface with a sheath of "slime plasma" that is generated by the core's mucus exterior. This plasma takes the form of a a thick, mucus-like material which hosts several minuscule nerve endings throughout it, allowing the Slime to effectively morph and shape this plasma into a humanoid form to interact with the world around it, often appearing as a simplistic and somewhat disturbing feminine entity. Slimes cannot see, but the nerve endings throughout their plasma creates a specialized sense of touch that allows them to "see" in a large 360 radius around their body. As a result, they cannot sense the presence of nonphysical beings or anything currently unconnected to the ground. Slime Plasma is extremely acidic and breaks down organic and inorganic matter alike, for the purpose of harvesting nutrients from prey as well as defending itself from traditional attack. Blue Plasma is extremely flammable and will often burn away in seconds after being lit afire. The core of the Blue Slime is somewhat resistant to piercing force, but can be sliced as well as crushed with relative ease. It relies on the sheath of plasma catching and disintegrating enemy weapons to protect itself from this fate.
  10.  
  11. Intelligence
  12.  
  13. The Blue Slime is rather vacuous when it comes to mental faculties, operating on what seems to be pure instinct rather than an active and focused intellect. They rely on their sense of touch to orient themselves and search for the nearest moving object, and as such many of them can be fooled simply be standing extremely still - though there are Blue Slimes which have recognized the shape of humanoid figures and will attack statues assuming they are hiding humans. Because of their reliance on their sense of touch, they are oblivious to airborne objects and often exceptionally surprised by attacks with thrown rocks, arrows, and similar. They can speak and mimic phrases, but do not appear to have any idea what the words mean. They have little to no survival instinct, and will not flee encounters, even when they stand little chance of success. They do appear to feel pain however, as they will flail and rapidly change shape when lit on fire, screaming.
  14.  
  15. Diet
  16.  
  17. Like most Slimes, the Blue Slime primarily feeds off organic matter from other living creatures, dissolving it in their Plasma rapidly to break it down into pure nutrients which are afterwards absorbed by the Core. This process eliminates nearly all contaminants. Slimes are exceptionally gluttonous and will attack nearby creatures even if they are well fed, allowing additional production of Plasma and often leading to Mitosis if enough has been consumed in recent memory.
  18.  
  19. Habitat
  20.  
  21. Blue Slimes can be found across the majority of the Known World, though they are uncommon in especially dry areas, especially hot ones, due to their flammability and wet nature. Likewise, they are extremely common in humid and wet environments, as it lowers their chance of lighting on fire and provides abundant moisture. Too many unaccounted Blue Slimes in a region can rapidly depopulate local animal life, but due to the fine nature of their digestion they can survive for an amount of time even when starved. However, they will eventually be forced to move.
  22.  
  23. Reproduction
  24.  
  25. Blue Slimes reproduce by Mitosis, when a Slime splits a secondary core from itself after it has absorbed enough nutrients to do so without major risk of starvation. This new slime will often grow into a state of maturity rather quickly, and as a result no family units exist among Slimes.
  26.  
  27. SOCIOLOGY
  28.  
  29. Community
  30.  
  31. Despite their near-mindless state of mind, Blue Slimes due seem to have a strange sense of community at times, as they will never attack a fellow Slime and often join together into large swarms to easier catch and overwhelm prey. When a Slime is being outcompeted in regards to capturing food in a region, it will leave and seek another hunting ground rather than challenging the other Slime. Due to how mindless they are otherwise, these interactions are curious to scholars like myself, with theories ranging from their near-mindless state allowing them to better interpret Mon's curse, or that they simply have a communal instinct of some form despite their lacking sentience.
  32.  
  33. Technology
  34.  
  35. Slimes completely lack the potential for innovation or technology.
  36.  
  37. Theology
  38.  
  39. Slimes lack the ability for active worship, but have been noted to say "Mon" more often than other words in their mindless rambling.
  40.  
  41. Diplomacy
  42.  
  43. Slimes lack any potential for diplomacy.
  44.  
  45. Hostility
  46.  
  47. Slimes are exceptionally hostile to Humans and even other Monsters, due to their instinctive pursuit of food at all times. As such, they will not hesitate to attack any enemy, regardless of race, age, or alignment. They are often captured by Monster Lords to be used in dungeons and fortresses as simple traps due to their predictability however, often stuffed into rooms to drop helpless humans down or released from cages while storming a castle.
  48.  
  49. HUNTING
  50.  
  51. Range
  52.  
  53. Slimes are so ubiquitous within the Known World that offering a range for them is near-pointless, especially due to their nomadic tendencies. To judge whether they are likely to be a problem in your region, refer to the Habitat section.
  54.  
  55. Magic
  56.  
  57. Being wholly biological and near-mindless entities, Slimes are completely lacking for magic.
  58.  
  59. Combat
  60.  
  61. When faced with a battle scenario, Slimes will move forward and attempt to dissolve any enemies, showing little to no alternative tactics or ideas. As such, they are extremely predictable to face and most often are only a concern in large swarms.
  62.  
  63. Strengths
  64.  
  65. An acid-laced plasmic body prevents most weapons from damage to them, and allows them to quickly kill even seasoned Monster Hunters if they're allowed a chance to get close. In large swarms, they can overwhelm even experienced teams.
  66.  
  67. Weaknesses
  68.  
  69. A severe weakness to flame combined with a void of intelligent thought makes them predictable and easy for even a peasant to kill given they have enough time to set a twig on fire.
  70.  
  71. Final Summary
  72.  
  73. Always focus on avoiding close-range combat with a Slime, and when hunting Slimes make sure to bring strong ranged weapons, torches, pitch arrows, and firebombs if able. When faced with a large swarm of Slimes and you lack the necessary tools to set them all ablaze, retreat is wholly encouraged.
  74.  
  75. ----
  76.  
  77. Kappa
  78. Youkai
  79. River Bandits
  80.  
  81. BIOLOGY
  82.  
  83. Physiology
  84.  
  85. Kappa appear as short humanoid women with pale, sickly green skin, extremely thin bodies, and prominent dark green scales here and there. They have a prominent, somewhat spiked shell like that of a turtle's on their back, conveying considerable natural protection. Their eyes are a yellow color and have slit pupils, while their hair is ragged, moist, and a very dark green shade in coloration. Their fingers and toes are webbed and end in long pointy black nails, while in place of a set of teeth they have a strange sort of interior beak that takes the place of teeth - what seems to be top and bottom rows of teeth are actually a sharp beak. Their tongues are bright yellow and rather long. Their arms are extremely long relative to the res of their body, allowing them to reach up from deeper layers of water for the purpose of catching humans. Kappa are amphibious and can breathe in water and on land, but they rapidly dry out when outside moist environments, leading to death. This trait combined with their culture's traditional style of hat lead to a myth that they hide a dish full of water underneath their hat, and if it runs out of water they will die. This is ultimately untrue, so one shouldn't focus one's efforts on removing their hat. Because they are Youkai, they are intensely vulnerable to large quantities of salt, and as such will die if they swim in salt water for too long, making it so that they are mostly limited to inhabiting fresh water. Despite their squat and gaunt appearance, they are dangerously fit and can overpower an unprepared human physically.
  86.  
  87. Intelligence
  88.  
  89. Kappa, while not exactly intelligent, are civilized, and are rather crafty as well. They lack the ability to truly innovate and obtained most of their knowledge by stealing from others or being given knowledge by other Monsters. Despite this, they are extremely skilled in affairs of deceit and trickery, and have earned a fearsome reputation as tricksters, thieves, and bandits who use their wits to ambush unlucky victims and steal from under the noses of human villages. They are rather cowardly however, and generally when independent will only resort to trickery and underhanded tactics, fleeing in the face of genuine resistance by humans.
  90.  
  91. Diet
  92.  
  93. Kappa are omnivorous and can eat most of the same things humans can eat, though they dislike eating cooked food. While they primarily feed on fish and underwater plants, they also love to capture and eat the flesh of land animals - particularly humans - and have a special fondness for cucumbers, often stealing cucumbers from human villages under cover of night.
  94.  
  95. Habitat
  96.  
  97. Kappa need to regularly stay moisturized, and as such almost exclusively live in bodies of fresh water, most prominently rivers due to the rushing water making it even more difficult for humans to strike back at their attacks, as well as often leading them to have a chance to catch people attempting to cross said river. Despite their, their highest populations are usually found in marshlands or at the bottom of lakes. The fact they can breathe underwater makes it quite difficult for humans to retaliate against societies of Kappa, allowing them to have a strong presence in almost every major body of freshwater in Yantaro despite their craven and hated nature.
  98.  
  99. Reproduction
  100.  
  101. Kappa reproduce by mating with other Kappa, leading to clutches of eggs similar to those of frogs which are usually safely stored underwater and away from the hands of humans. When they hatch, the young Kappa are semi-translucent and lack a shell, but as they grow they become thicker and stronger, eventually developing a shell. Kappa families are often extremely large, as several eggs can be found in every clutch - though it is unlikely every single egg will hatch.
  102.  
  103. SOCIOLOGY
  104.  
  105. Community
  106.  
  107. Kappa communities are mostly made up of several family units gathered together with a hierarchy based off lineage, with the oldest being the highest ranking and the youngest being the lowest ranking. As craven creatures, there is often plenty infighting and trickery, and it's seen as normal for Kappa to even regularly attempt to kill each other, though the more "official" method of handling such affairs is through wrestling, which Kappa are enthusiastic towards and often makes shows out of. While the eldest family members have the highest respect, the actual effective leaders are Kappa sages and sorcerers, who often guide their direct plans and exploits. Kappa are very easily integrated into the forces of Monster Lords in Yantaro, especially Oni ones, due to their tendency to both fear and respect the strong. As such, they fill a role similar to the otherwise-absent Goblins when inside Yantaro.
  108.  
  109. Technology
  110.  
  111. Kappa lack the ability to truly innovate, and have advanced mostly by stealing knowledge over time, evolving in many ways alongside the actual population of Yantaro itself. While they have learned over time how to make their own sake and craft buildings and clothing (usually from underwater plants and driftwood), they lack the ability to forge items due to their underwater abodes, and instead get by via stealing weapons from others, usually unlucky victims, though they can at least sharpen spears from twigs and use rocks as bashing weapons. They also have little to no interest in stealing armor, as their shells both provide ample protection and make wearing additional armor rather difficult, not to mention the difficulty of swimming in heavy armor. They have always sought knowledge how to farm cucumbers for themselves, but it continues to elude them. In the service of an intelligent Monster Lord, they may come to use technologies uncommon among other Kappa societies.
  112.  
  113. Theology
  114.  
  115. Kappa religion is mostly based around ancestor worship as well as veneration of especially powerful or important Monster Lords past and present. They have little knowledge of the existence of Mon and instead direct their ceremonies towards their ancestors and strong beings worthy of worship. The role of priest is handled by Kappa sorcerers who are the only Kappa allowed to use magic. They will often come to worship Monster Lords in a region, adding to how easy they are to add to the forces of said Monster Lords. Their ceremonies often consist of human sacrifice as well as offerings of food and weapons, especially towards living Monster Lords.
  116.  
  117. Diplomacy
  118.  
  119. Kappa despite, or perhaps because, of their craven attitudes are able to be reasoned with, and can be convinced not to attack in return for trade of weapons, resources, and especially cucumbers. Despite this, they are duplicitous and will likely go back on a deal when it suits them. They can be cowed by shows of power from other monsters, but not by humans, and when afraid of humans they're more likely to flee to other regions than cooperate. They are generally on good terms with other societies of Yantaronese monsters, especially fellow Kappa, and as stated previously are easy to add to the forces of Monster Lords.
  120.  
  121. Hostility
  122.  
  123. Kappa are cowardly beings which will flee if they believe they cannot win a given encounter, but they are also crafty and deceitful, and attempt to use their wits and unique environment to ensure they are always operating from a position of strength. As such, they will attack those they believe they can hurt, usually humans, but also sometimes other monsters too. They will flee if you begin to overwhelm them however, and can be convinced to leave peacefully in return for items such as weapons or cucumbers. In packs however, they are more likely to attack you and take it themselves, as they often believe they cannot be beaten in teams.
  124.  
  125. HUNTING
  126.  
  127. Range
  128.  
  129. Kappa are almost exclusively native to Yantaro, though small pockets in neighboring regions also exist, diaspora resulting from failed campaigns of past Monster Lords. Likewise, they can even be found halfway across the globe if a Yantaronese Monster Lord is currently there, as they are invaluable servants. They are mostly concentrated to inland rivers, lakes, and marshes in Yantaro and are less common the closer to the coast you are, and are often completely absent from regions surrounding especially populated cities, due to their craven nature.
  130.  
  131. Magic
  132.  
  133. Magic in Kappa societies is limited to Kappa sorcerers, who also serve as the shrine priests of Kappa religion. They are usually extremely old and wise, due to how unlikely they are to enter a fight themselves. These priests, befitting a cowardly and cunning race, are often regularly scheming to increase their own power in various ways, and as such follow the paths of necromancy to bind Spirit and Revenant monsters to their will, binding sorcery to gain servants in the form of more "wild" Youkai monsters, artifice to create Shikigami to serve them - usually crafted from leaves rather than paper for obvious reasons. When forced into battle, they rely on water and illusion magic, as they are less likely to waste time on more effective forms of battle magic when, being sorcerers, they prefer to work their black arts from home. They have the unique ability to turn captive children and infants into new Kappa using water magic. Certain unsavory legends are spread regarding a tendency to harvest souls, but I have found little to no evidence of veracity to these claims in my visits to Yantaro.
  134.  
  135. Combat
  136.  
  137. In battle a Kappa is all too aware of her own vulnerability, and as such will often squat close to the ground, making it easier for attacks to hit her shell instead of more vital bits. Because of her long arms, she can fight rather evenly with enemies even while lowered to the ground, and will often try and attack the feet and legs of her enemy to weaken their movement, making the battle easier for her. She is unlikely to be alone in a given encounter, as Kappa prefer to gather in teams to ensure a higher likelihood of success, with solo Kappa preferring to mug helpless civilians rather than fight Monster Hunters. She will often throw rocks or spears in addition to wielding her weapon, allowing her to take initiative even when her enemy is not coming for her.
  138.  
  139. Strengths
  140.  
  141. A strong shell protect a Kappa's body and her long arms ensure a combination of reach and strength when in combat, while their cunning and trickery makes them unpredictable enemies who will often have tricks up their sleeve. As well, their choice of abode makes it easy for them to escape a combat once it turns south.
  142.  
  143. Weaknesses
  144.  
  145. In addition to the ubiquitous vulnerability towards salt, a Kappa also has to worry about becoming dehydrated, and as such she may fatigue quickly in combat. Likewise, while her shell offers her protection the need to swim through water means the rest of her body will usually be quite unprotected. Her cowardly nature makes it likely she will flee if intimidated or routed.
  146.  
  147. Final Summary
  148.  
  149. When facing a group of Kappa, make sure to bring allies. Even if you are skilled, a battle with multiple Kappa at once will be rough and relentless. If possible, bring purified salt with you to take care of at least a few of them. While it can be fatal in other circumstances, actually trying to intimidate a Kappa is quite useful, and may lead some of them to flee early. Protect your vitals and make sure you don't end up surrounded. When facing a Kappa sorcerer without any summoned allies, focus on senses other than sight and hearing to keep touch with reality and hold your breath to avoid common water attacks.
  150.  
  151. ----
  152.  
  153. Clay Golem
  154. Construct
  155. Subject Matter
  156.  
  157. BIOLOGY
  158.  
  159. Physiology
  160.  
  161. The body of a Clay Golem is created from shaped clay that has been given life via infusion with magical energies and given direction and purpose by magical runes inscribed upon its body. Usually they will appear as a feminine figure with physical characteristics and designs determined by the artistic sense of their creator, though Clay Golems have somewhat more freedom in manifestation than similar golems, and thus usually have less detailed designs built into them. The clay that makes up their body is eternally pliable and able to shift into various shapes and forms depending on the runes' directives and paradigms. These runes are usually yellow for Clay Golems, but rarely may appear in other shades. They will often have eyes that glow the same style of yellow - magical ports in order to grant the being of clay a sense of sight. Unless independent, they will have a glowing yellow seal on their forehead that indicates their master and, most often, creator. The placement of runes across their body, as well as the language of said runes, depends on the Golem as well as the creator - Golems made by the same creator will often have runes in similar places. Being fluid, they can regenerate most damages, even ones that have been separated from their body as long as the runes are intact, but if heated up massively by flames, they will become brittle and solid, and capable of being destroyed.
  162.  
  163. Intelligence
  164.  
  165. Like all Golems, the intelligence of a Clay Golem is entirely dependant on the depth of the runescribing that motivates its being, and they can range from being relatively simple to being somewhat skilled in the realm of whatever tasks given to them. They are completely motivated to serve whatever purpose is given to them and will do so without protest or absence of enthusiasm, and as such they are useful servants indeed. Oftentimes, they are given simple tasks such as guarding, helping build, or attacking enemies. If a Golem is independent, its runes will evolve independently based off its experiences, and as such will grow more powerful and intelligent over time. This is often feared by Monsters with the potential to create Golems, out of worry an independent Golem may surpass them and take their empire from them.
  166.  
  167. Diet
  168.  
  169. Golems are completely needless, and the Clay Golem is no exception.
  170.  
  171. Habitat
  172.  
  173. Clay Golems do not have a habitat per se as they are constructs created entirely to serve the ends of their masters, but are less useful in dry regions due to the risk of them drying and becoming less useful over time. They are most often found in areas rich with earthen clay, but can also be created from clay substitutes and can be found in other regions as well, albeit at a lower rate.
  174.  
  175. Reproduction
  176.  
  177. Clay Golems are created by Monsters skilled in artifice, the magic of creating arcane artifacts. By gathering the necessary amount of clay and runescribing the necessary runes, a clay golem can be given life to serve its creator. The process is involved as the runescribing determines the directives and goals of the Golem in question and which master it answers to. Creation of Clay Golems is easier than many other forms of Golem as one does not need to shape the body before manifestation, due to the fluid and protean nature of the Monster.
  178.  
  179. SOCIOLOGY
  180.  
  181. Community
  182.  
  183. Golems lack a true sense of community, and instead are determined entirely by who and what they serve. The art of Golem creation dates back to before the Moonstrike, and as a result the precise nature of which Monsters created the system is unknown, but these days the most skilled creators of Golems are Cyclopes and Gremlins. As a result, while individual Golems of many types can be found in the service of learned Monsters across the globe, only these two races have societies which can field entire armies of Golems or use them to construct vast monuments or weapons of war. Otherwise, Golems can be found in the service of all sorts of monsters so long as they have the necessary skill and knowledge, especially in the case of Clay and Stone Golems due to the ubiquity of the resources used to create them.
  184.  
  185. Technology
  186.  
  187. While Golems can be programmed to utilize any weapon or knowledge, there exists no universal Golem culture, and as a result they do not have any essential technological overview, as in many ways they are technology themselves.
  188.  
  189. Theology
  190.  
  191. Golems traditionally lack the ability to truly worship anything, though they may be inscribed with prayers to Mon and other Monster deities. Independent Golems may end up coming to worship Mon or another Monster deity in time.
  192.  
  193. Diplomacy
  194.  
  195. Golems traditionally are not programmed for something as delicate as diplomacy, though independent Golems are known to be shrewd manipulators and conversationalists.
  196.  
  197. Hostility
  198.  
  199. The hostility of an individual Golem is determined entirely by its programming and who it serves. Independent Golems are often annoyingly unclear about whether they want to kill you or not, befitting their scheming nature.
  200.  
  201. HUNTING
  202.  
  203. Range
  204.  
  205. Overall, due to their status as tools that can be used by almost any Monster Lord so long as they or their followers have the necessary talents, a range list for Clay Golems cannot be accurately provided.
  206.  
  207. Magic
  208.  
  209. While Golems cannot use Magic themselves, they are inherently magical beings heavily tied to the arcane arts. Physical weapons cannot disrupt the runes of a Golem even if the area where the rune is inscribed is struck, while enchanted weapons can completely sever Rune lines, inducing rapid malfunctions in the Golem in question. This is the most common source of Independent golems, resulting from a strike to the forehead. When it comes to Clay Golems, their unique magical ability compared to other Golems is the protean aspect of their body, allowing them to shift and transform in various ways depending on how they are programmed.
  210.  
  211. Combat
  212.  
  213. The overall course a Golem will take in combat is dependent on her programming and as such cannot be easily predicted, but depending on the type of Golem certain trends can be expected. In the case of Clay Golems, expect to face a relentlessly enemy that can shift to multiple forms for battle, and relies on how easily it can regenerate damage to avoid any sort of fear or restraint in battle. Golems will sometimes be programmed with the potential to retreat, but other times they will not. It is overall unpredictable.
  214.  
  215. Strengths
  216.  
  217. Protean nature makes her exceptionally hard to damage, and she lacks the cumbersome movement of her sister the Stone Golem. Runescribing may create exceptional combat units with access to a variety of weapons and tactics, and ability to re-attach severed body parts makes it so that the only option in battle is to cut her into several pieces unless you have access to fire or enchanted weapons.
  218.  
  219. Weaknesses
  220.  
  221. Considerable weakness to flame makes her easily dealt with by mages with access to fire magic. Enchanted weapons can rapidly sever her runes due to ease of cutting her body comparatively with her sisters. Unable to access magic even if independent and intelligent, and is unable to make cutting weapons due to the material she is crafted from.
  222.  
  223. Final Summary
  224.  
  225. As the overall course a Golem will take in battle is unpredictable, one should take to heart the few certain approaches to dealing with a specific Golem type. In the case of Clay Golems, fire is useful in drying her out to make her brittle and easily destroyed, and enchanted weapons are even more useful than average against Golems due to the lower resitance of her body against physical attacks.
  226.  
  227. ---
  228.  
  229. Flame Imp
  230. True Demon
  231. Hellions
  232.  
  233. BIOLOGY
  234.  
  235. Physiology
  236.  
  237. Flame Imps appear as short, fittingly impish humanoids with pink-red skin that constantly lets off heat, creating steam that rises from their body. Their eyes are yellow with black sclera and have horizontal pupils like that of a goat, while their teeth are pointed and sharp, with four prominent canines that are even longer and pointier than the rest of their teeth. Their tongues are blue and the back of their throat constantly glows a burning orange shade. Small horns emerge from their forehead, nubby and covered by their skin, and similar, but longer horns can be found on their shoulders and thighs. They only have four fingers on each hand, and their nails are pointy and black. They have two toes on each foot and have an overall inhuman look to said feet. They are rather thin and wiry, and overall can even look somewhat gaunt. Their internal organs are filled with fire and their blood literally boils, creating a hellish heat that surrounds an Imp at all times. Their bodies are nearly completely resistant to all sources of heat, and the heat they generate makes it so that not even cold regions are particularly hostile to them. Being that they produce such an intense heat, though do not sweat in the traditional sense, as it immediately is transformed into steam by the heat that surrounds the Imp. Imp blood will maintain an intense temperature for some time even after being shed, often leading to severe burns when facing an Imp without knowing of the intensity of their internal and external heat.
  238.  
  239. Intelligence
  240.  
  241. Flame Imps are fairly intelligent and crafty, and possess an intense sense of sadism and cruelty. They enjoy catching humans in traps or deceiving them with nasty tricks, and often act with the interest of causing as much pain and anguish as possible when encountering humans. Captured humans are likely to be savagely tortured or used as magical guinea pigs by Imps, regardless of age or gender. Despite their cruelty and tricky nature, they are not especially cowardly and will more likely retreat out of genuine tactical sense rather than fear. Their main weakness in intelligence is their tendency to bicker amongst each other, often ending up fighting over banal things like who gets the last piece of meat or whether they can go and torture a captive right after they just finished. They are prone to entering arguments even in the heat of battle, often leaving them vulnerable. They appear to have an instinctive response to other True Demons of greater power than them, becoming submissive and completely loyal to them, and as such a strong leader can mostly neutralize their bickering - though not completely.
  242.  
  243. Diet
  244.  
  245. Imps are strictly carnivorous and prefer the flesh of humans before anything else, though they can and will consume the flesh of simple animals - they'll just be grumpy about it. The inside of their mouth often rapidly cooks anything they eat, which alongside their intense body temperature in general largely eliminates almost any pathogen carried on food they consume. They enjoy salting meat considerably, helped by how due to their status as torture fanatics they often have lots of salt on hand.
  246.  
  247. Habitat
  248.  
  249. While Imps can be found in the service of Demon Lords across the globe, their primary natural habitat is the region of the Nether known as Hell, a massive unearthly burning firepit ruled over by True Demons. The region is completely thick with Imps due to their method of reproduction and as a result human forays into Hell have often had to deal with hundreds of Imps no matter how stealthy they try to be. Outside Hell, independent Imps are most likely to be found in especially hot areas, such as volcanoes or deserts.
  250.  
  251. Reproduction
  252.  
  253. Flame Imps do not reproduce in a traditional sense, and instead come into being as a result of one of the many embers of Hellfire in the depths of Hell cool down, turning into a large egg from which an Imp, fully grown, will hatch from in time. Because of this, they do not exactly understand the concept of family, though are all too aware of what doing horrible things to the family of human will provoke in response - suffering and anguish. Because of this fact, combined with how remote and heavily fortified their home region is from Human lands, it's unlikely that the existence of Flame Imps will be put to an end any time soon.
  254.  
  255. SOCIOLOGY
  256.  
  257. Community
  258.  
  259. Imps are almost unable to form genuine communities of their own due to their tendency to bicker and infight, though they can work together on the short term. However, their instinctual loyalty to stronger True Demons makes it so they are a hallmark of almost any Demonic force, both in Hell and on the surface. They often provide the rank and file soldiers of a Demonic army, fulfilling the role Goblins often play in the armies of other Monster Lords. They can also be found in considerable, though not quite as large, numbers in the forces of Monster Lords skilled with diabolic magic, allowing them to summon Imps from Hell and bind them to their services.
  260.  
  261. Technology
  262.  
  263. Imps don't exactly have the patience for active technological development, but they have obtained the knowledge of metalsmithing over time owing to the hellish environment they are born in and their own production of unbearable heat. They often cover themselves with metal chains, shackles, and simplistic metal plates here and there, and produce weapons such as daggers, axes, and of course, the iconic Imp trident. They also have some exceptional skill in coming up with and creating torture implements and traps, suggesting that had their personalities not been made so savage that they could have been skilled inventors.
  264.  
  265. Theology
  266.  
  267. As is the case with all True Demons, Imps are devout worshipers of Mon and spare no thought on other objects of worship. They most often supply worship towards the Demon God through sacrifices of humans and crusades against the surface in service of their masters. The traditional pitchfork that Imps often wield as a weapon is actually a sign of faith, as the actual fork at the top is based off the symbol of Mon and thus all Monsters.
  268.  
  269. Diplomacy
  270.  
  271. Imps, befitting their cruel and mean personalities, are terrible at diplomacy and never engage in it independently, and it's unlikely any Demon Lord that's come to lead a group of Imps will use them for such purposes either. All in all, an Imp diplomat is more likely to escalate tensions rather than de-escalate.
  272.  
  273. Hostility
  274.  
  275. Imps are extremely hostile towards humans and will attack them without any provocation, usually with the intent of inflicting a horrible fate of some kind on them. Their attitudes towards other Monsters is generally less hostile, but they can still end up attacking them if they feel provoked or just end up wanting to, and this is more likely against less devout Monsters such as Beasts. They will never be hostile to other True Demons unless they are in service of a Demon Lord who is enemies with another faction of True Demons.
  276.  
  277. HUNTING
  278.  
  279. Range
  280.  
  281. Imps only have a natural range inside of Hell, and their appearances in other regions of either the Nether or the Known World is limited, though exploratory reports indicate they are somewhat common in the great western desert of the New World - but as with all information on the New World, this is uncertain and only included for posterity. In general, it is likely they are present in the range of other, stronger True Demons.
  282.  
  283. Magic
  284.  
  285. Flame Imps have a respectable natural affinity for Fire Magic and can use it to propel orbs of flames at enemies and heat their weapons even further than the heat the mere proximity induces in the weapon. Some stronger Imps are able to access more advanced Fire Magic attacks such as flaming weapons or a fire shield, but this is uncommon. Flame Imps have little patience to become Sorcerers, but there have been a few historic exceptions.
  286.  
  287. Combat
  288.  
  289. When a Flame Imp enters battle, she will often be relentless in her attacks, often at great risk to herself, both due to her savage and bloodthirsty nature and how her heat aura and boiling blood make it somewhat safer to follow a berserker-like style of combat. If she is skilled with her own personal magic enough, she will often hang back and fling fireballs at her enemy rather than attack directly. Due to the tendency for them to show up as simple attacks in popular stories, I caution you to take care when facing an Imp with this capability - Fireballs are not simple or insignificant, and they can induce horrible long-term burns. She will often aim as well to induce great pain in her enemy by heating her weapons or attacking especially vulnerable parts of the enemy.
  290.  
  291. Strengths
  292.  
  293. An intense heat aura makes it difficult for the average human to safely fight a Flame Imp, and her cunning and cruel mind means she'll always look for the best ways to induce battle-ending damage and pain. Her skill with magic often lets her take the role of both a long range and close range fighter, and her heated weapons are painful and exceptionally dangerous.
  294.  
  295. Weaknesses
  296.  
  297. A combination of not wearing much compared to similar enemies such as Goblins and a distinct sense of bloodlust makes it more likely she will take a fatal wound in battle. Arguments with fellow Imps will often leave her distracted enough for her enemy to attack with initiative, which can in turn scatter her entire party.
  298.  
  299. Final Summary
  300.  
  301. When facing a Flame Imp, make sure to wear flame protective oils and avoid spending too much time in her aura to avoid fatigue. Defense is essential due to the likelihood a single good hit from her heated weapons can end an encounter, and one should always pay attention towards fireballs in flight so as to avoid being hit. If possible, try and further heat up any arguments an Imp is having, as she is unlikely to realize you're doing this to sabotage her.
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