Dan Sagittarius (
hallelujahjunction) wrote2020-11-13 09:10 pm
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Dan's World Lore
"The Weird" is the shorthand everyone on Dan's world who is in-the-know uses to describe supernatural phenomena, and the complicated bureaucracy and governing that emerged from that phenomena completely unbeknownst to the Normal Humans in the world. The Weird refers to monsters, it refers to dumb magical courtrooms, it refers to superpowers. The Weird is anything you just come to accept because it's weird, but whatever. The law of the land is that those who know of or work in The Weird should never mention it to Normal Humans.
“Common Tongue” is a language innate to most monster types. Very few humans speak it, as it’s quite difficult to master. It shares no root words with any human language, is tonal, and is highly context-dependent. Due to the fact that it lacks almost all adjectives and has a limited compendium of nouns, Common Tongue relies on metaphor and similarities and comes across as very poetic; for example, instead of saying “the bird is blue”, one would say “the bird is like the sky”, and to say “gun” one would say “a knife with thunder.” There is no way to directly translate to English and there is no written version.
The first phrase Dan teaches everyone in Common Tongue is “I’m like a meadow. I know someone with a monster’s voice, let me find him” which roughly translates to “I’m peaceful and I know someone who speaks your language, let me find him.”
HUMAN
Human participants in The Weird makes up a tiny portion of the global population - probably around less than one ten-thousandth of a percent. The types of humans are: Spellslingers, Hexes, Sorcerers, Necromancers, Psychics, Normal Humans and Mundanes. The overwhelming majority of humans involved in The Weird are magicians, who generally affiliate with either the agencies The Shield or The Agency.
The Shield is the older organization, going back hundreds of years. Different branches of The Shield are involved in the study and development of magic, protecting magical creatures and places from Normal Humans, archiving magical history, regulating the school and employment system for spellslingers, hiding The Weird from Normal Humans, and hunting monsters. The Agency is much newer, and while it often overlaps in cause with The Shield, The Agency has the notable attitude of trying to sneak magic into the world of Normal Humans by disguising it as science. While The Shield and The Agency occasionally collaborate or contract out work to each other, the relationship between the two organizations is relatively hostile.
Both The Shield and The Agency have unions for their monster hunters (as well as for other jobs), although they do contract out with independent contractors (like Dan). The unions, with all their leadership positions being held by magicians, have contracts that are generally predisposed to favor magicians over other types of hunters, which makes them somewhat controversial.
Spellslinger – A human naturally gifted with magic. Spellslingers are the dominant force in The Weird, as well as in all the associated agencies and administrations apart from the supernatural world. Spellslingers often become scholars of magic, overlaying their natural talents with extensive knowledge of different ways to use their magic. Typically, Spellslingers will choose one element to focus their magical study on, such as fire, electricity, plants or water, and their abilities allow them to see into the past, use offensive attacks, enchant objects or people, and fly. Boarding schools exist for Spellslinger children to learn magic while continuing their usual studies. Large groups of Spellslingers can use “big magic” together to cast protective shields over city blocks, revive the dead, teleport people across countries, and otherwise perform impressive feats. The Ancient One and Randall Jenkinson are Spellslingers.
Hex – A magician with no natural magical ability, but who uses rituals and recipes to cast curses, spells, hexes and exorcisms. Hexes are a large minority of decisionmakers in The Weird, but tend to be looked down upon by Spellslingers because “anyone can do that”. Hexes typically use animal bone, human body parts, herbs and crystals to perform their magic. Dell Elise Caddoway, Leah Fuchs, and Heather Novak are Hexes.
Sorcerer – A magician with no natural magical ability, but who is able to work spells due to pledging loyalty to a minor god. Like the Hex, a large minority of movers and shakers in The Weird. A Sorcerer typically is able to access magic by having their god bless them with superhuman abilities, such as strength, speed or favorable conditions, or by asking their near-omniscient god for hidden information. Randall Jenkinson is both a Spellslinger and a Sorcerer.
Necromancers – A death magician who gains their mastery over death forces by murdering three children on the summer or winter solstice (they have to be young enough to still have baby teeth). Capable of “big magic”, i.e., raising the dead from an entire cemetery, wiping a small town off the map, granting themselves and others immortality, summoning creatures from Hell, altering weather patterns across two hundred miles, casting generational curses, etc. Generally are sorted into either “blood magic”, “blight magic” and “bone magic”, which means their spells either rely on fresh human blood, on blighting large patches of earth to remain barren, or on using human bone. Necromancers are capable of “binding” people and creatures, forcing them into unwilling servitude. A complication is that a necromancer’s later children will also gain the necromancer’s magical powers, so sins of the father, yada yada. In unusual circumstances, children killed violently on the solstice under a full moon may become ghosts with necromantic powers. Despite all their power, necromancers are still human and subject to all the weaknesses that entails. Though not foolproof, there are charms, warding rituals, and herb combinations that can protect people from curses, although reversing a curse requires magic. Open necromancers are very reluctantly tolerated as decisionmakers in the Weird among other magicians, and Dan hates that.
Psychics – Humans who, while otherwise not inherently magical, receive unsolicited visions from the future or from other locations in the present, including, potentially, other planes of existence such as the faerie realm. The manner that they receive these visions, and how much they appreciate them, varies wildly, from unfortunate folks who have excruciating, headache-inducing, nauseating visions of death, to lucky ones who just occasionally receive “gut feelings” about future courses of action. Heather Novak is both a Psychic and a Hex.
Mundane – A human who is one of the small percentage of people who can never use magic, even if they perform rituals, exorcisms and spells correctly and with the right ingredients. This seems to just be a genetic incapability, as being a Mundane runs in families. Unfortunately, Magic can still be used on them. Dan Sagittarius is a Mundane.
HUMANOID MONSTERS
Bast – A humanoid creature that can, like a vampire to a bat, shapeshift at will into a cat. Like vampires, basts suck blood and are nocturnal, although basts enjoy sleeping in the sunlight. Incredibly quick and strong, with sharp teeth and jaw strength that can punch through steel. Necromancers tend to bind basts, keeping them in their cat forms as familiars and using them as bodyguards. Ward with a combination of salt, turmeric, ginger and saffron, kill with copper or gold. Sapient and speak Common Tongue.
Bigfoot – A large, shy, solitary species of cryptid that lives in the redwoods and pacific northwest. Bigfoots are typically peaceful creatures that attack only when they or their forest is threatened, at which point they use their superhuman strength to shred their victims. They are considered a nuisance due to their proclivity to invade campgrounds and eat garbage there, much like bears. Can be warded with cinnamon, but as they speak Common Tongue, can often be reasoned with and convinced to go back into the depths of their forest.
Cryptcrawler – A humanoid creature that lurks around cemeteries and mausoleums and attacks anyone in the area at night, usually groundskeepers or edgy teens or monster-hunters trying to lay a spirit to rest. Though it looks humanoid, it backbend-crawls towards its prey with superhuman speed. It drags prey back to its nest, usually an empty grave or reserved spot in a mausoleum, and mummifies them for slow eating. Can disguise itself as a dessicated corpse. Larkspur is generally the best way to ward one, and it can be killed with brute force. Sapient and speaks Common Tongue.
Djinn – Djinn are humanoid monsters that often hide in plain sight, and are not generally malicious and just want to live a life like anyone else. They are usually tied to some type of valuable object, such as an item of jewelry or a lamp. Djinn are dangerous in that those around them suffer from bad luck, sickliness and poor mental health unless they have the Djinn’s favor, at which point their wishes begin to come true. It’s unclear how conscious a decision a djinn makes regarding people’s luck. Djinn are extremely protective of those that they care for, and can shapeshift into a variety of animals or use telekinesis. Can be warded with lilac, iceplant, or cherry blossom, can be bound by magic, and can be killed only by destroying their tethered object.
Faerie – Generally benign, faeries exist in a kingdom in a parallel realm, and are able to stop time and kidnap people to that realm if they feel slighted or need assistance. Faeries range in size and appearance from winged, elegant, elfin creatures to quadrupedal cat-sized gremlin-looking creatures. Typically, faeries keep to themselves unless they’re summoned or attacked by an invader from this realm. No one is entirely sure the limit of a faerie’s powers, or how to kill them, but they at the very least have the ability to manipulate time, teleport, use telekinesis and send telepathic messages across great distances, and some monsters seem able to kill the smaller subtypes of faeries. Can be summoned, and while they technically cannot be warded from a space, wearing something made of gold makes them unable to bring you to their realm. Fully sapient and speak most human languages, as well as Common Tongue.
Faun – A humanoid creature that lures heterosexual men into the forest, promising sexual pleasure, and then devours them. They tend to stake out hiking trails or outdoor festivals. Identifiable in that they tend to grow antlers in the same shape of whatever deer-like animals are in the area, and that flowers bloom wherever they step. Ward with propane, kerosene, gasoline or bleach, kill with silver or copper. Sapient and can speak Common Tongue.
Ghouls – Carnivorous creatures that assume the shape of those they consume, but often disfigured or barely-recognizable. Travel in packs and generally live in cellars, under floorboards or in sewers. Can be warded off with turmeric or ginger, don’t need to be decapitated, shooting them works just fine. Sapient and can speak Common Tongue.
Harpy – A beautiful, winged, feathered humanoid creature that migrates in a flock around the coast. Harpies typically eat wildlife, but occasionally eat campers, usually the smallest and most vulnerable. They frequently target school field trips or summer camps, as children are easy targets. Their feathers, which can range from iridescent to striking black and white, are prized by hexes for their properties as an ingredient in spells. Like many wilderness-welling creatures, can be warded with kerosene, propane and gasoline, and dislike lupin to the point where fields of lupins are certain hiding spaces from them. Can be killed by blunt force, as their bones are hollow. Sapient and speak Common Tongue.
Homunculus – a witch-created drone that takes on the appearance of others. Does not get the memories of the form they’re mimicking. Maybe sentient? No one knows. Jury’s out on how to kill them but it might involve killing the original witch that originated them, because these motherfuckers are sturdy. Alarming amounts of strength. The giveaway with the homunculus is that their voice never changes, even when they change forms. Speaks whatever language is native to the witch that created them.
Lupine – A werewolf-like creature that isn’t sapient, whether or not it’s in its human form. Lupines never rise above the sapience or intelligence level of a dog. Can be trained, as many magicians do, as pets that occasionally look like people or as familiars. Develop bloodlust during the full moon. Like werewolves, vulnerable solely to silver.
Mummy – Embalmed bodies reanimated by a necromancer. Called “mummies” instead of “zombies” because, as their bodies are literally falling apart, they’re often held in one piece by straps, braces, tight clothing, twine or plastic wrap. Mummies are difficult to kill and can only be stopped by burning the entire corpse, including the parts that fell off; however, they also stink and secrete fluids all over the place, which makes them easy to see coming and easy to track. Not sapient.
Nymph – A predatory humanoid creature that can transform its shape and coloring to resemble that of a tree, typically a species of tree common to the rural area it resides in. Usually a nuisance because they eat livestock and family pets, but often go after human beings as well. Extremely quick, strong and violent. Must be burned to death. Can be warded with gasoline, kerosene or propane. Sapient and speaks Common Tongue.
Pestilent – A humanoid creature that eats the corpses it creates by spreading infection and disease to those it touches. Its victims usually die of novel diseases a few weeks after contact with a pestilent, and during that time they remain highly contagious and pass the new strain of virus to others. Pestilents gravitate towards hospitals, nursing homes, detention centers and prisons, where rashes of infection and death are generally expected. Must be drowned in water to kill. Sapient and can speak Common Tongue.
Rakshasa – A nocturnal shapeshifter that feasts on human flesh. Rakshasa must be invited into a dwelling, and as such they often pose as comforting figures to children, such as family members or teachers, in order to devour their parents. In Dan’s world, they travel in family units. Extremely physically strong. Can be warded with vetiver, can be killed with brass or with brute force. Sapient and speak Common Tongue.
Shapeshifters – Humanoid creatures born of normal humans who can take on the shape of the persons or animals they kill. Do not obtain memories, and, as Dan notes, are generally terrible at improvisation. The only way to kill them is to destroy the corpse or burn the bones of their last victim. Cannot, in Dan’s world, be killed with silver. Can speak Common Tongue.
Siren – A mermaid-like creature that uses beautiful singing to draw people near to her. Many sirens aren’t violent, just slutty, and enjoy non-procreative, one-time-only dalliances with humans. However, insulting a siren drives them into a frenzy, and they’re capable of ripping people to shreds with their bare hands or of cursing individuals to fatal bad luck. They additionally secrete venom, which renders the corpse of someone killed by a siren a biological weapon to those trying to retrieve it. Can be warded with iceplant, and killed by dragging them onto land. Sapient and speak Common Tongue.
Soucouyant – A nocturnal bloodsucker that takes on the appearance of an elderly woman by the day. At night, she strips away her skin and flies into people’s houses to feed while they sleep, which, after several nights, can be fatal or can turn the victim into a fellow soucouyant. Can be warded or killed with salt, and can be stalled by spilling rice on the floor, which the soucouyant will stop to count. Sapient and can speak Common Tongue.
Vampire – Vampires are a diversified type of humanoid monster, united only in that they all suck blood, are nocturnal, and turn into bats. “Old world” vampires are decidedly not human in appearance, with pointed ears and molten faces, and can be killed by sunlight, garlic, silver, and a stake through the heart, and eat animals to supplement their hunting of humans. “New” vampires appear human, and can tolerate sunlight even if they don’t like it; they must be killed by a stake or by decapitation. All vampires of any sorts can turn humans into vampires with a bite to the neck, and all have superhuman strength. Usually group together in clusters, particularly in areas with little sunlight, such as sewers or caves. Some, but not all, can be warded with garlic or crosses. The only unilateral weapon against a vampire is a stake to the heart.
“Voodoo” Dolls – One of the most tragic supernatural figures there is, and has nothing to do with actual “voodoo”. The dolls are sapient, individual creatures created as doppelgangers by necromancers to be tortured in order to injure a third party. Though injury to them causes injury and pain to whomever they are a doppelganger of, they are their own unique personalities and sometimes escape from their necromancer. Sapient and can speak human language, but unlike other monsters, they have no automatic understanding of Common Tongue. They can only be killed under moonlight, although they can be incapacitated the same way a normal human is.
Werewolf – A humanoid monster with the ability to transform back and forth into a bear-sized wolf. Live in packs and are stricken with bloodlust near the full moon, which makes them violent and berserk. Many werewolves are integrated within human society in The Weird, and become monster hunters themselves, although they face discrimination from magicians. Carnivores, but most attempt to refrain from eating people and instead eat the same meat-based cuisine as humans. Can only be killed with silver.
ANIMALS AND PLANTS
*Familiars – Not their own distinct species, but familiars are animals, supernatural animals or humanoid monsters bound by necromancers to be their companions and bodyguards. A familiar acts as the eyes and ears of a necromancer, and often a necromancer can directly see through and communicate through their familiar. They are essentially automatons, with their free will suppressed by the will of the necromancer. Common familiars are basts, cheshires, hellhounds, crocottas, waterhounds, bloodmares and fauns. Familiars can be killed by the same means as their natural forms are, but may have magical powers that grant them increased strength and speed. Killing a familiar also kills the life repressed by the necromancer’s power. When speaking Common Tongue to a familiar, one is conversing directly with the controlling necromancer.
Basilisk – A sapient snake with the power of hypnosis, which typically feeds on pets in suburban locations. Basilisks are a nuisance until they get too big, at which point they become a threat, as they’ll slip through sewers and vents to get into buildings and eat humans. Once hypnotized, it can take victims several days to emerge from the trance. Can be warded with kudzu or cherry blossoms, can be killed with iron or copper. Speak Common Tongue, although with a distinct, lisping accent.
Bloodmare – a horse-like creature that travels in herds and eats flesh. Not usually a problem, as they tend to simply be a predatory animal roaming the wilderness, but if the food chain is disrupted in their grazing lands, they will move towards human civilization and pick off hikers, ranchers and campers, plus livestock. Difficult to see at night as they are semi-translucent and black. Can be shot, stabbed or beaten to death. Not sapient. Heather secretly has one on her ranch.
Cheshires – look like very large cats, a little bit bigger than a Maine Coon, with the stripes appearing to be inverted from a typical tabby. Asphyxiate people through sucking their breath out, especially children and infants. Tend to be pack creatures, unlike typical cats, and stay low to the ground, like in cellars and underbrush. Sometimes sneak into houses through vents, cat doors, propped doors, but will use their kitty-like charm to coax people to let them into the house as well. 100% sapient and can speak Common Tongue. Can be warded or killed with copper or gold.
Chimera – A creature with a lion-like face, an equine body and a cobra for the tail. Chimeras are generally thought to be the offspring of manticores that have been tampered with by magic, as they seem to be a very new breed of monster and have the manticore’s same poison. As far as has been observed, chimeras are short-lived and sterile. Like manticores, they prefer to keep to themselves but are often bound. Can be warded with camphor or eucalyptus and must be killed by metal, although there doesn’t appear to be any type that works best. Sapient and speak Common Tongue.
Chupacabra – Also known as goatsuckers, a reptilian, dog-like creature that sucks blood from its prey. Typically, chupacabras target small livestock, such as goats or small sheep, but if hungry will roam into populated areas looking for children to eat. They are excellent climbers, and frequently crawl through windows or vents to suck the blood of sleeping children. Chupacabras must be killed not only with silver, but with a pitchfork that mimics the two puncture wounds made by a chupacabra’s mouth. Can be warded with camphor or eucalyptus. Sapient and speak Common Tongue, but are uniformly assholes. Chupacabras ate Dell's baby, so they're number one on her shit list.
Crocotta – A hyena-like creature that eats people alive. The crocotta is notable for its ability to mimic the human voice, which it often uses to impersonate the loved ones of the recently bereaved, and for the fact that it has precious gems for eyes. It lurks outside places such as funeral homes or cemeteries and calls to grieving people in the voices of their family members, drawing them near so it can feast. Can be warded with kudzu and killed with blunt force or stabbing. Sapient and speaks Common Tongue.
Dragon – Exactly what it says on the tin. Dragons are massive, serpentine, carnivorous creatures with flight-capable wings. Only a handful exist in North America, and they are considered an endangered species. They typically reside inside mountains and emerge if summoned, rather than just if opportunity arises. They particularly enjoy eating humans, and will gravitate towards large gatherings of people as their “feeding grounds”. Necromancers occasionally bind them as an insurance policy against intruders. Sapient and speak Common Tongue.
Firemoth - Beautiful firefly-like creatures notable mostly because their crushed bodies are useful in varieties of spells. Endangered, and protected by The Shield. Semi-sapient; while they cannot speak, they can understand simple spoken Common Tongue commands.
Gargoyles – Exactly what it says on the tin; animalistic statues that come to life in the dark and feast on humans. Extremely aggressive, but usually only “wake up” once or twice a year. Has to be in its original location and pose to go back to “sleep”. Can be killed with copper or if exposed to direct sunlight while away from their original location/position, but nearly impossible to destroy when in statue form. Not sapient.
Hellcat – A panther-like creature that drags victims through portals into Hell. Black, large, vicious and thankfully easy to smell coming because they reek of charcoal and brimstone. Can be killed by drowning with water, which they’re terrified of, and can be warded with mint or lamb’s ear. Actively impossible to bind with spells, although many necromancers have died trying. Sapient and can speak Common Tongue.
Hellhound – A large pit bull-like dog from Hell, literally. Necromancers often summon them to the surface world to do their bidding. Like hellcats, capable of pulling people through portals into Hell, although unlike hellcats they often just rip people to pieces and leave them to bleed out. Can be warded with many of the same things that can be used against other fire-based monsters, such as mint and lamb’s ear as well as camphor, salt and eucalyptus. Can be banished or trapped, but not killed. Unlike hellcats, not sapient.
Hide-Behind – a forest-dwelling cryptid that is incredibly quick and, like its name suggests, approaches people from behind. Typically leaves people ripped to pieces, which often gets blamed on bears. Can be deterred with alcohol, but needs to be killed with silver. Sapient and speaks Common Tongue.
Manekineko – Sometimes referred to as a “capitalism cat” or a “mi-ke cat”, these are non-malicious cat-like creatures that bring great financial fortune and luck to the humans they bond with, but at the expense of causing horrible, sometimes lethal bad luck to people unliked by their bonded owner. As they are highly treasured, fights over them get bloody. They find being separated from them a violent, devastating act, and as far as anyone can tell their luck manipulation is unintentional. They appear as calico or tabby cats with patches of fur that appears golden. Like cheshires, can be warded or killed with copper, and can be attracted by a jade plant (for “luck”). Sapient and speak Common Tongue.
Manticore – A panther-like creature with a barbed tail filled with hallucinogenic poison, which is highly treasured by magicians for its magical properties. Manticores are both shy and rare, but occasionally bound by necromancers to be attack animals. Left to its own devices, a manticore will avoid humans and live peacefully in the mountains. Can be warded with camphor or eucalyptus and can be killed with any metal if stabbed or shot. Sapient and speak Common Tongue.
Mimic – a frisbee-sized, flat creature that can pose as inanimate objects like shoes or pillows. Usually travel in groups of twenty or thirty, will infest a building for years before feeding, at which point they’ll eat everyone in the building whole and leave nothing but bloodstains. Tend to congregate in hotels, conference halls, and any other place with large groups of people. Can be killed with blunt force, but the tendency to swarm is A Problem. Not sapient, basically just like a really terrible termite infestation.
Phantoms – can be warded off with turmeric or ginger or killed with iron, but unlike in other worlds, are distinct from ghosts (or, for that matter, from revenants). Phantoms are more like tulpas in that they’re willed into existence rather than ever having been a living thing, despite otherwise being similar to ghosts, which means burning the bones isn’t a possibility – but unlike ghosts, iron can kill rather than just disperse them. Usually have telekinetic powers strong enough to throw someone across the room. Cannot speak Common Tongue, unclear how intelligent they are.
Phoenix - Fiery birds that travel in flocks and have an endless lifespan unless they are "killed", which sadly often happens when they're sucked into jet engines. Problematic because when they fly into windows, they tend to cause fires. Don't actually die; they are reborn in ash, and it doesn't even have to be their own. Phoenix feathers are frequent tools for spells. Not sapient.
Pixies – Ugly little motherfuckers that appear more similar to deformed Furbies with long limbs than to fairies or imps. They eat eyeballs, lips, fingers and toes, and often leave their targets alive. Can be dissuaded or killed with copper; even carrying a penny in one’s pocket is enough to get them to leave you alone. Tend to infest group living situations like apartment complexes, nursing homes, prisons. Sapient but real dumb, speak a pidgin version of Common Tongue.
Reaper Vine – A genetically-engineered type of witchmoss fused with a human (thanks, magicians), which can engulf an entire city block in a matter of hours. Unlike true witchmoss, not malicious, and won’t hurt anyone intentionally, but problematic as it fills every crevice and slows mechanics to a crawl and keeps spreading unless it’s burned. Must be destroyed with fire. Sapient and speaks Common Tongue.
Roux-ga-roux – A wolf-like semi-humanoid beast that drinks blood, usually attacking the same target over several weeks until they’ve killed them. Often travels in packs and occasionally interbreeds with humans, although all young are simply human. Ward with ginger and mint, kill with iron. Sapient and speaks Common Tongue.
Scylla – Huge, clawed, humanoid creatures that infest large bodies of water and drag people under to suck out their souls. Generally solitary creatures. Will pull an entire air craft carrier underwater if they see the opportunity. Theory goes that they come up from the Marianas Trench. Must be killed with, of all things, plastic. Sapient and speaks Common Tongue.
Seabeasts – Dan’s favorite! A seabeast is a water-dwelling relative of the dragon that lives in the ocean or in lakes. Typically, they eat fish or algae. Mostly, they’re only aggressive if they’re deprived of food or overstimulated by activity in their home; the time Dan met one, it had been marked for euthanasia after eating a family on a boat during a festival on the lake. The Loch Ness Monster is the most famous example. Dog-like attitudes but sapient, although they can’t speak Common Tongue.
Soul-Bat – A large bat-looking mass of energy that feasts on people’s emotions, leaving them depressed, apathetic shells permanently incapable of basic functions like eating independently. Typically hunt in rural areas and prey on people wandering out alone. Drawn to extreme emotion, so the typical hunting technique to lure a soul-bat is to go out as bait and listen to sad music or read terribly sad books, then kill it with something copper or brass. Sapient but cannot speak Common Tongue.
Waterhound – A dog-like creature that drags its victims into fresh water and drowns them to death. Invisible when in the water, and only semi-visible on land. A frequent concern in swampy areas or near lakes, where they can attack in packs. Can be warded with camphor or eucalyptus, can be killed by blunt force or stabbing.
Witchmoss – A type of semi-sentient plant covering that can cover an entire room in a matter of hours and which will unintentionally kill any breathing thing it encounters by submerging it in moss and vines. Will whip people with vines if they threaten it, such as with fire or poison. Must be killed with fire. Not sapient.
Yeti – A northern cousin of the bigfoot, distinct for its white fur and the fact that yetis travel in clans. Generally not dangerous, but can become deadly if surprised, as they essentially have many times the strength of a bear. Yetis are often utilized by hunters as sources of information, as yetis are very social with every type of creature except humans, and because they live for hundreds of years and often have deep wisdom about the region. Yetis are sapient and speak Common Tongue, and often speak human languages as well.
SPIRITS
“Spirit” is a catch-all term for a monster created from a sapient creature’s soul when that person dies. Spirits run the gamut between simple ghosts to forces of pure vengeance, depending on the temperament of the deceased and on the circumstances of their death. Some spirits last only a few days, and others linger for years or even decades. Most people never become spirits, as becoming a spirit is usually relegated to those who are most resistant to accepting death.
Ghost – Subcategory of spirit, the embodiment of a deceased person that has remained on this plane due to “missing the boat” on accepting their death. Ghosts typically retain their memories and personalities despite death, and though they’re typically invisible, can become visible as a matter of experience and willpower or chance. Sometimes, ghosts don’t even realize they’re dead, and continue to eat, drink and live as if nothing is the matter. Ghosts whose bodies died under a constellation of unusual circumstances – for example, children who were murdered during a summer solstice on a full moon – often have access to immense magical powers they didn’t have when they were alive. Ghosts are usually “tethered” to the place of their death, which prevents them from going more than a hundred yards away unless someone performs an exorcism or they become a different type of spirit. A ghost can be warded with salt or iron, and can be killed by burning their bones or by being convinced to give up their life force. After a time, between weeks and years, a ghost is likely to deteriorate and become a malevolent spirit listed below.
Babadon’ts – a relatively new subcategory of soul-eaters that target children and pose as figures calming to children, like cartoon characters, imaginary friends or ponies. Dan’s take on this is “fuck these guys”. Kill with fire. Ward with verbena, rose oil or lilac. Can speak Common Tongue and the human language of their original form; Babadon’ts are always relatively young soul-eaters because they need to be able to communicate with children and lose their ability to trap children if they’re no longer sapient and verbal.
Demon – A malevolent spirit that was trapped in Hell and somehow released, which can possess both living and dead bodies. Powerful demons are capable of telekinesis and telepathy, and are incredibly intelligent. They can speak the language of their host body and Common Tongue. Tend to coordinate with each other and pass as their host bodies easily, as they absorb their memories. Salt, camphor and eucalyptus are useful as temporary wards, and demons can be exorcised and banished back to hell by verbal incantations. Destroying the bones is the only known way to kill them, but it’s often difficult to identify their original form due to their penchant for possession.
Dreamwalker – the detached spirits of people who are somehow still tethered to this world, such as brain-dead coma patients or people whose closest loved ones refuse to accept their death. They appear in the dreams of people within a several mile radius, often as a blurry figure begging for help finding their way home. They’re not malicious but they’re still harmful, because they inevitably cause mental “rot” in the people whose dreams they move through, which causes severe mental illness or cognitive impairment. If threatened, can weaponize the landscapes of the dream they’re in to cause psychological injury both to the attacker and the dreamer. Can be warded by verbena, rose oil, or lilac, and can be killed by killing the original body, although the best solution is usually to diplomatically get them to accept that they’re actually dead and can’t go back to their old body. Sapient and speak Common Tongue or whatever language they spoke when alive.
Firewalker – An angry spirit with the ability to travel by a sort of teleportation through open flames, such as from a fireplace to a campfire. Firewalkers tend to latch onto families and find ways to burn all members of the family alive before moving to new targets. They’re visible as face-like apparitions inside a flame, and can be warded with a combination of salt and turpentine, or mint, lamb’s ear or ice plant. Burning the bones only makes them stronger, and as such the best one can do with a firewalker is to bind the ghost with a spell or banish them from a home through exorcism. Sapient but does not speak Common Tongue.
Goryo – A vengeful spirit of someone who has been mortally betrayed in life and is currently taking it out on everyone else. Distinguished from other spirits in that they have massive telekinetic powers, able to toss trucks around as if it’s nothing. Ward with rose oil, verbena and lilac, can be bound with spells. Can only be killed by burning the bones. Sapient and speaks Common Tongue.
Onryo – An incredibly powerful and thankfully rare subtype of ghost which causes natural disasters or massacres in order to eat the souls of the victims. As with most ghosts, burning the bones is the only way to kill it for sure, but it can be bound with magic (which necromancers do a lot). Difficult to ward due to the massive scale of their attacks. Usually so distorted from their original ghost form that they are not sapient anymore.
Poltergeist – a type of spirit that causes dangerous mischief. Unlike other ghosts, is incontrovertibly bound to the location in which they died and cannot be exorcised. Invisible, quick and vindictive. Can only be killed by burning bones but can be bound by spells or warded with salt and iron. Sapient and speak Common Tongue, but are usually dicks about it and use it to make fart jokes.
Revenant – combination of a ghost and dreamwalker. Eats people’s souls while they’re sleeping over several weeks, often appearing in their nightmares as it does, but is like a ghost in that it had an original human form and can be destroyed by burning the bones. Can be warded by verbena, rose oil, or lilac. Usually not sapient.
Snitch – A particular subcategory of spirit that’s created from a teenager who was murdered by or committed suicide due to bullying. Dan prefers to call these “hurt kid ghosts”, but “snitch” is the term widely used by the monster-hunting community. Snitches only seek revenge on those that wronged them in life, but do so in brutal, horrifying manner, often stalking their prey for weeks before delivering a fatal blow. Snitches are remarkable for being able to continue using whatever type of technology was available to them at the time of their passing to psychologically terrorize their targets, such as text messages, chatrooms and phone calls. Snitches can be laid to rest by burning the bones of the original body, but can also be dissuaded from vengeance by convincing them to give up their life force and leave this plane of existence, which is Dan’s preferred tactic. Can be warded with salt and verbena. Sapient and speak both whatever language was spoken by their original form and Common Tongue.
Soul-Eater – it’s like a revenant but you’re awake, and instead of taking weeks, it eats your soul in thirty seconds! These assholes suck to deal with! Can be warded by verbena, rose oil or lilac, can be bound with spells, gotta burn the bones, but particularly dangerous because necromancers tend to create, capture and deputize these beings as their goons. Over years, a soul-eater will start to lose its form and just become a mass of dark, harmless energy. How sapient they are and if they speak Common Tongue is dependent on how long they’ve been a soul-eater.
Wraith – A malevolent spirit that possesses people and uses their bodies to inflict harm on others. Frequently “hops” between bodies to avoid detection, leaving nothing but a trail of random violence in its wake. Outside a human host, has telekinetic powers strong enough to toss a car around. Can be warded with sage, and any gold applied to the host body will cause it to disembark from the host (such as a gold wedding ring). Can be dispersed with iron, can be exorcised with incantations, and can be killed by burning the original bones. It’s difficult to gage their level of sapience, but they do not respond to Common Tongue.
“Common Tongue” is a language innate to most monster types. Very few humans speak it, as it’s quite difficult to master. It shares no root words with any human language, is tonal, and is highly context-dependent. Due to the fact that it lacks almost all adjectives and has a limited compendium of nouns, Common Tongue relies on metaphor and similarities and comes across as very poetic; for example, instead of saying “the bird is blue”, one would say “the bird is like the sky”, and to say “gun” one would say “a knife with thunder.” There is no way to directly translate to English and there is no written version.
The first phrase Dan teaches everyone in Common Tongue is “I’m like a meadow. I know someone with a monster’s voice, let me find him” which roughly translates to “I’m peaceful and I know someone who speaks your language, let me find him.”
HUMAN
Human participants in The Weird makes up a tiny portion of the global population - probably around less than one ten-thousandth of a percent. The types of humans are: Spellslingers, Hexes, Sorcerers, Necromancers, Psychics, Normal Humans and Mundanes. The overwhelming majority of humans involved in The Weird are magicians, who generally affiliate with either the agencies The Shield or The Agency.
The Shield is the older organization, going back hundreds of years. Different branches of The Shield are involved in the study and development of magic, protecting magical creatures and places from Normal Humans, archiving magical history, regulating the school and employment system for spellslingers, hiding The Weird from Normal Humans, and hunting monsters. The Agency is much newer, and while it often overlaps in cause with The Shield, The Agency has the notable attitude of trying to sneak magic into the world of Normal Humans by disguising it as science. While The Shield and The Agency occasionally collaborate or contract out work to each other, the relationship between the two organizations is relatively hostile.
Both The Shield and The Agency have unions for their monster hunters (as well as for other jobs), although they do contract out with independent contractors (like Dan). The unions, with all their leadership positions being held by magicians, have contracts that are generally predisposed to favor magicians over other types of hunters, which makes them somewhat controversial.
Spellslinger – A human naturally gifted with magic. Spellslingers are the dominant force in The Weird, as well as in all the associated agencies and administrations apart from the supernatural world. Spellslingers often become scholars of magic, overlaying their natural talents with extensive knowledge of different ways to use their magic. Typically, Spellslingers will choose one element to focus their magical study on, such as fire, electricity, plants or water, and their abilities allow them to see into the past, use offensive attacks, enchant objects or people, and fly. Boarding schools exist for Spellslinger children to learn magic while continuing their usual studies. Large groups of Spellslingers can use “big magic” together to cast protective shields over city blocks, revive the dead, teleport people across countries, and otherwise perform impressive feats. The Ancient One and Randall Jenkinson are Spellslingers.
Hex – A magician with no natural magical ability, but who uses rituals and recipes to cast curses, spells, hexes and exorcisms. Hexes are a large minority of decisionmakers in The Weird, but tend to be looked down upon by Spellslingers because “anyone can do that”. Hexes typically use animal bone, human body parts, herbs and crystals to perform their magic. Dell Elise Caddoway, Leah Fuchs, and Heather Novak are Hexes.
Sorcerer – A magician with no natural magical ability, but who is able to work spells due to pledging loyalty to a minor god. Like the Hex, a large minority of movers and shakers in The Weird. A Sorcerer typically is able to access magic by having their god bless them with superhuman abilities, such as strength, speed or favorable conditions, or by asking their near-omniscient god for hidden information. Randall Jenkinson is both a Spellslinger and a Sorcerer.
Necromancers – A death magician who gains their mastery over death forces by murdering three children on the summer or winter solstice (they have to be young enough to still have baby teeth). Capable of “big magic”, i.e., raising the dead from an entire cemetery, wiping a small town off the map, granting themselves and others immortality, summoning creatures from Hell, altering weather patterns across two hundred miles, casting generational curses, etc. Generally are sorted into either “blood magic”, “blight magic” and “bone magic”, which means their spells either rely on fresh human blood, on blighting large patches of earth to remain barren, or on using human bone. Necromancers are capable of “binding” people and creatures, forcing them into unwilling servitude. A complication is that a necromancer’s later children will also gain the necromancer’s magical powers, so sins of the father, yada yada. In unusual circumstances, children killed violently on the solstice under a full moon may become ghosts with necromantic powers. Despite all their power, necromancers are still human and subject to all the weaknesses that entails. Though not foolproof, there are charms, warding rituals, and herb combinations that can protect people from curses, although reversing a curse requires magic. Open necromancers are very reluctantly tolerated as decisionmakers in the Weird among other magicians, and Dan hates that.
Psychics – Humans who, while otherwise not inherently magical, receive unsolicited visions from the future or from other locations in the present, including, potentially, other planes of existence such as the faerie realm. The manner that they receive these visions, and how much they appreciate them, varies wildly, from unfortunate folks who have excruciating, headache-inducing, nauseating visions of death, to lucky ones who just occasionally receive “gut feelings” about future courses of action. Heather Novak is both a Psychic and a Hex.
Mundane – A human who is one of the small percentage of people who can never use magic, even if they perform rituals, exorcisms and spells correctly and with the right ingredients. This seems to just be a genetic incapability, as being a Mundane runs in families. Unfortunately, Magic can still be used on them. Dan Sagittarius is a Mundane.
HUMANOID MONSTERS
Bast – A humanoid creature that can, like a vampire to a bat, shapeshift at will into a cat. Like vampires, basts suck blood and are nocturnal, although basts enjoy sleeping in the sunlight. Incredibly quick and strong, with sharp teeth and jaw strength that can punch through steel. Necromancers tend to bind basts, keeping them in their cat forms as familiars and using them as bodyguards. Ward with a combination of salt, turmeric, ginger and saffron, kill with copper or gold. Sapient and speak Common Tongue.
Bigfoot – A large, shy, solitary species of cryptid that lives in the redwoods and pacific northwest. Bigfoots are typically peaceful creatures that attack only when they or their forest is threatened, at which point they use their superhuman strength to shred their victims. They are considered a nuisance due to their proclivity to invade campgrounds and eat garbage there, much like bears. Can be warded with cinnamon, but as they speak Common Tongue, can often be reasoned with and convinced to go back into the depths of their forest.
Cryptcrawler – A humanoid creature that lurks around cemeteries and mausoleums and attacks anyone in the area at night, usually groundskeepers or edgy teens or monster-hunters trying to lay a spirit to rest. Though it looks humanoid, it backbend-crawls towards its prey with superhuman speed. It drags prey back to its nest, usually an empty grave or reserved spot in a mausoleum, and mummifies them for slow eating. Can disguise itself as a dessicated corpse. Larkspur is generally the best way to ward one, and it can be killed with brute force. Sapient and speaks Common Tongue.
Djinn – Djinn are humanoid monsters that often hide in plain sight, and are not generally malicious and just want to live a life like anyone else. They are usually tied to some type of valuable object, such as an item of jewelry or a lamp. Djinn are dangerous in that those around them suffer from bad luck, sickliness and poor mental health unless they have the Djinn’s favor, at which point their wishes begin to come true. It’s unclear how conscious a decision a djinn makes regarding people’s luck. Djinn are extremely protective of those that they care for, and can shapeshift into a variety of animals or use telekinesis. Can be warded with lilac, iceplant, or cherry blossom, can be bound by magic, and can be killed only by destroying their tethered object.
Faerie – Generally benign, faeries exist in a kingdom in a parallel realm, and are able to stop time and kidnap people to that realm if they feel slighted or need assistance. Faeries range in size and appearance from winged, elegant, elfin creatures to quadrupedal cat-sized gremlin-looking creatures. Typically, faeries keep to themselves unless they’re summoned or attacked by an invader from this realm. No one is entirely sure the limit of a faerie’s powers, or how to kill them, but they at the very least have the ability to manipulate time, teleport, use telekinesis and send telepathic messages across great distances, and some monsters seem able to kill the smaller subtypes of faeries. Can be summoned, and while they technically cannot be warded from a space, wearing something made of gold makes them unable to bring you to their realm. Fully sapient and speak most human languages, as well as Common Tongue.
Faun – A humanoid creature that lures heterosexual men into the forest, promising sexual pleasure, and then devours them. They tend to stake out hiking trails or outdoor festivals. Identifiable in that they tend to grow antlers in the same shape of whatever deer-like animals are in the area, and that flowers bloom wherever they step. Ward with propane, kerosene, gasoline or bleach, kill with silver or copper. Sapient and can speak Common Tongue.
Ghouls – Carnivorous creatures that assume the shape of those they consume, but often disfigured or barely-recognizable. Travel in packs and generally live in cellars, under floorboards or in sewers. Can be warded off with turmeric or ginger, don’t need to be decapitated, shooting them works just fine. Sapient and can speak Common Tongue.
Harpy – A beautiful, winged, feathered humanoid creature that migrates in a flock around the coast. Harpies typically eat wildlife, but occasionally eat campers, usually the smallest and most vulnerable. They frequently target school field trips or summer camps, as children are easy targets. Their feathers, which can range from iridescent to striking black and white, are prized by hexes for their properties as an ingredient in spells. Like many wilderness-welling creatures, can be warded with kerosene, propane and gasoline, and dislike lupin to the point where fields of lupins are certain hiding spaces from them. Can be killed by blunt force, as their bones are hollow. Sapient and speak Common Tongue.
Homunculus – a witch-created drone that takes on the appearance of others. Does not get the memories of the form they’re mimicking. Maybe sentient? No one knows. Jury’s out on how to kill them but it might involve killing the original witch that originated them, because these motherfuckers are sturdy. Alarming amounts of strength. The giveaway with the homunculus is that their voice never changes, even when they change forms. Speaks whatever language is native to the witch that created them.
Lupine – A werewolf-like creature that isn’t sapient, whether or not it’s in its human form. Lupines never rise above the sapience or intelligence level of a dog. Can be trained, as many magicians do, as pets that occasionally look like people or as familiars. Develop bloodlust during the full moon. Like werewolves, vulnerable solely to silver.
Mummy – Embalmed bodies reanimated by a necromancer. Called “mummies” instead of “zombies” because, as their bodies are literally falling apart, they’re often held in one piece by straps, braces, tight clothing, twine or plastic wrap. Mummies are difficult to kill and can only be stopped by burning the entire corpse, including the parts that fell off; however, they also stink and secrete fluids all over the place, which makes them easy to see coming and easy to track. Not sapient.
Nymph – A predatory humanoid creature that can transform its shape and coloring to resemble that of a tree, typically a species of tree common to the rural area it resides in. Usually a nuisance because they eat livestock and family pets, but often go after human beings as well. Extremely quick, strong and violent. Must be burned to death. Can be warded with gasoline, kerosene or propane. Sapient and speaks Common Tongue.
Pestilent – A humanoid creature that eats the corpses it creates by spreading infection and disease to those it touches. Its victims usually die of novel diseases a few weeks after contact with a pestilent, and during that time they remain highly contagious and pass the new strain of virus to others. Pestilents gravitate towards hospitals, nursing homes, detention centers and prisons, where rashes of infection and death are generally expected. Must be drowned in water to kill. Sapient and can speak Common Tongue.
Rakshasa – A nocturnal shapeshifter that feasts on human flesh. Rakshasa must be invited into a dwelling, and as such they often pose as comforting figures to children, such as family members or teachers, in order to devour their parents. In Dan’s world, they travel in family units. Extremely physically strong. Can be warded with vetiver, can be killed with brass or with brute force. Sapient and speak Common Tongue.
Shapeshifters – Humanoid creatures born of normal humans who can take on the shape of the persons or animals they kill. Do not obtain memories, and, as Dan notes, are generally terrible at improvisation. The only way to kill them is to destroy the corpse or burn the bones of their last victim. Cannot, in Dan’s world, be killed with silver. Can speak Common Tongue.
Siren – A mermaid-like creature that uses beautiful singing to draw people near to her. Many sirens aren’t violent, just slutty, and enjoy non-procreative, one-time-only dalliances with humans. However, insulting a siren drives them into a frenzy, and they’re capable of ripping people to shreds with their bare hands or of cursing individuals to fatal bad luck. They additionally secrete venom, which renders the corpse of someone killed by a siren a biological weapon to those trying to retrieve it. Can be warded with iceplant, and killed by dragging them onto land. Sapient and speak Common Tongue.
Soucouyant – A nocturnal bloodsucker that takes on the appearance of an elderly woman by the day. At night, she strips away her skin and flies into people’s houses to feed while they sleep, which, after several nights, can be fatal or can turn the victim into a fellow soucouyant. Can be warded or killed with salt, and can be stalled by spilling rice on the floor, which the soucouyant will stop to count. Sapient and can speak Common Tongue.
Vampire – Vampires are a diversified type of humanoid monster, united only in that they all suck blood, are nocturnal, and turn into bats. “Old world” vampires are decidedly not human in appearance, with pointed ears and molten faces, and can be killed by sunlight, garlic, silver, and a stake through the heart, and eat animals to supplement their hunting of humans. “New” vampires appear human, and can tolerate sunlight even if they don’t like it; they must be killed by a stake or by decapitation. All vampires of any sorts can turn humans into vampires with a bite to the neck, and all have superhuman strength. Usually group together in clusters, particularly in areas with little sunlight, such as sewers or caves. Some, but not all, can be warded with garlic or crosses. The only unilateral weapon against a vampire is a stake to the heart.
“Voodoo” Dolls – One of the most tragic supernatural figures there is, and has nothing to do with actual “voodoo”. The dolls are sapient, individual creatures created as doppelgangers by necromancers to be tortured in order to injure a third party. Though injury to them causes injury and pain to whomever they are a doppelganger of, they are their own unique personalities and sometimes escape from their necromancer. Sapient and can speak human language, but unlike other monsters, they have no automatic understanding of Common Tongue. They can only be killed under moonlight, although they can be incapacitated the same way a normal human is.
Werewolf – A humanoid monster with the ability to transform back and forth into a bear-sized wolf. Live in packs and are stricken with bloodlust near the full moon, which makes them violent and berserk. Many werewolves are integrated within human society in The Weird, and become monster hunters themselves, although they face discrimination from magicians. Carnivores, but most attempt to refrain from eating people and instead eat the same meat-based cuisine as humans. Can only be killed with silver.
ANIMALS AND PLANTS
*Familiars – Not their own distinct species, but familiars are animals, supernatural animals or humanoid monsters bound by necromancers to be their companions and bodyguards. A familiar acts as the eyes and ears of a necromancer, and often a necromancer can directly see through and communicate through their familiar. They are essentially automatons, with their free will suppressed by the will of the necromancer. Common familiars are basts, cheshires, hellhounds, crocottas, waterhounds, bloodmares and fauns. Familiars can be killed by the same means as their natural forms are, but may have magical powers that grant them increased strength and speed. Killing a familiar also kills the life repressed by the necromancer’s power. When speaking Common Tongue to a familiar, one is conversing directly with the controlling necromancer.
Basilisk – A sapient snake with the power of hypnosis, which typically feeds on pets in suburban locations. Basilisks are a nuisance until they get too big, at which point they become a threat, as they’ll slip through sewers and vents to get into buildings and eat humans. Once hypnotized, it can take victims several days to emerge from the trance. Can be warded with kudzu or cherry blossoms, can be killed with iron or copper. Speak Common Tongue, although with a distinct, lisping accent.
Bloodmare – a horse-like creature that travels in herds and eats flesh. Not usually a problem, as they tend to simply be a predatory animal roaming the wilderness, but if the food chain is disrupted in their grazing lands, they will move towards human civilization and pick off hikers, ranchers and campers, plus livestock. Difficult to see at night as they are semi-translucent and black. Can be shot, stabbed or beaten to death. Not sapient. Heather secretly has one on her ranch.
Cheshires – look like very large cats, a little bit bigger than a Maine Coon, with the stripes appearing to be inverted from a typical tabby. Asphyxiate people through sucking their breath out, especially children and infants. Tend to be pack creatures, unlike typical cats, and stay low to the ground, like in cellars and underbrush. Sometimes sneak into houses through vents, cat doors, propped doors, but will use their kitty-like charm to coax people to let them into the house as well. 100% sapient and can speak Common Tongue. Can be warded or killed with copper or gold.
Chimera – A creature with a lion-like face, an equine body and a cobra for the tail. Chimeras are generally thought to be the offspring of manticores that have been tampered with by magic, as they seem to be a very new breed of monster and have the manticore’s same poison. As far as has been observed, chimeras are short-lived and sterile. Like manticores, they prefer to keep to themselves but are often bound. Can be warded with camphor or eucalyptus and must be killed by metal, although there doesn’t appear to be any type that works best. Sapient and speak Common Tongue.
Chupacabra – Also known as goatsuckers, a reptilian, dog-like creature that sucks blood from its prey. Typically, chupacabras target small livestock, such as goats or small sheep, but if hungry will roam into populated areas looking for children to eat. They are excellent climbers, and frequently crawl through windows or vents to suck the blood of sleeping children. Chupacabras must be killed not only with silver, but with a pitchfork that mimics the two puncture wounds made by a chupacabra’s mouth. Can be warded with camphor or eucalyptus. Sapient and speak Common Tongue, but are uniformly assholes. Chupacabras ate Dell's baby, so they're number one on her shit list.
Crocotta – A hyena-like creature that eats people alive. The crocotta is notable for its ability to mimic the human voice, which it often uses to impersonate the loved ones of the recently bereaved, and for the fact that it has precious gems for eyes. It lurks outside places such as funeral homes or cemeteries and calls to grieving people in the voices of their family members, drawing them near so it can feast. Can be warded with kudzu and killed with blunt force or stabbing. Sapient and speaks Common Tongue.
Dragon – Exactly what it says on the tin. Dragons are massive, serpentine, carnivorous creatures with flight-capable wings. Only a handful exist in North America, and they are considered an endangered species. They typically reside inside mountains and emerge if summoned, rather than just if opportunity arises. They particularly enjoy eating humans, and will gravitate towards large gatherings of people as their “feeding grounds”. Necromancers occasionally bind them as an insurance policy against intruders. Sapient and speak Common Tongue.
Firemoth - Beautiful firefly-like creatures notable mostly because their crushed bodies are useful in varieties of spells. Endangered, and protected by The Shield. Semi-sapient; while they cannot speak, they can understand simple spoken Common Tongue commands.
Gargoyles – Exactly what it says on the tin; animalistic statues that come to life in the dark and feast on humans. Extremely aggressive, but usually only “wake up” once or twice a year. Has to be in its original location and pose to go back to “sleep”. Can be killed with copper or if exposed to direct sunlight while away from their original location/position, but nearly impossible to destroy when in statue form. Not sapient.
Hellcat – A panther-like creature that drags victims through portals into Hell. Black, large, vicious and thankfully easy to smell coming because they reek of charcoal and brimstone. Can be killed by drowning with water, which they’re terrified of, and can be warded with mint or lamb’s ear. Actively impossible to bind with spells, although many necromancers have died trying. Sapient and can speak Common Tongue.
Hellhound – A large pit bull-like dog from Hell, literally. Necromancers often summon them to the surface world to do their bidding. Like hellcats, capable of pulling people through portals into Hell, although unlike hellcats they often just rip people to pieces and leave them to bleed out. Can be warded with many of the same things that can be used against other fire-based monsters, such as mint and lamb’s ear as well as camphor, salt and eucalyptus. Can be banished or trapped, but not killed. Unlike hellcats, not sapient.
Hide-Behind – a forest-dwelling cryptid that is incredibly quick and, like its name suggests, approaches people from behind. Typically leaves people ripped to pieces, which often gets blamed on bears. Can be deterred with alcohol, but needs to be killed with silver. Sapient and speaks Common Tongue.
Manekineko – Sometimes referred to as a “capitalism cat” or a “mi-ke cat”, these are non-malicious cat-like creatures that bring great financial fortune and luck to the humans they bond with, but at the expense of causing horrible, sometimes lethal bad luck to people unliked by their bonded owner. As they are highly treasured, fights over them get bloody. They find being separated from them a violent, devastating act, and as far as anyone can tell their luck manipulation is unintentional. They appear as calico or tabby cats with patches of fur that appears golden. Like cheshires, can be warded or killed with copper, and can be attracted by a jade plant (for “luck”). Sapient and speak Common Tongue.
Manticore – A panther-like creature with a barbed tail filled with hallucinogenic poison, which is highly treasured by magicians for its magical properties. Manticores are both shy and rare, but occasionally bound by necromancers to be attack animals. Left to its own devices, a manticore will avoid humans and live peacefully in the mountains. Can be warded with camphor or eucalyptus and can be killed with any metal if stabbed or shot. Sapient and speak Common Tongue.
Mimic – a frisbee-sized, flat creature that can pose as inanimate objects like shoes or pillows. Usually travel in groups of twenty or thirty, will infest a building for years before feeding, at which point they’ll eat everyone in the building whole and leave nothing but bloodstains. Tend to congregate in hotels, conference halls, and any other place with large groups of people. Can be killed with blunt force, but the tendency to swarm is A Problem. Not sapient, basically just like a really terrible termite infestation.
Phantoms – can be warded off with turmeric or ginger or killed with iron, but unlike in other worlds, are distinct from ghosts (or, for that matter, from revenants). Phantoms are more like tulpas in that they’re willed into existence rather than ever having been a living thing, despite otherwise being similar to ghosts, which means burning the bones isn’t a possibility – but unlike ghosts, iron can kill rather than just disperse them. Usually have telekinetic powers strong enough to throw someone across the room. Cannot speak Common Tongue, unclear how intelligent they are.
Phoenix - Fiery birds that travel in flocks and have an endless lifespan unless they are "killed", which sadly often happens when they're sucked into jet engines. Problematic because when they fly into windows, they tend to cause fires. Don't actually die; they are reborn in ash, and it doesn't even have to be their own. Phoenix feathers are frequent tools for spells. Not sapient.
Pixies – Ugly little motherfuckers that appear more similar to deformed Furbies with long limbs than to fairies or imps. They eat eyeballs, lips, fingers and toes, and often leave their targets alive. Can be dissuaded or killed with copper; even carrying a penny in one’s pocket is enough to get them to leave you alone. Tend to infest group living situations like apartment complexes, nursing homes, prisons. Sapient but real dumb, speak a pidgin version of Common Tongue.
Reaper Vine – A genetically-engineered type of witchmoss fused with a human (thanks, magicians), which can engulf an entire city block in a matter of hours. Unlike true witchmoss, not malicious, and won’t hurt anyone intentionally, but problematic as it fills every crevice and slows mechanics to a crawl and keeps spreading unless it’s burned. Must be destroyed with fire. Sapient and speaks Common Tongue.
Roux-ga-roux – A wolf-like semi-humanoid beast that drinks blood, usually attacking the same target over several weeks until they’ve killed them. Often travels in packs and occasionally interbreeds with humans, although all young are simply human. Ward with ginger and mint, kill with iron. Sapient and speaks Common Tongue.
Scylla – Huge, clawed, humanoid creatures that infest large bodies of water and drag people under to suck out their souls. Generally solitary creatures. Will pull an entire air craft carrier underwater if they see the opportunity. Theory goes that they come up from the Marianas Trench. Must be killed with, of all things, plastic. Sapient and speaks Common Tongue.
Seabeasts – Dan’s favorite! A seabeast is a water-dwelling relative of the dragon that lives in the ocean or in lakes. Typically, they eat fish or algae. Mostly, they’re only aggressive if they’re deprived of food or overstimulated by activity in their home; the time Dan met one, it had been marked for euthanasia after eating a family on a boat during a festival on the lake. The Loch Ness Monster is the most famous example. Dog-like attitudes but sapient, although they can’t speak Common Tongue.
Soul-Bat – A large bat-looking mass of energy that feasts on people’s emotions, leaving them depressed, apathetic shells permanently incapable of basic functions like eating independently. Typically hunt in rural areas and prey on people wandering out alone. Drawn to extreme emotion, so the typical hunting technique to lure a soul-bat is to go out as bait and listen to sad music or read terribly sad books, then kill it with something copper or brass. Sapient but cannot speak Common Tongue.
Waterhound – A dog-like creature that drags its victims into fresh water and drowns them to death. Invisible when in the water, and only semi-visible on land. A frequent concern in swampy areas or near lakes, where they can attack in packs. Can be warded with camphor or eucalyptus, can be killed by blunt force or stabbing.
Witchmoss – A type of semi-sentient plant covering that can cover an entire room in a matter of hours and which will unintentionally kill any breathing thing it encounters by submerging it in moss and vines. Will whip people with vines if they threaten it, such as with fire or poison. Must be killed with fire. Not sapient.
Yeti – A northern cousin of the bigfoot, distinct for its white fur and the fact that yetis travel in clans. Generally not dangerous, but can become deadly if surprised, as they essentially have many times the strength of a bear. Yetis are often utilized by hunters as sources of information, as yetis are very social with every type of creature except humans, and because they live for hundreds of years and often have deep wisdom about the region. Yetis are sapient and speak Common Tongue, and often speak human languages as well.
SPIRITS
“Spirit” is a catch-all term for a monster created from a sapient creature’s soul when that person dies. Spirits run the gamut between simple ghosts to forces of pure vengeance, depending on the temperament of the deceased and on the circumstances of their death. Some spirits last only a few days, and others linger for years or even decades. Most people never become spirits, as becoming a spirit is usually relegated to those who are most resistant to accepting death.
Ghost – Subcategory of spirit, the embodiment of a deceased person that has remained on this plane due to “missing the boat” on accepting their death. Ghosts typically retain their memories and personalities despite death, and though they’re typically invisible, can become visible as a matter of experience and willpower or chance. Sometimes, ghosts don’t even realize they’re dead, and continue to eat, drink and live as if nothing is the matter. Ghosts whose bodies died under a constellation of unusual circumstances – for example, children who were murdered during a summer solstice on a full moon – often have access to immense magical powers they didn’t have when they were alive. Ghosts are usually “tethered” to the place of their death, which prevents them from going more than a hundred yards away unless someone performs an exorcism or they become a different type of spirit. A ghost can be warded with salt or iron, and can be killed by burning their bones or by being convinced to give up their life force. After a time, between weeks and years, a ghost is likely to deteriorate and become a malevolent spirit listed below.
Babadon’ts – a relatively new subcategory of soul-eaters that target children and pose as figures calming to children, like cartoon characters, imaginary friends or ponies. Dan’s take on this is “fuck these guys”. Kill with fire. Ward with verbena, rose oil or lilac. Can speak Common Tongue and the human language of their original form; Babadon’ts are always relatively young soul-eaters because they need to be able to communicate with children and lose their ability to trap children if they’re no longer sapient and verbal.
Demon – A malevolent spirit that was trapped in Hell and somehow released, which can possess both living and dead bodies. Powerful demons are capable of telekinesis and telepathy, and are incredibly intelligent. They can speak the language of their host body and Common Tongue. Tend to coordinate with each other and pass as their host bodies easily, as they absorb their memories. Salt, camphor and eucalyptus are useful as temporary wards, and demons can be exorcised and banished back to hell by verbal incantations. Destroying the bones is the only known way to kill them, but it’s often difficult to identify their original form due to their penchant for possession.
Dreamwalker – the detached spirits of people who are somehow still tethered to this world, such as brain-dead coma patients or people whose closest loved ones refuse to accept their death. They appear in the dreams of people within a several mile radius, often as a blurry figure begging for help finding their way home. They’re not malicious but they’re still harmful, because they inevitably cause mental “rot” in the people whose dreams they move through, which causes severe mental illness or cognitive impairment. If threatened, can weaponize the landscapes of the dream they’re in to cause psychological injury both to the attacker and the dreamer. Can be warded by verbena, rose oil, or lilac, and can be killed by killing the original body, although the best solution is usually to diplomatically get them to accept that they’re actually dead and can’t go back to their old body. Sapient and speak Common Tongue or whatever language they spoke when alive.
Firewalker – An angry spirit with the ability to travel by a sort of teleportation through open flames, such as from a fireplace to a campfire. Firewalkers tend to latch onto families and find ways to burn all members of the family alive before moving to new targets. They’re visible as face-like apparitions inside a flame, and can be warded with a combination of salt and turpentine, or mint, lamb’s ear or ice plant. Burning the bones only makes them stronger, and as such the best one can do with a firewalker is to bind the ghost with a spell or banish them from a home through exorcism. Sapient but does not speak Common Tongue.
Goryo – A vengeful spirit of someone who has been mortally betrayed in life and is currently taking it out on everyone else. Distinguished from other spirits in that they have massive telekinetic powers, able to toss trucks around as if it’s nothing. Ward with rose oil, verbena and lilac, can be bound with spells. Can only be killed by burning the bones. Sapient and speaks Common Tongue.
Onryo – An incredibly powerful and thankfully rare subtype of ghost which causes natural disasters or massacres in order to eat the souls of the victims. As with most ghosts, burning the bones is the only way to kill it for sure, but it can be bound with magic (which necromancers do a lot). Difficult to ward due to the massive scale of their attacks. Usually so distorted from their original ghost form that they are not sapient anymore.
Poltergeist – a type of spirit that causes dangerous mischief. Unlike other ghosts, is incontrovertibly bound to the location in which they died and cannot be exorcised. Invisible, quick and vindictive. Can only be killed by burning bones but can be bound by spells or warded with salt and iron. Sapient and speak Common Tongue, but are usually dicks about it and use it to make fart jokes.
Revenant – combination of a ghost and dreamwalker. Eats people’s souls while they’re sleeping over several weeks, often appearing in their nightmares as it does, but is like a ghost in that it had an original human form and can be destroyed by burning the bones. Can be warded by verbena, rose oil, or lilac. Usually not sapient.
Snitch – A particular subcategory of spirit that’s created from a teenager who was murdered by or committed suicide due to bullying. Dan prefers to call these “hurt kid ghosts”, but “snitch” is the term widely used by the monster-hunting community. Snitches only seek revenge on those that wronged them in life, but do so in brutal, horrifying manner, often stalking their prey for weeks before delivering a fatal blow. Snitches are remarkable for being able to continue using whatever type of technology was available to them at the time of their passing to psychologically terrorize their targets, such as text messages, chatrooms and phone calls. Snitches can be laid to rest by burning the bones of the original body, but can also be dissuaded from vengeance by convincing them to give up their life force and leave this plane of existence, which is Dan’s preferred tactic. Can be warded with salt and verbena. Sapient and speak both whatever language was spoken by their original form and Common Tongue.
Soul-Eater – it’s like a revenant but you’re awake, and instead of taking weeks, it eats your soul in thirty seconds! These assholes suck to deal with! Can be warded by verbena, rose oil or lilac, can be bound with spells, gotta burn the bones, but particularly dangerous because necromancers tend to create, capture and deputize these beings as their goons. Over years, a soul-eater will start to lose its form and just become a mass of dark, harmless energy. How sapient they are and if they speak Common Tongue is dependent on how long they’ve been a soul-eater.
Wraith – A malevolent spirit that possesses people and uses their bodies to inflict harm on others. Frequently “hops” between bodies to avoid detection, leaving nothing but a trail of random violence in its wake. Outside a human host, has telekinetic powers strong enough to toss a car around. Can be warded with sage, and any gold applied to the host body will cause it to disembark from the host (such as a gold wedding ring). Can be dispersed with iron, can be exorcised with incantations, and can be killed by burning the original bones. It’s difficult to gage their level of sapience, but they do not respond to Common Tongue.