Beast of Lores

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Imagine a world where there exists no man, no elf, no dwarf, nor any variation thereof. In the absence of man, monsters fill the void. And they've their own cultures, their own identities, their own lives.

I've developed in this world many things, and plan to develop many more, but in truth, there is one thing in specific I have gone far in-depth with: Kobolds! The Kobolds in this universe are part of a general species of batlike humanoids whose subracial names are suffixed with -bold. Their flesh is pale, often tans or reds in hue, varying in form and level of fur growth, a slight hunch in the back with lithe arms, clawed hands, eyes of a serpent with emerald, sapphire or ruby iris, and a snubbed nose almost likened to a vampire bat's nose. Besides this, the Kobolds are also capable of developing ivory growths upon their faces, such as a goatee-like spike on the chin, studs along the jawline or brows, or actual horns. Tusks and fangs are even a possibility. They're quite diverse, and I'm considering extending that diversity further in the Kobold subrace.

This image provides an accurate idea of what I imagine Kobold anatomy to be like.

I've also developed their culture, homeland, and a few things more.

Kobolds hail from Kobon, a land of marshes/swamps, lush fields of grass, sprawling forests, rolling hills, and mountainous earth. The resources in this land are described as bountiful and is what allowed the Kobolds to prosper as a civilization. Culturally, the Kobolds are extremely focused in the preservation of memories, their nations spotted by library fortresses known as Recordance(s) of Memories, where hundreds, sometimes thousands of biographical information, be they singular notes or entire books regarding a person's life, are stored and guarded. Even items used by their people are preserved as artifacts of tangible memory. In respect to this, there also exists a job of sorts, a career, known as the Swordbearer. To understand the Swordbearer is to understand the importance of a memory to the Kobonites.

They who in an Oath of Remembrance do solemnly swear their life to the recordance of another are known as Swordbearers. Their duty is to follow and live with another person for so long as they live, writing down their daily life in journals, notes, understanding their struggles and so on. In essence, a living biography. Swordbearers also act as servants/assistants to their charge, whatever that might look like. The term "Swordbearer" comes from the fact that they are often assigned to knights and the like, though in truth any soul might obtain one. If a Swordbearer's charge would expire, though, then their secondary purpose comes into play: Taking the corpse, its items. their journals and notes to a Recorder to have it chronicled and stored in the Recordance of Memories, as well as to give a detailed verbal account to be written down as biography regarding that person's life.

Though I feel as though I'm not conveying it as vividly as I would like for it to be, this is the kind of culture the Kobolds have. Miscellaneous information, I suppose, would be that there exists some level of advance knowledge regarding forging and armor-/weapon-making, "alchemy", basic hygiene knowledge, giant rats for mounts, bathhouses, etc. Beyond those, there's a strong influence regarding Arthurian legend, such the newest king of a nation in Kobon having a court wizard. What else... well, it's also a largely-feudal monarchical society. The Kobonites are hostile to magic, thinking it of as devil-worship powers, its practitioners "Warlocks" in their eyes. It has more to do with their religion, which worships a feminine eldritch deity known as Her Grace, the Lady, and more.

I say all of this because I wonder what everyone would think of it, whether or not they would like to roleplay in this world that is of the low fantasy genre more than it is high fantasy, despite the fantastic creatures within. And if anyone is interested, I don't mind allowing others developing content for this world. Though it is canonically supposed to exclude humankind, I do not mind including humanity if everyone wants it to be a thing. As in, for the roleplayable version.

Essentially, the summary is that monsters instead of humans develop societies, governments, cultures, and so on in a Medieval setting that is largely grounded in reality with some fantastical leniency afforded in various areas. Would you guys be interested in a roleplay regarding this world? It's all still a WIP, so keep that in mind.

Ask questions, please.
 
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Would you want us to play as Kobolds or are we permitted to develop our own take on the usual fantasy (vaguely humanoid) creatures? Also, do you have a plot in mind for this?
 
@DinoFeather It's a WIP at the moment, but I was planning for the canon version to have a variety of races from the subspecies of the Bolds to Jottun, Orcs, Ogres, Goblins, Hobs, Hobbos, and likely more. I didn't have a particular plot in mind, though it could range from anything such as a classic adventure quest for a Holy Grail to killing your own king to stop Armageddon from occurring, based on the current developments. Of course, there wouldn't have to be a specific plot, it could be a sandbox RP of sorts.

If people want to develop their own unique races, though, and turn this into a collaborative effort, then, by all means, let your minds, in a realistic but fantastic fashion, go wild.

To say, yes. You can build your own interpretation of traditional fantasy monsters or even an original race. If you want humans, though, do let me know and I'll poll it. Otherwise, keep it nonhuman.
 
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@DinoFeather (And everyone else, really) To give you an idea of what kind of world this is, I have a personal Kobold character that's a hedge knight/knight-errant, and he on occasion has to sleep in the woods nearby towns, rarely has the luxury of partaking in public baths, poaches on occasion, and is constantly roaming, looking for work. And there's political turmoil that has just begun to slow down during the recent decade in Kobon, meaning there is banditry aplenty and on occasion war between nations. Little tidbits and stuff like that, I suppose.
 
So...kind of interested, but is there a limitation on size and other such things. Do the races - if we choose to try one we design ourselves - all have to have a specific culture, or can we have only mildly intelligent beasts?

The reason I ask is because I thought of a group of titans. Insanely big, likely eating trees and boulders in a single bite. But they're also very slow and unintelligent - mostly just wandering around and eating whatever gets their fancy. Not evil, just grazing with little concern for what's around them. Unfortunately, I don't know if that would make for a very interesting character.

Spirits? Can make a race of supernatural consciousnesses that inhabit constructed bodies. Wood, iron, stone - what they'd be made from could be based on where they stand in the hierarchy of their society. Basically a society of living mannequins. Would that work out better?
 
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So...kind of interested, but is there a limitation on size and other such things. Do the races - if we choose to try one we design ourselves - all have to have a specific culture, or can we have only mildly intelligent beasts?

The reason I ask is because I thought of a group of titans. Insanely big, likely eating trees and boulders in a single bite. But they're also very slow and unintelligent - mostly just wandering around and eating whatever gets their fancy. Not evil, just grazing with little concern for what's around them. Unfortunately, I don't know if that would make for a very interesting character.

Spirits? Can make a race of supernatural consciousnesses that inhabit constructed bodies. Wood, iron, stone - what they'd be made from could be based on where they stand in the hierarchy of their society. Basically a society of living mannequins. Would that work out better?

Refrain from creating species that are above twelve feet in height, and I would prefer it if the race in question could have some level of intelligence that would be close to humankind. Golems/Atronachs/Constructs are something I personally do not want as that is especially high fantasy, and that is not what the "World of Monsters" is supposed to be. Things edging to high fantasy but kept relatively "realistic", if that makes sense, are something I would see being a thing, such as giant rats for mounts. They're not like traditional rats in terms of form, more along the lines of, say, a "horse." Long-ish legs, sharp teeth, and stout paws, consuming a certain kind of feed made from grounded meats and fruits, sometimes nuts.

To put it in a nutshell, World of Monsters doesn't "want" to rely on magic and supernatural powers to be its primary content. Magic isn't something everyone knows about, and there's truly only one person in the world clearly stated to be able to use magic, and even that is typically kept behind closed doors. I speak of the Devil King's Court Wizard. Besides, its not something interspersed in the world, either.

I suppose what you want to make is something kin to an ogre, yeah?

Edit: Think of the races as being bounded by reality yet equipped with the flexibility afforded by fantasy. The Kobolds are a prime example. They're some freaky SoBs with a ivory-decorated face, snake eyes, bat noses, claws, and patches of fur. But! There's nothing exactly magical or supernatural about them. Get my drift?
 
I think I get you. I always like to stretch the fantasy races when it comes to powers, but I do like to make some things more biological. So...anything in the way of biological powers? Like flight, swimming, or some kind of venom? Like when things fly. Or swim. Hm...desert race? Trying to think now. Might need to know a bit more about this world.
 
I think I get you. I always like to stretch the fantasy races when it comes to powers, but I do like to make some things more biological. So...anything in the way of biological powers? Like flight, swimming, or some kind of venom? Like when things fly. Or swim. Hm...desert race? Trying to think now. Might need to know a bit more about this world.
"Bological" powers could be present. Some Kobolds can echolocate, though it is dying in their subrace. Their sharp sense of smell and hearing are above a human's yet not as great as say, a dog or bat's, respectively.
 
Hm...a moth-like desert race came to mind with big wings that it uses to not only shield itself from the harsh sun, but also to glide. They're too big to really fly, but they can use their wings to sort of glide and improve their leaps. Would that work? I could start working on that race idea.
 
Mmm, gliding... They'd have to have to leap fairly tall or long in order for that to be effective, though, right? @Quiet One
 
Can give them long, grasshopper-like legs. That could work.
 
So, jumping and gliding is their physical ability/strong suit. @Quiet One
 
And being able to survive in a desert, but that's more social adaptation with a little biological help. So desert bug people approved? Would start going into details and really designing this race if yes.
 
You don't need my permission, it's your original race. :3 By default with its inclusion does the World of Monsters become an alternative universe, so the canon races I had planned don't have to be followed, nor does a few other things. Save for what I mentioned before. @Quiet One
 
I just reread the stuff that you'd written before and...now I feel a little bad. Would the plot be badly changed by making new races? I didn't even know what some of those original creatures were (no idea what a Hobb is), and when I think of goblins, Artemis Fowl comes to mind where they could conjure fireballs, but I know you're not doing that because you just told me about how you wanted to keep things mostly biological. Unfortunately, there's like a hundred different versions of the races you mentioned. Maybe if you gave us a list of some kind? Races that are really common that you'd like to see in your story, but maybe not the only races there? My desert race could be an evolved subset of something that already exists, for example.
 
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I won't say it will fundamentally alter the "plot," for there is no definitive one I have in mind. But remember how Low Fantasy is sometimes referred to as Intrusion Fantasy? Magic and fantastic things - very fantastic in this instance - begin to intrude upon a world largely mundane. I imagine the plot to follow something alongside that.

As for races, Kobolds are meant to be in line with, say, Medieval Europe. Orkabolds are like, "What if Kobolds were orcs?" Belkabolds are, "What if Kobolds were more beastly(i.e. fluffy?) Hobs and Hobboes are... Well, Hobs are a subterranean-influenced creature with a small body, about two to three feet in height, and are supposed to act as the "stealth" and "intelligent servant" to the Kobolds. To say, assassins, librarians, spies, housekeepers, etc. Besides that, they're supposed to be able to dig underground fairly well, resulting in their use as terraformers, creating instant-forming potholes in a location, network tunnels between locations, and "strike tubes" or something, where they can quickly pop in and out to land a sneak attack of sorts. Hobboes are, "What if Hobs were built for the overground life?" To say, they're dwarfish, short and stout, long arms, round and short feet, broad and muscular torso. They can make damn good pack mules, and possibly builders. Not sure. To be fair, they could just as well not exist with how things are going. I planned for a lot initially but suppose it is taking a difficult turn in terms of what can logically and sensibly be.

Goblins were definitely going to be a thing. Think Dragon's Dogma-type Goblins but more humanoid and intelligent. Ogres will have to be something, they are the basis for a super-rare magical beast enemy I plan to be kin to a Deathclaw in terms of, "NO-NO-NO-NO, PLS NO." in the world you might be able to encounter.

@Quiet One
 
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I don't know Dragon's Dogma, but the rest of that was helpful. So are we just all forming a party and adventuring together? Or if this is like a sandbox are we all just doing our own thing and occasionally come across each other?
 
Hm, if I ever make a sign-up thread, it will likely be whatever everyone wants. @Quiet One
This is an interest check, after all.
 
Hm. Feel like I should shut up then so other people can see and express interest in this.
 
Do whatever you want, mango. >:U No, seriously, do whatever you want, ;y @Quiet One