Nov 2020 2 Feb 2021 1 Mar 2021 12 Apr 2021 6 May 2021 11 Jun 2021 20 Jul 2021 20 Aug 2021 20 Sep 2021 16 Oct 2021 40 Nov 2021 20 Dec 2021 10 Jan 2022 20 Feb 2022 20 Mar 2022 20 Apr 2022 12 May 2022 15 Jun 2022 15 Jul 2022 20 Aug 2022 20 Oct 2022 40 Nov 2022 1 Dec 2022 12 Jan 2023 16 Mar 2023 9 Apr 2023 6
TOTAL: 404
FREE
Sep 2022 15 Nov 2022 5 Feb 2023 3 May 2023 1 June 2023 9 July 2023 8 Aug 2023 6 Sept 2023 1
--> Shadow-like complexion. At this point, his shadow form will not overtake his humanity yet. His form still retains a similar shape, and his body has not undergone any morphological abnormalities. --> Shadowy aura - The outline of Ryou's body has a stringy, but almost flamelike behavior to it, like shadows stretching upward. It's only a centimeter or so. --> Glowing eyes, no pupils. --> Sharp teeth, full triangular mode. He'll experience some speaking problems while he gets used to them. --> Claws on hands and toes. Not very long, but sharp enough. --> Weakness to light - Ryou's eyes become very light sensitive, and he feels something akin to sunburn in direct sunlight. Can't stay out longer than an hour or two in such sunlight. No longer weak to light, and instead weak to silver! --> Possession of other beings. Yikes, dog. --> Improved night vision. All the better to see you with. :)
Second Month Changes --> Shadow-like complexion becomes completely black with faint outlines, the aura gets more "feisty", licking up at least an inch or so. Little remains of the general human form, but the hair stays mostly the same. It's more flowy, with no wind of course. --> Arms and fingers lengthen, to the point his fingertips reach his knees. Fingernails (claws) become fully indistinguishable from the finger. Fingers are basically each one big pointy digit that blends. --> Feet become four-toed claws, fully digitigrade. Three claws in front, one raised in the back. Think a Disney's Gargoyles kind of thing. --> Invisibility and intangibility. He will go invisible involuntarily at first, then with time learn how to control. The same with solidity, he can learn to control it but until he does, he will struggle with controlling when he can or can't pass through things. --> Shapeshifting. Within his total control, but will take practice to perfect. --> Telekinesis. Within his total control, but will take practice to perfect. --> Shadow tendrils. He will have 2 and he can extend them from any part of his body, but from the back will be easiest. --> Hunger for human souls.
Third Month Changes
--> Shadowy aura is even more pronounced, raising from his general outline by several inches now, sporadically. --> Shadow tendrils now amount to 4. --> Height increases just enough to look menacing (7'), arms lengthen until fingertips reach nearly the ankles. --> He can now take on the pain of others, for better or worse. EDIT: purchased the ability to invoke a type of stigmatic healing once per day. --> Light sensitivity is now deadly in prolonged contact. --> Change in demeanor: While Ryou won't become fully vengeful, he can be short-tempered and lash out.
Non-Linear Changes
--> Fog Form --> Vengeful nature: Since January 2022, Ryou has become more vengeful. The way this manifests is in a need to "get even", or right injustices to himself or others. This can be as simple as enacting a mildly unkind behavior on someone who has offended him simply, or wanting to cause them severe harm for doing something similar to him. Example: If someone steps on his tail, he'll want to claw or bite them. If someone causes a person he cares about to become severely injured or kills them, Ryou will want to pay it back in turn.
The vengeful feelings don't go away until he finds a way to relieve them, and while it works sometimes if he projects it onto something else (let's say, a human?), not all feelings can be projected. As a result, it sometimes becomes necessary to bottle up his feelings, which is not good for him...
--> As of the Bestiary update, Ryou now has the ability to access a stealth form.
● Upper and lower canine teeth elongated into sharp fangs
-- Upper canines way longer, all of his teeth are pointy though.
● Wolf-like pointed ears.
-- Actual wolf ears, both forms. FLUFFY!!!
● Fur on the back, shoulders, and arms.
-- Yes, but on the upper arms only for dayform, and as far as his body, it's from the neck down. his forearms and thighs are naked ok
● Clawed hands and feet with pads on the bottom.
-- Pads are pink
● Sharpened senses. Werewolves have much better hearing than a normal human, and their sense of smell is strong enough to pick up many distinct scents and follow them.
● Post-transformation fatigue. While Werewolves are very energetic in their wolf forms, they tend to have major fatigue when turning back to human form. Thus, they tend to be nocturnal.
● A weakness to silver as well as the flower known as wolfsbane. Direct contact will be painful and ingesting wolfsbane or being shot with a silver bullet can kill.
● Hunger and hunting instinct. Werewolves are strictly carnivores and prefer to hunt their own food down. Hunting animals will satiate them for a short time, but the longer they go without hunting a human, the more they'll be compelled to do so until they start losing their self-control.
--Ryou is omnivorous, but leans more into meaty meals than his usual sugary favorites. He is intolerant to theobromine, which means chocolate products make him sick. Since he's a werewolf it's not fatal it just sucks (symptoms include rapid heart rate, nausea, panting, and excessive thirst).
OPTIONAL
● Any psychological changes are welcome! Feel free to pull from real world myths, canon creatures of this variety, or any other source!
-- Ryou's curiosity knows absolutely no limits as a werewolf. He likes to sniff, he likes to taste. He enjoys bathing himself in moonlight, and might even howl at the moon if the fancy strikes him. Honestly he's just going to pick up a bunch of doglike behaviors, including the enjoyment of being pet. Most of these behaviors will be involuntary, but he'll still give into them like they aren't, especially at first. Additionally, he's really going to get into hunting, human or animal. He's not a sport hunter so he'll eat what he kills (someone's getting a little more chubby because of this temp).
● Fur on any other part of the body.
-- See above
● Bright yellow eyes.
-- He also has black sclera.
● The rest of the teeth elongated into fangs.
-- See mandatory. He cannot escape the chompers.
● A wolf tail.
-- It is FUCK OFF huge, and he is going to struggle to control how it expresses his emotions. It will wag. It will destroy its surroundings. It is very fluffy.
● Longer arms for the ability to run fast on all fours.
-- Shorter than his usual arms, but a little longer than people arms.
● Any number of wolf-like facial features, ranging from mild to fully lupine.
-- Day form has a mild muzzle complete with pink nose, Night form is the WHOLE WOLF HEAD. He also has wolf ears as previously stated.
● Moments of high emotion can cause the Werewolf to partially or fully transform, depending on the intensity of the emotion. Transformations due to high emotion can only last continuously for an hour, and will cause heavy strain on the monster the longer it continues.
-- Yes. I will not elaborate that would spoil the fun.
● A pack instinct. The Werewolf, in wolf form, will feel more inclined to join up with other Werewolves, sometimes taking on different roles and leadership dynamics for hunting.
-- While this will include wolves, as a schism off of his own personality, he will incorporate close friends into his "pack" whether they are wolves or not.
● The ability to shift into a full wolf/dog/fox/ect. form at any time. In this form, the character will look like a normal canine and will be able to travel faster. However, they will also be more vulnerable.
-- Travel form is a very fluffy white wolf with a pronounced mane that mimics his hairstyle.
● Lunar influence. Some Werewolves are affected by the phases of the moon, gaining more power when the moon is full or near-full. These Werewolves will also find their impulses and wolf instincts harder to control during a full or near-full moon, however.
-- The closer he gets to a full moon, the more outgoing and aggressive he will become. He will also hunt more often, as if the moon is influencing his metabolism, and as a result he will be more powerful.
● Certain Werewolves can jump very high, allowing them to leap onto rooftops or small buildings with ease.
-- B O I N G!! He can jump, and will like to do so!
● A werewolf may have canine features or markings while they're in their day form as long as there's a significant contrast between their day and night forms.
-- As stated above, Ryou does retain wolfish features in day form. However, in night form he is very much a different sort of werewolf, with most of his features being more wolfish than human, but his body structure still reminiscent of a biped.
OTHER
● Ryou being a hungry dude is going to pass from his normal monster type to his temporary monster type -- by the rules of the game, he can go a whole month before going on a spree, but his hunger becomes intolerable and aggravating within 2-3 weeks, so he feeds bi-monthly. (this is a direct consequence of two things: one, canon. Ryou is often found in canon eating something in his appearances, and there's even a page or two in the manga dedicated to mentioning how he's a good cook. Two, as a direct result of the circus event a year ago and his first feeding being an uncontrolled killing spree, his monster body is calibrated to want MORE and want it FASTER.)
● Ryou will like working his jaw on something, especially the first day of his transformation, so he'll resort to chewing on what he can get. Then it becomes a comfort, so he wants to GNAW.
● The boy is now a twunk. Soft, but muscular. That's it that's the whole thing.
● His eyes do the thing at night. You know. That Thing
● The upper canines and/or upper lateral incisors elongated into fangs.
Upper canines only, and they are long enough to poke past his lips.
● Eye color ranging from pale pink to bright red.
Bright red.
● Fingernails that grow faster and in a more claw-like shape.
They're sharp, but he keeps them trimmed as best he can otherwise it's cumbersome.
● Weakness to sunlight. Vampires usually prefer to go out at night time or keep themselves well-covered, because their skin burns quickly in sunlight and direct exposure can be painful. While they don't need to sleep in coffins, they tend to prefer dark, enclosed spaces to avoid accidental exposure to sunlight.
● Vulnerability to silver. Silver will burn the skin on contact and can cause severe injury or even death if the Vampire is shot or stabbed with something made of silver.
● Heightened senses. Vampires will find that their senses are attuned to the scent of blood, and when very hungry they may start hearing the pulses of those nearby.
● Thirst for blood. Vampires feed only on blood and will actively crave it. If they don't feed for an extended amount of time, they will begin to go mad and lose their self-control until they can feed again.
As with all his monster forms, Ryou will be particularly susceptible to his own hunger. He will prefer to drink fresh blood, but will exercise great restraint if he bites a human, to the point where he can feed on them without killing. Just, uh. Not the first few times.
OPTIONAL
● Any psychological changes are welcome! Feel free to pull from real world myths, canon creatures of this variety, or any other source!
TBD, never got into this section but just in case I temp again, keeping options open.
● A fog form. This is an exaggerated version of their monster form that appears only during the fog and is a chance to make your monster more "horrifying" during the fog.
Listen I'm cheating it's just Paolumu but smaller. Also that's not a weird inflatable sac around his head, not for Ryou. instead, he's furry around the neck and when he's irritated or threatened, it puffs up, almost like a threat display. Certainly not as big as Paolumu lol.
● Anything from pointed ears to large, batlike ones.
Large and batlike, with excellent range of hearing. All the better to echolocate, amirite?
● Paler skin.
Pale skin by default, but he can still blush (when he does, it's deoxygenated blood so it's darker than usual). When he's very hungry, his facial features become gaunt and his skin goes even whiter than usual. Conversely, when he's well-fed, his skin looks a bit more of a natural color. The more well-fed, the closer to alive he looks.
● Bright red lips.
When he's well-fed, his lips take on a redness that you could almost mistake as lipstick.
● Elongated legs that bend backwards, ending with large clawed bat feet which allows the Vampire to grip branches and climb feet first or hang on surfaces
The only part he gets out of this is the clawed feet, good for hanging and gripping.
● Some Vampires can eat and drink normally (although only blood will really satisfy them), while some find that all other food and drink tastes terrible to them.
Ryou can still eat and drink, but he has to space it out. His body is dead, and his digestive system doesn't function as well as a vampire. When he snacks, the sense of fullness doesn't go away for a long time until his body gets with the program and starts doing what it needs to. Eating an average sized meal will translate to the human equivalent of badly overeating, which will have the effect of prolonged indigestion symptoms. If it's too severe, he might be sick to cope with it.
EDIT: HE CAN EAT AS MUCH FRUIT AS HE WANTS!!! HE'S A FRUIT BAT!!!
● Hypnotic influence over humans. Most humans can be immobilized with this influence long enough for the Vampire to feed on them, while weaker-minded humans can be forced to carry out the Vampire's bidding as well.
He has this power, but it activates involuntarily most times, and results may vary. He really doesn't like it. The immobilization when triggered outside of feeding behavior doesn't last very long, but if he's feeding, it's more powerful.
● The ability to take the form of a bat. The character will look like a regular bat, and will be able to fly, but is more vulnerable in this form.
● The ability to take the form of fog. The character will be invulnerable in this form, but will also not be able to feed or cause any damage.
He's bad at this. Probably won't really sort out how to do it before his temp is over, definitely not without help.
● Superhuman speed. Certain Vampires can move much faster than humans, appearing as nothing more than a blur.
● An arrogant nature. Vampires tend to believe themselves better than other creatures or humans, and are prone to flattery.
Ryou is extremely susceptible to flattery, but rather than be arrogant, he's just extra pleased that you think so kindly of him and he'll do anything to make you happy in return.
● Cat-like ears which can resemble those of any type of feline.
● Sharp fangs instead of teeth.
All of his teeth are pointed, but the canines are more pronounced
● Clawed hands and feet with pads on the bottom.
Claws are retractable, pads are pink and extra squishy!
● Fur on the upper arms, shoulders, and back that can be patterned after any type of feline.
Fur on upper arms is sparser on the front half, leaving exposed skin, but otherwise this is correct. Snow leopard patterning
● Large wings capable of flight, which can be either bird-like or bat-like.
Porque no los dos? Ryou's left wing is a birdlike wing, while the right is a batlike one.
● A scorpion-like tail with venomous barbs at the end. The tail can be singular, forked, or three-pronged.
No chitin. Most of the tail is in fact very catlike, save for the golden barb which is usually hidden in the fur, unless he's agitated or otherwise puffed up.
● Increased speed and jumping ability. Manticores are very fast and can leap far to pounce on their prey.
Ryou is an exceedingly speedy manticore and can spring both high and far with frankly OP accuracy.
● Sharpened senses. Manticores have sharper senses of eyesight, hearing, and smell than humans.
Ryou has extremely sharp farsighted vision, but his nearsighted vision is...a little less than stellar. He'll have to get used to it. His hearing is on par with the werewolf temp, as is his sense of smell.
● Weakness to cold. Manticores can tolerate high levels of heat, but will be weakened by freezing weather. They become easier to kill as the temperature drops.
Susceptible to chills and upper-respiratory symptoms if he gets too cold. He will also become extremely tired and unfocused in the cold.
● Hunger and hunting instinct. Manticores are strictly carnivores and prefer to hunt their own food down. Hunting animals will satiate them for a short time, but the longer they go without hunting a human, the more they'll be compelled to do so until they start losing their self-control.
While an obligate carnivore, Ryou still likes eating sweets. As with his werewolf temp, he is intolerant to certain foods, including chocolate, and it's extra important for him to eat meat in higher quantities lest he grow lethargic and unwell
OPTIONAL
● Any psychological changes are welcome! Feel free to pull from real world myths, canon creatures of this variety, or any other source!
-> High prey drive: he likes to hunt -> Distractibility: Ryou can be distracted with shiny things, fast-moving objects, and high-speed chases. -> High Anxiety: Unfortunately...Ryou as a manticore is extra jumpy. Please don't startle! :c -> Low Trust: He will not feel comfortable until he gets to know you, so expect skittish behavior -> Possessiveness: Ryou likes to "mark" things he's fond of by rubbing against them. If he really likes you, he might even face-rub or gently hip-or-leg bump you. The former is reserved for only the closest, while the second is an instinctual behavior which expresses that he trusts and cares for you. If he marks an object, it's because he likes it it's his no touch. Not that he'll aggress, he'll just give you The Eyes. >:
● A fog form. This is an exaggerated version of their monster form that appears only during the fog and is a chance to make your monster more "horrifying" during the fog.
● Bright yellow eyes that reflect light at night
His eyes are blue but do reflect light
● Any number of cat-like facial features, ranging from mild to fully feline.
While the facial shape is vaguely human, Ryou looks more like a cat than anything, including a small muzzle.
● Longer arms for the ability to run fast on all fours.
Only slightly, he's otherwise pretty well proportioned!
● Fur on any other part of the body.
EVERYWHERE except a portion of his front upper arms, his thighs and lower waist area
● The ability to change into a cat (either a house cat or a wild cat). In this form the character will be able to travel faster, however, they will also be more vulnerable.
Just a rather large snow leopard.
● A melodic voice that can temporarily hypnotize humans and lure them closer.
Ryou has a naturally...okay singing voice. As a manticore, it's going to sound even nicer, and he will have a strong instinct to lure in humans he's hunting.
● A deceptive nature. Manticores are keen on trickery and delight in spreading rumors, telling riddles, and learning the secrets of others.
Ryou will enjoy puzzles a great deal more like this, but he's not interested in too much else related to this trait
● Feathery wings, ranging from one wing to six. Nephilim can fly with these, no matter their number, but not any better or worse than other winged monsters.
Ryou has two primary flight wings on his back, and they're bigg'uns. The left is white, and the right is mid-tone gray
● A halo. This can be the traditional white or golden aura around the head, a cartoonish floating ring, etc. It may brighten when the Nephilim experiences strong emotion, making them difficult to look at.
Ryou's halo is an analogue of the Millennium Ring. It is a single metallic ring with 5 evenly spaced gold spires.
● An extra pair of functional eyes somewhere on the head.
Ryou has one eye on the center of his forehead, and one on his throat.
● Either bull horns, a lion's mane, or a bull or lion tail. You may choose more than one of these, but at least one must be present. A Nephilim can only have one tail.
Lion's tail, but elongated slightly to mimic his Mana-purchased tail! It can reflect his mood just like his shade tail. Horns look like this
● Nephilim do not cast shadows, and are unable to shield other monsters from sunlight.
● Nephilim do not need to sleep, and are in fact unable to.
● A weakness to the dark and dark magic. When in complete darkness, Nephilim lose their corporeal form and become a haze, undefined and without physical body. They have difficulty maintaining their forms in weak light (e.g. moonlight); although Nephilim can produce light from their halos, this is not enough illumination to maintain their forms. Dark magic can kill a Nephilim.
● The ability to use holy magic. Nephilim have four primary spells: the ability to induce awe in a human, terrorizing them into stillness; the ability to create and control plasma (as in lightning); the ability to create a barrier through which only Nephilim can cross; and the ability to channel holy energy into a human's body.
A note that Ryou's awe inducing spell is sometimes involuntary and activates during times of great stress.
● The need to feed by purging human souls. This is accomplished using the Nephilim's final holy magic ability listed above. They fill the victim with holy power, which causes the body to expel the soul. It is not until the soul exits the body that the Nephilim can consume it, leaving behind the purified husk of their victim.
OPTIONAL
● Any psychological changes are welcome! Feel free to pull from real world myths, canon creatures of this variety, or any other source! Maybe later.
● A fog form. This is an exaggerated version of their monster form that appears only during the fog and is a chance to make your monster more "horrifying" during the fog. Also maybe later.
● Additional wings can be placed anywhere on the body.
He has two small wings rooted at the sides of his head, above the ears. Feather crown feather crown FEATHER CROWN.
● An ethereal glow from within that shines through the skin and eyes. Like their halo, this light is not enough to maintain the Nephilim's form in darkness, but it can make them difficult to look at directly.
This only happens when he's angry or otherwise experiencing heightened emotions.
● Physical growth. Nephilim can grow an additional two feet in height, and may "fill out" accordingly to have an imposing stature.
Can't believe this fucker's now 7'5". He hates it.
● Odour of sanctity. Nephilim just smell nice. This can be traditional, like flowers or cookies, or it can be unconventional but still pleasant, like Old Spice or oddly-specific Yankee Candle scents. This odour extends not only to their flesh, but to their blood and tears, and may linger even after a Nephilim has left the room.
He smells of creampuffs and the pages of a freshly printed book. Weirdo.
● The ability to travel at greater speeds, though only when not observed. They can move as fast as Arachne and Vampires, or near to a Demon's teleporting. If they are being watched by a human or monster, they are restricted to their normal speed — however, if their observer closes their eyes or blinks, the Nephilim is unrestricted until their eyes open again.
● A strong sense of justice, of the "swift and furious" type. This can extend to a need to purge only sinners, or even a sense that all humans they've purged are sinners by proxy.
As per usual, Ryou slightly subverts expectations. His sense of justice manifests as a need to berate cheaters involved in a game, or people he can tell are lying. However, he simply gets massively passive-aggressive and uses ad hominem attacks that could make an adult man weep.
● Nephilim may have two additional spells: a spell of purification, which allows them to purify things like muck-ridden water, or a spell that brings others' regrets to the surface and amplifies them. If these abilities are used on other monsters, they are effective for up to one hour, and can only be used once per day.
● Stigmatic healing. A Nephilim can take the wounds of others, but the damage will be transferred wholly to the Nephilim. If they "heal" a broken arm, their own will be broken in turn.
No limits. You can no longer stop this man.
● A sigil, which can be used to invoke a Nephilim. The Nephilim will be summoned to the sigil when it is used. This can be prepared in advance as an escape route, but since it must be invoked by another and there's no guarantee of a sigil staying in friendly hands, Nephilim would be wise to limit their creation of these. A Nephilim can only be invoked once per day.
Ryou's sigil is a downward facing Ouija board planchette with a simplified eye in the center, accompanied by the words "GOOD BYE", the first word above the eye, and the second below it.
● Two long, venom-producing fangs that can fold back up against the roof of the mouth when not in use.
● Immunity to poison (including their own venom and the venom of other Nagas).
● A snake tail from the waist down as opposed to legs. The tail can come in a wide variety of colors and patterns and lengths
Ryou's lower body is a ball python with the lightning pied morph. In his case, the piebalding is strong, with occasional lightning splotches which look like ghost faces.
● Snake-like eyes with slit pupils.
FINE, he can have brown eyes this time, but the pupils are slit and the sclera are dark. He also has a nictitating membrane, but can blink like a normal person, since he's not a true snake.
● Claws instead of fingernails.
They're black, and he keeps them as trimmed as he can, but they grow back fast.
● Cold-bloodedness, with increased resistance to heat but vulnerability to cold. Cold temperatures will cause them to become sluggish and weak, thus easier to defeat.
● Increased speed and the ability to strike a target incredibly fast.
● Heat vision. By concentrating hard enough, the Naga will be able to detect anything giving off heat, even in the dark.
Especially useful when he's undergoing ecdysis! He finds it easier to use this ability during those times, but the energy drain does take a toll. That's why it's good he (currently) sheds only after he's consumed a human.
● A need to feed on humans. The Naga accomplishes this by either injecting their venom into their desired target and feeding on the blood and other dissolved internal organs once the venom has finished its course, or by swallowing their prey whole by unhinging their jaw. If they go too long without feeding, they'll start to lose their self control.
OPTIONAL
● Any psychological changes are welcome! Feel free to pull from real world myths, canon creatures of this variety, or any other source!
- A benevolent and protective nature. He likes helping people, and will do favors for very little return. - Extra curious. He wants to smell everything! Taste the air! Little things intrigue him even more. - Attracted to shiny things. He'll want to put shiny things in his hair, on his body, and collect them because they look beautiful. Wearing them makes him feel beautiful. If he can't have something he wants, he'll pout about it until he CAN get it. - Vanity. For once, Ryou's going to care about his appearance a bit more. He'll take extra care to brush out his hair and look impressive.
● A fog form. This is an exaggerated version of their monster form that appears only during the fog and is a chance to make your monster more "horrifying" during the fog. TBD
● Scales on any other part of the body.
Ryou has scales on his body in a randomized piebald-style patterning which can be either white, or contain the darker patterns.
● The ability to change into a large snake. In this form the character will be able to travel faster, however, they will also be more vulnerable.
He becomes a six-foot-long adult ball python in his travel form. Since this is a stocky snake, he loses a fair bit of his speed in this form.
● A rattle on the end of their tails that can temporarily mesmerize humans.
● Any amount of snake-like facial features, from scales to a forked tongue to a full on snake muzzle.
Ryou gets a few scales on his face, but the main feature here is his BIG OL' FORKED TONGUE. Which is black because I'm the boss.
● Loss of hair OR hair made out of several smaller snakes that can be controlled with some effort.
Ryou has his regular hair, but also possesses two snakes at either side of his face that replace the long bits of hair that used to be there. They don't get along, and like to argue right in front of his face, which includes hissing and posturing. Ughhhhh.
● The ability to freeze humans on the spot with extended eye contact and eventually turn them into stone. Only Naga venom can cure a human effected by this condition. Petrified humans are still conscious and aware of what's going on around them.
● The inability to digest solid foods. Some Nagas can eat what they like (although not everything will satiate their hunger), some can only feed on what's already been dissolved by their venom.
While he doesn't lose his ability to eat solid foods...Ryou does have some trouble digesting things that are not meat. Eating sugar in excess, for example, causes him stomach upset. RYSLIG IS A SUFFERING ENGINE ATTUNED TO RYOU BAKURA SPECIFICALLY.
OTHER
● As usual, Ryou's feeding cycles will be every two weeks. Due to his shitty attitude towards Mana when asking for this temporary change, he will be punished and forced to undergo ecdysis (shedding!) immediately after digesting his meals. The shed begins with a general feeling of malaise and a dulling of his scales on either the 2nd or 3rd day after feeding, and although Ryou can move without feeling gross, he'll feel extra fatigued, as if he's too cold or just sick in general.
His venom is a neurotoxin which calms his prey and eases their pain as he consumes them, but the real fatality is the instinct to constrict. When Ryou's feeding response is triggered, he will strike, then wrap his coils around prey and constrict them until they perish or are incapacitated. This can result in broken bones and ruptured internals.
Then, once he's given in to the need to squeeze his prey to death, he repositions them and opens his mouth, which extends past his ears and down his neck. His collarbone is bifurcated and his ribcage is pliant (the ribs are attached to the sternum by flexible ligaments and tendons that expand and contract as needed. It also means that his chest is unnervingly squishy) so that he is able to accommodate swallowing an entire human.
The process is slow and appropriately horrifying--The lower half of Ryou's "mouth" is used to work the prey in, and both upper and lower jaws have backward curved teeth which secure the prey and don't let it slip backwards. It takes Ryou approximately 5 minutes to completely take in a human past the end of his mouth, and what is not digestible or passable through his naga half will be, unfortunately, very much regurgitated. Yikes.
Digestion takes between 2-4 days. Ryou will become extremely lethargic for, at minimum, the first day or two, during which time it's best not for him to move much since he's busy working prey from his upper body to the lower naga half. This process takes the better part of half a day, but once it's reached his naga half completely, he dozes for most of the second day while the digestive process begins. He can move, but it's advisable to keep mostly still during day 2, and move carefully during day 3 and/or 4, until his naga half has fully broken down his meal, lest he give himself indigestion and, you guessed it, regurgitate. Listen, snakes get upset when you disturb them after eating. The better he rests, the easier it is on him.
While digesting, he's a little more quick to irritate, but he's not entirely unpleasant. Mostly he's just lazy, unmotivated, and a bit whiny.
● Rodent-like teeth. These can be the singular incisors of rodents, or the double incisors of rabbits.
- Bunny teeth, but they don't stick out, really.
● Rabbit or rodent-like ears, which come with enhanced hearing.
BUNNY EARS! They are ridiculously long, but also blend in with his hair since they're usually down.
● Fur on the back, shoulders, and arms.
Fur EVERYWHERE. i'm not a coward!
● Claws on their hands and feet. These are both incredibly sharp and very durable, capable of digging through solid rock.
● Stronger legs. Pookas are one of the faster monsters in Ryslig. They are also able to leap and jump up to six times their own height, be it straight into the air or across distances. The Pooka's kicking strength is also incredibly high, able to kick through stone walls.
● Increased senses. The Pooka may either have a stronger sense of smell and the ability to track others via scent, or an increased range of vision and the ability to see in the ultraviolet spectrum, or both.
Both. Both is good.
● A shorter stature. Pookas tend to be much smaller than other creatures, similar to Goblins.
He's just barely over 3 foot. Tiny bnuuy.
● Pookas are skilled liars, and skirt away from responsibility. However, Pookas are bound to the oaths they make and are unable to break a promise.
This is gonna make Ryou lazy, of course. Let him chill! He doesn't like lying, but I guess he's good at it now, and has a compulsion to fib. =7=. Promise meta valid!
● A burrowing instinct. Pookas feel safest when able to make a shelter underground.
● A need to feed on the blood or bone marrow of humans. This may require them to hunt their own live prey, or they may scavenge the kills of others.
OPTIONAL
● Any psychological changes are welcome! Feel free to pull from real world myths, canon creatures of this variety, or any other source!
TBD
● A fog form. This is an exaggerated version of their monster form that appears only during the fog and is a chance to make your monster more "horrifying" during the fog.
TBD
● Blood-red or golden eyes.
● Rootless or continually-growing teeth. If unchecked, the teeth of the Pooka can grow long enough to no longer fit within their mouths, distorting the shape of their face and jaws. To maintain more normal-sized teeth, Pookas will have the compulsion to wear them down via frequent chewing. They will default to gnawing on human or monster bones, but trees, rocks, and other hard materials may suffice.
● Any amount of rabbit or rodent features, including nose and whiskers, additional fur, digitigrade legs, cheek pouches, or a tail.
Ryou's facial features are rabbit-y, but still have vaguely human structure. Plantigrade feet, though sometimes he likes bouncing on the balls of his hugeass feet, and also he has a jerboa tail. I accept no criticism.
● A travel form based on an allowed species.
TBD
● Thrill-seeking nature. Pookas enjoy little more than going out at night to paint the town red, figuratively or literally. Their companions may find they have a hard time remembering everything that happened, but Pookas are always up for a wild ride.
FREE EXTROVERT CARD?!?! Not nearly as much as other people but DEFINITELY more than usual!
● Vindictive nature. Pookas delight in the misfortune of others, and their favorite phrase is "I told you so" when calamity befalls those around them. They also do not take well to being turned down or slighted, no matter how small the reason, and will often lash out against those who reject them.
No. Not this time, Satan.
● Tracking ability. Pookas are able to "mark" up to ten objects or people, and can follow their trails from any location. These marks fade naturally after a week; if the Pooka tries marking an eleventh thing, one of the first ten will disappear. The more marks a Pooka has set, the harder it becomes for them to remember which mark is which. The sense the Pooka uses to track these marks — either by scent or by sight — depends on which of their senses has increased.
● Transformative abilities. Using their fae magic, a Pooka can change their face and build to mimic that of another character. They cannot gain physical limbs, but they will be able to project an illusion of extra limbs or wings. Pookas will need to put in work to perfect the illusion, resulting in ‘glitches’ for inexperienced monsters. Glitches can include clipping through surrounding scenery, creating two mismatched limbs, or sheering out like an overhead projector image — feel free to be creative with the errors! Pookas must retain their Pooka features during this transformation. A Pooka who keeps their ears hidden will be able to fool even their disguise’s closest friends. They may transform themselves once per day, and the transformation lasts for up to one hour.
● A need for social contact. Whether it's as trusted companions living together, hunting partners, or dragging strangers out with them for a night on the town, Pookas will go out of their way to be around others. They detest solitude.
TIME TO PARTY. COME ON PARTY WITH HIM. it's the only time he'll be this way.
● Gills on the side of their neck, along the rib cage, or near the tail, although they are still capable of breathing outside of water.
Ryou's are on his ribs. He has 2 on each side.
● Scales on their arms and legs that can come in a wide variety of colors and patterns.
He has scales but also he's a selkie/seal mer, so he has a fine layer of fur covering all that up. Oopsie daisy!
● Fins behind their ears and on their forearms
Since this is a temp, his design lacks the forearm fins
● Webbing between their fingers.
● Out of water: Fins on their legs (or frog-like legs) and webbing between their toes.
Webbed toes, but no fins. Temp rules, playing it fast and loose because seal!
● Reacting to water: Their legs will form a tail that can be any length and resemble pretty much any aquatic creature (things like squids, frogs, and octopi are fair game for this as well). This change is uncontrollable, though what level of water it takes to cause this change is up to the player. Some mers change in the rain, while others may require shallow water like a puddle, and others still require deep water.
Ryou gains a seal half as his swim-form. He's a leopard seal mer! He will also change in the rain, because f that guy.
● Movement on land in this form requires puddles of water at the very least. The deeper the water, the faster a mer can travel, but they are able to skim and slide across even a wet street. Obviously, squid mers will have a much easier time than mers with actual fish tails, but movement is technically possible in wet conditions.
● In order to change back from their aquatic form, they must be out of the water source that caused it for a few minutes. A mer caught in the rain may retreat indoors and return to their legs in the span of three minutes, for example. (The specific time is up to players.)
3 minute meta works. He's not allowed to use Luca rules.
● Sharpened senses, especially underwater. Their senses of hearing, sight, and smell will increase greatly and function the same underwater as on land.
● Resistance to water pressure. Merpeople can dive as deep as they like.
● A need for water. While merfolk can survive on land, they'll get thirsty quicker than normal and begin to weaken if they are out of water for more than a few days. Taking a short shower or a bath will satisfy this need and allow them to prolong their stay.
Ryou needs to submerge at least once every 2 days to rejuvenate. One day will still take a toll though. Not advisable.
● A preference for colder weather. Mer are not as weak to fire and heat as certain other monsters, but as it evaporates their water supply faster, they begin to feel thirsty and uncomfortable a lot more quickly.
● A need to feed on human energy. The Merperson accomplishes this by holding a human underwater until they drown. If they go too long without feeding, they'll start to lose their self control.
OPTIONAL
● Any psychological changes are welcome! Feel free to pull from real world myths, canon creatures of this variety, or any other source!
Ryou's temp will come with a seal pelt that follows his seal leopard patterning. It fits like a hoodie and has holes for his fin-ears, but it doesn't close and instead drapes over his shoulders and back. It can be worn loosely or it will stick close to his skin if necessary. It's fully an aesthetic thing! However, Ryou will become massively anxious if parted from his pelt, to the point that he can make himself sick with worry. He will, however, share it with friends, and allow them to wear it if he trusts them. It has no unpleasant odor like you would expect, and is quite warm.
● A fog form. This is an exaggerated version of their monster form that appears only during the fog and is a chance to make your monster more "horrifying" during the fog.
TBD
● Bioluminescent spots or patterns on any part of the body.
[Ryou's lighter spots will glow in deeper waters, or in blacklit conditions.
● The ability to drain water from their targets, effectively removing their energy as well as feeding themselves. Merfolk can do this in a few ways, either by giving them a "kiss", or by first making a cut on a part of their victim's body and then leeching the water out. The target will become shriveled up as a result.
Ryou can do this in addition to drowning victims.
● A soothing singing voice that can charm humans, making them vulnerable to being lured.
● Retractable claws on their hands that can be used to ensnare humans once they are captured.
● An instinct to hoard any sort of gem or other shiny trinket underwater, and to act extremely aggressively towards thieves.
NAME: Ryou Bakura AGE: 18 OCCUPATION: Self-employed, wood workshop. CHRONOLOGICAL HISTORY: Ryou Bakura is a woodworker by trade, fresh out of high school and into a craftsman career. It wasn't his idea of how life would go, but that's how it is in Ryslig.
Well before he graduated, Ryou had a loving family: Mother and father, and a younger sister, Amane. But again, since this is Ryslig, that was never meant to be forever. When he was 13, his mother and sister never came home from a grocery shopping trip. Two missing persons reports later, their remains were found in a back-alley of Bavan. There was hardly anything left but the bloody clothing--if nothing else, the monsters were thorough.
And so it went. Single father with a teenage child. Ryou's father provided well enough, but the loss of family was hard on them both. Because of the situation, Ryou's father anxiously took out life insurance on himself--monsters on the peninsula usually had some form of honor in that they avoided children, so he banked on that while he continued to provide. It hadn't...saved his daughter, but it might save his son. He could only hope.
Ryou could do little more than continue attending school and cling to his broken family. Surely things couldn't get worse?
Until he came home one day during his senior year and found his father on the ground, listless.
He would later find out the reason for this by panicking and asking around for an explanation--a Shade had devoured his father's soul and left his body for dead. By all accounts...it was. But Ryou refused to accept it as such, and so he spent at least a month or so caring for his father. It was noticable--he'd disappear from certain school periods or take extra long lunches and then show up late to a class with all sorts of apologies. His father was comatose, after all. He couldn't care for himself.
Eventually...Ryou came to the frustrating realization that his father didn't live in those unseeing eyes anymore, and that his frail form was nothing but a husk. What's a teen to do? He toyed with the idea of handling the matter personally, but he was never that guy. So with a heavy heart, he transported his father to the same alley where the rest of his family had died, and left him to the monsters to dispose of. He knows there are rumors as to whether Ryou's father died by his own hand, and Ryou himself refuses to talk about it so...that must mean it's true, right? To his benefit, the life insurance did pay out--it would have paid out on loss of soul, but Ryou had dragged things out to their final conclusion.
Now, at 18, he had no family aside from estranged relatives and his street urchin cousin who was in no position to help out here. So...Ryou arranged for advanced courses to expedite his education. He finished before his year even walked (which by the way was hard, would not ever recommend), then set to work using the money he had to open up a woodshop.
His location is modest and it took every red penny he had to finally get it put together, but Ryou does reasonably well nowadays as a woodworker doing commission work, upcycling, construction/industrial provision, and even custom knick-knacks and game sets.
Unfortunately for him, balancing this is very hard. He generally takes different days off since he's his own boss, but it's always an 8-6, 4 days a week with 1 day of on-call, as-needed work. That gives him tentatively 2-3 days to keep his life in order, which accounts for paying bills, bookkeeping, and occasionally playing nerd games with his friends. He also dabbles in the occult, being particularly fond of tarot and ouija boards. He even has one of those at home! He absolutely doesn't use it to try and commune with his dead family. he does
For a basic breakdown, this is Ryou's day.
- Wake up and get ready for work. - Eat a piece of toast, a fruit, maybe eggs if he has time. Never more than one thing though who has time for a balanced breakfast, I mean really. - Work shift. The whole thing. This involves answering phones, woodworking, talking with customers, etc. Lunch does not exist. Too busy. - Finish work. C O N S U M E. Dinner is his main meal. - Brief decompression and maybe hanging out with friends if he made plans. - Sleep.
His days off are similar, it's just usually instead of work work, he'll do house work and various other adulting behaviors. His free time is limited but important to him for his sanity. Also, on his off days he does NOT eat any better. He has shitty habits.
Adam Usir: Classmate, although at this point Ryou's not in school. Like Adam, he is a teen baby working a relatively technical field. Adam works in construction after inheriting his father's business, and they cross paths from time to time when it comes to woodworking related needs. Whenever they're both free, Ryou often spends time around Adam playing games like the proper nerds that they are, and he's even convinced Adam that the Ouija board isn't that bad!
Ringu Bakura: Relative, specifically Ryou's cousin. Ryou doesn't remember too much about his aunt and uncle, aside from they were decidedly "not great" if they couldn't even manage to reign in Ringu at all. That's their kid. What's up with that??? Anyway, his relationship with Ringu is...interesting. They sometimes butt heads on how they feel about monsters (Ringu was raised by monsters on the streets and Ryou had his family killed), but they still care about each other. Ringu is, nonetheless a brat and tends to hang around the shop and TOUCH WHAT HE SHOULDN'T or exude general gremlin behavior. He is a game buddy just like Adam though, which is a good way to keep him out of trouble! Eh. For a little while anyway.
Anna Ovesen: Kind friend who visits the shop to make sure he's doing okay. She thinks his eating habits are awful and makes sure he's taking care of himself, and also hangs around to speak with him. Ryou not-so-secretly likes it because it makes the day go faster, especially if he's working on something complex and there are few customers. It's...nice to have someone fret over him, although he doesn't consciously try to be irresponsible about his health. He just misses having a family and she ticks that box, intentional or not.
Perry Frey: Not everything is hashed out here, but these two definitely share interest in art, and their first interaction may hinge on Ryou looking very much like his cousin Ringu. That will be annoying! =D But Ryou will definitely appreciate Perry's painting skills--he's good at painting too, but not in the same way, and would love to learn more! Ryou will also love Perry giving Raphtalia a home!
Runyu Wuyishan: Frequent customer! Runyu and Ryou share a love of art, so the former can usually be found visiting often. Ryou appreciates the patronage and sometimes gives Runyu freebies. He feels as if the man visits pretty frequently though, and although he'd never ask, he wonders if maybe...Runyu's trying to get away from things too, like Ryou does with gaming. It's not his business to pry though, so he'll just be happy for some easygoing conversation and the appreciation for his work!
Also, uh. Evidently Ringu mugged Runyu rather interestingly and got free lunch out of it. That...probably really is embarrassing for Ryou. Sorry sorry!! D: His cousin is terrible!
Raphtalia: Little orphan girl whose family was killed by monsters. Massive sympathy goes her way, and he tries to bring a little extra lunch to share with her if she wanders in. From time to time, he gives her free toys, because a kid needs distractions from the dark world, right? It seems she's going to be adopted by Perry, but that won't change anything, he'll still be kind to her and listen if she needs to talk about anything.
Offering: Joined 1/9/22 - Initiated a conversation with the Fog, pledging out of sheer desperation after dying in an attempt to protect Atem from the retribution of another monster.
-A minor power appropriate to the Fog god (think fear, strength, destruction)
-> Fear Touch - If Ryou touches someone with ill intent on his mind, or with the specific intent to invoke this ability, he can instill a nearly paralyzing sense of terror in them. Max contact before he risks unconsciousness would be about one minute, and if he takes it to that limit, he'll significantly lower the time before he needs to feed. Monsters can resist this ability, but humans cannot. Whoever he uses it against, the effect will fade off within about 5-10 seconds.
- Smallest rooms in Dyster (a single bed, no window) - Resurrecting inside Dyster after 2-3 days (regardless of fog days) - A small aesthetic body modification tailored towards fear and intimidation
-> Ryou will gain a whiplike tail with a tufted end as such. The tail is as prehensile as his tendrils, which means he can't do anything like hang from it since as much as I want him to he is not Doc Ock. At best, he could pick up a can of soda or something with it, and it's mostly just meant to enhance his scary looks. If...you know, he can even look scary.
Speaking of "scary" though, whenever Ryou feels a particularly strong emotion, the tail tip responds by changing color and gaining more of his shadowy aura, so the tip almost seems to behave like fire. If it's a negative emotion, then it stings to the touch like his normal shadow aura, but if it's a positive emotion, touching it is less ouch and more comfortingly warm. Particularly strong emotions (anger, despair, excitement) cause the glow to travel back along the upper half of the tail intensely.
A picture chart with some colors can be found here. More colors may be added. Not pictured is the color white, which stands for "Fear/Terror"
- An instinctive knowledge of how many days they have left before the hunger overtakes them
Offering: Fearmongering in the name of the Fog God, then capping the night off by killing a human and drinking their blood in order to rejuvenate after doing the (Fog) Lord's work!
-> Ryou will gain the ability to maintain a shapeshift into a large black shadow wolf and this wolf will emulate strength that is comparable but not equal to a werewolf. He can do this once a day.
- A bigger room in Dyster (queen-size bed, windows, storage)
- Instant resurrection in Dyster after being killed
- A major body modification
-> Ryou will gain spikes that extend and retract at will. They will be reactive to emotion, and be sharp and harmful, but will also follow the rules of shade, which means that if he's incorporeal, so are they. Basic reference for what I'm thinking.
- Taking on a new way to feed: blood. Finally, he is no longer bound to just souls! Thanks Mom!
Offering: Ryou, Atem, and several others worked together to expose a company offering sub-par monster security systems to humans while keeping the functional ones for themselves. In finding out what they were doing, Ryou went a little...overboard. He killed the CEO while performing reconnaissance, then ate the remaining board on camera graphically when they failed Atem's greed test before he could even say "go". Consequently, he became the living penalty game. Oops!
- A third major power, appropriate to the Fog God:
-> Pain Transfer. Ryou will now be able to permanently take on the pain and injuries of others in accordance to his preexisting abilities + upgrade, and send them to another human or monster. The severity of the injuries would be the same for human OR monster, but monsters would naturally heal faster.
Ryou will be able to transfer physical injury permanently, though if it's something like a headache or bruising, it's bound to have less of an effect than if he transferred a broken bone. He can also temporarily transfer mental pain (anxiety, terror, other unsettling feelings), for only a few minutes.
If a monster is involved, I will of course ask for permission before doing any of these things. Humans shall be dunked upon without sympathy.
- No update to the house this time. He's sticking with his Tier 2 arrangement so that he can remain under the radar to any other Foggies.
- Immortality. Only destroying the brain or the heart can kill a tier 3 Fog follower.
- A new, alternate monster form:
-> Fog Form Upgrade - Ryou's Fog Form is mostly the same in shape, but the main body is segmented and somewhat tougher, as are the bones of his tail, and he has large bony protrusions at his hindleg knees. The tip of his tail has the most obvious change--a pair of bone blades at the tip, which give it an extra two feet in length. Like his tail in regular shade form, Ryou's tail can express emotions through glow, but this is also true of his claws and foreleg spikes. Ryou's length has now increased from 14 feet to 20 feet long.
He can shift between forms at will during the Fog, but no other time.
- Increased ferocity and strength and lowered inhibitions while in fog form.
Shadow Master - Ryou's body, which is already easy to manipulate into a solid form through practice and experience, will now serve as a type of container for his shadows, which can now extend from his form in a radius of about 20 ft around him without draining his abilities any more than usual. The shadows also default to forming eyes and mouths when extended, adding to the Fog Mandated Fear Factor of this boon. It's a little bit of a mix between Pride's (FMA) form, and Lucy's (Elfen Leid) vectors! My reasoning for him being able to extend the shadows in this manner is because it's a native shade ability to shapeshift and use tendrils, but beefed up!
The shadows default to this kind of appearance, and remain black whether he solidifies the edges or not. It takes just as much energy as usual to solidify these shadows, but when solid they can be used to form a cutting edge. Hence the teeth, for example.
2 of the eyes which he can form like this be able to see. Regardless of how many vestigial or functional eyes Ryou forms, and whether they can see or not, the eyes will be just as vulnerable as regular eyes.
To put it simply, Ryou's solid form will, for all intents and purposes, appear as a "container" for some wackadoodle and highly aggressive, terror-inducing shadows which can be used to harm physically via cutting/biting, and he has pretty good reach. Also he can create two functional eyes out of that mess.
Since his body has been designated container, it'll make it easier for him to do this shadow stuff in alternate monster forms.
Finally, he gets the voice whispers, and the priest cloak. The priest basics, naturally.
Coin and Death Counts
TAKEN
Nov 2020 2
Feb 2021 1
Mar 2021 12
Apr 2021 6
May 2021 11
Jun 2021 20
Jul 2021 20
Aug 2021 20
Sep 2021 16
Oct 2021 40
Nov 2021 20
Dec 2021 10
Jan 2022 20
Feb 2022 20
Mar 2022 20
Apr 2022 12
May 2022 15
Jun 2022 15
Jul 2022 20
Aug 2022 20
Oct 2022 40
Nov 2022 1
Dec 2022 12
Jan 2023 16
Mar 2023 9
Apr 2023 6
TOTAL: 404
FREE
Sep 2022 15
Nov 2022 5
Feb 2023 3
May 2023 1
June 2023 9
July 2023 8
Aug 2023 6
Sept 2023 1
TOTAL: 49
-------
Deaths
1ST DEATH [Freebie] - Killed by the a splinter of the fear monster, arm and head eaten cw; child harm
2ND DEATH [Freebie] - Killed by Gabriel Morgenstern, by flashbang
3RD DEATH [Doesn't count] - Killed by Ankhsunatem to expedite his change into a vampire
▓̵T̷H̵ ̷D̵E̷a̷T̸H̵ ̵[̶N̸▐̵T̵ ̵H̵I̴s̶]̶ ̵- Doppelganger Ryou was killed by Ankhsunatem to exact justice.
4TH DEATH [MEMLOSS - Memories of AM torturing him in Felfri] - Killed by a group effort in order to end the Shades of Our Lives event. Died to Mukuro's bite, ultimately.
5TH DEATH [MEMLOSS - Shadi] - Killed by Norman Osborn in service of the Fourth God.
6TH DEATH [Doesn't count, handwaved] - Sacrificed himself in order to restore the balance during Oct 2023 Event
PRIMARY MONSTER INFORMATION
Simple Change List
-- Shadow-Like complexion
-- Shadowy aura
-- Glowing white eyes
-- Shapeshifting
-- Telekinesis
-- Possession
-- Weakness to light
-- Improved Night Vision
-- Hunger for human souls
OPTIONAL
--Sharp teeth
--Claws
--Prehensile shadow tendrils
--Invisibility
--Taking on the pain of others
--Fog Form
--Vengeful Nature
Detailed Change List
--> Shadow-like complexion. At this point, his shadow form will not overtake his humanity yet. His form still retains a similar shape, and his body has not undergone any morphological abnormalities.
--> Shadowy aura - The outline of Ryou's body has a stringy, but almost flamelike behavior to it, like shadows stretching upward. It's only a centimeter or so.
--> Glowing eyes, no pupils.
--> Sharp teeth, full triangular mode. He'll experience some speaking problems while he gets used to them.
--> Claws on hands and toes. Not very long, but sharp enough.
--> Weakness to light - Ryou's eyes become very light sensitive, and he feels something akin to sunburn in direct sunlight. Can't stay out longer than an hour or two in such sunlight.No longer weak to light, and instead weak to silver!--> Possession of other beings. Yikes, dog.
--> Improved night vision. All the better to see you with. :)
Second Month Changes
--> Shadow-like complexion becomes completely black with faint outlines, the aura gets more "feisty", licking up at least an inch or so. Little remains of the general human form, but the hair stays mostly the same. It's more flowy, with no wind of course.
--> Arms and fingers lengthen, to the point his fingertips reach his knees. Fingernails (claws) become fully indistinguishable from the finger. Fingers are basically each one big pointy digit that blends.
--> Feet become four-toed claws, fully digitigrade. Three claws in front, one raised in the back. Think a Disney's Gargoyles kind of thing.
--> Invisibility and intangibility. He will go invisible involuntarily at first, then with time learn how to control. The same with solidity, he can learn to control it but until he does, he will struggle with controlling when he can or can't pass through things.
--> Shapeshifting. Within his total control, but will take practice to perfect.
--> Telekinesis. Within his total control, but will take practice to perfect.
--> Shadow tendrils. He will have 2 and he can extend them from any part of his body, but from the back will be easiest.
--> Hunger for human souls.
Third Month Changes
--> Shadowy aura is even more pronounced, raising from his general outline by several inches now, sporadically.
--> Shadow tendrils now amount to 4.
--> Height increases just enough to look menacing (7'), arms lengthen until fingertips reach nearly the ankles.
--> He can now take on the pain of others, for better or worse. EDIT: purchased the ability to invoke a type of stigmatic healing once per day.
--> Light sensitivity is now deadly in prolonged contact.--> Change in demeanor: While Ryou won't become fully vengeful, he can be short-tempered and lash out.
Non-Linear Changes
--> Fog Form
--> Vengeful nature: Since January 2022, Ryou has become more vengeful. The way this manifests is in a need to "get even", or right injustices to himself or others. This can be as simple as enacting a mildly unkind behavior on someone who has offended him simply, or wanting to cause them severe harm for doing something similar to him. Example: If someone steps on his tail, he'll want to claw or bite them. If someone causes a person he cares about to become severely injured or kills them, Ryou will want to pay it back in turn.
The vengeful feelings don't go away until he finds a way to relieve them, and while it works sometimes if he projects it onto something else (let's say, a human?), not all feelings can be projected. As a result, it sometimes becomes necessary to bottle up his feelings, which is not good for him...
--> As of the Bestiary update, Ryou now has the ability to access a stealth form.
References
source:
Click for full image
Supplemental References
Under Construction! Please refer to my Imgur album for the basics!
TEMPORARY MONSTER INFORMATION
NOVEMBER 2021: WEREWOLF
Change List
● Upper and lower canine teeth elongated into sharp fangs
● Wolf-like pointed ears.
● Fur on the back, shoulders, and arms.
● Clawed hands and feet with pads on the bottom.
● Sharpened senses. Werewolves have much better hearing than a normal human, and their sense of smell is strong enough to pick up many distinct scents and follow them.
● Post-transformation fatigue. While Werewolves are very energetic in their wolf forms, they tend to have major fatigue when turning back to human form. Thus, they tend to be nocturnal.
● A weakness to silver as well as the flower known as wolfsbane. Direct contact will be painful and ingesting wolfsbane or being shot with a silver bullet can kill.
● Hunger and hunting instinct. Werewolves are strictly carnivores and prefer to hunt their own food down. Hunting animals will satiate them for a short time, but the longer they go without hunting a human, the more they'll be compelled to do so until they start losing their self-control.
OPTIONAL
● Any psychological changes are welcome! Feel free to pull from real world myths, canon creatures of this variety, or any other source!
● Fur on any other part of the body.
● Bright yellow eyes.
● The rest of the teeth elongated into fangs.
● A wolf tail.
● Longer arms for the ability to run fast on all fours.
● Any number of wolf-like facial features, ranging from mild to fully lupine.
● Moments of high emotion can cause the Werewolf to partially or fully transform, depending on the intensity of the emotion. Transformations due to high emotion can only last continuously for an hour, and will cause heavy strain on the monster the longer it continues.
● A pack instinct. The Werewolf, in wolf form, will feel more inclined to join up with other Werewolves, sometimes taking on different roles and leadership dynamics for hunting.
● The ability to shift into a full wolf/dog/fox/ect. form at any time. In this form, the character will look like a normal canine and will be able to travel faster. However, they will also be more vulnerable.
● Lunar influence. Some Werewolves are affected by the phases of the moon, gaining more power when the moon is full or near-full. These Werewolves will also find their impulses and wolf instincts harder to control during a full or near-full moon, however.
● Certain Werewolves can jump very high, allowing them to leap onto rooftops or small buildings with ease.
● A werewolf may have canine features or markings while they're in their day form as long as there's a significant contrast between their day and night forms.
OTHER
● Ryou being a hungry dude is going to pass from his normal monster type to his temporary monster type -- by the rules of the game, he can go a whole month before going on a spree, but his hunger becomes intolerable and aggravating within 2-3 weeks, so he feeds bi-monthly. (this is a direct consequence of two things: one, canon. Ryou is often found in canon eating something in his appearances, and there's even a page or two in the manga dedicated to mentioning how he's a good cook. Two, as a direct result of the circus event a year ago and his first feeding being an uncontrolled killing spree, his monster body is calibrated to want MORE and want it FASTER.)
● Ryou will like working his jaw on something, especially the first day of his transformation, so he'll resort to chewing on what he can get. Then it becomes a comfort, so he wants to GNAW.
● The boy is now a twunk. Soft, but muscular. That's it that's the whole thing.
● His eyes do the thing at night. You know. That Thing
References
Source:
Supplemental References:
Original References by me: X - X
Travel Form Reference by me: X
Fog Form Reference by me: X
Fog Form by
Night Form by
JANUARY 2022: VAMPIRE
Change List
● The upper canines and/or upper lateral incisors elongated into fangs.
● Eye color ranging from pale pink to bright red.
● Fingernails that grow faster and in a more claw-like shape.
● Weakness to sunlight. Vampires usually prefer to go out at night time or keep themselves well-covered, because their skin burns quickly in sunlight and direct exposure can be painful. While they don't need to sleep in coffins, they tend to prefer dark, enclosed spaces to avoid accidental exposure to sunlight.
● Vulnerability to silver. Silver will burn the skin on contact and can cause severe injury or even death if the Vampire is shot or stabbed with something made of silver.
● Heightened senses. Vampires will find that their senses are attuned to the scent of blood, and when very hungry they may start hearing the pulses of those nearby.
● Thirst for blood. Vampires feed only on blood and will actively crave it. If they don't feed for an extended amount of time, they will begin to go mad and lose their self-control until they can feed again.
OPTIONAL
● Any psychological changes are welcome! Feel free to pull from real world myths, canon creatures of this variety, or any other source!
● A fog form. This is an exaggerated version of their monster form that appears only during the fog and is a chance to make your monster more "horrifying" during the fog.
● Anything from pointed ears to large, batlike ones.
● Paler skin.
● Bright red lips.
● Elongated legs that bend backwards, ending with large clawed bat feet which allows the Vampire to grip branches and climb feet first or hang on surfaces
● Some Vampires can eat and drink normally (although only blood will really satisfy them), while some find that all other food and drink tastes terrible to them.
● Hypnotic influence over humans. Most humans can be immobilized with this influence long enough for the Vampire to feed on them, while weaker-minded humans can be forced to carry out the Vampire's bidding as well.
● The ability to take the form of a bat. The character will look like a regular bat, and will be able to fly, but is more vulnerable in this form.
● The ability to take the form of fog. The character will be invulnerable in this form, but will also not be able to feed or cause any damage.
● Superhuman speed. Certain Vampires can move much faster than humans, appearing as nothing more than a blur.
● An arrogant nature. Vampires tend to believe themselves better than other creatures or humans, and are prone to flattery.
References
Regular form by me: X - X
Regular form by
Fog Form
by me: X
by
APRIL 2022: MANTICORE
Change List
● Cat-like ears which can resemble those of any type of feline.
● Sharp fangs instead of teeth.
● Clawed hands and feet with pads on the bottom.
● Fur on the upper arms, shoulders, and back that can be patterned after any type of feline.
● Large wings capable of flight, which can be either bird-like or bat-like.
● A scorpion-like tail with venomous barbs at the end. The tail can be singular, forked, or three-pronged.
● Increased speed and jumping ability. Manticores are very fast and can leap far to pounce on their prey.
● Sharpened senses. Manticores have sharper senses of eyesight, hearing, and smell than humans.
● Weakness to cold. Manticores can tolerate high levels of heat, but will be weakened by freezing weather. They become easier to kill as the temperature drops.
● Hunger and hunting instinct. Manticores are strictly carnivores and prefer to hunt their own food down. Hunting animals will satiate them for a short time, but the longer they go without hunting a human, the more they'll be compelled to do so until they start losing their self-control.
OPTIONAL
● Any psychological changes are welcome! Feel free to pull from real world myths, canon creatures of this variety, or any other source!
● A fog form. This is an exaggerated version of their monster form that appears only during the fog and is a chance to make your monster more "horrifying" during the fog.● Bright
yelloweyes that reflect light at night● Any number of cat-like facial features, ranging from mild to fully feline.
● Longer arms for the ability to run fast on all fours.
● Fur on any other part of the body.
● The ability to change into a cat (either a house cat or a wild cat). In this form the character will be able to travel faster, however, they will also be more vulnerable.
● A melodic voice that can temporarily hypnotize humans and lure them closer.
● A deceptive nature. Manticores are keen on trickery and delight in spreading rumors, telling riddles, and learning the secrets of others.
References
Original reference by me: X
Reference by
Reference by
JUNE 2022: NEPHILIM
Change List
● Feathery wings, ranging from one wing to six. Nephilim can fly with these, no matter their number, but not any better or worse than other winged monsters.
● A halo. This can be the traditional white or golden aura around the head, a cartoonish floating ring, etc. It may brighten when the Nephilim experiences strong emotion, making them difficult to look at.
● An extra pair of functional eyes somewhere on the head.
● Either bull horns, a lion's mane, or a bull or lion tail. You may choose more than one of these, but at least one must be present. A Nephilim can only have one tail.
● Nephilim do not cast shadows, and are unable to shield other monsters from sunlight.
● Nephilim do not need to sleep, and are in fact unable to.
● A weakness to the dark and dark magic. When in complete darkness, Nephilim lose their corporeal form and become a haze, undefined and without physical body. They have difficulty maintaining their forms in weak light (e.g. moonlight); although Nephilim can produce light from their halos, this is not enough illumination to maintain their forms. Dark magic can kill a Nephilim.
● The ability to use holy magic. Nephilim have four primary spells: the ability to induce awe in a human, terrorizing them into stillness; the ability to create and control plasma (as in lightning); the ability to create a barrier through which only Nephilim can cross; and the ability to channel holy energy into a human's body.
● The need to feed by purging human souls. This is accomplished using the Nephilim's final holy magic ability listed above. They fill the victim with holy power, which causes the body to expel the soul. It is not until the soul exits the body that the Nephilim can consume it, leaving behind the purified husk of their victim.
OPTIONAL
●
Any psychological changes are welcome! Feel free to pull from real world myths, canon creatures of this variety, or any other source!Maybe later.●
A fog form. This is an exaggerated version of their monster form that appears only during the fog and is a chance to make your monster more "horrifying" during the fog.Also maybe later.● Additional wings can be placed anywhere on the body.
● An ethereal glow from within that shines through the skin and eyes. Like their halo, this light is not enough to maintain the Nephilim's form in darkness, but it can make them difficult to look at directly.
● Physical growth. Nephilim can grow an additional two feet in height, and may "fill out" accordingly to have an imposing stature.
● Odour of sanctity. Nephilim just smell nice. This can be traditional, like flowers or cookies, or it can be unconventional but still pleasant, like Old Spice or oddly-specific Yankee Candle scents. This odour extends not only to their flesh, but to their blood and tears, and may linger even after a Nephilim has left the room.
● The ability to travel at greater speeds, though only when not observed. They can move as fast as Arachne and Vampires, or near to a Demon's teleporting. If they are being watched by a human or monster, they are restricted to their normal speed — however, if their observer closes their eyes or blinks, the Nephilim is unrestricted until their eyes open again.
● A strong sense of justice, of the "swift and furious" type. This can extend to a need to purge only sinners, or even a sense that all humans they've purged are sinners by proxy.
● Nephilim may have two additional spells: a spell of purification, which allows them to purify things like muck-ridden water, or a spell that brings others' regrets to the surface and amplifies them. If these abilities are used on other monsters, they are effective for up to one hour, and can only be used once per day.
● Stigmatic healing. A Nephilim can take the wounds of others, but the damage will be transferred wholly to the Nephilim. If they "heal" a broken arm, their own will be broken in turn.
● A sigil, which can be used to invoke a Nephilim. The Nephilim will be summoned to the sigil when it is used. This can be prepared in advance as an escape route, but since it must be invoked by another and there's no guarantee of a sigil staying in friendly hands, Nephilim would be wise to limit their creation of these. A Nephilim can only be invoked once per day.
AUGUST 2022: NAGA
Change List
● Two long, venom-producing fangs that can fold back up against the roof of the mouth when not in use.
● Immunity to poison (including their own venom and the venom of other Nagas).
● A snake tail from the waist down as opposed to legs. The tail can come in a wide variety of colors and patterns and lengths
● Snake-like eyes with slit pupils.
● Claws instead of fingernails.
● Cold-bloodedness, with increased resistance to heat but vulnerability to cold. Cold temperatures will cause them to become sluggish and weak, thus easier to defeat.
● Increased speed and the ability to strike a target incredibly fast.
● Heat vision. By concentrating hard enough, the Naga will be able to detect anything giving off heat, even in the dark.
● A need to feed on humans. The Naga accomplishes this by either injecting their venom into their desired target and feeding on the blood and other dissolved internal organs once the venom has finished its course, or by swallowing their prey whole by unhinging their jaw. If they go too long without feeding, they'll start to lose their self control.
OPTIONAL
● Any psychological changes are welcome! Feel free to pull from real world myths, canon creatures of this variety, or any other source!
●
A fog form. This is an exaggerated version of their monster form that appears only during the fog and is a chance to make your monster more "horrifying" during the fog.TBD● Scales on any other part of the body.
● The ability to change into a large snake. In this form the character will be able to travel faster, however, they will also be more vulnerable.
● A rattle on the end of their tails that can temporarily mesmerize humans.
● Any amount of snake-like facial features, from scales to a forked tongue to a full on snake muzzle.
● Loss of hair OR hair made out of several smaller snakes that can be controlled with some effort.
● The ability to freeze humans on the spot with extended eye contact and eventually turn them into stone. Only Naga venom can cure a human effected by this condition. Petrified humans are still conscious and aware of what's going on around them.
● The inability to digest solid foods. Some Nagas can eat what they like (although not everything will satiate their hunger), some can only feed on what's already been dissolved by their venom.
OTHER
● As usual, Ryou's feeding cycles will be every two weeks. Due to his shitty attitude towards Mana when asking for this temporary change, he will be punished and forced to undergo ecdysis (shedding!) immediately after digesting his meals. The shed begins with a general feeling of malaise and a dulling of his scales on either the 2nd or 3rd day after feeding, and although Ryou can move without feeling gross, he'll feel extra fatigued, as if he's too cold or just sick in general.
The rest...will be explored later! :>
References
Source:
Bonus Info on Feeding! CW; constriction/suffocation, emeto, digestion
His venom is a neurotoxin which calms his prey and eases their pain as he consumes them, but the real fatality is the instinct to constrict. When Ryou's feeding response is triggered, he will strike, then wrap his coils around prey and constrict them until they perish or are incapacitated. This can result in broken bones and ruptured internals.
Then, once he's given in to the need to squeeze his prey to death, he repositions them and opens his mouth, which extends past his ears and down his neck. His collarbone is bifurcated and his ribcage is pliant (the ribs are attached to the sternum by flexible ligaments and tendons that expand and contract as needed. It also means that his chest is unnervingly squishy) so that he is able to accommodate swallowing an entire human.
The process is slow and appropriately horrifying--The lower half of Ryou's "mouth" is used to work the prey in, and both upper and lower jaws have backward curved teeth which secure the prey and don't let it slip backwards. It takes Ryou approximately 5 minutes to completely take in a human past the end of his mouth, and what is not digestible or passable through his naga half will be, unfortunately, very much regurgitated. Yikes.
Digestion takes between 2-4 days. Ryou will become extremely lethargic for, at minimum, the first day or two, during which time it's best not for him to move much since he's busy working prey from his upper body to the lower naga half. This process takes the better part of half a day, but once it's reached his naga half completely, he dozes for most of the second day while the digestive process begins. He can move, but it's advisable to keep mostly still during day 2, and move carefully during day 3 and/or 4, until his naga half has fully broken down his meal, lest he give himself indigestion and, you guessed it, regurgitate. Listen, snakes get upset when you disturb them after eating. The better he rests, the easier it is on him.
While digesting, he's a little more quick to irritate, but he's not entirely unpleasant. Mostly he's just lazy, unmotivated, and a bit whiny.
SEPTEMBER 2022: POOKA
Change List
● Rodent-like teeth. These can be the singular incisors of rodents, or the double incisors of rabbits.
● Rabbit or rodent-like ears, which come with enhanced hearing.
● Fur on the back, shoulders, and arms.
● Claws on their hands and feet. These are both incredibly sharp and very durable, capable of digging through solid rock.
● Stronger legs. Pookas are one of the faster monsters in Ryslig. They are also able to leap and jump up to six times their own height, be it straight into the air or across distances. The Pooka's kicking strength is also incredibly high, able to kick through stone walls.
● Increased senses. The Pooka may either have a stronger sense of smell and the ability to track others via scent, or an increased range of vision and the ability to see in the ultraviolet spectrum, or both.
● A shorter stature. Pookas tend to be much smaller than other creatures, similar to Goblins.
● Pookas are skilled liars, and skirt away from responsibility. However, Pookas are bound to the oaths they make and are unable to break a promise.
● A burrowing instinct. Pookas feel safest when able to make a shelter underground.
● A need to feed on the blood or bone marrow of humans. This may require them to hunt their own live prey, or they may scavenge the kills of others.
OPTIONAL
● Any psychological changes are welcome! Feel free to pull from real world myths, canon creatures of this variety, or any other source!
● A fog form. This is an exaggerated version of their monster form that appears only during the fog and is a chance to make your monster more "horrifying" during the fog.
●
Blood-red or golden eyes.● Rootless or continually-growing teeth. If unchecked, the teeth of the Pooka can grow long enough to no longer fit within their mouths, distorting the shape of their face and jaws. To maintain more normal-sized teeth, Pookas will have the compulsion to wear them down via frequent chewing. They will default to gnawing on human or monster bones, but trees, rocks, and other hard materials may suffice.
● Any amount of rabbit or rodent features, including nose and whiskers, additional fur, digitigrade legs, cheek pouches, or a tail.
● A travel form based on an allowed species.
● Thrill-seeking nature. Pookas enjoy little more than going out at night to paint the town red, figuratively or literally. Their companions may find they have a hard time remembering everything that happened, but Pookas are always up for a wild ride.
●
Vindictive nature. Pookas delight in the misfortune of others, and their favorite phrase is "I told you so" when calamity befalls those around them. They also do not take well to being turned down or slighted, no matter how small the reason, and will often lash out against those who reject them.● Tracking ability. Pookas are able to "mark" up to ten objects or people, and can follow their trails from any location. These marks fade naturally after a week; if the Pooka tries marking an eleventh thing, one of the first ten will disappear. The more marks a Pooka has set, the harder it becomes for them to remember which mark is which. The sense the Pooka uses to track these marks — either by scent or by sight — depends on which of their senses has increased.
● Transformative abilities. Using their fae magic, a Pooka can change their face and build to mimic that of another character. They cannot gain physical limbs, but they will be able to project an illusion of extra limbs or wings. Pookas will need to put in work to perfect the illusion, resulting in ‘glitches’ for inexperienced monsters. Glitches can include clipping through surrounding scenery, creating two mismatched limbs, or sheering out like an overhead projector image — feel free to be creative with the errors! Pookas must retain their Pooka features during this transformation. A Pooka who keeps their ears hidden will be able to fool even their disguise’s closest friends. They may transform themselves once per day, and the transformation lasts for up to one hour.
● A need for social contact. Whether it's as trusted companions living together, hunting partners, or dragging strangers out with them for a night on the town, Pookas will go out of their way to be around others. They detest solitude.
References
Source:
MARCH 2023: MERPERSON
Change List
● Gills on the side of their neck, along the rib cage, or near the tail, although they are still capable of breathing outside of water.
● Scales on their arms and legs that can come in a wide variety of colors and patterns.
● Fins behind their ears and on their forearms
● Webbing between their fingers.
● Out of water: Fins on their legs (or frog-like legs) and webbing between their toes.
● Reacting to water: Their legs will form a tail that can be any length and resemble pretty much any aquatic creature (things like squids, frogs, and octopi are fair game for this as well). This change is uncontrollable, though what level of water it takes to cause this change is up to the player. Some mers change in the rain, while others may require shallow water like a puddle, and others still require deep water.
● Movement on land in this form requires puddles of water at the very least. The deeper the water, the faster a mer can travel, but they are able to skim and slide across even a wet street. Obviously, squid mers will have a much easier time than mers with actual fish tails, but movement is technically possible in wet conditions.
● In order to change back from their aquatic form, they must be out of the water source that caused it for a few minutes. A mer caught in the rain may retreat indoors and return to their legs in the span of three minutes, for example. (The specific time is up to players.)
● Sharpened senses, especially underwater. Their senses of hearing, sight, and smell will increase greatly and function the same underwater as on land.
● Resistance to water pressure. Merpeople can dive as deep as they like.
● A need for water. While merfolk can survive on land, they'll get thirsty quicker than normal and begin to weaken if they are out of water for more than a few days. Taking a short shower or a bath will satisfy this need and allow them to prolong their stay.
● A preference for colder weather. Mer are not as weak to fire and heat as certain other monsters, but as it evaporates their water supply faster, they begin to feel thirsty and uncomfortable a lot more quickly.
● A need to feed on human energy. The Merperson accomplishes this by holding a human underwater until they drown. If they go too long without feeding, they'll start to lose their self control.
OPTIONAL
● Any psychological changes are welcome! Feel free to pull from real world myths, canon creatures of this variety, or any other source!
● A fog form. This is an exaggerated version of their monster form that appears only during the fog and is a chance to make your monster more "horrifying" during the fog.● Bioluminescent spots or patterns on any part of the body.
● The ability to drain water from their targets, effectively removing their energy as well as feeding themselves. Merfolk can do this in a few ways, either by giving them a "kiss", or by first making a cut on a part of their victim's body and then leeching the water out. The target will become shriveled up as a result.
● A soothing singing voice that can charm humans, making them vulnerable to being lured.
●
Retractableclaws on their hands that can be used to ensnare humans once they are captured.● An instinct to hoard any sort of gem or other shiny trinket underwater, and to act extremely aggressively towards thieves.
MARCH 2021 AU INFO
Basic Profile
NAME: Ryou Bakura
AGE: 18
OCCUPATION: Self-employed, wood workshop.
CHRONOLOGICAL HISTORY: Ryou Bakura is a woodworker by trade, fresh out of high school and into a craftsman career. It wasn't his idea of how life would go, but that's how it is in Ryslig.
Well before he graduated, Ryou had a loving family: Mother and father, and a younger sister, Amane. But again, since this is Ryslig, that was never meant to be forever. When he was 13, his mother and sister never came home from a grocery shopping trip. Two missing persons reports later, their remains were found in a back-alley of Bavan. There was hardly anything left but the bloody clothing--if nothing else, the monsters were thorough.
And so it went. Single father with a teenage child. Ryou's father provided well enough, but the loss of family was hard on them both. Because of the situation, Ryou's father anxiously took out life insurance on himself--monsters on the peninsula usually had some form of honor in that they avoided children, so he banked on that while he continued to provide. It hadn't...saved his daughter, but it might save his son. He could only hope.
Ryou could do little more than continue attending school and cling to his broken family. Surely things couldn't get worse?
Until he came home one day during his senior year and found his father on the ground, listless.
He would later find out the reason for this by panicking and asking around for an explanation--a Shade had devoured his father's soul and left his body for dead. By all accounts...it was. But Ryou refused to accept it as such, and so he spent at least a month or so caring for his father. It was noticable--he'd disappear from certain school periods or take extra long lunches and then show up late to a class with all sorts of apologies. His father was comatose, after all. He couldn't care for himself.
Eventually...Ryou came to the frustrating realization that his father didn't live in those unseeing eyes anymore, and that his frail form was nothing but a husk. What's a teen to do? He toyed with the idea of handling the matter personally, but he was never that guy. So with a heavy heart, he transported his father to the same alley where the rest of his family had died, and left him to the monsters to dispose of. He knows there are rumors as to whether Ryou's father died by his own hand, and Ryou himself refuses to talk about it so...that must mean it's true, right? To his benefit, the life insurance did pay out--it would have paid out on loss of soul, but Ryou had dragged things out to their final conclusion.
Now, at 18, he had no family aside from estranged relatives and his street urchin cousin who was in no position to help out here. So...Ryou arranged for advanced courses to expedite his education. He finished before his year even walked (which by the way was hard, would not ever recommend), then set to work using the money he had to open up a woodshop.
His location is modest and it took every red penny he had to finally get it put together, but Ryou does reasonably well nowadays as a woodworker doing commission work, upcycling, construction/industrial provision, and even custom knick-knacks and game sets.
Unfortunately for him, balancing this is very hard. He generally takes different days off since he's his own boss, but it's always an 8-6, 4 days a week with 1 day of on-call, as-needed work. That gives him tentatively 2-3 days to keep his life in order, which accounts for paying bills, bookkeeping, and occasionally playing nerd games with his friends. He also dabbles in the occult, being particularly fond of tarot and ouija boards. He even has one of those at home! He absolutely doesn't use it to try and commune with his dead family.
he doesFor a basic breakdown, this is Ryou's day.
- Wake up and get ready for work.
- Eat a piece of toast, a fruit, maybe eggs if he has time. Never more than one thing though who has time for a balanced breakfast, I mean really.
- Work shift. The whole thing. This involves answering phones, woodworking, talking with customers, etc. Lunch does not exist. Too busy.
- Finish work. C O N S U M E. Dinner is his main meal.
- Brief decompression and maybe hanging out with friends if he made plans.
- Sleep.
His days off are similar, it's just usually instead of work work, he'll do house work and various other adulting behaviors. His free time is limited but important to him for his sanity. Also, on his off days he does NOT eat any better. He has shitty habits.
Relationships
babyworking a relatively technical field. Adam works in construction after inheriting his father's business, and they cross paths from time to time when it comes to woodworking related needs. Whenever they're both free, Ryou often spends time around Adam playing games like the proper nerds that they are, and he's even convinced Adam that the Ouija board isn't that bad!Ringu Bakura: Relative, specifically Ryou's cousin. Ryou doesn't remember too much about his aunt and uncle, aside from they were decidedly "not great" if they couldn't even manage to reign in Ringu at all. That's their kid. What's up with that??? Anyway, his relationship with Ringu is...interesting. They sometimes butt heads on how they feel about monsters (Ringu was raised by monsters on the streets and Ryou had his family killed), but they still care about each other. Ringu is, nonetheless a brat and tends to hang around the shop and TOUCH WHAT HE SHOULDN'T or exude general gremlin behavior. He is a game buddy just like Adam though, which is a good way to keep him out of trouble! Eh. For a little while anyway.
Anna Ovesen: Kind friend who visits the shop to make sure he's doing okay. She thinks his eating habits are awful and makes sure he's taking care of himself, and also hangs around to speak with him. Ryou not-so-secretly likes it because it makes the day go faster, especially if he's working on something complex and there are few customers. It's...nice to have someone fret over him, although he doesn't consciously try to be irresponsible about his health. He just misses having a family and she ticks that box, intentional or not.
Perry Frey: Not everything is hashed out here, but these two definitely share interest in art, and their first interaction may hinge on Ryou looking very much like his cousin Ringu. That will be annoying! =D But Ryou will definitely appreciate Perry's painting skills--he's good at painting too, but not in the same way, and would love to learn more! Ryou will also love Perry giving Raphtalia a home!
Runyu Wuyishan: Frequent customer! Runyu and Ryou share a love of art, so the former can usually be found visiting often. Ryou appreciates the patronage and sometimes gives Runyu freebies. He feels as if the man visits pretty frequently though, and although he'd never ask, he wonders if maybe...Runyu's trying to get away from things too, like Ryou does with gaming. It's not his business to pry though, so he'll just be happy for some easygoing conversation and the appreciation for his work!
Also, uh. Evidently Ringu mugged Runyu rather interestingly and got free lunch out of it. That...probably really is embarrassing for Ryou. Sorry sorry!! D: His cousin is terrible!
Raphtalia: Little orphan girl whose family was killed by monsters. Massive sympathy goes her way, and he tries to bring a little extra lunch to share with her if she wanders in. From time to time, he gives her free toys, because a kid needs distractions from the dark world, right? It seems she's going to be adopted by Perry, but that won't change anything, he'll still be kind to her and listen if she needs to talk about anything.
GOD BOONS
TIER 1
Talking to the Fog
Upgrades
-A minor power appropriate to the Fog god (think fear, strength, destruction)
- Smallest rooms in Dyster (a single bed, no window)
- Resurrecting inside Dyster after 2-3 days (regardless of fog days)
- A small aesthetic body modification tailored towards fear and intimidation
- An instinctive knowledge of how many days they have left before the hunger overtakes them
TIER 2
Fog-Mandated Fearmongering
Upgrades
- A second power appropriate to the Fog God
- A bigger room in Dyster (queen-size bed, windows, storage)
- Instant resurrection in Dyster after being killed
- A major body modification
- Taking on a new way to feed: blood. Finally, he is no longer bound to just souls! Thanks Mom!
TIER 3
Carnival Corpse (cws on network post, please be advised)
Upgrades
- A third major power, appropriate to the Fog God:
- No update to the house this time. He's sticking with his Tier 2 arrangement so that he can remain under the radar to any other Foggies.
- Immortality. Only destroying the brain or the heart can kill a tier 3 Fog follower.
- A new, alternate monster form:
- Increased ferocity and strength and lowered inhibitions while in fog form.
- Neutral protection (Not in use)
PRIEST
Upgrades
Shadow Master - Ryou's body, which is already easy to manipulate into a solid form through practice and experience, will now serve as a type of container for his shadows, which can now extend from his form in a radius of about 20 ft around him without draining his abilities any more than usual. The shadows also default to forming eyes and mouths when extended, adding to the Fog Mandated Fear Factor of this boon. It's a little bit of a mix between Pride's (FMA) form, and Lucy's (Elfen Leid) vectors! My reasoning for him being able to extend the shadows in this manner is because it's a native shade ability to shapeshift and use tendrils, but beefed up!
The shadows default to this kind of appearance, and remain black whether he solidifies the edges or not. It takes just as much energy as usual to solidify these shadows, but when solid they can be used to form a cutting edge. Hence the teeth, for example.
2 of the eyes which he can form like this be able to see. Regardless of how many vestigial or functional eyes Ryou forms, and whether they can see or not, the eyes will be just as vulnerable as regular eyes.
To put it simply, Ryou's solid form will, for all intents and purposes, appear as a "container" for some wackadoodle and highly aggressive, terror-inducing shadows which can be used to harm physically via cutting/biting, and he has pretty good reach. Also he can create two functional eyes out of that mess.
Since his body has been designated container, it'll make it easier for him to do this shadow stuff in alternate monster forms.
Finally, he gets the voice whispers, and the priest cloak. The priest basics, naturally.