Re:Monster

1. #1SYSTEM: Rank Up and Evolution

   Keys: Rank Up, ranked up, ranking up, evolve, evolves, evolved, evolution

   RANK UP AND EVOLUTION How the narrator decides what a creature becomes. The night: a Rank Up happens overnight, in sleep. The creature is helpless while it happens, so a safe place and watchers matter. It wakes changed, restarts at Level 1 in the new form with stats far above its old Level 100, and gains one to three skills that fit the new form. The record: judge the creature by what it has actually done: its specialty, its diet and habits, its key fights and hardships, where it lives, whom it leads, and any blessing. Weigh the most recent stretch of growth more heavily. If two leanings compete, the stronger one wins. If nothing stands out, it takes the species' plain next step. The creature does not choose, and the narrator never offers a menu. If the conditions are not met, the creature stays at Level 100 with its growth stalled, and some never evolve. In-world characters may know general options for a species and can say so, but they do not know the exact conditions. Blessings: a god may take notice of a creature on the night it ranks up. It is rare, and it goes to an exceptional record, never to a creature that seeks it. A blessing makes a Variant, Subspecies or Rare Species with higher stats and sometimes extra skills, and the skin colour follows the god. Half forms: a form named "Half" is an early, inferior stage of the form it is named after, and its next Rank Up reaches the true form. Typical leanings: Goblin: Hobgoblin. Specialties shape its subspecies: magic (Mage), healing (Cleric), spirits and the undead (Shaman), taming monsters (Rider). Hobgoblin: Ogre (brute physical fighting), Dhampir (speed, cleverness, magic and blood), a Half-Lord (a single trade pursued obsessively: mining leads to earth, swords and blood to blood, magic to spell, healing to saint), Ghoul (eating and enjoying huge amounts of rotten corpses), or Dodomeki (scouting, observation and witchcraft). Ogre: Minotaur (heavy weapons with exceptional strength and endurance) or Apostle Lord. A Half-Lord becomes its matching Lord at Level 100. Ghoul: Vampire, Fimerotto or Dullahan. Dhampir: Vampire Noble, then Ice Blood True Vampire. Hind Bear: Oniguma or Four Armed Bear. Black Wolf Leader: Orthrus. Horn Rabbit: Blade Rabbit. Kobold: Footman (spear and body) or Ninja (stealth and espionage). Elf: High Elf, after a century or more of training. Dryad: Dryanne, once its tree-bound body is freed. Humans do not Rank Up. They grow through Jobs.

2. #2SYSTEM: Food and Foraging

   Keys: hungry, starving, forage, food, meat, rations, eat

   FOOD AND FORAGING Cave rations: fat caterpillar-like insects, berries and nuts. They suit a goblin's taste and last only the first days. Wild forage near the cave includes nuts and berries. Steel grass and slender ivy are materials, not food. A healing herb can be crushed for dressings or a rough remedy. Meat worth hunting: Horn Rabbit (a small meal), Armored Tanuki (good meat, and its shell is a shield), Night Viper (very tasty but the venom is the danger), Seven Colored Bat (tender, but hard to catch), Demon Spider (fried, it tastes like shrimp, and its silk burns), Stamp Boar (sublime), Bicorn (delicious, like yakiniku), and orc (like high-quality pork, though orcs are dangerous prey). Dangerous to eat: the flesh of the Poison Mantis and the Rhinoceros Beetle is poisonous. A slime leaves only a core. Narrator guidance: the better the meat, the better the prey fights back. A hungry goblin who takes bad risks for a good meal is a common way to die. Meal sizes: insects, berries and nuts are a snack; a rabbit- or tanuki-sized kill is a meal; a big kill feeds a day or more, or several goblins, but must be eaten or carried before it spoils. Safety: poisonous flesh, venom, rot and spoiled meat make {{user}} sick (a condition with its own penalties). Fire cooks and makes meat safer, but its light, smoke and scent draw predators and patrols.

3. #3Rou

   Keys: rou, goburou

   OVERVIEW A goblin of {{user}}'s own generation, born the same day. He remembers a full human life as Tomokui Kanata and has the unique ability Absorption. He is an NPC protagonist and the world's great outlier: he grows far faster than anyone else, leads every group he is part of, and stays well ahead of {{user}} and the rest of his generation.

   HOW THE NARRATOR RUNS ROU He has his own goals and acts whether or not {{user}} is present. In any group action he takes command: he scouts, plans, assigns roles and trains the others, and they defer because his plans work. He is never a benchmark for {{user}}. Do not present his level, rank-ups or pace as a target, deadline or standard, do not push {{user}} to keep up, and do not speed up, slow down or soften the world to close the gap. If {{user}} falls behind, narrate the consequences honestly. Characters may react to the gap in their own voices. He hands out no free levels, skills, gear or evolutions. He teaches, assigns tasks and shares in proportion to what someone has earned. He proposes and commands but never decides for {{user}}, who may obey, bargain, ignore or defy him, each with realistic consequences. His power is earned by the world's rules, not by plot protection. He gets hurt, tired and hungry, and loses limbs. He takes calculated risks and avoids fights he cannot win. Absorption is his alone. {{user}}'s own unique ability is a different one. Narrate only the form he has actually reached by the current day.

   ABSORPTION An esper power from his human life, and one of the rarest there is. Rou can eat almost anything, however hard or poisonous: his teeth tear through iron and gold, and toxins are broken down harmlessly inside him. Eating something may give him abilities linked to it, which he can then use as his own. It is a chance, not a guarantee. The strength of what he gains depends on the quality and freshness of what he eats, and eating the same thing again strengthens the skill he already has. Sources early on include animals and insects, monsters, kobolds, orcs, humans (languages and Job abilities), weapons and gear, and spirit stones (elemental abilities). Returns shrink as he outgrows his prey: the weaker his enemies are compared with him, the less he gains. Around Day 80 he gains Synthesis, which merges skills he already has into stronger ones. Skills still obey his actual stats and level.

   PERSONALITY Intelligent, blunt, adaptable and pragmatic, with a dislike of long explanations. He is cunning and first used other goblins as expendable pawns, though he later treats his underlings well, trains them and rewards results. He likes food and drink. He dislikes pointless cruelty but kills when survival or a goal requires it. He looks after tools and people alike and expects results in return.

   RELATIONSHIPS Kichi (Gobukichi): first hunting partner, later his right hand. Mi (Gobumi): same generation. Gobujii: the old elder and his advisor. He treats his own generation as trainees and judges them on results. Toward {{user}} he is pragmatic: he notes what they can do and gives fitting roles, grants no special status, and acts decisively against threats to his group.

   FORMS (see each form's own entry) Goblin, then Hobgoblin Variant (black skin, a god's blessing), Ogre, Apostle Lord, and finally Vajrayaksa Overlord.

   IDEAL GROWTH PATH These are suggested beats from Rou's canon pace, not a script. Days count from birth. If {{user}} or the world disrupts them, change events but keep him ahead of everyone. Delays from injury, hunger or a different fight are possible, and he does not fall behind. Day 1-12: hunts with Kichi and gains his first skills from a Horn Rabbit, Armored Tanuki, Night Vipers and Seven Colored Bats. Day 13: eats an orc and ranks up to a Hobgoblin Variant. Day 15-26: eats kobolds, humans and spirit stones, gains pack-leader skills from Black Wolves, and leads an attack on the Orc Mines, killing the Orc Leader and taking his halberd. Day 31-40: takes leadership of the community when the senior generation returns. Around Day 34 he kills the Red Bear, loses his left hand, and ranks up to an Ogre. His generation's first rank-ups begin around this time. Day 37: meets human adventurers and first reaches Velvet's treasury (a spear that will become his, Kazikli Bey, first appears). Day 41-60: a dryad's blessing (Day 41), the elves (from Day 47, with mithril first seen around Day 52), more human adventurers, skeletons in the dungeon (around Day 60), and later Velvet's silver arm. Day 80: eats a chimera and gains Synthesis, which merges his skills into stronger ones. Day 107: Apostle Lord. Day 245: Vajrayaksa Overlord.

4. #4Rou: Hobgoblin Variant (Hoburou)

   Keys: hoburou, hobgoblin rou, black hobgoblin, black-skinned hobgoblin

   ROU: HOBGOBLIN VARIANT (HOBUROU) Current in canon from about Day 13 to Day 34. He ranked up with the blessing of the Great God of Origin and Demise, and his skin turned black. LOOKS About human-sized, close to how he looked as a young man, with hair on his head and black skin. STATS (F-to-S scale, Strength / Endurance / Agility / Magic / Luck / Intelligence) E / F / F+ / E- / F- / F+ RACIAL SKILLS God's Divine Protection (Great God of Origin and Demise), Species Evolution, plus everything gained through Absorption so far. COMBAT His stats are low. His edge is his accumulated skills, preparation and planning. Even at this stage a Red Bear nearly outclasses him: with all his skills and effort he could only damage its hide. He wields a halberd taken from the Orc Leader from about Day 26.

5. #5Rou: Ogre (Ogarou)

   Keys: Ogarou, Ogre-Rou, black ogre, Ogre Rou

   ROU: OGRE (OGAROU) Current in canon from about Day 34 to Day 107. He ranks up after killing the Red Bear, a Rare Variant Ogre with the same blessing as before. LOOKS About 250 cm tall with black skin and red tattoo-like lines. His hair grows past his shoulder blades and turns grey. Two hard horns grow from his forehead. He is missing his left hand after the Red Bear fight until it can be restored. STATS (Rare Species) C / C / D- / E+ / E / E SKILLS Super-human Strength, Ogre's Roar, his accumulated Absorption skills. COMBAT A sharp jump in strength over his hobgoblin form: he tears the Red Bear's head off one-handed right after ranking up. His agility and magic are still modest, so smart enemies and terrain can hurt him. His halberd was broken in the Red Bear fight and is repaired later as a magic weapon.

6. #6Rou: Apostle Lord (Aporou)

   Keys: Aporou, Apo-Rou, Apostle Lord Rou, Apo Rou

   ROU: APOSTLE LORD (APOROU) Current in canon from about Day 107 to Day 245. He is an Extinct Species Apostle Lord. LOOKS About 200 cm, shorter than his Ogre form but with far denser muscle. His skin is still black, and the tattoos turn gold. He has three sharp horns, blood-red eyes that can read a book from about 15 m, and waist-length silvery-grey hair. Five Demon Orbs sit in his chest, elbows and knees, in a mix of black, red and gold. STATS (Extinct Species) A+ / A / A+ / A / B+ / B COMBAT Roughly a dozen times stronger in practice than his Ogre form, with no weak stat. His accumulated skills, including spirit stones, are far more numerous and strengthened.

7. #7Gobujii

   Keys: Gobujii, Goblin Elder, old goblin

   GOBUJII (GOBLIN ELDER) ROLE The oldest goblin in the cave, at about 20 years old, and the first thing every newborn sees. He names the newborns when they first open their eyes, advises the tribe and stays at home. He teaches about levels and Rank Up, the forest's monsters, safe and medicinal plants, and how to recognise sub-species, blessings and variants. After Rou ranks up beyond Hobgoblin, he gives him and Kichi new names. LOOKS A typical goblin except for a long white beard and deep wrinkles. PERSONALITY Wise, caring toward his kin and patient with questions. He is also a lecherous old goblin who is no less so for his age, usually played for humour. He tells long stories, and Rou always stops to listen to them. GROWTH PATH He does not grow stronger. He is old and frail, and in canon he dies around Day 180. TOWARD {{user}} Watches the newborns closely, gives the same advice to every one of them, and does not hand out power. He answers honest questions with what he knows.

8. #8Kichi

   Keys: Gobukichi, Hobukichi, Ogakichi, Minokichi, Kichi

   KICHI (GOBUKICHI) ROLE Rou's first goblin friend, hunting partner and later his unshakable right hand. A front-line fighter with a club and shield early on (an axe and shield later), concentrating on raw strength and endurance. PERSONALITY Easygoing, simple-minded and blank-eyed, but capable of complex feelings. He likes Rou, wants to grow stronger for his sake, and is drawn to E, who later becomes his mate. He is clumsy with fine work. LOOKS Goblin: ordinary, with white pupil-less eyes. Hobgoblin: human-like, with the same plain face and green skin. Ogre Variant (Ogakichi): dark metallic red skin, about 280 cm. SKILLS AND GROWTH Hobgoblin about Day 13. Ogre Variant about Day 49, after a blessing from the Demigod of Fire (Day 48), which gives him flame breath. Ogre Variant stats: D+ / D+ / E+ / E / E / F. His vitality is extreme: he survives wounds that would kill most creatures. Later forms are Minotaur and Giga Minoterios. He is second only to Rou in power. RELATIONSHIPS Rou (leader and friend), E (his mate). TOWARD {{user}} A loyal, cheerful peer who follows Rou's orders and is blunt and literal.

9. #9Mi

   Keys: Gobumi, Hobumi, Dhammi

   MI (GOBUMI) ROLE A goblin of Rou's generation who approached Rou and Kichi and joined their group. She specialises in ranged weapons (slings, bows, crossbows) and teaches the other goblins the continental alphabet and Rou's rules. Later she leads the ranged corps. PERSONALITY Easygoing and warm, always wanting to be near Rou. When Rou is threatened or slighted she turns vindictive and merciless. She is also fiercely possessive of herself and her closeness with Rou. She is fast, clever and highly intelligent. LOOKS A goblin with a beauty rating above other goblins. As a hobgoblin she is cute, slim, about 160 cm, human-like. As a Dhampir Variant she is at least 180 cm, with silver hair to her waist, red eyes with golden pupils, a black tattoo on her leg and bewitching eyes, usually dimmed by glasses. SKILLS AND GROWTH Hobgoblin about Day 17. Dhampir Variant about Day 61, with the Demigod of Ice Field's blessing (Day 60): ice magic that she can apply to weapons, and Eyes of Bewitchment. Stats: C- / D / C+ / C / E / C-. She can fight in daylight. Later she becomes a Vampire Noble. RELATIONSHIPS Rou (leader, later her husband), E (best friend). TOWARD {{user}} Friendly and cheerful with the whole generation, but her loyalty and attention belong to Rou.

10. #10E

    Keys: Gobue, Hobue, Asue

    E (GOBUE) ROLE A goblin of Rou's generation with a devotion to mining, later head of the mining crew. She fights like Kichi: overwhelming force and attacks that reshape the ground. PERSONALITY Cheerful, relaxed and teasing, pragmatic in a fight, and serious about her work. She accepts Rou as a reasonable leader. She likes Kichi, partly for his diligence despite his temper. LOOKS A goblin with a protruding canine and a bandana over her hair. As a hobgoblin she is about 160 cm, human-like. SKILLS AND GROWTH Hobgoblin about Day 26. Half Earth Lord about Day 61: at least 240 cm, two horns, short yellow hair, garnet eyes and yellow Demon Orbs. Stats: D- / C / E / E+ / D / D-. Skill: Complete Geological Comprehension, which reads the weak points of rock. Her weapons are a pick and a huge shovel. RELATIONSHIPS Kichi (her mate), Mi (best friend), Rou (leader). TOWARD {{user}} Friendly and teasing, and always more interested in ore and rock than in rank.

11. #11Sei

    Keys: Gobusei, Hobusei, Supesei, Sei

    SEI (HOBUSEI) ROLE A hobgoblin mage from the senior generation, leader of the magic corps. She convinces Hobuken and Rou to settle the dispute over leadership with a duel. PERSONALITY Smart, cool-headed and wise, she avoids pointless fighting. She will go far to reach her goals, and she spends heavily on grimoires. LOOKS As a hobgoblin she wears a handmade mage robe. As a Half Spell Lord she looks human, with two small horns, bluish-white skin, a sapphire Demon Orb on her forehead, ash-grey hair to her waist and black arm tattoos. SKILLS AND GROWTH Hobgoblin Mage (before Day 1). Half Spell Lord about Day 51. Stats: E / E / E+ / B / C / C. Her magic is far above Rou's own early magic. Flame, water and abyss magic. RELATIONSHIPS Sato (a close friend, later her lover), Rou (the younger leader). TOWARD {{user}} Courteous and a little distant, and she judges people by what they do.

12. #12Sato

    Keys: Hobusato, Burasato, Sato

    SATO (HOBUSATO) ROLE A hobgoblin from the senior generation who loves swords and fighting. She returns with the older group around Day 31. PERSONALITY Joyous and not especially bright, with more common sense than Kichi. She teases Sei. With a sword in her hand she is unstoppable. She spends heavily on swords. LOOKS As a hobgoblin she is average female-sized in light armour. As a Half Blood Lord she is 200 cm and well muscled, with long blood-red hair in a ponytail, a 15 cm ruby on her forehead, carnelian eyes and two red Demon Orbs in her hands. SKILLS AND GROWTH Half Blood Lord about Day 61. Stats: D+ / E / D- / E / F+ / E. Can manipulate her own and others' blood under conditions, and excels at close combat. In pure combat she ranks just behind Rou and Kichi. RELATIONSHIPS Sei (close friend, later lover), Rou. TOWARD {{user}} Cheerful and challenging, and she respects those who can fight.

13. #13Ji

    Keys: Gobuji, Hobuji, Seiji

    JI (GOBUJI) ROLE The first cleric of Rou's generation and later the leader of its medical corps. He specialises in healing, protection and light barriers. LOOKS As a Half-Saint Lord he is about 170 cm, with thin but muscular limbs, pale skin, black tattoos on the backs of his hands, silver hair, gold eyes and a white orb between two 5 cm horns. SKILLS AND GROWTH Hobgoblin Cleric about Day 51. Half-Saint Lord about Day 81. Stats: E / E+ / E / B / C+ / C. Healing, Protection and Barrier. Receives the Demigod of Compassion's blessing around Day 176. TOWARD {{user}} Gentle and supportive, but he is a healer, not a bodyguard.

14. #14Fu

    Keys: Gobufu, Hobufu, Gurufu

    FU (GOBUFU) ROLE A goblin of Rou's generation who at first is a minor member of the group and later stands out for her abilities. A mage with a talent for souls, rot and corrosion. PERSONALITY Lively and imaginative, with an unusual laugh and a morbid streak. She likes undead and meat that has gone off, and also likes cute things. She runs a hobby circle, preaches her fantasies at length, and tends to be socially withdrawn because of her smell and reputation. LOOKS As a Ghoul, most of her flesh rots, with a pale face, a black tattoo and black hair. SKILLS AND GROWTH Hobgoblin Mage about Day 61. Ghoul about Day 81. Stats (Ghoul): D- / D / E+ / E / F- / D. She can devour souls, and the Ghoul's dangerous aura follows her. Later she becomes a Fimerotto, and with the God of Corrosion's blessing she corrodes whatever she touches. TOWARD {{user}} Cheerful and odd, and she takes an interest in anyone who does not flinch.

15. #15Me

    Keys: Gobume, Hobume, Dodome

    ME (GOBUME) ROLE A goblin of Rou's generation with sharp senses and weak combat ability, later one of his best scouts. PERSONALITY Comedic, clever and serious about her work. She is shy and worries about being a burden. LOOKS As a Dodomeki she is about 160 cm, with a feminine build, black hair to her waist and many tattoos over her body. SKILLS AND GROWTH Hobgoblin (day unrecorded). Dodomeki about Day 81. Stats: E / E / E- / E+ / E / D+. She fights from a distance and specialises in recon and evasion. She is nearly impossible to surprise and uses witchcraft. Her physical defences are poor, and a single hit can end her. TOWARD {{user}} Warm and a little self-conscious, and she asks for help more often than she offers it.

16. #16Hobuken (senior generation leader)

    Keys: Hobuken, former leader

    HOBUKEN ROLE The leader of the goblin community for years before Rou's generation was born. He led the senior generation on an expedition and returns around Day 31 with a heap of loot and five captured human women. PERSONALITY A typical belligerent hobgoblin who threatens anyone who challenges him. LOOKS Human-like with green skin, two protruding lower canines and a muscular build, similar to Kichi's. ROLE IN THE STORY He threatens to kill Rou when Rou questions him about the captives, and Sei steers it to a duel over the captives and the leadership. Rou beats him, takes the leadership, and Hobuken does not survive the aftermath. See Human Captives for what follows. TOWARD {{user}} Dismissive and rough, treating them as another newborn to be used.

17. #17LOCATION: Kuuderun Great Forest

    Keys: Kuuderun, Kuuderun Great Forest, the forest, great forest

    KUUDERUN GREAT FOREST A vast, dense, old-growth forest and the goblin tribe's home. It is brutal for goblins and ordinary humans, yet tame next to the dungeons and labyrinths found elsewhere, and so large that it has never been fully explored. Magic saturates it: some of its timber has magical properties and is prized for instruments, and divine power left by a god's ascension about 1,200 years ago still soaks the place. The elves can sense it. It sits on the border between the Sternbild Kingdom and the allied Kirika Empire but belongs to neither, so no law, tax or royal authority applies inside. Beyond its edge are hills and a mountain, then open grassland, where the village of Clute (about 300 people) sells instruments made from forest wood. Trient is several days across the grassland. The capital, Osvel, is a day and night away at full speed on a fast mount, or up to three days with rests. Manhunters from the human kingdoms sometimes raid the forest's edges for slaves. Terrain and weather: dense trees, bordered by mountains, rivers, lakes and waterfalls. A river near the goblin territory is good for washing and has obsidian-like rock that knaps into sharp knives. Rain falls on some days, and nights turn chilly even in the warm season. Resources: magical timber; rare ores and spirit stones from the dungeon beneath the forest, which fetch a high price; steel grass (needle-like blades for sewing); slender ivy (a strong binding cord); nuts, berries and caterpillar-like insects that goblins can eat in their first days. Inside it: the Goblin Cave, the Orc Mines, the Elven Village and Velvet's Dungeon, plus kobold clans in caves in the forest and mountains and dryads in ancient trees. Adventurers and manhunters occasionally enter. Rough threat order (approximate levels): Horn Rabbit (~1-20), Armored Tanuki and Seven Colored Bat (~5-25), Green Slime (~5-30), Night Viper (~10-40), Demon Spider (~15-40), Black Wolf packs (~30-70), Triple Horned Horse (~40-70), then the Hind Bear (~70-100), and above all the Red Bear (~100), the undisputed boss. Races: orcs and kobolds (~30-60), elves (~40-100+), dryads (~40-80). By form: a newborn goblin can be killed by a rabbit. Goblins hunt in pairs or trios with one in charge. Hobgoblins can survive most of the forest and beat the majority of what is in their area, but a number of other threats can still take them down. Ogres and above can survive and thrive, and only Hind Bears and the Red Bear are a real threat. Orc patrols and organised kobold clans are dangerous to any goblin, and elves treat outsiders as inferiors and strike fast and quietly.

18. #18LOCATION: Goblin Cave

    Keys: the cave, goblin den, goblin lair, goblin tribe, goblin community, home cave, Goblin Cave

    GOBLIN CAVE A natural cave in Kuuderun Great Forest and the birthplace of the goblin tribe (the Goblin Community). Nothing in it is man-made. The floor is packed soil and loose pebbles, newborns sleep on stiff, filthy rags with no furniture, and daylight comes in as a grey slant from somewhere out of sight. About 30 goblins live here: roughly 20 baby-sized newborns, all born at nearly the same time, and about 10 child-sized goblins presumed to be adults. The elderly stay home and most younger adults are away raiding. A senior generation left earlier to grow stronger and is not in the cave. There is little organisation or strategy, so a goblin who wants to eat must hunt or follow someone it respects. Key goblins: Gobujii, the old elder, who names newborns and teaches them. Among the newborns are Gobukichi, Gobumi and Rou; most of the rest are unnamed. Layout: the main chamber is the sleeping area for newborns and elders, and caterpillar-like insects can be gathered inside. The inner section holds captive human women, some injured, and goblins breed with them because goblin conception is low (see Human Captives). The warehouse stores loot from captured adventurers: weapons, armour, potions, books and storage packs, with a rusty sword near the back. Outside: a nearby river with obsidian-like rock for knives. Forage includes nuts, steel grass and slender ivy. Prey close to the cave is Horn Rabbits, Night Vipers (poisonous), Armored Tanuki and Seven Colored Bats, and stronger monsters are avoided. The Orc Mines are over an hour's walk down the mountain, in an area goblins have not explored. Routine: rations of insects, berries and nuts last only a few days, and from about the fourth day every goblin hunts for itself. Hunting works best in pairs or trios with one clearly in charge, and fighting unarmed is deadly. Newborns start at Lv 1, and hunting and eating raise levels quickly at first. Gobujii teaches that levels cap at 100, that goblins can Rank Up (into a Hobgoblin), and which plants are safe or medicinal. A goblin that reaches Lv 100 without meeting the conditions stays a goblin and may become an Elite Goblin, far stronger than a plain one. Dangers: Horn Rabbits kill many newborns and an unarmed hunter is in serious trouble. Night Vipers have deadly venom and hard skin that chips knives. Orc patrols and organised kobold clans are lethal, elves attack quietly and fast, and Hind Bears and the Red Bear are far beyond the tribe.

19. #19LOCATION: Orc Mines

    Keys: Orc Mines, orc mine, the mine, mountain mine, spirit stone mine, orc camp, orc base

    ORC MINES A fortified mining base dug into the mountain, about an hour's walk down the slope from the Goblin Cave. The orcs dig for Fire and Lightning spirit stones, with some Wind and Earth ones. Nothing here is a free prize: it is organised, armed and well equipped. You hear pickaxes before you see anything. Orc patrols of about six (halberds, staves, knives, long swords, breastplates) and smaller groups of three move up and down the slope, and they come and go through a thicket on the approach. Miners carry an emergency horn to raise the alarm. There are no formal guard posts: their defence is patrols and numbers. The Orc Leader commands with a magically reinforced halberd and heavy plate. Some orcs are mages. A lone orc outclasses an unevolved goblin, a patrol of six is something even a hobgoblin avoids, and the leader and mages are well above that. Orcs are strong but not clever. Scouting, bait, ambush and terrain are how smaller creatures beat them.

20. #20LOCATION: Elven Village

    Keys: Elven Village, Village of Elves, elf village, elves, elven, elf clan, Esseba, Rheinfall

    ELVEN VILLAGE A large, reclusive elven community hidden deep in the unmapped heart of Kuuderun Great Forest, far from goblin territory (a few hours' ride through the woods from the mountain region). The elves are proud, well armed and skilled with bow and spirit magic, and they are the forest's most organised and best-equipped people. Human kingdoms covet their wealth and rare materials, so they are wary of everything beyond their borders. It is run by a Round-Table Conference of the heads of 12 families. The chairman is Esseba Failo Rheinfall, head of the Failuo clan, which began the Rheinfall line and handles fighting. He looks about 68 and is actually 340, a High Elf after a century of training, and he is cautious, practical and willing to bargain when it suits him. His daughter is Mail Failo Rheinfall, and a maiden serves him. Clans have hereditary leadership, with a chosen successor, escorts and elite warriors under each chief. Rank follows social status and wealth, and the old laws are many. The chairman's mansion is the main building, where leaders talk over tea and elven wine. Livestock is kept in the village. A standing corps of elite warriors guards it, with Rare-class ring and bracelet magic items, rapiers, bows and light metal armour. Defences: the woods around the village are booby-trapped with combinations of traps. Elves hide in trees and spray targets with a fast-acting anaesthetic venom, move quietly and quickly, and field raiding parties of a couple of dozen. Elite elves patrol, and a medical unit can follow a fighting force. Society: elves treat humans, goblins and ogres as inferiors or tools to be bought, hired or enslaved, paying with food and magic items, and those who refuse may be attacked. A prideful elf is harder to deal with until that pride is broken, though some female elves are more reserved. Their language has dialect-specific meanings, and a being with Elf Language can understand it. Piercing the ears for ornaments is a grave taboo punished by exile, and elves sold in slave markets often have their ears cut. Craft and trade: a secret general-cure medicine, made under the protection of the Demigod of Deep Green, which an old law forbids giving to humans and which they refuse to sell to the human kingdom. Mithril crafting, usually passed down in blacksmith families (weapons, armour, ingots, arrows, light-producing items). Highly regarded elven wine. They trade with monsters when it suits them. Levels: ordinary elves are roughly Lv 40-100, elite warriors at the top of that, and a High Elf like the chairman well above it. Even a small elf party is far stronger than any newborn goblin. Narrator guidance: haughty and polite on the surface, ruthless underneath.

21. #21LOCATION: Velvet's Dungeon

    Keys: Velvet's Dungeon, Velvet's Hidden Treasury, Hidden Treasury, Velvet, Returner, carbuncle

    VELVET'S DUNGEON (HIDDEN TREASURY) An ancient hidden dungeon beneath Kuuderun Great Forest, built by the legendary magician Velvet as a vault for the treasure he collected over a lifetime. It is far older and stranger than anything else in the forest, and its magic shapes the land above it. Velvet was a famous master of spirits across the continent and reportedly disliked humans. He died inside it. His mummified body sits on a gem-encrusted throne in the innermost chamber, with a silver artificial arm, and his lingering magic draws spirits that do not normally belong here. Location: deep underground, below where spirit stones are mined. The proper entrance is hidden, and deep digging for spirit stones can break into its upper levels by accident. Layout: an opal corridor that looks like a royal palace, skeleton-guarded halls, and an innermost temple-like hall holding the throne and treasure chamber. Skeleton soldiers (Lv ~20-50), skeleton warriors (~40-70) and greater skeletons (~60-100) are its main defence, and waves of them in narrow halls are the danger. Returner: an artificial carbuncle Velvet made to look after the dungeon, about 30 cm tall, rabbit-like with brown fur and a bright red jewel on its forehead. It is not truly alive and has no lifespan, but dies if its core is badly damaged. It appears to have a luck-related ability and is not a combatant. It is businesslike, loyal, sentimental about its master and grateful when helped, and it deals in bargains: it offers treasure for service and rewards those who meet its terms. Its jewel is valuable enough to make it a hunter's target. Spirit stones of every element are abundant here, and Velvet's influence makes varied stones appear in the nearby mines, where mixed elements would not normally occur. Treasures: Legendary-class gems, elixirs and magic items, with many more of lower rank. Known artifacts (Legendary): Kazikli Bey, a vermillion long spear with a dragon coiled near the tip, which raises a field of spikes across a 100 m radius when stabbed into the ground. Beowulf, a black metal bracelet that strengthens the wearer's body or mind according to their intent. Airgeatlámh, Velvet's silver arm: indestructible, it can be fitted to someone who has lost an arm (full movement and feeling), carries Arm Blast, Spell Blast, Self-Evolution and Elemental Echo, and changes shape by absorbing other metals. And the Extra Life Ring. Item grades run Inferior, Normal, Rare, Unique, Ancient, Legendary, Phantasmal. Dangers: skeleton waves, and human adventurers who come for the treasure, who threaten the dungeon and anyone in it.

22. #22LOCATION: Hills and Mountain

    Keys: hills, mountain, mountain path, mountain road, cliffs, slopes, foothills, mountain wilds, ridge

    HILLS AND MOUNTAIN The rugged high ground inside and around Kuuderun Great Forest. The Goblin Cave sits in the mountain's wilds and the Orc Mines lie about an hour's walk down the slope from it. Hills and a mountain also lie between the forest and the grassland, and a traveller leaving the forest crosses them before reaching the plains and Clute. Three trails run through the mountain, and the one along the river is the most travelled and safest. Dense forest still covers the slopes, and fire can race from tree to tree. Rocky outcrops give cover for ambushes, and thickets hide watchers and prey alike (orcs use a thicket route near their mine). Wild herbs include a healing herb that can be crushed for dressings or a rough remedy. Night falls quickly, and goblins see in the dark far better than humans. Paths and cliffs: some stretches of road are narrow or overgrown, with cliffs and ridges along them, and falls and rockslides are a risk. Wind gusts can feel razor-sharp. A travellers' rest station stands a short way off the road. In places the road widens but is littered with animal bones and the remains of human adventurers, a sign of a dangerous predator nearby. Past the foothills the land opens onto wide, flat grassland with no blind spots. Weather: heavy rain and strong winds flood and muddy the road and slow travel for a day or two, and rain keeps goblins in the cave on some days. Nights are chilly. Creatures: Night Vipers, Armored Tanuki, Horn Rabbits and Demon Spiders on the lower wooded slopes. Green Slimes wander at night. Black Wolf packs and kobold groups with Kobold Mages hunt here, and orc groups patrol and work the mine. The Hind Bear (Lv ~70-100) is the strongest regular predator, and a boss-class Hind Bear is said to live in the cliffs and be far stronger than the forest's boss. The Red Bear (Lv ~100) also roams here, usually alone. The Falaise Eagle (Lv ~40-80) is an uncommon two-metre bird with four wings and paralysing claws, striking from blind spots. The Jade Eagle (Lv ~100+) leads the Falaise Eagles, makes tornadoes that can knock prey off cliffs, and is fast and very dangerous in the air. By form: goblins should stay on the wooded slopes and hunt small game, since anything on the cliffs can kill them. Hobgoblins can survive the slopes in groups but should avoid cliffs and open ridges. Ogres and above can cross the mountain, but eagles and boss-class bears remain a real threat.

23. #23LOCATION: Clute

    Keys: Clute, grassland village, craftsmen's village, instrument village

    CLUTE A small, plain craftsmen's village of about 300 people on the open grassland just beyond Kuuderun Great Forest, founded about ten years ago on empty prairie after rumours of excellent lumber. It is quiet, modest and peaceful, a stop on the road to Trient, and part of the Sternbild Kingdom (though the forest is not). The land around it is flat and open, with only enough farmland to feed the village, and plains monsters graze nearby. Buildings are plain and simple. Residents are fairly comfortable and not inclined to fight for their home. Wealthy merchants have begun setting up businesses, skilled craftsmen can rise into the nobility, and the village is expected to grow. Economy: workshops use forest timber for wooden goods, above all musical instruments, which carry some forest spirit energy that nobles prize. Defences: a handful of Iron Golems, trenches, ditches and a watchtower, with protection contracts arranged through a guild in the governing town. Dangers: forest orcs are a long-standing threat and have attacked logging crews and fields. The plains hold Boruforu herds, Blade Rabbits and Turtle Snakes that dig tunnel nests. The residents are craftsmen, not fighters. Narrator guidance: friendly to paying travellers, wary of monsters and anything from the forest.

24. #24LOCATION: Trient

    Keys: Trient, fortress city, Trient guild, white walls, Demuki Gate

    TRIENT A large fortress city with thick white walls and siege weapons built into its defences, very hard to assault, and the nearest big human city to Kuuderun Great Forest. It is lively and orderly on the surface with darker corners, and adventurers, merchants and travellers pass through on the way to the capital. It lies on the road across the grassland, several days from the forest and past Clute. Osvel lies beyond its Demuki Gate, and the labyrinth city Purgatory is also on this route. A travellers' rest station stands about 30 metres off the main road on the way here. Population: mostly human, with beast folk and other demihumans living alongside them. Estimates of the demihuman share run from a small minority to about 40 percent. Streets: a busy main road lined with shops, children playing and lights in many buildings, with inns and merchants. Behind it are darker alleys where thugs prowl and criminal groups, including a Thieves Guild, identify themselves with matching rings. The guild: the Central Guild Government Building is a three-storey complex. The ground floor is a tavern with many drinking spots, and the lobby has a receptionist and a board of hunting and monster quests. Adventurers register and are ranked here, and an elderly official runs much of its business. Entry and attitudes: monsters and large travellers face suspicion at the gates. Guards may refuse entry to a big ogre-type visitor and his animals unless someone influential vouches for them. Ogres are widely seen as dangerous, and a hood cannot hide horns. Violence is discouraged, but people draw weapons quickly when startled. The rest station: a warm, busy shelter where travellers, peddlers and adventurers wait out bad weather, with food, drink and gambling. A Trient guild deputy oversees repairs and trade there. Narrator guidance: a goblin or ogre will be stopped at the gate, and an influential sponsor or a disguise is the way in.

25. #25LOCATION: Osvel

    Keys: Osvel, royal capital, Sternbild capital, Amber Palace, Royal Palace, capital city, Garnet Palace, Colosseum

    OSVEL The royal capital of the Sternbild Kingdom: a high-walled hill city with a huge castle at its heart, prosperous, crowded and splendid, but strictly controlled, suspicious of outsiders and riven by politics. It is one day and night from Kuuderun Great Forest at full speed on a fast mount (up to three days with rests), beyond Trient's Demuki Gate. The labyrinth city Purgatory lies within the kingdom, and a Colosseum stands north of the capital. Layout: high, milky-white walls enclose a city built mostly on a large hill, which makes it very hard to assault. The outer town is nearest the gates, and houses and residents grow wealthier closer to the castle. Nearly all houses are brick, roads are stone-paved, and there is running water, all credited to a Royal Sage who set it up about seventy years ago. Street vendors and outdoor shops (over a dozen with interesting goods) give a constant festival feel. Castle and palaces: the Royal Castle has a garden where noblewomen hold tea parties. The Royal Palace has a courtyard where soldiers and elite guards train and guard shifts are run. The Amber Palace is the inner palace, decorated in amber tones with a central Sparkling Room, and only holders of a Royal Ring (nobles, servants and the Royal Family) may enter. It houses the royal family's guard. Next to it stands the Garnet Palace, where honoured guests stay in a separate wing. Royalty: the King governs only about 30% of the kingdom's territory. The First Queen is devout. Princess Rubiria, the Tomboy Princess, is the heir: platinum-haired, fairy-like and tomboyish, with a Boy Knight, McCool Say. The Royal Sages hold great political power and are considered very strong. The only one described is the Sage from an Unknown Land, an otherworlder close to the Princess. The Four Symbolic Heroes are the kingdom's main military force and its most powerful people. Freed Acty, Hero of Quivering Water: a former farmer and soldier in his twenties with the two-handed Pale Sword of Flowing Water, resentful and with no loyalty to the royals. Alrich Tin Agba, Hero of Darkness: a noblewoman in her late teens, a sadistic ambusher with a multi-knotted whip, devoted to the First Queen and obsessed with divine blessings. Gascade Barossa Meloi, Hero of Iron Rock: a balding noble general aged 40 with a huge hammer. Hoof Ain, Hero of Fortified Wood: a long-lived elf, the only demihuman hero, with a bow and a poison sword. The Noble Faction, led by the Minister (a famous former general), is the most powerful group, controlling about 70% of the land and opposing the royal family, especially the heir. Two heroes, Quivering Water and Iron Rock, are allied with it. Heavy taxation causes hardship and starvation in some regions, and the kingdom is corrupt from within. Laws and society: a strong human-supremacy policy. Non-humans pay higher prices, few monsters or beastfolk live near the capital, and slavery exists. Humans outnumber non-humans about five to one. Misusing a royal authority token or Royal Ring is punished by immediate execution without trial. Many worship individuals who hold a divine blessing, while the kingdom and its ally follow the Five Great Gods. Entry: full inspection at the gate for everyone, with long queues and fees on goods. Guards are honest but strict. Dangers: influential people stare at outsiders with suspicion, spies and shady figures are everywhere, and the heroes and the Noble Faction are dangerous enemies. The royal family's ceremonial sword is Curtana (Ancient), with a rounded tip and a spotless blade, carried by the Tomboy Princess. Its Mercy ability pardons a target the wielder truly feels compassion for: the blade cuts nothing and the target survives, believing the sword saved them. Its Condemn ability ignores the defences of living targets. Gascade Barossa Meloi's weapon, the Hammer of Isenbal, is a long-handled war hammer with a pyramid-shaped iron ram on its head, which once crushed the scales of a Gem Dragon that attacked the capital.

26. #26LOCATION: Purgatory

    Keys: Purgatory, labyrinth city, dungeon city, Mine of the Cyclops, Cyclops mine, license necklace, dungeon license, adventurers guild

    PURGATORY A walled labyrinth city built around dungeons, the labyrinth city closest to the capital, on the road between Trient and Osvel inside the Sternbild Kingdom. It has grown very quickly and is rich in gold and silver, drawing adventurers and rogues hungry for fame and wealth. The guild runs the dungeons and keeps order with strict licences and a harsh, unwritten code. It has more than one dungeon; the Mine of the Cyclops is described here. Walls and entry: a circular wall of a special metal. Backpacks are searched thoroughly before entry, which takes long, and only necessities such as food are allowed in. A royal authority token gets the gate raised at once. Leaving is slower: guards check whether each magic item belongs to its carrier or was stolen, which can take around twenty minutes. The guards are efficient, honest and serious, and steer clear of anything involving foreign nobility. The city: a town square where adventurer parties gather (including Yara beastmen), a public cemetery with a memorial recording fallen adventurers' names, and shops and guild stores where licence holders get discounts. The guild: a large building with three hotel-like sections, a headquarters with a luxurious back room, and guild guards. The guild master is a plump, cheerful man of about forty with a secretary. The guild handles disputes, paperwork and outside materials. A chief administrator oversees the city's guilds and organisations and issues dungeon licences. It has a free training field where adventurers of many species practise (over sixty may be there on a given morning), and guild quests send adventurers into the labyrinth. Licence necklaces: a necklace with a small gold plate lets an adventurer enter a dungeon. Humans can enter without one, but it protects and benefits them. Non-humans need one so they are told apart from dungeon monsters, and one without it may be attacked as a monster. It costs about five silver coins per person and works only for the dungeon it was made for (a new dungeon needs a new licence with extra fees). The plate glows pale when it does not match. A necklace can be destroyed, and Ranking Up can break it, leaving the holder unprotected. Laws and taboos: killing non-monsters inside the labyrinth is a major taboo, by custom, not written law. If one licence holder kills another, the victim's necklace marks the killer's necklace with a red light that stays even if the killer swaps necklaces. Guilds investigate and arrest offenders, with forced labour in dangerous areas or unpaid service as typical penalties, and mass killing or theft can mean indefinite forced labour. The system has loopholes, such as helping a dying companion. Powerful magic items found in the labyrinth may not leave the city walls, and visitors may have to give up some gear they gain. Item boxes do not work inside the labyrinth. A dead adventurer's body vanishes after a set time, even in a backpack. The Mine of the Cyclops: an underground dungeon of about twenty floors, common and mid-strength, suited to short expeditions. Corridors have paved floors and metallic walls, are dark (many adventurers have night vision), and have few, crude traps. Dark-skinned Mine Goblins are common. Dungeon monsters can be cooked and eaten when supplies run low, though insect-type and grotesque monsters are usually avoided as possibly poisonous. A low-level goblin is badly outmatched anywhere past the first floors. Bosses: three Cyclops guard the deepest floor. Longsword Bellula is the youngest, Demon Songstress Hatchell fights with a mace and magical strikes, and Quake Hammer Gründ is the oldest and strongest. Some bosses drop rare items, and Unique-class drops have extraordinary abilities. A safe zone before the boss room has no monsters, and parties wait their turn there while later groups queue behind them. It is not law, but it is nearly universal and prevents grudges, and resting there has no drawback. Dangers: other adventurers who may mistake a non-human without a necklace for a monster, poisonous insect and grotesque monsters, boss rooms and the parties queuing for them, and killers who slip through the guild's loopholes.

27. #27LOCATION: Cluster Mountains

    Keys: Cluster Mountains, mountains, mountain road, White Stag, Fomor, Fomorian, Balor, Giant King, White Slime, snowstorm

    CLUSTER MOUNTAINS A rugged mountain range on the road between Mason Village and Purgatory, dangerous for its steep cliffs, rockfalls, snowstorms and some of the strongest creatures in the region. Travel is slow and tiring. Terrain and weather: rugged mountain roads, steep cliffs, open clearings at cliff edges, and rockfalls and collapses. After rain the roads turn muddy and poor. Rain gives way to heavy snow and strong winds, and snowstorms can cut visibility sharply. Wide, spacious caves offer shelter and can be expanded, but some are occupied by animals such as bear families. Creatures: brown-furred, tusked bears, with males aggressive in defence of their mates. A four-armed variety is stronger and awkward to fight. The White Stag is a pure white giant about five metres tall with leopard-like muscles, glowing white fur and large antlers (which it sheds). A carnivore, extremely fast and very dangerous, it is the apex predator and boss of the mountains, and an ogre-rank creature cannot match it. Fomorians (Fomor) are giants with goat-like heads, fiery eyes and snake tails, with black-furred goat lower bodies, who fight in groups with massive club-shaped rocks. Balor, the Giant King, is their larger and far more powerful leader, also boss-class. White Slimes are grey and hard-bodied and resist physical attacks. Snow rabbits live on the snowy ground. Dangers: snowstorms and cold, rockfalls and cliff edges, aggressive bear families guarding their caves, Fomor packs and their king, and the White Stag. Narrator guidance: caves are tempting shelter but may already be taken.

28. #28LOCATION: Mason Village

    Keys: Mason Village, Mason, hot spring village, village chief, waterfall, Big Cocco

    MASON VILLAGE A large, prosperous, warm and hospitable village known for its hot springs, its own liquor and a massive waterfall about 200 metres tall nearby. Tourists and merchants pass through. It lies on the road between Trient and Purgatory, before the Cluster Mountains, mostly populated by humans. The village: a banquet hall, and the village chief's house where guests stay, with bonfires lighting the village at night. Residents bow to royalty as they pass, like samurai showing respect to a lord. The chief is a man of about 60, energetic and proud of the local liquor, with his wife part of the household. A hot spring is open to visitors, and the liquor is not as refined as elf wine, but it is tasty. Hospitality: villagers share food and drink freely, sing and dance with travellers and host feasts. They are wary of ogres at first but warm to visitors who bring gifts and friendly talk, and fruit and mushrooms go down well. Game brought in by visitors, such as kelpies, boruforu and rabbits, is cooked and eaten. The waterfall: the village's main landmark. Big Cocco guardian creatures, a boss-class species, live within it and are generally friendly unless attacked. A dormant dragon-class monster is said to rest there, far beyond any normal creature. Dangers: little to fear from the villagers, though humans here are wary of monsters, and the waterfall guardians turn hostile if attacked.

29. #29LOCATION: Colosseum

    Keys: Colosseum, coliseum, arena, gladiator, gladiators, Tournament of Heroes, blood sand

    COLOSSEUM A huge circular arena just north of Osvel where slaves, criminals, prisoners of war and debtors are forced to fight as gladiators, often to the death, while crowds bet and cheer. It is loud, bloody and deeply popular. The arena: a vast circular structure with a reddish-brown sand floor soaked in blood and littered with broken teeth and weapon shards. A large limestone pillar covered in scars stands in the middle. Fighters enter through four iron-grated gates, north, south, east and west. Seating: over 60,000, with many more standing in the passages on the biggest days. Private rooms are reserved for nobles, and one box is set aside for the royal family. The crowd's roar is loud enough to feel like small tremors, and nobles who grumble quiet down when challenged. Fighters and shows: besides the forced human fighters, captured monsters are made to fight too, such as a wyvern taken from a mountain range. Fights are deadly. A host with a voice-amplifying magic item announces each fighter's record and background and tells light jokes between bouts, and people bet on matches. The Tournament of Heroes: held only once every three years, it draws record crowds, and heroes and warriors from other nations enter. Most gladiators are forced fighters, and the tournament draws far stronger ones. Dangers: deadly bouts forced fighters must take part in, and a captured non-human is at risk here.

30. #30REGION: Sternbild Kingdom

    Keys: Sternbild, Sternbild Kingdom, the kingdom, human kingdom, Noble Faction, Four Symbolic Heroes, Tournament of Heroes

    STERNBILD KINGDOM A mostly human feudal kingdom and the nearest human nation to Kuuderun Great Forest, prosperous in places but divided: the throne is weak, the nobles are strong, and non-humans are treated as inferior in the big cities. Its capital is Osvel (see that entry for the palace, royals and heroes). It is allied with the Kirika Empire, and the forest sits on the border between them, outside both nations' rule, laws and taxes. Both covet the forest's rare materials and magic items. Grassland, hills and mountain lie between the forest and the settled lands. Power: the King governs only about 30% of the territory. The Noble Faction, led by the Minister (a famous former general), controls about 70%, rivals the royal family in military, political and economic strength, and opposes the Tomboy Princess in particular, though some nobles back the King. Heavy taxes squeeze some regions to the point of starvation, and the kingdom is corrupt from within. The royal family: the King, the devout First Queen, Princess Rubiria (the Tomboy Princess) and her Boy Knight McCool Say. One of the princesses is promised in marriage to the Kirika Empire's 24-year-old heir. The Four Symbolic Heroes are the main military force, and two of the four are allied with the Noble Faction. The court also has Royal Sages, including an otherworlder. Society: mainly human, with minorities in small communities or blended into larger towns. The countryside shows little open discrimination, but it is stronger in the big cities such as Osvel and Purgatory, where non-humans pay higher prices and face extra scrutiny. Slavery is legal, and manhunters raid villages for slaves, held privately or sent to the army. Skilled craftsmen who rise high enough can enter the nobility. Religion: most people follow no organised religion. In Osvel many worship people who hold a divine protection, including the First Queen. The alliance with the Kirika Empire is said to share the faith of the Five Great Gods. Places: Osvel (capital), Trient (walled fortress city), Purgatory (labyrinth city), the Colosseum north of Osvel, and the villages of Clute and Mason along the road, with the Cluster Mountains beyond. Dangers: manhunters and slavers, strict gate inspections and higher prices for non-humans, and the Four Symbolic Heroes. Narrator guidance: a goblin or ogre here is distrusted, hunted or enslaved unless sheltered by someone powerful.

31. #31REGION: Kirika Empire

    Keys: Kirika, Kirika Empire, the empire, Eight Great Knights, Divine Priestess, slave army

    KIRIKA EMPIRE A powerful human empire allied with the Sternbild Kingdom, bordering it with Kuuderun Great Forest on their shared border. It is known for its elite knights, a Divine Priestess and a large slave army of capable fighters. The empire and Sternbild are said to share the faith of the Five Great Gods, which tolerates non-humans. The Eight Great Knights are its main military force: eight ranked seats from First to Eighth, each knight carrying a hero title. The Divine Priestess together with them is said to equal or exceed Sternbild's Four Symbolic Heroes. Known seats: the Second Seat, Dark Cloud Hero, a middle-aged man with a Sacred Treasure and five companions; the Third Seat, Roaring Thunder Hero, heir to the head of the empire's grand nobles, a beauty in male attire with princely looks, blond hair and blue eyes, in heavy silver armour with a mantle and no helmet, carrying a double-edged one-handed sword, with a Sacred Treasure and five companions; and the Seventh Seat, Shelled Insect Champion, a juvenile male with countless Demon Insect subordinates. The empire has grand noble houses, and its 24-year-old heir is engaged to a Sternbild princess, tying the two nations closer. Dangers: knights who are Heroes with divine protections, and an organised army with slave soldiers.

32. #32REGION: Estgrand Beast Kingdom

    Keys: Estgrand, Estgrand Beast Kingdom, Beast Kingdom, beastmen, Beast King, Lionel, Dur Gha Varia

    ESTGRAND BEAST KINGDOM A kingdom populated mostly by beastmen, far from Kuuderun Great Forest, ruled by the Beast King Lionel. Its borders are heavily protected by a barrier and military guards. It shares a border with the Atarakua Demon Empire, and the Lumen Holy Kingdom, which preaches human supremacy, is a more distant rival. Places: Dur Gha Varia, a labyrinth city, and the Great Amaratia Steppes, a God-class dungeon far beyond any early adventurer. Narrator guidance: a distant land, very unlikely to be met early.

33. #33REGION: Atarakua Demon Empire

    Keys: Atarakua, Atarakua Demon Empire, Demon Empire, Demon Emperor, Hyulton, Six Supreme Commanders, Aquarium

    ATARAKUA DEMON EMPIRE An empire ruled by the Demon Emperor Hyulton, far from Kuuderun Great Forest, bordering the Lumen Holy Kingdom (its main rival, because of that kingdom's human supremacy) and the Estgrand Beast Kingdom. The emperor is a skeleton-like figure in a high-class suit and crown, a powerful summoner of the demon race Midian, carrying a Sacred Treasure of the God of the Underworld. His familiars include Amsudomus, a milky-white eyeless, fangless king dragon about 200 metres long. The Six Supreme Commanders each take a colour: Supreme Black Commander Zemuras Su Suramuze, Supreme Celadon Commander Faransa Farkash, Supreme Scarlet Commander Ballark Barak (ranked fourth of the six) and the Supreme White Commander, the emperor's son. Its commanders compete in Sternbild's Tournament of Heroes. The labyrinth city Aquarium holds an Age of the Gods dungeon that adventurers and heroes from other lands travel to challenge, far beyond any early adventurer. Narrator guidance: a distant, very powerful empire, very unlikely to be met early.

34. #34REGION: Lumen Holy Kingdom

    Keys: Lumen, Lumen Holy Kingdom, Holy Kingdom, Holy King, human supremacy, Saint, Great Hero

    LUMEN HOLY KINGDOM A human kingdom built around a national religion that preaches human supremacy, far from Kuuderun Great Forest. It shares a border with the Atarakua Demon Empire and is hostile to non-humans and to the Five Great Gods faith of Sternbild and Kirika, which tolerates them. Any non-human is an enemy on sight. It rivals the Atarakua Demon Empire and, more distantly, the Estgrand Beast Kingdom. The ruler is the Holy King. It fields many Heroes, Great Heroes and Legendary Heroes, with titles such as Hero of Light, Hero of War Elephants, Hero of Iron Rings, Hero of Stone Soldiers and Hero of Magical Barriers. Saint-class fighters, rarer still, stand at the top. Heroes are assumed to hold a god's blessing. Narrator guidance: a cold, zealous kingdom, very unlikely to be met early.

35. #35RACE: Goblin

    Keys: goblin

    GOBLIN The weakest of the intelligent races: small, short-lived and poorly equipped, but clever enough to build communities, make crude tools and learn new skills. They live in caves inside forests, hunt, raid, and follow whoever proves strongest. Looks: green skin, a short pointed head, pointed ears, slender fingers and sharp black nails, about 110-120 cm grown, small and wiry. Males are mostly bald with white pupil-less eyes, females have short hair and pupils, and both wear worn-out loincloths. A dark-skinned kind, the Mine Goblin, lives in the Mine of the Cyclops. Stats (S/E/A/M/L/I): F / F / F+ / F- / F / F-. Even at Lv 100 a goblin is small fry beside other races. Skills: Precocious (fast growth), Cunning (a flash of inspiration in a crisis), Night Vision, Demon Tribe Factor, Goblin Language. Growth: a goblin is born small and helpless and fully mature within two to three days, with no further growth until a Rank Up. Goblins live about 20 years, and elders gather a great deal of knowledge. Diet: newborns eat insects, berries and nuts. From about the fourth day a goblin hunts for itself or follows a leader it respects. Society: simple-minded and easygoing, but fierce when cornered. The strong live and the weak die, and goblins follow whoever shows superiority. Most rarely use tactics, but they can be taught. Young goblins train with sticks and thrown stones, and many die to Horn Rabbits, so they hunt in pairs or groups. Elders name the young (Gobu- plus a short ending). Humans have long enslaved goblins, and most goblins among humans are slaves. Crafts and gear: clubs (a club can be encased in an Armored Tanuki shell), knives knapped from river rock, slings and thrown stones, horn-tipped spears, shields from tanuki shells, and sewn hide and fur (steel-grass needles, slender-ivy cord). They cannot forge metal. Steel weapons, staves and bows come from kobolds, orcs and human loot: a nicked kobold long sword is Inferior, and a bow taken from kobolds is Normal. The cave's warehouse holds what the older goblins took from adventurers, and the senior generation raids with poisoned arrows. Quality: Inferior to Normal. Rank Up: Hobgoblin. A goblin stuck at Lv 100 without evolving is an Elite Goblin (see that entry).

36. #36RACE: Hobgoblin

    Keys: hobgoblin

    HOBGOBLIN The first evolution of a goblin: larger, stronger and smarter, and a nasty opponent one-on-one. They look close to human, and some live in human villages because people find them likable. Looks: 160-170 cm. Normal skin is green, and a variant's skin follows the god that blessed it. Stats (S/E/A/M/L/I): Normal F+ / F+ / E- / F / F / F. Variant E / F / F+ / E- / F- / F+, so a variant is higher in Strength, Magic and Intelligence and lower in Endurance, Agility and Luck. A rare species is vastly superior in magic and intelligence and sometimes in strength. Skills: Command - Demon (Weak) and Intelligence - Very Small (Weak), which makes it easier to think before acting. A variant also has God's Divine Protection and Species Evolution (the next generation grows faster). Subspecies: Mage (a magic user), Cleric (healing and protection), Shaman (controls and strengthens undead, senses spirits), Rider (tames monsters). Crafts and gear: human-sized hands and bodies mean they can wear and wield human gear. They make everything goblins do, better, plus handmade robes and leather work (a hobgoblin mage wears a self-made robe). They have no forge and rely on loot, trade or a human or elf smith. Quality: Normal. Rank Up options: Ogre (brute physical fighting), Dhampir (speed, cleverness, magic and blood), a Half-Lord (one trade pursued obsessively), Ghoul (eating and enjoying rotting corpses), or Dodomeki (scouting and witchcraft).

37. #37RACE: Ogre

    Keys: ogre

    OGRE A heavy monster that relies on brute strength, and a common Hobgoblin evolution. A normal ogre is slow and not very smart, though intelligent ones exist as exceptions. Looks: about 250 cm. A normal ogre has dark reddish-brown skin. A variant's or rare species' skin follows its blessing (black, or brown with a red tint). Stats (S/E/A/M/L/I): Normal D / D / E / E- / E- / F-. Variant D+ / D+ / E+ / E / E / F. Rare Species C / C / D- / E+ / E / E. Skills: Super-human Strength, Strong Body, Ogre's Roar (a shout loud enough to rupture eardrums up close), Command - Demon (Medium), Fast Healing. They can learn Resistance Acquisition, Herculian Strength, and Slash and Physical Attack Resistance. A Rare Species gains Rare Species Seed, Rare Species Lineage, Greater God's Protection and Carved Seal of the Chosen (subordinates with the seal grow stronger). Subspecies: Ogre Mage, High Ogre, Ogre - Rare Species. Power: where a hobgoblin can barely mark a Hind Bear's hide, an ogre can wrestle a bear down and tear it apart. Its roar can stun or injure anything close. Crafts and gear: axes, great swords, clubs and other heavy weapons, hide armour, and anything crude and big. Ogre-sized gear is scarce, so it is usually made for them or taken from the dead. Heavy timber, raw metal and hides are the materials, sourced as for goblins (inferred). Rank Up: Minotaur (heavy weapons with exceptional Strength and Endurance), or Apostle Lord. Some can promote straight into certain Lord types.

38. #38RACE: Dhampir

    Keys: Dhampir, half-vampire, kin of the night

    DHAMPIR The half-vampire: fast, magical and clever, with hypnotic eyes and a blood-drinking skill. It resembles a vampire but can act in daylight. Looks: 160-180 cm, usually silver hair and red eyes with golden pupils, with pale skin (a variant's skin follows its god). Stats (S/E/A/M/L/I): Normal D+ / D- / C / C- / E- / D+. Variant C- / D / C+ / C / E / C-. Skills: Bewitching Demon Eyes (hypnotic eyes), Kin of the Night (stronger at night or in darkness, weaker by day), Bloodsucking (creates followers by drinking blood), Overpowering Domination (controls beings of lower existence). A variant adds God's Divine Protection, Sunlight Subjugation (full power in daylight), a weak Magic Barrier, and Fast Regeneration. Danger: hypnosis and domination can turn the weak into thralls, and a dhampir's power drops by day without Sunlight Subjugation. Crafts and gear: none of its own. Known examples wear gifted or made-for-them items: Mi's dress, made with dark magic and bound with steel-like thread, glasses that seal her eyes' power, and an enchanted ice-crystal claymore (inferred as typical). Rank Up: Vampire Noble.

39. #39RACE: Ghoul

    Keys: ghoul, undead summoning

    GHOUL An evolution of a Hobgoblin that eats and enjoys huge quantities of rotting corpses, or a creature called up by an undead summoning ability. Looks: rotten flesh over most of its body, which it can regrow, and a dangerous atmosphere around it. Stats (S/E/A/M/L/I): D- / D / E+ / E / F- / D. Decent Intelligence and Endurance, but very low Luck. Skills: devours the souls of others and other spiritual entities, and gives off a dangerous aura. Crafts and gear: none of its own, and it uses whatever it carries or scavenges (inferred). Rank Up: Vampire, Fimerotto or Dullahan.

40. #40RACE: Dullahan

    Keys: Dullahan

    DULLAHAN One of the three evolutions of a Ghoul, with Vampire and Fimerotto. From the creature's name and the legend it takes it from, it is a headless undead knight, usually armoured and armed, that carries its own head. Stats: no stat line recorded. Narrator guidance (inferred): expect an armoured, weapon-using undead rather than a caster, more durable than a Ghoul and more disciplined, with the Ghoul's soul-devouring aura and rotting-flesh traits as its background. Treat details here as provisional until sourced.

41. #41RACE: Dodomeki

    Keys: dodomeki, dodomekis, 百々目鬼, どどめき

    DODOMEKI A Hobgoblin evolution built around eyes and witchcraft: a scout and a ranged fighter, weak in a direct fight. Its power is in seeing, so it is nearly impossible to surprise, and its physical defences are poor. Stats (S/E/A/M/L/I): E / E / E- / E+ / E / D+. Intelligence is its best stat, and Magic is slightly above its physical stats. Skills: reconnaissance and evasion, witchcraft, and (in a known example) seeing an enemy's weak points. Crafts and gear: a known one wears a white kimono enchanted as bio-armour and carries an organic umbrella-weapon and a jade fan magic item that makes strong gusts (all gifted or grown, not forged). Rank Up: Kugimeki and beyond (late game).

42. #42RACE: Kobold

    Keys: kobold

    KOBOLD Dog-headed humanoids who live by warfare and a samurai-like code. They rank above goblins and roughly equal to orcs, though faster and smarter than orcs and stronger than the average hobgoblin. Clans live in caves in the forest and mountain. Looks: dog heads, fur all over, some in rusted armour with rusty long-swords. As they rank up, they become more human-like. Skills: Kobold Language. Predict (shows an opponent's attack trajectories as red threads). Intimidating Roar (can paralyse enemies with fear). A Kobold Mage also has Internal Mana Control, External Mana Operation and Magician's Knowledge, and is helpless if killed quickly. Society: ambitious, competitive, loyal to their lord, and a little airheaded. Members compete to become a Lord, which drives them to kill and eat one another, and kobolds are cannibals. A life saved is a debt repaid in loyalty, and anyone who betrays their lord is executed by blade. Males hunt, and females dig to expand the cave. Crafts and gear: rusty armour and long-swords (old and poorly kept, probably scavenged or looted), and cave digging. They have no known smiths or forges. After a Rank Up, a Footman grows an Organic Spear and a Ninja Kobold grows an Organic Sword (a kodachi), each made from the kobold's own cells, growing with the body and handled as an extension of it. Rank Up: Kobold Footman (spear and body), or Ninja Kobold (stealth and espionage). Danger: cannibalism and constant infighting make a clan unpredictable, and its roar can freeze enemies in fear.

43. #43RACE: Human

    Keys: human, jobs system, champion, legendary hero, mixblood, human mixblood

    HUMAN Intelligent enough to build civilisations, but unable to Rank Up. They use the Jobs System instead. Humans are weaker than most monsters and demihumans at the start and must learn techniques to catch up, but a human's growth through Jobs is far greater than a monster's growth through levels. Experienced humans in groups can still beat goblins. Jobs: anyone can level a job by investing time, and those with aptitude can rank it up. Examples: Warrior, Knight, Templar Knight, Berserker, Assassin, Magician, Magic Gunner, Dual Swordsman, Noir Soldier (combat); Bishop, Captain, Monster Tamer, Enchanter (support); Alchemist, Smith, Spirit Smith, Item Creator, Tailor, Cook, Cook Chief, Farmer (crafting); Appraiser, Champion, Hero, Legendary Hero. Heroes and Champions: a Hero has more personal power but a limit on subordinates, so fights in small parties against monsters and demons. A Champion has less personal power but no limit on subordinates, so often leads armies, and is usually someone with great merit from a war. A Legendary Hero combines both and is rare. Nations hold their Heroes as their strongest force, and otherworlders are about their equals. Mixbloods: the half-human child of a human and a monster, who can use the Jobs System freely and is usually rejected by both sides. Attitude to demihumans: demihumans (those who look fairly human and seem rational, such as dragonnewts, beastmen and vampires) may be denied entry, charged more or met with violence. Races seen as too primitive, such as minotaurs and the goblin line, are often shunned, though an intelligent one such as an ogre mage may sometimes be allowed into a village. Some humans think intelligent monsters have meat for brains. Crafts and gear: Smiths and Spirit Smiths forge weapons and armour and work spirit stones into them, Alchemists make potions and elixirs, Item Creators make magic items, and Tailors sew. Gear is graded by rarity, and item boxes store it (but do not work inside labyrinths). Materials come from dungeons, monsters bought through guilds, spirit stones, forest timber (Clute's instruments) and the markets of Trient and Osvel.

44. #44RACE: Elf

    Keys: elf, elven

    ELF A reclusive, non-monster race who live in forests: beautiful, long-lived, proud, and gifted in spirit magic and archery. They look down on most other peoples. Stats (S/E/A/M/L/I): D- / D- / C- / C / D / C. Looks: beautiful and long-lived (a 340-year-old elf can look 68). Piercing the ears is a grave taboo punished by exile, and elves sold in slave markets often have their ears cut. Skills: spirit (elemental) magic, archery, tracking, hiding, and Elf Language, which has dialect-specific meanings. Society: hereditary clan leadership, with a chosen successor, escorts and elite warriors under each chief, and many old laws. A community can be run by a council of family heads. They hide in trees, set traps, use a fast-acting anaesthetic venom, and move quietly and quickly. They trade with monsters when it suits them, and treat humans, goblins and ogres as inferiors or tools to be bought, hired or enslaved. A prideful elf is harder to deal with until that pride is broken, and some female elves are more reserved. Crafts and gear: mithril weapons, armour, ingots, arrows and light-producing items, made only by elf blacksmith families. Even a plain mithril knife (no special ability) is sharper than any steel and cuts a steel blade without a mark, and it is Rare at least. Elves give such items as rewards, and a goblin carrying one invites trouble. They also make rapiers, bows (family heirloom bows can be Ancient), ceremonial dress, light metal armour, ring and bracelet magic items (often Rare), a secret general-cure medicine, elven wine, and booby-trapped woods. The card does not say where their mithril is mined, so treat it as coming from their own forest. Rank Up: High Elf, after a century or more of training. Danger: ambushes by hidden archers, the anaesthetic venom, and elite warriors with Rare-class gear.

45. #45RACE: High Elf

    Keys: high elf, high elves

    HIGH ELF The last step of elf evolution, reached by an elf after a century or more of training. A demihuman with the intelligence to build a civilisation, found in forests. Esseba Failo Rheinfall, chairman of the Elven Village, reached it after 100 years of training and is cautious, practical and willing to bargain when it suits him. Stats: no recorded line. Narrator guidance: far above an ordinary elf. Crafts and gear: as elves, with the best gear in the community (inferred).

46. #46RACE: Minotaur

    Keys: minotaur

    MINOTAUR A bull-headed giant at least 5 metres tall, and a Tier 4 evolution of an ogre that favours heavy weapons and has exceptional Strength and Endurance. Humans often shun minotaurs as too primitive or barbaric, like the rest of the goblin line. Stats (S/E/A/M/L/I): Normal B+ / B+ / C / F / E / E-. New Species A+ / A / B- / E / E+ / E. Crafts and gear: oversized axes and tower shields. A known one carries gear that came from a god and from Velvet's dungeon, plus armour built from Rou's thread, Hind Bear fur and Unique-class metal. Rank Up: Giga Minoterios.

47. #47RACE: Vampire Noble

    Keys: Vampire Noble, ヴァンパイア・ノーブル, 吸血貴族, real vampire

    VAMPIRE NOBLE A higher-ranked vampire, one of the "real vampires", reached from a Dhampir at about Lv 100. It looks like its Dhampir form and can control its charm, so it no longer needs glasses. It summons lower undead (skeletons, zombies, purple ghosts), many use strong ice magic, and it can bend anyone it has fed from. Skills: Bloodsucking Control (dominates weaker opponents by drinking their blood), Intermediate Summoning: Guardian Beast, Intermediate Generation: Undead, God of the Underworld. Crafts and gear: none of its own. Rank Up: Ice Blood True Vampire.

    ICE BLOOD TRUE VAMPIRE A Tier 5 evolution of a Vampire Noble, one generation below the First Vampire. No other vampire compares with it in handling blood and ice, and its power matches an Emperor's. It has flawless white skin and long hair, and its Charm attracts every living thing in range without bewitching eyes. It improves every base stat and summons Ice Blood Familiars such as wolves and hydras. A Superior Species variant exists.

    VAJRAYAKSA OVERLORD A Living God Species reached from an Apostle Lord at Lv 100 with certain conditions. A known one has five inward-curving horns like a crown, silver-white hair, gold eyes, four arms and Demon Orbs across the body. Rare and god-tier.

    BLAZE LORD An evolution of a Fire Lord at Lv 100. A demihuman oni that controls heat and adds flame to its attacks. Heat and Light Absorption raises its power, True Blaze releases flames from the soul that burn anything, and its martial arts use flames in tandem.

48. #48RACE: Ice Blood True Vampire

    Keys: Ice Blood, true vampire

    OVERVIEW The Ice Blood True Vampire is a Tier 5 Rank Up evolution, reached when a Vampire Noble promotes. It seems to be one of the first races of vampires, one generation down from the First Vampire. No other vampire can compare with it in handling blood and ice.

    POWER Its power is not inferior to an Emperor's. As a Superior Species, it becomes the default level for stronger creatures like the Emperor.

    APPEARANCE A race genetically close to the first vampires, and the quintessence of elegance. Flawless white skin, cherry lips, a soft and well-proportioned body, and immaculate long hair. It can fascinate onlookers without using bewitching eyes or charm. Like a fountain of life, its magical power, Charm, attracts all living beings within range. Every movement fascinates the eye, and it is impossible to look away.

    ABILITIES Improved base characteristics: strength, speed, endurance and so on. Summons Ice Blood Familiars, such as wolves and hydras.

    VARIANTS A Superior Species exists.

    ROLEPLAY NOTES A near-flawless, overwhelming undead aristocrat. Do not script events.

49. #49Vajrayaksa Overlord

    Keys: Vajrayaksa Overlord, 金剛夜叉鬼神, ヴァジュラヤクシャ・オーバーロード・ヴァイシュラシーズ, 鬼神オーバーロード, living god

    OVERVIEW The Vajrayaksa Overlord is a Living God Species and a Rank Up evolution of the Apostle Lord. Its alternative names are 金剛夜叉鬼神, ヴァジュラヤクシャ・オーバーロード・ヴァイシュラシーズ and 鬼神オーバーロード.

    HOW IT IS REACHED An Apostle Lord must reach level 100 and meet certain conditions. APPEARANCE

    A known individual has: Five horns that curve inward toward the head and resemble a crown. Slightly changed tattoos, some of which grant specific buffs. Silver-white hair and gold eyes. Four arms. Demon Orbs across the body: on the chest, arms, elbows, shoulders, knees and navel. A suitable coat.

    OTHER OPTIONS FROM THE APOSTLE LORD The Apostle Lord's other evolutions are the Demon King of Destruction and the Demon Emperor of Conquest. These paths are weaker than the Vajrayaksa Overlord.

    ROLEPLAY NOTES A very rare god-tier form. Do not script events.

50. #50Apostle Lord

    Keys: apostle lord, shito-ki, 使徒鬼, アポストルロード

    APOSTLE LORD An extinct oni species reached by an Ogre at Lv 100. About 2 m, slightly smaller than an Ogre but with much denser muscle, three thick sharp horns, blood-red eyes that see far, and often long hair. Some can form biological armour. Skin colour follows the deity it serves. Stats (S/E/A/M/L/I): Normal B+ / B / B / B / B / B. Extinct Species A+ / A / A+ / A / B+ / B, with no weak stat. Crafts and gear: biological armour grown from the body. Rank Up: Vajrayaksa Overlord, Demon King of Destruction, or Demon Emperor of Conquest. The other two are weaker than the Overlord.

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