Minus World Codex: Monsters

Fri, 16 Sep 2016 21:11:25 GMT

Monsters come in four commonly-used classifications: Minions, Commanders, Corruptions, and Aberrations. Minions are the weakest and most common type of monster, but even they can be extremely dangerous - the only reason that Guardians can take on monsters with any amount of safety is because their powers are much stronger in the Minus World, where the laws of physics don't dictate what magic can or can't do as strongly. Fighting in the real world, even minions can be threats too great for a single Guardian. In the Minus World, though, a single Guardian can usually defeat one or even several Minions without backup. Their greatest weapon is their numbers.

Whenever there is an unusually high concentration of Minions, it's likely that there's a Commander present. These monsters are much more powerful than Minions, generally taking a team of Guardians working together to take down - stories of solo Guardians taking on Commanders are rare, and attempts are one of the leading causes of fatalities. In addition to being powerful on their own, Commanders can silently direct the actions of swarms of Minions, leading them to attack less like wild animals and more like invading armies. Furthermore, some of them have the ability to create more Minions to supplement their forces. One of the most common patterns of attack is for a single Commander class monster to break through the barrier, then spend days lurking and building a new army before attacking.

Corruptions are extremely rare, and extremely dangerous. When a Guardian dies in the Minus World, and their body isn't brought back to Nistona, they sometimes come back to life. However, they aren't restored as Guardians - they're restored as monsters. Corruptions are insane, cruel distortions of their former selves, backed with the strength of a monster and the magic of a Guardian. The only thing keeping them from being a greater threat than Commander class monsters is that they're less focused - they seem to attack or wander off at random, sometimes vanishing for years before reappearing again. The advice given to Guardians regarding Corruptions is to retreat and call for backup immediately, never engaging one unless you have ten or more Guardians together to fight it.

And finally, there are Aberrations. This isn't exactly a categorization, it's more of a catch-all title for monsters that don't fit into the other classes. Aberrations are one-of-a-kind occurrences, new kinds of monsters that nobody has ever seen before, and are accordingly dangerous to the extreme. When fighting an Aberration, you need to be prepared for absolutely anything. Nothing is guaranteed, not even survival.

Even within each class, monsters vary widely in nature. Each wave looks completely different from the last, with different capabilities and tactics. Sometimes, they seem to adapt to how the last invasion was repelled with new tactics and weapons designed to render the same strategy ineffective. Wherever the monsters are coming from, whatever's sending them, they seem custom-made to exterminate humanity as effectively as possible.

Historical records show a cycle of monster activity that tends to last about ten to twenty years on average. Over the cycle, monster attacks gradually become more frequent and more dangerous, until they suddenly cut out, giving way to up to a year of total silence. However, it seems that over time, the cycles are gradually getting shorter...

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Minus World Codex: Guardians

Fri, 16 Sep 2016 21:01:38 GMT

Sometimes called Magical Girls, Guardians are those who have been awakened by the Pearl to their true powers. In day to day life, they're just like normal humans, but they also have the ability to transform into a magically-enhanced temporary form. The body gradually generates small amounts of magical energy over time, which is stored up and released while transformed, allowing for about an hour of combat time before it starts to wane. Transforming is a flashy affair, and generally results in dramatic alterations to the Guardian's hair and clothing.

A few powers are universal to all Guardians. They're much sturdier than humans, being able to take levels of punishment that would kill a normal person twice over and still continue fighting. They can sense open intrusion points between the real world and the Minus World (more on that later). They can cross the boundaries between worlds - this even means they're capable of crossing the barrier, but those few who have ever returned from such a trek have reported nothing but desolation and hostile monsters as far as they could see. Beyond that, things vary - some Guardians get enhanced physical strength to fight hand-to-hand against monsters, others gain control over various kinds of destructive energy, others get even more esoteric abilities. Each Guardian's abilities are unique.

A Guardian's powers are magical in nature, and her heart is the source of her strength. Their strength is amplified by all kinds of strong emotions, and also become more powerful with repeated use over many battles. However, after about five years as a Guardian, power begins to wane. After ten years, few Guardians have any powers to speak of, and are barely even capable of transforming. Thus, it falls to Nistona's youth to protect it.

A last power granted to the Guardians is the ability to call out to the Pearl for a blessing. When all other hope has faded, this trump card can allow a Guardian to gain an incredible surge of power, becoming many times more powerful than they were before - but just for one battle. Once they revert to human form, though, a price will be paid. Some part of their body or mind will be taken as payment for the Pearl's blessing, and will cease to function. Each time a blessing is called for, the price is steeper. No Guardian has ever survived a third blessing.

There are currently 80 registered Guardians.

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Paranoia Notice

Minus World Codex: Monsters

Minus World Codex: Guardians