Fantasy Oracle Hill: Lore

[Yatasal]

​

• Introduction
• The TFINS
• A Selection of Monsters
• Famous Monsters
• Not Monsters... Animals.
• Monster Technology
• Premise

• 
  Oracle Hill is an immigrant organization. Except they work to find immigrants to the monster world, and only operate in America. They teach these new monsters to accept themselves and their new "normal". They've created medications to help control some monster symptoms, established support groups in major cities and communities, and have an online presence with blogs, websites, and news articles. They also have inside help with the Department of the Interior to help create safe areas within national parks and forests for monsters to express themselves and hunt if needed.
  
  It should be noted that Oracle Hill is an American organization, and as such isn't recognized as an authority beyond America's borders. There are other monster organizations worldwide, but as of yet no international organization has been successfully formed.
  
  Oracle Hill was created by Myra Higgins, a vampire. She and her husband (also a vampire) worked to create a safe space for vampires within New York City. As the years went on, they started to created more and more safe areas for other creatures. Soon, they created the TFINS agents and their organization expanded across the US to include diverse chapters and cities. Mr. and Mrs. Higgins died in 1948, having given the monster world hope and safety.
  
  It should be noted that Oracle Hill doesn't house monsters within its facilities (with the exception of hospitals, prisons, rehab facilities, and other health/wellness programs), but instead sets up communities for monsters to live in. Generally, Oracle Hill prefers to set these communities up in the national parks, but it also utilizes bigger, diverse cities (such as New York) and Native American reservations (or reservations that on paper look like Native American reservations)
  
  This roleplay's lore of monsters is based on Dungeons and Dragons 5th edition. That being said, all monsters must be approved by myself in order to be played in this roleplay. Obviously we're going to have some overpowered characters based on what monster they choose, and so we'll curtail the powers and abilities of each creature depending on the character and player. We're going for realism, to a point. You can find the monster manual here.
  
• 
  Oracle Hill employs a wide range of monsters who find the immigrants before they do any real harm to others or themselves. While they are commonly referred to as the TFINS agents, they can be any type of monster. Note that this is an updated policy allowing anyone to join, as of 2015. Monsters of other races weren't allowed within the TFINS organization. Because of this, there is some bad feelings to new TFINS agents not of the original five groups. There are some who don't care, others who welcome change, and every reaction in between.
  
  If your character is a TFINS member, they'll be referred to as Agent [your name]. The ranking system doesn't change your title, unless you're one of the directors or a team leader. For example, team leaders are referred to as Chief [your name], and directors are referred to as Director [your name]. Team leaders are told to not encourage use of ma'am or sir, while directors are only referred to in this manner.
  
  The TFINS consist of Toy monsters, Faeries, Imps, Nymphs, and Sprites. Yes, they are different from each other. Suggesting otherwise would anger them.
  
  
  • Toy Monsters
  • Faeries
  • Imps
  • Nymphs
  • Sprites

  • 
    Toy Monsters are spirits that inhabit stuffed animals or other children's toys. In their true state, they're a gaseous creature that looks like a floating amoeba. Most toy monsters are self-conscious and consider showing their true form one of the strongest forms of trust. Their name comes from early legends of monsters that hid under the bed. Most children keep toys and stuffed animals in their bedroom, so occasionally toy monsters are referred to as "bedroom monsters" or "bed monsters". They're the first known defenders of humanity, protecting little children from things that go bump in the night. As the children grew, the toy monster might stay in the house and defend new children, or it might travel with the adult children and defend their children's children. Some toy monsters have been with the same family for many, many generations. Others have been in the same house for years. Regardless, this consistent behaviors makes toy monsters loathe change of most kinds, except of course in their chosen families or houses.
    
    Abilities (Spirit/Gaseous form): Toy monsters are spirits, and therefore have immunity to various types of damage while in this form. They also don't feel pain or really anything (emotionally wise) while in this form. They have a purpose, they're able to reason through logic, and whatever moral code they have they still abide by, unless they're presented with a logical argument to do otherwise. They can't interact with anything in this form, and they look like clouds of gas.
    
    Abilities (Toy form): In this form, they have personalities, can feel emotion, all that good stuff. They feel emotional pain, so if a monster were to rip off their toy arm, they'd likely freak out but wouldn't feel any physical pain from it. They're also telepathic, and can speak to each other but not to others. They can whisper good thoughts, and can amplify these thoughts into a weapon, thus rendering their enemy so high with serotonin they lose all grip on reality. They can't create negative thoughts in others, not intentionally. Occasionally, when a favorite child dies or a family moves, they have a grief period where they stay in their toy form and stay lifeless, as if they weren't alive. This brings a negative and "gray" spirit to the room they're in.
    
    Disclaimer: Toy monsters are well aware of all the jokes that surround their various names. There is no need to remind them of such things. A reminder might be repaid by an unpleasant night's sleep with the toy monsters wreaking havoc in your bedroom. Not the good kind of havoc, either.
    
  • 
    Faeries are the most powerful (or so they say) of the Fae people (the Fae include faeries, imps, nypmhs, sprites, dryads, and faerie dragons). Also referred to as pixies, faeries are the first to step into danger because of their insatiable curiosity. They stand about a foot tall, and they all have wings of varying kinds. The usual wing shape resembles that of butterflies, but occasionally they'll have more moth-like or even furry wings. It depends on where the faerie lives. Colder climates will have wings covered in fur, warmer climates won't.
    
    Faeries also have a form of magic. This magic comes from their pixie dust, which they produce while flying or while they're grooming their wings. Most pixies collect dust every morning when grooming, and store it for later use in little pouches and secret pockets on their clothes. Other creatures can use the dust, but they need large amounts to have any effect. Faeries on the other hand can use any amount of dust, and the strength of the magic depends on the individual faerie. Various effects include: confusion, dancing lights, detect evil and good, detect thoughts, dispel magic, entangle, fly, or sleep.
    
    Please note that while the faeries are based on pixies from 5e, not all abilities are included. Please ask for clarifying information on discord or in the OOC.
    
  • 
    The Imps are by far the strangest and most often challenged members of the TFINS. The long running joke is that they were only added so that the acronym would have an I, not because they were useful. Imps appear to be tiny cartoon devils; bright red skin, small leathery wings, horns, and a devil's tail to complete the image. Because of their appearance, imps specialize in aiding other TFINS agents with the capture of demons or devils, or helping tieflings adjust to their new demonic heritage or biology.
    
    The legends of the imps say that they began as assistants and thralls to demonkind, but broke free of these masters thousands of years ago. To spite their old masters, the imps began helping humans develop tricks and defense mechanisms against demons. It was the imps who gave humans "holy" symbols, "holy" water, and salt as a means of defense. Because of this heritage, most imps are quite sarcastic and good cooks. Although they tend to prefer their food a little too salty.
    
    Imps also have illusion abilities (referred to as thaumaturgy in the DnD universe). This comes from their demon/fey mixed ancestry. They can do small illusions, such as make their voices louder, change your eye color, fling open or shut doors, create a harmless sensory effects, etc.
    
  • 
    Nymphs are bound to a certain area, usually a body of water (called a "boundhome"). Because of this, nymph TFINS agents will watch over a certain community or city nearby. For example, many nymphs are bound to ponds in Central Park, making New York City the area they watch over. Other nymphs are bound to lakes, rivers, ponds and oasis. The river nymphs are the most well-travelled, as their range of protection usually extends across the entirety of the banks of the river. River nymphs usually don't protect this entire area, instead they choose a few communities that they check on.
    Nymphs are the largest of the fae, and stand about four to five feet tall. Their natural appearance is blue or green skin, with flippers and a large tail instead of legs. They appear to be mermaids, except that they also have a shape-changing ability which allows them to look like humans. Because they are bound to a certain area, they must return to their boundhome once every few days, especially when they use their shapechanging ability or any of their magical abilities.
    They're also quite territorial, and any nymph not bound to the same area of another nymph (two Mississippi river nymphs, for example, against a Lake Michigan nymph) had better clear out of the boundhome or area of protection. Fights are known to occur, and some nymphs will die before letting a foreign nymph invade their territory. Transgressions usually don't escalate that far, and nymphs recognize another's territory and will leave immediately, even if they have a protectee or job to complete. This territorial aggression usually doesn't apply to other races, except for dryads.
    Dryads are the cousin of nymphs, and suffice it to say nymphs do not like dryads. While only the dryads and nymphs are aware of their history (a highly guarded secret among the two races), almost all nymphs regard dryads as scum and treat them as such.
    
  • 
    Sprites are the warriors of the Fae people. They tend to act more like wolves than Fae: Sprites operate in packs, with a definite hierarchy, and complex social skills. To them, family is everything. Once a sprite is accepted as either a blood relative or a non-blood relative, the sprite pack will defend and care for that sprite till their dying day. Occasionally sprites will adopt non-sprite monsters (and on one recorded instance, a human) into their pack. This happens rarely however, as sprites are known to be prejudiced towards monsters and people whose cultures don't revolve around their family.
    Sprites are similar to faeries in appearance: they stand about a foot tall, but their wings are usually dragonfly or other insect wings: clear with intricate designs that are more functional than pretty. Their clothing is usually simple, and to identify being packs sprites have elaborate face and body tattoos.
    They also have magic, but its far more rudimentary than the faeries. They don't produce dust, and their magic is limited to invisibility and Heart Seeing, an ability that allows them to see the truth in actions or intentions of others. Because of this, sprites tend to be brutally honest with others and don't bottle up emotions because of their family social structures. Their other magic lies in potion brewing: they know almost every type of plant, and most sprites can describe what abilities each plant has.
    
    Disclaimer: Referring to sprites as "soda drinkers", "pop guzzlers", or other derogatory drink references or jokes will result in a tiny arrow through your eye. You've been warned.
    
  
  
• 
  
  Below are a few choices that I've already changed to fit in the roleplay. You are welcome to pick one of these, or choose another monster entirely. If you do pick one of the monsters below, and don't agree with or like the changes I've made, PM me and we'll work it out.
  
  • Skinchangers
  • Wereanimals
  • Vampires
  • Tieflings
  • Centaurs
  • Nagas

  • 
    Skinchangers are born through one or two skinchanger parents, usually paired with a human parent. There's no such thing as being half-skin changer, although there have been reported cases of a mixed species couple having human children as well as skinchanger children. Once a skinchanger, they must change their appearance every few years because they're constantly growing new skin. Because of this, no skinchanger knows what they truly look like until they die. When a skinchanger dies, they revert to their "true form", which is the appearance of a human.
    If they're lucky, they grow up in skinchanger communities and receive support when they change. Most don't, and skinchanger families are usually moving constantly, whenever a family member must go through a change that's too drastic to be explained by plastic surgery. Things got easier when plastic surgery came about.
    To avoid this, most skinchangers try and change little features in order to try and delay the inevitable big change. To change, skinchangers flip between appearances at the drop of a hat.
    
    Spoiler: Changing Process--Graphic Warning

    To fully change, they must pull off or cut away the old skin, exposing muscles, bones, and other internal organs. Because of this, skinchangers must be careful where they change, and how they get rid of the old skin. The new skin then grows back in a matter of hours, and its not uncommon for skinchangers to be quite sick for many days or weeks after the change because of the exposure.
    Because of their intense changing process, most skinchangers don't live for very long. The average lifespan, barring any changing difficulties, is roughly 50 years. Most skinchangers don't live past 30 or so, and have a high infant mortality as well. They are among the rarest of monsters because of this, and skinchanger communities are tight-knit and accepting of every skinchanger that comes along their way. They know exactly how endangered they are.
    
  • 
    Wereanimals or Lycanthropes are the most common form of monster. They come in a variety of sub species, from werewolves to werebears to the smallest lycanthropes, wererats. Studies done on lycanthropes have revealed that only a few predatory animals have lycanthropic abilities (bears, wolves, weasels, tigers) and even fewer herbivorous creatures have similar abilities (rats, boars, deer). Studies are still being done as to why only these few species have this ability, or what makes them similar.
    
    Most legends say that lycanthropes are prone to exposing themselves during the full moon, however this isn't the case. The wereanimals are on a cycle that's similar to a woman's menstrual cycle. Every 28 days or so (and sometimes lining up with the lunar calendar) they are forced to change into their beast form, also called "true animal" form. This form looks the same as an animal, and they'll behave just how the animal would. They change and stay in this form for a full 24 to 26 hours before changing back. Most wereanimals are exposed this way, and so the TFINS agents work to find them before this happens. Medication helps with the changes, making the wereanimals aware of themselves and their surroundings during the change period, and therefore making them less dangerous. Those whose bodies reject the medication (or won't take it due to varying side effects) usually have agents assigned to them to help keep them and others safe during this 24 hour period.
    
    All lycanthropes are required to wear a GPS tracker, and to file a report when they forcefully transform. The lycanthrope has access to the GPS data, and so does Oracle Hill. Oracle Hill uses this information to compare to recent animal attack reports, and hopefully find any new wereanimals before their cycle comes due.
    
    Lycanthropes have three forms: They become the animal (an actual tiger, wolf, etc) when forced when their cycle comes due, the humanoid animal (can't be forced into this one, but there has been cases of drunk/high lycanthropes switching into this form) and of course the human. The humanoid animal is a bipedal version of the original animal. Many lycanthropes have clothing specially designed for this form, and others prefer to just go without. Changing into this form results in sore muscles and occasionally sprained or fractured bones (stress fractures), and with practice bones and muscles can get used to this form, but many lycanthropes have problems as they get older and their bodies can't take the same stresses. They age slower, but it's not noticeable.
    
    
  • 
    These are the second most common monsters, and the most influential within Oracle Hill. They were the original monsters for whom Oracle Hill was intended, and they view this as proof that they are the best of the monster world. Not all vampires share this opinion, but those in high positions within Oracle Hill most certainly do. Vampires of course take blood from humans, but can also feast on a variety of animals as well. The type and amount of blood they take determines how long the vampire can go without feeding. Most vampires who drink human blood need to feed every few weeks. Vampires who drink or eat pig blood (pig blood tofu is a meal found in China) need to only consume blood every few months. The most nutritious blood according to some vampires is blood from a tiger, and one vampire reported that she drank tiger blood once a year and didn't feel the need to feed for the rest of the year. Scientifically, it isn't known why vampires need blood to live, and so there's no evidence to suggest which blood is healthier. For most vampires, it's a matter of taste.
    Due to the advent of donating blood, vampires usually get their meals from blood banks, either through discarded blood (which is still good to vampires) or stolen blood shipments. Many vampires have spouses, significant others, or friends who are willing to donate their own blood for the vampire's consumption. Another way is the "traditional" way, attacking and forcefully drinking from a human or animal. This is frowned upon by most of the civilized vampire community, although those that participate say that it's the best tasting blood they've ever had. Oracle Hill has denounced this form of getting blood, and those who are found guilty of "traditional drinking" are usually incarcerated but rarely executed.
    Vampires' appearance is similar to humans, except that they have retractable fangs that can extend to nearly two inches long. They're also not exclusively pale; black and latino vampires are just as common as white ones. They also have no fear of the sun, a myth that was perpetuated by vampires who tend to hunt only at night, when their prey is asleep.
    
  • 
    Tieflings are those with demonic ancestry, and usually have associated physical traits. Red or yellow eyes are common, as well as tails, horns (usually on the head) and fanged teeth. Because of their ancestry, they were usually killed at birth by people who believed that the woman had birthed a demon. Nowadays, Oracle Hill has monsters placed in most major hospitals, waiting for unsuspecting nurses, midwives, or doctors to deliver the "demon" children. When the tieflings are born, the Oracle Hill agents quickly use memory magic and illusion spells to disguise the child's true appearance and wait till an opportunity to take the baby presents itself. The baby is then raised in a home, usually run by imps, and is taught how to hide their truth appearance. New technologies mean that more and more tieflings are able to thrive in the human world without anyone being the wiser.
    
    If the tiefling child is known before the tiefling is born, Oracle Hill sends agents to educate the mother and father, and it is the hope of Oracle Hill that the child remain with his/her parents. This isn't very often the case, as very few tieflings are conceived under consensual circumstances.
    
    Growing up is never easy for tieflings. They're taught from a young age to shave off horns, amputate tails, and wear special shoes to cover up any demonic traits they might've inherited. Many ignore this, and wear illusion spells instead, revealing their demonic traits on special occasions like Halloween and conventions. They possess many of the same traits as their demonic parents, such as darkvision: "You can see in dim light within 60 feet of you as if it were bright light, and in darkness as if it were dim light. You can’t discern color in darkness, only shades of gray." (Player's Handbook 5th Edition) and a natural gift for all languages. This doesn't mean fluency in all languages, merely that learning languages is easier for a tiefling to pick up. They also can't be burned, either by fire, the sun, or anything else that produces heat.
    
  • 
    Centaurs are nomadic in nature, and came to America at around the same time as the Vikings. They ran and traded with Native American tribes, and didn't have much to fear when the pilgrims and other white settlers came to the area. However, the white settlers considered the Centaurs as monstrosities, especially since few of the centaurs' human halves had white skin. Because of this, killing centaurs became commonplace, as did destroying records of their existence. By the 18th century, a hundred years after the pilgrims had arrived, centaurs had deserted the entire east coast and roamed the Midwest. Their numbers dwindled to a few hundred in the eighteenth century, and it wasn't until the twentieth century that Oracle Hill got involved in preserving their species. Today, centaurs mostly live in various national forests, and their numbers are slowly recovering. The last count of their numbers was 483.
    Because of their history of persecution, centaurs are split between extremists who wish to dominate (a small minority) and centaurs angry at their treatment but unwilling to act beyond demanding fair treatment. Some centaurs, especially those growing up today, are especially divided between these groups. Oracle Hill more than once have had to step in and stop centaurs from revealing themselves in public. However, they're allowed online, simply because most people won't believe a centaur's reveal online, pictures or no. Centaurs are watched more than other races of monsters because they have had way too many close calls. This is not all centaurs, of course, and many centaurs are content with their national park lives. Many live with Native American tribes on their reservations, and are angry at the treatment of their Native American friends.
    Centaurs have the bottom half of a horse, and the top half of a human. They can't force others to become centaurs, and they can't reproduce with humans or horses to produce viable offspring. They can have almost any type or patterning of horse. They typically don't wear shirts, including the female centaurs, although there are a few who do (especially if they live in more northern environments).
    
  • 
    Nagas come from South America, specifically from the Amazon. Most Nagas live there, happy enough to ignore and be ignored by the rest of the world. They were first discovered by Theodore Roosevelt who was mapping the River of Doubt in the Amazon rainforest. Wisely he chose to not include them in his writings, but he did write another separate account of his dealings with them. "The Naggas are not a destructive people," Roosevelt wrote, "Nor are they intent on killing us or anyone else. They simply wish to live in peace, and to go unnoticed by humankind."
    They aren't known to leave the Amazon, but a few left with Roosevelt and came back to America out of curiosity. He smuggled them in, and they lived in New York for a time with Roosevelt. This is where North American Nagas come from. These Nagas retain their quiet natures, and have much in common with their snake cousins. For the most part they'll explore things, using their forked tongue to "smell" their environment, but won't harm another creature unless cornered or threatened in some way.
    Nagas are similar to centaurs in that they have a human half and a lower snake body. The scales begin high on their chest, but their snake body doesn't start till their hips. Or where their hips would be, as they have only a rudimentary hip bone. They come in colors typical of anacondas and other South American snakes.
    
    A tip from reptile handlers: If a reptile bites or harms you, it is always, 100% of the time, your fault. They don't act out of a desire to hurt, merely fear for their own safety. Don't scare them, and you'll be fine.
    
  
  
• 
  Our world is the same, as far as humans are aware. History has progressed the same, and for the most part major characters in human history have all been human. But there have been a few monsters who have influenced human history in order to make life better--or worse--for monsterkind. One famous (indeed, maybe the most famous among monsters) is President Theodore Roosevelt. He is known as the "Conservation" president, establishing 23 parks and over 230 million acres of nationally protected lands. According to his writings, this was to protect national treasures and conserve the beauty of the land. And that was absolutely true, just not the entirety of the reasoning behind conserving so much land. Roosevelt was also a werebear, having been infected when he was a child. The history says that he overcame his asthma and childhood weakness through his love of boxing and weightlifting. In reality, he gained strength and vigor from his lycanthropy.
  
  Roosevelt established the national forests as a way of giving other lycanthropes (wereanimals) a safe place to hunt and be themselves. Over the years, these national forests and parklands became home to many monsters, not just wereanimals. And since they were managed by the USFS (US Forest Service), many of whom were monsters, the forests were well-protected from humanity. Of course rumors and conspiracy theorists ran rampant, but that's all they remained; conspiracy theories and rumors.
  
  Other famous monsters include Rasputin (a Russian mystic who befriended the Tsar of Russia's family during the late 19th and early 20th centuries. He was a wereweasel.), William Shakespeare (English playwright in the 15th century. He was a skinchanger.), Hurrem (Queen of the Ottoman empire, a vampire), Joan of Arc (Maiden-turned-general of France during the 100 years war, a tiefling. The voices she heard was actually her demonic mother who had married an Englishman and really, really hated them), and Margaret Sanger (Founder of Planned Parenthood and avid feminist. She was a werecat.). There are many, many others, but those are some of the more famous ones.
  
• 
  As said previously, not all monsters are intelligent. Of the ones that are, most of them after becoming a monster just want to continue with their life. Once Oracle Hill steps in, they adjust and being a monster is no longer the issue they thought it was. Just another thing they have to live with. However, not everyone believes this, and a few are angry enough to do something about it.
  
  These are monsters who believe that they shouldn't have to hide, that they should be dominant and humans should be no more than cattle. They harness the powers of other lesser monsters to achieve their goals, but fortunately they have yet to succeed since the arrival of the twentieth century and Roosevelt's forests. A new era brought along with it an emphasis of science rather than superstition, and those who believed in monsters were replaced with a generation full of scientific and realistic thinkers. The public's trust of the government also helped this philosophy along, because the government encouraged such lines of thought. The TFINS ensured this.
  
  These are a few of the monsters that the TFINS regularly seek out and destroy, no matter the monster's situation or history.
  
  Please note that most of these descriptions are straight quotes from the 5e monster manual. Any deviations will be marked in italics.
  
  
  • Ettercaps
  • Demons and Devils
  • Hell Hounds
  • Will-o-Wisps
  • Displacer Beasts

  • 
    "Ettercaps are humanoid spiders that tend, feed, and watch over spiders the way a shepherd oversees a flock of sheep. They lair deep in remote forests. Fine strands of silk stream from glands in an ettercap's abdomen, letting it shoot sticky strands of webbing to bind, entrap, or strangle its victims. It can also use its webbing to fashion elaborate snares and nets, which often festoon its lair. Ettercaps are natural enemies of fey creatures. The foul creatures set web snares to catch sprites and pixies, which they hungrily devour. Though they dwell in the wilds, ettercaps have no desire to live in harmony with nature. A forest infested with ettercaps transforms into a gloomy place, choked with webs and infested with... spiders. Creatures that wander too far into such a wood are soon lost in a maze of webs that dangle with the bones and lost treasures of the ettercaps' victims." (Monster Manual 5th Edition, page 131)
    
  • 
    "The Abyss creates demons (also known as devils) as extensions of itself, spontaneously forming fiends out of filth and carnage. Some are unique monstrosities, while others represent uniform strains virtually identical to each other. Demons respect power and power alone. A greater demon commands shrieking mobs of lesser demons because it can destroy any lesser demon that dares to refuse its commands. A demon's status grows with the blood it spills; the more enemies that fall before it, the greater it becomes. Wherever they wander across the Abyss, demons search for portals to the other planes. They crave the chance to slip free of their native realm and spread their dark influence across the multiverse, undoing the works of the gods, tearing down civilizations, and reducing the cosmos to despair and ruin. Demons carry the stain of abyssal corruption with them, and their mere presence changes the world for the worse. Plants wither and die in areas where abyssal breaches and demons appear. Animals shun the sites where a demon has made a kill. The site of a demonic infestation might be fouled by a stench that never abates, by areas of bitter cold or burning heat, or by permanent shadows that mark the places where these fiends lingered." (Monster Manual 5th Edition, page 50)
    
    It should be noted that the Abyss is a plane of existence that lays on top of our world. A way to think about it is that many layers of reality lay on top of each other, and that the portals to these other realities exist in various spots in the world. For example, a known (and heavily guarded) portal to the Abyss is the Old Altman's Bridge, which was described in a Buzzfeed Unsolved: Supernatural episode (Season 3 Episode 4). Bergara and Madej, the show's hosts, did not notice any TFINS agents, although the agents had a few close calls because they were laughing at the jokes. (Since that episode, Oracle Hill has been monitoring the show and its content very carefully. For protection purposes, of course.)
    
    In this roleplay, demons are also known as devils, however, the Monster Manual differentiates the two.
    
  • 
    "Hell hounds hunt in packs, feeding on any creature that appears edible. They avoid potentially dangerous foes in favor of targeting the weakest prey with their savage bite and fiery breath, demonstrating a relentless determination as they pursue that prey to the bitter end. When hell hounds feed, the flesh they consume stokes the infernal fires that burn within them. When a hell hound dies, that fire consumes the creature's remains in a billowing eruption of smoke and blazing embers, leaving nothing behind but scorched tufts of black fur. Hell hounds are smarter than mundane beasts, and their lawful nature makes them good at following orders. However, a hell hound's evil disposition means that the creature can't be trained to be anything other than a ruthless killer. If a hell hound isn't allowed to indulge its malevolent hunger, it quickly abandons or turns against its master... hell hounds are most commonly seen in service to devils... and other evil creatures that use them as guard animals and companions." (Monster Manual Fifth Edition, page 182)
    
  • 
    Will-o’-wisps feed on strong negative emotions and seek to create these feelings in other creatures. In older times, they took the form of bobbing balls of light, giving off a powerful calming effect that puts creatures at ease, and would slowly float away, gently suggesting that the creatures follow. Will-o’-wisps are known for colluding with demons, cultists, murderers and other evil beings to bring about the suffering of others, so when they lead the creatures away they’re leading them to these evil beings. “As their evil allies surround and slaughter creatures, the wisps hover above them, drinking the agony of a last breath and savoring the sensation as the light of life goes out in a creature's eyes.” (Monster Manual Fifth Edition, page 301)
    
    Today, bobbing lights are regarded more as weird and frightening than a safe thing to follow. With the change in cultures, will-o’-wisps switched their strategies. Will-o’-wisps can turn themselves invisible, and so they’ll cluster near terror attacks, horrible crime scenes, or battlegrounds, feeding on the feelings of fear and rage and terror. They can emit peace and safety, but they can also amplify negative emotions (but not create them), and a large amount of them can make negative emotions linger in a place for years, or linger on a person’s mind. This is one of the causes of PTSD and other mental disorders: A will-o’-wisp group clustered around an area, causing the negative emotions in the creatures of that area to amplify and deepen in their minds. This generally doesn’t cause things like rage frenzies or anything of the sort, but it does make these negative feelings last longer and prevents them from healing fully for years, if ever.
    
    Disclaimer: Will-o’-wisps do not cause all mental illnesses, though they do try their hardest. Please also note that will-o’-wisps also enjoy making any intelligent creature suffer, especially the TFINS agents who try to stop them from enjoying a little pain. Really, what’s the harm? In fact, the harm is the fun part about it. Really, the TFINS agents should just give it a try. You won’t know until you try it.
    
  • 
    "This monstrous predator takes its name from its ability to displace light so that it appears to be several feet away from its actual location. A displacer beast resembles a sleek great cat covered in blue-black fur. However, its otherworldly origins are clear in its six legs and the two tentacles sprouting from its shoulders, both ending in pads tipped with spiky protrusions. A displacer beast's eyes glow with an awful malevolence that persists even in death." (Monster Manual 5th Edition, page 81)
    
    Displacer beasts come from the Abyss, and served as servants and companions of demons for centuries. A few still do, but most broke away from their masters and are continually escaping to Earth. Their spiked tentacles have venom, but their more dangerous ability is turning other creatures into Souls. A Soul (capital S) is similar to a ghost and has most of the ghostly attributes: They can't be seen by most creatures (except those possessing cloaksight), they can pass through most earthly materials, and occasionally they can interact with objects in our world. The problem with being a Soul is that the displacer beasts then eat them, hence why they turn creatures into Souls in the first place. Because of this, Souls are very rare.
    
  
  
  These are the monsters that are on a watchlist once identified:
  
  
  • Doppelgangers
  • Dryads

  • 
    "Doppelgangers are devious shapeshifters that take on the appearance of other humanoids, throwing off pursuit or luring victims to their doom with misdirection and disguise. Few creatures spread fear, suspicion, and deceit better than doppelgangers. Found in every land and culture, they can take on the guise of any individual of any race." (Monster Manual Fifth Edition, pg 82)
    
    Obviously there's a difference between skinchangers and doppelgangers, and it's this: Doppelgangers have to revert to their "true form" (picture to be added) every few weeks, or else they die. They can copy any life, but for the most part they have little to no personality of their own. At one point demons would use them for their own nefarious purposes, but now doppelgangers choose to wreak havoc and work with will-o-wisps to do so. Some aren't so devious, and choose to align themselves with TFINS agents and Oracle Hill to work with them. Regardless, a doppelganger only lives for a few years before dying.
    
    When they die, they curl up into a chrysallis, and the life form that emerges is the next doppelganger in pupae form. This pupae looks like a mouse with purple or lilac eyes, and the pupae will live for about a month like this, eating and doing mouse things until its ready to return to its chrysallis carcus. It will then eat the entire thing--a process that can take anywhere from a few hours to a few days-- before sneezing.
    
    With the sneeze, a puff of smoke arises, covering the mouse, and instantly turning the mouse into the doppelganger form.
    
    Disclaimer: No, we're not kidding, that's their actual life cycle. Oracle Hill has documented proof of this.
    
  • 
    Dryads are mostly the same as their Nymph cousins, with a few exceptions. They have a boundhome, but they can leave it for longer periods of time. Not only that, but they sometimes disconnect themselves from their original boundhome and reconnect somewhere else, forcing another dryad or nymph out if they have to. This causes a lot of contention, of course, and so dryads and nymphs are constantly having little fights over territory and proper boundhomes. Oracle Hill devotes a good amount of resources to keeping these two peoples happy.
    
    Dryads and Nymphs have a history together that made them separate in the first place (in reality, they're basically the same species, merely two different clans if you will, but don't tell either one that) but this history is, again, a highly guarded secret between the two species and neither will say anything upon pain of death if asked.
    
  
  
• 
  Wheelchairs: To use, a centaur, naga, or other creature must place their hands on the handles of the wheelchair, and focus hard on the image of them sitting in the wheelchair. This takes some practice, but many creatures and monsters learn to do it with relative ease after awhile.
  Hearing Aids: Oracle Hill is working on devising an illusion technology that look like hearing aids but actually create an illusion spell over the wearer's face. They have yet to actually work, though.
  GPS Bracelets/Anklets: These work the same as a human GPS bracelet, with one important exception: they expand and contract to fit the wearer comfortably, no matter the wearer's shape or size. This allows them to stay on without bothering the wearer during transformations. They can't be removed via normal means, but are enchanted to stay on and can only be removed via a TFINS agent password.
  
• 
  Hell Portals:
  Essentially, there are portals all around the world called Hell Portals that lead to the Abyss, or the realm of demons and other foul things. These portals are heavily guarded, but recently one of them has been getting a lot weaker, but only a few can actually approach it and be able to stand its presence and toxicity.
  
  Oracle Hill has determined that your characters can do this, and so they ask you to go find out why this particular portal is suddenly on the verge of collapse, which would be dangerous for everyone--the portal collapses, and it's open season for demons to come and feed on the living souls. Oracle Hill would like to avoid this, and gives you three months before they take the more dangerous step and destroy the portal.
  
  Destroying the portal requires time and preparation, not to mention various rare resources. They are preparing for the worst, but hopes you'll be able to solve the problem before it comes to that.
  

Please ask questions about the world in the discord.
Any character questions not pertaining to the world but to your individual character may
be asked with a personal message to myself.​

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