Sugarcane

Abyss. The Infinite Layers, the Plane of [[Demons]].\n\nAbyss is the plane with perhaps the most sinister reputation, which should not be surprising: its inhabitants, the demons, are self-serving and malicious to the core.\n\nMetaphysically, Abyss is considered to be 'close' to [[Pandemonium]]; the planes share certain traits and travel between the two of them is easy.\n\nThe plane itself is largely inhospitable by anyone except the demons themselves, and as such, little reliable information exists. The inhabitants of Abyss describe it as having an infinite number of layers, each one of them different. If true, perhaps there's an infinite amount of demons in existence as well; however, it seems more likely that they are exaggerating or unaware of the truth.\n\nA visitor accidentally finding themselves in the Abyss will not survive for long. Most of the demons visiting or residing on Pandemonium are relatively weak and harmless, but most sources seem to claim that Abyss hosts some of the most powerful and truly horrifying creatures in all of the Planes. In addition, as long as they remain in their world, they're reportedly immortal; perhaps the reason why the more powerful creatures do travel to other planes.\n\nWhile the common image of a demon is that of a purely evil monster that cares for nothing but themselves, this might not strictly be true. The demons prefer present themselves as creatures of free will, rather than evil; there are multiple recorded instances of demons being apparently disgusted in tyranny and enslavement, sometimes even going out on their way to help people suffering from such. It appears the demonic social structure is largely an anarchy as well, with lowlier demons serving mightier ones because they want to, not because they've been forced to.\n\nPerhaps due to ther beliefs about free will, the demons are extremely antagonistic towards the creatures of [[Elysium]], the feeling being mutual.\n\nOf course, as the act of being transformed into demon often fills the victim's mind with reverence towards more superior demons, one could argue whether it was a case of true free will at all. And whether or not the occasional demon acting as a champion of freedom does it out of altruism or vested self-interest, it's difficult to tell.\n\nThe demons are also infamous for their appetitive for souls. While eating an individual's soul is also an apparent violation of their supposed respect for free will, the demons themselves claim the removal of the soul isn't removing free will, it's removing desires; the author is unwilling to speculate whether or not there's merit to their claim or not.\n\nSome sources speak of non-demonic inhabitants of Abyss, but as the demons are a wildly varying race of creatures and the definition of a demon is not set to stone, it might be safer to call every creature native to the plane a "demon."\n\n<<back>><<if $scribbles>>@@color:firebrick;\n\nUuf, demons. They're bad news. There are actually some human merchants who frequently travel to Abyss and back, under the protection of some stronger demons, dabbling in goods like magical items and souls. They are, invariably, very nasty folk.@@<<endif>>

[>img[./img/arachne_a.png]]\n\n<html><h2>Arachne</h2></html>\n\n''Threat:'' Medium to extreme\n\n''Power:'' Extreme\n\n''Rarity:'' Only a handful exist\n\n''Native plane:'' Pandemonium/unknown\n\n''Habitat:'' Depends on the individual\n\nWhile the arachne are most definitely a race of their own, they're also the clearly least numerous one. Only a little more than a dozen even exists in written records from all eras combined, and only six are confirmed to be currently alive and active. They are the most powerful mortal beings to exist, though even their mortality is under question.\n\nUntil very recently, very little was known about their nature, other than their immense power and authority. However, as of one year ago, several scholars from various orders have met with a single particular arachne, Leah, trading information with her. The illustration accompanying this section is an artist's rendition of her.\n\nThe arachne are possibly the greatest weavers of spells on this plane, every one specialising in a different sort of magic. The arachne are primarily driven by their instinct to control everything within their territories, but what actually counts as their territory seems to be hard to define. Each one of them has some distinct method of acquiring and controlling servants, able to be created from members of virtually any race. Due to their immense power, arachne have historically found no problems finding worshippers and volunteers for this.\n\nIt's extremely rare of the arachne to procreate. It has been believed, and implied, that only an exceptionally rare mortal even possesses the capability to be transformed into one of them. Leah has implied she's a very young fourth generation arachne, implying that their kind lives for an exceptionally long time, or might even be immortal. Individuals close to the arachne have reported feeling something akin to religious fear or fervour, and a popular theory amongst certain younger scholars is that the arachne are partially divine themselves: a notion the author does not agree with.\n\nLeah is the only arachne that has ever been made a friendly contact with by scholarly authorities. The majority of known arachne attack anything entering their territory on sight. As such, known locations should be avoided with extreme care. Even Leah herself only allowed access in exchange for gifts no ordinary traveller could dream of acquiring.\n\nCuriously, while the arachne are long thought to be Pandemonium natives, Leah claimed that this notion was false, though did not elaborate further.\n\nList of known arachne:\n- Leah, 4th generation. Proficient in magics of nature and growth; control over insects of all sorts.\n- Celerra, 3rd generation. The 'mother' of Leah. Proficient in magics of mind and memory.\n- Shrilochar, unknown generation. Apparent enemy of Leah. Proficient in the art of necromancy.\n\nThe other ones are unknown by name or nature.\n\n<<back>><<if $scribbles>>@@color:firebrick;\n\nThe story goes that they gave two hundred slaves over to Leah before she agreed to be interviewed. It might even be true. Scholars can be pretty nasty sort.@@<<endif>>

[>img[./img/alraune_a.png]]\n\n<html><h2>Alraune</h2></html>\n\n''Threat:'' Low\n\n''Power:'' Low\n\n''Rarity:'' Medium\n\n''Native plane:'' Pandemonium\n\n''Habitat:'' Plains, hills, human towns\n\nOne of the more 'civilised' - from the human point of view - creatures of Pandemonium, Alraune are the most common plant-type creatures a casual traveller might encounter on the plane. They're also one of the rare creatures tolerated in human towns, due to their usefulness and their ability to hold back their reproductive instincts.\n\nThe alraune are intelligent creatures who find it easy to associate with creatures of all races, and as such, they often act as intermediaries between humans and other races. They have the ability to secrete a large variety of chemicals from within their bodies, ranging from ones with medical and aphrodisiac purposes to ones purely used as perfumes by other creatures. Surprisingly shrewd at business, Alraune living in human societies have often employed this as a way to support themselves, many of them even becoming quite wealthy.\n\nHowever, like most creatures on Pandemonium, they still require humans to procreate. Alraune living in human societies commonly find this fact problematic; in societies that tolerate slavery, the problem is easily fixed, but in others, they tend to use out-of-towners, prisoners or volunteers, depending on what the town tolerates.\n\n'Wild' alraune, though - those living in nature rather than human societies - have little qualms about capturing and transforming lone travellers. Still, their reproductive urges are low, and a combination of bribe and flattery might often be enough to save an unwilling traveller from this fate. Most alraune are quite vain, and bribing them with jewelry or products of beauty can be extremely effective.\n\nThe alraune transformative process works by immersing the victim into a leafy pod filled with liquid, slowly raised from seeds the alraune can grow from themselves. Creating such a pod takes a considerable amount of effort and time from the alraune, and in cases of rare rogue groups, destroying their pods effectively neutralises their threat for long periods of time. Within the pod, the victim's flesh slowly turns into vegetable matter until they're finally ready to emerge as newly created alraune. The process is reversible up until it finishes.\n\n<<back>><<if $scribbles>>@@color:firebrick;\n\nI'm just going to say it here, I don't like alraune. They're kinda haughty and uppity just because they're oh-so-important wealthy. Though if I could bottle my sweat and sell it for gold, I'd do it too.@@<<endif>>

[>img[./img/golem_a.png]]\n\n<html><h2>Golem</h2></html>\n\n''Threat:'' Unknown\n\n''Power:'' Medium\n\n''Rarity:'' Rare\n\n''Native plane:'' Regulus\n\n''Habitat:'' No known habitat\n\nOne of the two currently known golem types, they were the first ones observed, and therefore merely called 'golems.' Out of the two types, they're by far less dangerous.\n\nGolems appear to be living creatures made from unliving matter: they possess souls and an apparent consciousness, yet, unlike other kinds of beings, seem to be entirely inorganic. Some theorise they're transformed humans; some claim they're entirely artificial. Many believe they're artificial, but given life by transferring the soul of a human into the shell, made possible by the advanced soul manipulation magics of [[Regulus]].\n\nThe only golems that scholars have had a chance to examine have been apparently inert: living, but nonresponsive and unable or unwilling to speak. There are reports of more active golems following individuals from Regulus, however. Thus, it's commonly assumed that golems are born or created to serve their Regulian masters, and possess no capability of acting beyond that.\n\nThere have been no truly confirmed sightings of golems ever harming a human, but certain stories of golems stealing away humans exist amongst the populace. If these stories have a factual basis, it's likely they're doing so at the orders of their masters. As such, if you encounter an active golem, the author encourages you to be wary.\n\n<<back>><<if $scribbles>>@@color:firebrick;\n\nRule of thumb: if you meet a creature you don't recognise, escape.@@<<endif>>

[>img[./img/nymph_a.png]]\n\n<html><h2>Nymph</h2></html>\n\n''Threat:'' None\n\n''Power:'' Low\n\n''Rarity:'' Uncommon\n\n''Native plane:'' Arcadia\n\n''Habitat:'' Natural areas (if not captive)\n\nNymphs are one of the rare truly harmless creatures a traveller might encounter on Pandemonium. In fact, the sight of one is considered to be good luck by many.\n\nNymphs, like all fey, are native to Arcadia, where they're far more common than on Pandemonium. Possessing very little in terms of magical powers and almost no means to fight with, nymphs might be an indicator of a safe area - or, at least an area where they have no natural predators. Careful and elusive, nymphs are a very rare sight to people travelling in groups. However, they often appear to lone travellers they perceive as no threat, and may offer helpful advice or even gifts.\n\nWhile nymphs themselves are unable to create new ones, an unwary traveller might risk becoming one themselves when travelling in areas heavily influenced by Arcadia, such as places in proximity of gateways there. When spending long enough time in a sufficiently 'fey' natural land, the traveller may find themselves slowly becoming more and more fascinated with a certain area, eventually becoming unwilling to leave it. After a time, the person will find themselves slowly turning into a nymph, a guardian of the place. Nymphs of forests, lakes, hills or even caves are known to exist, varying in appearance and demeanour. The process is much faster and much more common within Arcadia itself.\n\nNymphs within their native areas vary from vain and proud to helpful and friendly, but a nymph removed from their place of origin always undergoes a dramatic change in personality, becoming meek and obedient without a fail. As such, nymphs are popular slaves amongst those who find them or can afford them, typically working as servants and concubines. Especially shrewd slavers even have their own methods of forcing the transformation to happen, just to create new nymphs for sale.\n\n<<back>><<if $scribbles>>@@color:firebrick;\n\nThere's a fat noble in the town who has a pet nymph. He parades her around the town as if getting her was some sort of a great accomplishment. But he just bought her. He's just flaunting his wealth. Pretty disgusting.@@<<endif>>

Native to the plane of [[Abyss]], demons are some of the most feared and reviled creatures on Pandemonium amongst many communities, though there are exceptions on both sides; societies that tolerate demons, and demons who've managed to integrate in societies in surprising ways.\n\nA demon is created from an individual whose soul gets corrupted either by tainted magics or demonic influence. While many creatures on Pandemonium could be called entirely amoral or even malicious, many demons take this to a whole new level, actively finding joy from causing pain, misery and fear. This, however, only seems to extend to creatures with a soul; soulless individuals are ignored or used as servants, but never tormented.\n\nThat, perhaps, is related to their famous appetite for souls. All of demonkind enjoys consuming the souls of mortals, and such souls are sometimes even used as currency or bargaining chips in trades conducted with or between demons. Most types of demons lack the ability to forcefully extract a soul, so bargains for them are often necessary.\n\nThe society of demons is surprisingly enough based largely on individual freedom; there are no laws binding servants to their master or peasants to their lords, and it's largely frowned upon amongst the demonkind to force another into servitude via violence or blackmail. Yet, this doesn't mean that servant-master relationships do not exist. On the contrary: many demons have an instinctual urge to serve their superiors, and their usage of soulless mortals borders on slavery. Yet, in neither case, it's not enforced by any actual threat or contract.\n\nDemons are typically split into two categories: greater and lesser. There are seven known kinds of greater demons, each one of them exemplifying some manner of a sin or misdeed, and an unknown amount of lesser ones, most (but not all) of them considerably less powerful. Each type of greater demons, in addition, appears to have a "patron demon", seemingly the strongest amongst their kind. Whether or not it's an individual or title that passes from a demon to another is unknown.\n\n* [[Hamatula]]\n* [[Imp]]\n* [[Merregon]]\n* [[Succubus]]\n\n<<back>><<if $scribbles>>@@color:firebrick;\n\n1. Don't associate with demons.\n2. If you have to associate with demons, don't make any deals with them.\n3. If you have to make a deal with them, prepare to suffer the worst possible consequences.\n\nDemons can smell a sucker. And people fresh from the Still are the easier suckers in the world. They'll try to trick you out of your soul, no matter what.\n\nThat is to say, if you meet them in a civilised enviroment. If you happen to see one in the wilderness, on the road, somewhere where the watchful eyes aren't looking on them, then they'll just do what they please with you.@@<<endif>>

[>img[./img/wraith_a.png]]\n\n<html><h2>Wraith</h2></html>\n\n''Threat:'' High\n\n''Power:'' Medium\n\n''Rarity:'' Rare\n\n''Native plane:'' Unknown\n\n''Habitat:'' Anywhere away from sunlight\n\n'Ghosts' formed of pure negative energy, wraiths are considered undead creatures despite having no actual body. Baleful creatures, the wraiths seek to snuff out all life they find.\n\nWraiths can traverse through walls and other matter with ease, and they're impossible to harm with conventional weapons. However, they're very vulnerable to sunlight and many kinds of magic, being easy to dispatch of with the right tools. A traveller is recommended to not travel to wraith-infested areas without them.\n\nWraiths are typically created by other wraiths. Their very touch drains life, which they feed on. One of the more horrifying things about the wraiths is that their touch affects the very soul itself, dissolving it and turning it into pure negative energy instead. Once the victim expires, the former soul rises up as a newly created wraith, retaining the victim's memory but now possessing a new hatred and hunger towards all life.\n\nIt is often possible to merely outrun a wraith, as it takes time for them to kill a person with their drain. However, extended contact will often leave the victim weak enough to escape, and if a wraith catches a careless traveller while they're sleeping, it's very likely they'll never wake up again, alive.\n\nSome necromancers are known to forcibly taint the soul in the manner similar to how wraiths do it, and then bind the newly created wraith to serve under them.\n\n<<back>><<if $scribbles>>@@color:firebrick;\n\nMy mother used to tell me horror stories about these. If I was a bad girl, they'd come to me in my sleep and take my soul away.\n\nNeedless to say, I couldn't sleep well for a good portion of my childhood.@@<<endif>>

[>img[./img/elf_a.png]]\n\n<html><h2>Elf</h2></html>\n\n''Threat:'' Low\n\n''Power:'' Low\n\n''Rarity:'' Uncommon\n\n''Native plane:'' The Still Plane/Arcadia\n\n''Habitat:'' Virtually anywhere on land and above ground.\n\nOriginally the offspring of humans of Pandemonium and the fey of Arcadia, the elves primarily make their home in Arcadia. Appearing mostly humans, there are a few exceptions: they have pointed ears similar to certain fey races, they are physically weaker and slightly smaller than humans, and they live several times longer. Some rare individuals are born with even a more fey-like appeareance, which usually signifies greater magical powers and a less human nature.\n\nHaving an innate understanding of the laws and customs of Arcadia, the elves thrive there far better than humans would. On the flip side, the elves seldom survive long in Pandemonium, being physically frailer and unwilling to live in large societies that protect humans from the dangers of the plane. As such, not many elves live on Pandemonium, and the ones seen are typically merchants or diplomats of sorts.\n\nFor most creatures of Pandemonium and beyond, it doesn't make much of a difference whether their prey is human or elven. The elves can be transformed in the same manner as humans by the same creatures that transform humans, and as such, the two races are largely interchangable.\n\nElves have a similar power over magic as humans do, though perhaps due to their fey heritage, more of them are born with a basic mastery over it. Elven magicians, however, are in danger of 'going fey': losing touch with their human side and becoming more or less entirely one of the fey. Such individuals are frequently cast out of elven societies, as they're a danger to their kin.\n\n<<back>><<if $scribbles>>@@color:firebrick;\n\nThe reason they're unwilling to live in Pandemonium is because they make such popular slaves. They consistently fetch the highest prices on the slaver markets, so they can't go anywhere without the threat of being taken.\n\nIncidentally, Stills fetch almost as high prices. They've throught to be 'exotic', I guess because of their ignorance of the world.@@<<endif>>

[>img[./img/vampirelord_a.png]]\n\n<html><h2>Vampire (lord)</h2></html>\n\n''Threat:'' Medium\n\n''Power:'' High\n\n''Rarity:'' Rare\n\n''Native plane:'' Unknown\n\n''Habitat:'' Usually amongst humans\n\nThe vampire is perhaps the most famous of undead creatures, though also one of the rarest. Powerful, intelligent and capable of masquerading as a human, they're also notoriously difficult to catch and kill.\n\nVampires are vulnerable to sunlight, prolonged exposure burning them flesh and killing them. They tend to possess a variety of magical powers, most of them learned rather than natural. In addition, their gazes are hypnotic, placing the victim under a temporary, obedient trance.\n\nHuman blood is a necessary sustencance for them, though the blood of other types of creatures can often keep their hunger for it at bay. Once the vampire sucks a victim's blood several times, they'll become addicted to it, becoming willing slaves of the vampire. As such, most vampires prefer not to drain their victims dry, instead keeping them around as cattle.\n\nIf a victim is drawn dry, however, they'll soon rise again as [[vampire spawn|Vampire spawn]]: a lesser sort of a vampire completely under the control of their creator. Creating another full vampire, or vampire lord as they're often called, is a more elaborate process, requiring ritualistic feeding and forcing the victim to ingest the blood of an existing vampire lord. As newly created vampire lords are not under the control of their creators, it's often rare for them to be created at all.\n\n<<back>><<if $scribbles>>@@color:firebrick;\n\nHmm, they say there's a vampire in the city. If that's true, they've been keeping themselves pretty undercover. Not a lot of suspicious disappearances or anything, at least more than usual.\n\nVampires are dangerous, but not __dangerous__. They mostly actually try to avoid killing or transforming their prey, which more said than most. @@<<endif>>

[>img[./img/cupid_a.png]]\n\n<html><h2>Cupid</h2></html>\n\n''Threat:'' Medium to high\n\n''Power:'' Medium\n\n''Rarity:'' Rare\n\n''Native plane:'' Elysium\n\n''Habitat:'' No known habitat\n\nThe second lowest ranked angels within the Celestial Host, the cupids are still heavily bound by the Elysian Light despite enjoying more apparent freedoms than the cherubs under them. The reader should not confuse their apparent independency for free will; they're still fundementally bound to Elysium, their every thought and act furthering the goals of the Host.\n\nThe cupids are exemplars of the angelic virtue of //love//, and their apparent mission, when on Pandemonium, is to spread it. Innocent and childlike in both appearance and act, it's easy to let one's guard down when around one. However, despite their small stature, they possess a power considerably greater than that of the [[cherubs|Cherub]], a lone cupid possessing the power to bend others under Elysium's will.\n\nIn addition to being able to manipulate the Elysian Light, the cupids are known for their supernatural ability to charm others. The cupids can extend their influence to the minds of mortals, infatuating them and turning them into willing servants. The cupids use this ability to transform others, filling the unresisting victims slowly with their Light. A person with sufficient mental fortitude or some protecting against the effects of their charm is not in a huge danger when near them, however: the transformation process is slow and easy to interrupt by a resisting victim.\n\nCupids are created from victims with strong feelings of love at the point of transformation. A simple cupid charm isn't enough for this; the victim would have to be under the cupid's charms for hours or even days before the love towards the cupid would have built up enough for the transformation into a cupid to be made certain. As such, most of the time, cupids are content to merely create cherubs; if given the opportunity, however, they may spend considerable time with a single victim to turn them into one of their kind.\n\nVolunteering victims often find themselves transformed into cupids. There are recorded instances of people falling in love with cherubs who proceed to turn the hapless mortals into cupids. As such, cupid's charms aren't neccessary to turn a person into one, natural love may be just as, if not more, effective tool.\n\nWithin the Celestial Host, cupids are seldom used as field soldiers. Rarer than cherubs and better at spreading the Light, it's likely the Elysians don't view cupids quite as disposable.\n\n<<back>><<if $scribbles>>@@color:firebrick;\n\nI met a cupid once. She was sickeningly sweet. I almost couldn't resist taking her into my arms and hugging her. Karen saved me.@@<<endif>>

''Handbook to Pandemonium''\n\nAs written by Elder <html><a href='javascript:void(0)' onclick='state.display("S")' class='obscured'>S</a></html>cribe Shafqat of the Scribes' Guild of An-Nador.\n\n* [[Foreword]]\n* [[Concepts]]\n* [[Creatures]]\n\n<<if $scribbles>>@@color:firebrick;- With notes on the margins by Elise!@@<<endif>>

[>img[./img/leshy_a.png]]\n\n<html><h2>Leshy</h2></html>\n\n''Threat:'' High\n\n''Power:'' High\n\n''Rarity:'' Rare\n\n''Native plane:'' Pandemonium\n\n''Habitat:'' Almost solely forested areas\n\nA rarer plant-type creature, leshies are solitary creatures almost certainly encountered alone. They are most commonly encountered in older, denser forests in temperate climes.\n\nA leshy is a dangerous opponent; due to their vegetative nature, they're resilient and have no particular vitals to damage. They've also shown to be strong, agile and cunning, and their sharp nails are coated with an extremely potent paralysing toxin, integral to their method of reproduction.\n\nThere are two distinct stages of life amongst the leshy: the budding stage and the mature stage. A budding leshy is nothing more than a single, massive flower bud, typically purple in colour and having a mild scent. A leshy bud is a semi-conscious being that requires a human or a similar creature to fully mature; as soon as a possible victim draws near, the bud captures its prey with vines, trapping them inside the bud itself.\n\nWithin the bud, the the leshy merges with the victim, combining the soul and consciousness of the leshy with that of the victim's and transforming their body into a vegetative form. The resulting hybrid creature is considered to be the mature stage of the leshy.\n\nThe mature leshy is driven by an urge to seek creatures to implant their seeds in. Finding a suitable host, they paralyse them with their toxin and place a seed within their body which slowly grows into a new leshy bud. As dead hosts seem to be unsuitable for the process to happen, it's commonly understood the buds are transformed victims rather than simple plants growing off the nutritients of their bodies.\n\nMature leshies almost never associate with each other and tend to be highly territorial. They have, however, been observed to bringing paralysed victims to buds instead of turning them into new ones.\n\nVariants of standard leshies, such as desert leshies, are known to exist. However, as even the standard ones are rare, not much is known about the other types.\n\nLeshy toxin fetches a high price on the markets due to its incredible potency, a high enough dose paralysing an individual for days without permanent damage. The author does not recommend hunting for them, however.\n\n<<back>><<if $scribbles>>@@color:firebrick;\n\nThese things are kinda scary. Haven't met one, myself. Heard of them, though. Their poison's pretty famous, widely used by a lot of unsavoury individuals who need to have their victims stay still for extended periods of time. Like those thrice damned soul sellers.@@<<endif>>

[>img[./img/merregon_a.png]]\n\n<html><h2>Merregon</h2></html>\n\n''Threat:'' High\n\n''Power:'' High\n\n''Rarity:'' Rare\n\n''Native plane:'' Abyss\n\n''Habitat:'' Near human settlements\n\nThe greater demon exemplifying the vice of //sloth//, merregon are often called sloth demons. Rare to encounter on Pandemonium, very few people are familiar with their kind. They are often confused with imps due to their similar stature.\n\nTheir kind of is often underestimated due to their apparent lack of active malice and their seemingly harmless appearance and behaviour, but a merregon appearing in an unfortunate place can have a more devastating effect on communities than just about any other demon.\n\nGrey-skinned demons with lithe bodies, the merregon are slow to act and possess little desire to go out and corrupt others. Only occasionally does one wander to Pandemonium, driven by a hunger for souls or a service owed to someone. There are also reports of sleep-deprived conjurers accidentally calling one from their home plane: the conjurer's greatest desire often affects the nature of the demon summoned, and thus it's considered to be a safety measure to purge onself of desires before any major summoning.\n\nEven the rough proximity of the merregon is enough to make the body and mind sluggish, close or extended contact putting one to a dreamless sleep. The merregon have no trouble consuming the souls of the sleeping, and unless defeated quickly, one appearing to a human town is a feast of souls just waiting to happen. Soulless humans, however are immune to these effects, lacking any actual will to sleep.\n\nThe merregon only rarely corrupt others, as they abhor any expenditure of energy. When they do, they often create imps, serving to their needs as they slumber. If a mortal sufficiently impresses one, however, they might find themselves turned into a merregon instead - perhaps as a reward of sorts.\n\nThe patron demon of the merregon is known as Belphegor, also known as the eternal sleeper.\n\n<<back>><<if $scribbles>>@@color:firebrick;\n\nI understand you need some really specific magic to combat these things. I wonder if Karen knows some trick for that. I should ask her, just in case.@@<<endif>>

Handbook to Pandemonium

[>img[./img/dryad_a.png]]\n\n<html><h2>Dryad</h2></html>\n\n''Threat:'' None to high\n\n''Power:'' Medium\n\n''Rarity:'' Uncommon\n\n''Native plane:'' Pandemonium\n\n''Habitat:'' Oak forests\n\nSometimes, a sufficiently old and mighty oak tree 'awakens': its soul develops enough to support a will. In such an event the tree develops a consciousness, changes and grows rapidly. Typically, only one such an oak per forest ever has a chance to fully develop.\n\nTo support its rapid growth, the tree creates servants out of hapless mortals that wander near it. These servants are called 'dryads', now considering themselves the daughters of the tree, serving it and aidings its growth to the best of their ability. The dryads are responsible of eliminating whatever is considered a threat to their father and aiding its growth in other, subtler ways.\n\nThe tree never creates more dryads than what it deems necessary. As such, most of the time, dryads are completely harmless and may even assisting travellers lost in their woods. However, in cases of a tree still growing or a tree that has recently lost any dryads, its daughters will tirelessly seek for victims from the forest, transforming them into new ones. Travellers are recommended to stay away from dryads, just in case.\n\nIn cases of especially distant forests where humans are truly rare, the tree may create a [[Hamadryad]] instead; a wife, rather than a daughter, responsible for birthing new dryads. This requires a considerable investment from the oak itself, however, and is avoided as long as a reliable supply of humans is available.\n\nA dryad can create another dryad by the means of an infection. A kiss from a dryad will begin a slow transformation process, lasting up to several hours, slowly turning the victim's skin darker, their hair leafy, their souls bound to the oak tree. The process is notoriously hard to reverse, though possible with sufficiently powerful magic as long as it doesn't run its full course.\n\nDryads are solely created from oak trees, but there are similar races related to other kinds of trees as well, such as the apple-tree based epimeliads.\n\n<<back>><<if $scribbles>>@@color:firebrick;\n\nDryads always seem a bit sad and confused to me. I don't think they've fully understood what's happened to them or that they used to be human. I could just be misreading, though.@@<<endif>>

The Gray Waste. The home of the unknown.\n\nOut of all planes presented in this book, the Grey Waste is the one least known about. Its true nature is unknown; its inhabitants, unknown. If it has a name other than The Grey Waste, nobody knows.\n\nThe plane is mentioned in some of the most ancient texts available in [[Pandemonium]], but there's enough evidence to support it being an actual, distinct plane of its own.\n\nA popular theory is that the [[undead|Undead]] originate from the plane. Indeed, it's not known what plane they are native to, though nothing specifically points it to being the Grey Waste specifically.\n\nWhile the author could speculate endlessly about the plane, it's only listed in this book for completeness' sake.\n\n<<back>><<if $scribbles>>@@color:firebrick;\n\nWell, this chapter sure is useless. Who cares?@@<<endif>>

The only known inhabitants of the plane of [[Elysium]], angels are creatures of light and order. The race most tightly bound to their [[deity|The Deities]], every angel lives and dies for the sake of the Deity of Elysium with an unmatched fervour.\n\nAll angels are individuals transformed both physically and spiritually by a force called the Elysian Light: a force that overwrites an individual's free will and binds them to serve Elysium as one of the angels. The force, however, also has powerful curative properties. Small applications of it heal the sick, close wounds and purge toxins from the body, a power occasionally used by the angelkind for apparently altruistic purposes. Lacking free will, angels do not have any individuality to speak of, any personality traits of the original mortal completely drowned under the Light.\n\nThe angels are a relatively rare sight on [[Pandemonium]], primarily due to the difficulty of travel between the two planes. It is a blessing: the clearly stated purpose of the angels is to subjugate every living creature to serve the light that binds all of the angelkind, and if travel were any easier, there'd be no doubt that the Celestial Host would descend upon our plane in its full might.\n\nDespite their zeal, encountering an individual angel isn't neccessarily dangerous. The weaker kinds cannot channel the Light fast enough to reliably transform anyone, and if unable to convert others to fill their ranks, the angels tend to act with extreme altruism bordering self-sacrifice.\n\nA popular saying in Pandemonium, "Kindness of the angel" refers to unwanted, even harmful, altruism with genuinely pure intentions. Indeed, it appears that the angels believe that subjugating [[the Planes|The Planes]] under their will is the ultimate act of kindness.\n\nThe only race that angels are known to treat with genuine hostility are the [[demons|Demons]]. Indeed, the Elysian Light seems to have a harmful instead of curative effect on demons, being a highly effective method to dispatch them.\n\n* [[Cherub]]\n* [[Cupid]]\n* [[Seraph]]\n\n<<back>><<if $scribbles>>@@color:firebrick;\n\nAngels always spell massive trouble. The author's way too soft on them. Yeah, yeah, they might heal the sick and hunt down demons, but if you rely on them, they __will__ exploit it. Don't. Stay clear from angels if you want to remain yourself.\n\nThe author again subtly manages to avoid mentioning the real threat being humans, though. Angels don't usually just pop up here, they get summoned. Angelic cults are pretty common, believing in their crap about paradise and eternal bliss, trying to call powerful angels onto Pandemonium so they could take over and turn everything into their slaves. Encountering such cultists is way more common than encountering any angels, and as such, a bigger threat. Stay clear of those weirdoes and report them to authorities.@@<<endif>>

[>img[./img/fallencupid_a.png]]\n\n<html><h2>Cupid (fallen)</h2></html>\n\n''Threat:'' High\n\n''Power:'' Medium\n\n''Rarity:'' Very rare\n\n''Native plane:'' Abyss\n\n''Habitat:'' No known habitat\n\nThe result of an ordinary [[cupid|Cupid]] exposed to sufficient demonic corruption, the fallen cupids are exceedingly rare, with only a handful of them ever sighted on Pandemonium. \n\nAs cupids are seldom used to fight demons, there are not many situations where they would even get exposed to corruption. However, many demons seemingly find especial glee from the idea of corrupting a cupid, and known [[Abyss]] incursions onto Pandemonium just to get a single cupid have happened in the past.\n\nThe corrupted cupid retains the abilities they had as angels, except, of course, their capability to use the Light. Still radiating innocent charm to bend others to their will, they now use this ability to extract souls from charmed, willing mortals. More crafty fallen cupids are often master manipulators, using their charms and corruption alike to subtly control others to do their bidding; many others are content to merely have a harem of soulless, worshipful slaves around them.\n\nFallen cupids are suspectible to flattery and enjoy being served and pampered. As such, one might make it out of an encounter with one by showering them with gifts and praise. If this fails, swift disposal or escape is recommended. Only the most strong-willed can resist their charms for longer than a few moments.\n\n<<back>><<if $scribbles>>@@color:firebrick;\n\nAs sweet and cute as a regular old cupid, except now she wants you to worship her. Nope.@@<<endif>>

The soul is a thing misunderstood even by Pandemonium natives, so the author decided to devote a small chapter for explaining a few key concepts regarding it.\n\nThe soul is present in all living beings at birth, from humans to blades of grass, but it's not neccessary for life. If a soul is removed - typically when consumed by the [[demonkind|Demons]] but possibly in some other manner - the individual becomes meek, subservient and unable to possess any desires or urges of their own. Such an individual, when left alone, often starves to death, lacking any will to live (though also not possessing any desire to die.)\n\nSoulless individuals are especially submissive and subservient towards creatures who have consumed their souls, and as such, tend to contently, even apparently blissfully, obey them. \n\nSuperstition regarding soulless individuals runs rampant. Some believe them to be dangerous and murderous, some are afraid that associating with them means you'll risk losing your own soul as well. It is firmly the author's opinion that this is hogwash: indeed, there is a junior scribe at the Scribes' Guild itself who traded away her soul a long time ago, a fact that has never prevented her from performing her job.\n\nSouls can also be transferred and altered. Soul transfer is typically used to bind a soul into an object, commonly to manipulate the individual whose soul is being bound, or in certain rituals of undeath. Transferring a soul into an object allows it to be manipulated by magic, and by a link, the individual's will itself may be controlled. Soul transfer -related magic is illegal in many city-states, though as it's extremely difficult to perform, it's hardly a common problem.\n\nThere are two known and researched methods of altering the soul, associated with the [[Abyss]] and [[Elysium]] respectively. One method is 'corrupting' the soul, transforming and molding it into a demonic form, the effect without a fail spreading through the individual's body as well. This process is, as far as anyone knows, always irreversible once fully completed, though partial corruption may be mitigated. The other method is what the [[angels|Angels]] call 'the Elysian Light;' a method of 'purifying' a soul, as the angels call it. In practice, it involves completely binding the soul to the will of the Celestial Host, eliminating the individual's own free will and placing them under the command of the Host.\n\n<<back>><<if $scribbles>>@@color:firebrick;\n\nI've got mixed feelings 'bout this section. It makes some good points, though. I'd like to emphasise the danger of soul sellers, though. There are some dabbling mages who specialise in trapping souls and selling them to demons. Good, and terrible, business. If some strange gentleman approaches you and asks you to 'hold this gem for just a second', refuse. And consider running, if he's armed.\n\nAs for the soulless... I'm willing to bet that junior scribe isn't doing anything but copying a page after another, never getting tired of it, manipulated like a puppet. It ain't right, is what I'm saying.@@<<endif>>

Creatures of magic as much as flesh, the fey are native to the plane of [[Arcadia]], though a common sight in Pandemonium nonetheless. Much harder to generalise than the inhabitants of certain other places, there's a seemingly endless number of wildly different categories and subcategories of fey, many of them seemingly impossible to categorise at all.\n\nIn this book, the author wishes to at least list several of the most common and obvious types of fey. Fey that do not conform to the specific types listed here tend to be unique and powerful individuals, and should be treated with care.\n\nMost types of fey are, however, relatively harmless. Unlike Pandemonium natives, the fey do not seem to require humans for procreation and they do not possess any natural instinct to transform them. They are, however, unpredictable and their motives often difficult to guess. As such, one should never let their guard down near the fey kind.\n\n* [[Fairy]]\n* [[Nixie]]\n* [[Nymph]]\n* [[Pixie]]\n\n<<back>><<if $scribbles>>@@color:firebrick;\n\nThe fey. More annoying than anything I know. Can't deal with them. Once, I called one of them annoying, and they took it as a compliment. Later, the same one got deeply offended at me since I wouldn't clap my hands before I crossed a stream. What was that all about?\n\nKaren gets along better with them. Probably some understanding there due to the nature of the magic she practices.@@<<endif>>

Undeath isn't a race; rather, it's a state of being. To explain undeath, one would have to explain the nature of life energy. The author will make an attempt to explain it in a concise matter.\n\nThe force powering every living being - the force that makes them distinct from nonliving matter - is known as positive energy. The soul, no matter what its state, is always composed of pure positive energy, and magics that cure diseases and close wounds are typically ones that channel positive energy.\n\nThere is, however, a counterpart to this, aptly called negative energy. Toxic and lethal to living beings, it powers the undead the same way positive energy powers the living. As such, any being powered by negative energy is considered to be undead. Undead beings have no souls, but for sentient undead creatures, the negative energy powering them fills the same function; as such, many undead have wants and urges much the same way living things do, despite lacking a soul.\n\nVery few beings are actually immune to undeath. There are recorded instances of undead [[fey|Fey]], [[lycanthropes||Lycanthropes]], even [[alraune|Alraune]]. [[Angels]] and [[demons|Demons]] appear to be immune, as are many beings with no specific anatomy. It does, however, seem that humans are especially suspectible to the condition.\n\nUndeath is not native to Pandemonium or to any other known plane. There are no written records of undeath being mentioned until approximately two thousands year ago, so it's likely that the condition appeared on our plane around that time. But from where, no-one can say for certain.\n\nMany undead are not categorisable at all. Mages capable of necromancy often put their own touch to their spells, new types of undead being relatively easy to create. The ones listed in this book are more the well-known, established kind.\n\n* [[Draugr]]\n* [[Ghoul]]\n* [[Vampire]]\n* [[Wraith]]\n\n<<back>><<if $scribbles>>@@color:firebrick;\n\nThe dead don't cause much trouble where I come from. Last ghoul sighting was years ago, and other kinds haven't been around.\n\nThe undead might technically lack a soul, but most seem waaay more human than the soulless do. At least, the ones that aren't just flat-out monsters do, you know?@@<<endif>>

'Humankind' refers to both humans and elves, related closely enough that they can be treated the same in almost all instances. There's some debate that the inhabitants of [[Regulus]] are a third subtype of humans. This, however, is entirely unconfirmed.\n\n* [[Human]]\n* [[Elf]]\n\n<<back>><<if $scribbles>>@@color:firebrick;\n\nKaren wanted to get a pet cat. But since we're away from home so often, who'd feed it? It'd be unfair to force Mr. Combs to do that.@@<<endif>>

[>img[./img/hamadryad_a.png]]\n\n<html><h2>Hamadryad</h2></html>\n\n''Threat:'' None\n\n''Power:'' Low\n\n''Rarity:'' Rare\n\n''Native plane:'' Pandemonium\n\n''Habitat:'' Oak forests\n\nA variant of the dryad, called 'treemothers' by a good portion of the commonfolk. Hamadryads are the 'wives' of the tree, trapped within its roots and forced to breed for the rest of their lives. Mostly unable, and unwilling, to move, they let their husband take care of their every need while giving birth to its daughters. The hamadryads are entirely defenceless and it's up to their daughters to defend them. \n\nHamadryads are created by the tree itself, usually by having its daughters carry their victims to within it. They've been known to be an object of worship by some more primitive, forest-dwelling tribes, along with the tree itself.\n\n<<back>><<if $scribbles>>@@color:firebrick;\n\nThat's quite the illustration...@@<<endif>>

Greetings, dear reader.\n\nI, Elder Scribe Shafqat, member of the prestigeous Scribes' Guild of the City of Stone, An-Nador, am writing this book as my life's final work. It will neither be the grandest of my works in scale nor the most groundbreaking in terms of research, but it might very well be the most useful one out of everything I have written so far.\n\nThe recent years have seen an influx of newcomers coming to our fair plane from the Still Plane, lost and confused, easy prey for creatures both native to Pandemonium and to ones from other planes of existence. Scholars, including many of my esteemed collagues, have a number theories as to why this is happening; however, this book will not speculate on the matter any further.\n\nAs my age is catching up to me and my eyesight is weakening, it does not seem that I'll be able to write for much longer. As such, I chose to write something shorter and simpler: a guidebook to these newcomers, with the hopes that a copy might arrive to hands of some of them before it's too late. And even if it does not, perhaps the compilation of information within will be useful even for the natives of our world.\n\nHaving had the opportunity to interview one of the newcomers from the Still Plane, I soon learned even the basic concepts you would assume everyone to be familiar with escaped them; as such, I will devote the first section of the book explaining some terminology, hopefully improving the readability of the rest of this work. The rest of the book might be considered a bestiary of sorts, detailing the different creatures that one might encounter in our world, both native and extraplanar.\n\nEven as an old fool, the spirit of scholarship has not yet left me. I will devote an occasional paragraphs for pure speculation; these are not to be taken as factual information, and, in fact, it might be quite dangerous to treat them as such.\n\nIn addition, please note that the guidebook has been written with humans in mind. I'm certain that it would be educational for members of other races as well, but it is the author's opinion that humans are in the greatest danger when lacking knowledge of the plane, and as such, in the greatest need of a book like this.\n\nWithout further introductions, dear reader, I wish you pleasant times reading this book, and I wish you luck in whatever your further endeavours might be.\n\n- Elder Scribe Shafqat, in mid-winter of the year 3104 of the Common Time.\n\n<<back>><<if $scribbles>>@@color:firebrick;\n\nHello, reader! It is I, the famous Elise of Stonemoor. You haven't heard of me? A shame on you!\n\nI found this dreadful little booklet off some poor ex-wanderer who'd happened to wander a little too close to a roaming pack of ghouls. Much good this book did to him, eh?\n\nAnyway, I figured that I might as well add my own notes here. The author must've been gone senile, he neglected to point out a looot of important stuff. So I'll scribble on the margins, sell it some bazaar somewhere and hope it ends up on good hands, yeah?\n\nOh, let me use this space to advertise too. If you ever happen to run into trouble with monsters near Stonemoor, just ask for Elise and Karen! We'll take care of your troubles, for a perfectly reasonable fee as well!\n\n- Elise, in a nice, breezy spring of 3106@@<<endif>>

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[>img[./img/weremouse_a.png]]\n\n<html><h2>Weremouse</h2></html>\n\n''Threat:'' Medium\n\n''Power:'' Low\n\n''Rarity:'' Uncommon\n\n''Native plane:'' Pandemonium\n\n''Habitat:'' Anywhere with human presence\n\nConsidered to be the most 'civilised' of lycanthropes due to their (relative) ability to control themselves, the weremice often infiltrate human settlements, living in their abandoned portions, sewers or even the unused basements of peoples' houses.\n\nCompared to most lycanthrophes, the weremice are physically weak, but what they lack in strength they make up with cunning. Quiet sneakers and skilled at using disguises, the weremice make their living as scavengers and thieves rather than hunters. Unlike most of their kind, the weremice are perfectly capable of human speech.\n\nThe bite of a weremouse has perhaps the most rapid effects out of all forms of lycanthrophic curse; within minutes of being bitten, the victim will fall unconscious, gaining a high fever. Quite often, the families or friends of those bitten don't realise the true nature of the fever before it's too late to administer the cure. The complete transformation takes several hours, and will turn their bodies smaller, lither and more agile in addition to them gaining mouse-like features.\n\nPacks of weremice are a constant problem within many large cities; even the glorious An-Nador is suffering from a major infestation at the moment, the city guard seemingly powerless versus the creatures.\n\n<<back>><<if $scribbles>>@@color:firebrick;\n\n'Relative' ability? Look here, weremice are perfectly civilised. I've known quite a few in my life, and they've always been nice, helpful and never bitten me a single time. They don't deserve to be treated like the rest of the lycanthrophes!\n\nAt least, if you meet them during the day. During the night, their instincts sometimes take over. Carry wolfsbane in cases of accidents.@@<<endif>>

[>img[./img/harpy_a.png]]\n\n<html><h2>Harpy</h2></html>\n\n''Threat:'' Low to high\n\n''Power:'' Medium\n\n''Rarity:'' Common\n\n''Native plane:'' Pandemonium\n\n''Habitat:'' Hills, mountains, cliffs.\n\nHarpies are one of the more widespread races of Pandemonium, thriving in cold and hot enviroments alike. Depending on the the harpy tribe in question, they can range from harmless to very dangerous.\n\nEach tribe of harpies has a certain 'song' that resonates within them all, integral in the creation of new harpies. The nature of the song greatly shapes the harpy community itself: a tribe based on a more mellow, peaceful song can be hospitable and helpful, whereas another kind of song might result in a warlike, aggressive tribe of harpies. A traveller is encouraged to ask people about local harpy tribes.\n\nThe harpies are capable of flying and can traverse distances quite fast. They're capable of using magic woven into songs the same way [[mermaids|Mermaid]] do, all harpies capable of at the very least putting people to sleep with their voices. In a fight, they typically use hit and run tactics that even the most experienced warriors tend to have trouble dealing with.\n\nFundementally fond of gold and gems, harpies are often bribed by jewelry and precious metals. There are human communities who even have pacts with harpies, nonaggression or even protection promised in exchange for ornamental items. Most harpies are quite vain and enjoy flattery, though they are also quick to take offence.\n\nTheir procreation process is notoriously slow. Typically, a harpy will put their victim to sleep, then carry them to their net in a tall, faraway location, such as a mountain top or an inaccessible cliff. Within there, the victim is slowly sung to, causing a physical transformation process. After several days have passed, the victim is trapped in a specifically constructed egg shell, where the transformation finally reaches its completion.\n\nMore aggressive harpy tribes tend to be large, hunting for humans even far away from their nests. More peaceful tribes are typically small, only creating new harpies if their tribe is threatened or from people who have somehow slighted the harpies.\n\n<<back>><<if $scribbles>>@@color:firebrick;\n\nThe author doesn't mention it here, but plugging your ears helps here, at least against the sleepiness and such. You want to kill one, bring ranged weaponry. A lot of them are reasonable, though. It's better to negotiate.@@<<endif>>

[>img[./img/hamatula_a.png]]\n\n<html><h2>Hamatula</h2></html>\n\n''Threat:'' Low to high\n\n''Power:'' High\n\n''Rarity:'' Rare\n\n''Native plane:'' Abyss\n\n''Habitat:'' Near human settlements\n\nThe greater demon exemplifying the vice of //greed//, hamatula are often also called greed demons. Driven by the urge to possess things, hamatula may appear almost single-minded on their lust for wealth.\n\nLike all greater demons, hamatula are extremely strong and capable of corrupting even the strongest individuals if they have no magics protecting them. Their mere presence stirs the avarice in one's soul, a fact the hamatula exploit greatly to their advantage. Perhaps the greatest businessmen in Abyss, the hamatula are the best at acquiring souls not by force but via bargain.\n\nWhether or not hamatula are truly dangerous depends on where they are encountered. Often, hamatula are allowed to human settlements to make bargains and trades in; within them, they know better than to assault anyone, though a weak-willed individual might find themselves trading their soul away for something they've always wanted. Outside of the bounds of human laws, however, encountering a hamatula is extremely dangerous, as they are not above using force to rob or corrupt others.\n\nHamatula only seldom create other hamatula, as it requires a great expenditure of force, which to them is a resource as much as anything. There's seldom infighting amongst their ranks, however, and they see each other as friendly competitors at worst. More often, they transform their victims into imps, ones eager to serve their new masters.\n\nThe patron demon of the hamatula is known as Mammon. It's said that Mammon is the wealthiest of the demons in Abyss and the one behind every trade of souls conducted within the Planes.\n\n<<back>><<if $scribbles>>@@color:firebrick;\n\nThey aren't too bright. Strong, yes. Dangerous, definitely. They possess amazing business acumen, you can't outwit them as far as deals go. But other than that, they're kind of dumb.@@<<endif>>

Not all creatures are easily categorisable, especially the ones found on Pandemonium. As such, this section is, by its nature, the longest one.\n\n* [[Arachne]]\n* [[Djinni]]\n* [[Harpy]]\n* [[Marzanna]]\n* [[Slime]]\n* [[Yuan-ti]]\n\n<<back>><<if $scribbles>>@@color:firebrick;\n\nThere's a bard that comes to our town for about a week, yearly. He's got all sorts of interesting song about all manners of creatures and monsters: how the heroes vanquish them, what their weaknesses are, what they can do. The songs aren't that accurate, so I hope nobody takes them very seriously.\n\nOnce he gets drunk enough and once the night is late enough, he starts singing about bedding them. If he's to be believed, he's laid with fifteen kinds of monsters, cleverly avoiding being turned into one himself. I hope nobody believes that either.@@<<endif>>

[>img[./img/pixie_a.png]]\n\n<html><h2>Pixie</h2></html>\n\n''Threat:'' Low to High\n\n''Power:'' Medium to High\n\n''Rarity:'' Uncommon\n\n''Native plane:'' Arcadia\n\n''Habitat:'' Anywhere near gateways to Arcadia\n\nStyling themselves as fey nobility, the pixies are some of the most and least dangerous types of fey one might meet. Bound by strange laws and traditions more clearly than any other type of fey, the pixies live in strictly hierarchical, if poorly understood, societies.\n\nPixies typically possess great magical powers, usually able to wield any and all sorts of magics, save perhaps for necromancy. Their exact power depends on their caste, the members of the higher castes possessing tremendous magical potency. A human who offends a pixie may find themselves being swiftly 'taught a lesson' by these means.\n\nMost pixies seem to dislike being outside of Arcadia, so they are less likely to travel very far from their plane. Still a relatively common sight near gateways to their native plane, little 'excursions' to Pandemonium to see the sights and meet locals aren't uncommon amongst the lower castes of pixies.\n\nThe majority of pixies a casual traveller might meet are quite friendly. Seldom malicious, less fond of pranks than many others of their kind and possessing no urges associated with undead or Pandemonium natives, there's often very little reason for a pixie to bother a wanderer outside of their natural curiosity. Treated with respect, a pixie might even be willing to offer their aid or give small gifts; as with all fey, they are however quite easy to offend. \n\nThe various lords, princes and other pixie 'aristocracy', however, can be extremely dangerous. Fascinated with humans, pixie princes are infamous for stealing people away by force or trickery, eternally spiriting them away to Arcadia and making them their servants, concubines or pets. While the higher caste pixies themselves seldom come to Pandemonium themselves, they often send their servants to do the deed for them. As such, a wise traveller should be wary and not blindly trust a pixie.\n\n<<back>><<if $scribbles>>@@color:firebrick;\n\nPixies are... alright. There's one that visits the markets a few times a month. She buys and sells some interesting stuff. Just be really polite and humble around them, they like to think they're all superior to other creatures. I suppose in their hierarchy, even the lowest caste pixie is above all humans.@@<<endif>>

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[>img[./img/mermaid_a.png]]\n\n<html><h2>Mermaid</h2></html>\n\n''Threat:'' None to high\n\n''Power:'' Medium\n\n''Rarity:'' Rare\n\n''Native plane:'' Pandemonium\n\n''Habitat:'' Oceans\n\nAn oceanic race of fish-tailed creatures, the mermaids are a source of much folklore and mythology. Often confused with the [[rusalka|Rusalka]] due to their similar appearance.\n\nThe mermaids themselves aren't a complete race of their own, but rather the female half of a race known as the merfolk. Mermen, the male half, are not known to attack humans, or, indeed, even appear above the surface.\n\nThe mermaids are very much defined by their procreation cycle. Mermaids will always give birth to mermen only, acting as their mothers until they've grown old enough to breed themselves. At this point, the mermaid goes seeking for a human to transform into a new mermaid, and then wed them to their sons, completing the cycle. It's not unusual for a single merman to have multiple mermaid wives.\n\nThe actual transformative process happens via a song: mermaids are capable of weaving magic into their singing, resonating within the bodies of others and charming them, transforming them or having a variety of other effects. It can't be countered simply by blocking one's ears, though as the process is quite slow, running away is a workable approach. This effect is amplified underwater, however, greatly speeding up the process.\n\nThe mermaids are somewhat related to the race of the [[harpies|Harpy]]: both of them view the world as a song, with every individual being a part of a greater whole that way. Despite the races seemingly sharing very little in common, they've often seen co-operating.\n\n<<back>><<if $scribbles>>@@color:firebrick;\n\nI don't really know anything about mermaids. There are a lot of stories, so it's hard to say what's the truth.@@<<endif>>

[>img[./img/rabbit_a.png]]\n\n<html><h2>Rabbit</h2></html>\n\n''Threat:'' Unknown\n\n''Power:'' Unknown\n\n''Rarity:'' Rare\n\n''Native plane:'' Pandemonium\n\n''Habitat:'' Supposedly plains and savannahs\n\nOne of the most elusive Pandemonium natives, the very existence of rabbit princes and rabbit-wives is thought to be a mere folkstory by many.\n\nAccording to the stories, certain rabbits are either born with special powers or live long enough to attain them, and ascend into rabbit princes: rabbits with magical powers who can take the shape of an attractive human male. Tricking or seducing human men and women alike, they steal them away and make them into their wives, half rabbit and half human.\n\nIn Pandemonium, it's far from uncommon for people to suddenly go missing without any apparent reason, whether spirited away by [[pixies|Pixie]], carried away by the [[bees|Bee]] or for any other similar reason. It could be that the stories of rabbit princes and rabbit-wives have merely been invented to explain some of the more mysterious of disappearances. Nonetheless, creatures matching the common description of rabbit-wives have been sighted, giving some credibility to the story.\n\n<<back>><<if $scribbles>>@@color:firebrick;\n\nReally? This is just a fairy tale, isn't it? Why even bother including it in a survival guide?@@<<endif>>

[>img[./img/imp_a.png]]\n\n<html><h2>Imp</h2></html>\n\n''Threat:'' Medium\n\n''Power:'' Low\n\n''Rarity:'' Common\n\n''Native plane:'' Abyss\n\n''Habitat:'' Near human settlements\n\nThe imp is the most common demon and one of the weakest types of lesser demons. With undeveloped bodies and mischievous personalities, it's easy to think of them as children. The reader should, however, never assume they're innocent.\n\nPhysically, they're only about as strong as humans. While they're capable of spreading corruption like every demon, the process is too slow to be done on an active, resisting victim. When an imp attempts to corrupt someone, they usually prefer to target weaker individuals, such as children, that they are able to overpower first. Imps are unable to extract souls by force, and are usually too weak and insignificant to be even able to properly bargain for one.\n\nDue to the common perceptions of imps as rather harmless individuals, imps are reasonaly accepted in many human societies, and dabbling mages sometimes use imps as servants or familiars. This, however, is perceived very risky: like all demons, however, imps abhor captivity and forced servitude, and take the first opportunity to rebel against such masters.\n\nImps possess a strong urge to serve the ones who originally corrupted them. As such, many greater demons are accompanied by an entourage of imps, acting as their minions.\n\nThe colouration of imps varies, the most common types seemingly being ones with a blue or pink skin pigment. To the author's knowledge, it's entirely random and doesn't tell anything about the relative power or abilities the imp possesses. Imps are fond of human clothing, and as such, what they wear may also significantly vary.\n\nIf a larger pack of imps is encounter, the traveller should be especially wary. While they possess no innate urge to corrupt others, they may do so if they perceive it as amusing. In addition, they can be extremely cruel, finding joy in tormenting ones unable to resist. A traveller who has something valuable to bargain with might get past unmolested. \n\nOlder, stronger imps who've had an opportunity to feast on souls may be far stronger than implied here, however. There are known individuals amongst the imp who possess a power even greater than most greater demons.\n\n<<back>><<if $scribbles>>@@color:firebrick;\n\nNasty little things. They can really put your guard down, you know? They look almost like children, just with bat wings, a funny coloured skin, claws sharp enough to gut a moose and a burning evil in their eyes. Sometimes, an occational imp comes to Stonemoor. Karen gives them sweets.@@<<endif>>

[>img[./img/fallencherub_a.png]]\n\n<html><h2>Cherub (fallen)</h2></html>\n\n''Threat:'' Medium\n\n''Power:'' Low\n\n''Rarity:'' Rare\n\n''Native plane:'' Abyss\n\n''Habitat:'' No known habitat\n\nA fallen [[cherub|Cherub]] is a sad sight indeed: their former personality and memory permanently purged by the Light, they regain none of that in the event of a corruption. Doll-like and passive, there's still a certain, bubbling hunger and spitefulness under their calm surface.\n\nPossessing a free will but unable to properly exert it, fallen cherubs usually work as servants for other demons, working them seemingly out of habit of being former angels of obedience.\n\nFallen cherubs find some pleasure out of suffering and corruption, though most of them do not very actively act towards that cause. Meeting one should still be considered dangerous, especially if they work under the instructions of other demons. They're roughly similar in power to weaker [[imps|Imp]], and as such, are fairly easy to dispatch when met alone.\n\nLike imps, some mages opt to use them as familiars. They're less actively spiteful about being forced into servitude than imps are and many consider them better servants because of it. However, they are considerably rarer and more difficult to summon.\n\n<<back>><<if $scribbles>>@@color:firebrick;\n\nThere was some sick little fallen cherub wandering the countryside two years back. She'd go from house to house and kill the inhabitants. Didn't even seem to care for their souls. Fallen cherubs can be really damaged. We put her down.@@<<endif>>

[>img[./img/succubus_a.png]]\n\n<html><h2>Succubus</h2></html>\n\n''Threat:'' High\n\n''Power:'' High\n\n''Rarity:'' Rare\n\n''Native plane:'' Abyss\n\n''Habitat:'' Human settlements\n\nThe greater demon exemplifying the vice of //lust//, succubi are often called lust demons. While no more common than other great demons, they're easily the most widely known of them, reviled and lusted after by many.\n\nSuccubi are involved with human societies perhaps more than any other kind of a demon, though unlike their cousins the [[hamatula|Hamatula]], they are not there to bargain. Covering their appearance and pretending to be human, they seduce unwary victims, stealing their souls or corrupting them.\n\nFar from powerless even when exposed, their very presence can cause one's will to be filled with lust and carnal desire, if they so wish. Strong-willed individuals may be able to resist it for a while, but eventually everyone will succumb and allow the demon to have their way with them.\n\nThe succubi corrupt only occasionally, preferring to instead consume the souls of their victims. The soulless are often taken back to Abyss with them, presumably for the sake of satiating the demon's needs. In the cases they do corrupt, however, they tend to almost solely create other succubi; they are only very rarely served by imps or other lesser demons.\n\nWhile difficult to beat in a straight up fight, there's merit to negotiating with them. Malicious and cruel as they are, succubi often spare their victims and allow them to keep their souls, provided there's some future advantage to them.\n\n<<back>><<if $scribbles>>@@color:firebrick;\n\nA lot of demons are tolerated around here. Succubi aren't. Everyone knows what they're up to. As it is, though, they're really tough to fight. Not a problem if you have the townsguard behind you, but if you discover a succubus when you're alone, just pretend you haven't noticed it and walk away. Or run.@@<<endif>>

'Animalkind' refers to creatures with animal qualities that do not carry the lycanthropic curse. Their naming varies: typically, they're only called by the name of the animal species the creature is connected to, though a suffix of -girl or -woman is often used for clarity.\n\n* [[Bee]]\n* [[Rabbit]]\n\n<<back>><<if $scribbles>>@@color:firebrick;\n\nThese types of monsters tend to be annoying. Lycanthrophes at least retain a portion of their human mind, so they play it smart, they're not overly aggressive, they can be negotiated with. But most of the animal monsters... they aren't human, anymore. They have to be dealt with with force.@@<<endif>>

Arcadia. The Faerie. The Plane of the [[Fey]].\n\nArcadia is a reasonably hospitable plane, and perhaps the second most visited one after [[Pandemonium]] itself. The creatures inhabiting it are known as the 'fey' or 'fae', and they tend to be perhaps the most wildly varying out of all known planar races.\n\nMetaphysically, Arcadia is considered to be 'close' to Pandemonium. The travel between them is extremely easy, especially for the fey themselves, and their influence on Pandemonium is not to be underestimated.\n\nArcadia is a lush and verdant plane where nature's power is greater than in any of the other known planes. Species of animals, plants and fungi that are completely different from ones in other planes are quite common there - and quite often very dangerous when introduced to other planes. One experienced in the ways of Arcadia can travel there with relative safety: the author himself has taken a journey there once, in his youth, albeit with a trustworthy guide. However, a person not knowing the unique laws and nature of the plane may find themselves in grave peril.\n\nAs mentioned, the fey are a highly varying race of creatures. Some variaties are indifferent towards humans; many are mischievous to a point of thoughtlessness; some are openly malevolent, some are extremely helpful and benevolent. No assumptions about the fey should be made unless their variety is confirmed with certainty.\n\nThe fey are, perhaps, the most in tune with the arcane out of all known races. The power to affect minds and create illusions is present in all fey, and even the weakest of them are quite skilled at confusing travellers and leading them astray. It is, however, common to see fey adept at just about any sort of magic.\n\nArcadia is also the home to the [[elves|Elf]], offspring between the fey and humans. Sufficiently in tune with the nature of the plane, they're far more capable at surviving there than humans do. Indeed, while there are no human societies within Arcadia, there are several thriving elven ones.\n\nNon-native races, including [[humans|Human]], may find it extremely difficult to properly associate with the creatures of Arcadia. Often bound by strange, hard-to-understand laws and social rules, a traveller may unwittingly deeply offend a fey with an apparently innocent gesture, or suddenly receive a genuinely heartfelt gift from one without having done apparently anything to deserve it. While this can lead to unfortunate misunderstandings outside of Arcadia, the problem is far worse within the plane itself; within Arcadia, the laws binding the fey will bind all travellers to the plane as well, despite the lack of knowledge and understanding of the odd rules that every fey must follow.\n\n<<back>><<if $scribbles>>@@color:firebrick;\n\nFey are bad news. I think I'm going to use the word 'bad news' a lot when scribbling here. But it's true.\n\nI stepped on the Arcadia side, once. Was chasing some poor boy being abducted by pixies. Ended up getting him back, too, getting a fat reward from his rich mommy. But I might not do it again. The place confuses your senses, and those are what you want to rely on in my line of work. Anything could've happened.@@<<endif>>

[>img[./img/fallenseraph_a.png]]\n\n<html><h2>Seraph (fallen)</h2></html>\n\n''Threat:'' High\n\n''Power:'' High\n\n''Rarity:'' Very rare\n\n''Native plane:'' Abyss\n\n''Habitat:'' No known habitat\n\nA seraph turned into a demon, the fallen seraphs less common than one might expect: while seraphs are the frontline fighters against demons, it's extremely difficult to corrupt one, and the seraphs will fall on their swords when the risk becomes too high. The fallen seraphs that exist have usually been specifically captured by demons to prevent suicide attempts before the corruption is complete.\n\nCapable of manipulating corruption to the same extent as their still-bound sisters use the Light, the seraphs are fast corruptors, capable of transforming individuals into demons staggeringly fast. Powerful warriors and cunning strategists, fallen seraphs are known to govern their own plots of Abyss, sometimes attempting to expand their influence onto Pandemonium as well.\n\nStill, to a traveller, a fallen seraph is often easier to handle than a bound one: like all demons, they can be bargained and negotiated with. Unlike seraphs, a fallen seraph will always think of themselves and their personal gain first.\n\n<<back>><<if $scribbles>>@@color:firebrick;\n\nI've only read about these. I couldn't imagine being able to defeat them if they'd decide to pick on Stonemoor. Pandemonium isn't a good place to live.@@<<endif>>

[>img[./img/human_a.png]]\n\n<html><h2>Human</h2></html>\n\n''Threat:'' Low\n\n''Power:'' Low\n\n''Rarity:'' Very common\n\n''Native plane:'' The Still Plane (possibly)\n\n''Habitat:'' Virtually anywhere on land, above ground.\n\nThe most populous race on Pandemonium, humans are very much the force that keeps the plane working. Thought to be originating from the Still Plane, humans lack the innate transformative powers that most creatures of other planes have. Yet, many creatures, especially the ones native to Pandemonium, rely entirely on humans to procreate.\n\nHumans are relatively short-lived but extremely fast to breed, requiring no more than basic intercourse to create offspring. Lacking any particular innate self-defence mechanisms, they tend to form societies that are larger in scale than any other ones on Pandemonium, and their skills as smiths and scholars is second to none.\n\nSome humans are born with a gift for the arcane, many of them able to progress into skilled mages. Such individuals are vastly more powerful than most of their kind.\n\nOther races are mostly untolerated within human societies, with a few exceptions. As humans the target of the reproductive urges of nearly all creatures found within Pandemonium, very few humans are willing to take the risk of associating with other creatures. However, due to the weaponry and sheer numbers of humans, larger settlements are usually safe from attacks of other races.\n\n<<back>><<if $scribbles>>@@color:firebrick;\n\nRight, then! Let's get to the original reason why I wanted to start writing on the margins. This is something everyone from the Still seems confused about, and even some more sheltered Pandemonium natives seem to fail to realise this, so I'm going to break it down reaaally simply, alright?\n\nTo someone who pops up on Pandemonium from the Still, the monsters aren't the only threat. The humans, they can be even worse.\n\nThere's this specific mentality most people here have. They're concerned with themselves: they want to stay human, they want to stay alive. But humans are weak and helpless and useless, so they need to band up together to survive. They form communities, and they look after each other within them. Now humans are armed and organised and attacking a human town would be a suicide for most monsters.\n\nBut that's as far as it goes. Humans from outside their own community are worse than nothing. At best, they receive no protection from them. At worst, they'll be captured and enslaved or sold to monsters.\n\nSlaving is a lucarative business. There are a thousand ways to take a slave's will away and turn them into obedient pets. Sometimes literally: transformative magic is cheap and plentiful on Pandemonium.\n\nWhen most Pandemonium humans see a person from the Still, they see an outsider. They see someone they have no business helping. They might even see a good business opportunity. You can't trust anyone. Everyone's your enemy.\n\nTo survive, you'll have to be lucky, you'll have to be clever and you'll need to be able to make it on your own.@@<<endif>>

[>img[./img/werewolf_a.png]]\n\n<html><h2>Werewolf</h2></html>\n\n''Threat:'' High\n\n''Power:'' Medium\n\n''Rarity:'' Common\n\n''Native plane:'' Pandemonium\n\n''Habitat:'' Nearly anything, common near human settlements\n\nThe most common of lycanthropes, the werewolves are a common problem that many human settlements have to face. Travelling in relatively large packs and targeting lone travellers or small groups of humans, they tend to bolster their ranks swiftly if not dealt with.\n\nThe werewolves possess a strong pack mentality with an alpha typically leading the pack. They are perhaps the most primitive of lycanthropes, seldom wearing clothing of any sort at all and rarely making an attempt to communicate with anything but howls. However, they still retain a deceptive amount of their human intelligence and cunning.\n\nOut of all lycanthropes, the werewolves have the strongest urge to spread their curse, but the progression of the curse is slower than that of most other lycanthropes. There have been recorded cases of the infection being reversed even a good eight hours after the initial infection, though it should be noted that the curse is especially potent and fast to spread on nights of full moon.\n\nThe werewolves are rough and physically strong, the infected individuals rapidly gaining muscle strength until the infection's ran its full course. They typically feast on animals, often assaulting grazing sheep and farm animals when there's not enough food otherwise. Still, they're fiercely protective of their pack and avoid any conflicts where one of their own might die, and as such, werewolves attacking actual human settlements directly is rare.\n\n<<back>><<if $scribbles>>@@color:firebrick;\n\nThere have always been werewolf problems near Stonemoor. Since they're quite strong and always travel in packs, it's not easy to deal with them. You'd need a small force of well-equipped men to deal with a werewolf pack, but the werewolves are careful and move faster.\n\nThey actually avoid humans, though. They know they can't help but to infect them if they see them, so most of them avoid them. Some individuals are nastier, and they sometimes attack farms when hungry enough, but...@@<<endif>>

While there are many creatures in this book that are more or less associated with nature, in this section are listed the ones that are fundementally bound to vegetation or fungi.\n\n* [[Alraune]]\n* [[Dryad]]\n* [[Leshy]]\n\n<<back>><<if $scribbles>>@@color:firebrick;\n\nMr. Combs, the inn owner, complained to us last night for making too much noise during our magic practice. Sorry, Mr. Combs. It will happen again.@@<<endif>>

It is appropriate to start the book by explaining the nature of Pandemonium itself. This is, however, neither a book of history nor a book of geography; due to the nature of the plane, explaining either in any sufficient detail would take at least an additional book or two. As such, I will only tell the very basics of both.\n\nThe Pandemonium is the Plane of Change, also known as the Plane of Chaos by some. By its nature, it's the most changing and mutable of all planes, its essence least bound to the laws of nature. The majority of the plane is extremely malleable and chaotic; a forest at one time might be a mountain or a gateway to Abyss some other time, shaped perhaps by random chance, perhaps the Deity's divine will, perhaps, unwittingly, the inhabitants of the region. These regions are also the most dangerous ones. No maps exist for the obvious reasons, and one might encounter just about anything, even things never encountered before by any human. A newcomer arriving to such an area is unlikely to keep their self for long.\n\nA large portion of our plane, however, is more static. Signs point that such static regions have been shaped by some great will in the past, forged out of the malleable essence of the plane and stuck into the form given to it; the Great Underground where An-Nador lies is one example of such an area, having remained relatively unchanging for thousands of years. Humans tend to build their cities and communities in such regions, and as such, they're the safest for newcomers to live in as well.\n\nPandemonium is, perhaps, the most cosmopolitan of [[the Planes|The Planes]]. Due to its chaotic, fluctuating nature, gateways and rifts from other plans spring into existence out of nowhere, often an unpleasant surprise to both the creatures suddenly arriving here and to the creatures already living here. The gateways are semi-permanent, usually existing for long periods of time; the rifts only lats a couple of seconds, only enough to shunt a person from another plane to Pandemonium.\n\nOut of all the Planes, the most closely aligned ones are [[Arcadia]] and [[Abyss]], the Planes of the [[fey|Fey]] and the [[demons|Demons]], respectively. Permanent gateways to both words are common, and travel between them and Pandemonium is frequent. If you are from the the [[Still Plane|The Still Plane]], dear reader, I have some bad news: no known gateways or reliable methods of travelling to the Still Plane are known to exist. As such, if you've arrived from there, it's extremely unlikely for you to ever find your way back.\n\nThe history of Pandemonium is murky, much of it lost in the chaos. The name of the plane itself is inaccurate, at least when looking into the current state of it; while the name itself refers to demons, no demons are native to the plane. It's speculated that the first humans to reach the plane encountered some and simply assumed the plane was the home of demons, or perhaps a part of Abyss; some claim that demons were the original inhabitants of the plane, before they were chased off by some mysterious force. Whatever the case, demons are still relatively common to Pandemonium due to the proximity of Abyss, albeit far from an everyday sight.\n\nThe societies, laws, city-states, peoples and traditions of Pandemonium are about as varied as you might expect. It is the author's hope that copies of this book will reach even the most distant regions of Pandemonium; as such, detailing any individual societies would be a waste of effort. Instead, the book will focus on the general traits of various creatures one might find on the plane.\n\nA common trait shared by nearly all Pandemonium native creatures is their instinct - and indeed, need - to transform other creatures for the purpose of procreation. For most creatures, this is limited to humans, making them a precious resource amongst the various native races of Pandemonium. While races of other planes (with the sole exception of the Still Plane) also often have transformative capabilities, only creatures of Pandemonium have the express need to do so.\n\nLike with all [[deities|The Deities]], the Deity of Pandemonium's nature is unknown, though proof of their existence is plain as day. She is traditionally seen as a female in art and folklore, and as such, feminine pronouns are used when talking about her.\n\n<<back>><<if $scribbles>>@@color:firebrick;\n\nHome sweet home. But, wow. He wrote a survival guide to people from the Still and completely neglected to tell anything about peoples' attitudes towards them, their treatment in society, anything? He's either ignorand and sheltered or flat-out malicious.\n\nLook, hypothetical-person-from-Still: don't trust anyone here. Monsters aren't as dangerous as the people can be. Everyone thinks for themselves first, their immediate society second, and nobody gives a crap about outsiders. I'll elaborate on this once we get to the part where the author tells about humans...@@<<endif>>

[>img[./img/bee_a.png]]\n\n<html><h2>Bee (Worker)</h2></html>\n\n''Threat:'' High\n\n''Power:'' Low\n\n''Rarity:'' Common\n\n''Native plane:'' Pandemonium\n\n''Habitat:'' Any region with a steady supply of available nectar\n\nOne of the most common pests in Pandemonium, the bees are a constant problem for many small communities, and in some extreme cases, responsible for wiping them out entirely.\n\nWorking under a racial mind, the bees of one hive all instinctually sense the thoughts of the others. Whether or not they're even individuals is difficult to say. A bee will single-mindedly work for the good of their hive, exhibiting no particular wants or needs of their own. They will, almost without exception, either be collecting nectar, making honey from the nectar, guarding their hive and seeking for more humans to convert.\n\nThe hive is always based around a single [[queen|Queen bee]] with an apparent absolute authority, though it's unknown how much true individuality even the queen has. The queen is an integral part of the procreation process of the bees: the worker bees paralyse victims with their stingers, bring them to their queen, and the queen will lay them as eggs within the hive. Within them, they slowly transform into new worker bees.\n\nWhen establishing a new hive, or when the old queen is slain, a new one is created by the remaining workers. The exact isn't well-known, though it involves a specific type of honey called royal jelly.\n\n<<back>><<if $scribbles>>@@color:firebrick;\n\nTheir stinger looks scary, but they can't really effectively fight with it. If you do get stung, though, I wish you the best of luck. It'll numb your whole body, and when you can't move, they'll just carry you off.\n\nTheir honey is really delicious, though. It's a shame you can't really negotiate with the bees, or there'd be plenty of trading to be done.@@<<endif>>

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Elysium. The Blessed Fields. The Plane of the [[Host|Angels]].\n\nKnown as some by 'the paradise', Elysium is the home of the celestial host, the angels. The angels permit no-one but them to ever visit their plane, and the ones that have forced they way in have never returned; as such, little is known about the plane itself.\n\nMetaphysically, Elysium is considered to be 'far' from [[Pandemonium]]. Travel between the planes is possible but extremely difficult, and as such, angels are a very rare sight within Pandemonium.\n\nThe angels themselves describe their world as endless fields with golden cities, a description that has sparked the common idea of Elysium being a paradise. The angels are, however, notoriously tightly lipped, and little else is known about its geography, natural laws or such.\n\nMostly everyone from the Still Plane seems to have an idea of angels being beings of pure altruism, a notion shared by many inhabitants of Pandemonium as well. The reality of the matter, however, is more complex, and a subject of much debate.\n\nThe angels do not appear to have a free will the same way other creatures do. As an individual is transformed into an angel, they're 'chained' to the will of their plane - or perhaps the will of their deity - their entire [[soul|The Soul]] apparently written over by the Elysian Light. It's commonly understood that the angels do not believe in free will the same way other races do, perhaps even believing it to be [[Abyssal|Abyss]] in origin, a taint that must be eliminated: as such, the outright stated goal of Elysium is to fill every living being in the Planes with the Elysian Light, assimilating them into the celestial hierarchy.\n\nAs such, it becomes hard to judge whether or not the angels are benevolent or not. The occasional angel that wanders onto Pandemononium is often seen assisting others, healing the sick and helping in every way they can; however, if able, they will turn others to one of their kind no matter how much it's protested. Perhaps, from their point of view, it's a kindness; many disagree.\n\nThe only beings the angels do not even attempt to 'purify' are the [[demons|Demons]]. Perhaps it is impossible to. Whatever the case, whenever the members of the two races meet, a clash is inevitable, the angel always trying to destroy the demon by the best means available.\n\nWhile it seems that demons are immune to the Elysian Light, the opposite doesn't seem to hold true: demons appear to be perfectly capable of corrupting angels, leading into an entirely [[different kind of a being|Angels (fallen)]].\n\n<<back>><<if $scribbles>>@@color:firebrick;\n\nThe hogwash about 'paradise' is just the stories they spread. Nobody but the angels have seen it, and why would they tell you the truth? Never trust an angel.@@<<endif>>

[>img[./img/djinni_a.png]]\n\n<html><h2>Djinni</h2></html>\n\n''Threat:'' Usually none\n\n''Power:'' Extreme\n\n''Rarity:'' Rare\n\n''Native plane:'' Unknown\n\n''Habitat:'' Windy aboveground regions\n\nOne of the least understood creatures on Pandemonium, the djinni are also amongst the most powerful. They are not natives to any known plane, and they are notoriously elusive and hard to study.\n\nThe djinni are in some way tied to the elemental force of air, manipulating it at will and thriving in windy regions (or, perhaps, making the regions windy themselves.) They are practically never hostile and seem to actively avoid humans, though most likely not out of fear: every single djinni appears to possess powers to alter reality itself, a feat unlike the magical abilities of any other known creature.\n\nThe djinni rarely have any interest in communicating with humans, and every known djinni has refused to speculate on their racial origins. They seem to be solitary creatures, never associating with each other. The transformative process djinni use to create new ones is poorly understood, likely related to their reality-warping powers.\n\nOn a few known occasions through the history, a mage has managed to bind a djinni to their service. The art of doing so has either been lost to history, or it a very well kept secret. According to the texts, even a bound djinni does not blindly obey their master, and the master must abide by very specific rules when commanding the creature.\n\n<<back>><<if $scribbles>>@@color:firebrick;\n\nWell, I can say I haven't even heard of them existing. First thing I've learned from this dumb book.@@<<endif>>

As I have mentioned in my introduction, this section of the handbook will be devoted to explaining some fundemental concepts, primarily ones an inhabitant of the [[Still Plane|The Still Plane]] might not be acquintanced with. As such, if you are a native of our fair plane or otherwise a veteran of planar travel and metaphysics involved, you are free to skip this section without missing anything of importance.\n\n* [[Pandemonium]]\n* [[The Planes]]\n* [[The Deities]]\n* [[The Soul]]\n\n<<back>><<if $scribbles>>@@color:firebrick;\n\nYou know, the margins of these pages are really wide. They make the whole page look empty if they aren't filled. I haven't got anything to say here, so I'll just scribble something nonsensical.@@<<endif>>

The deities exist. There's - fairly reasonable - scepticism regarding this fact amongst the uninformed, but the proof of a divine will can be found from any plane, and indeed, amongst the inhabitants of both [[Elysium]] and [[Abyss]] there is no doubt.\n\nAs for their names, what they look like, whether or not they're physical or spiritual beings, what their purpose is, what they are responsible of, whether they're malicious or benevolent, or anything else: unknown. It is, however, understood that each plane has a single deity governing over them, though what the governing involves, nobody can say.\n\nEach of those deities has a thousand names and appearances given by the inhabitants of the planes and their worshippers. For clarity's sake, scholars have settled upon calling them simply by the plane they're located in: the Deity of Abyss, the Deity of Pandemonium, such.\n\nIn poetry and art, the deities of Pandemonium and Arcadia are presented as female, while the deities of Elysium and Abyss are presented as male. This should not be taken as a reflection of their true gender, if they indeed have one.\n\nThe author wishes to clear a misunderstanding some people from the Still Plane seem to have: while the deities of planes do have worshippers, worshipping them is rare. More commonly, the targets of worship are merely powerful individual creatures, either material or spiritual; while they might be called gods by some, most others would dispute that status.\n\nA related concept but perhaps undeserving of its own chapter, is the Divine Spark; a quantifiable, measurable 'spark' of energy only present in sites and object affected by divine will, and in several notable living creatures in the known history; the author believes this to be the clearest proof of the existence of deities.\n\n<<back>><<if $scribbles>>@@color:firebrick;\n\nThe author's a true believer, huh? I haven't seen a deity, so I wouldn't be so quick to claim they exist. To be fair, I don't particularly care.@@<<endif>>

[>img[./img/fairy_a.png]]\n\n<html><h2>Fairy</h2></html>\n\n''Threat:'' Low to medium\n\n''Power:'' Low\n\n''Rarity:'' Common\n\n''Native plane:'' Arcadia\n\n''Habitat:'' Anywhere, but usually far from large congestions of humans\n\nThe most common type of fey - at least on Pandemonium - fairies are a very common sight once a traveller gets sufficiently far away from large settlements.\n\nThere's a seemingly endless amount of subtypes amongst the fairies, different fairies apparently manifesting different natural phenomenons. Fairies of sunlight, rain, flowers and even poison exist, and one could write an entire series of books about the different varities - indeed, a collague of the author's is on a journey to write one at the very moment. This book, however, will focus on traits that are common amongst most or all types of fairies.\n\nThe most mischievous of fey, fairies are pranksters by nature and are a source of headache to many travellers, often finding themselves tricked by enchantments or illusions. Competetive and playful, they often trick or force humans to engage in games of luck or skill with them. A shrewd traveller who's allowed to pick the nature competition should challenge them to a battle of wits: the fairies, while quite good at tricking others, are weak against such tactics themselves.\n\nAn individual fairy only has enough magic power to confuse the mind, but several of them together are capable of more powerful magic, including transformative kind. Most fairies do not seem to think there's anything wrong about transforming humans, and a bored enough group of fairies may very well turn a traveller into their playmate, or even something completely different. Children especially are in danger, fairies usually treating them as kindred spirits and thinking nothing of spiriting them away, even back to their home plane. As such, every child in Pandemonium is taught to be especially careful of fairies.\n\n<<back>><<if $scribbles>>@@color:firebrick;\n\nYeesh. Fairy pranks are some of the most common tasks we get hired for. A lot of the times, they're pretty harmless, but there are exceptions. A tanner's daughter had been turned into a squirrel by some fairies, it took us a full week to find her and have her turned back. At least it was reversible, this time...@@<<endif>>

[>img[./img/cherub_a.png]]\n\n<html><h2>Cherub</h2></html>\n\n''Threat:'' None to medium\n\n''Power:'' Low\n\n''Rarity:'' Rare\n\n''Native plane:'' Elysium\n\n''Habitat:'' No known habitat\n\nThe lowest ranked angels in the Celestial Host, the cherubs are the ones most tightly bound by the Elysian Light. The servant class of [[Elysium]], cherubs are exemplars of the angelic virtue of //obedience//, finding the greatest joy in serving their superiors.\n\nBy far the most common of the angelkind, it's estimated at least half (if not far more) of Elysium's population is cherubs, though these kinds of estimates are guesswork at best. \n\nA cherub is created simply by filling an individual's soul with strong enough Elysian Light to bind them into their servitude. As such, they're the easiest angels to create, requiring only brute force from a strong angel or multiple weaker ones. The process will eradicate most of the victim's memories and personality, to a much greater extent than with other types angels.\n\nA lone cherub is entirely harmless. The Light binds them strongly, but their capacity to use it is only strong enough for healing minor wounds, far from enough to transform an individual into an angel. As cherubs are altruistic and eager to please, encountering a lone cherub is often a blessing. They've been known to heal the wounded, help lost travellers and even save people from demon attacks.\n\nA larger group, however, is a genuine threat. A pack of cherubs is a rare sight, but if sighted, immediate escape is recommended: if possible, their primary goal will always be to convert others into the same servitude that binds them.\n\nWithin the Celestial Host, the cherubs are the basic footsoldiers. Commonly used to combat demonic incursions, they often overwhelm their opponents en masse.\n\n<<back>><<if $scribbles>>@@color:firebrick;\n\nThey're kinda weird and doll-like. If all their thoughts and desires come from their stupid Light, so I suppose that's expected.@@<<endif>>

[>img[./img/nixie_a.png]]\n\n<html><h2>Nixie</h2></html>\n\n''Threat:'' Medium\n\n''Power:'' Medium\n\n''Rarity:'' Rare\n\n''Native plane:'' Arcadia\n\n''Habitat:'' Small sources of fresh water, such as ponds or springs.\n\nA type of fey that dwells in water, nixies are a rare sight on Pandemonium, though far from unheard of. Living solely in ponds, springs, small rivers and similar sources of fresh water, the nixies are able to leave them though they seldom do so.\n\nNixies are somewhat more malicious than most other kinds of fey: fond of pranks like many others, the pranks nixies play often have a cruel quality to them. Capable of relatively powerful magic, they're especially apt in creating illusions, often employed to trick a human into walking straight into danger. Due to their powers and the enjoyment they find in their misdeeds, other fey often ask nixies to avenge some slight done to them.\n\nStill, nixies should not be considered entirely wicked. Nixies are fond of honesty and bravery, and an individual who proves themselves to them may very well find themselves being ignored or even helped by them.\n\nA human drinking water from a source of water nixies dwell within will turn into a nixie themselves. This fact is often exploited by the nixies themselves in their pranks.\n\n<<back>><<if $scribbles>>@@color:firebrick;\n\nThere's probably a nixie in the woods. The other fey have implied so. Might be responsible of at least one disappearance that happened recently.@@<<endif>>

[>img[./img/undine_a.png]]\n\n<html><h2>Undine</h2></html>\n\n''Threat:'' Medium\n\n''Power:'' Medium\n\n''Rarity:'' Uncommon\n\n''Native plane:'' Pandemonium\n\n''Habitat:'' Any source of fresh water\n\nA fresh water only creature, undines are associated with the elemental magic of water, and are mostly composed of it themselves. They are infamously difficult to notice, their victims usually unaware of their presence until it's too late.\n\nUndines can transform virtually their entire body into water, barely noticable as a slight discolouration within a lake surface or the bottom of a river. A person immersing themselves into a source of water with an undine inside of it will slowly begin losing their memories and finding themselves strangely unwilling to return to land; unless the person expects undine to be nearby, they may soon be devoid of their memories altogether.\n\nOnce the victim is free of memories - and fear - the undine will materialise and begin transforming their victim, slowly caressing them and turning their flesh into aquous matter. The process may be interrupted, but the memories lost are impossible to regain.\n\nA newly turned undine appears passive and inert, meekly obeying their creators. In time, they develop new personalities to replace their old, and in cases of small water sources, migrate to new ones.\n\n<<back>><<if $scribbles>>@@color:firebrick;\n\nUndine are responsible of some really weird disappearances. Since they can take the form of water, the culprits and the victims are often nowhere to be found. They're pretty simple to defeat when found, though. You disturb the water they're in enough and they're forced to take a form. Stir it with a stick, for example. Or a sword.@@<<endif>>

[>img[./img/rusalka_a.png]]\n\n<html><h2>Rusalka</h2></html>\n\n''Threat:'' High\n\n''Power:'' Medium\n\n''Rarity:'' Rare\n\n''Native plane:'' Pandemonium\n\n''Habitat:'' Typically freshwater lakes\n\nSimilar in appearance to the [[mermaids|Mermaid]], the rusalka are however primarily dwellers of freshwater rather than oceans. Unlike mermaids, they can also traverse on land, using minor magics to turn their tail into legs.\n\nWhere mermaids can be dangerous to encounter if they are hunting for daughters, the rusalka will always spell bad news for an unwary traveller. Selfish and cruel, they take pleasure in manipulating others and binding them to their will, often simply out of malice.\n\nThe rusalka can't sing the same way mermaids do, but their voice itself has a certain hypnotic quality to it. Their speech and laughter swiftly disarm those who listen to them, and careless individuals might find themselves being drawn to the rusalka's location merely from listening to their laughter or shouts.\n\nThe kiss of a rusalka will steal a person's will away, causing them to fall deeply in love with the rusalka and obeying their requests without a question. A typical rusalka will first draw their prey near with their voice before stealing their lips.\n\nThe rusalka are only said to be able to transform another into one of them once a decade. Whether this is true or not, it's been observed that they're especially selective about whom to turn. Often, a rusalka will collect a small harem of slaves around themselves, before transforming the one they deem the best into another rusalka. \n\n<<back>><<if $scribbles>>@@color:firebrick;\n\nThe rusalka aren't afraid to sacrifice their slaves when defending themselves. The drooling, love-struck maniacs are just eager to throw themselves against the swords of those that might disrupt their mistress. A lone rusalka isn't actually so bad, but if enough idiots fall under their sway...@@<<endif>>

[>img[./img/draugr_a.png]]\n\n<html><h2>Draugr</h2></html>\n\n''Threat:'' Low\n\n''Power:'' Medium\n\n''Rarity:'' Uncommon\n\n''Native plane:'' Unknown\n\n''Habitat:'' Anywhere reasonably away from human civilisations, old tombs.\n\nDraugr are sentient undead creatures, traditionally created to guard tombs and vaults. Requiring relatively powerful necromatic magic to create, draugr are fairly uncommon, though a much more usual sight than most undead.\n\nDraugr are intelligent and typically reasonably able to resist the bloodlust affecting many other undead creatures. As such, they can be encountered in more tolerant human societies, though they never permanently reside in them; there's only so much they can do to hold back their instincts.\n\nOriginally, the magics to crate draugr were devised for the purpose of using them as guardians for tombs. They neither age nor require sustenance, and as such, are perfectly able to protect tombs against robbers even centuries to the future. A related ritual to force a draugr into obedience exists, giving them few specific guidelines they must obey.\n\nEnough draugr have broken free from forced servitude for them to be considered an independent race of their own, however. Usually living amongst their own, they're civilised and relatively peaceful. They feast solely on living flesh, most often animal, though they do so out of pleasure rather than neccessity.\n\nDraugr possess neither the urge nor an innate ability to create more of their own. However, a number of necromantic artifacts capable of doing it have been passed down amongst their communities, as have items that enforce the servitude of newly created draugr. These are known to have been used as a punishment for hunters and thieves targeting their communities.\n\n<<back>><<if $scribbles>>@@color:firebrick;\n\nA lot of people are really afraid of them and disturbed by them, but I find them kinda nice. They might not breathe or have any body heat and they might eat raw, bloody flesh, but they're a great bunch. Sometimes, I wonder if I'd prefer their company to humans'.@@<<endif>>

[>img[./img/yuan-ti_a.png]]\n\n<html><h2>Yuan-ti</h2></html>\n\n''Threat:'' High\n\n''Power:'' Low\n\n''Rarity:'' Uncommon\n\n''Native plane:'' Pandemonium\n\n''Habitat:'' Primarily jungles\n\nServants of the snake spirit Merrshaulk, the yuan-ti are a cult as much as a race. The majority of their kind live in deep, snake-filled jungles where they've built their temples, but disguised yuan-ti have been known to infiltrate other societies while spreading their religion and converting new followers.\n\nThe yuan-ti are agile and possess a venomous bite, but do not have an innate ability to turn others to their kind. For this purpose, they use a specific kind of a snake venom enhanced with their magics: common in their home jungles, but hard to acquire elsewhere. Due to this, yuan-ti in foreign lands tend to be careful about whom to fully convert into their ranks and whom to merely use as a pawn. The diluted blood of the yuan-ti themselves is often fed to human cultists, giving them very minor reptilian features and ensuring their obedience.\n\nThe dogma of their supposed god calls for the subjugation or destruction of all other sentient races. As such, known yuan-ti are killed on sight in virtually all civilised societies. \n\n<<back>><<if $scribbles>>@@color:firebrick;\n\nAnd here's another kind of cult you have to be careful about. They tried infiltrating the town a few years ago. Me and Karen exposed them, and saved the Mr. Combs' son. That's why we have permanent lodgings at his inn now.@@<<endif>>

This section will focus solely on creatures one can only encounter within or near sources of water. A traveller is encouraged to give it a close lookover if they are to travel on oceans, rivers or lakes, or they might find their land-dwelling days over faster than they expected.\n\n* [[Mermaid]]\n* [[Rusalka]]\n* [[Undine]]\n\n<<back>><<if $scribbles>>@@color:firebrick;\n\nThe ocean's far away from here. Almost three weeks by the horse. I've only been there once, as a girl. Back then, it was closer. Pandemonium shifts.@@<<endif>>

[>img[./img/vampirespawn_a.png]]\n\n<html><h2>Vampire (spawn)</h2></html>\n\n''Threat:'' Medium\n\n''Power:'' Low\n\n''Rarity:'' Rare\n\n''Native plane:'' Unknown\n\n''Habitat:'' Wherever their lords are\n\nVampire spawns, or lesser vampires, are humans or other creatures who've been drained dry by a [[vampire|Vampire]] and then risen up again to serve them in undeath. Completely subservient to the vampire lord that created them, they still possess the need and thirst for blood that their masters do.\n\nVampire spawn do not possess the magical or hypnotic powers of the true vampires, but they have the same capability to create vampire spawn. As such, vampirism can spread very fast indeed if the vampire lord does not control their minions.\n\n<<back>><<if $scribbles>>@@color:firebrick;\n\nKind of a sad state to be in, huh? These things can be really dangerous if their master is slain, though. They're just predators then. Smart enough to keep out of sight, but they're kind of less restrained proper vampires. @@<<endif>>

[>img[./img/doll_a.png]]\n\n<html><h2>Doll</h2></html>\n\n''Threat:'' High to extreme\n\n''Power:'' Medium\n\n''Rarity:'' Rare\n\n''Native plane:'' Regulus (most likely)\n\n''Habitat:'' No known habitat\n\nA very recently discovered type of a golem, one more lithe, agile and clearly malicious. As little is known about the golems to begin with, there's some that dispute them being golems at all.\n\nUnlike golems who are mostly inert, every one of the dolls seems to be driven by a single, malicious purpose: the creation of more of their kind. In several seperate occasions, these dolls have seen attacking humans and injecting them with a some manner of a poison from their fingers; poison that turns the victim into a doll very much like them, but unmoving and completely inactive.\n\nIn most cases, the dolls have proceeded to carry their victims off after the attack, but in at least one, they were dispatched of and the victim recovered. The condition, however, seemed to be incurable, despite the souls of the victims still remaining in their new bodies. It is likely that the newly created dolls need to be 'finished' somewhere else entirely.\n\nNobody has succeeded at communicating with one of their kind, and it's unknown whether they're independent creatures or servants of some other beings. They have been observed to attack humans on sight, and they seem to be intelligent enough to co-operate and perform swift attacks and retreats.\n\nIf their ranks are allowed to swell, the dolls might become an extreme threat to Pandemonium as a whole, being strong, coordinated and quick to transform others.\n\n<<back>><<if $scribbles>>@@color:firebrick;\n\nI heard rumours of these a year ago. It seems the sightings have continued since then, but they're so rare that most people won't care. Let's be fair, most people don't care about things that they don't imagine would affect them.@@<<endif>>

Lycanthropes are considered to be a subcategory of the [[animalkind|Animalkind]] by some, but in this book, the author has decided to make a clear distinction between them.\n\nLycanthropes all share a few common traits. They all carry a curse, lycanthrophy, transmitted via bodily fluids, typically a bite, that transforms the victim into one of their kind. All of them are unable to tolerate the presence of a poisonous plant called //wolfsbane//, which also serves as a cure for early stages of the infection. They are all very vulnerable to silver, mere contact with it burning their flesh. Furthermore, all of them are primarily driven by their instinct to spread their curse.\n\n* [[Werecat]]\n* [[Weremouse]]\n* [[Werewolf]]\n\n<<back>><<if $scribbles>>@@color:firebrick;\n\nThere's honestly little reason not to carry wolfsbane with you. Just go gather some in the wild or buy it from the markets. It needs to be FRESH to work, though! A day or two old, tops! Too many people have fallen victims to lycanthrophy because they relied on some old, dried herbs.\n\nIt does make you feel really ill, though. Not nice.@@<<endif>>

The Still Plane. Earth. The Plane of [[Humans|Human]].\n\nUnderstood to be the plane of origin for the entire human race, the Still Plane has been strangely 'locked away' from the rest of [[the Planes|The Planes]] for as long as the history remembers. Only the oldest, and the newest, texts make any mention of it at all.\n\nWhile this book is primarily aimed at readers from the Still Plane, the bulk of my readership will still be Pandemonium native. As such, I will compile the confirmed knowledge about it here.\n\nThe only sentient race on the Still Plane appears to be humans, and as such, it's the only place with only a single sentient kind of a creature. The technology level of the Still Plane appears to be far above that of Pandemonium's, as proven by several artifacts brought here by its natives; the knowledge of magic, however, has been lost, and even the concept of soul is purely theoretical over there at best.\n\nThe old texts describe the world of the humans as the Still Plane, as it's the plane where the least amount of change seems to happen; procreation is purely biological and transmutation of any sort nonexistent. As such, it could be considered the opposite of Pandemonium, as the least mutable of all planes.\n\nIt seems that travel between the Still Plane and other planes used to be possible, even relatively easy: during this time, humans of the Still Plane populated other planes, at least Pandemonium, and even the author himself is most likely descended from such emigrants. However, due to some unknown factor, the rifts between them ceased appearing and all the gateways were shut down.\n\nThe Still Plane is commonly described as being metaphysically 'far' from Pandemonium. Another theory is that it's quite near, but locked down by some force or effect. Whatever the case, the travel seems to have become possible again, and getting easier year by year; some say it's because the planes are getting closer again, some say the force locking Still Plane down is weakening.\n\nAs the Still Plane humans have little natural resistances or magics against the transformative effects of creatures of other planes, the results of this sudden ease of travel might prove to be disastrous for the Still Plane. If it truly opens up, it could soon become a battlefield of various creatures seeking to procreate and bolster their ranks, of [[angels|Angels]] trying to fill the ranks of their Host, of [[pixie|Pixie]] princes seeking easy concubines... it is this author's hope that a copy of this book will reach the Still Plane before anything catches them unawares.\n\n<<back>><<if $scribbles>>@@color:firebrick;\n\n'The Still Plane?' Everyone just calls it the Still. What a bother to say the whole thing.\n\nI don't think the author puts enough emphasis on the most important fact here: __you aren't getting back.__ Nobody's ever even heard of a way to travel from Pandemonium to the Still. Where does that leave you? Probably as a slave or monster bait, unless you're exceptionally smart and lucky. Pandemonium isn't a good place to be for Stills.@@<<endif>>

[>img[./img/ghoul_a.png]]\n\n<html><h2>Ghoul</h2></html>\n\n''Threat:'' High\n\n''Power:'' Medium\n\n''Rarity:'' Uncommon\n\n''Native plane:'' Unknown\n\n''Habitat:'' Tombs, graveyards\n\nVictims of a particularly nasty sort of a curse, the ghouls are insane, flesh-hungry undead. Typically concerned with very little but the consumption of flesh, living or dead, they stalk graveyards and human settlements, feasting on corpses and the occasional living person. Their claws are coated in a paralysing poison. Even a single scratch may render a trained warrior helpess.\n\nAnimal-like and mostly unintelligent when created, a ghoul may obtain a modicum of intelligence if they survive long enough. As they do, they invariably also develop sadistic qualities, torturing their victims before dining on them. Ghouls sightings are taked seriously in most societies, with new ghouls hunted down fast before they can spread their curse or become truly dangerous.\n\nAn individual wounded by a ghoul risks exposure to the curse, especially if bitten. The victim will gain a high fever, and approximately a day later, they'll rise as a new ghoul. Some necromancers are also able to create ghouls, though they require exceptional strength to control due to their massive hunger. It has also been confirmed that people participating in cannibalism may sometimes turn into ghouls, for reasons unknown.\n\n<<back>><<if $scribbles>>@@color:firebrick;\n\nThere was a bit of a disaster with ghouls here a few years back. Probably about thirty people got infected, all had to be put down. Since then, it's been mostly quiet, with only an occasional ghoul here and there. Like the one who killed the poor lad I got this book off of.@@<<endif>>

[>img[./img/slime_a.png]]\n\n<html><h2>Slime</h2></html>\n\n''Threat:'' Medium\n\n''Power:'' Low\n\n''Rarity:'' Common\n\n''Native plane:'' Pandemonium\n\n''Habitat:'' Wet places, underground\n\nIf the author were writing a more elaborate, complete work, the slimes would be an entire category of their own, rather than a single entry labeled under miscellaneous. However, the author believes the different kinds of slimes to be similar enough that the basics mentioned here should apply to all of their kind.\n\nThe slimes are varyingly sentient creatures of amorphous matter, typically acidic. Most of their kind take a humanoid appearance when active, but exceptions exist. Some retain the humanoid shape constantly, some never assume one at all. The shape is often the same as the creature's from which the ooze was made from, but almost as often not. The colony ooze, pictured on this page for example, assumes the personality and appearance of the original victim, and transforms every further victim into clones of the first one, both mentally and physically.\n\nThe oozes tend to have no specific anatomy, and as such, they're exceedingly hard to fully defeat, being able to split and rejoin at will. They feed by covering their prey with themselves, melting it down into nutrients. However, in case of a transferrable victim, they typically refrain from melting them down, but instead initiating a transformation process of some sort. Different subtypes do this differently, some by directly transforming flesh into ooze via contact, some by means of an infection or even magic.\n\nSlimes do not communicate, and even the most intelligent types seem to hold feasting and procreation as their only considerations. A traveller is recommended to run, as slimes are not known for their speed.\n\n<<back>><<if $scribbles>>@@color:firebrick;\n\nThey're pretty common. The swamp's full of them. They don't wander outside of it, since they like the moisture. And nobody's dumb enough to go to the swamp, so they're not a problem.\n\nThere are a lot of kinds, though. Some of them don't need moisture. There was a case of some type of a slime coming up from the town well and transforming a few poor townsfolk. We chased them all back to the well and sealed it.@@<<endif>>

Angels are affected by [[demonic|Demons]] corruption in very much the same way as mortals, though with perhaps even more extreme effects: purging the Elysian Light that binds their souls to the will of [[Elysium]], the angels will suddenly find themselves with a newfound free will, often with unpleasant results.\n\nDifferent types of angels and different individuals amongst them react to the fall differently: typically, the personality traits of the original mortal, from before they were transformed into an angel, will return, perhaps even stronger than they ever were. Individuals that were originally strong-willed will typically find pleasure in their new forms, and they are able to use their newfound angelic and demonic traits to their great advantage; weaker-willed individuals will find it hard or impossible to deal with their sudden surge of free will, and let their nastiest demonic traits control them completely.\n\nAs such, fallen angels can be unpredictable and dangerous, though some of them can be reasoned or bargained with. It's important to note that fallen angels are merely another type of demons; as such, everything that applies to demons will apply to them as well.\n\nFallen angels are rare to the extreme. Even regular ones are an unusual sight on Pandemonium, and typically when an angel falls, they're immediately destroyed by their former allies.\n\n* [[Fallen cherub]]\n* [[Fallen cupid]]\n* [[Fallen seraph]]\n\n<<back>><<if $scribbles>>@@color:firebrick;\n\nI don't like any kinds of demons. But most of them are way nicer and more pleasant to deal with than the fallen angels.@@<<endif>>

[>img[./img/seraph_a.png]]\n\n<html><h2>Seraph</h2></html>\n\n''Threat:'' High\n\n''Power:'' High\n\n''Rarity:'' Very rare\n\n''Native plane:'' Elysium\n\n''Habitat:'' No known habitat\n\nThe primary soldiers of the Celestial Host, seraphs are an extremely rare sight on Pandemonium, most likely due to their apparent difficulty of moving between worlds. \n\nThe seraphs are exemplars of the angelic virtue of //duty//, their existence dedicated solely to furthering the goals of the Host. Most seraphs dedicate their existence to fighting demons, taking their own life if they risk getting too corrupted. The rare few that manage to get on Pandemonium will quickly start binding others to the Light, bolstering the ranks of Elysium. As such, one should not expect the same helpfulness from seraphs as one might get from the lesser angels: their only concern is fighting for the Light.\n\nA seraph is sufficiently powerful to convert an individual with a brief contact, filling them with Light. Due to this, they're extremely difficult to fight with traditional means.\n\nAll seraphs are volunteers with a strong enough will to become one. Thus, certain angel-worshipping cults or individuals with especial hatred towards demons are viable targets to be converted to a seraph. Yet, even then, only some manage to make it, the rest usually turning into cherubs instead.\n\n<<back>><<if $scribbles>>@@color:firebrick;\n\nThese are the things the angelic cults actually try to summon. They basically never succeed at it, getting lesser ones instead. If they do, though...@@<<endif>>

Regulus. Nirvana. The Plane of [[Golems]].\n\nRegulus, as it's commonly understood, is a complex plane of interlocking structures, built from various geometric shapes. As very, very little travel between [[Pandemonium]] and Regulus exists, this description is hard to confirm: it might just be a poetic one.\n\nMetaphysically, Regulus is considered to be 'far' from Pandemonium. No known method of getting to Regulus from Pandemonium exists. However, some inhabitants of Regulus have travelled to [[Pandemonium]] and back, implying that it's perfectly possible.\n\nIt's understood that the level of technology on Regulus is far above that on Pandemonium, perhaps above the level of even the Still Plane. Sentient mechanical constructs originating from Regulus have been sighted on Pandemonium, and their art of manipulating the soul and the consciousness, switching them from container to container is second to none.\n\nIt's not known if he inhabitants of Regulus are [[human|Human]] or not; the flesh and blood travellers from Regulus are, at the very least, indistinguishable from them.\n\nAll known Regulus natives appear to have more or less sinister motives and a disregard for common morals when they travel Pandemonium. As such, it's wise to be wary of them. However, it might not be apparent when you meet one.\n\n<<back>><<if $scribbles>>@@color:firebrick;\n\nI bought a flute from the markets a week ago, but I still haven't managed to get a sound out of it. Is it broken? Did I get scammed? What a bother...@@<<endif>>

The Planes are the favourite subject of research for young scholars, and even some older ones. As far as it's known, an almost infinite number of them might exist, but as far as actual evidence goes, only seven have been both named and confirmed to exist. The previous chapter already described [[Pandemonium]] in detail; this one shall provide summaries of the other six known planes.\n\nBut first, about the nature of Planes. Their origins are unknown: they might have been created by the [[Deities|The Deities]] or they may have always existed. They differ wildly in apparent purpose and variety: the Abyss, Arcadia, the Still Plane and Elysium are clearly primarily inhabited by a single race of creatures, while the others are less obvious. The laws of nature apply differently in different planes. Some kinds of magics behave more or less potently in specific planes.\n\nThe Planes are considered to be "near" or "far" from each other, depending on how hard it is to travel between them. Whether or not we can talk about actual distances as commonly understood is unknown.\n\n* [[Abyss]]\n* [[Arcadia]]\n* [[Elysium]]\n* [[The Grey Waste]]\n* [[Regulus]]\n* [[The Still Plane]]\n\n<<back>><<if $scribbles>>@@color:firebrick;\n\nFor what's intended to be a survival guide, the author sure spends an odd amount of time describing completely unrelated things.\n\nHere's more or less what you need to know: gateways to other planes, bad. See a ripple in the air, door leading to another world, the back of the closet opening up to a snowy landscape? Turn around and walk away in a brisk pace. It's trouble.@@<<endif>>

Golems might be the least understood category of creatures of all. The term 'golem' refers to any //mechanical// creature originating from [[Regulus]]; whether or not different kinds of golems have anything to do with each other is unknown. Whether or not they are all man-made is unknown. Their purpose, if any, is unknown. So far two distinct types have been observed.\n\n* [[Doll]]\n* [[Golem]]\n\n<<back>><<if $scribbles>>@@color:firebrick;\n\nI've never seen any of these myself, they haven't appeared near Stonemoor.@@<<endif>>

[>img[./img/queenbee_a.png]]\n\n<html><h2>Bee (Queen)</h2></html>\n\n''Threat:'' High\n\n''Power:'' High\n\n''Rarity:'' Rare\n\n''Native plane:'' Pandemonium\n\n''Habitat:'' Any region with a steady supply of available nectar\n\nA massive variant of the bee, towering over as several times their size: a size growth triggered by the royal jelly fed to the queens-to-be. Enjoying more apparent independence than the workers, the queen still appears to be bound to the racial mind that guides the bees.\n\nMuch more powerful than an ordinary worker, their bulk also makes them slower. A traveller might be capable of dispatching of a worker or two, but the author recommends to escape if a queen is sighted.\n\n<<back>><<if $scribbles>>@@color:firebrick;\n\nWe helped the town guard kill a bee queen once. When a hive gets too big to threaten the nearby communities, they need to be gotten rid of. So we purged the hive.\n\nA new colony's moved in, but it's still small.@@<<endif>>

[>img[./img/marzanna_a.png]]\n\n<html><h2>Marzanna</h2></html>\n\n''Threat:'' Medium\n\n''Power:'' Medium\n\n''Rarity:'' Uncommon\n\n''Native plane:'' Pandemonium\n\n''Habitat:'' Cold regions, especially mountains\n\nInhabitants of regions of pandemonium where snow never melts, marzanna are also known as 'snow women' by some. Their only contact with humans typically extends to wintertimes. When it gets cold enough, the marzanna may wander quite far from their homes.\n\nThey are amongst the most peaceful and self-restraining races found from within Pandemonium. They only very seldom go out to actually capture humans, and if they do, they do so during the wintertime, never targetting local human communities, which they tend to have good relationships towards. Indeed, there are many confirmed stories of marzanna helping lost travellers back to their villages.\n\nIf met during the wintertime, or near their homes as a solitary traveller, however, they can be quite dangerous. Their very touch is able to absorb the heat from an individual, slowly freezing them over. If the victim dies this way, they soon rise as a newly created marzanna - not undead, as some stories claim, but reborn.\n\nThe actual marzanna societies are poorly known, though it appears that either individual societies or all marzanna as a whole is ruled over by a queen of some sort. \n\n<<back>><<if $scribbles>>@@color:firebrick;\n\nThere are some mountains about a day's travel away, marzanna live here. A few people have disappeared in the wintertime, probably because of them. Not from the town, but from farms and such. I haven't personally met one.@@<<endif>>

[>img[./img/werecat_a.png]]\n\n<html><h2>Werecat</h2></html>\n\n''Threat:'' High\n\n''Power:'' Medium\n\n''Rarity:'' Uncommon\n\n''Native plane:'' Pandemonium\n\n''Habitat:'' Forests, jungles, temperate areas\n\nCreatures more solitary than [[werewolves|Werewolf]] and usually living much further away from human communities, the werecat is a lycanthrophe less people are familiar with. While possessing a marginally weaker urge to spread their curse than some of their kin, a traveller is recommended to steer clear of areas populated by them.\n\nThe werecat is a strong and fast beast most humans would have no chance at outrunning if not for their playfulness. Preferring to toy with their prey before capturing it, there are numerous tales of humans just barely getting away from the clutches of the werecats.\n\nThey possess a certain amount of more humanlike behaviour than their cousins the werewolves do. Often decorating themselves with stolen or makeshift clothing or jewelry, the werecats form loose tribes with favours, items and prey traded with each other. \n\nLike with all lycanthropes, keeping some wolfsbane handy will protect the casual traveller against bites and scratches given by the werecats. It is, however, hardly foolproof: the werecats are clever enough to trap or capture their prey and try again once the effect has worn off.\n\n<<back>><<if $scribbles>>@@color:firebrick;\n\nThere's actually a small tribe of them a few days' worth of travel away from here. They're too far to bother the town, but none of the traders use that route these days because of them. \n\nThe author doesn't take into account the sense of disgust lycanthrophes feel when they sense wolfsbane in someone's blood. I don't think they'd be particularly interested in trying to 'capture' anyone reeking of it. Probably?@@<<endif>>

This chapter is the meat of the book and the reason it was written. While bestiaries and compilations of various kinds do exist, the author wishes to describe the creatures of [[Pandemonium]] in a simple, easy to understand manner that even travellers from the [[Still Plane|The Still Plane]] comprehend. Each entry will feature, at minimum, an illustration of the creature and the following facts:\n\n''Threat:'' Their attitude towards humans, ranging from no threat to extreme threat. Creatures with lower threat are more amiable towards humans, letting them pass or even helping them out, while creatures of higher threat may attack humans on sight or even actively hunt for them. Most races that actively hunt for humans will be rated 'high'.\n\n''Power:'' The strength of their skill, body or magic, strictly as individuals, ranging from low to extreme. Low threat creatures may be easily dispatched by even a beginner swordsman, whereas higher power creatures may be even virtually impossible for a lone human to vanquish.\n\n''Rarity:'' Ranging from extremely rare, or even unique, to common. Readers are encouraged to pay especial attention to the more common creatures.\n\n''Native plane:'' The plane of origin of creatures of its kind, if known.\n\n''Habitat:'' The typical habitat of creatures of its kind. This is not meant to be all-inclusive.\n\nIn addition, the author will delve into the specific abilities, motives, reproduction methods and other relevant information about the creature, as long as such things are known.\n\n[[Angels]]\n[[Angels (fallen)]]\n[[Animalkind]]\n[[Aquatic]]\n[[Demons]]\n[[Fey]]\n[[Golems]]\n[[Humankind]]\n[[Lycanthropes]]\n[[Miscellaneous]]\n[[Creatures of Nature]]\n[[Undead]]\n\n<<back>><<if $scribbles>>@@color:firebrick;\n\nI guess the author's scholarly roots show here. It's not like most people know or care about the native planes of anything.\n\nAlso, he really, reaaally wants to avoid using the word 'monster'. I guess it's not scholarly enough? Everyone uses it, though.@@<<endif>>