Ryslig's Expanded Monster Guide
Nov. 6th, 2022 01:17 am![[personal profile]](https://www.dreamwidth.org/img/silk/identity/user.png){kind=small}
waitingforplayer2The Expanded Guide is edited by Chiaki Nanami.
The Expanded Guide begins with a condensed & re-edited version of Spengler's Guide, written several years prior. This contains broad knowledge of the 23 monster types at the time, and largely features the information covered in Ryslig's bestiary.
The new content in the Guide consists entirely of individual monster testomonials.
Submissions to the Guide can be made by anyone at any time, in a drop-off box at the Insert Coin arcade. The form below can be used as a template for any monsters looking for inspiration or structure for their entries. Nanami copies out the entries longhand, and stores the information in several locations, so that the information is never lost.
A copy of the current manuscript may be requested for casual perusal at any time.
As of now, the Expanded Guide has not yet been officially published on the peninsula.
MONSTER ENTRY SUBMISSION TEMPLATE
The Expanded Guide begins with a condensed & re-edited version of Spengler's Guide, written several years prior. This contains broad knowledge of the 23 monster types at the time, and largely features the information covered in Ryslig's bestiary.
The new content in the Guide consists entirely of individual monster testomonials.
Submissions to the Guide can be made by anyone at any time, in a drop-off box at the Insert Coin arcade. The form below can be used as a template for any monsters looking for inspiration or structure for their entries. Nanami copies out the entries longhand, and stores the information in several locations, so that the information is never lost.
A copy of the current manuscript may be requested for casual perusal at any time.
As of now, the Expanded Guide has not yet been officially published on the peninsula.
ARACHNE
Date: 2022-11-06 06:20 am (UTC)(no subject)
Date: 2023-02-10 01:27 am (UTC)monstertransformation?The arachne transformation has very specific, niche abilities; it’s easy to avoid using them, which in turn means you have to feed less often. I very rarely used them when hunting.
The arachne transformation also grants a very wide range of awareness. The positive side of this is that you always know who and what is happening around you, so long as they’re making contact with the ground.
What do you dislike about being this
monstertransformation?Chitin is weird. In my experience, it did not have the same range of sensory input as skin; it was both extremely sensitive to certain things (vibrations) while being largely numb to others. I also found the additional sensory input of having eight eyes and the ability to sense vibrations through my legs was often overwhelming. As an example, it was difficult for me to sleep in a traditional bed while living with others (especially nocturnal roommates). Even with all my legs tucked up onto the mattress, I was still able to sense when someone passed in front of the door.
Vibration sense, for me, was something between touch and sound. It’s very difficult to describe what it was like. Something between sonar, picked up through my arachnid limbs; inputs had a textural quality, as they moved through solid surfaces. In some ways it was similar to listening to loud music with a prominent bass track, where you can feel the sound as it vibrates in your body. It was sensitive enough that I was very quickly able to learn things like the different steps and gaits of my associates, or the general quality of things like feet vs. hooves vs. paws vs. talons. I had no way to truly turn it off, beyond removing myself from as much input as possible.
I also struggled with the changes to my eyesight. While my frontal vision was fine, my peripheral vision was poor; my tertiary eyes were colorblind and had low vision. They were best suited to identifying movement, especially in combination with the vibration sense.
What is something unique to you about being this
monstertransformation?I have never been close with those who have gone through the same transformation, so I’m not sure what about my experience was unique.
What types of creatures or beings influenced your
monster formtransformation?Spiders. It took some time to research specifically what kinds, but in the end I believe the transformation took traits from brown recluse (namely its venom, but also the shape of my legs) and orbweaver (general eye placement, web weaving patterns) spiders.
What is it like to feed as this monster?
Unpleasant [1]. However, I found I did not have any particular instincts re: feeding (beyond the occasional compulsion to wrap corpses in silk, which was easy to ignore) which gave me more options in terms of preparation.
[1] I find all of the various feeding methods to be deeply unpleasant.
What are some notable physical features you have as this monster, and what do you like or dislike about them?
I grew an additional six eyes on my face. Two below my original eyes, which were more human, and two on each temple, which were arachnid. My legs were arachnid from the mid-thigh down. I also grew four long arachnid legs on my back.
The legs on my back were very cumbersome and inconvenient. Although I could pull them closer to be somewhat smaller, their sheer size meant that I was too large for most doors. I couldn’t sit in most furniture and all of my clothes had to be tailored to fit my specific transformation, along with closures to help them fit better during the cold months.
What are some notable psychological changes you have as this monster, and what do you like or dislike about them?
I have always been a particular person. I prefer things to be organized and I have always disliked errors. The arachne transformation took these preferences and made them feel more like compulsions. If things weren’t “correct,” it was impossible for me to just let them be. I would do certain tasks over and over again.
I suppose one positive for me is that I found myself interested in a broader range of skills related to textiles because of my compulsion to weave webs. I was gifted some supplies for knitting and crocheting, which is a hobby I’ve kept up with even outside of the arachne transformation.
Would you
become this monstertry this transformation again?No.
Would you
become this monsterremain this transformation for good?No.
(no subject)
Date: 2023-04-13 06:50 am (UTC)There are many things to enjoy about being this monster. The speed and agility is unlike anything else, and it is surprisingly helpful to be able to scale walls and hang upside down from the ceiling. I also enjoy the extra senses that come with being an arachne. I have a larger range of vision with multiple eyes and the ability to sense people approaching through vibrations. I often build webs on the ground around my home so I can increase my range and 'see' potential intruders. I also like having extra arms: I can multitask a lot better now.
What do you dislike about being this monster?
Initially, additional sensory receptors can be a lot to take in. While I do enjoy having multiple eyes now, it was hard to process all the visual information in the early days. However, above that is the inability to swim. Arachne are not necessarily weak to water, but I intake some of my air through my chitin. I drown almost instantly when I am in water. I can shower and go out in the rain, but baths are now out of the question. Sitting can also be inconvenient if there are no stools available.
What is something unique to you about being this monster?
I think I am about a foot smaller than your average arachne. However, as a tradeoff, I am a fair bit faster. I used to have a smaller build than most arachne too but I have since been working out to supplement the strength my transformation provided.
Additionally, I am a sun spider, which is a burrowing sort of spider, which means I dig a lot better than other arachne. However, sun spiders gorge on food, which means I do too. I cannot have a single meal without stuffing myself to the point of slumber.
What types of creatures or beings influenced your monster form?
As mentioned before, I am a sun spider, and that is most prominent in my elongated spider abdomen and the distinct hairs on my legs. I am an unnatural shade of blue, relating to my colour of choice as a ninja. My pedipalps are a sunspider's and are very suited to digging.
What is it like to feed as this monster?
It is not hard to spin a web and wait for someone to wander into it. My feedings are thankfully infrequent and I can hunt like a predator if I am unlucky with my catches. However, my instincts want me to keep my victims alive as I suck the energy out of them. I try to be merciful and kill them first, but I have discovered I get less energy that way.
What are some notable physical features you have as this monster, and what do you like or dislike about them?
- I have eight eyes (six around my usual eyes) which I like because I have extra vision.
- I am completely blue in colour, which is weird, but I do not dislike it.
- My mouth is gone and replaced with the fangs of a spider. My cheeks unfurl when I talk, which can be a little creepy even to myself.
- Two extra arms are nice to get more chores done.
- I have many extra legs. They can be quite troublesome sometimes if there is not enough space for them
- I like my pedipalps because they helped me shovel dirt and helped me build a new home for myself :)
What are some notable mental changes you have as this monster, and what do you like or dislike about them?
I think I have developed some minor OCD. Arachne are meticulous creatures, but I can be quite obsessive when it comes to how I like the house. It can be quite tiring making sure all the forks are in one way or compulsively rearranging the chairs. I do dislike that. And I mentioned the compulsive gorging as well. Even though I know I will not starve and there is food available, if I eat anything, I want to stuff my face. It is balanced out by the fact that I do not have to eat for long periods, but it is very unsightly.
Would you become this monster again?
Yes
Would you become this monster for good?
Yes. If I cannot return human, I would prefer to remain in this state.
delivered as a bound manuscript written by hand in fountain pen
Date: 2023-05-23 01:30 pm (UTC)That's highly subjective. But the three-dimensionality of both my senses and thinking augment my research. Thanks to their sensitivity to vibrations, arachne are highly aware of their surroundings, and their penchant for web-building serves as a physical aid to thought.
What do you dislike about being this monster?
All unwilling transformation is subjugation. The specific type is irrelevant.
What is something unique to you about being this monster?
I express my thoughts through patterns in webs. Translating them to human speech is an imperfect process, but to be succinct, [ several dozen pages of diagrams and explanations follow. ]
What types of creatures or beings influenced your monster form?
Thwaitesia argentiopunctata.
What is it like to feed as this monster?
Messy.
What are some notable physical features you have as this monster, and what do you like or dislike about them?
I have no particular opinion about my physical appearance. My abdomen bears the "mirror" markings, which expand and contract according to tension, of the spider I resemble. My feet are the primary means through which I perceive the world, and thus are highly sensitive, to vibrations and [ there is almost but not quite a smudge here, as if the writer had to stop and restart ] otherwise.
The number of eyes I possess has increased to eight, but my vision has worsened with time. As I navigate by touch, this primarily affects my reading ability. I have purchased glasses.
Notably, four of my eight limbs are spider legs on my cephalothorax. Two are human arms. The other two are spider legs that emerged from my shoulderblades. I am therefore a hybrid of the two most common arrangements of arachne appendages.
What are some notable mental changes you have as this monster, and what do you like or dislike about them?
Aside from the standard hunting instinct, I've noticed a penchant for disproportionate thinking. My love of order and harmony, an aesthetic befitting an alchemist, can be twisted into obsession with cleanliness, particularly of areas I consider "my" territory. I've weaponized this tendency against Ryslig where possible, funneling it into work for the good of mankind, but the fact my thoughts are not my own is both immutable and intolerable.
Would you become this monster again?
I am already this monster.
Would you become this monster for good?
This form is temporary, to be endured until the revolution. But in the meantime, it isn't bad.
Reposting in the proper spot now!
Date: 2023-06-29 03:03 am (UTC)What do you dislike about being this monster? Weakness to water
What is something unique to you about being this monster? My webbing comes out of two web-shaped glands on the inside of my wrists. They look like scarring when not in use.
What types of creatures or beings influenced your monster form? The Green Lynx spider, also known as peucetia veridans.
What is it like to feed as this monster? Despite the webbing, quite messy if you go the "natural" route of trapping, wrapping, and consuming prey. Decay is sped up compared to the actual process of spiders webbing their prey so that consumption happens more quickly, and I'd compare it to drinking a horribly textured, iron-and-fat-flavored smoothie. Do yourself a favor and go to the soup kitchen or a monster restaurant instead.
What are some notable physical features you have as this monster, and what do you like or dislike about them? As mentioned above, I like the extra limbs. I also have an extra pair of eyes just behind my ears at the base of my jaw, and they're good for peripheral vision. I'm not fond of the fangs or my long, pointed ears, but that's for personal reasons more than anything else.
What are some notable mental changes you have as this monster, and what do you like or dislike about them? No one told me that caffiene has the same effect as alcohol - be warned about that! I have to limit myself. Also, I've become even more fastidious and meticulous than I was previously, and a little more irritable about it. The Guide says that arachne can also become competitive, but I was always competitive by nature, so discerning any difference is a bit challenging.
Would you become this monster again? Yes, I feel it suits me for a number of reasons.
Would you become this monster for good? Yes. In a way, it's a badge of honor for a very personal reason. I aim to do it justice.