Monster Guide

From Radiant Heart MUSH

The Monster of the Week Guide is here to help break down the differences between the types of monsters heroes and villains alike may encounter (or command) here on Radiant Heart Mush, with the hope of encouraging all players to feeling comfortable running combat and encounter scenes.

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The format for new entries is as follows. If adding a new entry, please do so in alphabetical order!

Monster name ==like this==
Series Origin:
General Details:
General Abilities:
How Are They Defeated:
Restrictive Factors:
Special Details:

Akuma

Series Origin: Miraculous Ladybug and Chat Noir
General Details: An akuma is a magical butterfly, released with the goal of possessing an important object belonging to a person who feels strong negative emotions. When the akuma does this, a telepathic connection is formed between the object's owner and Hawkmoth, current wielder of the Butterfly Miraculous and Big Bad of the Miraculous User Origin. The person empowered by the akuma is at this point "akumatized", taking on the persona and abilities of a supervillain influenced by the source of their strong negative emotions. Hawkmoth promises all those who have been possessed by the akuma the ability to maintain their power and achieve their goals if they will bring him the Miraculous that belong to Cat Noir and Ladybug.
General Abilities: Akumatized people possess a variety of abilities and appearances, based uniquely on the strong negative emotions that allowed Hawkmoth to akumatize them. The stronger the emotion, the more powerful the supervillain created by the akuma. The limit of the abilities of an akumatized victim lies within the power of their emotion; the abilities should match the goal of the akumatized victim.

  • Example: In 444/Gacha Goners RHA Teacher Shouta Okamoto is akumatized based on the strength of his frustration with a gacha game. This transforms him into the villain Highroller, who has the power to digitize people into game currency to fuel his gacha games.

How Are They Defeated: As the akuma is what empowers the akumatized victim, destroying the object possessed by the akuma will release the akuma and cause the transformation to end. However, if the akuma is not purified, it may be directed by Hawkmoth to either possess another person or return to it's host and possess another object, transforming them once more. To ensure the danger is ended, the possessed object must be destroyed and the akuma either captured or purified. Once purified, the akuma will transform from a purple-black butterfly to one that is pure white and fly away.
Restrictive Factors: All akuma are sent by Hawkmoth aka Gabriel Agreste. If Hawkmoth is being currently played, the player should be consulted prior to an akuma scene being run.
Special Details: If the akuma is purified by Ladybug, the damage caused by the akumatized victim and the damage to the possessed object will be undone.

Deadbeats

Series Origin: Historic Legacy
General Details: Desiring to eliminate humanity's motivation by tainting and destroying humanity's heroes, deadbeats take on the form of the Heroic Figure they seek to taint, and in doing so begin twisting the historical record. Their minions are called downbeats.

  • Example: In 52/Guan Yu, a Deadbeat takes the form of Guan Yu, a hero from Chinese history, manifesting as a cruel, vicious man who cared only for power and nothing for his brother - transforming a hero into a villain.

General Abilities: They possess all the historical and legendary abilities of the historical figure they seek to taint. This means they might possess incredible strength (Hercules) or a holy sword (King Arthur), but they probably aren't piloting a mech or blasting lasers from their eyes.
How Are They Defeated: The preferred method of Pretty Cures everywhere: a punch followed by purifying light! A justice speech about never giving in can't hurt, though.
Restrictive Factors: There needs to be a catalyst for the chosen hero, something bringing them to humanity's forefront. For example, a new series starring that hero as a primary character.
Special Details: Consult with Cho Konishi before creating a new Deadbeat!


Dusk Zone Creature

Series: Radiant Heart MUSH Original
General Details: Creatures from the Dusk Zone are twisted monsters not only powered by negative energy but embodied by it. These are creatures who cannot exist without negative energy - if purified, they would simply be destroyed. While some of these beings are native to the Dusk Zone, others are creatures which, generations ago, wandered in and adapted to the environment, becoming twisted versions of creatures from the Prime Universe that is RHM's Tokyo. They are largely animalistic beings rather than humanoids, with great strength and speed.

General Abilities: In addition to enhanced strength and speed, they may spread the miasma of the Dusk Zone, temporarily creating an atmosphere of intense negative energy that may taint the environment, NPCs, and creatures nearby. Many have the ability to drain vital energy from beings native to RHM's Universe.
How Are They Defeated: In general, these creatures can be defeated with your classic smash and bash; whale on them until they burst! When they are destroyed, they will generally break dissolve into clouds of dark energy. They are often especially weak to purifying powers.
Restrictive Factors: As creatures not-native to our universe, their use should include an explanation of how they came to be in our world - whether they entered through a weakened segment of the barrier between worlds, were summoned directly by an enemy, or what.
Special Details: None!

Kindabad/Terribad

Series Origin: Happiness Charge PreCure
General Details: Kindabad and Terribads are made from the dark reflections of people's souls, and are the minions of the Phantom Empire's Generals. They resemble cartoonish humans in black suits with silver boots, white gloves, and silver gauntlets, though they may have clothing or features resembling the person they were created from. They wear different colored scarves and sunglasses depending on which general summoned them. When they are created from a person's darkness, they are trapped in a mirror-shaped coffin.

General Abilities: Each Kindabad and Terribad has different abilities based on the habits or interests of the person who spawned them, but many have laser abilities (fired from the eyes or hands). They can all drain energy from humans. They also each have a different ability based on their general:

  • Namakelder's Kindabads spread mold everywhere.
  • Hosshiwa's Kindabads turn the environment into sweets and desserts.
  • Madam Momere's Kindabads turn the environment into a frozen land.
  • Mirage's Kindabads creates a fog and utter chaos.
  • Oresky's Kindabads create a barren wasteland with dark clouds.
  • Phantom's Kindabads turn the environment into amethyst mines or crystal and also appear to have protrusions on their heads and different-looking sunglasses compared to the other Saiarks.

How Are They Defeated: The can be defeated if they are overwhelmed by attacks, or purified.
Restrictive Factors: They have to be summoned from an NPC character, by an antagonist who knows what they're doing.
Special Details: If the Mahou fail to defeat the monster, the person can be stuck like this forever trapped in a dark mirror. If there are several Kindabads, they can combine to form one bigger Kindabad.

Red Strings

Series Origin: Radiant Heart MUSH Original
General Details: Fated romances, fated friends, powerful parental and familial bonds, mentorships that change both parties forever and more, these are all things that create bonds so powerful that words like fate and destiny are not out of place. People that share the Red String of Fate will always find each other. In every incarnation, in every timeline, in every reset invoked by Homura's Shield or Queen Serenity's Wish this bond will exist eternal. These relationships are among the most powerful forces in the world and the fabric they weave together is reality itself-- or at least that's one possible interpretation. Red Strings only manifest when the fabric of reality itself is damaged, such as hamfisted attempts to break through from an extra dimensional reality into our own.
General Abilities: Though they do not actively seek to cause harm, Red Strings that appear can still wreak some havoc as physically touching one gives intense, flashing visions of important relationships, or in some circumstances visions of events previous timeloops. This can be mentally painful and tends to have a powerful stunning effect from the shock of the experience, but incidental contact causes no direct lasting harm. Red Strings can affect mundane people, but the Veil protects them and quickly erases the memory or gives the impression of dreams or imagination. Red strings come in two forms, though regardless of type appears as tangles of tiny red strings whose internal forms seem to constantly shift in jittery motion. They are also impossible to fully focus upon, appearing blurred and unfocused while also neither casting or reflecting light, nor creating any shadows. They always appear exactly as they are regardless of lighting conditions and can be unsettling to look upon as they are figments of the magic of reality and should not physically exist within it. Red Strings are also completely immune to all forms of Time Magic.

  • Minor Strings take the form of long thin objects like string, yarn, ribbon, worms or snakes. They tend to move in arcing lines and bound in and out of reality, often appearing from an invisible portal and moving about before disappearing through another. Minor Strings are relatively fragile and easy to defeat.
  • Major Strings appear like flying objects like birds, kites, airplanes, bats or similar. They are faster and make use of three dimensional space and seem more aggressive, actively targeting people to connect with. They are also tougher and require more effort to defeat.

How Are They Defeated: Typical physical or magical violence.
Restrictive Factors: Red Strings should not be run until the A Stitch In Time TP advances as they initially only appear within stopped time. Once generally available players should ask staff before running Red Strings and should only experience Important Relationship flashes upon contact unless the Previous Timeloop memory is okayed ahead of time by staff.
Special Details: As Red Strings are not especially powerful or aggressive opponents consider using them alongside other enemies as an additional element or as light combat before social RP. Also, Important Relationships can be but do not need to be romantic in nature! Powerful friendships, mentorships and family are all very good relationships to explore through insightful flashes.

Vilekin

Series Origin: Glorious Beacon and the Tide of Darkness
General Details: A Vilekin is a creature created from the amplified insecurity of a human victim regarding a specific skill or talent. Transformed they appear as monstrous humanoids around twice the size of an average human and most often colored a combination of dark colors. Vilekin seek to act out about their insecurities, often attacking locations where the activity in question is taking place and challenging people to contests using their now dark magic enhanced abilities to win.
General Abilities: Vilekin are often physically impressive and have powerful melee attacks, especially when the skill or talent their transformation is based off of is a physical one. Many Vilekin are also able to shape their limbs into weapons, such as a red hot skillet or a cannon that fires basketballs. At their core Vilekin are deeply insecure and are easily mocked, taunted and intimidated through sufficient displays of power. On the other hand they are also incredibly tough, often able to survive attacks one would expect to surely destroy them.
How Are They Defeated: While direct application of magical and physical force in sufficient quantities is possible, the best way to defeat a Vilekin is to engage it in a match of skill. While violent they never refuse direct challenges and often issue them themselves. Proving yourself better than it at it's specific insecurity causes a Vilekin to break down into wailing self pity and spiraling doubt, at which time it's vaunted ruggedness is entirely negated.
Restrictive Factors: Vilekin killed without the use of Purification magic destroys it utterly, including the original human victim who will never revert back to normal. If Purification magic is used in the final attack, however, the defeated Vilekin will untransform and return to their normal human self. At this point they will be tired and confused as if subject to a particularly nasty energy drain, but conscious and able to be reasoned with. For this reason it is suggested that no one attempt to run a Vilekin without a Purifier around unless the players involved are willing to deal with the consequences of inevitable human civilian death.
Special Details: Vilekin might drop fancy McGuffins when defeated! Stay tuned to this space for more information should relevant plots be approved.

Witch

Series Origin: Puella Magi Madoka Magica
General Details: What is currently known about Witches is that they are magical beings born from negative desires. Witches reside within barrier’s known as Labyrinths, and spawn subsidiary creatures known as Familiars to carry out their bidding. The primary objective of a Witch is to lure humans to its barrier, so that they can kill them and grow stronger. A witch can lure a person by placing “Witch's kiss” on them, which has the effect of both luring the human towards the Witch's labyrinth, and worsening their mental health, making them prone to suicidal behavior and an increased likelihood of committing criminal acts. A Witch cannot be reasoned with, and must be destroyed to be defeated.

  • Unknown to all but Homura Akemi, Kyubey, the X-Chara Gretchen (belonging to Madoka Kaname), Hinoiri Kirara and those in Scene 1119: Time to go home Witches are actually born from Puella Magi who succumb to despair or fail to maintain the purity of their soul gem. Witches drop grief seeds when defeated.
  • A Witch's familiar can become an identical copy of the witch in power and appearance by stronger through the killing of humans. Familiars do not drop grief seeds, but a familiar who has become a witch may drop a grief seed upon defeat.

What Are Their Abilities?: Once a Puella becomes a witch, their name and communication attempts transform, and are transmitted as Witch Script. These new names are typically Germanic in nature. The abilities of the Witch and the nature of its labyrinth are determined by the once Puella’s own personal torments and emotions at the time they became a Witch. Only the most powerful of Witches, such as Walpurgisnacht can exist outside of a barrier - otherwise, all Witches reside only within their barriers, and their labyrinth must be entered in order to defeat the witch. Logic and the rules of reality do not necessarily apply inside of a labyrinth, and can be contorted in whichever way would express the despair of the Witch. The Witch itself is typically an enormous creature - some can take the form of armored mermaids, others enormous worm-like creatures, and more.
How Are They Defeated?: Only by destroying the Witch can it be defeated. Combat is the only way to kill a Witch. Purification magic will not restore them to their former selves.
Restrictive Factors: Due to the fact that all Witches are the result of a former Puella, every Witch should be created with at least some idea of what that former Puella was like - their abilities, familiars, and labyrinth are based in that former Puella's fears and despair.

  • Example: In 269/Steel Horse, the Train Witch's labyrinth initially looks like an Alice in Wonderland-esque topsy-turvy hall, but opens into a wide plane featuring trains which tear and careen through the air on tracks, shattering vases which seep black ink-oil, and a storm of heart-sealed letters in various states of disarray. The Witch who spawned this labyrinth wished for Haruki Hara to love her and her familiars and labyrinth design are both influenced by the wish and resulting despair caused by it.
  • Example: In 223/Le Cirque qui Brule, the Circus Witch's familiars are life-sized paper tigers that hunt for victims and balls of flame with candle-wick legs, which run around setting the labyrinth ablaze.

Special Details: Every Witch doesn't have to drop a grief seed, but given that Puella need them to live (and the fight for a grief seed can create IC drama) it's a good idea to have your Witch drop a grief seed! Additionally, in universe, labyrinths are psychedelic places that twist and contort visual reality, making inhabitants feel like they've entered a bizarro dimension. Don't be afraid to get weird with your Witch, labyrinth, and familiars.

Youma (Creature)

Series Origin: Generic Enemy
General Details: Generic creature monsters created from either the magic of the antagonist - this can be dark energy, or another ability the antagonist has to animate component bits.

  • Example: In 653/Shameless Self Promotion, Mizudori Teion uses her musical powers to lure a monster spirit which creates the following creature: "It appears to be an amalgam of all the rejected paraphernalia of the music store, a real FYE horror show. It's head is made of a large speaker, its limbs shelves of discount CDs, and although vaguely humanoid, there's a lashing tail which seems to be composed of guitar strings, band posters, and other materials all woven together."

General Abilities: These creatures generally have brute strength, and may have special abilities based on their components - a monster made of speakers may be able to blast soundwaves, while one made of teeth could launch rows of teeth to bite from a distance.
How Are They Defeated: These youma can be defeated with your classic smash and bash; whale on them until they burst! When they are destroyed, they will generally break apart into their component pieces.
Restrictive Factors: None!
Special Details: You can also use the +ygen command to get ideas for these monsters.

Youma (Artificial Creation)

Series: Standard Monster Mob
General Details: Standard Enemy Youma are generally monsters created by dark energy, occasionally with component pieces. Antagonists working with Obsidian can request a youma from Inhuman Resources, if they are not able to create their own. Youma are often able to mimic being a human person for the sake of fooling people into a trap to have their energy stolen. These created youma are not sapient creatures, but beings of minimal intelligence created for a specific task or job.

  • Example: In 5/You Were Not Refreshing, Mamoru Chiba as Hematite sends out a youma disguised as a Dippin' Dots cart salesman, which drains energy from everyone who purchases its Dippin' Dots. After it's exposed, the youma abandons its disguise and transforms into a scaly orange monster with too many teeth, too many arms, and a penchant for spouting sales pitches about Dippin' Dots.

General Abilities: Generically created youma are stronger than humans, usually have the ability to disguise themselves as humans to collect energy, and have specific abilities based on the energy-stealing task they were assigned.
How Are They Defeated: Youma can be defeated with your classic smash and bash; whale on them until they burst! When they are destroyed, they will generally devolve into ash or dust.
Restrictive Factors: None!
Special Details: If you are struggling with an idea for a monster, but want to run a bog standard fight, you can use the command +ygen on the MUSH and a randomly generated monster will be produced. Not all of the ideas are necessarily feasible, but you can mix and match pieces too!

  • Example from +ygen: A grimdarque creature, formed from time travel applied to a broken Belkan Device, with the ability to use earth attacks: it is after treasured items, and it communicates through forming sentences with those candy hearts that have words on them.

Youma (Youmafied NPC)

Series Origin: Generic Enemy
General Details: Youmafied NPCs are youma created by flooding living creatures with Dark Energy, causing them to transform into a humanoid monster. If the process is not completed, the NPC could simply have powers created from the dark energy in their system and be ruled by their negative emotions, causing them to attack those near them.

  • Example: In 410/How It Ended, Naru Osaka partially transforms after being flooded with dark energy by Hinoiri Kirara as Sunbreaker. She develops the ability to manipulate icy winds and create mindless icy wind monsters which attack her would-be rescuers.

General Abilities: The abilities of a youmafied NPC are theoretically endless, with only one caveate: no purifying abilities. The powers they have should usually be based on either the personality of the person being corrupted, or the features of the monster they transform into.
How Are They Defeated: A youmafied NPC will need to be purified to be restored to their original form; destroying the youma outright would result in the death of the NPC otherwise. Any character with purifying abilities can purify the youma.
Restrictive Factors: If a character with purification abilities is not at your scene, you can plan for your youma to escape or be captured by the player characters, who can ICly reach out to a purifier in a follow up scene, cutscene, or end the scene with a mention that X or Y character came by later and purified the youma.

  • In the interest of not ending a scene instantly, it's usually recommended that you have the purification not work until the youma is ready to be defeated - either after a certain number of combat rounds, a certain strength or number of attacks, or until you are otherwise ready.

Special Details: Youmafied NPCs will often be weak and confused after their ordeal; mundanes will not correctly remember the experience, but may need to be hospitalized for energy drain. They should not have injuries from the fight.

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