M&FF: Lore and Future Plans
#2 of Monsters and Fairy Folk
Some game themed background and plans for future races and classes that Valmese is working on.
After the Game: So what happens to the players of Monsters and Fairy Folk after the game ends, you might be thinking? Well given the excessive power of some of the augmentations they receive, it would be disastrous both political and physical if they were to simply be allowed back into normal human society. Therefore, the company offers the surviving players a choice, Modification or Citizenship.
Modification - The players are far too warped to ever truly become human again, but with a bit of tweaking, some of their augmentations can be suppressed down to a level that is safe for human interaction while still retaining their new appearances. Barbarians have their aggression levels reduced, magic users lose about 90% of their magical power so their abilities are little more than parlor tricks, and so on. Physical traits like speed and strength are still proportionate to the body, however, so you still have the strength of an Ogre, but your intelligence is enhanced again to be comparable to the average human.
Citizenship - Should the players find they've grown attached to their new lives, they may remain on the island as fully recognized citizens! They retain all of their abilities (but also any weaknesses) that their modifications had to offer. The catch to this, however, is that they must abide by whatever laws the winning army dictates and when it comes time for the next season to air, they automatically join in the activity and can thus be killed during the next war. Most of the non combatant Citizens in the game are survivors from previous seasons who apply their experience and knowledge to newcomers in hopes of supporting their side of the war.
Should the victorious Fairy Queen or Monster King choose to become a citizen, they get to rule over the island as its sovereign until the next war approaches. They are then modified into a regular member of their species (having the super modifications suppressed) so that a new King or Queen may be selected. Many find the idea of ruling your own fantasy realm to be a very enticing offer, even if it is only for a year.
Since the island is a privately owned country, it is not beholden to the laws of any outside government. Technically speaking, the Monsters and Fairy Folk company owns the land, but for the sake of the game, they give the Monster King and Fairy Queen positions of governance in the ruling body. Whatever laws they place in their land are treated as if they were the actual law of the land. Everything from slavery, public executions, torture, stealing, barbarism, and even religious persecution are all completely legal if the King or Queen says it is socially acceptable (mostly the King). As such players should be careful when choosing to remain as Citizens, for should their ruler place any unfavorable laws upon the land, they are expected to follow them or face the consequences.
Storyline: Monsters and Fairy Folk doesn't simply pit two armies against each other in a fantasy realm. The game also has its own story driven lore for any players or audience members who are into that sort of thing. Considering that players are instructed to remain in character, you'll probably want to hear about the back story to the game.
For thousands of years (obviously false, but not in the game's story) the Monsters and Fairy Folk have lived in an uneasy truce. The Fairies were content to let the Monsters live in their barbarism so long as they did not bring strife upon their lands, and the Monsters found the realm of the fairies to be sickeningly sweet and offensive. But peace founded on mistrust and loathing can not possibly last.
The Monsters have a new king, the previous one being declared too weak to continue sitting on the throne, and this king has a thirst for war and conquest. He seeks to claim the Fairy realm and corrupt it into the image of his own kingdom, and has rallied the blood thirsty hordes of Monsters to his service.
Conversely the Fairies have recently crowned a new Queen, and this one is not so passive aggressive as the last one. Feeling that she can no longer sit idly by while others suffer under the Monster King's rule, she has also been making plans for an invasion, hoping that with time and effort she can bring peace and civility to the war torn lands of the Monsters.
And thus the war has begun, Monsters seeking to conquer and destroy the land, and Fairies seeking to bring peace and restore life. The Monsters have much to gain and the Fairies have much to lose, so neither side shows any indications of backing down from their conflict.
Presently the two armies control roughly half the world with the Monster King ruling the north, and the Fairy Queen ruling the south. The war can go either way at this point, and it will be up to their respective leaders to formulate the strategies for how to proceed further across the map.
Religion: Technically speaking, Monsters and Fairy Folk has no organized religion, although they do make vague references to a pantheon of deities, and the Demi Gods are said to be the children of these Deities. For the most part, it is up to the players themselves to imagine what each deity is named and what they rule over. More often than not, this duty falls to the Shaman and the Clerics, for they serve the roles of Priests and Priestesses to the people. Their religious congregations may be little more than cults in comparison to the outside world, but they are the legitimate faith in the game.
Although cults have come and gone in the 14+ seasons of the show, some cults were so popular that they have stuck around for more than one season! Most religions are limited to only one of the two factions because the war between them leaves little room for a colaborated effort. However there are a rare handful of religions who are so popular, that both factions have adopted them, though with branching views on how to follow them. Below is a list of some cults that have stuck around throughout the history of the game.
Euphoria - Goddess of pleasure, lust, and over indulgence. Euphoria is one of a rare handful of cults that includes members from both armies instead of belonging to only one side. Euphoria was originally founded by a Satyr Cleric and quickly recruited Nymphs, Hobbits, and fellow Satyrs into its ranks. After news of its existance began to spread, Monsters soon began to create their own twisted version of the cult. Euphoria's religious ceremonies focus heavily on debauchery and vice, including grand feasts, drinking competitions, and public orgies. By the time the ceremony is over, most of the worshipers are unconscious, and later awake with massive hangovers, or bereft of clothing. It is common for Monsters who are in high standing with the cult to own at least one sex slave.
Scathe - War God of the Barbarian hordes. Scathe was founded by an Orc female who curiously was given the role of War Chanter. Unable to keep her heightened aggression in check for long, she discovered a way to diffuse her anger by expressing it in song, rallying those around her with fabled legends of Scathe's worshipers laying waste to their enemies. Sadly, the cult's founder was killed in battle while trying to take on a squad of Elven Soldiers. But the songs she sang before her death were so motivating that to this day Barbarians, Shaman, and War Chanters continue to join its ranks. Scathe is especially popular among the Orcs who founded him.
Grimoire - God of black magic and patron deity of Witches and Warlocks. Named after the iconic spell book of a witch, Grimoire's cults involve heavy use of forbidden rituals and practices. Magic users are not the only ones belonging to the cult either, they have also recruited Assassins who coat their weapons in ritually prepared toxins, or who perform sacrificial killings in the name of the cult.
The Cosmic Eye - God of magic and patron deity of Sorcerers and Sorceresses, sometimes referred to as "The Cult of the Cosmic Eye". The Cosmic Eye was founded to oppose the cult of Grimoire and claims that the power of magic is drawn from a cosmic energy source located in some higher realm. In an effort to strengthen their connection to this realm, members of the cult often tattoo their foreheads with a third eye. The most powerful members of the cult, however, are said to tattoo additional eyes on their palms, as a symbol of their enlightened connection to magic.
Spirit Beasts - although not truly gods, the Spirit Beasts are creatures of godlike power according to the members of the cult. It was originally founded by Beastmen Clerics and Shaman, and teaches that all the animals of the world have spirit beasts who guide and protect them. Spirit Beasts are a popular cult among any race that resembles animals in form (Minotaur, Beastmen, Unicorns, est), but is less popular with the more humanoid races as they feel they don't have as strong a connection to the Spirit Beasts as the animal races.
Demon Worship - Again the symbols of this cult are not truly gods, but they do have godlike abilities. It was originally founded by a religiously inclined Hell Hound and teaches its members to worship the denizens of Hell. The members of this cult are utterly corrupt, tossing aside their morality in exchange for power. The cult is popular with all of the playable classes on the Monster's army including Barbarians, Witches and Warlocks, Assassins, Shaman, and War Chanters. Whether or not Hell actually exists is up for debate, but the players who join this cult put on an impressive display of conducting foul and abhorent rituals to appease their hellish masters. Demons also does not simply refer to the Christian version of Hell either, and incompasses demonic figures from all of humanity's religious stories such as Chinese, Japanese, Islam, Hebrew, Pagan, and so on.
Seraphim Worship - The direct opposite to Demon Worship. The Seraphim are holy figures of angelic myth and legend, and this cult is dedicated to worshiping them. It was founded by a unicorn and only served to enhance the rivalry between the two races. Seraphim Worshipers are dedicated to eradicating evil from the land and upholding the righteous law. In contrast to Demon Worshipers, they seek to purge their souls of vice and sin. As with Demon Worship, Seraphim Worshipers do not strictly adhere to the Christian versions of holy entities, and include figures from all the world's religions.
Future Races: Lord Valmese, the host of the show has already pushed the boundaries of what genetic splicing is capable of. But like any good fantasy nerd with a genius talent for genetics, he is always looking to push further. Feeling unsatisfied with the current limit of only 25 races, he has begun work on new additions to the roster. Below is a list of possible new races the audience can expect to see in future seasons!
(Monster) Demons - The unholy masters of Demon Worshipers usually remain in Hell and corrupt mortals to do their work. On occasion, however, low class demons can be summoned to the mortal world and bartered into pacts of servitude. It is unknown exactly what kind of deal the Monster King has made to summon forth an army of Demons upon the land, but it is surely one of the most unspeakably evil bargains imaginable. They are expected to specialize in fire magic and offensive combat and will likely specialize in the role of Warlocks / Witches and Death Knights.
(Fairy) Seraphim - The holy masters of Seraphim Worshipers have sworn oaths to not become directly involved in the affairs of the mortal world. However, the appearance of Demons has forced them to take action, and they descended from their heavenly realm to pledge their alliance to the Fairy Queen until such time as the Demons have been driven from the realm. They are expected to be talented in healing and light based magic and will most likely specialize in the role of Clerics and Paladins.
(Monster) Wraith - The souls of those who suffered traumatic deaths and returned to the realm of the living to seek vengeance upon all mortals. Wraiths are expected to have ghostly white skin, an incredibly powerful healing factor (as true intangibility would be impossible), and the power of telekinetic flight regardless of their class. It is likely they will be modified with photo-sensitivity to make them vulnerable to a Cleric's light based magic. When a Wraith is killed in the game, it will be described as laying the spirit to rest. There are also plans to render all Wraiths mute in an effort to increase the spooky aspects of their ghostly demeanor.
(Monster) Harpy - An exclusively female race who have the legs and wings of a vulture, but the head and torso of a woman. The bird appendages are proportionate to their human body, of course. A Harpy's feathers are as sharp and strong as steel blades, allowing them to use their limbs as living swords! Unfortunately, they are notoriously vain and greedy, never choosing to willingly cooperate with others unless they stand to benefit the most from any bargain erected. Because they do not have the luxury of human arms, Harpies are limited in how they can manipulate or carry objects, and instead they rely on hit and run tactics, using their ability to fly to evade counter attacks.
(Neutral) Kobold - A race who are very distantly related to Dragons. Kobolds resemble anthropomorphic reptiles who stand around 3 feet tall when fully grown. Dragons are extremely important to their culture and many worship them as gods. Although they are cowardly in battle, they possess an explosive rate of reproduction, allowing them to overwhelm their enemies with shear numbers. It is speculated that Kobolds may be spliced with a heightened sexual activity much like Satyrs or Nymphs. Kobolds are expected to be talented in the arts of magic and poisons, making them suited to the roles of stealth and magic, but are ill suited to physical combat roles. Because of the lore related to their population, it is also safe to assume that a sizable chunk of players may be selected to become Kobolds. A fan of bringing fantasy into reality, Valmese has expressed an interest in splicing Kobold players with hyper fertility, but is trying to work around the complications of how that would effect the game play mechanics.
(Monster) Mermaids - This exclusively female race has been recorded as having the upper body of a beautiful woman, but a giant fish' tail instead of legs. Despite their captivating beauty, Mermaids are also known to be terrifying creatures who feed upon the flesh of those who wander too far out into the water. Mermaids are expected to be a carnivorous race who cannibalize their enemies in battle and will specialize in aquatic environments, giving the Monster King a field advantage in wet environments. They are expected to be one of the few "beautiful" races that belong to the Monster King's forces. Mermaids will possess narcotic pheromones that will entrance the minds and lust of those around them, making them easier prey.
(Fairy) Selkie - Another exclusively female race, the Selkie are depicted as being seal women. In mythology, Selkies have the power to change between a human woman and a seal, but since shape shifting powers are too difficult to splice, Lord Valmese has decided to give them an appearance similar to that of the Mermaid. Their upper body will be that of an anthropomorphic seal, with a large seal's tail instead of legs. Selkie are expected to counter out the Mermaid's aquatic fighting skills, and Valmese expects that the two races will become heated rivals in future games. Just like Mermaids, they too are planned to have narcotic pheromones.
(Neutral) Familiars - It is said that powerful magic users often have an animal companion known as a Familiar. Although initially born as ordinary animals, they are modified by using magic rituals that vastly increases their intelligence and sometimes even grants them special abilities. Familiars are expected to specialize in physical combat roles and will likely have a strong influence on magic using players. It is also speculated that they might have a quadrupedal body structure, instead of being anthropomorphic like most beast races. Valmese is still trying to write up an appropriate system for how this will work in the game, but rumors state the race is otherwise complete and ready for production.
(Neutral) Hengeyokai - Feeling that he has taken too many inspirations from western culture, Lord Valmese decided it was time to give the Asian fans something to cheer for. Hengeyokai are magical creatures who resemble animals and are said to be well versed in the power of illusion. Valmese has already completed the serum for the iconic Kitsune (Fox), the Tanuki (Raccoon Dog) and has expressed interest in creating yet more subraces for the Hengeyokai. Although no official release date is set, the Hengeyokai are expected to launch at the same time as the Illusionist and Enchanter Classes.
(Fairy) Neko - Another type of creature from the far east, Neko have the ears, tails, fangs, and claws of a cat, but the body of a young human often appearing in its mid teens. Neko are commonly females according to their internet depictions, but occasionally males have been located as well. Neko tend to possess childish and flirty personalities and are expected to have enhanced sex drives as a result. Unfortunately they also tend to have trouble focusing for long periods of time and are prone to becoming distracted by more interesting sights going on around them. Neko may not be excessively strong, but they possess super human levels of speed and agility which is expected to make them serve much better as Rogues than Soldiers. Neko will appeal to fans who want a cute, quirky and unpredictable player to cheer for in battle.
(Monster) Lycanthrope - While they might look like Beastmen early on, the Lycanthrope's physiology is a little different. They are approximately 3 times larger than ordinary humans both in height and muscle mass, and have greatly increased aggression. They will make for superb warriors, but may be harder to tame due to their bestial instincts. Lycanthropes are expected to come in the species of Wolf, Bear, Rat, Shark, and Boar. Valmese has also expressed interest in the possibility of giving them an infectous bite that can turn other players into more Lycanthropes, but all testing has resulted in failure so far.
Future Classes: In the game of Monsters and Fairy Folk, your class is the archetype to which you are built for your skills. Some races are more suited to certain classes than others. Valmese has decided that the current number of classes is too restricted and has begun work on additional archetypes that are to be released in the future.
(Fairy) Illusionist- A new magic casting class who specializes in manipulating the 5 bodily senses. The Illusionist is expected to possess highly advanced telepathic abilities, giving them the power to induce hallucinations in their victims. Although not as violent as a Sorcerer / Sorceress, the Illusionist is excellent when it comes to crowd control and disrupting enemy performance! So far the big issue has been on figuring out how to televise their powers, since they can't really hypnotize the audience into seeing what the enemy sees.
(Monster) Enchanter / Enchantress- The counterpart to the Illusionist. Enchanters use their magical abilities to tamper with the minds of their victims, enthralling them into slavery and making them doubt what is real and what is false. They specialize in turning the enemy against their own people and will be expected to be a more strategic caster as opposed to the offensive Witch and Warlock. Although mind control is fairly simple to televise, Valmese does not want to release this class without their Illusionist counterpart, or it would unbalance the system.
Balanced Set Up: Fear vs Willpower. The Illusionist's abilities would focus on controlling the victim's perceptions to make them believe in something that isn't really there, or to hide the presence of something that is. Enchanters would use abilities that deal with taking direct control over another mind and body. Both roles would be about manipulating the enemy's ranks, but whether you instill them with fear and doubt or corrode their ability to fight back depends on your class.
(Monster) Sniper- A master in the use of the bow or any other projectile weapon. Snipers possess keen eye sight and reflexes allowing them to shoot down their targets before they are even aware of their presence. The Sniper is expected to be the first non magical unit that is able to fight effectively at long range on the Monster's side of the war.
(Fairy) Hunter- The counterpart to the Sniper, the Hunter will operate in much the same way by shooting enemies at long range with a bow or other types of long distance weaponry and having keen eye sight. True to their name, the Hunter is also expected to be a "search and destroy" type class who is used to seek out and eliminate targets that are too dangerous to face up close.
Balanced Set Up: Camp Killing vs Seek and Destroy. Snipers would focus on erecting ambushes and keeping the element of surprise. Hunters would specialize in tracking down moving targets and finishing them off accordingly.
(Monster) Brawler- The martial artist of the Monster King's forces, the Brawler is a hand to hand combat specialist who prefers to beat their opponent to death with their bare hands instead of relying on weaponry. Their fighting styles often focus on overwhelming strength and thus many of its players will have increased muscle mass to add more force behind their blows. Kick Boxing and Wrestling are expected to be their primary fighting styles.
(Fairy) Monk - The counterpart to the Brawler. Monks are also martial artists but unlike the Brawler, they rely on precision and skill rather than brute strength. As such, they are expected to be physically weaker than a muscle bound Brawler, but they will be faster and more agile to compensate. Their primary fighting styles are expected to be Jujitsu and Tai Chi.
Balanced Set Up - Raw Power vs Finesse and Talent. Brawlers would be more about overpowering your enemy where as Monks would be focus more on exploiting their weaknesses in battle.
(Monster) Necromancer- Another spell casting class for the Monster King's forces. Necromancers are death mages who specialize in the ability to reanimate and control the bodies of the dead to serve as their mindless slaves. For every foe that dies on the field of battle, the Necromancer gains another servant to add to their ranks. Presently, Valmese has suggested that a specially adapted form of Telekinesis will allow the Necromancer to control dead bodies like puppets. Unfortunately there are still issues during testing in which the Necromancer is able to control living targets as well, thus breaking character. The goal is to weed out the ability to control living beings, while still being strong enough to control the dead.
(Fairy) Golemancer - The counterpart to the Necromancer. While their rivals may specialize in controlling organic matter, the Golemancer has the ability to control artificial life through the use of machines known as Golems. Golemancers use their skills to craft an artificial human out of whatever materials they have available, and then use their magic (again, telekinesis is plausible) to bring the construct to life. The same issue that prevents Necromancers from being green lighted is also stopping the Golemancers from being released. The current plan is to use telekinesis to manipulate the Golem like a puppet, but the beta testers have also been able to control living beings, forcing Valmese to put the product on hold until the bugs can be worked out.
Balanced Set Up: Quality vs Quantity. Necromancers can quickly raise and manipulate a corpse in the area, but the body is prone to decomposition and is not as fast or durable as it was when it was living. On the other hand, creating even a single Golem might take weeks of hard effort, but the result is a servant who is much stronger and far more durable than rotting flesh. Basically, do you want an army of soldiers who are falling apart but can overwhelm the enemy with force of numbers, or do you want a handful of soldiers that are built to last?
(Monster) Pirate: A navy class for the Monster King's forces. Pirates would specialize in fighting enemies on the water, providing a broader range of terrain in which to do battle. Pirates would be used to sink transports and steal any goods and supplies they might be carrying, and bring them back to the Monster King's forces.
(Fairy Folk) Privateer: A mercenary who is commissioned by the government to attack foreign nations, the Privateer is the counterpart to the Monster's Pirate class. Serving under the Fairy Queen, their task is to sink enemy ships and bring the goods and supplies back to her army.
Balanced Set up: Both classes operate in much the same fashion, but they go by different names. They would effectively give both sides of the war a means in which to conduct aquatic battles.