Creatures of the Night - adanter/PetroviaWorldbuilding GitHub Wiki
"Listen to them, the children of the night. What music they make!" - Bram Stoker, because quoting this line is practically a requirement for the genre
Night creatures vary in shape, size, intelligence, power, and disposition. They range the spectrum from small nocturnal creatures that resemble common animals in both mind and form up to dangerously intelligent individuals capable of passing for human if they chose... and their ranks boast still-more-outlandish members as well. However, almost all night creatures share a general set of traits:
- An affinity for night or darkness,
- Some sort of predatory or parasitic component to their behavior or lifecycle, and, most importantly,
- A common origin steeped with their own brand of biological Dark Science.
The creatures Petrovians refer to as "Lords of the Night" are practically in a class of their own among night creatures. They are thought to have their origins in Dark Science just like the rest of their kind, but Night Lords are remarkable because they keep the science alive. Each Night Lord is an artificer in their own right, creating new life to suit its needs.
(beasts, monstrosities)
Common night creatures capable of reproducing that coexist alongside other animals in Petrovia's ecosystem. Examples:
- Lycan wolves - wolves infected with a mild strain of lycanthropy that can increase their strength, durability, and regeneration after dark. Some are said to be servants of the Clever Wolf or other night lords.
- Keese - nuisance-level bat-like creatures that stun targets with their screech and then land to drink a few hit points of blood before flapping off.
(fiends)
Creatures that tend to have bat wings, can drink blood, and usually serve as minions for certain night lords. Range from barely-sentient to nearly-human levels of intelligence. Most look like the monsters from Season 1 of Castlevania.
(plants)
Similar to D&D's standard plant monsters except that they require fresh blood or corpses to grow. Some have a parasitic component to their life cycle, but in rare cases almost-symbiotic relationships form with a host.
(constructs, fiends)
Mock humanoids usually grown from scratch. Sometimes fully organic, sometimes incorporate parts that resemble puppets or marionettes. Favored by the Dollmaker.
(shapechanger, lycanthrope)
Usually living creatures infected by one strain of a lycanthropy or another. Werewolves and other were-creatures. May also be associated with the Clever Wolf.
(construct)
Frankensteinian night creatures made by the Stitcher using corpse parts supplemented by internal machinery and electrical wiring. Relatively uncommon.
(undead)
Corpses reanimated when infected with the right strain of night creature essence, such as revenants and ghouls. Some may even keep their memories of their human (or animal) lives. Inspire a lot of vampire stories.
When compared by intelligence, night creature populations form a pyramid: the least-intelligent are also the most common, and as intelligence increases the share of the overall population decreases.
- Most night creatures are non-sapient, resembling plants or animals in behavior.
- Some night creatures are semi-sapient, capable of understanding basic language and maybe even using simple tools with help.
- The minority of night creatures are fully sapient, capable of complex tool use, fluent language, and other human-like behaviors.
- The top few night creatures are rumored to be inhumanely intelligent.
New night creatures usually come into being through one of three ways:
- Through a laboratory. Most night lords prefer to craft their minions this way, since it gives them control in more ways than one.
- Through conversion. In this process, a humanoid or another creature is "turned" after being "infected" in some way. This process can take place before or after death, and may or may not cause major changes to the host's mind and/or appearance.
- Through "conventional" reproduction. This process is deceptively rare among night creatures, usually only occurring in the night creatures that resemble mundane animal populations.
In short, when night creatures and common Petrovians interact, there's usually some kind of violence involved. While there are exceptions, it's generally best practice for night creatures seeking to move among humans to do so in secret, revealing themselves only to a friendly few. Likewise, most humans would be advised to find a guardian or some other kind of protection before venturing too deep into night creature territory.
Some types of interactions between night creatures and Petrovians are described below.
None. The Lords of the Night apparently have no interest in stooping to the level of human politics, and instead deal with humans on an individual basis... normally when they're looking for test subjects. In turn, Petrovian doctrine categorizes night creature bio-artifice as one of the worst forms of Dark Science and has a low-tolerance policy for both the craft and its living products.
Most night creatures are predatory, and the most common night creatures seen in Petrovia are dangers to either livestock, citizens, or both. Some strains of night creatures even require humanoids as prey or hosts in order to survive and reproduce.
When unknown or dangerous night creatures are found in Petrovian lands, the local government usually acts quickly to contain the potential threat.
Despite the hostility between worlds, some members from both sides are drawn to the ways and technologies of the other.
Within Petrovia, secret societies of researchers called "dabblers" risk their lives and freedom to investigate the secrets of the night in the hope of reverse-engineering their technology. In other cases, curious night creatures or night creatures with humanoid traits or memories disguise themselves the best they can and cautiously explore human society, searching for belonging, fresh prey, or both.
Night Lords, though reluctant to interact with humans as a whole, occasionally make excellent patrons or minor "deities" for Petrovians so inclined.
On the fringes of Petrovia, so-called "sylvan religions" have sprouted up from folklore inspired by the local night creatures, in some cases spawning secret cults.
Other humans might seek out night creatures for more business-like arrangements, offering themselves as agents or test subjects in exchange for knowledge or other gifts.
Finally, night creatures captured by Petrovian authorities face destruction... unless a trusted member of society steps up to take custody. Unfortunately for the night creature in question, this essentially gives them the status of property and ensures that they'll be under close supervision, if not lock and key, for the foreseeable future.
Coming soon!