Moonlight Requiem Beastiary

This is a list of all creatures encountered so far in the Moonlight Requiem plotline. The list will grow as new monsters are fought or met.

Hellhounds. The name evokes fear to many dwellers in the countryside. To those who live in the city, the word means nothing, for Hellhounds do not approach cities, or even Villages, willingly. But in the country, they have claimed the lives of many wanderers, farmers and traders. Hunters often kill the creatures as bloodsport, and they are used as trials of tenacity and strength to new recruits.

Hellhounds are large, red creatures, much like dogs out of hell. Their skin is red, glistening with an unearthly sheen that is their blood leaking from their bodies, changing into clear liquid through special glands beneath the skin. Their bones are much harder than that of a human, and often pierce their skin at the joints, lending a pained look to the demonic beasts. Their mouths, the most prominent feature of their face, are filled with large, jagged teeth, designed to lacerate and tear with ease without killing. They have no eyes, but maintain a larger sense of smell and hearing.

Hellhounds often travel in packs of three or four, and though mostly mindless, they will listen to beings of superior authority and power. Thus, they are often used as scouts of raiders for demon lords in the circles of Hell, as well as for some of the higher pureblood vampire families. Hellhound tracks are easy to spot; their footsteps burn and sink the earth where they walk, indicating their great weight, and they give off an odor of sulfur that can linger for hours after they have passed an area.

In combat, Hellhounds tend to try and disperse their enemies with lethal charge attacks and lacerating bites. They have also been shown to create black tendrils from the front of their bodies which, in addition to being quite capable weapons, can also be used to turn a Hellhound during a charge, making dodging their shattering attacks harder.

Hellhounds have a lot of stamina and strength. They can keep a chase going for three days straight, and are capable of outrunning a horse, though they often don't unless given dire orders to do so. They can take most attacks from a human without faltering, and even a revolver shot to the head has no guarantee of a kill.

Hellhounds tend to have only the emotion of excitement and blood lust. They can exhibit fear, but it's very rare.

Hellhounds will be stopped by crossing running water.

Vampires are special in the beastiary of monsters in that they are the most organized, disciplined, and behaved. Vampires tend to create families of themselves, and ancient families of vampires become known as 'pureblood' families. Of the pureblood families, there are seven currently still around: the Rebek, located in Romania; the Ludwisch, located in Germany; the Makia, located in Transylvania; the Asch, located in Transylvania; the Amalon, located in West Russia; the Bureaux, located in France; and the Vanderlieg, located in Transylvania.

Transylvania has the largest concentration of vampires in all of Europe and the world, and so has been nicknamed 'The Pureblooded Hell.' The people of Transylvania live every night in fear of a vampire attack, though they have also found ways to live their lives in such a dangerous situation. The vampires themselves seem to have a begrudging respect for the people's tenacity in staying, and so don't feed as often as other vampires do.

Aside from the pureblood families, there are also half-vampires that dot all of Europe. They don't need to feed as often, and also aren't as powerful, but can still best most humans in a fight without much difficulty.

In a fight, vampires prefer roundabout tactics, drawing enemies into traps and separating them to make things easier. If that doesn't work, then direct or stealth attacks are used to subdue and destroy. A vampire is stronger than even a werewolf, and one hit can shatter bones in a human, though they typically aren't as fast.

The pureblood families have been known to exert control over werewolves. It is something that only they have done, and it is assumed that only the heads of the families can actually do it successfully. The exact reason and method are unknown to outsiders.

The heads of the pureblood families are the oldest and most experienced members, and their rule is absolute. In addition to having centuries of fighting experience, the head of a family often has speed to rival or even pass a werewolf. Coupled with their innate strength, this makes them very formidable indeed.

Vampires have a hard time in general using magic, and most don't even bother.

Vampires do not die if exposed to sunlight. However, vampires do become weakened to prolonged exposure to the rays; the stronger the vampire, the more drastic the effect and the quicker it occurs. Thus, most purebloods stay in their mansions during the day. Half-vampires are not affected.

Holy water is the bane of all vampires. Even a mere touch will start to burn through their undead flesh, and so they are drastically afraid of it.

Werewolves are fearsome creatures.

Many people, especially those who don't live in eastern Europe, consider vampires to be the superior of the pair, or else werewolves to be better. They are quite wrong.

The werewolves used to have one thing in common with the vampires; they, too, possessed an organized society. Marshalling ranks under a king, they posed the greatest threat to the vampire pureblood families, and the battles they waged were legendary. They also shed much innocent blood, and destroyed many villages and cities in their struggle.

That all ended in 1833. It was at the height of their power, when their hopes for victory had never seemed greater, that Alfric Chezval, the king of the werewolves, abandoned his people. The move was instantaneous, and none could guess as to why he had. He would not be dissuaged, and at the end was forced to kill two of his greatest generals in order to leave.

The werewolf society quickly collapsed.

Now its memebers are scattered across the body of Europe. They tend to be loners, untrusting of anyone else, and though not openly hostile, it takes little to convince one to attack you. The vampires have since assumed dominance over eastern Europe, killing off or taking control of stray werewolves when they can, so as to reduce the chances of another werewolf society forming. Alfric has not been seen since that day.

Werewolves are crafty creatures. What they lack in strength to the vampires, they make up for in speed and sheer tenacity. In a fight with a fully transformed werewolf, it is not uncommon for the creature to simply move so fast it cannot be followed by normal humans. And no matter how much you wound one, it is not likely to cease its attacks until you're dead.

Werewolves are their most dangerous on nights of the full moon. However, werewolves are still more powerful than an average person no matter what day it is. Trying to fight one would be unwise.

Half-werewolves do exist. They do undergo full transformations, but can also transform at will. As well, their speed and strength is not equal to that of a full werewolf. They, however, can blend into society much easier, and are harder to track down.

Silver is to a werewolf as holy water is to a vampire. A wound from a silver weapon will inflict much more damage to a werewolf than the same wound from another weapon. Thus, those who live in known werewolf areas are advised to have some form of silver on them at all times. Even a silver bar can do some damage to the beast. Half-werewolves feel a much reduced affect to this weakness.