Bestiary
Though mostly populated by the souls of the maybe-dead, Limbo is home to its own variety of native beings and creatures. Some are friendly, some are benign, and some want to eat your face for breakfast. On this page you can find information about the other non-living things that call Requiem home.
Limbo Inhabitants
Wraiths
Size: Human-sized, ranging in "age" and other features
Frequency: Common at City Hall, other "official" locations
Danger Level: Friendly. Annoying, but friendly
These natural inhabitants of Limbo are the sapient servants of Niesha. Unlike Souls, wraiths don’t have Shadows and don’t need anima to survive. It’s unknown if they were ever mortal at all. They are capable of flight, teleportation, telekinesis, phasing through objects, and other traditionally “ghostly” maneuvers. Wraiths can take on many appearances, but they are always vaguely humanoid and capable of speech. They’re generally friendly (if irritating) and would never attack a Soul unless forced to defend themselves– at which point they’re a force to be reckoned with.
Most of the wraiths in Requiem work as caseworkers at the Bureau of Soul Affairs. They answer only to Niesha, and can sometimes be found working other jobs or performing other tasks under her orders.
Animals
Size: Usually the correct size for its species
Frequency: Common both in and out of city limits
Danger Level: Low - all are unusually docile/friendly towards Souls, even if the species is normally dangerous. Wouldn't go poking a bear or kicking a shark, though.
These are not the souls of animals passing through Limbo. All animals here were created from the memories of the dead, recreating a little technicolor ecosystem both inside and outside the city. Most look similar to their real-world counterparts but are somewhat ghostly in appearance, with skeletal features, bright colors, and unusual bioluminescence in their markings or bodies. (Refer to the Noise from The World Ends With You, or the Vale animals from Skyrim: Dawnguard.) Most also behave similarly to their living versions, though Limbo animals are much more comfortable with people and often approach them with no fear or hostility.
Within city limits you can commonly find rats, squirrels, pigeons, birds, dogs, and cats. In open space areas you can find wild species such as deer, raccoons, bears, fish, and waterfowl. The Cedar Forest Zoo is home to a variety of other, more exotic species from around the multiverse.
Sometimes monsters can take on the form of a regular animal (Buborats, Harriers, etc.) You’ll be able to tell the difference by how large the teeth are and how vigorously they’re trying to rip you to shreds.
Ghosts
Size: Human-sized
Frequency: Uncommon on city streets, extremely common in the Underground
Danger Level: Harmless, though they give off an eerie, cold feeling
Souls who have lost their bodies. Ghosts are the dead among the dead, flickering and faint with no physical form to tether them down. They can be seen wandering lonely streets at night, or bound to particularly haunted places. They give off a frightening aura that chills all Souls around them, radiating anger, despair, and other negative feelings. Due to this, and perhaps an unfair fear of them, many public places shun ghosts or force them to leave. Thus, most inevitably end up in the Underground– the ominous, dangerous network of abandoned subway tunnels beneath the city.
As they wander endlessly through Limbo, ghosts slowly lose their memories and sense of self. They become consumed by rage and sorrow and eventually transform into monsters. Multiple ghosts can meld together into a single monster, and monsters can seek out and absorb additional ghosts to become stronger. When a monster is killed, all the ghosts within it are freed, left to continue wandering the streets until the cycle starts all over again.
Once a body has faded out of Limbo entirely, there is no known way to restore the ghost into a regular Soul. Certain groups have been researching ways to assist ghosts by creating “shell” bodies for them, with only limited results so far. The best way to prevent ghosts is to be cautious in upkeeping your Soul– take good care of your body and get plenty of anima.
Monsters
When a ghost loses their sense of self and becomes consumed by despair, they transform into a monster. The form a monster takes depends on the ghost it spawned from– who they were, where they were, their state of mind, or the last things they remember before their humanity lapsed.
Monsters are beings of pure rage and hatred, and as far as anyone can tell, they’re completely hostile to Souls. Some attack in an attempt to steal a new body, others out of resentment having lost their chance to escape Limbo. They absorb the spirits of their victims to make themselves even bigger and stronger. The good news is, all documented monsters are defeatable (so far.) Dealing enough damage to the body “kills” the monster and frees the ghosts within for the time being.
Monsters are attracted to and spawn in darkness. Most refuse contact with sunlight, either sticking to enclosed places or only coming out at night. They are most often found in the Wilds, but have been spotted within city limits, especially in dark, abandoned places. The Underground is a common spawning location for monsters, and the old stations have largely been locked up to prevent them escaping into the streets. Head down into the Underground proper at your own risk.
City Hall’s official statement is that the presence of monsters within city limits is uncommon and often exaggerated. This is a blatant, obvious lie and it’s recommended you stick to well-lit places after dark, travel in numbers, or carry some kind of protection.
Standard Monsters
The following monsters have been seen consistently around the city and documented by the Atropos University Research Team.
You may freely utilize as many of these monsters as you wish in your threads, and defeat as many of them as is reasonable for your character.
Monsters are each given a danger level score from 1 to 10, with 1 being "hostile but easy" and 10 being "oh man oh god oh man oh god."
Umbra
Size: Ranges, between the size of a small dog to a little bigger than human-sized
Frequency: Very common
Danger Level: 1/10
Blobby creatures that look like they’re made of pure darkness. Umbras form from a ghost only recently lost. They’re clumsy and a little pathetic, stumbling and scrambling around as they get used to their new state of being. They range in shape from small and round and kinda cute, to eerily human with unnervingly long limbs. They attack via scratching, hitting, and clinging to their prey to pull them to the ground. A handful of Umbras are no problem for most Souls to handle, especially if they’re armed or combat-capable. Don’t get cocky, though. In large numbers it’s easy to get overwhelmed.
Any resemblance to base enemies from certain popular action RPGs is purely coincidental.
Buborat
Size: Rodent-sized. Sometimes Rodents Of Unusual Size-sized.
Frequency: Very common
Danger Level: 2/10
Not to be confused with ordinary city rats (which are kind of cute and smarter than you think), Buborats are huge, mean, and vicious. Diseased-looking, with half-decayed flesh and a horrible smell. They’re disgusting, but can only really attack by biting or squirting a smelly acidic substance that causes mild burns. From where? We didn’t really want to check. Fortunately, they’re only as durable as ordinary city rats, a species which after meeting the Buborat, frankly deserves an apology.
Buborat King
Size: Depends, but up to large dog size
Frequency: Uncommon
Danger Level: 3/10
When a group of Buborats merge together, they form this horrible hivemind of squirming, rotten rodent bodies that move and act together as one creature. Teamwork! Absolutely hideous, but it’s still just a pile of monster rats stuck together. It can be defeated by breaking it apart or killing enough of the hivemind Buborats. The hard part is controlling your gag reflex long enough to aim.
Harrier Pigeon
Size: Pigeon to raven-sized
Frequency: Common
Danger Level: 3/10
These monster pigeons can be mistaken for crows with their midnight black feathers and a tendency to hang out on high spots. They can be differentiated by the eerie, flame-like aura emanating from their bodies, the glowing orange eyes, and the hostility towards everything that moves. They gather in small groups and swoop down on their targets, pecking and clawing and making general nuisances of themselves. Pretty stupid and easy to defeat, they mostly become a problem in large numbers where things can quickly take a turn for the Hitchcockian. They despise bright lights, most frequently attacking in alleys or open spaces where the neon’s not quite so harsh.
Husk
Size: Human-sized
Frequency: Common
Danger Level: 4/10
Withered, zombie-like human figures. Husks are usually found in isolated, abandoned locations and especially in the Underground. They form from fleshy “hives” that absorb many ghosts and then hatch out these misshapen monsters. Desperate to regain a real body, they shamble around in search of Souls, then attack via biting and clawing. Their desiccated flesh can take a surprising amount of punishment, and if dismembered they can pull themselves back together– even with new, extra pieces of other Husks. They are very susceptible to fire, which burns up their dry bodies like tissue paper.
Stinger
Size: Large dog-sized
Frequency: Uncommon
Danger Level: 5/10
At first glance it’s a scorpion. At second glance, it’s an amalgam of various insects with compound eyes, spindly limbs, a long-tongued proboscis, and a scorpion tail. Also it’s the size of a golden retriever. Speedy and agile, its first move will be to sting you with its tail. Its venom carries a potent hallucinogen that takes effect in less than a minute and can last up to six hours, which is plenty long enough for the Stinger to jab its proboscis into you like a crazy straw to drink all your fluids. Best bring a friend when you’re dealing with these things– the venom can be mitigated by powerful anima generation, however you choose to take that information. Venom aside, it’s a giant bug that makes a giant crunch when you squash it. Use blunt weapons or guns to smash that exoskeleton. Then you can deal with the venom... somehow.
Drowned
Size: Human-sized
Frequency: Common, in the water
Danger Level: 5/10 in the water, 2/10 on land
Ghosts who faded near or otherwise had some connection to water turn into these aquatic monsters. Resembling a Husk but swollen like a waterlogged sponge, they’re slimy and stretched-out with flexible, tendril-like limbs. They wrap these limbs around inattentive Souls and attempt to pull them under. They have no bones, so in the water they slither gracefully, formless and fluid. On land, they flop around uselessly and are extremely easy to kill. For this reason they tend to stick to deep, dark water, coming to the surface at night to look for prey. They have a weakness of loud, high-pitched noises, which make them shrivel and leave them open to attack. Even screaming is enough to stun them, so they try to drag their victims underwater straight away.
Ripper
Size: Human-sized, but crouched/crawling
Frequency: Uncommon
Danger Level: 6/10
These thoroughly unpleasant things look like a humanoid corpse doing its best impression of a quadruped animal. They move as fast as a dog and even bark and growl, but their faces are distinctly human with big, sharp teeth. Extremely vicious, they hunt in packs of two or three. The Ripper’s greatest danger comes from their tendency to ambush solitary targets, and how quickly they can surround and strike. Don’t let them get their clawed hands on you, or you’ll figure out where the name comes from firsthand. Good old-fashioned firepower is the best way to deal with these creeps. Fast as they are, their limbs are spindly and fragile.
Femme Fatale
Size: Human-sized
Frequency: Uncommon
Danger Level: 7/10 for the ambush capabilities
There she was, lithe and long-haired, a gorgeous dame in danger. Stranded in the Wilds, trapped in the Underground, or walking the dark alleys by night. With tears in her eyes and a sweet, melodious voice, she sobbed for help and begged me to approach. But the second I got close, she turned into a spitfire. Sharp claws, deadly fangs, an unhingeable jaw, and an insatiable appetite for leaving hickeys on my neck. We tussled. She was way stronger than a waif like her should’ve been. Took more than a few shots to put her down, and she left me a bleeding mess. I lit up a cigarette and took a long drag. Why’s it always the pretty ones with a mean streak?
Obscura
Size: ???
Frequency: Uncommon
Danger Level: 7/10 if unprepared
Existing only in near-perfect darkness, it’s unknown what the Obscura actually looks like. They cling to the walls and ceilings in their chosen dark places, carefully avoiding any and all light. When an unsuspecting victim wanders into its territory, the Obscura calls out to them. “Look at me!” “Over here!” “Behind you!” If the victim actually glances at the Obscura they are instantly stunned, and the creature will yank them into the dark to devour them. If you hear such a voice calling out to you in a dark place, keep your head down and keep moving as fast as you can. Having a light source on hand is the best way to protect yourself from this monster. Even the slightest amount of light is fatal to the Obscura, who will fizzle and vanish so quickly that nobody has ever seen one.
Hangman
Size: The size of a car or larger
Frequency: Rare
Danger Level: 8/10
One of the creepiest documented monsters in Limbo looks, at first, like a tangled mass of vines. Sometimes they nest in trees, but more commonly the vines are somewhere strange, coming out of a ceiling or a stairwell in the Underground. On closer inspection, the “vines” are elongated arms that all end in spindly, creepy hands– and if you’re that close, you’re already in trouble. The Hangman will snare its prey and pass it upwards from hand to hand, carrying the victim up to its plantlike main body and into its gaping, toothy maw. You can cut the arms to try and escape, but one Hangman can have up to a hundred limbs and it’s counting on you tiring yourself out. The inside of its mouth is a major weak spot, but by the time you’re in any position to target it, things have already gone very, very poorly for you. On the bright side, this thing gives amazing hugs.
The following monsters have been seen around the city, and are subject to new research by the Atropos University Research Team.
You may freely use 1-3 of these monsters in your threads under the specified circumstances.
Sharktopus
Size: Truck-sized or larger
Frequency: Uncommon - found normally in deep sea areas, occasionally coming to shore to hunt-- most frequently in unpopulated spots along the beach
Danger Level: 8/10
"We've finished analyzing the remains of those shark-squid-tentacle thingies that attacked the beach bash. They seem to be a larger and more dangerous species of water-dwelling monster, perhaps an evolution of multiple Drowned. All the predatory threat of a shark, plus long tentacles in their mouths and on their backs that allow them to snatch prey even on shore. During the fight they showed some weakness to electrical attacks, and they also seem affected by poison in the water around them.
Fascinatingly, the largest 'alpha' of the specimens seems to have some kind of advanced brain organ that allows it to send out "sonar" signals-- and it appears that other monsters can "hear" these signals and follow simple commands from them. We've never seen this type of behavior in between monster species before.
Taking a suggestion from AURT members, we're calling these Sharktopussies, and the alpha species will be known as a Jawesome Sharktopus. I'm not sure why this made the team laugh so much."
- Chancellor Howe
Shadow Mimic
Size: The same size as any given Shadow
Frequency: Uncommon - seem to thrive in darker seasons of the year
Danger Level: 5/10
"A new species first identified this autumn. Dark, shadowy, malleable bodies, not unlike Umbra. They've adapted to hide in people's Shadows, mimicking their shape until the victim's guard is down. Once they attack, they can keep the form of the Shadow for a little while even after breaking away. Unfortunately for the Mimic, this does not actually make it any stronger.
Their camouflage capabilities mean they can catch folks off guard, and mimicking a Shadow might disturb or frighten some people. But once they show off their one trick, you just beat 'em to death with whatever's on hand. Almost makes me feel sorry for the poor things. They tried so hard!"
- Chancellor Howe
Dirgerus
Size: Large, about the size of a car or a horse.
Frequency: Uncommon, usually frequents urban areas with entertainment districts. Some theorize it listens to the sounds of loud night performances to better mimic and tune its calls.
Danger Level: 8/10 alone, 5/10 in company with preparations.
The Dirgerus resembles a gaunt three-headed dog with a central maw and sirens growing out of its mouths, which it uses for hunting. If you find yourself walking alone late at night, it is urged you remain silent; if you hum, whistle, or sing, you can attract the attention and appetite of a Dirgerus. The creature prefers to hang from overhead buildings or trees and draw a thin trace of the victim’s blood with two, sharp long tentacles. After it gets a taste, it begins the hunt by carefully creating a call to lure its victim.
The left head repeats things the victim least wants to hear: old fears, voices of enemies, and old trauma. The right head repeats things the victim most wants to hear; pleasant memories, the voices of loved ones, or soothing and relaxing music. The central head speaks only in random snatches of sound, usually odd things like breaking glass or static. Typically the three heads cooperate to draw the victim in close, but on nights with no moon, it creates a cacophony of sound that blends into distorted siren calls. Some have learned how to pitch their calls to try and force a victim to run from echoes, and straight into the Dirgerus' jaws.
Dirgerus can be weakened by the presence of two or more people; if those people can sync up their voices, whether in song or poetry or something else, it can disorient a Dirgerus long enough to either escape from it or attack it.
[Submission and art byelectrifyking]
The following monsters have been spotted around the city as part of special/limited time events. They are not ordinarily found in Requiem and cannot be encountered normally, but are listed here for future reference.
Siren Vine
Size: Extremely large, starting around car-size and rapidly growing
Frequency: Extremely rare, thankfully
Danger Level: 8/10
"These quick-growing, parasitic vines are not 'monsters' in our usual sense of the phrase. They're not comprised of Souls, and they're not really plants, either. They're actually an aspect/manifestation of Nemesis aka 'Rhoda,' a goddess of entropy. Through these vines, she absorbs anima and even Souls themselves to fuel her powers.
The vines are black with a shiny surface somewhat like an oil spill. They grow groups of brightly-colored seed pods, which are capable of rattling and 'whistling' to create sound. By adjusting this sound to an individual, the vines are able to enthrall the victim into a trance, turning them into a puppet for its will-- or just making them lie still to be wrapped up and consumed. Damaging the pods makes the vines withdraw, and somewhere at the center of each plant is a glowing 'heart' that will kill it if destroyed.
They were first spotted during Nemesis' attack on the Winter Solstice, and thankfully haven't been seen since... but it's important for everyone to keep an eye out for any sign of these things returning. Please inform AURT or the RPD right away if you find a 'live' specimen or signs of one anywhere in Requiem."
- Chancellor Howe
Additional, stronger, worse monster species will be discovered and revealed as the game progresses. Hooray!
SUBMIT A MONSTER
Got a horrible idea for a horrible beastie to fight? You’re welcome to come up with some bigger, tougher monsters for your own purposes, but why not submit your idea and inflict it on everybody else? Leave a comment on this page with a brief description of your monster and how to defeat it, and we’ll add it to the list!