Monsters (ˈmɒnstə)

"Like any other planet, Jeslore is home to unfriendly wildlife. Commonly referred to as aliens when encountered on other planets, monsters are large usually hostile creatures of varying origins. Most monsters are mysterious animals that exist because of ecological pressures, others resemble tall slender humanoids that are result of magical or scientific mutation while another group of monsters existence baffle even the greatest minds of Jeslore." - A guide to day to day life on Jeslore

Basic Information

Anatomy

As monster is more of an umbrella term for any sort of hostile creature that doesn't belong to any sort of taxonomic group, their morphology is inconsistent and unclassifiable. They're not part of the tree of life and there seem to be very few similarities between monsters themselves (although there are clades that will be listed) as they can range from large animal-like creatures to tall humanoids to even half-mechanical mutants. The only thing they really have in common is their hostility towards civilized races (they tend to ignore animals) and either attack out of some form of hunting instinct or malice.
Although they generally ignore animals, they are sometimes still attacked by them. A common example is forest monsters being mauled by Barbspines or coastal monsters getting killed by Clifflurkers. The more animal-like monsters interact with other animals in a way that's expected, but due to their odd morphology will always have an absurd advantage (except against apex predators). All monsters rank 1000 on the scale of Dhipper, meaning that under no circumstances can they be trained. Even when presented with what would usually be their preferred prey, they still chose to attack the civilized. The most extreme case was where a captive monster was starved and when given the choice between easily accessible food and a well-protected, caged volunteer, it still chose to attack the volunteer.
Despite being the number one enemy of civilization throughout history and their bodies being well researched, very little is known about them and their origins. It is known that they are not invincible, which is the only thing security needs to know. With firearms becoming more accessible, monsters have become less of a threat but regardless they prey on unarmed civilians, and of course, some can take more punishment than others. Melee in all its forms, both futuristic and traditional is less effective, as most monsters prefer to grab their prey and either bite their prey to death or crush them. They are well capable of killing humans before humans can kill them.

Clades

There are 4 (some experts argue for a 5th) monster clades, generally based on their suspected origin. These are listed in ascending order of danger.
Faunia - Faunia are essentially animals with mutations of unknown origins. They typically behave and interact with other animals ordinarily and are the least hostile (they still show 0 tolerance to encroachment). Faunia are considered the 'legendary boss battles' of Jeslorian wildlife, as they tend to have an alarming human body count and pose a serious challenge to even the most experienced hunters. Unsurprisingly, the promise of a legendary hunt (and a considerable sum from the local government) attracts big game hunters to Jeslore from all over the galaxy. Their uniqueness also ensures that wall mounts of Faunia are highly prized among big-game hunters and furnishing enthusiasts alike. Faunia like to make their homes in busy ecosystems with other animals.
Stalkers - Stalkers are medium to towering creatures that are typically bipedal (again, there are exceptions.) and unlike the previous clade actively seek out prey, even if they don't tend to stray far from their territory. Stalkers tend to be the result of some forced mutation, be it magical or scientific. The typical stalker is a tall slender humanoid that kills for sustenance and also their enjoyment. They are not intimidated by cars or other common vehicles but like Faunia are less of a threat than other clades usually due to their size and lack of special abilities. Several gunshots are normally enough to kill one, even the big ones. Stalkers, as their name implies tend to follow their prey for significant distances, usually waiting until their prey is isolated but depending on their size it's not too hard to spot one. Stalkers generally prefer remote areas like quiet highways and settlement outskirts where they can easily spot prey. They also love sewers.
Visitors - Visitors do not belong here. They originate from another dimension and therefore have the most out-there body plans and are also usually the hardest to kill. They can range from torsos carried by arms with large heads to twisted grotesque tentacle creatures made up of human parts and inside-out skin. They are hard to kill, typically taking several bullets and sometimes even being able to spread their evil to other hosts, like a disease. Unlike other monsters who seem to act out of a need for food or defending territory, visitors are the first monster kind that seem to be driven mainly by malice.
Abnormalities - Abnormalities are the result of rifts and rips in the fabric of reality - an after effect of the volatile nature of magic. These creatures are usually massive and extremely dangerous to the point where their presence warrants a total evacuation. They are ruthless and will kill everything they can find, including animals. Due to their enormous size, they are quick to catch up to prey, able to spot prey from long distances, and destroy cover. What's worse is that they tend to appear in groups and need more than just small arms. The most common way of dealing with abnormalities is mounted machine gun turrets, explosive weaponry, and ground assaults led by death angels. Abnormalities tend to hang around in open fields or around highways where their massive size can help them spot fleeing prey. They also sometimes roam through cities to find victims.
Goliaths - While this is not yet an accepted clade of monsters, experts believe it should be. Goliaths are made by science and are larger than any other monster can possibly get. They can get up to the size of mountains and are an extreme concern for public safety.
A list of the clades with images generally representing what a member of each clade looks like can be found here.

Ecology and Habitats

Their habitats differ wildly. Regardless of their size they can be found in sewers, infiltrating alleyways, roaming forests, staking out highways, and anything else. The only thing they have in common is that they tend to prefer dark or dimly lit areas, although sometimes they do appear during the day. Monsters tend to have territory and typically don't like sharing it, not even other monsters. They usually ignore animals encroaching on their territory but will defend themselves when attacked.

Additional Information

Average Intelligence

The intelligence of monsters is divided, even among clades. The most intelligent clade seems to be the stalkers, but the question is out there as they don't usually interact with other animals or even other monsters. Very rarely they co-operate to catch prey. Rarely, monsters get the ability to spawn offspring, which they will protect as long as it suits them. Obviously they are all capable of tracking and killing prey.

Civilization and Culture

History

From the beginning of civilization and before, monsters and the races of Jeslore have been at odds with one another. It could be said that what separates a man and woman from a monster is the ability to work with a non-blood-related individual towards the goal of survival. Monsters were always a problem for settlements, as formerly the only real defense against them were walls and well-trained pikemen. It all changed when guns became a thing, most monsters were completely defenseless against bullets, especially the stalkers. Meanwhile larger monsters either had to be avoided or needed a full team of riflemen to be taken down.
As guns became more advanced and accessible to the public, monsters gradually became less and less of a threat, but unfortunately, monsters proved to be too tenacious to be simply wiped out, as they somehow kept appearing and harassing small settlements. Even today they continue to attack civilized races and their settlements, to little effect generally as over the years new laws went into effect that further bolstered settlement defenses against monster attacks. Today monsters only really get into cities by sneaking their way in or outrunning the gate guards, which happens but rarely. Once inside city walls, they rarely last longer than 30 minutes with minimal damage inflicted. Outskirts of town, outside of the better-defended walls is a different story, as civilians there rely on guard patrol. In the modern era of Jeslore, monster attacks are rare, getting around 400-500 kills every year.

Scientific Name

-

Conservation Status

Monsters are unprotected pests that generally pose a direct threat to settlements. They are also not a species like animals, generally either being the result of magical mutation or reckless genetic research (a common issue on Jeslore). Some are the result of more interdimensional issues or reality rifts. Whatever their origin is, they are not an animal species but an active threat to civilization, and are therefore not protected. It seems they can not really go extinct either, making the fight against them an unending one.