The Monster Inside
A text-based RPG inspired by the life of Lord Pyrus and Aeryn DeSteffen
The Monster Inside is a popular story in Favont, particularly in The Stiriphese. Originally a tale by word of mouth, it featured in many history books before being transformed into an interactive text-based RPG in 998, avalible on the D.S.A.S
The RPG allows players to take on the role of Lord Pyrus as he battles for love. Will his actions save the princess, or will she be lost forever, changing the fate of Favont?
Structure
Chapter One - The Man on the Battlefield
The year is 408, and you, Lord Pyrus, commander of Aegar, The Golden Prince's army, have just defeated Jan Montpensier's army on the battlefield. He has escaped to the nearby fortified city of Northpass. There will be a siege, but you have time to wait. Weary from the battle, yet satisfied that victory will soon be at hand, you scour the field, driving your spear into the remaining survivors.
As you raise your spear above this peasant, you realise that he is a Magi, just like you. He has no weapons or armour to hand, and shows no evidence of being injured. He lies at your feet, emotionless, waiting for death.
Do you...
Kill him?
You plunge your spear into his chest. He's likely as much a traitor to the crown as Jan Montpensier.
Three weeks later, the siege of Northpass ends. Jan Montpensier is killed, and you are allowed to retire. You return to your land on the Stiriphesian border, where you marry a young noblewoman. You have two sons, and die ten years later at the age of 51.
What Next?
You check him over for wounds and conclude that the man is just in a state of shock. You give him some water and help him to his feet. He still doesn't speak.
At this point, Prince Aegar, the Golden Prince, sees you and questions why you are helping this man.
Your explanation piques Aegar's interest. He orders you to take him back to the camp and question him.
You find some space for him in a wagon and make sure he has water and blankets for the journey. Once he arrives, he tells you his story.
What Next?
This man is likely a traitor. You bind him and tie him to your horse and drag him to the camp, five miles north. The man falls to the road occasionally, but makes no sound or complaint.
The moment you arrive, you lead him to your tent and tie his wrists to the rafters above. You strip him and beat him until he is bruised and bloody. Eventually, he begins to talk.
What Next?
Chapter Two - The Story
The man tells you his story. His name is Merinosis, just like the Angel Merinosis, and he is a Cleric, specifically an accountant for an order known as The Brothers. He was on his way to Northpass to submit their accounts when he was captured and press-ganged into service by Jan Montpensier.
The Brothers live in the mountains of the Stiriphese and were established by King Leric I. They have one duty: to protect a woman.
She is an immortal who can not survive in sunlight and craves human flesh. They satisfy her appetite by feeding her Ananans who wander too far in the mountains.
You find this story preposterous.
Do you...
Kill him?
He's a liar, and that's only further proof that he's a traitor. You stab him with a knife and then toss him on the pyre with the rest of the dead.
Three weeks later, the siege of Northpass ends. Jan Montpensier is killed, and you are allowed to retire. You return to your land on the Stiriphesian border, where you marry a young noblewoman. You have two sons, and die ten years later at the age of 51.
What Next?
You leave him, making sure that there are guards outside the tent, and go to celebrate with your men. After all, you are their commander, and they have secured a great victory today.
At the party, you tell Prince Aegar about the story. To your surprise, he is intrigued and insists on coming to see this man for himself.
When you return to the tent, you discover that the man has killed himself. The guards outside had no idea.
However, Prince Aegar is still interested. He believes this 'mountain woman' may be a great asset to help them win the war, and so he begins to make plans to go to the Stiriphese.
Early the next morning, the two of you leave.
Go to Chapter 3-A
As preposterous as you may find the story, Prince Aegar must hear of it.
You take the man to see him. Prince Aegar is interested. He believes this 'mountain woman' may be a great asset to help them win the war, and so he begins to make plans to go to the Stiriphese.
Early the next morning, the three of you leave.
Go to Chapter 3-B
Chapter Three - The Court of Cormanlea
The difference between Chapter 3A and Chapter 3B is based on whether Merinosis, the cleric, is alive or dead.
You set out for the Stiriphese with Prince Aegar (and Merinois), heading for the Ananan town of Cormanlea. Before you can enter the Stiriphese further, it is respectful to seek permission from the Ananan leader, Ban Morgan.
Ban Morgan is a legend in his own right, and as a younger man, you have previously fought against him. Meeting him in his own court makes you nervous.
Chapter 3A
Ban Morgan is a surprisingly affable man, though he understands only a few words per sentence. Prince Aegar tells him the story as given by Merinosis and explains that Merinosis is now dead. This makes Ban Morgan very happy. The Brothers have been terrorising his land, but he can't personally attack them as they are Magi, and he wishes to be a man of peace, not war.
He brings out his best guides and offers whatever resources they require, with the pro. Ban Morgan then offers something else, but as he speaks entirely in Anana, neither of you understands.
Chapter 3B
The three of you enter the court of Ban Morgan in Cormanlea. Everyone is staring at you. Ban Morgan is as stern a warlord as you have been warned.
Aegar asks Merinosis to repeat his tale. Its effect is to send Ban Morgan into an instant rage, and he slices Merinosis's head off with a clean swipe of his sword.
Do you...
Nod and agree
It's likely to be spare horses or food, both of which would be helpful. Asking this warlord to repeat what he's saying would not be a good move.
What Next?
ou and Aegar look embarrassed and ask if someone could translate. An Ananan courtier tells you that the other stipulation is that Prince Aegar will marry Ban Morgan's daughter, to further peace. Prince Aegar immediately refuses. He's already married. The court becomes angry and chases you out, leaving you in the Stiriphese without a guide or resources.
Unsure of which direction to head, and an angry court looking for justice, you and Aegar leave the Stiriphese.
What Next?
Do you...
Fight!
You and Aegar draw your swords and defend yourselves, forcing a swift exit and killing several Ananan courtiers. You escape unscathed, but the incident severely damages Ananan relations.
With no resources or guides, and the Ananan court searching for you, you and Aegar leave the Stiriphese.
What Next?
YYou and Aegar surrender in the hope that Ban Morgan will recognise that you mean his people no further harm.
This calms Ban Morgan, who asks about your intentions, especially regarding the Brothers. Aegar tells him he plans to take the mountain woman away, and if that requires killing the Brothers, so be it.
Aegar's plan pleases Ban Morgan, and he freely provides resources and guides. He then offers something else, but as he speaks in Anana, and you and Aegar are too afraid to ask for clarification, you nod and agree.
What Next?
Chapter 4 - The Stiriphese
You follow the Anana guides from Cormanlea north to Mount Stefan, the highest mountain in the Stiriphese and all of Favont. The terrain is difficult. You have to kill your horse, while Aegar sells his to a farmer who shelters you both.
The guides speak no Favontille, so you are forced to communicate with grunts and gestures.
In the distance, you see the peak of Mount Stefan. You admire the view with Aegar, only to feel a hard blow to the back of your head moments later. Aegar falls unconscious. You turn to see the guides running off.
Do you...
Kill them!
They have not got far. You incapacitate both with a blast of Aether. You kill one and kick the body down the side of the mountain, hoping that if found, it will seem an accident rather than an act of war.
The other surrenders. You bind them tightly with a rope. Prince Aegar regains consciousness, and together with your prisoner, you continue your journey.
Go to Chapter 5-A
They are only young, and neither of you is severely injured. You help Aegar back to his feet and continue the journey alone. At least you can now see your destination.
You follow the path as it plunges into a valley covered by forest. The mountain disappears from view, and you wander for days, struggling to escape. Every direction leads to more forest, a cliff, or a river.
Then you see the guides again. They approach, and you think you are safe, until they stab you both and leave you for dead in the endless forest.
What Next?
You realise they are likely afraid of being captured by the Brothers and fed to the mountain woman. However, you still need their guidance to leave the Stiriphese once you rescue her.
You tie them to a tree and assure them they will be released once you return alive.
The guides panic and, in perfect Favontille, tell you to stay on the left path, even if it looks blocked. The right path leads into the forest and is almost impossible to escape.
You thank them, and with Aegar now recovered, continue on your way.
Go to Chapter 5-B
Chapter Five - The Brothers
The difference between Chapter 5-A and Chapter 5-B is whether you have one of the guides with you.
You arrive at the entrance to the cave beneath Mount Stefan. Brother Perile, named after the angel of foresight, greets you. He tells you that, as the angel’s spokesperson on Middengeard, he foresaw your coming. You inform him that Merinosis is dead. He is not surprised.
Brother Perile introduces you to the other Brothers. Eleven stand before you, each named after an angel.
Chapter 5A
Brother Perile notices you have one of the guides captive and invites you inside for dinner. Your guide becomes agitated, screaming, crying, and attempting to break their bonds with water magic. You use Aether to suppress him and render him unconscious.
The other Brothers watch with approval. They take the unconscious guide from you. Brother Brevus (the angel of desire) then leads you deeper into the caves and through a locked door.
Inside, he presents a woman with shining gold hair and large brown eyes. She wears clothes at least three hundred years out of fashion and embroiders a tapestry. She introduces herself as Aeryn DeSteffen
Brevus announces that dinner is ready. She flinches each time he approaches.
At dinner, the Brothers bring out your guide and lead them to Aeryn. She recoils at the sight.
The rumours are true. Your guide will be her meal.
Chapter 5B
Brother Brevus (the angel of desire) leads you deeper into the caves and through a locked door. Inside, he presents a woman with shining gold hair and large brown eyes. She introduces herself as Aeryn DeSteffen.
Her face looks gaunt, and bruises mark her wrists. When Brevus approaches, she flinches.
He speaks about her while running a finger along her skin. When he finishes, he locks the door and leaves her inside.
You join Aegar to speak with the Brothers. Aegar explains his plan to train Aeryn, use her to kill Jan Montpensier, and then keep her as his mistress, allowing the Brothers to continue their role.
They agree, but warn that only one of you may remain to train her, as they do not have enough beds.
Do you...
Intervene
You need the guide to get back out, and Aeryn’s expression makes it clear she does not want to harm him. The Brothers force her to do this.
The Brothers lead Aeryn away and spend the evening talking with you and Aegar about his plans.
Aegar intends to use Aeryn as an asset to destroy Jan Montpensier Afterwards, he plans to keep her as his mistress and invites the Brothers to continue their duty of protection. They agree, but warn that only one of you may stay to train her, as they do not have enough beds.
Aegar chooses to go.
What Next?
You have never seen a person being eaten before, and you find yourself fascinated. You have no love for the guide, and you want to see how much of an asset this woman could be.
Her fangs lengthen, and she tears him apart while he still lives. His mutilated, screaming corpse, stripped of flesh, will haunt you and Aegar forever. You thank the Brothers for allowing you to visit and ask one to guide you to the border, where you leave the Stiriphese forever.
What Next?
Do you...
Offer to go
Prince Aegar has fallen in love with her grace and beauty, as you have. He claims her as his mistress, and if you stay, you will only fall deeper. It is best to avoid temptation.
You leave the cave and return to the bound guides. They are angry, but they lead you away from the mountain.
The next night, in an abandoned farmhouse, they regain enough strength to kill you in your sleep.
What Next?
Aegar has fallen in love with Aeryn, as you have. Before he commits fully, you offer to stay so that you may enjoy her company instead. You argue that it is safer for you to remain in the Stiriphese while he returns to the camp at Northpass.
Aegar agrees and leaves. He meets the guides, who attempt to kill him, but he subdues one and forces him to lead the way out of the Stiriphese while the other escapes.
What Next?
Chapter Six - Training
You spend the next two weeks training with Aeryn DeSteffen, teaching her various fighting skills with the sword and crossbow. To your surprise and delight, she loves it and is keen to be a good student. You spend your evenings chatting away.
She tells you how she was the sister of Leric I. She was married to Prince Escaban Marisa, the prince of Marterra, and while living amongst the Marterrans, learnt their customs and language of Anana.
But when Leric attacked the country, her husband felt betrayed, and cursed her to an immortal life without sunlight. Her brother was so disgusted with her transformation into a monster that he locked her up, first in Northpass Castle. She was later moved to the caves beneath Mount Stefan, where she has since been guarded by the Brothers, each of whom believes they are an incarnation of their namesake angel.
It's almost time to take her away to Northpass and to end the siege. You're sitting in her cell, chatting on her bed about her hopes and dreams once she leaves this cave. The lights are low, the evening is warm, and her eyes glimmer like stars beneath the aetheric lights.
Do you...
Tell her the truth
You tell her the truth about Aegar. He's a brilliant soldier, but a terrible lover. He would lock her up in a castle and use her body whenever he desired, and when his son was of age, no doubt, he would use her too. She would become a whore to Kings, and you can not bear the thought of that because you love her. You have loved her since the moment you first met her.
Aeryn pats your hand and kisses you.
What Next?
Prince Aegar is your future king and master; you can't damn his name. You tell her that Aegar would be a kind and decent man towards her, and that she will want for nothing.
She hears the sadness in your voice and tells you that she will miss your company. She hugs you and kisses you on the forehead.
What Next?
Chapter 7 - Athelros & Perile
You have dinner with the Brothers. They tell you that Brother Athelros (the angel of war) is growing old, and soon they must return his body to the heavens. They ask if you would take his place. Perile seems particularly intent on your agreement.
Concerned that the brother named after the angel of foresight can see your true intentions, you...
Agree to become the new Athelros
The idea of replacing Athelros becomes quickly appealing. Religion has always been important to you, and you enjoy the remoteness of the Stiriphese. Also, you would remain with Aeryn.
You accept.
Brother Athelros rises from his seat and drives his sword into his own stomach. The Brothers ask you to kneel before him and place your hands upon his body to receive the spirit of Athelros into your soul.
After Aeryn completes her mission, Aegar moves her and the Brothers to Northpass Castle. You die ten years later, aged 51, after a night of pleasure with the love of your life.
What Next?
You lure Brother Perile away from the table and kill him. With his death, you feel confident you can kill the remaining Brothers and release Aeryn from her prison.
What Next?
Chapter Eight - Escape
You return to the table without Brother Perile. No one notices his absence. You are about to make your excuses and leave when Brother Hepzibah (the angel of hunting) enters with an Ananan he has captured.
The prisoner is bloody and beaten, clearly tortured with Aether. Hepzihbah announces that this will be Aeryn's dinner.
They bring Aeryn out. She struggles against her captors, visibly distressed. Her treatment enrages you. How can they do this to your love?
You draw your sword and attack
Historically, Aeryn claimed to have killed seven of the brothers, while Lord Pyrus claimed to have killed six of them.
Chapter Nine - The Kiss
All of the Brothers are dead. The tortured Ananan has fled in the frenzy. You take Aeryn's hand and lead her outside, away from the cave that has been her prison for the last 300 years
What actions take place now depend on which roll you landed in the previous chapter.
Roll 1-3
You can still hear the Brothers screaming for mercy after her frenzied feeding attack. You hand her a sword, tell her she has everything she needs to survive, and attempt to leave the Stiriphese on your own.
You never make it
What Next?
That fight was brilliant, perhaps the best of your life. You take Aeryn's hand in your own and tell her that you love her, and that you will always love her.
She kisses you.
At first, it's gentle and loving, but her passion overtakes her, and she bites down so hard on your lip that she draws blood.
You're so fired up from that fight that you bite her back. Together, you make love beneath the moon and stars.
What Next?
You feel like a hero and declare your love to Aeryn. She says she thinks you're great, and a real master with the sword, but that it's best you leave her now. You're too good to be tied to someone like her. She walks away into the night, leaving you dazed and confused.
You attempt to leave the Stiriphese on your own, but you never make it.
What Next?
Chapter Ten - Return to Northpass
Aeryn insists on leaving immediately. Sunlight is death to her, so you can only travel at night.
You head south, but make little progress in the dark. By day, you hide in abandoned buildings and deep forests.
One morning, you set out early to scout ahead. The moment you step into sunlight, your skin burns.
You have become like her.
You do not know how. The kiss, the night you spent together, something changed you. You are now immortal. The world will age and fall, and you will remain.
You return inside and tell Aeryn. She does not understand how it happened either, but she holds you and promises she will love you forever.
It takes a week to leave the Stiriphese. You arrive with Aeryn at the camp at Northpass. The siege continues.
You greet Aegar, The Golden Prince, remembering his claim over her. He looks at her with hunger and asks about The Brothers.
You tell him they are all dead.
But there is something else you should tell him.
Tell him about you and Aeryn
You don't wish to mislead him any further. You tell Aegar that over the last two weeks, you have fallen in love with Aeryn, so much so that you have become a monster, just like her.
Aegar is furious at this confession and hits you. How dare you steal away his mistress! How dare you sully yourself and become a monster!
You beg on your knees for forgiveness, but confess that your love for Aeryn will never diminish.
Aegar orders you tied to a post outside, and if you are truly a monster, then you will burn in the sun.
The next morning, the sun rises, and you turn to ash in its rays.
What Next?
You're concerned about Aeryn entering Northpass on her own, so you offer to join her and work together as a team, but after this, you would like to leave his service.
Prince Aegar agrees and proposes an attack in two nights.
You panic, concerned that Aegar will discover your monstrous self once the sun rises, and tell him that it has to be now, tonight.
What Next?
Chapter Eleven - The Butchers of Northpass
Dressed in black cloaks in the dead of night, you and Aeryn slip easily into the castle. But what next? Roll to determine your attack.
Records state that Aeryn DeSteffen and Lord Pyrus killed only Jan Montpensier’s family, sparing his dog, in a stealth mission. Even so, history remembers them as the Butchers of Northpass.
You kill Jan Montpensier, and the remaining survivors surrender, traumatised by your attack. Your army cheers, but the chant of “Butchers of Northpass” rises above it. You know that name will outlive any noble deed you have achieved.
Before daylight breaks, as the army rounds up survivors for execution, torture, or enslavement, you find Aeryn and attempt to flee. Before you can leave, Aegar calls you both to his tent.
Chapter Twelve - The End
At first, Aegar says nothing. He greets you warmly, thanks you for your service, and then pushes you from the tent into the morning sun.
Your flesh burns instantly. You try to cover yourself with your cape, but the secret is out. Aegar looks down at you with disgust, accusing you of defiling your body, a temple to the angels, by becoming a monster.
Aeryn runs to you, pleading for mercy. In that moment, Aegar realises the second truth.
You have taken his mistress.
He orders your execution. Aeryn falls at his feet, begging for forgiveness, but he refuses to listen. Your betrayal enrages him.
A fanfare sounds. Ban Morgan arrives with his courtiers.
He congratulates you on destroying The Brothers, then reminds Aegar of his promise. It feels like another lifetime, but you remember: Ban Morgan demanded something in return for your entry into the Stiriphese.
He presents his daughter.
He demands that Aegar marry her.
Aegar refuses outright. His anger unsettles the courtiers, and they draw their swords.
You look at Aeryn. The two of you stand caught in this moment.
What do you do?
Mitigate
You remember that Aeryn learned to speak Anana before the curse. You tell her to speak to Ban Morgan’s courtiers.
She reframes Aegar’s refusal, explaining that he already has a wife and that taking another would be a sin for his kind. However, she adds that Aegar has family and nobles who would welcome such a match.
Ban Morgan agrees, but asks Aeryn to return to his court. Her words have bridged the gap between their cultures and could bring lasting peace.
Aegar sees the value in this and tells you to go with her. He declares that you will be known as Nightwalkers, not monsters, for your service to the crown.
You leave with Ban Morgan’s court and the love of your life, and begin anew.
What Next?
With swords drawn, now is the time to escape.
You take Aeryn’s hand and run back towards the Stiriphese, hoping to reach the coast and charter a boat out of the country.
Unbeknownst to you, Aegar dies, and Ban Morgan is arrested and executed for his death. Before you reach the coast, the King’s Men overrun the Stiriphese, killing every Ananan they find.
You plead that you and Aeryn are both Magi.
They kill you anyway.
What Next?
This is your chance to prove your loyalty to Aegar. You draw your sword and defend your Prince.
The fight is brutal. Both sides use magic to tear each other apart.
Aeryn fights beside you, but a fireball kills her.
As the battle rages, you cradle her body. There is no life without her.
You remove your cloak and burn to ash in the sun.
What Next?
Congratulations
You have completed The Monster Inside and history has been restored.
Lord Pyrus leaves with Aeryn DeSteffen. After the death of Ban Morgan, she becomes the Duchess of The Stiriphese, a position she maintains to this date.
With a growing Nightwalker population, Lord Pyrus and Aeryn then return to Mount Stefan, to the caves where they had once found love, and begin to build a subterranean city, Steffen.
Relations
Protagonists
Players of the Monster Inside play as Lord Pyrus, the Magi commander of Aegar the Golden Prince's army. He's battle weary, but fiercely loyal to his prince, until he meets Aeryn, and he finds himself doing anything for her.
Aeryn was the sister of Leric I, the first king of Favont. Following the invasion of Favont by her brother in 104, she was cursed to an immortal life without sunlight by her husband, a native prince of the country. Fearing her monstrosity, Leric imprisoned her.
Allies
Aegar is the oldest son of Aegar III. Now in his forties, he has spent the last twenty-five years of his life in constant battle. At home, he has a wife and son, who he loves dearly, and who he never has any intention of betraying by taking a mistress. However, as future King, he considers himself to be Aeryn's only social equal, and therefore making her his mistress is the only socially correct path.
Competitors
Ban Morgan wants Aeryn and the Brothers out of his land. The Brothers keep killing his people and terrorising the area around Mount Stefan, which holds great importance amongst his kind. Though once a fearsome warlord, he is now ageing and seeks peace above everything.
Ban Morgan has a daughter whom he would like to see married to a Favontille prince. In Ananan culture, having multiple partners is considered healthy, and so, he does not understand or appreciate Aegar's rejection.
Adversaries
JJan Montpensier is the rebel Duke of Norford. He has become frustrated with the crown for making poor choices in the ongoing war against Peren. He claims Aegar III is too old, and Prince Aegar is too jaded, and that he, who is also related to Leric I, should become the new King. However, by the start of the story, Prince Aegar has already decimated most of his supporters and army.
The Brothers are an extremist religious sect, always consisting of 12 brothers, each for one of the angels. They live in isolation beneath Mount Stefan, attempting to fully embrace the teachings of their namesakes so that they might become a truer voice for them.
Unchecked, the brothers have been capturing Ananans and forcing Aeryn to eat them for entertainment.
Backdrops
Locations
The Monster Inside takes place between Northpass, Cormanlea, and Mount Stefan over the period of a month.
The stronghold of the rebel, Jan Montpensier. After his defeat by Aegar's forces just before the beginning of the story, he escapes with what is left of his army to the castle to hold out in a siege.
The castle remains to this day the family home of the Dukes of Norfold.
At this point in history, Cormanlea was the ducal city of the Stiriphese and the location of Ban Morgan's court. It was seldom visited by anyone outside of the duchy, especially the Magi.
Today, it is a pretty little market town on the River Lea and a tourist hotspot that calls itself 'The Gateway to The Stiriphese'.
Today, Mount Stefan's vast cave system is home to the subterranean city of Steffen, as later established by Aeryn, but at this point in time, it was only a few caves with very poor utilities.
The caves had been in use by civilisations for centuries as storage, places of worship, and, at the time of this story, a prison and monastic retreat.
Chronicle of Events
For a better understanding of the time period during the story and the relative locations of the cities, please look at the chronicle below.
Click on the image to go to the Chronicle
The Monster Inside
Text-based RPG
998
Historic, action, romance
One
Favontille
Official System Record
Updated by Lemi Louf, Senior Researcher
Approved by Department of Standards
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