Book of the Lost, Vol. 1

This document has been contributed by: Sha'Ren the Lost

The Book of the Lost was the first installment of a 93-volume series in which Sha'Ren the Lost would do a deep-dive on different monsters and aspects of monster hunting. These books would be released slowly over the span of Sha'Ren's life, the series coming to a close when he became an Archfey.

Purpose

The purpose of this series of books was to inform its readers of the intricacies of monster-hunting and the dangers it poses, as well as inform them of the different types of monsters and how they interact with each other - and the individual and group threats that each of them pose.
The first installment of the series did not talk of any monsters in particular, but instead discussed the basics and introductory aspects of monster hunting. This book was referenced in nearly every other volume in the series, and was foundational for the rest of the books in it.

Historical Details

Background

Before his deal with Yxjun, and well before he became a monster hunter, the author of the book had lost his family due to his village being overrun with monsters - a direct consequence of the God War. He then became obsessed with monster hunting, for the sake of his family and his village, and began to write about the then- state-of-the-art monster hunting techniques.

History

This book was written in the height of the God War, when monster-hunters were in high demand among the War's refugees. As such, the book was very popular to anyone who could get their hands on it shortly after its release. However, the book lost its popularity later on, especially as the Threat Class system was phased out of use - though Sha'Ren would continue to use it throughout his entire lifetime.
Nowadays, finding a copy of any of the books in the series are somewhat difficult, as few copies exist anymore. Many were destroyed in the God War, others just lost to wear and tear. It was not helpful that many of the people who were making use of the book had a tendency of dying in hard-to-reach or dangerous areas.

Type

Manual, Scientific

Medium

Paper

Authoring Date

8 E.G.

Authors

• Sha'Ren the Lost

Contents

Book of the Lost: Vol. 1

A Comprehensive Guide to Monster-Hunting

Preface

If you want to become a monster hunter, than this book is for you. I, Sha'Ren, also known as the Lost, have dedicated my life to monster hunting. After a loost monster led astray by the God War destroyed my home and family, I have been working ever since to ensure that this tragedy does not befall anyone else. Under my watch, my sole goal is to ensure that the world may be ridden of monsters. So, I am passing on this knowledge to you, that you may continue and spread my legacy, and we can win this long-lasted battle against the monsters that threaten our way of life.

What is a Monster?

Well, I am glad that you asked. Even though you didn't really ask, that was just me writing the chapter title. But regardless, the definition of a monster is a bit subjective. I like to define them with the following few phrases:
Firstly, a monster is a creature that poses a threat to others, in some way, shape, or form. This could be direct threats to a person's life, or even their livelyhood. However, this can also be threats to the way that they are currently living their lives - for instance, a Werwulf
Secondly, monsters have nefarious intent. A bear going on a rampage on the forest is not a monster, because the bear is not aware of the consequences of its actions. However, a Vampyre, that is something that knows what it is doing will cause direct harm to others, and yet continues to do so anyways. And that, my dear reader, is the essence of what makes a monster a monster.

Why Hunt Monsters?

Monsters, as said in the previous section, pose a threat to others. Now, this may seem somewhat abstract, so I will put it in more specific terms. Monsters pose a threat to your loved ones, to your homes, to your families, and to yourselves. You may think that you will never fall victim to a monster attack, but you could not be more wrong. Monsters victimise hundreds to thousands of people who never thought they would ever have to worry about monsters at all. So, at the very least, if you do not intend on actively going out to fight monsters, you should at least be aware of what a monster is and how you can defend against it. This means educating yourself on the different types of monsters around.

Types of Monsters

There are a great many monsters out there, and in order for quick identification, they can be separated into a few different categories. These categories are as follows:

• Progenitor Monsters
• Subaltern Monsters
• Empyrean Monsters
• Sovereign Monsters

To expand further on these categories, the differences between these types lie in their intentions and origins - in a sense, at least.

Progenitor Monsters

Progenitor monsters are those that are able to create more of their own type. Such monsters include the Vampyre or the Werwulf. They seek to turn you or your family into more of their own kind - usually with little regard for your own wishes about this.

Subaltern Monsters

Subaltern monsters are those with little will or desired of their own. Instead, these monsters are controlled and given orders by other beings. This can include creatures summoned in aid of another, and generally only fall under the term of monsters if they are being used for ominous purposes.

Empyrean Monsters

Empyrean monsters are those "sponsored" by beings from the other planes. This can include celestials, devils, demons, or archfey. They are only classified as monsters if they qualify based on the criteria, but when they do, they can be incredibly powerful and dangerous.

Sovereign Monsters

Lastly, Sovereign monsters are those that act of their own accord, detached from the wills of others. These monsters are often the most dangerous, as they have nothing holding them back, and no rules that they are bound to follow as some of the other types may have. Be wary of the Sovereign monster.

Threat Classifications

Monsters can be further categorised into Threat Classes, a system used by the majority of monster hunters of the present day. These Threat Classes are vital to determining the reaction that you should have upon meeting them, and are incredibly important to be able to recognise. These classes form the bases of most monster hunting, and all of the techniques listed here are built off of the classes.
There are 5 major threat categorisations, labelled by number. Threat Class 1 monsters pose little threat, and can be dispached by most adventurers of any skill level. Threat Class 2 starts to become more serious, requiring a bit more experience or tactics to deal with. Threat Class 3 is where we start to become more dangerous and threatening to the general populace, sometimes requiring specialised equipment. Threat Class 4 requires people particularly skilled to dispatch, and Threat Class 5 can only be dealt with by the most skilled of adventurers.

Meeting a Monster: What to Do

Upon coming face-to-face with a monster, there are a few steps that you will have to take. The most important step in confronting any monster is to classify it. Examine the monster, and determine what its type and Threat Class are. Once you have done this, you are able to assess what your actions should be moving forward. You should always be aware of your skill level and what you are capable and not capable of in terms of monster hunting or fighting, so that you can assess a situation and respond accordingly, should the need ever unfortunately arise.