The Origin of Monsters: A Critical Look at Monsterkind Throughout the Ages Eltebad Aethelund III 5E, 219

While many of the common folk believe that monsters first arose early in the 4E as a consequence of the Dark Lord's rise from the Depths, scholars have long debated the true origins of these creatures. The prevailing assumption—that the various monstrosities inhabiting Reial emerged solely from the corruption of the Dark Lord's influence—fails to account for preexisting accounts of aberrant beings in historical texts, folkloric traditions, and archaeological evidence. This essay seeks to challenge the oversimplified narrative by examining three key hypotheses:

The Primordial Corruption Theory

: That monsters predate the Dark Lord and are remnants of an older, forgotten epoch.

The Divine Punishment Theory

: That monsters were created as a consequence of mortal transgressions against the gods that existed prior to the Goddess's arrival in Reial.

The Natural Evolution Theory

: That monsters are not inherently "unnatural" but rather an adaptive response to the saturation of mana throughout the world.

Through comparative analysis of ancient texts, firsthand accounts from the first three ages, and recent necromantic studies, this work argues that monsterkind is not a singular phenomenon but rather a complex tapestry of origins.

The Primordial Corruption Theory: Evidence from Pre-4E Accounts

The least radical of the three theories posited today is that monsters existed long before the Dark Lord's rise. In fact, this theory has been all but proven in recent years.

But first, a brief history. Fragmented records from the 2E speak of "beasts not of flesh but of shadow" (The Tome of Hollowed Beasts, 2E 87) and "things that slithered from the earth when the first cities were built" (A History of Duskbarrow, 2E 112). Even fragments from the 1E, such as the famous Shards of Ithil, mention "walking beasts of scale and flame" (1E, circa 911).

Excavations in the Halls of Vorthal, a little-known dungeon in Malrith, have uncovered skeletal remains of creatures with elongated limbs, serrated teeth, and vestigial wings—features inconsistent with any known species of the 3E. Temporal arcana suggest these remains predate the Dark Lord's arrival by at least six centuries. If these creatures were indeed of monsterkind, this implies that monstrosity is not an aberration of nature but a recurring force in our world's history.

Likewise, the existence of statues, shrines, and charms shaped to resemble monsters that are known today reinforces the existence of monsters prior to the 4E. In the remains of Arkenfal, a ruined city found in Khozadan in 5E 193, large statues of beings identical to gloomfangs were discovered within the uncovered temple. Likewise, in Babadiscowi, an elven ruin dated to early in the 1E, charms shaped like dragons were found in burial mounds therein.

Despite this evidence, Skeptics claim these texts, remains, and relics are either misinterpreted or forgeries. High Archivist Yrthas of the White Spire famously dismissed the Vorthal findings as "the bones of deformed beasts, not true monsters" (On False Monstrosities, 5E 201). However, recent discoveries in Blackreach Chasm, another Dungeon located in Volkash that dates to the same period as Vorthal, have revealed the remains of dozens of creatures identical to those found in Malrith.

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It is safe to say that this theory has been all but proven in recent years, and it would not be presumptuous for one to make the following claim: monsters have existed in Reial since at least the beginning of the 2E. And since the existence of legends detailing other "Dark Lord" figures throughout history is common and widespread, it is possible the rise of monsterkind coincides with the presence of these beings.

The Divine Punishment Theory: Monsters as Instruments of the Gods

A more widely accepted theory holds that monsters were first unleashed as divine retribution. The Scriptures of the Sundered (3E 45) describe how the goddess Vaelora "sent forth the twisted ones to scourge the prideful kingdoms of men" after they defiled her temples. Similarly, the Ballad of the Fallen (2E 820) recounts how the first undead were men cursed with unlife for the barbarity with which they slaughtered their enemies.

This theory gains credence from the fact that many undead exhibit traits that seem designed to punish specific sins:

Vampires represent a ceaseless desire to reclaim their lost lives, a perversion of lust.

Ghouls represent ceaseless hunger, a perversion of gluttony.

Wights represent ceaseless rage at the living, a perversion of wrath.

However, if all monsters were purely divine weapons, why do they persist even after the gods withdrew from mortal affairs? And why do many, such as basilisks and slimes, show no known moral symbolism?

As such, this theory is primarily derived from Temple teachings. Theologians argue that the gods represent the best and worst of mortal nature. Thus, their boons and banes exceed any that could be given, or even dreamt of, by mortals.

However, natural philosophers like Dr. Haelis Morvain posit that "what we call divine punishment may simply be a misinterpretation of magical mutation" (The Arcane Taint, 5E 198).

The Natural Evolution Theory: Magic as the Catalyst

The final hypothesis suggests that monsters are not aberrations at all but inevitable products of a world suffused with magic. The work of the alchemist Gremond the Wise (5E 77) demonstrated that prolonged exposure to raw arcane energies could warp living tissue, creating creatures with enhanced, and grotesque, traits.

This theory explains the following:

The sudden proliferation of monsters in the 4E coinciding with the Dark Lord's rise and the increase in mana his presence engendered.

Regional variations in monster types as representing the essentia of mana in different regions: frost elementals in the far north, fire drakes near volcanic ley lines, etc.

The existence of "benevolent" monsters, such as guardian spirits and sentient constructs, which tend to appear in regions filled with mortalkind.

Recent studies on chimera breeding patterns (see Journal of Thaumobiological Studies, 5E 215) support this, showing that monstrosities adapt to their environments like any other species, just at an accelerated rate.

However, traditionalists reject the notion that monsters could ever be "natural," citing their inherent hostility to natural beings and their penchant for mostly dissolving into Mist when they are destroyed. Since no other "natural" being does such a thing, monsterkind has traditionally been categorized separately.

Yet, as explorer-scholar Lirienne Vos noted, "A wolf is no less natural for being predatory" (Beyond the Veil, 5E 210). Furthermore, creatures infused with mana, such as those in the aforementioned experiments led by Gremond the Wise, likewise have a tendency to dissolve into Mist upon death. As such, there may be less of a dividing line between the "natural" and the "monstrous" as has long been presumed.

Conclusion: Toward a Unified Theory

The truth likely lies in a synthesis of these ideas. Some monsters may indeed be ancient, some divine, and others magical—but all are undeniably part of our world's fabric. To dismiss them as mere footnotes of the Dark Lord's reign is to ignore a far older, and more exciting, history.

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