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Inevitable been thinking about how that one anon viewed Laios as a monsterfucker, and I think it made me realize the source of that confusion:

I think many monsterfuckers, and also many (dare I say most) monster devourers like Laios, both derive their desire from the same source: a latent wish for apoteratosis, the wish to become a monster.

Linguistic side note: apotheosis, becoming a god, breaks down to apo- (towards the end point), theo (god), -osis (turn noun into verb), so I swapped in the root for monster, hence apo- terato -osis. Side note over.

Monster devourers are a rather rare archetype in (mainstream) fiction, but they do exist. Those who seek to mimic or emulate the monster's power, those who find them endlessly fascinating and study them well past the point of obsession, those who wish to show their dominance over the monster by proving that they can kill and eat it... and I think Laios is the first I've seen who takes the title quite so literally, where his obsession goes straight to monsters-as-food.

Monsterfuckers, meanwhile wish to become close to the monster in a non destructive way (or at least a typically less destructive one, usually the only casualties are furniture and few bandages are needed, but I'll acknowledge that exceptions definitely exist). They wish to bond with it, to connect to it through lust or intimacy, to be able to stand at its side. They wish, on some level, to join it. Side note, I'm not saying this is true of all teratophiles, some are just kinky and driven by the thought of positive physical pleasure, or who find the personality of a given monster appealing, but I do think the apoteratotic desire is an underlying driver for many, I'd guess well more than half, it's just a subtle enough thing that I don't think most are consciously aware of it.

There's also a third point to the secret apoteratosis triangle that might surprise you: the monster slayer. Sure many, even most, slayers are driven by something like disgust or xenophobia or even rationality, but a significant minority land in the "if you can't join 'em, beat 'em" a.k.a. "I can't be you, so I'll destroy you" camp.

And these three reactions are, I notice, the three most common reactions that people have to one thing: the unattainable desire. The sentence begins "I cannot have it..." and these three camps end it different ways.

The teratophages say "so I shall dominate it." They seek what power they can grasp so they can have some modicum of control, so they can try to "have" it anyway. The kaiju corpse scavengers in Pacific Rim including refined and suave mob boss types just smacks of this attitude.

The teratophiles say "so I'll get as close as I can." There's a werewolf romance book where they're considering trying to turn the girlfriend, though they have no idea if she'll survive it (boyfriend was turned by accident then abandoned, so he's clueless, and they haven't found any others to teach them), and she says that she's fine remaining human, because she shares the power through him. "I have it, because you have it." The façade eventually breaks and in a vulnerable moment she confesses that she'd be willing to risk even a likely death to try to be turned. When they get in contact with an elder who can turn her safely she doesn't even wait a week.

The teratophobes write that whole sentence as "if I can't have it, then no one can." I'm sure everyone has seen enough examples of this behavior to understand that it's just a kind of love turned corrupt.

I'm not the first to notice the underlying apoteratotic urge: the aforementioned werewolf story, indeed many werewolf and vampire stories romanticize the transformation of a human into a monster. Back to Dungeon Meshi, author Ryōko Kui is fully aware of it with how Laios's underlying desire is eventually brought out of the subtext and explicitly named as his dysphoria with humanity, and his wishing that he could be a monster. For Laios that desire skipped right past the socially unacceptable monsterfucking, explicitly a form of bestiality in that world, to the socially acceptable devouring, though tempered by his respect and admiration of monsters into a desire for symbiosis with them. He cannot become one in truth (or so he thought when younger) but he could become part of their food web. It's as close as he thought he could get. Of course, that's the Watsonian explanation; the Doylist explanation is that Ryōko Kui wanted to subvert expectations, and also wanted to explore this angle of it.

So, all taken together, I think people read Laios as monsterfucker coded simply because teratophiles, teratophages, and teratophobes all share the same root motivation: apoteratosis. Thus, all three branches are coded very similarly.

It's similar to something I've seen in Batman fandom: some fans project romantic love between various members of the Batfamily, which is both wildly against canon and thoroughly hated by some other branches of fandom. But it is understandable, since familial love and romantic love both come from the same root, love of another. If someone doesn't recognize the simultaneous similarities and distinctions, it's all to easy to conflate them. If you don't actually understand the distinction, then the signs of affection between siblings might look the same as the signs of affection between lovers. Likewise, if you don't understand the distinction, the urge of the monster devourers (or ecologists) might look the same as the urge of the monster fucker.

I've sat on this for near a month, partially because of my repeated absences, partially because I wanted to honor it with an equally in-depth response. But 24 days later I've still got nothing, while I can't speak for that particular person I think in general you hit the nail right on the head for the base roots. I got no notes. Even with Laios...like all I can add is how supplemental materials actually confirm he did want to be a monster researcher but found books too dry, the only one who seemed to really *get* monsters was shunned. and how wild he goes when talking with an actual werewolf, "The existence I thought unobtainable is now right in front of me".

#even that last part. like as someone who got married only for us to realize that we may have the wrong kind of love #then broke up but stayed good friends and roommates but throughly not attracted to each other. #yeeeeeeah. #not tournament #answers

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I've not had the time to play BG3, so it always astounds me to hear what monsters made it in. Never expected the fuckin Meazel and MEENLOCK of all things to make the cut.

#not tournament

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The Meazel! In 5e these are hermits who went to the shadowfell to contemplate their misery. 4‒5 ft (1.2‒1.5 m) teleporting creatures who specialize in strangling via garotte. Despite the name and diseased appearance, they're actually non-contagious outside blood-to-blood contact. They're sadists and solitary, but mating is one of the few things that can get them to seek out others, so you're probably safe here!

#meazel #dnd #dnd5e #DnD 5e #d&d 5e #mpmm #smash or pass #fun fact these are some of the most terrifying things in the shadowfell #They're only CR 1 but if they teleport with you they curse you. #Every shadowfell creature and undead in 300 feet now knows where you are. everything decends upon you. no more hiding. #cw bones

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The Meenlock! 2 ft (61 cm) fey born of fear! They're telepathic, teleport, and naturally exude a fear-inducing aura. Those claws also temporarily paralyze! Note, they are sadists who enjoy telepathically tormenting people, since making people succumb to pure terror is how they reproduce. But hey, maybe you could terrorize it right back if fear wasn't what the torment filled you with...

#meenlock #dnd #dnd5e #DnD 5e #d&d 5e #mpmm #smash or pass

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discovering from this that i am definitely not into being humiliated. jury’s still out on if that’s complete disinterest in humiliation as a whole though

Well I hope that later we find something that IS into being humiliated so you can find out :D

#not tournament #answers

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The Korred! 2-4 foot (0.6 - 1.4 m) earthen fey with magical hair! Very little sexual dimorphism btw, EVERYONE gets long beards and hair. They have innate magic like Otto's Irresistible Dance and Stone Shape (mold stone into whatever you want), and that rope is completely under its control. Self-tying rope, soft as the hair its made from but more durable than steel cable! They're mostly solitary, but are known to occasionally party with satyrs or hang out with creatures of elemental earth. If you get it in a social mood they're actually carefree and boisterous...just don't try to cut thier hair. These things are supernaturally strong when touching the ground, like "stronger than the average elephant" strong.

#korred #dnd #dnd5e #DnD 5e #d&d 5e #mpmm #smash or pass

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The Redcap, murderous little fey born of bloodlust! 3 - 4 ft (0.9‒1.2 m), these are fey serial killers. They die if they go more than 3 days without soaking thier cap in blood, so it's mainly just a "might as well have fun with it" situation. They specialize in knocking people over and have IMMENSE strength, as strong as that of a grizzly bear. They are fine working with other creatures, so long as thier cap stays bloody and it's an odd numbered group. Oh, and the thing on the right is a Madcap. Just a normal redcap that soaked the hat in demon blood. Makes them go a liiiiittle feral. and explode when they fall unconscious. so be a careful.

#redcap #madcap #fun fact: They do wash themselves but only bathe in still water #They think rivers wash away your soul. #dnd #dnd5e #DnD 5e #d&d 5e #mpmm #smash or pass

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Quicklings, the speedsters of the fey realm! 2 ft (61 cm) creatures, they essentially experience the world in slow motion. They move and think so fast they look like a blur, and just cannot stop moving in some way. They're like if the flash was also extremely ADHD and a bit of a dick. Like they don't kill people or whatever, but they do mess with people to instigate fights and drama out of boredom. So you need something to entertain them, but I don't think I need to explain how "vibrating so fast they're a living blur" could be a benefit.

...also I love that the lore is just "Their archfey got mad that they kept showing up late and wasting her time, so she shrunk them and hit the fast forward button on thier existence." Like they didn't used to be 2 foot tall with a 15 year lifespan, she apparently just has life's remote control.

#quickling #And note that since they do just experience life in slow motion #they effectively have exactly as much time to think and live and mature as you have #just in the span of a couple years. not just “oh but they mature quick” they literally live multiple years in each year. #dnd #dnd5e #DnD 5e #d&d 5e #mpmm #smash or pass

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Boggles! Tricky 3 ft (0.91 m) fey born out of feelings of loneliness. They're always emitting either sticky or slippery oil (thier choice) and can create personal use portals. Like, this doorway now leads to right behind you and I can reach in and out, Portal style portals. Needs a doorway or gap or something for one side, but not the other. Other than that, they're just mischivous little fey creatures that like playing pranks!

#boggle #dnd #dnd5e #DnD 5e #d&d #smash or pass #5e #monsters of the multiverse #mpmm #cw bones

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I'm mostly back, enough I can crank us back up to 2 a day at least. Sorry for the absence. Thanks for respecting the privacy. We're actually going to be reaching the end of the qualifiers in a month! I'm thinking that when we're done, I'll run a quick little 2-week deal for the PC species like goblins and elves and such. Use it as a sort of intermission. So stay tuned for that!

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Yeah it took me until like the 3rd time I saw one of these to realize it's Goblin backwards. What is it? Why it's a goblin, around that 3-4 ft (0.9-1.2 m) tall range. Happy, mirthful, great sense of humor, it has mage hand and can even magically make you laugh, because that's a god. Straight up divine possession. Don't try to hurt it, it'll just heal from the pain and charm you into singing its praises. and if you do kill it it'll just instantly go into the next goblin so there's no point. You see, when Maglubiyet killed most goblinoid gods, the god of Trickery and Mischief simply broke itself into pieces and ran. The goblins wiped their name from history and memory so they could never be found. Now in every goblinoid warband there is a jester, who gets to do whatever they want. If they're stopped, or the uptight hobgoblins don't allow a jester, BOOM! It's an endless wave of trickster mode goblins! So what you're fucking is a nameless mischief god who escaped death to annoy the usurping war god in the funniest way possible. Because wherever that usurpe's domain is being honored, this god who defied him MUST be given free reign or the entire army will be dismantled.

#in pathfinder 1e they could only be hurt by healing them. which I think is hilarious but isn't relevant here. #nilbog #dnd #dnd5e #DnD 5e #d&d #smash or pass #5e #monsters of the multiverse #mpmm

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The Barghest, a telepathic magical dimension-hopping fiendish goblinoid werewolf! Magic in the form of minor mind manipulation, minor teleportation, and levitation! They START as your standard 3-4 foot goblin, being able to switch to a wolf form, or goblin-wolf form at will. As they consume powerful souls, they keep growing! Usually they go back to thier native plane of Ghenna (land between Hell and Hades) after they become "Greater Barghest," a 6 foot tall goblin that turns into a Dire Wolf. But they can stick around and keep growing, once one needed a mountain carved out for its den! In 5e they're cunning and tricky, hiding amongst goblins looking to take out strong ones with sudden force, then getting away before people figure out they're not a normal goblin.

Look, I allow myself to be biased with goblins, and I love these things, even if 5e really fucked them over imo. Screw this "yugoloths made them to hunt goblin leaders as revenge on the goblin's oppressor" garbage. Barghest versions existed with any goblinoid, and they were the original natives of Gehenna. They're dumped into the material plane as kids because it's FAR safer, only coming back once they've eaten enough souls to unlock their plane shifting powers because they need that strength. They didn't used to be sneaky goblin traitors, they were were rulers! Their eyes would glow when excited, they turned blue as they grew, and had unusual traits like a streak of white in their hair or different eye colors! Maybe it's just my extreme bias against what they did with goblinoid lore in general in 5e though. Still, Barghests are cool no matter what they change the lore to.

#barghest #nb4imposter jokes #dnd #dnd5e #DnD 5e #d&d 5e #mpmm #smash or pass

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Kobolds! 3 ft (1 m) clever dragon people of passion and teamwork, switching wildly between complete cowardice and pure bravery! They tend to mate frequently and without jealously, it's just what you do to keep numbers up and prosper. So chances are they'll be very experienced! The one on the left knows mage hand and charm person, the one in the middle have great endurance, and the ones on the right are especially great with traps and cages and ropes.

The thing about kobolds is that this could basically be the SAME kobold, they fill wherever needed. Sorcerers know mage hand and charm person, the dragon shield guards dragon eggs, and the inventor loves traps...but they ALL mess with traps, anyone could be a dragon shield if they're just chosen as the new egg guard, and while the scale sorcerer is special...like, they know 5 spells. They serve as advisors, but otherwise they're just a normal kobold. They'll still happily grab a pickaxe or mess with traps if needed, it's just usually not needed.

#dnd #dnd5e #DnD 5e #d&d #smash or pass #5e #monsters of the multiverse #mpmm

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The Abishai are Tiamat's personal devils, this being the middle of the pack! They're about 7 ft (2.1 m) with magic specializing in illusion, fear, and mental domination. These telepathic devils are diplomats and spies, taking after thier green dragon counterparts with thier wit and charisma.

#green abishai #dnd #dnd5e #DnD 5e #d&d #smash or pass #5e #monsters of the multiverse #mpmm

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The abishai are Tiamat's personal devils. The black ones are super stealthy, 8 ft (2.4 m) tall, and can create clouds of magical darkness! Since we know nothing of personality I'm assuming it's like the black dragon they're based on, which means clever and cruel. and also that the females take initiative.

Sidenote: these things got a HUGE glowup in 5e. They used to be just weird horned guys with Challenge Rating between 4 and 8 depending on color. Now? They're cool dragon demons with CR from 6 to 19!

#black abishai #dnd #dnd5e #DnD 5e #d&d #smash or pass #5e #monsters of the multiverse #mpmm

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The Abishai are Tiamat's personal devils, the white one being the dumbest and lowliest. If you served Tiamat and she liked you, you become this when you die! They're about 7 ft (2.1 m) tall and can bite you if you slap them!...yeah that's as close to a special power as I got, but they don't need special powers! They're brave, love a good fight, have weirdly long arms, and apparently often work for the TSA. Yeah that's not a joke, they do strip searches and such if you're travelling to thier checkpoint after getting off a boat. They get a kick out of humiliating people.

#white abishai #dnd #dnd5e #DnD 5e #d&d #smash or pass #5e #monsters of the multiverse #mpmm

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hey. um. going down to one a day for a bit. my queue's almost dry and I just had something extremely urgent come up. Don't ask. I'll be fine, just figured I'd mention since I know some of you will notice. Be back soon.