Ever since the advent of World Decay in Genaap, theories about the existence and origins of monsters have been endlessly thrown around. During the course of my research, I believe I have ascertained several consistent qualities among monsters.

Among every kind of monster I have observed, there remains one consistent quality: Corrupted Mana. Every single monster possess corrupt mana, which fuels their instinctive hatred of mortals. Even monsters with sentience aren’t immune to this.

Corrupt mana is a phenomenon that has been observed in worlds without World Decay. It occurs when mana becomes trapped within a space for too long and is no longer a part of the natural mana cycle. However, monsters are never seen before World Decay occurs. This paradox has baffled many scholars, including myself. Experiments to create monsters under these conditions have always failed.

This has led me to formulate a theory. There are actually several kinds of Corrupted Mana and it is one of these that’s responsible for monsters. Thus I have strived to classify the various types of corrupt mana. As of my writing this, I have identified three types, each with its own characteristics.

First is the most well-known: Miasma. Created when mana is contaminated by Grudge, miasma has long been a source of concern since it can spawn undead. As it is also used in several types of Dark Magic, its uses are well recorded. It is primarily used in the execution of Grudge Magic and Necromancy. As its primary properties are toxic to mortals, these magics are often feared and their users ostracized.

Second is stagnant mana, which is often found in pockets of air in the earth. Unlike miasma, there’s little use for this type of mana. Multiple attempts to utilize stagnant mana have ended in failure. Aside from using it as a trap, we’ve found little use for it. Furthermore, it is highly resistant to returning to the natural mana cycle. Experiments have found that it can take up to a century for it to fully dissipate.

Finally there is the monster’s source of power, what I have taken to calling Volatile Mana. There has yet to be any recorded incidents of Volatile Mana being found in the environment. It is only found within monsters. Every attempt to measure or create it has failed. Indeed, the only place Volatile Mana can be found is within monsters. It is this that gives monsters their unnatural ability to adapt to any environment and the ability to Evolve.

Volatile Mana can induce rapid and extreme changes in monsters. Anything from extreme physical changes, to biological advances, to the awakening of various Manas can happen during Evolution. There are even cases of monsters becoming the progenitors to new species by unlocking a new mutative Evolution.

However, newborn monsters do not posses large quantities of Volatile Mana. We have long seen that newborn monsters raised away from their parents will grow up to become Daemons. This means that Volatile Mana is not hereditary, but introduced during a monster’s growth phase. How this occurs has yet to be observed, as monsters in captivity will not leave their agitated state.

Even monsters are not immune to the detrimental effects. Tests were conducted on captured newborn monsters and the children of Daemons. In both cases, Volatile Mana caused severe reactions in the subjects, transforming the Daemons back into monsters and killing the newborns.

Experiments to forcibly remove Volatile Mana from a subject have been met with mixed results. Former Daemons will readily regain their sentience and clarity of mind, a fact I am extremely grateful for, but monsters must willingly expel their own Mana to gain full sentience.

Regardless, monsters remain as much of an enigma as ever. Every question we answer only reveals three new ones. I continue to strive to learn more about both Volatile Mana and monsters, as I believe that discovering the source may be the way to finally end their constant threat.

Excerpt of

Monsters: A General Study by Alexandra Croswell

Fourth Seat of the Genaap Continental Alliance