Alright, I guess I'll give you a general overview of my thoughts as of right now.
The setting is Medieval Europe, in the Year of Our Lord 1469.
There have been some changes to the timeline which I will get into greater detail about but generally what happened is that Christianity got off to a bad start for many reasons and as such is a much smaller religion, consisting of most of the Italian kingdoms, France, Spain, and the Holy Roman Empire to any real effect, while England and Hungary are only nominally Christian. The seat of the Christian world was not Rome, but Constantinople, and after it's fall to the Ottomans in 1453 the Christian world has been in serious turmoil.
In Spain the Reconquista is still underway, the Muslim's still control a good 1/3 of the peninsula. Hungary has only recently turned to Christianity, hoping that the assistance of the Papacy will keep the Ottomans from crushing them next. England still harbors a large pagan population that are very much of the opinion that the pope can go screw himself.
Oh yeah, and there are monsters.
Monsters are no small population and have played various great roles in the way Europe and the Middle East have turned out. They are many and various, some good, some evil, most somewhere inbetween. Monsters have been hunted down where they could be found in Christian countries, due to many Inquisitions that have been called, including an Inquisition that is still active.
And that is what the players will be.
Pretty much any monster of European or Middle Eastern descent is playable, once I cross-examine it to get a general feel for what it is capable of. A select few African and Asian monsters are also playable, as there has been some migration over the centuries. Though keep in mind that the more noticable you are, the more likely you are to have the Inquisition hunting for you. Here are some general ideas of some monsters.
Wizards/Witches- They have easily had the most influence upon the world as it is today. Wizards are capable of wielding immense powers that are only dreamable to many. But this power comes at a price, as all things do. The more power a Wizard gains the more insane they are driven until the point where they self-destruct. They are one of the few 'monsters' that have been granted the probationary status of 'Friend of the Church'. A wizard can work in the open, but if bad things start happening in the vicinity of the wizard, it's them that the Inquisition will be coming for first.
Golems- Constructs exclusively built by wizards, these creatures are also not hunted by the church as they are little more than servants. Most golems are meant as household assistants, being too rare and valuable, and often too fragile, to dare to put into the rigors of war. Golems come in all sorts of shapes, sizes, and compositions. These servants are capable of experiencing emotions, though the older golems can only do so rudimentarily. What is beyond all golems however, is an understanding of morality.
Skinstealers- Some of the first monsters to come over from Asia, these minor demons are generally a quiet, careful, and very sneaky lot. Normally these creatures look hideous, but to make up for this, they often carefully carve the skin off of one of their victims and wear that skin until it gives way to the wear of time and use.
Revenants- The intelligent undead, these creatures use dark magics to animate their corpse, and can even gain some control over the bodies and life flow of others. These monsters first came out of Egypt, the Holy Lands, and Greece, but have since then spread to other areas of the continent. They survive off of the flesh of the living. Revenants are capable of controlling other dead bodies (unintelligent zombies) or even healing or harming the living. Furthermore they are almost impossible to kill, only being brought down when enough damage has been dealt to their form that they are unable to fix the damage.
Vampires- Creatures hailing from Eastern Europe, these are another form of undead. These creatures have a considerable physical strength, ability to shift into a wolf or bat, and can even control weaker minded individuals. Stronger, older vampires have also been known to redirect weather and turn to mist. Vampires survive off of the blood of humans. The vampire has no reflection in a mirrored surface, nor can they cross large bodies of running water, they fear holy symbols which burn them at the touch, and the presense of the sun discomforts them, and drains away all their powers. Vampires can be killed by either a holy relic used to decapitate them, or if they are staked and then decapitated.
Werewolves- Monsters of the frigid north, these creatures are feared more than perhaps any other monster in Europe. These creatures wield an immense strength, vitality, and regenerative capability that has been known to allow them to kill hundreds of unprepared men at a time. They are fast, mean, and very very powerful. But only while they are changed, most of the time, werewolves are human and nothing more than that. A werewolf can only change at night, either forced to do so under a certain phase of the moon, or if done voluntarily assuming the human has enough control over themselves and the conditions are just right. Werewolves however, have no control over themselves when changed and will joyously murder and rape and devour until the sun comes up, ignoring threats to their existance. Werewolves have one anathema, silver, which can deal severe damage to a werewolf, even when it is human.
Dragons- The undisputed most powerful creatures in all of Europe, and most likely in all the world. These creatures wield magic that many wizards never attain, and are extremely physically powerful as well. Entire castles and armies have been annihilated by a single dragon. These creatures are immensely intelligent, though they have no real dealings with humans beyond the occasional raid and treasure collecting. Only four of these great beasts live in Europe, but they are not to be trifled with. DRAGONS ARE NOT PLAYABLE CHARACTERS. THERE ARE ONLY FOUR AND THEY DO NOT GET ALONG WITH EACH OTHER LET ALONE OTHERS. NOT TO MENTION THE WHOLE SINGLEHANDEDLY WIPING OUT COUNTRIES THING.
Comments, concerns, questions, and interest are all welcome.
