Tildio was an esteemed journalist, adventurer, scholar, scientist, and most simply put: a thinker.
These are his UNEDITED notes.
More specifically, these are notes on monster classification and monster presence in our world.
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Monster Classification
The term monster was not coined under any scientific means. It is a layman's term for... anything, really, as long as it invokes 'monster.'
In modern times, there are very few instances where anyone should be claiming to have seen a 'monster.' Despite this, monster sightings are being reported at an all-time high as of the writing of this.
This is because anything from an extra-large bear or an unusual beast is considered a 'monster' by the average citizen.
This may seem contradictory, considering I just stated that the term monster is neither scientific or specific, but non-specific doesn't mean all encompassing.
Monsters, for people like me with actual standards and qualifications for classification of beasts, animals, and monsters, are a specific type of animated creature (living or non-living) that is created, either originally as an ancestor or source, or in that moment, through magic or occult means.
This includes (but isn't limited to):
Homunculi, reanimated corpses, conjured spirits, hell beasts and imps, and animated/inspired dolls, mannequins, or any other crafted vessels.
These are all general examples of what I, and my peers, consider 'monsters.'
More specific examples of monsters and non-monsters (and their reasonings) are:
Griffins, which are documented to have been created in 4000 B.V. in some of the most ancient times, are monsters (Plosidus 29). Theorized to originally be a homunculus, it had the ability to reproduce, and because of its dominance in the wild as a supreme beast, grew to large populations. It is unsure if the wizard was unable to control the griffin population, or if introducing the animal to the world was the intended purpose.
Gishaks, which are documented to have been created ~234-237 A.V. in more recent times, are monsters. Gishaks were created by the meddlings of a younger wizard employed by the tower (Thaumaturge's statement 240 A.V.). Since their creation, they have nearly been wiped out and contained completely. In the short time they roamed the world, they caused extreme and gruesome destruction.
The first recorded instance of what we now call a 'golem,' was created in 8000 B.V. and is simultaneously the first recorded instance of the creation of any monster of any type by human hands (Badan 20840). The retrieved text describes a wizard who enchanted his daughter's stuffed animal. There isn't anything more, but, technically, that counts as a 'golem.'
These have all been human-created monsters, but, as I said earlier, there are other types.
Ghouls, which are invoked rather than created, are reanimated corpses created by tethering a soul to a corpse. There are also ghoul-golems, for lack of a better word, which are similar to golems in the sense that it is an animated, non-living body, but rather than being animated through enchantments, they are created by tethering a soul to a non-human vessel.
Imps are naturally born creatures, much like the beasts of our world, but are considered monsters because they are naturally born in hell (Badan 11508). This classification goes for all beasts born in hell. The only way anyone would encounter such creatures are by accidental boundary wandering and crossing over into our world.
Dragons, which are beasts, are not monsters. It's said that, long ago, far before humankind, dragons were some of the first beasts to be created by Gaud. As natural creatures, they are not and cannot be classified as 'monsters.'
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Monster Presence in Our World
In ancient times, monsters were unregulated and everywhere. Certain monsters were as if not more common than animals such as chickens or pigs (Glaos 103). It's almost unfathomable to us Caelth today, who live in a world where encountering a monster is exceedingly rare.
Often, people mistake large or intimidating beasts for monsters. One such example is the porcupine-bear, uncommonly known as the Thryskarn. Despite interesting properties like mana-dispersing quills, or supposed homunculi-like aspects, such as seeming to be a cross between two animals into one, it is undoubtably a beast (Plosidus 28).
After the large-scale monster extermination project that started in the 360s A.V., there are very few wild monsters left that roam Caelthar. The same can't be said for the southern continent, which had a similar but less successful extermination, but this is a paper on Caelthar.
For my notes on this subject regarding Qadithar, visit chapter 2084 of "Tildio's Time Abroad in Qadithar."
These efforts came after unification and the need to build stronger and more reliable road networks and trade routes.
Unfortunately, the side effect of this attempt to make the world safer was only a temporary solution, and recent studies (at the time of writing) are proposing that an inevitable resurgance of monster activity is imminent.
The thought behind such a claim is that, during the monster extermination, only the strongest monsters survived. This, naturally, leads to a reproduction of only the most powerful and fearsome monsters, thus raising the average danger level of the world's monster population (Aido 123).
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Creation, knowing or unknowing, of a monster of any type, is forbidden (without proper approval). The act of unauthorized monster creation is punishable by the forceful removal of one's core by the tower's court with no arguement or defense.
The tower does, often, perform its own sanctioned research on monsters and monster creation, but such studies are under heavy scrutiny, despite all such studies being watched closely by tower staff (all student involvement is either a special and incredibly rare case or illegal. No inbetween. No average student, despite what many accuse the tower of, participates in monster research or creation.)
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If you found my notes helpful and or you are using them in your own research, I ask you to please:
1. Cite my work, damn you!
2. Check out my other works, specifically my books. These are only the shallow and unintelligent notes transcribed from the margins of my notebooks.
And they're only ten cents.
So please don't procure my notes illegally. I made them cheap so people like you could afford my knowlede easily, but I really do need some money... academics such as myself aren't known for being paid well.