Lledmonster

Monsters appear reminiscent of the living thing that they were originally, but they are altered in some obvious way, such as extraneous growths, increased size, disproportionate limbs, or even the skin or fur changing colors. The are also enhanced in their capabilities in some way, whether stronger, faster, or with some innate magical abilities.

The magic that caused their transformation into a monster alters the biochemistry that makes their carcasses have different uses than their non-transformed counterparts. Some monsters are more tasty or nutritious when eaten, but the most common way that monster parts are used is by mages. Sometimes the parts are used to aid in rituals, making manipulations stronger, but some use the parts to make esoterica, which can even make the magic of true mages stronger. Some particularly skilled craftsmen can even use monster parts to create weapons and other items that possess magical qualities, imitating ancient artifacts.

Among animal monsters, their intelligence widely varies, sometimes become more intelligent to became better hunters, or becoming dumber and more inclined to follow their base instincts. Monster that come from living things with a lower level of sentience though, like plants or fungi, are almost always more intelligent, gaining enough sentience to make plans to ensnare prey.