The Menagerie - The Saga of Blood

The Saga of Blood
"Whoever fights monsters should see to it that in the process he does not become a monster. And when you look long into the abyss, the abyss also looks into you."

- Frederick Wilhelm Nietzche

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The Saga of Blood is older than the Menagerie. The concept itself dates back to my earliest days online, when I discovered the No More Fakes shared story universe, and decided to try my hand at creating a shared story universe of my own. And several of the characters in this setting are even older, essentially turning ten years old this year. I created the Saga of Blood in the hope that others would be inclined to create their own characters, and add their own chapters to the Saga. Of course, I have since realized that creating something for no other reason than to get others to take part is a mistake. But the offer still stands: draw your own Saga of Blood character, or write your own story, and I will almost definitely integrate it into the Saga of Blood universe.

As for the setting itself… imagine a medieval world that bears striking similarities to our own, but where creatures of myth and legend are deadly real. These monsters present a double threat to humanity; besides their physical danger, any who comes in contact with the blood of a monster themselves transform partially into the form of that monster. And their blood in turn can pass the transformative curse… Intrigued? Then you need only read on…

Anyone who is interested in adding their own contributions to the Saga of Blood is encouraged to do so, with image or word. To view those guest contributions already made, please visit the Guest Art or Guest Writings areas of the Menagerie.

New

Beholder-Blooded:
Melissa

Melissa is hesitant to reveal the tale of her transformation, but it is believed that she was the only daughter of a prominent village merchant, and fell in love with the son of a blacksmith. Unfortunately for Melissa, the boy had incurred some bad debts, and those he had borrowed from decided to punish him by blooding him. But it was Melissa who came across the tainted cup, and it was Melissa who ended up with no arms and hundreds of writing eye-tipped tentacles in lieu of hair. She eventually fled the village, with the help of the blacksmith's son, and made her way to the village of blood mutants.

Dragon-Blooded:
Daniel

Daniel fled with his parents, political refugees of some sort, and eventually ended up residing in the facility known as Haven. Unfortunately, the facility was not completely uninhabited; a great green dragon surprised Daniel and his parents, killing both Daniel's mother and father, and blooding the young boy. Eventually the dragon was killed by Aimee, and Daniel remained under the naga-woman's care, technically the first resident of Haven.

Medusa-Blooded:
Brittany

Thankfully, Brittany did not inherit the petrifying gaze of the monster that blooded her. But she did adopt a bizarre pattern of scales and serpent's flesh, binding one arm to her thigh and covering areas not normally blessed with a medusa's scales. But Brittany was never one to let the low points of life keep her down. She followed a trail of rumors until she came to a village where numerous blood mutants resided, helping one another and generally keeping to their peaceful selves. Brittany decided to reside here, helping and being helped with equal balance.

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Beholder

Beholders are spherical, fleshy creatures that float by some form of levitation. They have one huge eye, a mouth filled with teeth, and many dozens of small tentacles, each tipped with another eye. The gaze of a beholder can paralyze even the bravest of men. Thankfully, these creatures dwell underground, seldom visiting the surface unless by dire necessity.

Ryan

Ryan was blooded by a member of the Cult of Blood who he had once considered a friend. After his transformation, Ryan fled his home, and experienced an untold adventure or two before making his way to a village of blood mutants. He has become friends with several people whose transformations have left them physically disabled, and together they are able to function and survive.

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Black Pudding

One of the few monsters in the Saga of Blood not based on mythology, the black pudding resembles a puddle of shiny black rubber. It is a sentient fluid distantly related to the green slime; it is highly adhesive, bonding with organic material and dissolving it with a powerful acid. Though it has no blood per se, the smoke or ash resulting from the burning of a black pudding can cause mutation by being inhaled or imbibed.

Black Pudding-Blooded:
Meredith

Meredith was one of six travelers who sought the safety of an abandoned monastery while traveling. The group was attacked by a black pudding that had made the building its home; two were killed, and the other four transformed. Meredith managed to escape the monastery, but was found by a Hunter. However, rather than kill her, the Hunter followed Meredith back to the monastery in the hopes of putting an end to the "blood mutant infestation." But it was Meredith and her friends who put an end to the Hunter, and spent the rest of their lives in the monastery.

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Chimaera

Chimaerae are fearsome creatures with the body, head, and forelegs of a lion, the hind quarters of a goat, and a serpent for a tail. A goat's head and neck emerges from the creature's back, and its tail is equipped with a third head, that of a snake. Some chimaerae have an additional dragon's head and neck, for a total of four. Though rare, the chimaera is one of the most feared creatures in the Saga of Blood world.

April

April is one of the Heroes of Blood, a group of blooded individuals who battle particularly dangerous monsters and fight for the freedom of blood mutants everywhere… or at least, that's the intent. Truth be told, the formation of the Heroes was a better idea than it was a reality. But they have good hearts and strong wills, so continue to try and make their goals a reality. April was abducted and transformed by members of the Cult of Blood. Upon her escape, she slaughtered several of them, and now seeks to atone for her sins.

Jessica Swift

Jessica was a noblewoman who was attacked in her home one evening by members of the cult of blood. They sought to "teach her a lesson" because of her strongly anti-blood opinions. Jessica was blooded by the assailants, and after her transformation remained in her house for several weeks, unseen by all but her closest and most trusted friends. Eventually, though, she realized that she could no longer stay. So one night, she snuck out of the house and away from the village. Jessica traveled for some time, and after following rumors of a village sympathetic to blood mutants, eventually found her way to the village. There, she came to terms with her anti-blood feelings, and has worked her way up to become a prominent member of the community.

Tara

Tara was banished from her village when she was transformed by an attacking chimaera. She was found by Aimee, and the two became the best of friends. They founded Haven, a safe house for blood mutants hidden in the mountains. Tara is a highly optimistic girl, and contrary to appearances, insists that she only has one personality.

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Dragon

Few monsters are as well-known as the dragon. And even fewer are as feared. Dragons are large reptilian creatures, with long necks and tails, and great bat-like wings upon their back. Dragons come in a variety of colors, with various breath weapons according to color - red dragons breathe flame, blue dragons electricity, et cetera. Dragons are very rare, but have been known to live for centuries or longer.

Sandra

There is often little rhyme or reason to the forms of blood mutants. Though all are cursed, some are worse off than others. Many, like this woman, will likely be unable to survive for long without the help of others. But most cursed with such a form seldom wish to live at all.

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Kraken

The kraken (a creature rare enough that no one knows for sure if there is more than one) is a squid of immense proportions. Few who have encountered this monster lived to tell the tale, but the kraken is thought to be more than a hundred feet, with ten powerful tentacles and one huge glowing eye. It inhabits only the deepest oceans, but has been known to attack ships on the surface, mistaking them for breathing whales.

Heather

All Heather wanted was a romantic marriage at sea. But during the ceremony, the ship was attacked by a Kraken. One of the monster's tentacles was wounded during the attack when the ship's mast splintered, and Heather was subsequently blooded. She disappeared during the chaos of the attack, and has not been seen since. Heather is thought to have escaped into the sea, but it is more than possible that she was killed by the Kraken.

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Naga

Naga are large serpents with the heads of humans. They live underground in caves or caverns, rarely going to the surface and only at night. Contrary to their human visages, naga are not especially intelligent, far closer to the mental level of their serpentine cousins than anything else.

Aimee

Aimee was transformed when she was only sixteen, one of a group of girls who camped out one night without the knowledge of their parents. She and another were blooded, and the other girl killed herself rather than live as a blood mutant. Three years later, and Aimee has devoted her life to killing all monsters. But after meeting Tara and founding Haven, she realizes that there may be a better way to help others.

Caitlin

Caitlin was transformed in her sleep by two classmates, who thought they were playing a practical joke. They mistakenly assumed that only a few drops of blood wouldn't cause any serious transformation. When they learned how wrong they were, one ran away and the other committed suicide out of guilt. But neither action helped poor Caitlin.

Jared + Samantha

Jared and Samantha had just been married, and people were throwing rice and other traditional materials at them as they left the temple. But someone threw something untraditional at them; an open cup of naga's blood mixed with water. The two newlyweds were joined together as they stood, and are now truly together "until death do them part."

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Quetzalcóatl

Quetzalcóatl is a god, the "Feathered Serpent" worshipped thousands of years ago by a culture now long-gone. No one knows what he looked like, if he even existed at all. But it is believed that Quetzalcóatl combined both avian and serpentine features into one divine personage. And being a god, if he ever existed, it is likely that he continues to exist, somewhere far beyond the sight of men.

Dana

Four girls accidentally awoke the immortal god Quetzalcóatl, and he chose them to become his acolytes, to herald his eventual "return" to the Earth. All four became blooded and immortal, mutants cursed with eternal life. Of the four, Dana is the worst off, but the most intelligent. She blames herself for what happened to her three friends and herself. After more than a hundred years of existence, Dana and the serpent she is bound to have developed something of a rapport, able to function almost as one being. Most of the time.

Elizabeth

Elizabeth is one of four girls blooded by the god Quetzalcóatl and made immortal. She is the Feathered Serpent's favorite acolyte, and Elizabeth strives to live up to the god's expectations, often at the sacrifice of herself. She cares greatly for her friends, and sometimes feels uncomfortable with Quetzalcóatl lavishes undeserved attention upon her and not the others.

Lynn

Lynn is the youngest of the four girls who discovered the resting place of the god Quetzalcóatl, and is the sister of Dana. Lynn was only fifteen when she was blooded... and she will be fifteen a thousand years from now, made immortal by the Feathered Serpent's blood. She is a bit insecure at times, but does her best and tries to add a bit of cheer to everything she does.

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Scylla

Few monsters are as mysterious as the Scylla. No one knows whether there is one Scylla or many scyllae, but it is known that the Scylla combines the shape of a beautiful woman with the bodies of fierce dogs and poisonous serpents. Few ships that have by the Scylla have ever made it back to shore, and fewer sailors have returned from such encounters.

Allison

Allison's transformation occurred seemingly out of the blue, while sitting in class. No one is sure how or when she was blooded, but the result was being bound to a body that was no longer hers to control. Allison escaped against her will into the woods, but was eventually found by a small group of blood mutants. They befriended her, and helped Allison out as much as possible. Together they had several minor adventures before making it to the village of blood mutants.

Erin

Everyone thought Erin's father had been lost at sea, but he mysteriously appeared one night, mortally wounded. His wife and two daughters tried to care for him, but it was too late, and he died only hours after being discovered alive. The same night, Erin's sister ran away from home. Erin set out to find her, but before long found herself transforming into a blood mutant. Nonetheless, she continued to seek her sister.

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Shadow

The shadow is another monster about which little is known. It is believed to be a creature of pure organic darkness; literally, a shadow. How it can affect items of substance is unknown, and even more mysterious is how a creature made of shadow can shed transformational blood. Yet every once in a while, tales of such a creature, or those blooded by one, emerge from the darkness…

Urizo

Who is the mysterious figure known only as Urizo? He claims to hunt a "shadowy beast," and seems to be half-shadow himself. But no one dares to ask. Based on a character in the story "Urizo's Tale," by Weird Seal.

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Wyvern

Wyverns are similar to dragons, but lack forelegs and have scorpion-like stingers at the end of their tails. Wyverns are covered in a brown, leathery skin, and are far less intelligent than their draconic cousins. But this does not make them any less dangerous. Wyverns tend to inhabit mountainous areas, preferably in cool, dry regions.

Jennifer

There are tales of a woman known only as Jennifer, a blood mutant who lives alone in a cave somewhere in the mountains to the east. How she is able to survive, given the debilitating nature of her transformation, is unknown, as is anything about her past. But without a doubt, every day of her existence must be a struggle.

Wyvern-Blooded:
Kelly

Kelly had a friend who was blooded and ran away from the village, but who continued to sneak back to see her friend. Kelly hated the attitude others had towards blood mutants, so when her friend told her of a village where blood mutants could congregate safely, Kelly decided they would go there together. They arrived, and Kelly was so overcome with compassion for those whose transformations left them unable to fully care for themselves, she decided to stay at the village and help those she could. Kelly was blooded by a wounded wyvern blood mutant accidentally, but her transformation wasn't as severe as those of many around her, and Kelly was never one to feel sorry for herself. She continued to help in the village as long as she could.

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Yaxaban

The yaxaban is one of the most unique creatures in the Saga of Blood universe. It resembles a great lion, but its rear quarters are covered in smooth green skin, like that of a frog or salamander. Its rear legs end in large flippers, and its tail is that of a long serpent, complete with its own head. Yaxaban are very rare, typically inhabiting the fringe regions between the savannahs and the swamps.

Penny

Penny ran away from home because she did not agree with the way her family or neighbors treated blood mutants. She found an unnamed village where the transformed had gathered to help one another, and Penny realized she had found her calling. While caring for a young wounded blood mutant, however, Penny came in contact with his blood, and was herself transformed into a yaxaban blood mutant. Yet despite her new form, Penny continues to care for others less fortunate than herself.

Sarah Anne + Sarah Beth

Sarah Anne and Sarah Beth were the best of friends, and spent most of the time goofing off together. But one day, while sitting outside working on some crafts, an unknown person came by and splashed a cup of yaxaban blood-infused water on them. The girls barely had enough time to react to getting soaked before their bodies joined as they sat, facing away from each other, and they began to transform. Luckily, Sarah Beth's mother spotted them, and helped them into the house before anyone else saw what had happened. But what could be done next?

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Literature

A Saga of Blood
The story that started the saga… Aimee is a woman torn by her own transformation years ago, who has dedicated her life to the destruction of all monsters. But can a chance encounter with a new friend teach her that there are better ways to live than through vengeance?

To Fly Beyond the Sun
This is a touching tale about a blind boy, and the day his village was attacked by a monster.

Hunted
Continuing the tale of Aimee and Tara, this story expands upon the Saga of Blood universe, setting the stage for the growth of Haven.

Flesh and Blood
There is a stranger in Haven, and she has a secret. What is it that Lisa is afraid of? And how will Paradise change as more blood mutants arrive and make the abandoned building their home?

Autumn Leaves
Simply put, this is a love story. But like everything else, even love seldom goes unchanged in the Saga of Blood universe.

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Supplimental Materials

The Complete Guide to the Saga of Blood (Second Edition)
This is the ultimate rule book to the Saga of Blood, covering everything from history to culture to the monsters that inhabit the world. It was created as a guide for those who love the Saga of Blood universe as I do, and who might be interested in crafting tales or creating characters set in this world. A bit obsessive, perhaps… but nonetheless, an important resource for any interested in the Saga of Blood

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