Soul Merger

Monsterpedia

Berserker Demon

Monster Level - V

Soul Type - Composite

Intelligence - Humanoid (Technically)

Strength - Massive

Magic - Unknown

Rarity - Very Rare

Standing eight feet tall, these massive humanoids are covered in spikes with at least two horns. Many have hooved feet, though metal boots are also common. They usually form with light armor and heavy weapons, though the spikes piece whatever clothing they wear. Berserker demons have eyes that glow bright red, and are muscled appropriately for their strength.

Berserker demons are formed from Wrath and Bloodlust. A unfocused hatred that wants to shred everything around it. Ironically one of the most common ways to get a place where a Berserker demon can form is to kill a Berserker demon. Unless the area is cleansed or the demon is merged.

Demons frequently are considered more dangerous because they can ignore the monster's urge to just attack humans. Berserker demons however have a compulsion to attack everything. Monsters, humans, other demons, bits of the terrain that annoy them; nothing is safe from their anger. They'll fight anything they see until one side dies. And given they have regenerative abilities and great strength, that frequently is whatever they're attacking. Only destruction of the brain or heart will end a Berserker demon.

A berserker demons most dangerous attack however comes from its blood. Those splashed with the creatures blood gain the ability to ignore their wounds. However they don't get the demon's healing powers. This has caused many a delver to kill themselves by ignoring something easily treated.

Some delvers say that they've seen Berserker demons enter a rage state similar to what merges get. This is incorrect, as Berserker demons are always raging. The increase in screams and thrashing around is usually some kind of technique or skill.

Merge

Common Name : Rager

Benefits : Boosted strength, quick healing, pain resistance

Weaknesses : 'Bloody eyes,' lack of pain

Ragers interestingly don't get many demonic traits at first glance. They usually get six inches to a foot in height, and very defined musculature, but past that there's not a lot to indicate demonic presence. At least until they get in a fight. When that happens their skin will flush bright red and their eyes will glow red and start to leak blood. Its a very striking shift.

While a rare merge, Ragers are infamous for their skills and are frequent subjects of stories and tall tales. However the realities are both less and more than what's written down. Ragers do have more strength than their bodies might suggest (and their bodies often suggest a lot). Female bodies seem to get a slightly larger boost than male ones, but that may be because male musculature is better defined to start. They also heal quickly, about four times faster than an unmerged human.

On the flip side, whenever they enter a serious fight Ragers enter what's called 'bloody eyes' mode. In addition to the innate downside of having blood running out of your eyes, Ragers have a difficulty distinguishing friend from foe. This had led to many tragedies among unprepared groups.

Meanwhile their pain resistance is a double edged sword. Obviously ignoring pain is useful in battle. However the reduced pain reception affects Ragers in day to day life as well. Pain is a warning from the body, and ignoring those warnings can lead to problems, even with boosted healing. Ragers are advised to check for open wounds or other injuries the might have missed while bathing.

In depth studies of 'bloody eyes' suggest that rather than blindness covered by other senses, Ragers suffer temporarily from advance prosopagnosia, or 'face blindness.' Which means those unused to the changes will find themselves accidentally mistaking friends and foes. Young ragers are encouraged to fight non humanoid enemies to start in order to get used to the disadvantage.