Monster Swarm

Monster Swarms are hordes of creatures that roam Olden, killing everything in their path.

Origins
The earliest recorded account of Monster Swarms can be traced back to ancient proto-civilizations since the Era of Stone, as many hieroglyphics and cave paintings often depict humanoids fleeing from a large mass of evil looking creatures. The Tome of Bultegiptot, written in 12,300ES and discovered 43EM, was the first manuscript to suggest that the swarms migrate in annual patterns across the continent. This theory was later studied, and confirmed by a Jaldemite scholar, Karisuth, who spent over 40 years traveling with a swarm that plagued the areas of modern day Tyferis, Krag Doruvan, and Zro.

Many hypotheses exist as to the mysterious origins of the swarms. Some of the most prevalent are as follows:
 * The most common theory is that a malevolent god has cursed the world with a plague that seeks to turn monsters against civilization. Drahzaro is the god that is believed to have cursed the world. This theory is mostly believed by peasantry, and sparsely believed by scholars.
 * Another common hypothesis is that the swarms a byproduct of a powerful spellcaster who created the swarms in ancient times. A lot of evidence supports this theory, such as the fact that all of the monsters in a swarm are branded by an arcane rune on their forehead.
 * According to some researchers, it is possible that some of the latent magic in the environment might have a part to play in the creation and migration of the swarms. Many spellcasters support this theory, because this aligns with the way that most spellcasters understand how magic operates.

Brand
All swarms have a brand that glows on their forehead. Each brand is unique to the swarm, making it easy to differentiate and track separate swarms. Every swarm is named after the brand they carry. The major 6 brands are as follows
 * Brand of Bultegiptot
 * Brand of Karisuth
 * Brand of Aithabara
 * Brand of Qimtorhtbu
 * Brand of Belatsumot
 * Brand of Qulamuyasut