Volcanic Region

Book informations

Refer to: Monster Girl Encyclopedia II

The Realm of Fire and Monsters

Certain monster races are adapted to live in environments that are typically inhospitable to humans. The fiery locales described in these pages, places that would likely burn humans to ash (such as amidst flames or in the heart of a volcano), are ones monsters strut through with pride. An environment's harshness correlates to the difficulty humans have making a home there - as well as to the totality of the monsters' control. As might be expected, the relationship between humans and monsters is quite different in such regions when compared to others.

Monsters Wreathed in Fire

Monsters who live in volcanic regions have a high tolerance for fire. Some wear flaming cloaks about their bodies, others have robust forms that are unaffected by high temperatures or fire, while still others are made of fire or lava. This hardiness of body is, perhaps, due to the harshness of their habitat, and many such monsters are themselves as wild and violent as flame. Their bodies and abilities are two factors that make them resistant to heat and flame, but their mamono mana (p.8), adapted to life in high temperatures, is of no small help. Such monsters draw the heat of their surroundings into them, feeding the internal heat of their carnal glow and spiritual elation. The warmer it is, the more alive and viciously sensual they become, spurred on by this cycle of invigorating heat.

Under normal circumstances, if one of these monsters attempted to mate with a man in such a hot, volcanic environment, the rapid, heat-induced loss of moisture and stamina would be a far more pressing concern to him than coitus. However, the energy of a heat-tolerant monster protects his body during intercourse: if the monster's body is pressed close to his, her mana absorbs the heat of her rapture and converts it to a healthy glow. The man is isolated from the ravaging blaze outside so he can focus on the seething fire of a female body in heat - not to mention the uncontrollable lust that boils up within his own body. The two couple in comfortable heat and perspiration, apparently unsinged by the external heat; instead, it just enhances the heat and excitement of their junction. Drawing close to another would normally be suffocating in such climes, but the embrace of monsters who live in high-temperature regions changes circumstances dramatically. A man may find that embracing a monster skin-to-skin from head to toe, as if displaying their heat for all to see, is in fact more comfortable than remaining alone.

As a result of time spent mating with a monster, agitating the climate's already blistering air, the man absorbs a continuous stream of heat and mamono mana. The two powers forge him into an incubus adapted to live in the monster's scorching habitat. Not only is his new body resistant to heat and flame like hers, but it, too, converts external heat to internal - meaning he can thrive without any regard to the temperature, whether copulating or not. The heat that radiates from his body's elevated temperature intensifies the flush of his monstrous companion's body, increasing her vitality. The man can also absorb the heat of his partner's body to feed his own vitality, so they can exalt in each other's heat, glow, and life with just a simple touch.

People Close to Fire

Major cities in the distant vicinity of volcanoes usually fall under the sphere of the Order of the Chief God - but as one ventures deeper into the mountains toward a volcano, hidden villages emerge that are little touched by the influence of the Order, instead following faiths they have developed themselves. As a result of the fire mountain's heat, and the ever-present threat of eruption, these faiths tend to be rooted deeply in the concept of fire. For example: some worship the elemental of fire - the ignis (MGEI, p.222) - or the element of fire itself. Others worship the monsters living in the volcano as gods of fire, which sometimes leads their people to offer their bodies to the monsters.

Some fear these monsters, as many of them are vicious, but antipathy is generally muted - perhaps because of the Order of the Chief God's limited reach. The deeper one travels into the mountains, the more accepting the villagers' attitudes towards monsters become. Approaching the crater of the volcano, an area one would hardly expect humans could survive in, is a great city of monsters who think nothing of the heat, living alongside their incubus companions.

Because of its proximity to molten rock, the city is occasionally beset by extremely high temperatures; because of its mountainous location, the elevation of its steps and drops can be rather staggering. An ordinary human would find life in such a city most challenging, yet the monsters and incubi do not see such complications as problems. In fact, the harsh location makes it inhospitable for people of the Order - which in turn means that it is a safe, comforting home for the monsters and their companions, free from the threat of enemies.

The precious minerals found in volcanoes have brought dwarf (MGEI, p.102) and cyclops (MGEI, p.122) blacksmiths to their locales; industrial development proceeds as facilities are built to exploit both the element of fire and the volcano's geothermal heat. The close relationship between volcanoes and monsters can be found in other aspects, too. Usually, fire element accumulates over a long period until an eruption occurs - however, volcanic action tends to settle when a large population of monsters lives nearby. Ignes and lava golems are born through an association of mana, the fire element, and lava - a process that siphons force from the volcano and helps prevent eruptions. In the case of especially large and dangerous volcanoes, the Mamono Lord is said to dispatch balrogs - great fiends girdled in hellfire - to take control of the volcano before it erupts.

Cities of Demonic Flames

Refer to: Balrog's extra info

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「Cities of Demonic Flames」

Near large volcanoes, there are almost always large monster cities. Volcanoes regarded as dangerous in each land have great fiends called "Balrogs" living there and controlling the mountains to prevent eruptions. If there's a balrog in a volcano, then the surrounding area will be ruled by that balrog, and naturally, a city centered around the balrog will be established.

Most of the denizens of these "Cities of Demonic Flames" are races associated with flames, and there is a particularly large number of the balrog's "Pyrow" flame fiend minions. The centers of these big cities, overflowing with things such as clothing of a radically bold style, glitzy and cute accessories, and the latest sweets the likes of which have never been seen before, reflect the tastes of balrogs and pyrows, and are bright, flashy towns perfect for them to go around having fun and hanging out. Whether day or night, numerous groups of frivolous looking monsters who are friends gather and can be observed hanging out downtown. If they happen to be fortunate enough to spot a man, they'll call out to him and try to talk him into sex. As one would expect, groups of pyrows are the most commonly seen, but there are also rarer monsters like "Phoenixes" in the mix. Sometimes even the Lord of the Great City, the balrog herself, can be seen leading a group of friends. Naturally, even she will call out to a man in town in the same way if she finds "the man she should choose". Also, downtown you often see couples out on dates who make out shamelessly, kissing and teasing each other openly in public.

With nothing but such hedonistic girls, it might seem hard to imagine how cities like these could even function, but when a volcano is full of so much mana that a balrog is necessary, many deposits of rare magical ores rest within the surrounding area. Furthermore, the dense concentration of the flame mana itself that pervades the land, and its infinite heat are prized for various pursuits such as the production and activation of large scale magical items, and smithing, so these cities are teeming with abundant and rare resources. For that reason, human and monster merchants come in pursuit of such things and try to start businesses, bringing laborers to do the mining, and many people gather such as dwarven smiths who come to make use of the ore and flames. We can pretty much say, it's people like these who keep the city up and running. For their part, the balrogs and pyrows very much welcome visitors from the outside since merchants bring goods such as new outfits and sweets that suit their tastes, smiths make them accessories, and if the number of laborers increases, it simply increases the number of men. As a result, residential districts for laborers, workshops for craftsmen, stores and bars for them, as well as inns for people visiting from the outside will be built one after another. The crude, chaotic streets of the "outer city" expand in a ring surrounding the gorgeous and flashy "city center". That's how many of the "Cities of Demonic Flames" are. People tend to believe that the outer city is less dangerous than the city center where most of the monsters are concentrated, but given that it's a place where human men gather from the outside, it's also a place where monsters from the outside gather in pursuit of them. Because of the chaotic layout of the streets, there are a lot of alleys, back streets, and places like that where you can't see through them from the front where many in heat monsters lurk, aiming to go after human men who wander in. The likelihood of being "assaulted by monsters" is overwhelmingly higher than even in the city center where monsters overtly proposition men. Also, monsters from the city center often come to places like bars where laborers gather after work to look for men. Additionally, the outer city is dotted with brothels and red light districts, which are almost entirely established by monsters looking to get themselves men.

The most distinctive trait of these cities is the strange heat covering the entire place which can probably be felt after taking just a single step inside. These cities are mostly located in lands with a hot climate, but it's not an ordinary sort of heat like that, but a special heat caused by the balrogs who rule the lands. The majority of the vast quantities of flame mana balrogs take into themselves, they pour into their own husbands, but that alone is insufficient to vent it, and flame mana is constantly overflowing from their bodies along with the flames that wreath them. Those exposed to this heat, in other words, overflowing flame mana, have their bodies filled with overflowing energy, and they get so excited that it feels hot like their bodies are burning. This power is so potent that the mere presence of a balrog nearby is enough to cause one's body to flush, but believe it or not, since this tremendous power affects the entire city, the balrog's presence brings heat and vigor to all who live there. The results are dramatic. For instance, the invigorated laborers never tire, and fervent craftsmen exhibit superhuman levels of concentration, so this heat is a huge factor in why the development of industries in cities of demonic flames makes such remarkable progress.

At the same time, of course, this heat also affects the monsters. Especially, as it gets stronger the closer you get to the city center, monsters become remarkably more active, surging with confidence in their own charms, and most of all, falling into a state of terrible, burning passion which causes them to act out like they're delirious. In other words, in the city centers, if they find the men they're after, even monsters such as those who are timid or those who aren't normally forward about their feelings can be observed acting out and actively attempting to seduce men with a provocative attitude like that of a pyrow. For instance, "Cockatrices", monsters with timid personalities whose ecology is to scatter pheromones while running to get men to chase after them, will dress provocatively like pyrows and use frivolous pick up lines like "let's have some fun?" to get men to assault them, and "Medusas", who are notorious for their tendency to be stubborn even with their own husbands, will take the initiative and dive into the embrace of their husband's arms. They'll fondle their husband all over and tease him with their hands just brushing his penis. Anyway, the point is, they repeatedly behave in a provocative manner and give an overt indication of interest in sex. Spectacles like these can hardly ever be witnessed outside of these cities. Also, even in the alleys of the outer city, the closer you get to the city center, the more dangerous it gets since you find more monsters that are like beasts in heat as though they've been set ablaze.

As previously mentioned, since the native monsters including balrogs who are the monarchs tend to be hedonistic, humans and monsters who come from outside to work constitute the bedrock of these cities. But even among those, the majority of monsters prefer a life of drowning in pleasure and overtly indulging their passion. That is to say, compared to other monster cities, men are the core of most industries. In other words, all throughout these cities, there is a structure where men work to support women, which is unusually similar to the social structure in human cities, a rarity. And family relations often wind up that way too. So, the typical life of a man living in these cities goes like this. After working with excess energy, he gets really pent up and releases it by having sex with his wife or girlfriend. What's more, the men casually make sexual advances on their partners. It's normalized because the monsters have a tendency to tempt their beloved men to vent it on them in a light-hearted manner. So the structure has developed in such a way that a male labor force is supporting monsters who do nothing but have fun, but that doesn't mean monsters have a low status in society. The city's resources and the men's vigor are produced and maintained by monsters like balrogs and pyrows in the city center, so in actuality, it's a situation where they both need each other.

In fact, because of the sensation of being filled with energy that comes over them whenever they have sex and the real pleasure of venting a sort of seething heat, men who take monsters as their wives and girlfriends even find it cute and lovable the way their partners seek affection and behave utterly selfishly which only encourages them to continue leading lives of indulgent pleasure seeking. As described before, they've got the men wrapped around their fingers, including "inducing men to quickly make advances on them". I suppose it's all because of the power they possess as monsters.

Moreover, since there's a bunch of men abounding with power living in a place where the layout of the streets is chaotic, people tend to think that public order would deteriorate, but apparently there's nothing of the sort except in cases of things like monsters calling out to proposition men for sex or assaulting men who enter alleys. Sometimes rough men and monsters start a few fights, but the incidents never seen to escalate. After all, in these cities, there's no lack of work for a man or monster to put their enthusiasm and energy into, and there's also plenty of potential partners to vent it on when they're really pent up. Besides, any of the monsters frivolously tempting men is powerful enough to easily put down a fight, which seems to work as an effective deterrent. And further, it's also that everyone living in these cities is imbued with the heat of the city, and they know first hand what would happen if it were to all be focused on one point should they provoke the wrath of the balrog.

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「魔炎の都市」

大きな火山の近くにはほぼ必ず、大きな魔物の都市が存在する。各地の危険であるとされる火山には、その山が噴火しない様に制御している大悪魔「バルログ」が棲んでおり、バルログが火山に居るのであれば、その周辺一帯をバルログが統べる事となり、自然とバルログを中心とした街が作られるのだ。

この「魔炎の都市」を構成する住人の多くは炎にまつわる種族で、特に多いのはバルログの眷属である炎の悪魔「パイロゥ」である。この大都市の中心街はバルログやパイロゥ達の嗜好がそのまま表れており、大胆で過激な流行の衣服、煌びやかで可愛らしいアクセサリー、見たこともない新作のお菓子といったものに溢れかえった、彼女達が遊び回るための明るく派手な街となっている。そんな街中では日夜を問わず、友人同士で集まった軽薄そうな魔物達のいくつものグループが遊び回っている様子が見られ、彼女達は男性を見かけるとあわよくば交わりに持ち込もうと声をかけてくる事だろう。その中でもやはり、一際多く目にするのはパイロゥ達のグループなのだが、中には「フェニックス」といった希少な種族が混ざっていたり、時として大都市の主であるはずの「バルログ」が友人達を率いているグループもあり、当然彼女でさえ、「選ぶべき男性」を見つければ同じ様に声をかける事だろう。また、街中ではデート中であろう夫婦もしばしばみられるが、彼女達もまた伴侶と臆面もなくイチャつき、人目もはばからず口づけを交わして弄りあう始末である。

この様にして享楽の限りを尽くす彼女達だけでは街として立ち行かない様にも思えるが、バルログが必要とされる程に魔力を湛える火山だけあり、その周囲には様々な希少な魔鉱石が大量に眠っており、加えてこの地に満ちる濃密な炎の魔力そのもの、そして無限の熱も、大掛かりな魔法道具の制作や起動、鍛冶等といった様々な用途に重宝するといった具合に、この街は豊富かつ貴重な資源で満ちている。それ故に、そういったものを求めて商いにしようとする人間や魔物の商人達が訪れると共に、彼らが連れてくる採掘を行う労働者達、鉱石や炎を利用するために集ったドワーフの鍛冶職人など多くの人々が集まり、この街は彼らによって回っているといえる。バルログやパイロゥ達としては、商人は彼女達好みの新しい衣装やお菓子を持ち込んでくれるし、鍛冶職人はアクセサリーを作ってくれて、労働者が増えれば単純に男性が増えるという事で、訪れる者達を全面的に歓迎し受け入れている。その結果、労働者の居住区や職人たちの工房、彼らのための商店や酒場、外部から訪れる人々のための宿が次々に作られていく事となる。派手で煌びやかな「中心街」の周囲を囲む様に、武骨で混沌とした街並の「外輪街」が増設されていく。それが多くの魔炎の都市に共通する街並みとなっている。この外輪街、魔物達が集中する中心街よりも危険性は少ないと思われがちだが、外から人間の男性が集まってくる場所という事は、即ち外部の魔物もそれを目当てに集まってくる場所でもある。混沌とした街並み故に、表通りからは視界が通らない裏通りや路地裏が多く、そういった場所には迷い込んでくる男性を狙う、盛りの付いた魔物達がたむろしているのだ。魔物達が明け透けに声をかけてくる中心街よりも、こと「魔物に襲われる可能性」に関しては圧倒的に高いのである。また、仕事終わりの労働者が集まる酒場等には中心街の魔物達が男漁りにやってくることも多く、加えて外輪街に点在する娼館や色町は、ほぼすべてが男性を手に入れるために魔物達が用意したものだろう。

この都市の最大の特性は、一歩でも街に足を踏み入れれば感じるであろう、街全体を覆う異様な程の熱気である。都市のある土地は気温が高い場所が多いものの、この熱気はそういった類の一般的な熱さではなく、この地を統べるバルログがもたらしているものである。火山から膨大な炎の魔力を己の身に取り込むバルログはその多くを自らの夫に注いでいるわけだが、それだけで発散しているわけではなく、バルログの身体からは纏う炎と共に、常に炎の魔力が溢れ出している。この熱気、即ち溢れる炎の魔力に当てられた者達は、身体は活力に満ち溢れ、気分が高揚するあまりに身体が燃える様に熱く感じるのである。その力はバルログの近くに居るだけで身体が火照ってくる程のものだが、この大きすぎる力はなんと街全体にまで及んでいるため、バルログの存在は街に住まう全ての者達全てに熱と活力をもたらしている。その結果、活力に満ちた労働者達は疲れ知らずとなり、熱中する職人達は常人離れした集中力を発揮するといった様に、この熱気は魔炎の都市における産業の著しい発展の大きな要因となっている。

それと同時に、当然ながらこの熱気は魔物達にももたらされる。特により強い熱気に満ちた中心街に近づく程に強まり、魔物達はより著しく活性化していく。自身の魅力に対する自信が湧き上がり、そして何よりも煮えたぎる様な愛欲を持て余して仕方ない状態になってしまった彼女達は、熱に浮かされる様な行動をとる様になり、こと中心街では元が臆病であろうと、素直になれない気質の種族であろうと、目当ての男を見つければ、まるで軽薄なパイロゥ達の様に積極的に声をかけ、挑発的な態度で誘惑を行う魔物達の姿が見られる事だろう。臆病な性格で、フェロモンをまき散らしながら逃げる事で男に自身を追わせるという生態を持つ魔物「コカトリス」がまるでパイロゥ達の様な挑発的な衣装に身を包み、「楽しいコトをしよ？」と軽薄な誘いで直接的に自らを襲う様に仕向けたり、夫にすらも意地を張りがちな事で有名な「メドゥーサ」が、自ら夫の腕の中に抱かれる様にその身を潜り込ませ、夫を撫でまわす手のひらで何度も何度もいたずらに男性器をかすめるという、とにかく夫と交わりたいという事を全く隠さない挑発的な行為を繰り返す。この様な光景は、この街以外では珍しいものだろう。また、外輪街の路地裏も、中心街に近い程に、火が付いた様に発情するケダモノのごとき魔物が多くなり、危険性が高まっていく。

前述の通り、この街では王であるバルログも含めて魔物達が享楽に耽りがちであるため、都市の根幹を為しているのは、外部からやってきて労働を行う人間や魔物達である。その中でも魔物達は愛欲を明け透けにする生き方や享楽に耽る生活に溺れてしまう者も多く、こと他の魔物の都市と比べると男性が産業の中核を担う事が多い。即ち、男性が働いて女性を養うという構造が都市全体で行われており、魔物の都市においては珍しく人間の都市に近い社会構造、家族関係になりやすいのである。そんなわけで、この街で暮らす男性の生活は、有り余る活力のままに労働を行った後、いろいろと溜まったモノを恋人や妻と交わる事で発散する……というのが一般的となっており、加えて魔物達も、愛する男が自分で発散する様にと軽い調子の誘惑を行いがちであるため、男性は気軽に恋人や伴侶に手を出す事が常態化してしまっているのである。労働者たる男達が遊んでばかりの魔物達を養うという構造になってしまっているわけだが、だからといって魔物達の立場が低いというわけではない。この都市の豊富な資源や男性の活力はバルログやパイロゥといった中心街の魔物達が生み出し、維持しているものであるため、実質はお互いがお互いを必要としている状態である。こと彼女達を恋人や伴侶とする男性は、交わる度に身体が活力に満ちていく感覚と、煮えたぎる様な熱を発散する快楽を実感として得ているため、自分に甘えてワガママ放題に振る舞う伴侶の様子を、むしろ可愛く愛おしいとさえ感じてしまう様で、それが彼女達の享楽に耽る生活を助長してしまっているわけである。前述の様に「すぐ自分に手を出してくる様に仕向けている」事も含めて、この様に男性を手玉に取るのが、彼女達の力であり、魔物である所以なのだろう。

なお、街の作りは混沌としており、力が有り余って仕方ない男達が暮らしているため、治安が悪いのではないかと思われがちだが、魔物がすぐに男性に声をかけて交わりに持ち込もうとしたり、路地裏に入った男性が襲われてしまう事以外はそうでもないそうで、荒っぽい男性や魔物が多少の喧嘩を始める事はあるものの、それ以上の事態に陥ることはない様である。何せこの街には、彼ら彼女らが熱中と活気をぶつけるための仕事には事欠かず、溜まりに溜まったものをぶつける事ができる魔物も男性も多いのだ。それに加え、軽薄に男を誘っている魔物達の誰も彼もが、街中での諍い程度は容易く制圧できる力の持ち主であるという事も抑止として働いている様で、それ以上にこの街に住み、この街の熱気をその身に宿す全ての者達が、仮にバルログを怒らせてしまい、この熱が一点に向かうことがあれば、どうなってしまうのか……という事をその身をもって理解しているからであろう。

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