Shadow creatures

Type: Friendly

Threat level: Moderate

About

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Type: Friendly

Threat level: Low

About

Duws are friendly creatures that inhabit the Shadow forest, often making their homes in hollow trees or burrows in the ground. They are curious yet shy, though they have a particular fondness for most humanoids. Easily recognized by their colorful eyes, Duws are known to glide gracefully across the floor as they move. Most people find them endearing and are pleased to encounter them during a stroll, as they rarely cause any trouble.

Type: Hostile

Threat level: High

About

Dupes are formless entities, their true identity lost after wandering the forests for so long that they have learned to prey on others, stealing their essence. When they attack, they absorb the memories, appearance and abilities of their victim, replacing them completely.

Once the Dupe has taken on the victim’s identity, it will go to great lengths to eliminate any interference. If the original person attempts to reclaim their life or expose the imposter, the Dupe will stop at nothing to ensure its place remains unchallenged. At their core, Dupes seek nothing more than a solid role for themselves in the world and a life to call their own, no matter the cost.

Type: Hostile

Threat level: Moderate

About

Wanderers are shadowy entities resembling the appearance of Shadows using their shadow ability. These enigmatic creatures roam freely at night but during the day, they retreat to the forests, where they become more elusive. Their behavior is deceptively innocent. If a Wanderer spots a potential target, it may wave or act friendly in an unsettling attempt to close the distance, making it easier to lunge at its victim.

The danger of a Wanderer lies not just in its attack but in the aftermath. Wounds inflicted by these creatures carry a poison, causing severe infections that disrupt the flow of magic within their victims. If left untreated, the infection can progress to the point of permanently severing one's ability to use magic. While the process is gradual and not immediately devastating, delaying treatment will significantly lengthen recovery time.

When encountered alone, Wanderers are timid and tend to flee if they sense danger. However, this changes drastically when they gather in groups. In swarms, Wanderers become a formidable threat, their coordinated behavior making them far more difficult to handle. Travelers are advised to stay vigilant, especially in forested areas where these creatures are known to prowl during daylight hours.

Type: Hostile

Threat level: Critical

About

The Reaper is more than a name whispered to frighten unruly children, it is a living terror lurking in the shadows of the forest's deepest reaches. This monstrous entity does not kill out of necessity but for the sheer thrill of the hunt. It watches, it waits, and when it strikes, it does so with calculated cruelty, leaving its victims to slowly succumb to their injuries. For the Reaper, death is not the endgame, it is the performance.

Many dismiss the Reaper as a bedtime fable, a tale spun to keep civilians from straying too far into the woods. Yet whispers persist of those who have seen it, felt its gaze or heard its voice, a voice some claim drips with intelligence and malice. Tragically, few of these witnesses survive to tell their stories and those who do are forever haunted.

Believed to be unkillable, the Reaper’s only known vulnerability lies in its enigmatic sense of admiration. If one can endure its ambush long enough, even earn its respect, the creature may relent. This has led some to theorize that it is more than an animal that it is a trial sent by the Rulers, a deadly test of wit and survival meant to strip a person of their raw instincts.

Its true origin remains a mystery. Perhaps it is a punishment. Perhaps a guardian. Or perhaps the Reaper is simply a force of nature, one that thrives on fear and chaos. For now, the forest belongs to it, and all who enter do so at their own peril.