VAMPIRES

ORIGINS. Known throughout the Shadow Realm as savages, vampires are scheming creatures of the night. They ransack the realm and have earned themselves a name as devilish brutes. Concerned only with themselves, they will serve any who can truly do good for their own kind. Their terror in the Material Realm stems from established folklore. Many humans who have encountered the beasts haven’t lived to tell the true, horrible stories about their experiences. Vampires usually hunt in small packs, though they have been known to travel alone. Some vampires attempt to claim victims in a signature way, to let others know of their handiwork. If they swear themselves to a clan of vampires, the bond is eternal. Once they make the oath, they are bound to it by death.

POWERS. Supernatural strength, speed, stamina, reflexes, hearing, and vision. Sensitivity to the smell of blood, and the ability to distinguish between the blood of a human and an Arcanist. “Immortality” and bloodlust.

WEAKNESSES. Wood, decapitation, fire, and sunlight (though not deadly).

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WENDIGOS

ORIGINS. Carnivorous beings that seek to eat the heart out of their victims, Wendigos were beings cursed after betraying their closest friends. After death in life, the remaining corpse of the betrayer is animated, transfiguring into a tall, nasty beast with canine teeth and a bloodlust. Wendigos are strong and very fast, able to subdue their victims with ease. These creatures live off of the heart of their victim, and often like to keep the leftover bodies as trophies. Using the cadavers as decorations, the Wendigo frequently decorates its dwelling with its next victim before it eats their heart.

POWERS. Supernatural speed, strength, and stamina; bloodlust, enhanced hunting ability; use of sound echoes to hunt its target.

WEAKNESSES. Silver, decapitation.

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WEREWOLVES

ORIGINS. Werewolves are creatures that have been in popular folklore all over the world. Originally a breed of cursed beings in the Shadow Realm, the werewolves have since made their migration into the Material Realm. Under the full moon, they are vicious beasts with no recollection of their time spent as the man-beast hybrid. The bite of a werewolf will curse a human for life, as there is no cure. Typically, werewolves haunt rural towns and forest areas, attempting to prey off of unsuspecting victims. With supernatural speed, the beasts are very hard to outrun. Their violence and scheming make them very tough opponents, and are not to be taken lightly.

POWERS. Shapeshifting, enhanced healing and hearing, supernatural speed and strength.

WEAKNESSES. Pure silver bullets and knives.

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DRYADS

ORIGINS. Dryads have hair that is usually a mix of branches and leaves. They have bark-like skin that ranges from green to brown tones, and have roots protruding from their veins and out of their skin, linking different parts of their bodies together. With long, willowy legs that are usually a darker brown in contrast to the earthy green of their forearms, they usually wear a tunic in their true form. However, when taking on the appearance of a more humanoid individual, they tend to stick with earth-related color tones. They’re hands have fingers that are like small, thin tree trunks with sharp roots for fingernails. Dryads live deep within forests or in parks with lots of trees. They cannot typically go without visiting their tree for over a week, or they will become very ill and it is life threatening. If a Dryad goes a week without visiting their tree for replenishment, they will die. Most do not venture out into urban areas for fear that they will be separated from their trees or that it will die while they are gone, thus ending their own life. They are a peaceful race unless they feel that their habitat is threatened.

POWERS. 'Immortality', geokinesis, telepathic connection to the earth.

WEAKNESSES. Danger to their habitat.

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MEPHRETS

ORIGINS. Mephrets are elemental creatures that are humanoid in nature. They are native to the Shadow Realm, and do not often venture to the Material Realm. They are known to be tricksters, who are only interested in playing games with their victims before they kill them. There are a variety of mephrets; with just about every element, there is a mephret that can wield its abilities.

POWERS. Flight, enhanced healing, elemental weapons.

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HARPIES

ORIGINS. Harpies have been the focus of many multicultural legends over the years. Many stories tell of them using a beautiful song to lure victims into their grasp. In the Shadow Realm, they are known for traveling in packs of four, searching for helpless victims to feed off as a suitable meal for themselves. They are known for being unexplainably cruel to those that they captivate; they toy with their food before ending their song and devouring their dinner. They are known to be agents of punishment, who can be employed to hunt down people and torture them. They are all very vicious, cruel, and violent. Many stories of their reign surfaced in the times of Ancient Greece, where they were known for exacting vengeance on men who turned against their cultures. They had a home on an offshore island, though when wars broke out, they returned to the Shadow Realm and lived for centuries.

POWERS. Captivating song, flight, supernatural strength and speed.

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ETHEREAL STALKERS

ORIGINS. From the Ethereal Plane, these beings are first and foremost obsessed about the fact that they are dead. Secondly, they are known to be experienced assassins and enjoy inflicting the torment they feel every moment of their existence. By contemplating their death they, on occasion, throw themselves into a frenzy and are unable to maintain their ability to stay on target with whom they were sent to kill. The episodes are completely spontaneous and tend to interfere with most of the tasks given to them. They also have the rare ability to flicker between the material realm and the ethereal plane whenever they feel threatened or need to be assigned a new ‘target’ by a higher ranked Shadowkind. The true forms of the Ethereal Stalkers are rarely seen and only are exposed when they are ready to attack and have their target isolated. The only way to kill an Ethereal Stalker is to be to the prey of the creature.

POWERS. Flickering, Smoke Screen.

WEAKNESSES. Bringing up their death and being the target in which they were sent to kill.

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GORGONS

ORIGINS. Gorgons have dominated the Material Realm mythos since ancient times. Tales of women with snakes for hair and a petrifying gaze have been told as ghost stories to children in order to get them cooperating. Because of their horrifying gaze, many religious orders used images of them on buildings for protection. While many depictions of the gorgon came in the form of a single being named Medusa, or a triad of her and her two immortal sisters, it is because the true race never ventured outside of the Shadow Realm – and got caught. In their true habitat, the male Maedars and the female Medusas reign free from human toil. Gorgons prefer nature over urban areas, and when they hunt in the Material Realm, they make homes in deep forests, in mountains, or near bodies of water. Very few attacks happen in the cities. The Medusas typically are the ones that venture out into the wild to collect dinner, while the Maedars find it in their own interest to lead the females as if they were king. The Medusa prefer older men and women, who she can boast her young beauty to before she devours them; Maedars typically chase after young women or men, and coax them into their deaths.

POWERS. Petrifying gaze, poisonous venom in teeth and claws, poison and paralysis immunity, feeds off of flesh.

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DOPPELGANGERS

ORIGINS. Doppelgängers are rumored to be the ghostly double of a living person. The term refers to any double of a person, most commonly in reference to an “evil twin”. These Shadowkind frequently make their way into the Material Realm, taking on the form of the first person they come into contact with. Many humans believe that seeing their double is a sign of bad luck, or an approaching illness. In the Shadow Realm, they appear as their true selves, and stick to marshy areas to make their homes. They are not frequently seen in the Material Realm, as not many escape them. They like to torment the people who they steal their identities from, often murdering them. Doppelgängers feed off of the flesh of deceased creatures, and stalk their victims. Often, doppelgängers take the skin of their victims as trophies for their kills.

POWERS. Shapeshifting, enhanced speed and strength.

WEAKNESSES. Salt, mirrors (their reflection).

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ZOMBIES

ORIGINS. Zombies are creatures of the undead, and rise in the Shadow Realm once their former lives were full of wickedness. Not bright in the least bit, they constantly search for a source of food unless someone who has summoned them is controlling them. Zombies have often been used as lesser foot soldiers in armies, and can be controlled by Necromancers. Due to the pursuing nature of zombies, they can be somewhat frightening to deal with. They will not stop hunting their target until it is completely gone – as in, nothing is left. Craving flesh and brains, zombies typically chase after their targets quickly, though they lack any intelligent resources and pose no threat if they are not being manipulated.

WEAKNESSES. Decapitation, fire.

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SUCCUBI/INCUBI

ORIGINS. A succubus, as well as the male form incubus, is a demon that takes on human form. They cross over from the Shadow Realm in order to entice their victims, and seduce them for their energy. As the demon draws energy, the target begins to wither and die – the energy rejuvenates the Shadowkind. The incubus and succubus both prefer a certain gender, though there are cases where they target their own. While some tales tell of them mating with a victim in their sleep, they are not true. The succubus & incubus both prefer to seduce their victims, as if playing a game of cat-and-mouse. They are not satisfied until they have successfully caught their prey in their trap, and only then will they begin their devouring.

POWERS. Enhanced healing, supernatural strength and speed, kiss of death, seductive charm.

WEAKNESSES. Salt, brass, silver.

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WRAITHS

ORIGINS. Entities that are cloaked in black and are faceless have been the subject of many folklore stories in varying cultures. Tales of reapers coming to claim souls after a person has died and stories of omens of death all refer to the one being: a wraith. Behind the cloak lies a hideously deformed flesh, with a mangled face that bares sharp, jutting teeth. A corroded stench accompanies the wraith, who is always on a search for it’s next meal. Concerned only with its targets, the creature pays little attention to the chaos that it creates. They feed off of the very life source of humans, sucking the soul from the breath of its victim.

POWERS. Kiss of death, intangibility, flight.

WEAKNESSES. Salt, electricity.

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GLAISTIGS

ORIGINS.Disguising itself as a fair woman taking refuge in a cave near bodies of water, the glaistig can be identified by the shimmering green robe that it adorns. She has the ability to lure young boys and girls into her lair, where she drinks their blood. She has goat hooves where a normal woman’s feet would be, and dusty gray skin. This Shadowkind has the ability to use enchantment like abilities that allow it to lull its victims into a false sense of security, in order to make its preying easier. However, they are not always malicious. If they have recently been fed, they can be benevolent; because of their unpredictable nature, it is unsure what the true actions of a glaistig will be.

POWERS. Beguiling song, bloodlust, suggestion (enchantment), enhanced healing, water symbiosis.

WEAKNESSES. Silver, fire, electricity, salt, and its need to feed on human blood every two weeks.

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BASILISKS

ORIGINS. An ancient species residing in the Shadow Realm, basilisks are gargantuan snakes with acidic venom running through their veins. They are incredibly rare, and are thought to be extinct in the realm, though there have been accounts of one or two still slithering around in underground tunnels. It’s stench and breath corrodes the environment around it, and its fangs occasionally leak the venom that rests inside. With large, titanium-like scales, the snake slithers around with its body upright, giving a piercing gaze that kills with one glance into its eyes. Their natural habitat is a desert like surrounding, though on the occasion that they’ve found themselves in the Material Realm, they have slithered through cities and towns alike. Their gaze and venom make them terrible foes, and an enemy that no one would fair well when up against.

POWERS. Corroding, deadly venom; killing stare.

WEAKNESSES. Silver covered in a rooster's blood.

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BANSHEES

ORIGINS. Scattered across the Shadow Realm are various souls that transferred over from the Material Realm once they died – or, more correctly, were murdered. Women who were killed by another sometimes have their souls twisted into a maniacal version of their lingering hatred of their killer, and instead of moving on, their souls transform into the demonic banshee. Able to take on a persona that pleases her, the banshee can either warn others of their upcoming death, or choose a victim to set their sights on. Their hatred fuels their being, and they kill just as they were killed. They sing a lulling lament to lure their victims to them, and have the ability to turn their song into a blood-curling scream that can split the eardrums of those that hear its terrible notes.

POWERS. Captivating song, ear-shattering scream, enhanced speed and strength.

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LICHS

ORIGINS.With bodies that are completely cadaverous, lichs are either skeletal or their bodies are desiccated. As a result of spells and potions in attempts to have eternal life and power, a being is transformed into a lich creature. Often confused with zombies, lichs are far superior, and are very wise beyond their former years. Their souls are stored within a phylactery, and are the only true source that can be used to destroy their being. Lichs are ruthless creatures that use their intellect to amass small armies to be used against any thing that they see as a threat. Feeding off of human flesh and blood, lichs will not stop until they have devoured every last bit of their meal.

POWERS. Intellect and strategy, 'immortality', enhanced speed and strength, bloodlust.

WEAKNESSES. Phylactery that holds their soul.

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KELFAZU

ORIGINS. Kelfazu are demonic beings that serve an unknown higher being. They are terrible creatures, with a lust for foulness and decay. Their long, sharp fingernails are bloodstained, and touched with a magic that can suck the mana from the bodies of those imbued by the Ancients. They do not see with their eyes, yet by the sound that their target makes. It is not known what they are working towards, but whoever stands in their way will not be spared. Usually, Kelfazu work in groups rather than alone, which makes them even more of a menacing threat. They stalk their victims and will stop at nothing until their mission is collected.

POWERS. Mana leaching, proportional strength and speed, flight, enhanced healing, acidic fangs.

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REDCAPS

ORIGINS. A malevolent, murderous goblin, the redcap is a fiend that murders travelers who stray into their homes, and fill their hats with the blood of their victims. Forced to kill regularly in order to stay alive, they have to use the blood to sustain their life. If their hat were to dry out, the redcap would die. In spite of the heavy iron pikes that they wield and the iron-shod boots that they wear, redcaps are very fast, and supposedly impossible to outrun. They have taloned hands and large teeth, and are often in the guise of a short old man. They cross over from the Shadow Realm in order to find new delicious victims with which to stain their caps with. They haunt forests and the edge of towns, though they’re no stranger to city dwellings.

POWERS. Supernatural speed, bloodlust, enhanced strength and healing. Their powers come from their blood-soaked hat.

WEAKNESSES. They must kill a new victim every week in order to stay alive, as the blood is dyed into their hat to sustain their life.

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KELPIES

ORIGINS. Known as Women of the Water, Kelpies are malevolent beings that can be identified only by the water dripping from their long black hair. Their skin is similar to that of a seals; smooth but as cold as death when touched. These women are strong, graceful, and magnificent in the way they carry themselves. As beautiful as they seem to be; they’re even more deadly. With the ability to encompass their attacker in water, the victim only has only a minute or two before he or she drowns to death. The way these women survive is drying out the target of their attack (normally human’s who are made up of 70% of water).

POWERS. Water encompassment.

WEAKNESSES. Electricity; silver through the heart.

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RAKSHASAS

ORIGINS. A demonic, unrighteous spirit that stems from Hinduism, the Rakshasa is a fierce fiend that feeds off of human flesh. With shapeshifting powers, they are mostly seen in human forms, though have also been sighted as dogs. It is believed that they have some sort of trance ability, as they are known to persuade children into letting them into their homes so that the Rakshasa can feed off of the flesh of their parents. With no other way of being allowed inside, the demon has to be invited. Rakshasas are wicked beings, who desecrate graves and possess humans. A favorite haunt of their kind is to hunt religious locations, such as churches. They can always be recognized by their glowing yellow eyes.

POWERS. Shapeshifting, trance, invisibility, possession.

WEAKNESSES. Knives of pure brass.

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