Lightning Stalker

Lightning Stalkers are predatory beasts that prowl the Thunder Peaks, drawn to the raw energy of storms. These creatures are known for their shadowy fur, glowing eyes, and an eerie ability to appear and disappear within flashes of lightning. Fiercely territorial, they are both feared and revered by those who venture into the mountains.

Lightning Stalkers are phantoms of the storm, lurking in the shadow of thunder, striking with lethal speed and electrified fury.

Basic Information

Anatomy

• Size: Comparable to a large wolf or panther, standing around 4 feet at the shoulder and reaching 7-8 feet in length, including their tails.
• Fur & Skin: Their fur is blackened and singed, crackling with residual static energy, and their exposed skin shimmers with faint bioluminescence.
• Eyes: Luminous blue or violet, pulsing brighter when storms intensify.
• Limbs & Claws: Their legs are built for powerful leaps, and their razor-edged claws can pierce through armor.
• Teeth: Their fangs are slightly metallic, allowing them to channel electrical energy when they bite.

Abilities & Adaptations

• Storm Sense: Lightning Stalkers can detect incoming storms long before they arrive, sensing shifts in pressure and atmospheric charge.
• Electrified Strikes: When hunting, they can discharge bursts of static energy through their claws or fangs, stunning prey.
• Flash-Step: These creatures appear to "blink" between shadows when lightning strikes nearby, as though teleporting. In reality, their speed is simply so great that they vanish in the chaos.
• Energy Feasting: Some theorists believe Lightning Stalkers can absorb ambient electrical energy, allowing them to remain unnaturally active even without food for extended periods.

Behaviour

• Habitat: Exclusively found in the Thunder Peaks, preferring high ridges where lightning frequently strikes.
• Diet: Primarily carnivorous, preying on Boltfang Lizards, Stormhawks, and even larger creatures that dare enter their territory. However, they are also suspected of feeding on the raw power of the storms themselves.
• Hunting Patterns: They prefer to stalk during storms, using the flashes of lightning to mask their movements before striking in a blur of speed.
• Territorial Nature: Lightning Stalkers are solitary or travel in small hunting pairs, aggressively defending storm-rich hunting grounds.
• Breeding & Lifespan: Rarely seen in groups, their offspring are raised in hidden dens carved into the cliffs, only emerging when they are strong enough to hunt.

Encounters & Significance

• Omen of Storms: The presence of a Lightning Stalker is a sure sign of an approaching thunderstorm, and many believe they herald the wrath of the Everstorm.
• Stormborn Tribes’ Trials: Some warriors of the Stormborn tribes seek to hunt a Lightning Stalker as a rite of passage, though few return victorious. Their fangs and pelts are sacred trophies.
• Difficult to Tame: While nearly impossible to domesticate, legends speak of rare individuals who form a bond with a Stalker, using them as guardians or storm-bound steeds.
• Arcane Uses: Their bodies are highly conductive, making their fangs, claws, and pelts valuable for enchantments, particularly those involving lightning magic.

Geographic Distribution

• The Thunder Peaks