Muli'he

Adults have the tendency to laugh over children that can't sleep at night because a presumed bogeyman is hiding within their window.
Yet the moment the first claws begin to emerge from the window their screams easily surpass those of the children.

While many species and cultures use the term of the "Monster in the Mirror" as a metaphor for a guilty conscience or the hidden fears of an individual, few are aware of the fact that this phrase contains a frightful truth. For in the realm behind the vitreous surface of a mirror lurk, dreadful creatures, known as the Muli'he.
Born from the unstable genomes of the Miwa the Muli'he are otherworldy hunters that stalk their prey for months on end before suddenly emerging and dragging their shocked victim into the icy embrace of the realm beyond the mirror. The fates of those taken by the Muli'he remain unknown.

Basic Information

Anatomy

The bodies of the Muli'he are severely emaciated and possess an unnatural pallor. Both their arms and legs are disproportionately elongated and end in spindly fingers and toes, which are tipped with razor-sharp claws made from a greenish colored glass.
Despite the apparent fragility of their bodies, the Muli'he are able to move with frightening speed and effortlessly lift heavy objects.

Biological Traits

From beyond the Mirror

In addition to their highly increased Mirrorsight, the Muli'he also possess the ability to "enter" a reflective surface and reemerge from another reflective surface within a considerable distance from the first surface. When they utilize this ability for the very first time, they "shed" their mirror image, which remains burnt into the surface they entered into. From this moment onwards they no longer cast a mirror image.
In addition, to utilizing reflective surfaces as a means of transportation the Muli'he are also able to "reside" within such a surface for up to five months, before suddenly leaping out of it and pulling their unsuspecting prey into the mirror.

Snatcher's Price

Shortly after a Muli'he managed to pull an unfortunate individual into a mirror, they gain the ability to mimic the voice of their victim, which they generally use to lure further prey items to their doom. Contrary to popular beliefs the Muli'he are unable to comprehend the language of their victim and therefore can only repeat phrases they have previously heard. The quality of these vocalizations notable decreases over time, until they are little more than highly distorted noises.
In addition to this vocal mimicry, certain Muli'he referred to as "Image Snatchers" have shown the ability to temporarily take on the mirror-inverted appearance of a former victim.

Mirror's Touch

Perhaps the most dangerous ability of the Muli'he is their ability to transmute any surface that they touch into a reflective one, which in combination with their other abilities turns them into perhaps one of the most dangerous creatures in all of Cenorad.
While individual differences in the speed of this "Mirroring" have been observed between various specimens, the process is generally quite fast and takes only a handful of seconds.

Genetics and Reproduction

Every time two Miwa engage in sexual reproduction there is a chance that the resulting child will become a Muli'he. While this chance is usually extremely low, various factors can substantially increase the risk of such an event.
The most prominent and best understood of these risk factors is the presence of an active form of "Gen #96" within the genome of at least one of the two parents. While most groups of Miwa are unaware of the existence of this gene, all citizens of the Vitreous Empire undergo an intense screening for this specific gene while they are still gestating within their birthing-vases.
Miwa which are found to harbor an active variant of Gen #96 are usually liquidated, though some particularly unlucky individuals are kept alive and instead utilized for further research into the nature of the Muli'he.

Growth Rate & Stages

Despite initially appearing similar to regular Miwa children, newly born Muli'he possess an abnormally fast growth rate and commonly reach their adult size within a matter of days.
Given that their various supernatural abilities already manifest a few hours after their birth their "parents" generally only have a very short time window to eliminate their abhorrent offspring, before they find themselves at the wrong side of a mirror.

Dietary Needs and Habits

It is unclear if the Muli'he even require sustenance, though given the frequency with which the abduct other species it is generally assumed that they sustain themselves through a carnivorous diet.

Additional Information

Social Structure

The Muli'he generally hunt in groups of two, which are referred to as "Dyads" by the researchers of the Vein Wardens. While other forms of hunting groups, which consist either of one or three members have also been observed, such groupings tend to quickly fall apart once the arrival of additional Muli'he brings the total group count to an even number.
The reasons as to why the Muli'he place such a heavy emphasis on even-numbered hunting groups remain largely mysterious though some scholar speculates that it might be an attempt to limit the strain the Muli'he place on their chosen hunting grounds given just how frighteningly effective even a single Dyad is.
Other scholars argue that the fixations on even-pairings are nothing more than the attempts of a cursed creature to replace its lost mirror image.

Geographic Origin and Distribution

Due to their ability to move in the world behind the mirror, the Muli'he can theoretically appear in every reflective surface in Cenorad.

Perception and Sensory Capabilities

While the mundane senses of the Muli'he appear to be overall comparable to that of the Miwa, their extrasensory capabilities far outclass those of their parent species.
In addition to a far higher reach and resolution, their version of the Miwa's Mirrorsight enables them to perceive their environment through multiple reflective surfaces at the same time. Given that these surfaces also include the eyes of other creatures it is nearly impossible to hide from a Muli'he.

Civilization and Culture

Naming Traditions

While it is unclear if the Muli'he themselves even understand the concept of names, those that encounter them usually give them a variety of nicknames, which are commonly based on numerous creatures from the local folklore. Alternatively, they might also receive nicknames based on the few articles of clothing that they are wearing.

Major Language Groups and Dialects

It..it felt like...layers of wool..being forcefully pushed into my throat and ears. I tried...I tried to scream but...I had no voice.

In addition to the mimicked voices of their prey, the Muli'he also possess their very own language known as the Empty Speech. Unlike other forms of acoustic communication, this language is not based on spoken words but instead consists of so-called "Hollow Words" which dampen or even completely cancel sounds in their surroundings.
Because of this, the Muli'he are able to create a soundless area around them simply by "screaming", a fact they utilize to great effect during their hunts.

Common Dress Code

While the Muli'he don't require clothes to protect themselves from the elements, they nevertheless clad themselves in the torn-up clothes of their former victims. Especially the outfits of their "parents" are highly popular items of clothing.

Common Customs, Traditions and Rituals

At seemingly irregular intervals sizable numbers of Muli'he gather in numerous locations all over Cenorad in order to perform various ceremonial activities While the exact purpose of these rituals and the gatherings overall have yet to be uncovered, it is speculated that they fulfill an important cultural or possible even religious function, given just how badly the Muli'he react towards any attempts at interfering with these gatherings.

Historical Figures

Subject-106

Currently, the only Muli'he the Wardens of the Veins managed to hold captive for a prolonged time, Subject-106 is perhaps the single most well-guarded prisoner within the Vitreous Empire.
While already being in captivity for more than 30 years, the additional funding which is diverted to the containment of this creature every year, clearly shows that Subject-106 is still as hellbent on tearing its captors apart as it was during the first day of its imprisonment.

Genetic Ancestor(s)

• Miwa

Scientific Name

Miwa horribilis

Lifespan

Unkown

Average Height

1.7-1.8 m

Average Weight

40-50 kg

Body Tint, Colouring and Marking

Their skin is extremely pale and in some areas even fully translucent.

The Wolfpack

After the storm had subsided the rugged surface of the glacier had become smooth like the surface of a polished mirror.
I must admit that I have never seen something so beautiful yet so dreadfull in my entire life.
For beyond this icy mirror lurks the Wolfpack.
~ Logbook of the Imperial Cargosleigh Ongem.

The infamous Wolfpack is a group of at least eleven Muli'he, which exhibits a frightening amount of coordination in its hunts.
The Pack preferably attack convoys and caravans traveling along the glacier fields and frozen lakes of the northern Citnalta massive, and so far has claimed hundreds of victims.
The name "Wolfpack" is based on the fact that the members of the pack wear the skins of saber-toothed wolfs as their preferred type of clothing and commonly vocalize a distorted howling sound prior to an attack.

Operation Shatter Spear

There are foolish ideas, there are stupid ideas and then there are suicidal ideas.

Operation Shatter Spear was an attempt by the Vitreous Empire to eliminate a sizable group of Muli'hes which had gathered for an unknown purpose within the Garden of Gems.
The operation not only failed to archive its goal but also caused a previously unseen amount of retaliation by the Muli'he as within the first 24 hours after the attack, nearly all individuals involved in the operation were either dead or missing, with the few survivors suffering a similar fate during the next days.