Wealdling

Wealdlings are small creatures which live in the forests of the world. They are most often found around small settlements or wilderness homes, where they cause fright and mischief to the kith residing there.

Description

Wealdlings are rarely seen, as they tend to stick to the shadows or hide in mist. They are said to resemble simians of the tropical jungles, walking in a hunched posture with their knuckles dragging on the ground. They are described as appearing similar to human children, but their posture and oversize, droopy earlobes betray their true nature. Their eyes are large and bestial.

Behavior

It is said that wealdlings live in rocky crevices and narrow caverns within the earth. They only leave their secluded homes at night to terrorize locals who live on the edges of civilization, such as lumberjacks, hunters and farmers.
Some scholars believe that wealdlings deliberately target those who encroach on their homes, sacred places or sites otherwise important to the wealdlings. They do not directly attack people, but rather attempt to scare them or cause nuisance to drive them away.
They are known to expertly mimic various wild beasts and even the language of kith, which they have a rudimentary understanding of. They use this ability to scare folk who wander into the woods, keep them up at night with terrible howls, or even lure wild beasts to terrorize and attack them.
Clear sightings of wealdlings are rare, as on top of being nocturnal, they are said to be able to turn invisible or vanish in to the mists when chased or confronted, which they avoid at all costs. Chasing a wealdling into its home territory is usually a terrible idea, as they are said to be very old and wise and thus know how to lure unsuspecting hunters into dangerous grounds.