The Stalkers Of The Kingdom Of Monsters
STALKER
The False Trees of the Wastes
Realm of Galia Bestiary Archive | Kingdom of Monsters Class
Approved by Authority of the Vel'Dranir Adventurers' Guild, 5th Renown Edition
Classification
- Type: Aberration (Manifested Horror)
- Alignment: Unaligned (Drives are instinctual, not moral)
- Origin: Kingdom of Monsters (The Wastes and Dead Forest Biomes)
- CR: 8–10 (Calibrated for parties averaging Level 7)
Introduction
In the blighted lands where silence is sacred and stillness is death, the people of Galia whisper of things that stand among the trees and do not breathe. These are not myths. These are Stalkers.
Tall, ash-grey entities that mimic the silhouette of trees, ruin-pillars, or lifeless posts, Stalkers are silent ambush predators born from the emotional rot of the Kingdom of Monsters. They do not move unless they must. They do not breathe unless feeding. And they do not reveal themselves unless their prey is already doomed.
To the common folk, they are "The False Trees." To scholars, they are manifestations of unresolved death. To adventurers who live long enough to speak of them, they are a reminder that sometimes, the forest watches back.
Physical Description
Stalkers stand between 12 and 15 feet tall in a perfectly upright pose. Always vertical, never slouched, crouched, or bent. Their appearance adapts to terrain but remains disturbingly consistent:
- Color: Always grey — cracked bark texture, resembling aged wood or stone
- Head: Featureless dome or slight bump — no eyes, no mouth until feeding
- Limbs: Long, branchlike arms that stretch or splay to mimic nearby trees
- Posture: May twist limbs or fingers to resemble branches, knots, or lightning-scarred trunks
- Movement: Unnaturally still. Does not sway. Stalkers only move with purpose — and never when watched
In regions with snow, fog, or thunder, they incorporate local camouflage:
- In snow: pose like bent birches or storm-snapped pines
- In fog: limbs droop like rotted trees, sometimes caked in moss
- In thunderstorms: use lightning to mask movement or silhouette changes
The silhouette always makes sense — until it's already too late.
Behavior & Hunting Logic
Stalkers are apex ambush predators whose primary strength lies in deception, patience, and psychological manipulation. Their behavior is dictated by terrain, proximity to prey, and their own fear of more evolved kin.
Tracking Radius: 300 feet
Mimicry Radius: 120 feet
Kill Trigger Radius: 30 feet
Mimicry Protocol
Stalkers begin mimicry when a target enters the 120 ft radius — but only if the Stalker believes it cannot be traced.
- Mimicked voices are stolen from previous victims or overheard party conversation.
- Sounds may include whispers, sobs, cries for help, or even the voice of the target.
- Mimicry ceases if the creature is watched directly or if detection is suspected.
"You hear it call from behind a tree, using your voice, weeping. You turn, and it's quiet again."
Stealth Hierarchy
Stalkers prefer to:
- Observe
- Lure
- Close silently
- Kill in silence
They will not move if watched. They will not attack if uncertain. But the moment prey crosses the 30 ft boundary and no witnesses remain — the sprint is instant, lethal, and near silent.
Echo Tree Reaction
If a Stalker is attacked while noticed, and the attack would hit:
- It vanishes with a sudden vertical leap, disappearing faster than the eye can track.
- A perfectly formed tree remains in its place — indistinguishable from natural growth.
- Creatures must pass a DC 18 Wisdom (Insight) save or believe the Stalker was never there.
This tree is real. Rooted. Bark-textured. Radiates no magic. It stands as a denial of the encounter, gaslighting the party even further.
Feeding, Frenzy, and Evolved Kin
Consumption Behavior
Stalkers consume prey by splitting their vertical mouth — a jagged seam that runs from head to chest — to reveal hundreds of needle-like teeth and a spike-tipped tongue that pierces and draws in the victim. Consumption is rapid and brutal, leaving little evidence behind.
Stalkers do not require frequent feeding. They can go weeks without sustenance. However, when nearing starvation, their behavior becomes increasingly unstable.
Hunger Frenzy
Only when all stealth fails — when mimicry, stillness, and evasion cannot shield them from detection by more evolved kin — will a Stalker break its own rules.
In this final survival state, it will:
- Charge out of its own territory
- Abandon all mimicry and stealth
- Sprint toward the nearest source of life, regardless of noise or terrain
- Attack violently, relentlessly, and without tactical reservation
This is its last resort — a desperate attempt to survive by consuming enough to evolve or escape.
Fear of the Evolved
Stalkers are not apex among their own origin. They are the lowest form of a greater hierarchy of horror. Their more evolved kin are stronger, more intelligent, and far more dangerous. Stalkers are hunted by these beings.
They feed not from bloodlust — but from necessity.
They do not chase adventurers to dominate — they do it to not be next.
Environmental Adaptation & Climate Exploitation
Stalkers use terrain and environmental conditions not just as cover, but as tools for deception and precision kills. They adapt their behavior and posture to blend into the rhythm of the world around them.
Thunderstorms
- Time attacks to coincide with lightning flashes and thunder booms.
- Movement is hidden in strobe-like bursts of light, making them seem motionless between flashes.
- Mimicry often includes cries for help that blend with thunder.
Snow
- Appear as snow-blasted trees or wind-carved stone trunks.
- Exploit snow blindness to move while eyes are dazzled.
- May lie motionless for Renowns, buried and upright under drifts.
Fog and Marsh
- Use sound distortion to replicate distant or dying voices.
- Blend with vine-choked trees or broken statues.
- Approach at ankle-height before rising in a snap from fog-laced brush.
Stalkers do not shift forms. Instead, they position themselves into illusion — a trick of angles, texture, and stillness.
Folk Belief, Superstition, and Survivor Testimony
Even in regions far from the Wastes, the myth of the False Tree persists. Hunters hang charms of bone and ash from branches, believing they will distract or repel a Stalker. Superstitions say that if a Stalker is watching you, a torch will flicker once and never again.
Regional Sayings:
- “If a tree doesn’t sway, it’s watching you.”
- “Count your trees going in. Count again on your way out.”
- “Still things move fastest.”
- “If you see it blink, it’s not the wind.”
- “You don’t hear it twice.”
Recorded Survivor Account (Excerpt from Vel'Dranir Archives):
“It mimicked my sister. The way she said my name. The exact breath she took between syllables. I ran before I thought, but my torch didn’t flicker… it just died. I don’t know what I hit in the dark, but when I woke, it was morning, and the tree line was closer.”
— Jalen Morric, ranger (retired), survivor of the Hollowshade Incident
Many villages have outlawed the felling of certain trees on border trails, fearing the disruption of camouflaged Stalkers. Some claim you can bargain with one if you leave a part of yourself behind.
There are no confirmed cases of this ever working.
Stalker Statblock (D&D 5e)
Stalker
Large Aberration, Unaligned
Armor Class 17 (natural bark-armor hide)
Hit Points 136 (16d10 + 48)
Speed 40 ft.
| STR | DEX | CON | INT | WIS | CHA |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 18 (+4) | 14 (+2) | 16 (+3) | 6 (-2) | 15 (+2) | 7 (-2) |
Saving Throws Wis +6, Dex +5
Skills Stealth +9, Insight +6, Perception +6
Damage Resistances Psychic, Necrotic
Condition Immunities Charmed, Frightened, Deafened
Senses Tremorsense 60 ft., Passive Perception 16
Languages —
Challenge 9 (5,000 XP)
Proficiency Bonus +4
Traits
Still Form. While motionless, the Stalker is indistinguishable from a tree or natural object. A creature must succeed a DC 20 Intelligence (Investigation) check to recognize it as unnatural.
Mimicked Lure. As a bonus action, the Stalker can emit a mimicry call from a creature it has recently observed or consumed. Any creature within 120 feet that hears the sound must make a DC 16 Wisdom (Insight) check or be unable to determine its origin.
Watcher’s Curse. The Stalker cannot move while being directly observed by a creature with line of sight unless it uses its Echo Tree ability.
Terrain Bound. The Stalker has advantage on Stealth and Dexterity saving throws while in terrain with natural tree cover, ruins, or fog.
Actions
Multiattack. The Stalker makes two Slam attacks.
Slam. Melee Weapon Attack: +8 to hit, reach 10 ft., one target.
Hit: 15 (2d10 + 4) bludgeoning damage.
Tongue Pierce (Recharge 5–6).
The Stalker extends its barbed tongue. One creature within 15 feet must make a DC 15 Dexterity saving throw or be impaled and grappled (escape DC 15). While grappled, the creature is restrained and takes 2d10 piercing damage at the start of each of its turns.
Echo Tree (1/day).
When the Stalker is hit by an attack it can see, it may instead vanish instantly and leave behind a perfectly formed tree. The Stalker teleports up to 60 feet to an unoccupied space and becomes motionless. Any creature that witnessed the event must succeed on a DC 18 Wisdom (Insight) saving throw or believe the attacker struck a real tree and the Stalker never existed.
Legendary Actions
The Stalker can take 2 legendary actions, choosing from the options below. Only one legendary action option can be used at a time and only at the end of another creature’s turn. The Stalker regains spent legendary actions at the start of its turn.
Mimic Cry. The Stalker mimics a creature the target trusts. One creature within 60 feet must make a DC 14 Wisdom saving throw or be frightened until the end of its next turn.
Snap Forward. The Stalker moves up to half its speed without provoking opportunity attacks.
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