Schwarkin

"Five little children, one of them swore,
the toymaker came and then there were four.
Four little children, one would not agree,
the toymaker came and then there were three.
Three little children, one drank pa's brew,
the toymaker came and then there were two.
Two little children, one stole for fun,
the toymaker came and then there was one.
One little child that hated to pray,
the toymaker came and took all hope away."
-Children's counting song that warns of the schwarkin, a creature colloquially known as the toymaker

It's always something that happens a few towns over, or in another country. It could never happen to one of your neighbors. It's one of the comforting lies we like to tell ourselves. We try to explain it away when we don't know what suddenly happened to them. Often times nobody even knows the real cause behind it. Some will just say it was a fever, or the kid was never right in the head, or a dozen other lies just so we don't have to face the fact that there was something here among us. Something here and not a damn one of us knew about it or could have done a thing even if we had. It's a perfectly understandable response that normal people have when they realize that they are powerless, helpless against things that see them as nothing more than a snack. Well no more, I decided then I wasn't gonna be powerless anymore and gods above I was gonna hunt down every last one of those things.
- Magister Isaih Warren

Basic Information

Anatomy

Normally a schwarkin will appear as a shadow on a wall or an image on a reflective surface. They are careful to appear only to the child they are targeting and normally only before they are ready to strike.
A schwarkin will only be visible in it's true form if forced to emerge or if it is using it's magic to spin the form of a child. It's shape is similar to that of a child though it's hands are oversize like those of an adult, it's fingers elongated and nimble with an additional joint. Much of it's body is covered in strips of shadowy cloth that hang down covering everything but it's arms. It wears a hood over it's head so that the only thing visible are it's eyes.

Genetics and Reproduction

The schwarkin species is interesting in that it's reproductive cycle is part of it's dietary habits. When a schwarkin is feeding on a family sometimes it may find among the family a sibling that instead of feeling sadness of grief will feel happiness or even joy. In situations like this the creature will spin the siblings form, though not into a toy but into an egg. If the child grows fearful and terrified then there will simply be an additional captive off of which to feed and of course the distress of the family increases with the loss of another child. However sometimes the child is still happy, even overjoyed. If this is the case the schwarkin will show them how sad and worried their family is, how miserable everyone is without them. It will share the bounty of it's meal with this child, nurturing it and allowing it to grow until it is able to emerge from the egg as a schwarkin itself.

This is most certainly not interesting. It is horrifying and sickening.

Growth Rate & Stages

Once a schwarkin hatches from it's egg it's begins to grow quickly, feeding off of the emotions from it's still suffering family. It is not unusual for the original creature to leave a feeding spot in favor of the newly hatched individual.
Once they have grown to full size and sated themselves the newly hatched schwarkin will often behave as any other at this point. Removing the toy shape on their former sibling, savoring the final meal and then leaving.

This may explain certain reports detailing incidents that lasted far beyond the expected duration.

Ecology and Habitats

A schwarkin is found almost exclusively within areas that maintain a small local population but are not densely populated. It is drawn to people but it finds places with too many individual repellent. It needs feeding grounds where there are strong familial ties in order to provoke the emotions that it requires in order to feed.

Dietary Needs and Habits

Hunting

While folklore would have you believe that a schwarkin selects it's targets based upon the behavior of the child it is actually more dependent on the behavior of the parents. It's ideal feeding location is a home where the parents show a great deal of affection for the child. It will often spend weeks or even months studying a single town or village to select the ideal household. Once it's selection has been made it will strike when the child is most vulnerable, showing a preference for when they are sleeping. This is one of the few moments when a schwarkin will openly reveal itself as it spins the child's form, altering it and reshaping it into that of a small toy, generally one that will blend in with those that the child already has. With this complete the creature will return the toy to the families home and will often find a place within the house to nest and begin to feed once the child's disappearance is discovered.

Diet

It's diet is what has led many to consider a schwarkin to be one of the most evil creatures upon the face of Thayelran. Creatures that prey upon children are nothing new but rare is the creature that seems to take such sadistic pleasure in it as a schwarkin. The child in it's new toy like form is left immobile and mute, unable to interact with the world in any way but able to watch and listen as their disappearance is discovered. As the panic of the family grows along with the distress of the child within the toy the creature begins to feed. All schwarkins have a connection to the toy they have made, and are able to speak with the child as they draw from them. This only allows them to increase the torment, taunting the child with the closeness of their family. Some schwarkins will only feed for a few days before they have had their fill but there are stories out there of families that were tormented for months. Elder creatures that can mimic the voice of the child to send the family scurrying about the house in a panic. No child is left unscarred from the touch of a schwarkin and perhaps the cruelest act of all is that once the creature has gorged itself on the raw emotions of the family it refuses to leave without inflicting one final torment. When they leave they will return the child to their normal form, their body whole but their mind often broken. The monsters saver nothing more than the taste of a loving families joy at finding their missing child turning to horror as they realize that their child is little more than a empty shell.

Additional Information

Social Structure

Schwarkin do not seems to have any social structure from what can be determined. Not long after a new schwarkin is hatched they will choose to go their own way instead of following the individual that created them. Many scholars have attempted to theorize into the possibilities of a schwarkin hierarchy but of course an in depth study of them is very difficult.

Uses, Products & Exploitation

Schwarkin can be useful in the creation of a number of powerful enchantments, potions and spells.

Facial characteristics

It's eyes glimmer a bright and pristine blue, perfect orbs that could belong to any innocent child as they play, however if you look into those eyes for too long you can see glimmers of the darkness that hides behind their beautiful exterior. Underneath the hood reveals a head covered in patches of dirty brown hair. The flesh of the skull looks to be getting pulled towards the back , leaving creases and rips at the corners of the eyes and mouth held in a rictus grin .

Average Intelligence

Schwarkin are incredibly intelligent and sadistic in their pleasures. They seem to understand the concept of death, which is surprising for many creatures as they only seem to kill individuals as a last resort in defense of their life.

Perception and Sensory Capabilities

A schwarkin relies primarily on it's extrasensory perception in order to hunt and avoid danger. It is able to sense the emotions and read the surface thoughts of any living creature within 60 feet. While it relies on this sense primarily it is not the only method that is has at it's disposal. It is able to see in the darkness without issue and has extremely acute hearing.

Symbiotic and Parasitic organisms

The schwarkin feed off of the emotions of other humanoid races and can only reproduce by stealing children.

Lifespan

A schwarkin will generally live to be around 400 years old.

Average Height

4'3"

Average Weight

60 lbs

Average Physique

A schwarkin has the build of a human child around eight years of age. They are small in stature and while physically weak compared to a full grown adult they are more than strong enough to overpower a child of of most races.

Body Tint, Colouring and Marking

The strips of shadowy cloth are actually growing out of a schwarkin's skin, acting as a protective covering and camouflage, allowing it to meld into shadows and disappear from sight completely.