Mist-Stalkers

Should you delve into the darkness of the Labyrinth, there are two creatures you should avoid at all costs. The first is the obvious. But there is something far worse within those depths to the unprepared hunter. Should the air grow cold, if you smell water and mist begins to gather at your feet: retreat. Locate any other route you can go instead. For you have found a Mist-Stalker nest. Or, perhaps, it's more accurate to say that it has found you.
— Erek "The Black Hound"

Basic Information

Anatomy

The Miststalkers are a creature that appears similar to that of a spider, and scorpion if the two were horribly mutated together. Walking on six limbs they hold three separate body sections, with a bloated abdomen that with spinnerettes at their end allowing them to produce both eggs and silk. Extending from this is a separate tail that often curls underneath the Miststalker, ending with a long deadly stinger full of venom. The legs of the Miststalker are incredibly long compared to its body, each holding five total joints ending in a single sharp claw. These are designed for hooking and coated in fine serrations allowing them to grasp their own silk for enhanced mobility along uneven terrain. This allows them to cling to surfaces normally difficult to walk on, including bodies of water. Around their mouths, they hold four separate additional limbs, each ending in a razor-like tip designed to act as advanced mandibles to hold prey. The actual mouth itself is circular and lacks a jaw and teeth specifically. Instead, it's more akin to a tunnel of muscle that has tremendous crushing power. The inside of this "tunnel" is lined with razor-sharp studs designed to shred and grind flesh and bone alike to easily swallowed chunks.

Biological Traits

Miststalkers, or what they were known as during the ancient days of the First Age as "Gulon". Or "The Gluttons", this is due to their ability and desire to eat anything even slightly sentient. If a creature exists, a Miststalker wishes to devour them. But more than this, they are able to. For they are able to manipulate the very laws of nature and magic to ensure the flesh of anything they eat stays alive as they devour it until the head is consumed. Along with this, the creatures seem to revel in causing pain, misery and fear. Stalking prey and hunting them for days at a time, their keen intelligence allowing them to manipulate entire towns. It has even found as the source of villages turning on one another, leading to mass murder and cannibalism as the creatures appear to be able to actually alter the psyche of sapient creatures. Why they do this is unknown, some believe they are creatures manifested from the purest of evils in the world and they simply do this for fun. Others believe that they have somehow gained the ability to gain more energy from emotions, and as predators no matter how intelligent, negative emotions are the easiest to trigger in their prey to increase their "nutrition". This is all speculation however, as despite their obvious intelligence, a Miststalker has never once shown the ability, not interest, in conversing with any other sapient beings. Not even one another, as they will eat one another mercilessly if their territories are invaded. Miststalkers are inherently magical creatures not only due to their feeding habits but due to their sheer growth. They will never stop growing, nor do they have a limit to their growth beyond how much food they can acquire. Nor do they appear to need food to stay alive, but instead need it only to grow as a Miststalker has been kept within a laboratory for hundreds of years under study without food. Never once even appearing to weaken, simply unable to grow until food was given to it. Their exoskeletons start off comparable to that of steel, making them incredibly difficult to injure but hardly impossible. However, as they grow and mature this seems to change as their armor thickens and becomes denser than any natural material ever should. Appearing to passively channel mana through their bodies to amplify their own physical abilities. Larger Miststakers have been known to take siege weapon fire head-on, and simply shrug it off unharmed by expert hunters. This strength is also imparted into their silk. Despite all these traits, the most terrifying ability of the Miststalker is its namesake. Holding a unique affinity for water they are able to breathe it, as well as are able to summon thick vapor at will. Using their magic to cause it to spread across the area, which is already deadly enough due to the pure white carapace of the creatures allowing them to naturally camouflage into this mist. However, there is something unnatural about this mist and the creature's body. Though it is currently unknown how, they appear to be able to use water and mist to phase into the Ethereal Plane itself. Allowing them to seemingly teleport and phase from reality at will while in this mist.

Genetics and Reproduction

Miststalkers are lone hunters within the depths of the Labyrinth and are feared as alpha predators in the darkness. One of the few creatures that were not mutated, but instead have always been within the depths. Their life-cycles rely on utilizing the bodies of their prey as nests. Sexless, Miststalkers reproduce asexually through an egg-laying process causing all of them to appear identical. Once every hundred years, the Miststalkers will inject prey with their venom from their stingers, before laying hundreds of their eggs within the wound. This venom doubles as a coagulant, helping to ensure that the prey's body doesn't die and is instead paralyzed, while their minds remain intact to feel every bit of pain and terror. Thus pointing toward the idea that the creatures quite literally enjoy tormenting their prey. Afterward, the body is wrapped in the steel-like silk of the Miststalker and placed somewhere within the edge of the creature's territory. The eggs will take a day to break free of their eggs after their year-long incubation within their parent's abdomen. They will then eat their eggs, any unborn eggs, the body itself while still alive from the inside, out, and one another if they deem it necessary. Born the size of a mouse they are large by normal spider standards and born fully-functional to hunt and kill their prey. Effectively only smaller versions of their parent. The small insects will then scatter across the Labyrinth, as they will even eat one another in their desire to eat and grow. Even at this size, their venom is potent enough to instantly kill most other predators within the Labyrinth.

Growth Rate & Stages

Unlike some species, Miststalkers have very simple lifecycles. They are born, eat, grow and give birth to more. They will molt each time they begin to grow too large for their current exoskeleton and require a day of remaining still after a molting for their new shell to harden properly. Miststalkers never stop growing, and unlike most corrupted species, seem to not be mutated prior species. This is known due to ancient pictures from the early first Era, and earlier, showing giant spiders preying on the early Firstborn tribes from the very dawn of creation. Further proof rises in the fact that they seem to be able to defy all logic due to their size, making them inherently magical much like dragons. Being sustained not only by flesh, but also by the raw energy of the world itself. It is even said that there are Miststalkers within the depths of the oceans, having long outgrown the Labyrinths confines which walk along the floor of the Abyss. Walking mountains that are undying, neverending, and exist only to feed and kill.

Ecology and Habitats

Though the Miststalkers are often found within the Labyrinth, they are not limited to such. Their preference toward the darkness due to their light-sensitive eyes however does limit where they are capable of traveling. Deep, dark forests and caves are common for them. However, they greatly prefer having a body of water nearby. This is due to their semi-aquatic nature, and ability to quite literally create, and then blend into mist and fog.

Dietary Needs and Habits

Miststalkers are known as the "Dragon Eaters" due to the ancient art showing depictions of the early Dragons battling with the Miststalkers, and the great spiders not only winning but actively hunting the creatures. This showcases their unique ability to feast, as normally when a Dragon is killed, their entire body turns to solid metal. However, defying all logic when a Miststalker kills any creature, even these magical beasts, they will remain flesh and blood to be devoured and absorbed. They will not touch any plantlife or minerals. However, anything which has a brain is fair game as the creatures will not only hunt but toy with their prey. Instilling terror, panic, and negative emotions in them. Seeming to eat not only flesh but the very emotions and life force of the creatures that they kill.

Additional Information

Uses, Products & Exploitation

Though resources harvested from the Miststalkers are rare, they are also incredibly useful. Said to be used in the creation of some of the most durable armor, weapons, and tools in existence. The blood of the creature is used in powerful potions that allow one to temporarily phase into the Ethereal Plane, breathe underwater, and possess monstrous physical abilities. Their flesh is even able to cure one's hunger for an entire day with a single bite once cooked, though throughout the entire day you will be beset by a maddening desire to eat any meat you can get your hands on, this feeling can be resisted.

Average Intelligence

Though the creature clearly has high levels of sapience and intelligence, enough to understand its prey, predict entire towns movements and manipulate their emotions, it is unknown how intelligent they truly are. They are capable of high-level thinking, yet appear to be unable to communicate. They have no social capabilities even amongst their own kin, yet can comprehend the social intricacies of other species and use it to their own advantage. As such they have been compared to a 'Soulless Genius' as a level of intellect. Lacking any emotion, only bloodlust, and hunger.

Perception and Sensory Capabilities

Miststalker's have a series of compound eyes covering their heads. These are are incredibly refined to the darkness, granting them perfect vision within it, if in greyscale. Combined with this they have a refined sense of touch through their small mandibles that allows them to detect movements through their webbing up to a mile away.

Civilization and Culture

History

It has been theorized that the Gulon--or, Miststalker if you prefer their modern name--are the reason all humanoids have an instinctual fear of things that 'skitter' as some put it. The creatures have existed since the dawn of time itself, and even the mighty Firstborn feared them. For good reason, what is our most primal of fears? Being eaten alive. The very thing these creatures force you to endure.
— High Wizard of Camelot, Merlin

The Gulon have no long grand history of empires and kingdoms. Nor do they have any degree of social hierarchy, or involvement in great wars between the species. They are instead something far more primal. They are terror incarnate and have been since the dawn of time. For they dwell only in the darkest reaches of the world and are said to be the very reason humanoids now fear the dark. Having existed since the earliest days of the First Age, their creator is unknown, but it is theorized that they were created as the opposite representation for the world to counter the Dragons whom were created to protect all forms of life. Instead, the Gulon were, possibly, created by Nature to balance out the world. Providing it with a predator that desired nothing but the destruction and feasting of life itself.

Miststalker by Jared Krichevsky

Lifespan

Infinite

Average Height

Limitless

Average Weight

Limitless

Average Length

Limitless

Body Tint, Colouring and Marking

Miststalkers, much as one would assume from their namesake, are a ghostly pale white. An exoskeleton color comparable to that of a recently deceased cadaver's own pale flesh turning a grey off-white.

Geographic Distribution