Hollowshade Stalker
A large catlike predator with spindly, muscular legs, small ridge-like spines along its back, glowing blue eyes, and blue blood.
Hollowshade Stalkers are rare predators native to the Hollowshade Forest in northern Duskveil, averaging one per square mile of territory. They are solitary hunters that congregate only to mate, though the frequency of this behavior is unknown.
Hollowshade Stalkers typically avoid humans, attacking only when driven by starvation or sickness, conditions most common during the harsh winters near the northern mountains. When desperate, a single Stalker can decimate an entire four-person squad by methodically picking off victims one by one. During mating season, pairs have been observed hunting together, making them exponentially more dangerous.
The creatures are intelligent enough to learn and adapt their hunting strategies. Some Stalkers have developed a taste for hunting humans specifically. When wounded, their blue blood leaves glowing trails visible for hours until it soaks into the ground, negating their natural camouflage advantage. Experienced hunters know that injuring a Stalker early is the key to survival.
Forest Hag
Rough, bark-like skin that grants natural armor and lets it blend into the forest. When threatened, it can cover itself in poisonous thorns that punish any who strike it.
Forest Hags are cursed creatures born of corrupted natural magic, found only in the densest, oldest forests of Atheron. They make their lairs in damp, dark caves, often in valleys where sunlight rarely reaches. Unlike other hags who seek power through covens or trickery, the Forest Hag feeds on curses themselves. The suffering of the afflicted, the slow transformation, the destruction of families, this is what sustains her. The longer a curse festers, the stronger she becomes. Legends say that a Forest Hag left unchecked can eventually curse entire villages.
Forest Hags hunt by mimicking voices. A child hears their mother calling from deeper in the woods. A husband hears his wife crying for help. The voice is perfect, indistinguishable from the real thing. Victims follow the sound until they find themselves in the hag's cave, alone and far from help.
Rather than killing her victims outright, the Forest Hag inflicts curses, lycanthropy, vampirism, or worse. She then releases them back into the world, feeding on their misery from afar. A cursed victim who returns to confront her often finds the curse turns against them at the worst possible moment.
Void Reaver
A mana-mutated reptilian-avian hybrid with oversized floppy ears atop a reptilian skull, massive clouded and sightless eyes, and scaled wings spanning twelve to fifteen feet from a lean, hunched frame five to seven feet tall. Completely blind, with a barbed, poisonous tail.
The Void Reaver is a predator found in regions of extreme mana saturation, primarily the Forest of Death. Scholars believe them to be the offspring of two separate species, one reptilian, one avian, that were heavily mutated by prolonged mana exposure and interbred. The result defies natural classification. Its anatomy belongs to no known species: oversized floppy ears sit atop a reptilian skull, massive clouded eyes see nothing, and scaled wings stretch twelve to fifteen feet from a lean, hunched frame that stands five to seven feet tall.
Rapid Breeders. Void Reavers breed rapidly, producing clutches of four to six eggs several times a year. Their population remains high despite regular culling by adventurers near the forest's edge.
Pack Hunters. They hunt in groups of two to four, roosting in the upper canopy of dead trees. They are completely blind, navigating through echolocation that allows them to detect movement within 120 feet. Silence is the only reliable defense against detection. They are territorial and aggressive, diving from above in coordinated strikes before retreating to altitude.
Mana Hoarders. Void Reavers are drawn to sources of concentrated mana and have been observed nesting around mana-saturated objects, guarding them with the same ferocity they show toward their young.
Common Knowledge. Basic knowledge of Void Reavers is common in taverns throughout Duskveil: they hunt by sound, they dive in packs, fire is ineffective, and cold is your best weapon.
Full stat blocks for these and the rest of Atheron's custom bestiary are in the book.