Creature Lore: The Lurker

[Ztrog]

The Lurker

Art: Over The Garden Wall the Beast by zekanyjanka

Origin

The true origin of “the Lurker” is shrouded in mystery. One legend that persists is that it is the spawn of an Ancient of madness, crafted to spread a touch of insanity wherever it may roam and to whoever is unfortunate enough as to encounter this being.

Since its conception, the Lurker has wandered across the landscapes of the world, lingering within forests seldom traveled, where fellow wanders may roam. Once one of these travelers has garnered the attention of the Lurker, it shall continue to follow and torment them until their inevitable demise, lingering in the corners of their vision, the shadows outside their home, and the dark beneath their bed.

Behavior

Art: Slender Man by K-B-Jones

Typically the Lurker will designate a singular victim of their stalking, but at times it diversifies its hunt to a small group who cross its territory. In these cases, the Lurker will follow each member of the group it’s seen, waiting until they are alone or separated, watching from afar or even seeking to separate such a party while remaining hidden.

To facilitate its preference for distance, should one close the gap between them and it — at 8 meters or so — will vanish from sight, disappearing into thin air as though it was but a trick of the eye.

It feeds upon its victims’ feelings of dread, anxiety, and fear, seeking to inflict these states upon them even to the point of shattering their psyche which offers the greatest of libations for it to intoxicate itself upon. Though imposing, the Lurker prefers to avoid any form of physical confrontation, instead choosing to impose mental and emotional torment upon those who seek to face it directly. Should it be struck, the Lurker is capable of healing from any injury with time and fear to feed upon. 

Though often thought to be a singular being, there are multiple Lurkers scattered about, often in clusters where they appear to possess a hive consciousness that makes them act like a singular being, sharing thoughts, goals, and even targets. They use this to their advantage when hunting groups of victims, often ambushing each separately when their party has split.

Physical Appearance

Art: The Slender Man by Pirate-Cashoo

Stories of the Lurker’s appearance conflict, with some saying it is a tall figure donning a cloak which billowed as it saw fit, some that it bore horns like tree branches jutting out of either side of its head, and others that say it is a being with limbs as thin as twigs which seemed to crawl about the treetops. In any case, it appears great in stature yet lithe, with a pair of eyes that glow and flicker like pure white candle flames. Should any sort of light seek to illuminate the beast, before it retreats into the darkness or snuffs the source, its flesh would appear to be composed of whatever the closest person’s most tangible fear is, such as it being made of crawling spiders, wriggling rats, dripping blood, or decapitated heads stitched together.

While a Lurker remains often around 10-12 feet (3-3.5m) tall, should it so wish it could reach up to truly massive heights around 25 feet (7.5m), oftentimes reaching such a height when it has feasted upon much fear. Seeming far more sinister than its smaller brethren, a Lurker this tall bears ever thin limbs, with additional dark tendrils extending from its back as sharp as spearheads. Oftentimes ones of this height bear patches of paled flesh no longer enshrouded in the darkness that consumes them in order to make their twisted shapes more evident, even appearing to don what are merely facsimiles of a person’s clothes, inflicting a sense of uncanny dread in onlookers as it imitates their forms just enough.

Abilities

Art: Over the Garden Wall by Arabesque91

Indicative of their eldritch origin, a Lurker bears a repertoire of supernatural abilities which serve to aid in its goal of feeding upon the misery and madness of its victims, and keeping itself safe from the Light.


Teleportation
A staple ability of the Lurker which often keeps it out of harm, it bears the ability to teleport in short distances, often facilitating its disappearance or creating ambiguity as to where someone is being watched from.

Mechanics
In [1] emote, the Lurker is capable of teleporting up to 16 meters away, being capable of using this ability to avoid most all melee or projectile attacks. In dire situations, they can even use this ability to vanish from combat entirely, unable to return to the same encounter. If it is in contact with another living being, the Lurker may bring them along up to a distance of 8 blocks. Each use of Teleportation bears a [2] emote cooldown.

Redlines

• Lurker Teleportation is instantaneous, taking [1] emote to perform. It may not use this ability again in the [2] emotes following.
  
• Lurker Teleportation is limited to a range of 16 blocks in a combative scenario.
  
• If used to flee a combative scenario, Lurker Teleportation will prevent it from returning to the same encounter, oftentimes ending the event entirely.
  
• Group Lurker Teleportation is limited to 8 blocks in range and may not be used to flee a combative scenario. A limit of 2 other beings may be teleported with.
  

The Haze
To even gaze upon the Lurker is a daunting task, blurring one’s vision in a haze to even the point of effective blindness.

Mechanics
Looking at the Lurker directly with one’s eyes or indirectly through something such as a mirror for [2] emotes begins to inflict a blur or haze as though gazing through murky water as a ringing begins in their ears. After [4] emotes, one would begin to hallucinate horrible things, leaving them blind to their surroundings as deafening tinnitus, inflicting great pain upon the viewer for [1] emote, after which the count resets.


Redlines

• Lurker Haze is a passive ability active at all times.
  
• Those affected by Lurker Haze only go blind if they keep looking at the Lurker for [4] consecutive emotes.
  
• Breaking all sight of the Lurker for [1] full emote, such as through closing one’s eyes or turning away, will reset the count. If the Lurker returns to their vision before their next turn, the count will not reset.
  
• Blindness caused by Lurker Haze only lasts for [1] emote before resetting the count, all effects fading over the course of the next emote.
  
• Gaze must be direct in order to trigger Lurker Haze. Glimpsing them in the corner of one’s eye does not trigger this effect.
  
• Using mirrors, repetitive glances, pools of water, etc. to gaze upon the Lurker will all still trigger Lurker Haze.
  

Mirage
The Lurker is a creature that prefers to remain out of sight, often literally so. Should it so desire, it may remain unnoticeable to all but those it wishes to witness its fell form, often using this property to make it seem as though their targets have already gone mad.

Mechanics
The Lurker may designate any number of targets to be unable to perceive it or its presence. Any visual, sound, movement of objects, etc. will be imperceptible to any it chooses, so long as it takes no hostile actions. Once a hostile action is performed, Mirage will shatter and leave it and its actions visible to all parties.

Redlines

• Lurker Mirage is a noncombative passive ability.
  
• Lurker Mirage can prevent any number of individuals from perceiving its presence and actions.
  
• Physically hostile actions (ex. attacking, grabbing, using Lurker Teleportation, etc.) will break Lurker Mirage.
  

Unnatural Vitality
Often attributed to the sustenance it gains from consuming fear and inflicting madness, the Lurker is surprisingly hard to deal lasting damage to, healing from most wounds in a matter of seconds.

Mechanics
The Lurker is able to heal at an accelerated pace. Stab wounds and lacerations regenerate after [1] emote, lost limbs after [2] emotes, and a cleaved torso in [4] emotes. Should it be harmed by silver or fire from an Elemental or Arcane source, each of these regeneration times will be delayed by an additional [2] emotes. A lost head will cause the Lurker to be unable to regenerate until after the current encounter, in which it takes [6] emotes to regrow. Should a killing blow be struck by a weapon of holy origin, the Lurker will be felled for 1 OOC week unless purged through a freeform ritual involving 3 Clerics.

Redlines

• Lurker Vitality is a passive ability active at all times.
  
• Silver, Elemental Fire, and Arcane Fire all hinder Lurker Vitality regeneration for [2] emotes.
  
• Weapons of holy origin include those blessed by Clerics or similar holy mages. This is left up to ET discretion in other cases and this redline may be updated with the release of other holy magics.
  
• The Lurker possesses no internal organs.
  
• Even if the Lurker’s body is destroyed outright, it will regenerate a new one within the 1 OOC week it takes to recuperate from death.
  
• The ritual requiring 3 Clerics to purge the Lurker is freeform but should be exhausting and mentally taxing for all involved. 
  

Dark Tendrils
Though its arsenal is one more suited to psychological combat, should it be cornered, the Lurker will prove no simple foe. The appendages it is capable of manifesting bear a great and terrible amount of strength capable of inflicting fear through more physical means.

Mechanics
Over the course of [1] emote, the Lurker is capable of manifesting up to 8 Dark Tendrils each up to 8 meters in length which operate independent of one another. These limbs are each capable of lifting a fully armored adult elvenoid being and strike with the force of a polehammer. Their tips are sharp, capable of piercing through lightly armored flesh up to the bone and leave heavy dents upon metal armor. Though strong, they are as defensively strong as boneless flesh, leaving them easily severed by any sharp implement. Any lost limbs can be regrown through the Lurker taking [1] emote to remanifest them.

Redlines

• It takes [1] emote to manifest or remanifest up to 8 Lurker Tendrils and none of them may be used in the emote they are manifested or remanifested.
  
• Each Lurker Tendril possesses the strength to lift a fully armored adult. Should more than one be used, it is up to ET discretion to determine how much they would realistically be able to lift.
  
• Each Lurker Tendril may perform 1 action on its own per emote.
  
• Metal armor may not be pierced by Lurker Tendrils though will still leave dents, bruises, and fractures equivalent to a polehammer strike. Lesser armor will be able to be pierced at a depth equivalent to a spear.
  
• Lurker Tendrils may not reach anything beyond 8 blocks away.
  
• Lurker Tendrils are not affected by Unnatural Vitality.
  

Lurker Poison

Art: Adobe Stock Image

As its most potent form of deterrent, the Lurker is capable of manifesting its absorbed fear and anguish as a mental and physical disease inflicted upon those that linger in its presence. Supernaturally potent, the only nonmagical cures have been lost to time, leaving one only capable of resorting to the magic of Clerics and Druids.

Mechanics
Lurker Poison progresses in stages. Each time one spends more than [6] emotes within 16m of the Lurker in a combative scenario or 1 narrative hour outside of one, they will progress to the next state of the disease:

Stage 1
The afflicted will develop discomfort in regards to magical healing and begin to manifest flu-like symptoms such as fevers, coughing, headaches, and fatigue. In times of high stress or exhaustion, the afflicted may cough up blood.

Stage 2
The afflicted will develop an acute sense of paranoia, believing their friends may be out to get them or not to be trusted, or that something terrible is going to happen to them or their loved ones. Woodland creatures and bright spaces only intensify these feelings, leaving them to seek quiet, dimly lit areas.

Stage 3
In the final stage of Lurker Sickness, the afflicted will develop a revulsion to any kind of magical healing and will fly into a panicked rage in the presence of such. They will find themselves in a state of psychosis, believing all to secretly be their enemy, incapable of forming any kind of trust, save for the voice and urges the Lurker may now inflict upon them, often causing them to harm those that trust them or to lure others into the woods to become prey for the Lurker.

Curing
A healing spell of a Cleric or Druid will purge the effects of Lurker Poison, reducing the afflicted’s stage by one each cast until cured.


Redlines

• Lurker Poison may only be contracted through prolonged time in a Lurker’s presence.
  
• Lurker Poison is not immediately noticeable and symptoms will only begin to manifest 1 OOC day after contracting.
  
• While Stage 1 Afflicted avoid getting cured through excuses, they may be tricked into allowing such. Stage 3 Afflicted may not ICly consent to any form of magical healing.
  
• The ET running the Lurker is responsible for describing the effects of Lurker Poison to all afflicted.
  
• To ignore the effects of Lurker Poison is powergaming.
  
• A Cleric or Druid healing spell will reduce the stage by one, curing if reduced at Stage 1. These healing spells may be cast sequentially and require no delay.
  

Redlines

• The Lurker is an ET event creature, only playable by ET.
  
• The Lurker should never default to physical violence, acting violent only when cornered as a last resort.
  
• The Lurker is particularly vulnerable to Fire from Arcane Sources. It is still vulnerable to Fire from Elemental sources but to a lesser degree.
  
• The Lurker will avoid any source of light out of fear. This means that the Lurker will avoid appearing during the day unless in heavily shaded areas.
  
• The Lurker is an Epic creature found in dark environments.