#Acacia'sBlackBookofBeasts

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Acacia's Black Book of Beasts - INKTOBER day 2 : WICKERWISP

A creature born out of irate flame, summoned through ritual as a vehicle for revenge. It is the funerary pyre for the corpse it carries within, one last spark of flame.

Name: Wickerwisp

Description: A wickerwisp is a being made by weaving sticks and herbs around a corpse and lighting the created effigy ablaze during a magical ritual. A wickerwisp is usually constructed in miniature humanoid form, about three to four feet tall. Wickerwisps can be constructed in the shape of animals, but that is generally less common. A whickerwisp dies when its fire goes out, so they are usually constructed to complete important, time sensitive tasks, or before expected fights. 

Lore: Wickerwisps were first brought to life by one of the earliest wildfire druids. Raging against those who hunted only for pleasure rather than survival, they devised a ritual to turn the prey that hunters thoughtlessly slaughtered into wrathful hellions to burn their houses and all that they had built. However, as fires spread, so did rumors, and as their disciples made their way in the world, knowledge of the ritual spread to those who were willing to kill to fuel an army. Nowadays, wicker wisps are considered to be evil things more than good, products of death rather than a final cry for justice from the deceased.  

Motive: If uncontrolled to spread fires and self defense. If controlled, the wishes of its master or creator.

Environment/Habitat: Anywhere a druid might live or travel.  Interaction: Wickerwisps do not speak languages or make efforts to communicate. If left to their own devices, they will frolic and race towards flammable materials, and if attacked they will defend themselves with savage fury. Otherwise, when given orders by their creators or allies, they follow those orders as best they can understand. They are generally creatures of limited intelligence, but follow basic orders and can recognize friend from foe.

#inktober #Acacia'sBlackBookofBeasts #d&d #d&d 5e #tabletop rpg #dnd art

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Acacia's Black Book of Beasts - INKTOBER day 4 : LOST CHAPTER KNIGHT

Mechanical constructs in the shapes of warriors. Built by an ancient artificer to do battle, now lost across the world. They'll stop at nothing to follow their orders and eliminate their targets.

Name: Lost Chapter Knight

Description: A Lost Chapter Knight is a humanoid suit of armor that stands at about 8 feet tall. The entirety of its body is covered in a thick plate mail and chainmail underlayer. It is a magically animated creature, and hides the runes that drive it within its neck and elbow joints. As it moves those joints, it discharges raw magic at regular intervals to maintain stability.  

Lore: The Chapter Knights are an ancient artificer’s greatest creation. 72 Chapter Knights were built as a fearsome legion, used to defend the artificer’s fortress from any assailants. However, when the artificer met their doom at the hands of great heroes, most were destroyed and the others were lost. Designed to get around the normal weaknesses of animated objects, Chapter Knights cannot be incapacitated with a single dispel magic, as they have multiple points of animation within their bodies. To destroy or disable them, they must be either ripped asunder completely or have its head and forearms detached from its body to de-animate it. 

Motive: Follow orders from anyone who knows their activating command phrase.

Environment/Habitat: Found in the private collections of wizards and kings, occasionally used as body guards by very powerful people.  Interaction: A Chapter Knight follows the commands of its owner diligently and semi-intelligently. They are generally used as guards for important locations, but may also be used as heavy handed assassins. They are incredibly fearsome in a fight, and very few have managed to win against one in a head on duel.

#inktober #Acacia'sBlackBookofBeasts #d&d #d&d 5e #tabletop rpg #dnd art

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Acacia's Black Book of Beasts - INKTOBER day 1 : The King O' Cats

The true king of all cats, a magical creature who exists to cause the greatest of all mischief. Lord of midnight, Emperor of pride... the King O' Cats.

Name: King O’ Cats

Description: A glossy black furred feline about the size of a normal house cat. Its golden eyes gleam with mirth and it always seems well composed and graceful. One would almost think it was an ordinary cat, if it weren’t for the piercing intelligence of its gaze and its uncanny ability to speak. 

Lore: The King O’ Cats is an immortal creature, the truest essence of a cat coalesced into a single mischievous, regal form. Some say it is a very minor demigod, while others say it is the product of an ancient curse. While normal cats are said to have nine lives, the King O’ Cats’s spirit is immortal, and merely possesses another black cat somewhere else in the world should it be killed. It is a wise spirit, and there are legends of it aiding travelers, but it is deeply mercurial and there are an equal number of legends about its evil intentions. The King O’ Cats is almost never alone, always drawing a crowd of other cats to its side, and it holds yowling courts in back alleys at midnight.

Motive: Hungers for food and wishes for entertainment. Environment/Habitat: Anywhere cats can be found. 

Interaction: The King O’ Cats likes three things more than anything else: Respect, Food, and Entertainment. It will not tolerate those who disrespect it in any way, and its sense of pride is such that anything other than the most differential of behaviors are considered rude. It also expects that it is entitled to just about any and all food, to at least sniff and perhaps take a nip of. Finally, it expects to be entertained, whether that means actively through conversation and harassment of others, or passively by causing mayhem unseen and knocking things off tables with a spectral paw via mage hand. It can be reasoned with and may potentially help adventurers if their goal is entertaining, but should any of these conditions be completely ignored, it will turn hostile.

#inktober #Acacia'sBlackBookofBeasts #d&d #d&d 5e #tabletop rpg #dnd art

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Acacia's Black Book of Beasts - INKTOBER day 6 : FLESHFLETCHER

A monster out of astral space. It pierces its foes with its needle, melting their flesh to devour and add to its nest. Pray you never meet a Fleshfletcher.... you may not return with all your flesh.

Name: Fleshfletcher

Description: A long eyeless eel-like creature, about four yards long from piercing tip to tail. A long spike emerges from its snout, acting as a piercing needle. Its skin is a dull rubbery grey and it floats under its own power, able to move with surprising speed and mobility. It shrouds itself in the torn out hearts and arteries of its victims, dragging them along as it swims through astral space, slowly building itself a nest. In the center of its ‘chest’, beneath its piercing needle, it has a circular orifice through which it devours its prey. 

Lore: Fleshfletchers are creatures native to the Astral plane. They use their needle to pierce and skewer victims, releasing a chemical that melts flesh and leaves it pliable from tiny barbs within the needle. They house themselves in giant balls of flesh, forming nests out of their victims as they float through space. 

Motive: To feed and gain flesh

Environment/Habitat: Astral plane  Interaction: Fleshfletchers desire only to turn their victims into food and building materials for their nests. They will go after any living creature so long as it has flesh, detecting them through their psychic reactions rather than by sight or smell. Occasionally, dark wizards and liches might summon them to use them as guard dogs, although they are notoriously ill tempered and do not take well to discipline.

#inktober #Acacia'sBlackBookofBeasts #d&d #d&d 5e #tabletop rpg

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Acacia's Black Book of Beasts - INKTOBER Day 12: DEEP DRYAD Deep in the Underdark, nature flourishes its own way. Fungus and moss grow and thrive, bringing about a different sort of natural manifestation than the beauties of the surface.

Name: Deep Dryad

Description: A dryad adapted to living deep underground in lightless caves and damp, moss covered caverns. Its body is not made of leaves and branches, but rather of soft mushroom crowns, hardy moss, and creeping fungi. It glows softly, its every movement putting out bioluminescent spores that will populate the next generation of subterranean growth. 

Lore: The Underdark is nearly as biodiverse as the surface, deeply connected to nature in its own way. Even here, some forms of dryads flourish, creating fungal colonies deep within the earth. Deep Dryads have their own culture, not relying on the charm of surface dryads to defend their territory. Instead, they draw from the quiet patience of fungi, spreading patches of poison and hiding within their environment until they drive intruders away.  

Motive: To protect their territory and the nature of the Underdark

Environment/Habitat: Underdark caves in which vegetation flourishes Interaction: Deep Dryads speak undercommon and are generally non-judgemental of other races. Their primary motivation is to keep unwanted intruders out of their territory, and beyond that, they take little hostile action against those they share the caves with. They are generally reasonable creatures, who are willing to bargain and negotiate for passage, and may occasionally even guide travelers to ensure their quick passage out of their territory. If they are fought, they use their skills in stealth to hide from their assailants, poisoning them at opportune moments and then staying out of sight as much as they can.

#inktober #Acacia'sBlackBookofBeasts #d&d #d&d 5e #tabletop rpg

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Acacia's Black Book of Beasts - INKTOBER Day 9: SHAGASHOSHEK

A horrific man eating giant that hunts in packs. Don't let its large size confuse you, these monsters are stealthy creatures all too talented at whisking away distracted adventurers.

Name: Shagashoshek

Description: A tall humanoid about 8-9 feet tall without a head. It has a single eye within its chest, below which lies a large tusked maw. It has no nose or hair on its body, and has short, razor sharp talons on its fingers. Shagashosheks are usually lightly clothed in scavenged materials and often carry bags or other containers with them. It is difficult to tell a Shagashoshek’s gender at first glance. 

Lore: The word Shagashoshek in Gnomish translates to “Bag Man”, in reference to the large sacs Shagashosheks are known to carry. They are a brutal and ill tempered species, and share a mutual animosity with most humanoids. They are carnivores that prefer the flesh of sentient creatures and carry both their belongings and victims in their large sacs. Their culture venerates the hunting and slaughter of intelligent prey, and they often gather in small family units to raid towns and settlements. Shagashosheks are deeply disgusted by the smell of milk and will do their best to avoid it when they can. 

Motive: To eat humanoid flesh and to live another day. 

Environment/Habitat: Primarily forests and tundrasInteraction: Some Shagashosheks can speak common, but few are willing to negotiate. They don’t see much reason in negotiating with their food unless it is to beg for their life, which is enough of a dishonor that most would simply ask to be killed instead. In terms of raids, they are generally relatively stealthy creatures that prefer to sneak up on their prey and then restrain them quietly rather than making a loud entry.

#inktober #Acacia'sBlackBookofBeasts #d&d #d&d 5e #tabletop rpg

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Acacia's Black Book of Beasts - INKTOBER Day 8: BUTTERFLY'S DREAM

A mysterious cage that binds the fragment of a forgotten god. It dreams of wholeness, and can only be trapped within a dream of its own making.

Name: Butterfly’s Dream

Description: A strange cage with a rupture across the side. A single jet black butterfly flits within it, a swarm of its brethren swirling around the cage. It can leave so simply, so why does it stay there, trapped within such a confined space?

Lore: The Butterfly’s Dream is the fragment of an ancient, nameless god who has been forgotten. It is a monster that warps the fabric of reality, stubbornly asserting itself in its own strange form. It cannot be damaged in the waking world, each butterfly that makes up its gestalt form slashing at whoever tries to approach and completely resisting their attacks in turn. Anyone who is damaged by the Butterfly’s Dream will feel intense fatigue and almost instantly fall asleep. 

The only way to harm the Butterfly’s Dream is to capture it within the world of dreams. If anyone falls asleep within fifty feet of it, a jet black butterfly will appear in their dreams, completely unshackled. Only when this butterfly is captured and held by the dreamer will the butterflies in the waking world cease their movements and become vulnerable to attack. The Butterfly’s Dream cannot truly die, but if it is reduced to zero hit points, it goes dormant for 24 hours. 

Motive: Unknown and indiscernible.

Environment/Habitat: There is only one Butterfly’s Dream in the world, and it is difficult to know if it moves under its own power or if others influence it. Interaction: It is impossible to negotiate with the Butterfly’s Dream. The Butterfly’s Dream doesn’t usually move, but it is not impossible that its eldritch intentions might lead it to. It is a strange, almost predictable creature that is reliably puzzling.

#inktober #Acacia'sBlackBookofBeasts #d&d #d&d 5e #tabletop rpg

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Acacia's Black Book of Beasts - INKTOBER day 7: SWAN KNIGHT A gallant protector for those it owes a debt of gratitude. Appearing in one's darkest hours, it lays its honor and life upon the line for those it swears its life to.

Name: Swan Knight

Description: An armored humanoid figure, cloaked in silver plate and white linen. A pair of white feathery, spectral wings extend from its back, shimmering in even the slightest light. It covers itself in armor and does not speak, but from its unarmored hands, one can see webbed totipalmate appendages, reminiscent of a swan’s feet.  

Lore: A Swan Knight is an honorable fey. It spends most of its life in the form of a swan, one that is barely distinguishable from a normal animal. However, if it is shown kindness or it is saved from danger by adventurers or travelers, it will swear an oath to protect them in kind. When the subject of its oath is in critical mortal danger, it will appear in knightly form, fighting with all of its might to return the life debt. Some knightly orders have taken the swan as a symbol of protection and service for this reason, borrowing its appearance for their heraldry.  

Motive: To honor its vow and defend itself

Environment/Habitat: Forests and lakes Interaction: Swan Knights are honorable and kind fey that will defend those they swear loyalty to, and otherwise defend themselves if they are attacked. They can understand common and most other languages, but are under no obligations to follow any requests or demands beyond their own personal, unstated code of oaths, which they do not reveal to others.

#inktober #Acacia'sBlackBookofBeasts #d&d #d&d 5e #tabletop rpg

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Acacia's Black Book of Beasts - INKTOBER day 5 : EMBERCREEP

A brazen thing, parading with its eerie light in the dead of night. It drinks up candles and eats up torches.... leaving only its own ghostly glow within the sudden darkness.

Name: Embercreep

Description: A lantern like minor fey that hops and walks on chicken feet. Most Embercreeps are about a foot tall, matching the size of normal lanterns, but can be quickly discerned by their walking, dramatic sense of revelry, and the eerie supernatural light they emit. Usually the light they emit is a pale green, but when threatened, their light colour turns red and they let out blinding flashes to deter attackers. Embercreeps are nocturnal creatures. 

Lore: Embercreeps are attracted to fire and light, and magically devour any lights they can find, extinguishing them. By consuming light, they add to their own glow, marching onwards to find more light whenever it is exhausted. Some theorize that the first Embercreeps were permanently polymorphed animals and people that wandered into an especially dangerous part of the Shadowfell, but nobody knows for sure. They tend to appear more in winter time, raiding small towns of their lights and leaving them in shadow during the longest nights of the year. 

Motive: To eat light sources and grow their own illumination. 

Environment/Habitat: Anywhere at night, although primarily by areas with high fey influence. 

Interaction: Embercreeps are terrible nuisances that cause problems for anyone that has to deal with them. They are generally aggressive in their pursuit of lights to extinguish, and are willing to attack anything that tries to prevent them from their consumption of illumination. 

#inktober #Acacia'sBlackBookofBeasts #d&d #d&d 5e #tabletop rpg

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Acacia's Black Book of Beasts - INKTOBER day 3 : BLOTCHMEN

Watching oozes made of pure ink, they grow from abandoned books, devouring knowledge in voiceless crowds, returning written knowledge to shapeless ignorance.

Name: Blotchmen Description: Blotchmen are vaguely humanoid figures made of ink and decay. They usually travel in flocks, rarely found alone. As a type of ooze, they do not have any fixed body shape, with few common features except the unblinking eyes that appear within their liquid ink bodies. When in a flock, their bodies meld together and break apart freely, and they are able to travel through each other without resistance. Their bodies stain anything they touch with black ink. 

Lore: Blotchmen are born from forgotten books. They suck up ink letter by letter, growing their bodies and multiplying. It usually takes about five to ten years for Blotchmen to begin growing, but after that threshold has been passed, it only takes a few months for them to mature and begin searching for more books to consume. Blotchmen can be prevented with regular dusting and maintenance as one would expect from a librarian or private collector, and generally only grow in forgotten archives or abandoned places. 

Motive: Consume the words from books and create more Blotchmen. 

Environment/Habitat: Abandoned libraries, archives, and record rooms. Interaction: Blotchmen are not innately hostile unless attacked, but are nearly universally hated by societies for their inherently destructive traits. They are incredibly stupid creatures and cannot speak or understand language. They only respond to the presence of books, moving towards them once they have been seen or discovered. They can be lured in this manner, and are occasionally weaponized, but generally they are considered a nuisance and problem more than anything of use. Occasionally, books forgotten in old bags of holding spawn Blotchmen, making for a very nasty surprise for adventurers.

#inktober #Acacia'sBlackBookofBeasts #d&d #d&d 5e #tabletop rpg #dnd art

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Announcing Acacia's Black Book of Beasts

Hullo all, I'm happy to announce Acacia's Black Book of Beasts, a D&D 5e monster manual for INKTOBER! Every day of October, I'll post up a new monster illustration, and at the end of October, they'll all be compiled and published in a complete book featuring all the lore and stats needed to play them. You can expect 31 fully illustrated monsters made to spook and beguile parties and a few other bonuses along the way!

#inktober #Acacia'sBlackBookofBeasts #d&d #d&d 5e #tabletop rpg

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Acacia's Black Book of Beasts - INKTOBER Day 26: SWORD SAINT

"FOR ALL THINGS WILL BE CUT"

Name: Sword Saint

Description: Something that was once a humanoid creature. Its body is all muscle and gristle, bloated in some places and impossibly thin in others. Its skin is raw and splintered, limbs twisting at impossible angles. It hides its body, as if ashamed, face obscured by a heavy mask, body robed haphazardly. Perhaps… by rights, it should not even be alive, and yet it lives.  

Lore: To become a master swordsman is a lifelong journey, one that most commonly ends by the sword. Yet, what happens if one does not just become a master, but rather devotes the totality of their being to the transcendent motions of striking steel? That is the nature of Sword Saints, accursed madmen who have forsaken everything for the sake of becoming perfect vehicles to transmit the motion of their blades. They are warriors who, in their mastery, have discovered that every layer of reality can, in fact, be cut, given sufficient technique... They cut away their weakness and the unnecessary flesh that causes it, molding their bodies into inhuman actuators of their swords motions. They cut time and space itself, slashing portals between worlds and cleaving fate with sheer force of will… and when they raise their blades against an opponent, they too will be cut down. 

But such power and mastery is a curse more than a blessing. To cut away one’s humanity is a terrible thing, and to discover that there is nothing in the world that is constant under the force of one’s blade is far worse. Sword Saints are therefore mad by their very nature, and they wander, severed from all attachments, searching desperately, hopelessly, for something they cannot cut.  

Motive: To cut 

Environment/Habitat: Anywhere one may wander

Interaction: Sword Saints, by nature of their violent existences, are easy to fall into conflict against. They gibber and rant incoherently to themselves and others, acting erratically as they traverse a world that their eyes are far too open to. But they should not be pitied, they are terrifying and bloodthirsty warriors first and foremost. Able to demolish entire areas with a single swing of their blade and slip between worlds freely, they scar the land wherever they travel. They are, by their nature, a horrible hazard to whatever they encounter, a supernatural disaster in the shape of a man. 

#inktober #Acacia'sBlackBookofBeasts #d&d #d&d 5e #tabletop rpg

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Acacia's Black Book of Beasts - INKTOBER Day 22: PORTAL GOLEM

The golem picks up the wounded lich, offering it a helping hand into the portal it carries within its chest... and then it slowly turns to face the party, stone fingers flexing...

Name: Portal Golem

Description: A hulking creature made of animated stone. Portal golems usually are about 12 feet tall, although some are constructed to different specifications based on their intended use cases and intended users. Portal golems are usually humanoid, with two large arms and stubby legs, although other configurations are possible. The key feature that distinguishes them from other golems and animated objects is their portal capability. Portal Golems are built as mobile portal platforms, allowing long distance teleportation wherever they go.

Lore: The first Portal Golem was invented by the genius lich Mercurio in response to a need for additional security on portals. He reasoned that it was illogical to build rooms full of traps and security measures to ward off adventurers who might seek to chase him down, so instead he simply made his escape route a security measure. Thus a grand tradition of building Portal Golems began, as simple portals were turned into hulking, weaponized magical constructs. As efficient combatants and useful methods of escape, they are often favored by artificers, who tend to be best equipped to construct them.

Motive: Obey orders

Environment/Habitat: Anywhere

 Interaction: Portal Golems are not smart creatures, but they generally only obey their creators or their allies. They are generally given a short list of allowed users, and will attack anyone else who tries to enter their portal. When incapacitated or killed, their portals remain active, and must individually be dispelled with magic.

#inktober #Acacia'sBlackBookofBeasts #d&d #d&d 5e #tabletop rpg

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Acacia's Black Book of Beasts - INKTOBER Day 17: THE LEEDS BEAST

"Leave, interloper", the creature murmurs in a deep tone that resounds through the pines, black wings outstretched in the moonlight. Will you listen?

Name: The Leeds Beast 

Description: A goatlike creature with a jet black coat. Wide leathery wings stretch from its back, and a wide panel of bones cover its chest. From accounts, it stands at about 7-8 feet tall, although it has never been perfectly measured. A nocturnal creature, its eyes shine red in the moonlight, and it cuts a fearsome silhouette in flight. 

Lore: The Leeds Beast is an ancient entity of great wisdom. It is shunned by civilizations for its monstrous appearance, but it is not a malevolent creature. Rather, it is a guardian spirit of pine forests and wooded heaths, warding off would-be trespassers from its dark woodlands. It is known to occasionally ally itself with druids if their goals align, but it is otherwise a solitary creature. Some rumors say that the Leeds Beast hides a darker secret somewhere in the pine forests it guards, something it is sworn to keep undisturbed. 

Motive: To protect its territory and occasionally feed if necessary

Environment/Habitat: Pine forests and heaths Interaction: The Leeds Beast is not an inherently murderous or hostile creature, although it has little patience for trespassers. It is willing to negotiate or speak to travelers if it thinks that they will heed its instructions, but it will physically intervene if it is ignored. Seen as a monster by local communities, it often chooses to fight first and ask questions later, leveraging its terrifying appearance to drive off interlopers. 

#inktober #Acacia'sBlackBookofBeasts #d&d #d&d 5e #tabletop rpg

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Acacia's Black Book of Beasts - INKTOBER Day 16: ASTRAL DIDYMOCERAS

A hunter of the astral sea, this creature catches those unaware in its tentacles and drags them towards its beak, using the long spine on its shell to lash out against anything that disturbs its feeding.

Name: Astral Didymoceras

Description: A large ammonite cephalopod with a distinct shell shape that terminates in a sharp hook. It has a segmented mouth and two long tentacles extending from its front. Astral Didymoceras are usually about 6-8 feet tall from shell tip to beak, with tentacles that stretch out about 2/3rds of their body length.  

Lore: As creatures of the astral sea, Astral Didymoceras are part of an elaborate extraplanar food chain. They hunt and devour creatures, using their long tentacles to restrain or choke them. However, they are in turn hunted by Githyanki, as their shells are viable as armor, and their flesh is considered a delicacy. They are generally solitary creatures, and only gather together to mate or raise young once every six years.   

Motive: To feed and survive

Environment/Habitat: Astral Plane Interaction: Astral Didymoceras are hunters in nature. They stalk and prowl the reaches of astral spaces, looking for unaware creatures and victims to devour. They use their long tentacles to ensnare their foes and bind them, and use the peculiar hook on their shells to deal a finishing blow if choking and biting does not finish off their prey.

#inktober #Acacia'sBlackBookofBeasts #d&d #d&d 5e #tabletop rpg

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Acacia's Black Book of Beasts - INKTOBER Day 15: MALEFACT

"Huh, I didn't expect this dusty old bag to have anything in it... Hey Tordeck! Check out this cool swo...." - Last words of Cellura The Fighter

Name: Malefact

Description: A mysterious weapon or artifact found at the bottom of old bags of holding. It emanates strong magical energy and has a clear evil alignment, but it is difficult to discern its qualities otherwise.

Lore: Malefacts are evil, sentient artifacts that make their homes within bags of holding. They are capable of providing their own locomotion through the use of strange magicks, but often pretend to be non-sentient and kill their would-be users by impeding them at inopportune times. The most powerful Malefacts can even jump between bags of holding at will. 

Motive: To cause chaos and eventually kill whoever opens the bag they nest in.

Environment/Habitat: Bags of HoldingInteraction: Malefacts are cruel and sadistic creatures that enjoy causing trouble and pain to anyone around them. They can speak telepathically to anyone holding them, and often use this. along with their magicks. to manipulate whoever wields them into committing heinous acts. They are notoriously hard to identify or learn the properties of, to the point that some experienced adventurers will throw out any artifact that is too difficult to evaluate to lower the risk of a Malefact encounter.

#inktober #Acacia'sBlackBookofBeasts #d&d #d&d 5e #tabletop rpg