Shadowcrawler

Shadowcrawlers were a species of cunning subterranean predatory creatures that resembled an uncanny mixture of a cat and spider, believed to be spawned by some magical experiment gone awry.^[1]

Description[]

These hybrid monsters possessed fur-covered feline bodies with eight legs. The fur was ebony in color, short and soft. Their bodies, 5 feet (1.5 meters) in length and standing 2 feet (0.61 meters) tall, appeared to be segmented, separated by sets of shoulders. Each leg ended in a cat-like paw crowned with retractible feline claws. Notably, a shadowcrawler's face was somewhat longer than that of any mundane feline. Their tail was that of a cat.^[1]

Behavior[]

Being intelligent creatures, shadowcrawlers were capable of learning and speaking languages; however, only ten percent of the total population bothered to learn Common or another local tongue. Any language they spoke sounded guttural. Shadowcrawlers did not have their own language.^[1]

Abilities[]

Like spiders, they could move across walls and ceilings normally. Additionally, they almost completely blended into darkness, remaining invisible and silent, easily surprising even the most attentive opponents. However, their ability to phase through walls and other solid matter made them truly dangerous and devious hunters. When phasing through stone, they remained completely undetected by any non-magical means.^[1]

The phasing also made them vulnerable to the phase door spell. If it was cast on a shadowcrawler as it was phasing through matter, it immediately killed the monster.^[1]

Combat[]

Being feline and spider in nature, shadowcrawlers were patient and sly hunters, capable of laying in wait for hours at a time or spending prolonged periods of time tracking and staling worthy prey. They targeted groups of humanoids, animals, or unwitting adventurers and waited for a straggler to fall behind. They never targeted creatures bigger than an average human. One of their favorite ambush spots was the ceiling behind a door.^[1]

When in open combat, they attacked a single prey by standing on four hind legs, slashing with four front paws, and attempting to lay deadly bites. If at least two of the claw swipes connected with the prey, shadowcrawlers attempted to give them a deadly crushing hug and drag the prey away to be consumed. A hugged victim then was bit while still remaining restrained, as a shadowcrawler drained and devoured their blood.^[1]

If hurt, shadowcrawlers tried to escape by phasing through walls and floors, only to reappear later, pouncing from another wall, floor, or ceiling.^[1]

Ecology[]

A shadowcrawler was a solitary beast that harbored hatred towards all other living things. They laired in dry subterranean locations, leaving the lair to hunt during night or day. They were not sensitive to daylight but preferred to remain in darkness. A shadowcrawler's lair was a small dug-out hollow lined with fur in which it slept. Shadowcrawlers were aggressive and light sleepers, hunting, killing, and driving away any creature weaker than it from the surrounding territory. If a bigger and stronger predator appeared within the territory, shadowcrawlers departed without a fight. They attacked creatures of all types but preferred to consume mammalian blood.^[1]

Shadowcrawlers mated approximately once per four years. A creature would embark on a mate search, echoing its yowling throughout caves and tunnels. Once mated, shadowcrawlers part ways once again. A fetus gestated for three months, after which a female shadowcrawler laid an egg sack in a secure and hidden spot. A month later, the sack exploded in a litter of two to twelve shadowkittens. The young scattered and went their own way; most were killed before reaching maturity and even before being capable of defending themselves effectively. The babes reached maturity in a year, but only one or two survived from the entire litter.^[1]

History[]

In the mid-14^th century DR, shadowcrawlers were found inhabiting tunnels underneath the castle of Darkhold, the lair of the Zhentarim. They were unleashed on the subterranean levels by Varalla the lich. In a battle between the lich and her enemies, the Black Network, the tunnels were accidentally sealed off from the rest of Darkhold, leaving shadowcrawlers to hunt in peace.^[2]