A Brief Encyclopedia of the Chronicles of Sacrifice

Strigivolp

Category: Monster

Commonality: Extremely Rare

Hazard Level: EXTREME

Descriptors: Fox body, owl face, clawed four-finger hands

Magical Nature: Elemental-Wind, Illusion, possible Essence

Typical Geography: Forests, mountains, valleys and canyons, Generally dark places

While its size may fool hunters or warriors into believing it to be an easy fight, the strigivolp would turn out to be one of the most deceptive creatures in the world in this regard. The strigivolp lures its prey in with illusions in the night, hiding its true form, until the prey is close enough to ensnare in its black illusion magic. Survivor tales recount all in the world turning to pitch black but the creature itself as it reveals its true form in the darkness; a disturbingly large fox body with an owl's face and razor claws.

The strigivolp hunts only at night, and only when there is no moon in the sky to reveal it to unsuspecting prey. During the day, it sleeps in hollows it digs in trees and roots, making sure to keep its face pointed away from the entrance to avoid giving away what it is. No being, save for select magical creatures also in the "Monster" category, is safe from the strigivolp.

The strigivolp consumes only select flesh from any of its prey, with a strong focus on the cardio-pulmonary system, and leaves the remainder of its slaughter to the scroungers. The victims' remains that have been recovered displayed the expected grotesque mutilation, but also often displayed a disturbing symptom of essence magic; when the eyes are rolled, the irises are fully shut, indicating the loss of the individual's soul. It is highly possible that strigivolps consume the Essence of Being alongside select bits of flesh to fuel their magical power and crudely simple yet powerful spells. 

From the few warriors and mages who have faced off against them and lived to tell the tale, critical lessons have been learned and expanded upon. The blackness illusion spell targeting the victim simply redirects light from all sources except the strigivolp, making it appear to be the only thing left before the victim. While frightening to the average or above average individual, it must be remembered that this is all it has done. While it is still fast with elemental wind magic at its back and has its razor sharp claws, its own abilities are not enhanced and the victim's have not disappeared.

In battle, the response is to keep your weapon close to avoid snagging it on anything that may be nearby, like branches, trees, or rocks. The best weapon type to use, should one hunt this creature, is the short sword or knife, war axe, or even spiked knuckles. Any short weapon of a cutting or piercing nature is ideal.

 Individuals utilizing longswords, warhammers, or spear-type weapons must escape the darkness. To break the blackness spell, the warrior has to break direct visual contact with the strigivolp; its gaze is the source of its spell. When in the blackness, should something like a tree or boulder be placed between the victim and the strigivolp, the victim will not see the creature, as light cannot simply travel through a solid object, and the spell will break. The victim will have precious few moments upon reentering contact with the strigivolp to defeat it in the light before it utilizes its spell again, and so any attacks made must have full commitment for any hope of survival.

To the average person, the strigivolp is a death sentence. To a seasoned warrior, a battle. To the agile assassin, defeating a strigivolp is very doable. But in any case, unless you are a professional hunter of these creatures, they are best avoided, and anything that seems like a lure should be treated as one.