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Documentation Area

Document Path: /doc/monsters/will_o_wisp

Name:
	Will O'Wisp  (Magical Creature)

Stats:
	No. Appearing  : 1 or 1-3
	Climate/Terrain: Any swamp
	Frequency      : Uncommon
	Organization   : Solitary
	Activity Cycle : Night
	Diet           : Special

Description:
	The will o'wisp is a malevolent entity that makes its home in swamps,
	bogs, and moors. It subsists by luring unsuspecting creatures to their
	deaths amid the natural hazards of such places and feeding on the ener-
	gies which their death struggles release.

	When encountered in the wild, will o'wisps normally appear as faintly
	glowing balls of light. They can alter their own color, shape, and size
	to some extent and can be easily mistaked for lanterns, light spells,
	and similar sources of artificial illumination.

	If they do not attack, will o'wisps are able to utterly blank out their
	glows, rendering them invisible to all those who cannot spot invisible
	objects.

	The will o'wisp language is a most unusual one, being purely optical in
	nature. All communication between will o'wisps is by means of charges
	in color or brightness, many of which are far too subtle for the ave-
	rage observer to notice. Because this form of exchange is almost impos-
	sible to mimic, it is very difficult for travellers to communicate with
	these creatures. Exceptional examples of this race have mastered a very
	simple sound-based language. They produce sounds by vibrating very
	rapidly and this have a shallow and ghostly-sounding voice when they
	'speak'.

Combat:
	As a rule, will o'wisps seek to avoid physical combat with other crea-
	tures, preferring to lead them to their deaths in the swamps around
	them instead. When pressed, however, they are dangerous adversaries who
	must be attacked with the greatest care. In combat they glow blue, vio-
	let or pale green.

	Will o'wisps are very versatiles flyers. They can hover in place with-
	out effort, often looking like lanterns or similar beacons to lure
	others towards them. When they decide to move, they can do so with ra-
	pid bursts of speed or slow drifting movements.

	A will o'wisps main weapon in combat is its ability to manifest a po-
	werful electric charce. In melee, it swoops at its foe and attempts to
	brush against the victim, discharging the stored energy. Those atta-
	cking a will o'wisp with any form of physical weapons are able to in-
	flict damage normally. Persons making use of magical attacks, however,
	will find their powers almost ineffective against them.

	A badly hurt will o'wisp will attempt to escape. If is is unable to
	flee, the creature will surrender to its attackers and attampt to buy
	its safety by offering up any treasure which it may have. It is impor-
	tant to note, however, that the chaotic alignment of the will o'wisp
	can make any agreement with the creature uncertain.

Habitat/Society:
	For the most part, will o'wisps will be found on their own. On rare oc-
	casions groups of up to three may be found near a particularly fertile
	hunting ground. In the latter case, they will work together to trick
	victims into the traps which they have arranged.

Ecology:
	Although difficult to say with certainty, evidence indicates that the
	will o'wisp feeds on the fury of electrical activity give off by the
	brains of panic stricken individuals as they realize that death is in-
	escapable. In order to prolong the suffering of their victims and in-
	crease the amount of 'food' which they give off, will o'wisps will ty-
	pically lure their victims into areas like quicksand pits which pro-
	mise a slow and frightening death.

	It seems certain that the unusual environment found in bogs and swamps
	is important to the creature's existence in some way, but the eact na-
	ture of this link is uncertain. Is seems probably that the ominous and
	haunting nature of these places increases the fear and dread wich their
	victims feel, and thus the energy which they give off prior to death.