Nyghres

"They're naught but ash. They can seep in through the smallest crack, ride the wind to any corner of the world and are borne of the cinders of burning villages. They lurk in the deepest of shadows, and even if I cannot cleanse our island of them, I shall not let their evil consume our homes."
-- Eivier, The First Watchman

Black as night and appearing in nearly any size when least expected, Nyghres are the bane of all life on Arae-Rul. Mindless, ruthless and violent, Nyghres appear anywhere, only to cause all sorts of damage, seemingly without cause or reason.

Early on, it was believed that Nyghres were a particular breed of Wild Monster, but early researchers soon decided otherwise. Nyghres exhibit no need for food; they cluster in 'nests', typically in long forgotten places, but they don't seem to breed. They destroy indescriminately, but they don't collect resources of any kind; they merely leave a wake of bodies and destruction behind them. The only thing they won't attack (intentionally) is another Nyghre, though they show no fondness for each other.

Early on, there was no stopping them. They struck in numbers without warning, razing whole cities. Legend has it that they are the only thing in existance that can harm the Lady.

Nyghres can appear in almost any shape or size, and in any number. It's generally believed that larger ones are grown from smaller ones, though that isn't definitively known. They're easily identified by their charcoal-like flesh and obsidian eyes. They sometimes seem to possess supernatural abilities, but few reports of such are confirmed.

It isn't known where they come from, which spawns a great deal of legend. Some say they are angry souls rising from their graves to seek satisfaction. Others believe they are borne of the deepest shadows, come to life to cover the world in darkness. Others still believe they are the ash of fires that are set of malice or that cause suffering. Regardless of where they come from, they are a universal threat to everyone in Arae-Rul, and when they appear, the bravest raise to arms to stop them. There are two formal organizations for combatting Nyghres; the Watchmen (a primarily human organization, most strongly based in Delta Etebre who work to be defensively) and the Lanterns (a mostly Monster group that actively seeks out Nyghres wherever they dwell to destroy them).

While a terrible menace, the Nyghres aren't even a monthly threat. Some people become complacent, thinking they'll never see the creatures, or that they won't return, but they always seem to be there when they can cause the most damage...