Mage Hunter (Monster)

A Mage Hunter onslaught against a monastary of mages.

*If you are looking for the mage hunter infantry the Malkenian Imperium employs to hunt down magic-users, see Mage Hunter.*

A **Mage Hunter** is an extradimensional being with origins in The Bleak. Strange beings that are typically summoned forth by shady organizations and villains, these creatures are drawn to high volumes of Focus and attempt to consume it. As a result, those with the capabilities to either summon them themselves or hire someone to summon them from The Bleak use them to hunt down dangerous mages that may threaten their plans.

## Description

Mage Hunters appear as large, arachnid-like creatures with black carapaces and long, glowing purple antennae. They typically have about six legs with two frontal claw-like appendages, and a long tail with a stinger on the end. They do not have eyes, rather sensing direction through detecting small variations in the air with their antennae and orienting themselves towards the nearest source of Focus so that they may consume it. Mage Hunters have massive maws filled with razor-sharp teeth. The carapace of a Mage Hunter is extremely resilient to magic and physical attacks both.

On top of this physical form, Mage Hunters are capable of folding themselves into a floating "sentry form." In this form, their senses of detection are heightened and they are better capable to detect and hunt down sources of Focus. This folded form is able to hide effectively from other creatures and allows the Mage Hunter to ambush their marks.

Despite their animalistic and ferocious nature, Mage Hunters are actually quite intelligent. They are capable of making their own decisions in the field without the instruction of their master, and have knowledge of basic tactics and cooperation. Most Mage Hunters are able to understand Common, and some are even capable of understanding basic exchanges.

Mage Hunters are native to The Bleak, a dead plane and crude reflection of Rosenwelt with a relative absence of Focus. However, Mage Hunters *crave* to consume Focus, as without it they feel an ever-dreadful hunger in their many stomachs. As a result, Mage Hunters have adapted to hunt down any form of Focus they can and consume it - and this often comes in the form of mages.

## Combat

In combat, Mage Hunters are extremely patient and careful despite their brutal and animalistic nature. They will often lie in wait in their sentry form until they get a chance to ambush a magic user, in which they will carefully evaluate their target and attempt to take them out as swiftly and silently as possible. Mage Hunters also have a basic understanding of sabotage, and may actively attempt to destroy a organization from the inside out by sewing mistrust and suspicion, if their summoner deems it so.

While rare, sometimes, large numbers of Mage Hunters are summoned - either through the will of a powerful mage or through a breach in the tear of the planes that allows them to pour forth from The Bleak. In these incursions, Mage Hunters will often forgo stealth and simply undergo full-on attacks on large groups of magic users. This has lead to many destructive massacares on magical institutions by Mage Hunters in the past.

## Habitat

Naturally, Mage Hunters are native to The Bleak - a plane that is devoid of Focus and most life. However, they are often summoned into other planes by beings who wish to use them as assassins, spies, and sabatuers.