STALKING SHADE 4 (12)

When multiple stalking shades appear, they might represent a single entity with
multiple “limbs” casting its shadow into our reality.

Stalking shades never fully appear in the dimension where they hunt, but instead project
their shadow. Thus shades appear similar to the regular shadow cast by a nearby object or
a creature being stalked, making shades hard to identify as anything dangerous. However,
when someone observant notices that an object or creature has more than a single shadow,
it might be because one or more stalking shades are about ready to pounce. Victims are
pulled into the dimension where the shade’s true form resides and are consumed.
Stalking shades move across the dimensions, but are more drawn to locations where the
fabric between worlds is thinnest.
Motive: Hungers for substance
Environment: Almost anywhere, alone or in groups of two to four
Health: 18
Damage Inflicted: 5 points
Movement: Short
Modifications: Tasks related to deception and stealth as level 6.
Combat: A stalking shade relies on its deception and stealth to attack a victim from ambush
when possible. Once it attacks, the shade loses the shape of whatever shadow it was
mimicking and takes on a horrific, snakelike (or tentacle-like) silhouette. When a victim
is hit by an attack, they take 5 points of damage and must succeed on a Might defense
task or be partly pulled into the dimension where the stalking shade’s true physical
form resides. A limb or some other part of the victim’s body seems to disappear when
this happens. The victim takes 4 points of Speed damage (ignores Armor) each round
they are caught, as whatever lies in that nameless alternate dimension gnaws on them,
until they succeed on a Might task to pull free. A victim who dies from this damage is
completely pulled into the other dimension, and is gone.
Unless foes deal transdimensional damage to a stalking shade, killing one merely dismisses
the shadowy shape. Whatever cast the shadow in the first place remains unharmed,
though it can’t cast a shade again into the same location for at least 28 hours.
Interaction: Stalking shades behave like clever, predatory
animals, albeit ones with the ability to hunt using
ultraterrestrial means.
Use: Weird shadows are sometimes
GM Intrusion: The seen dancing on the walls of a
character pulls free prior-world ruin located nearby.
of the stalking shade, When locals investigate,
but a piece of shadow somehow the shadows slip away.
remains
“stuck” to their flesh.
Except for last week,
The PC must do serious damage when three local village
to themselves children went to watch
(at least 6 points) within the shadows and never
the hour, scraping away came back. Village elders
the portion of stained
are seeking someone
flesh, or risk being pulled
back into the nameless knowledgeable about
dimension again within a the numenera to
few hours. investigate.

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