Lunasloth

Basic Information

Alternative name(s) Origin Ixchel Wilds Lifespan 4-8 years Diet Omnivores. Small rodents, insects and flowers Subspecies

Physical description

Height 1 foot Distinctive features large eyes, six toed hands and feet

Cultural

Organisations Languages Locations

Out-of-character information

Image source

Lunasloths, despite their name, are not members of the sloth family. They are from the marsupial family, but it is their behaviour that leads to the name. When being watched they remain absolutely still or move exceptionally carefully. In their natural - and deadly - environment they are very difficult to spot with their mottled fur. However, look away and the lunasloth is unlikely to be where it was before. Believed to possibly be a magical trait they can move exceptionally quickly when not being watched.

They are quite intelligent creature and inquisitive when they do not feel threatened. A few brave souls who venture into their home jungle in the wilds have captured examples. Some have even been hand reared and trained.

They have wide eyes and exceptional night vision. This is when they typically hunt.

Appearance

They have mottled grey or green fur, large eyes and padded feet with six fingers (two digits are disposable). They have a slender, but strong tail which can also be used to grip branches.


Traits

• Move very slowly when observed
• Dart incredibly quickly when not being watched
• Excellent climbers
• Excellent night vision
• Furry

“I was wondering when you were going to show up,” Raigryn muttered. The two wide saucers stared back at him through the ferns impassively. “Were the bandits not interesting enough to warn me or did you just cower up a tree when you saw them again?”

His answer was silence. The eyes didn’t even blink. Raigryn sighed. He hadn’t tarried at their camp in case there were more men around, but he had quickly helped himself to some food supplies. The moment he opened a satchel of dried meat the ferns started to part.

Almost impossibly slowly Jason VII emerged from the undergrowth and padded into the clearing. Every few steps the small creature would stop and remain still for a second before continuing. Eventually she came to rest next to his feet. A small arm reached upwards, six furred fingers with pink pads opened up and grasped at the air. Eyes framed in a small face covered in mottled grey fur fixed him with a stare. Jason was, in fact, a female Lunasloth. Every one before her had been a Jason and it was very difficult to tell with their species.

“Don’t know. Think you deserve this after that?” His shoulder still ached fiercely from where the mace had clipped it. These days every bruise blossomed and spread across his skin to last for weeks. He didn’t have the reserves to waste any Charity healing the damage now.

Impassive eyes looked back up at him. Fingers opened and closed once more in a smooth, excruciatingly slow movement.

“Oh go on then.” The ageing warrior-empath passed down a stick of dried meat. “It’s getting dark early now,” he reflected. Raigryn looked up at the gap in the canopy of trees overhead. The sky was a cool grey, but the dense forest made the evening seem to draw in quickly. He looked back down, but Jason VII was already gone. Looking around he followed the sound of chewing to spot the wide eyes in a tree not far away.

They weren’t true sloths. Not like the creatures to the south that hung from branches. Whenever they were being watched they moved slowly or not at all. Yet as soon as they were out of sight they could travel with an unnatural speed. Raigryn had never seen any of Jasons I-VII move like that directly. The best he had caught was a blur in his periphery. He suspected he would have to convince one that he was going to attack to see it. They were skittish and difficult enough to train as it was. Difficult to train and with a short lifespan, hence Jason (sometimes Jocelyn in his head) the seventh. This one was a particularly wilful example of the species. Raigryn liked to keep them for companionship on long journeys and to act as scouts in the night. It wasn’t going that well with number seven. The training was something to do during a tedious trip to keep his mind alert.

Testing the limits of a Lunasloth when not being observed was the kind of thing a College Magician would worry about in Raigryn’s view. He held such people in relatively low esteem is most respects. Though he did suspect himself that the creatures had some magical ability with the speed they could move through the shadows.

Raigryn leaned forwards over the pile of kindly he had already made with the sharp, curved blade he carried. His palm hovered over it as he mumbled quietly. “Agerrus, Infendus.”

The kindling burst into flames and he retracted his hand quickly. “Eleven magic is not so distasteful that I can afford to waste what Empathy I have left,” he said out loud, feeling the judgemental eyes in the tree above. Jason VII canted its head to one side and then finished chewing the stick of meat. Even chewing was a painfully slow motion.