Shadow Beast

Shadow Beast

Shadow Beasts are semi-aquatic creatures who live in packs. Lurkers are known to hunt Shadow Beasts, and Cave Worms love to lay eggs in Shadow Beast feces.

Shadow Beasts have natural camouflage and can blend perfectly into their environment regardless of the level of light.

Not just natural predators, . They have a natural camouflage mechanism that causes us to take on the coloration of their surroundings, but also have an innate magical ability that occludes them from easy detection, appearing dimly, if at all, under light or detect spells. Shadow Beasts use stealth to waylay the unwary, and have been known to take contracts from other factions and races as assassins.)

Shadow Beasts live in small familial communities in the darkest, most secluded parts of the Underworld. No one has ever discovered a shadow beast clan home, but they are rumored to exist in cool, dark and dry areas. When hunting for food, Shadow Beasts will range into other biomes of the Underworld, including hot caverns and the fungal forests, but tend to avoid the Underswamp. They are very territorial and clannish, sometimes sparking a short lived but violent dispute with other factions, or even other Shadow beast clans.

Shadow Beasts are omnivorous, and will eat most anything when times are tough. Their favorite food is Earthclot, with a single one of these creatures being able to feed a clan for a week. They also among the only creatures to hunt Rippers as food.

Lore

There is little we can say about this entity, or family of entities - we obviously cannot see that which is invisible, so we do not know how many there are. The Shadow Beast is thought to be immensely powerful, more than a match for any single warrior. When attacked by unseen adversary, first look up (for a flying attacker) and down (lest a small worm or other foe is striking) - if none of these be the case, then suspect the Shadow Beast and begin to strike in all directions!

- from Memoirs of Sir Cabirus (Ultima Underworld)

Previous Appearances

• Shadow Beasts previously appeared in Ultima Underworld: The Stygian Abyss.

Gallery

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  Shadow beast from Ultima Underworld: The Stygian Abyss

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  Shadow Beast concept

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  Early version of the Shadow Beast head

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  Shadow Beast coming out of the darkness

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  Shadow Beast render

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  Shadoe Beast in prototype trailer

Trivia

• UA Producer Chris Siegel interviewed a shadow beast for Stygian Sentinel #6.