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Caraches

Appearance

The Caraches is a creature knit from darkness, originating from a plane of existence that is a place of shadow. Able to occupy any sized shadow of darkness, the Caraches travels from one to the next by stretching it's substance and leaping to it's destination. They stalk populated cities for their meals during the twilight hours, when shadows are their longest. The creatures are only visible as shadow to the common eye, but those with true sight observe the horrifying appearance of a Caraches as a great swelling darkness filled with great grasping claws and frightful shadow-jawed mouths which grasp and hold to the fabric of the shadows of the prime world.
    While the Caraches does not fly, it is capable of inhabiting and moving across any shadowed surface with equal ease, regardless of orientation.

Combat

Caraches prefer to attack solitary targets, catching them by surprise and quickly wrapping about them in an envelope of darkness. On the succeeding rounds the Caraches can use it's vampiric smother or administer a paralyzing shock of negative energy. Creature's slain by a Caraches that do not receive a proper burial will rise as an undead Shadow upon the next sunset.
    Envelope (Ex): A Caraches that successfully touches an opponent with an attack automatically moves into the area occupied by the opponent (provoking an attack of opportunity; if the attack of opportunity deals damage then the Caraches fails to enter the occupied area) and completely engulfs the opponent if it is at least one size classe smaller than the Caraches. A victim surrounded by a Caraches is cannot be seen, even by spells such as see invisibility, although a true sight spell will penetrate the creature's essence. An enveloped target is blinded and deafened as long as they remain within the Caraches. Creatures enveloped can escape by making a successful escape artist check (DC 22). Any attack that misses the Caraches due to it's incorporeal nature is treated as if it was made against the creature contained by the Caraches.
    Vampiric Smother (Ex): A Caraches which successfuly envelopes an opponent automatically deals 1d4 points of constitution damage per round, gaining 5 hps each time it successfully deals ability damage.
    Paralyzing Shock (Su): A brief and powerful shock of negative energy which saps the will to move from it's target. The Caraches must envelope it's target before it can use this attack. Use of this ability forces the target creature to make a Will save (DC 16) or become immobilized. A Caraches cannot use its vampiric smother in any round that it administers a paralyzing shock to its victim.
    Incorporeal: Can be harmed only by other incorporeal creatures, magic weapons or creatures that strike as magic weapons, and spells, spell-like abilities, or supernatural abilities. It is immune to all nonmagical attack forms. Even when hit by spells or magic weapons, it has a 50% chance to ignore any damage from a corporeal source (except for positive energy, negative energy, force effects such as magic missile, or attacks made with ghost touch weapons). Can pass through solid objects at will, and its own attacks pass through armor. Always moves silently. Incorporeal creature's attacks pass through (ignore) natural armor, armor, and shields, although deflection bonuses and force effects (such as mage armor) work normally against it.
    Shadow Blend (Su): During any condition other than full daylight, a Caraches can disappear into the shadows, granting it concealment. Artificial illumination, even a light or continual flame spell does not negate this ability. However, a daylight spell does negate this ability as long as the Caraches is in the area of effect.
    Vulnerabilities (Ex): A light spell deals 1d6 damage if targeted directly upon a Caraches and will keep it at bay before it has enveloped a victim, but will not deter it from feeding once it has already surrounded a target. A daylight spell will deal 3d6 points of damage to a Caraches and force it to flee to the edge of the spells area of effect.
    Planeshift (Sp): A Caraches can planeshift from the Prime Material Plane to the Plane of Shadow or vice versa at will. Doing so is taxing to the Caraches and it can only planeshift once an hour.

Habitat/Society

Caraches are cautious but hungry killers. They prefer lone prey and only attack groups if they are already powerful from previous feedings. They are typically found in cities. In this setting a Caraches can find both easy prey and plenty of shadows to hide within. These creatures are fairly rare and typically only one or two can be found in a fairly large city. It is unknown how Caraches breed but thought that they are naturally from the Plane of Shadow and are attracted to the Prime by areas containing a multitude of life.

Ecology

What a Caraches is made of remains a mystery. The creatures are able to escape any prison and depart into the Plane of Shadow at will, making it difficult to capture one. When they die nothing remains of their bodies. It seems the creatures have a preference to stalking intelligent life rather than common animals, though a desperate and wounded Caraches may prey upon a horse or other large and defenseless animal to heal itself.

History

Legends say that Caraches were let upon the world when an evil entity was tricked into being trapped upon the Plane of Shadow rather than in the infernal planes with its brethren. This Power begot the Caraches to prey upon the centers of civilization in return for its banishment to the Plane of Shadow. It is also said that shadows which perform well may be rewarded by the Power, becoming Caraches themselves in return for successful service. Whether either of these are true can only be speculated.