Lurks

The Lurk is not the most populous Thallain kith, but is by far the most adaptable.  

Overview

Lurks are known by many names across the world: various swamp monsters, the Bigfoot of the Pacific Northwest, the almas of central Asia, the yeti of the Himalayas, the yowie of the Australian outback, the tikoloshe of Zulu lands, the Middle Eastern barmanou, and the hibagon of Japan are but a few of the legends inspired by lurks.  

Lurks are not often found outside wilderness areas, and prefer remote locations away from the prying eyes of outsiders. But changeling society and the Autumn World encroach further and further into lurk territory every year, making encounters all but inevitable. They are occasionally seen during the day, but are primarily nocturnal, preferring the cover of darkness to steal food from nets, investigate human structures, or carry off unwary victims (who are never seen again). Lurks are not particularly intelligent, but possess animal cunning and sophisticated instincts that make them a threat to anyone intruding into their terrain. Lurks are quite adept at disguising their crime scenes as something else; many large animal attacks on deep-wilderness campsites, hunting blinds, and hiking trails are actually the work of lurks. 

Appearance

Lurks are huge and sturdy, towering up to nine feet in height with heavy, muscled frames. Their fae miens are covered in hair or fur from head to toe, with large eyes, long arms, wide-flaring nostrils and a mouth full of strong teeth. Their coats typically range from brown to green to white, depending on their environment. In their mortal seemings, they are unkempt, naked individuals covered with sticks, leaves, and mud. In both forms, their hands and feet are overlarge with thick, yellow nails. The big toes on either of a lurk’s feet splay outward as grasping thumbs, and their walks are shambling lopes instead of true bipedal motion.

Endowments

• Landscape Stride: Lurks are completely at home in their native surroundings, and receive their Glamour rating in automatic successes for any Athletics, Stealth, or Survival rolls made within them. In addition, they double their speed through their environment in both the Dreaming and the Autumn World.

• Omnivorous Hunger: Lurks aren’t picky about their diets, and are capable of consuming anything they can fit in their mouths: Sticks, lithium batteries, kerosene lamps, small chimera, and mangled body parts are all valid food items for a lurk. 

Vulnerability

• Involuntary Signs: Though they are the masters of their surroundings, lurks always leave behind evidence of their passing, whether such evidence be a tuft of fur clinging to a branch, obvious footprints in mud or snow, broken saplings and bent grasses, or bones and spoor from their last meal. Though they may be completely concealed from sight and hearing, the inevitable trail still allows them to be tracked. 

References

1. CTD. Changeling: The Dreaming 20th Anniversary Edition, pp. 377-378.