Thorncrown Mountain Spirit

Lore

Every light casts a shadow, and so the existence of Light Spirits necessitates the existence of Darkness Spirits. What is truly terrifying about the mountains is not the mysterious lights that shimmer against the dark, but the giant, black predators that lurk patiently within it. These creatures are so named for the nest of horns growing on their heads like a coronet of thorns. These horns, which glow with a dull light against otherwise jet-black bodies, are their greatest weapon when hunting, as they emit dark photons that detect and follow prey. Thorncrowns are said to be the kings of the Mountain Spirits, yet even these so-called monarchs have a hierarchy dictated by size—the larger the Thorncrown, the bigger their fiefdom. Some explorers have even reported a shadow as large as a mountain among their patrician ranks.