Monster submission: Zilzha

[CallieO]

Zilzha (pronounced ZEEL-zha)
[Plural: Zilzhani]

[Updated 6/25/21]

Found where: Deep forest; swamplands; near active volcanoes; generally near places where there are a lot of vulpines, but never in highly-populated areas

Size: Four feet to six feet tall

Description: Translucent-white wandering spirits, with the general appearance of vash'ri (full-furred) vulpines. They're uniformly naked and do not possess sexual organs. Possessing anywhere from zero to two tails, they have elongated fingers and toes that terminate in massive claws easily capable of rending flesh from bone. Their mouths and ears are unnaturally large, as well, and their mouths contain hideously large teeth. Their eyes are covered by a milky film and completely useless. They have the look of someone who's absolutely exhausted all of the time.

Abilities: Their finger and toe claws rip and tear, and they possess a large mouth from which they can emit a banshee-like scream, called the falfol, that can cause great pain to their victims. If they get close enough to their enemies, their large teeth can be used to rip throats, but they never attempt to eat their prey, because zilzhani don't eat. Their large, triangular ears are capable of detecting their prey's breathing from about three miles away. They have proven incapable of being contained in any known structure, and attempts to remove them from their natural habitats into a place better suited for unraveling their scientific curiosities have all failed. They cannot be rendered unconscious. When not using their mouths for the falfol, they whisper pleas into the minds of all those around them-- pleas for their would-be victims to kill them, instead.

Disadvantages: Zilzhani are uniformly blind and suffer great pain when exposed to loud noises, though they are immune to the effects of the falfol. They move very slowly, as if compensating for a wounded leg. They're constantly on the move, absolutely incapable of resting even for a moment. They also seem unable, or perhaps unwilling, to engage in advanced battle tactics or strategies. They simply attack mindlessly, until they're destroyed.

Zilzhani give off an aura that makes them incapable of clustering together in groups of larger than about 10 at a time-- but they will always appear in groups of at least three. They become completely insubstantial during periods of daylight, and are incapable of hurting anyone or anything until night falls, but even then, they must continue moving, non-stop.

Zilzhani can hear potential victims from about three miles away, and will slowly pursue enemies that cross that line, but will disengage when they get out of range. Zilzhani move so slowly that a healthy sapient being can outpace them fairly easily (except for the fact that zilzhani never get tired), and horses, even easier.

Although zilzhani can phase through walls and floors to avoid being captured, they are incapable of phasing through attacks during their active periods of nighttime. However, during the day, when they're insubstantial and can't harm anyone, they likewise cannot be harmed.

A zilzha's weak point is near the right side of its body, where a vulpine's heart normally would be. Zilzhani can also be defeated by having their heads cut off, and weakened with limb and tail amputation, but they can fully regenerate limbs and tails within about 20 minutes.

Habitat Information: Zilzhani are limited to certain habitats and will never move beyond them. They seem driven by a need to be near their own kind, so they will inhabit deep forests, swamplands, and volcano sites around areas that have a lot of vulpines in them.

Background Information: Zilzhani are believed to be wandering, unclaimed vulpine spirits that wandered down from the nopa'shuka, the "cradle of The Lady", also known as the vulpine before-life, when living vulpines in Belariath passed away before becoming bonded to their soul in the Soul-Joining Ritual at the age of 20. Zilzhani come down to Belariath and wander in places far from civilization, savagely murdering anything that gets within range.

It's an existence that the zilzhani don't want, and when they're killed, they return to the nopa'shuka to get another chance at life. Vulpines who eliminate zilzhani, therefore, strictly use the word "liberate" instead of "kill" when referring to that activity.

[miyuka]

an interesting vulpine banshee/ghost concept