The Gloom Weavers

Gloom Weavers... are these not the creatures of nightmares? I, Grimbold, set quill to vellum to record the first, and hopefully last, observation of these beings. They are not of stone, like the Stone Sentinels, nor of metal, like the creations of the Gnomish Tinkers. Instead, they are woven from the very essence of the Gloomstrands, those subterranean fungal networks that permeate the Iron-Grip Mountains. They can manipulate the Gloomfungus, moving unseen through the caverns, and even manipulate the minds of travelers.

They appear as vaguely humanoid shapes, constantly shifting and distorting, their forms comprised of intertwining mycelial threads, and can seemingly create Illusory Bastion. Are they somehow connected to The Weaver, that puppeteer of fate? They are drawn to places where the strands converge, especially near sources of Auric Resonance that have been corrupted, or near locations where The Gaze of the Deep can be felt.

Rather than hunt in the traditional sense, they seem to herd their prey, guiding lost travelers deeper into the fungal networks, where they become disoriented, lost, and ultimately consumed. The Silent Monks of Durin's Peak avoid these creatures, claiming they corrupt the mind and lead to The Great Unmaking. The Shadow-Goblins avoid the Weavers, perhaps sensing a rival power in the darkness. These actions may contribute to The Cacophony.

Historically, little is known of their origin. There may be reference to these beings in a lost Chapter of Fungi, speaking of a species that preys upon the Lost Pilgrims. Encounters with them are rare, and often fatal. Their history may be tied to a new, unseen location, the Mycelial Crown, which they use to control the strands. They may be a warning to avoid the creation of the Umbral Anvil. Do they serve Valia, the Empty? It is the duty of the Truthseekers to warn the world. These creatures are likely to make the Skyclaw Griffons uneasy. I suspect they can be damaged with the Runes of Null, or purified with the Sunstone of Aethelgard. Perhaps even the Cobalt Corsairs will find them a worthy challenge.