Umbraun ('um-brawn')

Discovery

From the notes of Doctor Ivan Sanderson.

"At first the mere thought of a creature capable of appearing and disappearing at will seems almost fanciful. But then again I have observed Mystimon doing wondrous things in the past. All the same, traveling to Gothica can be hazardous to one's health. The land is inhospitable to say the least. Since the emergence of the Golan Empire just under a hundred years past, things with them have been tenuous at best. I knew walking in there I was essentially walking right into a warzone. But for science, I must travel wherever I can. So go to Gothica I did, along with my trusty assistant, Jane Dawn.

Neither of us knew exactly what to expect, searching for a creature that could disappear at will. The reports of this creature have been mixed at best. Some describe it as a lion-like creature, much like Blynx, while others describe it as more canine, like Balthro. With such mixed reports and contradicting descriptions of the beast, I couldn't tell if there was any such creature at all or if the people of this land were making it up. These people living in constant fear as it is, living under the iron grip of an authoritarian race like the Gola. To also live with such terrors as this, seems terrifying.

We first arrived in Trovan by ship from the Quatrica Islands, just managing to slip past Golan patrols. We knew that leaving would not be easy as well. From there, once we had heard reports from the local populace, we head out into the wastelands. Almost nothing grows here, being under complete darkness for the entirety of the year. It is a sad thing, the people of this land have never and probably never will see the sunlight. And if these creatures are nocturnal in any way, then the entire day is night for them. Meaning there is no time that is safe from these beasts.

Here I was expecting finding these creatures to be a challenge. But we were just beset upon by a solitary creature within hours of us being here. Jane already wants to leave after this encounter. It appeared as if from nowhere. It was like a large black and grey lion with a shadowy haze mane with bright blue eyes. And when it vanished, it was like it transformed into a cloud of black mist, and then reappeared behind us in a split moment. Truly fascinating. Terrifying. But fascinating. I record this in the hopes that if we don't make it out of here, that whoever reads this will know to avoid this land."