Wattkin (Whaat-kin)

Appearing much like small bestial humanoids, the Wattkin can easily zip around tight spaces thanks to their near elemental nature. With their dexterous paws, they are capable of manipulating delicate objects, such as sensitive electronic components, for further analysis and repair. Bearing ruffled and static-filled fur, they appear like disheveled gremlins as they go about their business.

Passively born in regions touched by elemental storms, the Wattkin are a product that occurs when the barrier between benign storms and elemental furies becomes broken for brief periods of time. Whether due to the impact of sorcery, ambient magic, advanced technology, or sheer happenstance, these moments allow for Wattkin to slip through the cracks and fall to the regions below. Most dissipate harmlessly, their inability to find electric sustenance forcing them to fade back to where they came from. However, for the lucky few, they are able to find nourishment from either ambient storms or established electrical devices and infrastructure.

Unable to experience natural growth, the Wattkin instead is able to spend its energy on learning about the world around it. As such, it's not unusual for older Wattkin to be fonts of knowledge on the inner workings of various electrical components or weather patterns. That said, however, Wattkin that become overcharged by immense electrical discharges have been known to experience a feral growth into greater elemental beasts capable of traveling great miles in search of the next storm.

While the areas that a Wattkin can reside in are relatively few, the small creature needing a sufficient source of electric power to remain manifested, they tend to be difficult to dig out once they are established. Whether they make their homes among the electrical equipment of more advanced societies or within the electric infrastructure of fantastical abodes, the Wattkin are often viewed as a pest whose only purpose is to destroy. However, this could not be further from the truth. Cognitive enough to realize their need for electricity, Wattkin are able to intuitively fix and repair the machines and circuits they need to stay alive. As such, to the knowledgeable, they are considered a boon and in the often diminishing resources of Refuge, having such a helper can be essential to remaining operational.    To those unable to find such dwellings, however, they can often be found in places frequented by large storms, the ambient energy of the air being enough to sustain their small bodies for weeks.

Consuming ambient electricity as their primary source of energy, Wattkin are not against consuming other sources of food as a treat. Though these small elementals do not receive any nourishment from such mundane foods, a wise individual can garner special favors from the friendly creatures with gifts of candy and other flavorful snacks.

Helpful and friendly, if a bit scattered, the Wattkin are a sparking force that is able to show moments of genius as they navigate the world around them. Capable of learning the operation of machines as they work to fix them, they can prove to be an invaluable resource for those who are less familiar with such mechanics. Driven by their need to stay alive, the Wattkin are attracted to sources of electrical energy that allows them to remain manifested. This can sometimes result in overpopulation issues as several Wattkin try to claim the same set of machines or other similar electrical resources as their own.    Their lesser-known form, a striding beast-like creature fed by powerful electrical currents, presents a harsh disconnect to their original forms as they chase storms across the many regions of Refuge.

While commonly viewed as vermin scuttling about precious machinery, those with a careful eye can easily see how useful the Wattkin can be if left to their own devices, as the small electric gremlins maintain and even improve the electric infrastructure they need to remain alive.

While the average Wattkin is not a force of immense intellect, the small, observant elementals have been known to have moments of lightbulb-like genius as they interact with their electrical environments. This can often take the form of a sudden understanding of how their homes operate to being able to give helpful advice to a friendly creature currently in a spot of trouble.

Bearing average sensory perceptions overall, the Wattkin is, however, capable of sensing electrical flows with the electro receptors stored throughout its body. Whether it's determining the electrical charge in the air of a storm or sensing the flow of power through a circuit board, the Wattkin possesses a sensitive knack for being in the right place at the right time to both repair its life-sustaining machinery and to receive direct charge from the clouds above.    This delicate sense of electric perception, however, also extends to the natural charge given off by living creatures and, as such, it can be difficult to ambush a Wattkin via regular means.