Ashwraith Description
Ashwraiths are withered, spectral beings. Their forms seem caught between flesh and cinder, like remnants of something that burned away long ago. Their bodies are thin and elongated, with ashen-gray to charcoal-black skin that appears cracked and scorched. The skin faintly glows from within, as if embers still smolder beneath the surface.
Depending on their emotions, their eyes burn like dying coals, often flickering between deep orange, molten red, or eerie blue flame. When agitated, the glow intensifies, smoke curling from their sockets like a slow, smoldering fire.
Some Ashwraiths have portions of their bodies that seem permanently lost to the flames, leaving behind wisps of black smoke or glowing cracks where flesh should be. Their hands and fingers are often sharp, elongated, and claw-like, sometimes appearing like burned bone or charred wood beneath their blackened skin.
Their hair, if they have any, is wispy and flame-like, flickering like embers in a dying fire. Some Ashwraiths appear bald, with smooth, soot-covered scalps, while others have hair that trails smoke as they move.
When they breathe or exhale, faint wisps of ash and smoke curl from their lips, and their voices have a hollow, echoing quality, like whispers carried through fire and wind. Some Ashwraiths do not breathe at all, making them unnervingly silent.
Their movements are slow and deliberate, almost weightless as if they are constantly on the verge of drifting away like smoke. When moving too quickly, their bodies blur at the edges, leaving faint embers or smoldering footprints behind.
Instead of casting regular shadows, Ashwraiths often have distorted, flickering silhouettes that shift as if cast by an unseen fire, even when no light source is present.
When injured, they do not bleed; their wounds crack further, releasing black smoke or glowing embers before gradually sealing back together. Some believe they are not truly alive, merely animated echoes of what they once were, bound to their burned-out existence.
Their presence carries a faint scent of scorched earth, old fire, and distant smoke, making it easy to tell when one is nearby—even if they are unseen.