Random Lore The Wendigo Pt 3

Skinwalker (Lesser Wendigo)

The lesser wendigo known primarily as the skinwalker is the cunning killer cannibal of the wendigo Species Hierarchy. Skinwalker itself is a name given to a variety of lesser wendigo variants. They all have a similar aesthetic and differ primarily only in the execution of their baser desires. 

These monsters will be kept alive purely by their magic. They will oftentimes lose the flesh on their face and most of their skull leaving bone exposed. Their limbs are often extended however notably some can control the length of their body parts. Their eyes are usually sunken black orbs and their posture slouched forward. This can change depending on the strength of the skinwalker.

Skinwalkers are a degeneration of a wendigo once they are close to death. It is widely believed by the wendigo that the manifestation of a skinwalker means that the person rejected their death and has attempted to go against the will of the Forest Father. An important distinction between these creatures and the undead is that skinwalkers are alive. They will have limited recollection of self and while some retain the ability to speak they lack the knowledge to do so intelligibly instead using mimicry to hunt.

Once a skinwalker is created they are stronger physically than they were as a wendigo. Physical strength may double, triple or even quadruple after the transformation depending on the magical strength of the wendigo. This also usually but not always plays a pivotal role in determining if the skinwalker will have intelligence or if they will be a mindless monster. 

Mindless Skinwalkers 

If a wendigo of low magical ability is brought close to death and their magic refuses to let them die their mind will be consumed by their magic. This will cause them to run on only their base survival instincts to preserve self, consume and reproduce. These creatures are fully monsters and will be killed on sight if found. They lack the ability or intellect to do much more than hunt and kill. 

They will have no sense of self and no memories of who they were before the transformation. They are unable to speak although they will mimic voices they hear. They are extremely aggressive, killing and consuming anything they can get their hands on. 

Mindless skinwalkers also follow other base instincts and will seek out mates amongst other skinwalkers or among other non-consensual parties. They are fertile and can reproduce with wendigo, but their children are infertile. They will often eat the participants of this desire regardless. Overall these monsters are hunted down and killed as soon as one is discovered. 

Self Realized Skinwalkers

These creatures are the fears of many wendigo, a monster hidden amongst the crowd. If a powerful magic caster is drawn close to death but his magic refuses to let him die he may become a Self Realized Skinwalker. This monster may have limited memories of their previous life as a wendigo. That knowledge allows them to become a terrifying force to behold. 

Self realized skinwalkers have the desire to hunt and consume and they do this with a unique magic they obtain. They will steal the skin, voice and mannerisms of those they kill. They can alter their physical size, shape, their antlers and eye color to match that of the person they are mimicking. They will hunt wendigo but have a preference for other races especially humans.

They are unique in the fact that they will take over the life of the person they are mimicking to get closer to their prey. They are intelligent enough to integrate themselves into a society and prefer population centers. Specialized hunters are needed to hunt down and kill these creatures. Especially if they have grown intelligent enough to fully integrate into a population.