Nikarta v.2

Alright, these guys have a lot of facts to them, they're summoned spirits of dead Sueinvals in the form of life energy sucking prey animals. They are worshiped and summoned as a part of the Northern Sueinvals' interest in necromancy.

The skull that serves as the head is that of the prey animal used to summon the spirit (commonly cervine, sometimes not). This usually lacks a jaw; the spirit does not need one to consume energy from the land. The "coat" tends to be a mix of medium to short length fur and a bark-like shell coating. That bark shell is scattered about the back region of the coat and their branch like limbs. It is thick and as hard as any armor. The aura of the summoned spirit seeps like smoke out of the openings at the snout of the skull.

They bring death to any life form in the forest that they come in contact with. The life force of that being is then used to sustain the individual Nikarta's existence. Only skilled Northerns summon Nikarta, and they do so with reservation and caution: only one to two Nikarta are ever summoned at once, in times of peace.

Known weak point: that split hind leg. Any swing of a heavy, two-handed weapon could cleave those two bark tendons in two. It was made so that trained Northern Vals or informed Gairainians could easily dispatch one if it goes out of control.

Aaaaand now I'll give the concept sketches a break. I'm just happy I was able to post something today :>

Nikarta and Sueinvals © me