Will O'Mist

This will o'wisp variant lives only in the misty borderlands that surround the domains of the misty dread realm. It takes the form of a hazy band of glowing energy, a few inches thick (2-4) and a few feet long (3-5). Usually it shines icy blue, but sightings range from golden white to deep green. It can reshape and resize itself somewhat and travelers easily mistake it for a lamp or a magical light. When not attacking it can hide its light for 2d4 rounds, becoming invisible to anyone who cannot see invisible things.

Unlike its relatives, this wisp does not appear to talk through color and brightness. How it communicates is unknown, though some wandering seers seem to have learned the secret.

Because it drifts through the border mists without hindrance, a will o'mist rarely has to fight, but when it must it is a fearsome foe. It flies with great agility, hovering motionless, darting in sudden rushes or bobbing slowly as if carried by the wind.

Every third round it can release a burst of electricity that strikes everyone within 30 feet for 2d8 damage; a save vs. spell halves this. Metal armor actually helps, granting its wearer +4 on the save thanks to its conductivity and grounding.

Ordinary weapons harm it normally, but nearly all magic fails. The only spells known to affect it are energy drain and vampiric touch.

A will o'mist is always alone. It can manipulate the mists themselves and enter even a domain whose dread lord has closed it off, giving it unmatched freedom across the realm. Only the wandering seers know how to summon and command these creatures, and it is unclear whether the gift is inherited or taught down the generations. Many believe this mastery is what lets the seers travel through the mists and among the domains at will.

Like other variants, it seems to live on the electrical energy of human and demihuman minds, but apparently it can draw that energy only while its victims are crossing the misty borders. That may explain why some travelers report a sudden wave of dizziness and nausea as they stagger out of the fog. Since it can never wander more than a few yards beyond the fog, it must coax people into them to feed, and the particular energy it craves is probably the fear and confusion so many travelers feel there. Some theorize that will o'mists form part of a strange network that channels living energy into the realm itself, sustaining it and helping it pull ever more unsuspecting souls across its borders.