Chapter 3: Addendum 1 – Survival Knowledge, by Luca Ferreira

Beware of: Taints
N.B.
For our protection I decided to keep record of the several monstrosities we've encountered so far including their key characteristics, behavior, weaknesses and how to deal with them. I've spread copies of these, err... survival guides, wherever I travelled. Hopefully keeping tabs on all of this will help us stay safe. Hopefully...

Appearance
We've observed Taints take 3 different forms:
[1] Shadow Blending: This is the default form for Taints to be in. As the name implies they attempt to blend in with naturally occurring shadows by inhabiting their space. There's a key characteristic to all shadows that have Taints within them; a faint, yet unmistakable, visual static along their edges. It is easier to spot this sign on lighter shades, as it seems the Taints are better at blending into darker shadows. Those who spot this visual sign should make sure to have absolutely no physical contact whatsoever with the specific shadow. Any who fail to heed this warning will meet...

[2] Devouring Form: This is the form Taints take when they make contact with living beings. A swarm of shadow spots, reminiscent of an insect swarm, rapidly devours any biological matter inside the shadow while trying to pull more matter into itself. It seems to pull with enough force to easily overpower an average adult male, fully pulling his body into itself and devouring him bit by bit in about 4-8 seconds. (Note: It's... not a good way to die. Please, stay in the light...)

[3] The Tainted: I've only seen it once. I pray that no one else does. Whenever this "thing", this... monster takes form, death is sure to come. A humanoid form, of pure black, that does not cast a shadow when the sun hits it... It has no features whatsoever, seemingly blending in and out of shadows at will. However, unlike the previous forms, this one can move, not only from shadow to shadow but also remain in the light for a short amount of time. It chases you with superhuman speed and kills any living thing it detects. From what I gathered, it locates it's prey via echolocation or direct contact with a shadow it is inhabiting. It kills by having any part of it's body revert to the 2nd form, rapidly devouring the victim bit by bit.