Anatomy

Remarkably strange creatures, fearits are small humanoid beings with ghostly features. Their doll-like bodies are typically thin, sometimes skeletal looking, and can also possess bodies made of a slimy, translucent substance. Some even possess strange natural body modifications, such as spots of moss or mushrooms on their bodies or sewn patches of fabric in place of skin. They have relatively large four-fingered hands and tiny feet, as well as round humanoid heads with scruffy hair. Their facial features are often sunken or appear sewn, with no defined nose other than a bony socket that is similar to what is seen on skulls. Fearits do not often wear clothing, preferring to only wear cloaks, capes, or in some cases stolen doll clothes, alongside the occasional handmade hat or hair accessory. Scars and open wounds are rather common, and don't seem to negatively affect the individual in any way, despite how severe the injury may seem.

Origins

The exact origin of fearits is currently unknown. It has been hypothesized that they are the ghosts of fairies or similar magical humanoids, or even alien intruders from another world or plane of reality. Sightings of these creatures date back over a hundred years, and have become more frequent in recent history. Particularly with the invention of phone and security cameras, it has gotten easier for people to capture proof of their existence, much to the dismay of fearits everywhere.

Habitat

Fearits make their homes in the attics, basements, crawlspaces, and generally unused areas of human homes. Despite their antisocial nature, they tend to prefer occupied houses over abandoned ones; this is most likely due to the abundance of food available from an active household. A fearit's nest is typically made of materials such as insulation, scraps of paper, plastic, or fabric, sticks, fur/hair, and whatever other remotely comfortable materials they come across. Alongside a nest, a fearit may also have another area or two dedicated to the storage of food or found objects. Due to their diet of rotten food, the smell of their stockpiles can end up giving away the location of their nest, which leads fearits to often store things in multiple different locations away from their main sanctuary.

Behavior

Shy and elusive, fearits do their best to stay hidden away from other beings, especially humans. They are incredibly agile and stealthy, able to move around virtually undetected through the use of secret tunnels and other currently unknown means. Fearits love to collect things, with the most popular items being pens and pencils, jewelry, coins, miniature toys, and other small but interesting objects. These collecting instincts are one of few reasons that a fearit will even dare go near a human, and even then scavenging excursions only occur at night or when nobody is home. Though it is possible for more than one fearit to occupy a home at one time, interactions between multiple individuals are rare, let alone relationships; they do not need to reproduce naturally, so mating pairs are completely out of the question as well. It is possible, but difficult, for other creatures to befriend fearits, however. Fearits do not speak any sort of human language, and are typically completely silent, making them hard to communicate with. Their main reaction to being spotted or found is panicking and running and/or hiding, so it's best not to let one know that it has been detected. Repeatedly leaving gifts of food and trinkets in a single spot near an area in which a nest is believed to be located is a good way to build trust; if it goes well, the fearit in question will eventually show itself willingly.

Trivia/Fun Facts

• A fearit's sole defense mechanism is its bite. Due to their diet of mold and decay, fearit saliva is loaded with harmful bacteria, which can transfer into other creatures' bodies through biting and spread disease.