Appearance

Bugbears are massive bears that reach an average of 7’ at the shoulder. They’re covered in shaggy dark fur, and often appear to be made of living shadow. With ivory colored claws around eight inches in length, used for digging and combat, they’re a force to be reckoned with.

Their eyes are a solid color, typically white or red, and have an unnatural glow about them.

Abilities

Bugbears are immensely strong, and can topple trees with ease. A swipe of one of their massive paws can shatter boulders and break bone. Their looks are meant to instill terror in others. They seem to attract all manner of frightening creatures, like massive spiders and scorpions.

Magical

The most powerful ability of the phoenix is their rebirth. Upon death, the phoenix’s Bugbears have the innate ability to track all living things within their immediate area, with the exception of other bugbears. This makes them incredibly good trackers, and many work for hire. They weave illusions meant to frighten others. While not as adept at illusions as kitsune, in the moment they seem real.

Culture

Bugbears have an intense love of frightening others. They’re often referred to as boogeymen, and are used to scare children into behaving. Many bugbears have a fondness for children, and do in fact scare them home if they’ve run away.

While not inherently evil, bugbears have earned this reputation on account of their terrifying and strange behavior. Their creepy and unsettling nature has granted them this reputation, which many embrace.

They tend to lead solitary lives, only meeting up with other bugbears to breed. The pair will stay together until the birth of the cub, which determines who will parent the child. Males raise males, females raise females. Because they live such solitary lives, and because of how siblings may be raised apart, bugbears keep detailed family records to prevent accidental pairings.

History

It’s rumored that the bugbear species was created when a terror demon, disguised as a bear, mated with another bear, though many think this is just a joke. I mean, how could an entire species be based off of this… right?