"And those mounds that look like grass or dirt... they're not what they appear to be."
"Are those beasts too?" Min asked, his water snake coiling closer in anticipation.
"Bark Stalkers," Ren explained, pointing to what appeared to be random terrain features.
"Imagine a toad the size of a small table, with a crab-like shell. They can change their skin's color and texture to match their surroundings, piles of leaves, earth, even moss-covered rocks. Their camouflage is nearly perfect, which makes them particularly dangerous to unwary travelers."
"And these beasts all live together here without displacing each other?" Taro seemed fascinated.
"It's an interesting cycle," Ren smiled, clearly enjoying sharing his knowledge with his friends. "The Shadow Stalkers dominate the night. From the air, they can safely absorb mana from the Bark Stalkers, they just need to avoid the Weavers' threads hidden within the trees…
