Shadow Beasts

Seen the hat man multiple times as a child

There are other types that your not aware of. These types of creatures you speak of as "Shadow Beast's", are not "Shadow beast's". They are better referred to as "Shadow people". Shadow people, often called "Shades" are for the most part often just harmless ghost's or general spirits that serve a specific agenda, typically died into their C.O.D. Most are dark masses in appearance, with the description you just gave, are an example of just some of the transitional progressions that happen with spirits.

The hooded form, and hat man as you call them, are nothing more than spirits that have not been able to establish enough of a form to make themselves manifest in a way thats perceivable to the viewer. Often the reason they are "Black" centers from the C.O.D. (Cause of death). Often if the death was extremely tragic, or an act of malice, or extremely negative emotion, the spirit will take on a much more darker form, to fuel its sustained existence, based on the amount of negative energy that caused their death in question. These are not "Shadow Beasts".

The "Hat man", is usually a spirit that has began to create some form of self manifestation. They are still emotionally disconnected from their death (Hence the staring at the floor), but have managed to accept their death and are still stuck on the COD. Hat Men, are again just a simple Shade. A basic Spirit that has died in a horrid way, through negative influences.

Some,.. and I mean Some, are not Shadow people. Some are something a whole lot worse. But those few that are not Shadow people are also distinct, which I will explain shortly. Shadow people, in general, look a lot like the creatures you see in the "Silent hill" video games. Dark, black, faceless entities, that usually you see out of the corner of your eye. In most cases they lack any real definition of face or eyes. Mostly just a mass of energy.

Now, when you see one with a face, again, they are using energy to refine themselves into a person. The more energy they take from their environment, other people, peoples fear of them or what have you, the more they are able to manifest into something more definitive, and often able to express to others who they were or the events that cause their death. Again, these are still "Shades".

Its only when those "Shadow people" have glowing eyes, usually Red, White, Grey, Green, or Yellow, that you are not dealing with a normal "Shadow person". These creatures, do not hide. They do not avoid being seen. These creatures can be one of two things. Either a Poltergeist, spectre, or sometimes a Phantom. When the spirit looks at you, looks right at you, still shapeless, with glowing eyes, and speaks, or motions, and you can clearly see it.,.. then and only then are you not dealing with a normal Shadow person. You are more than likely dealing with an actual malignant spirit. What type? thats again another topic. But agian,.. these are also not "Shadow beast's".

So what is a Shadow beast you ask. Shadow Beast, are something completely different. We are no longer talking about people who died. We are no longer talking about your run of the mill evil spirit, basic humanoid Demon, or simple mean thing. A Shadow Beast is specific. These creature are Wolf like in size and shape, or even often seen as a Large dog, except Jet black. A solid black mass, that doesn't cast a shadow, and has red glowing eyes. They often are mistaken for "Hell hounds" by the ignorant. They are not Hell hounds, fortunately, though as I've seen it best put, you might want a hell hound over these nasty things. What they are, are creatures created for one purpose. To kill, in the most vicious and rawest of means possible.

Some say they are spiritual bacteria, that seem to "know" when a catastrophe is about to happen. Others say, they are actually created by extremely advanced Necromancers, or Magi, as a type of Beastly assassin, intended to destroy everything in the path of it and its intended target. What ever it is or its intended Target, I've both seen them, and seen what happens shortly after one has been seen. Shadow Beast's are demonic in nature. Given one specific target and sent like an animalistic Terminator to hunt, kill, and destroy anything between it and its intended target. These things cause sheer physical destruction in their path. They have been mistaken for "Animal attacks", serial killers, Brutal murders and a host of other similar unexplained deaths. Often one person who wasn't directly the target or got in the way, will always speak of a Terrible "Mad Dog" or Beastly "Wolf" like creature, that actually caused the person to be torn asunder or the cause of the excessive damage within the environment. Usually, these witnesses, are also typically the ones pinned with the crime of Murder, or pinned as being involved in some odd way. Its been a questionable speculation of many, that either the Beast is seen by others outside of the situation, while a person in question is often briefly possessed by the beast in question. I can not say for fact what actually happens when a Beast reaches its intended target, how specifically they die. I can only attest for the fact that I've seen two hunting in my life. Once in a rural community in East bay, Northern California, and once some 15 years later, in Lebanon Indiana. Both times they were heading towards a persons house in the dead of the night. The first time at 3:30 am, and the second at about 4am. In both instances, when I saw them, a feeling of unearthly dread came over me. That same sensation you get at the zoo, when staring face to face with a Hungry Tiger, but you know, and it knows, your not its food, at least not today.

Each time, the next morning in the paper within a few blocks of my location where I saw the Beast, every time, there was a brutal Violent Murder. Doors broken off their hinges, people smashed into walls, and the entire environment, a complete wreck. But no sign of foul play. The first time, they found a witness in the closet, who was a complete wreck. Mumbling about a Large Dog, that the Mob had sent after him, because he spoke of things he wasn't supposed to. That same guy, 2 weeks later was charged with Criminal Crank possession (They supposedly found 6 kilo's of dishwater crank in the closet with him), and Murdering his family, while being high on crank.

The second event was a little stranger. The official report, was that a woman was found dead having had brutally slashed her own throat in an attempt of suicide. The problem was, she was laying in the middle of her bed, with deep gashes in her neck, and a broken neck. No sign of struggle, inside the room, only on the bed, which had been a complete mess, as though she had been struggling against what ever it was, in her sleep. The only other damage to the property, was the bedroom window had been broken outwards, like a large person had jumped out through the window, and the . It was later discovered that she was involved in some manor with the local GD gang. An organization, notorious for its deep mix of metaphysics, Judaism, and old traditional beliefs. Again, Gang, or organized crime related.

There has been a theory, that these things might be used by crime syndicates to remove problem people. Though I've never been able to confirm that as actual fact. I do know, these do exist, and have been written about time and again in countless old tomes and books. I do believe they are also covered in the Books of Solomen, and other Demonology related tomes. So I do suspect that the "Shadow Beast", as I've always read about them, and have seen, are the real McCoy. A creature steeped in deep mysticism, Arcane Lore, and history. My suggestion. If you see one, GTFO. These things are not a joke, they are deadly, and are not some bump in the night creature.

A staggeringly well researched and written book on the topic of the spirit world is the RPG game "Wraith: The Oblivion", first edition. This book, and many first edition, pre 2004 (When CCP game bought out White wolf), games written by WHite Wolf games, within the "World of Darkness" game system, were actually deeply compiled metaphysical anthologies set into a story line genre of Gothic horror and fiction. about 75% of the main story books, (Vampire, Werewolf, Mage, Changeling, Wraith, Mummy, Kindred of the East, & Demon, ) were all based on actual folklore, real history and deep in depth study of the very topics in question. The writers of these stories actually wrote the game series to be as realistic as possible, based on the real legends, lore, and history of these given creatures. Because of this, these books, and many like them, became a great easy to access resource of compiled study and theory. (Not entirely fact mind you, but Theory). Another series, was the systems "Ars Magica", and "Nephilim". Both games give the reader a very realistic listing of actual books on the subject in question. These books and many like them are a great reference point, (Much like Wikipedia), upon which a scholar of the Arcane or mystical arts can reference ideas, lore, and terminology to gain a deeper beginning understanding of what is fact, and what is fiction within the world of the undead and the supernatural. I strongly suggest any person interested in this topic, or many like them, to pick up these books, as again a reference point. It produces a good source point of scientific terminology and concept, making data mining searches a great deal easier if you know what other writers and researchers have written, either recently, or in the case of these compiled books, hundreds or years ago. What you will find, as presented by the "Mage" system, Perception, is everything.