The **chthona** (singular **chthon**) are vicious, black-furred monsters that always appear in great numbers. Their sudden arrival on [[Jord]] in 3021 VL caused [[The Riving]], ending most of human civilisation. > [!quote] Wiglac's _Treatise on The Riving_ > A chthon is roughly the size and shape of a human, but much stronger and quicker. Covered in coarse black fur and wielding savage claws, just one is difficult to deal with. But chthona are never found alone. ## A Force of Destruction The chthona are monsters that arise from beneath the earth. They are humanoid, covered in coarse black fur, with sharp claws and teeth. They have no tail and are typically bipedal (but will resort to all fours when sprinting), and have vaguely animalistic faces (wolf-like). They have no discernable gender or distinguishing characteristics, no language or culture. They only ever appear in overwhelming numbers, and they are driven to kill and destroy intelligent life wherever they find it. ![[chthona - Cassius.png|center|400]] <p style="text-align:center;">art by <a href="https://linktr.ee/Cassius_is_Confined">Cassius</a></p> Although the chthona vanished after killing everyone not fortunate enough to evacuate during the exodus, they merely slumber deep within the earth. It is known that landing on the Surface is instantly detectable to the chthona, and 45 – 60 minutes after touchdown, they will burst up from underground in numbers beyond counting. It is theorised that this delay constitutes the time needed to gather a sufficient horde of chthona, as the monsters are never seen alone. The chthona brought with them the blight, a sickness that blackens the soil and poisons all plant life in the area (though it seems to have no direct effect on animals). It appears in the chthona's wake, marking every city, town, and village with a dark spot that can be seen even from high above. Such areas can no longer sustain life and are abandoned by local fauna, leaving them barren and still. The aura of death is so pervasive that dead plants and animals do not even rot or decompose, only yielding to the elements. Although the blight has not spread from those areas visited by the chthona, neither has it been observed to fade or diminish. It is known that new excursions to the Surface, should they trigger an outbreak of the chthona, are capable of spreading the blight.