Rebirthed

When a poacher kills an animal for sport, a hunter is needlessly cruel, or a negligent humanoid's actions lead to a creature's death, sometimes the slain animal's wrath motivates it to return from the brink with renewed purpose. When this happens, the primal magic of nature, also angry at such a transgression, comes together to form a new vessel for the creature's soul, the result being a rebirthed. Because this process is technically a reincarnation, the rebirthed is not undead, and yet it retains a connection to the dead.

A rebirthed appears as a grayscale version of the original animal, sometimes with colored patterns on its body. These patterns may relate to the creature's death somehow, but it is not in a way that conforms to humanoid perceptions of meaning and symbolism. Its eyes glow red with vengeance and hatred, and its soul, not completely inhabiting its body, leaves a glowing afterimage in the creature's wake.

Most rebirthed dedicate their new existence to steadfastly defending their home from intruders. Some, however, take it upon themselves to hunt down the subject of their anger. Others instead blindly hunt anyone they believe resembles the one who wronged them, a definition which can sometimes include all humanoids. Gaining the trust of a rebirthed is difficult, but not impossible, and is usually done through kindness to other animals, especially ones related to the rebirthed, rather than to the rebirthed itself. A rebirthed that gives up its hatred fades away into nothing, and its soul is finally able to pass on to the afterlife.

Slaying the beast, on the other hand, will only get rid of it temporarily, as it is sure to reform, usually more powerful than before. The more times a rebirthed reincarnates, the more its mind deteriorates, and the harder it becomes to reason with. Killing it enough times reduces it to little more than a thoughtless, raging beast, indiscriminately attacking anything it sees, even the creatures it once protected. At this point, nature will have abandoned it, and it becomes possible to kill the creature permanently.

Rebirthed Bear

This sample rebirthed was originally an ordinary grizzly bear.