Iced Breath 25 Ghazhioh, 5120 AGI
Elioque qua Hildezhaon
Confidential Report on Imps
Discretion is mandatory
Imps are a conjurer's favorite being to summon from twilight, but even they know little about them. Scholarly tomes rarely see the light of day concerning them, for the authors fall to nasty accidents. It is speculated that these writers expose conjuration secrets in their works, and are punished accordingly.
Lady Shiobe and Lord Sikode have met and hold in confidence an Imp named Stchn and his little brother Kshn. Whether this will create difficulties in the future is unknown, but it seems Kykini Cede, Flame Dragon of Kassak is good friends with them, so we should withhold judgment.
Please direct questions to this investigator or Artiste Loreval. To contact us, please send correspondence to Scribe Dushare at the Illenan Command Center in Tindrel, Merren.

In this article:

all artwork by Shanda Nelson unless otherwise stated

About Imps

Imps hail from the twilight realm. Some scholars believe them creations of one of the Originator sylfaone, Ceaque, some believe they owe their existence to Zepfleur, a sylf renowned for creating monstrosities. They are known to use both claws and wieldings to subdue and harm people, making them a favorite of horror stories and urban legends.
Common folk see Imps as monstrosities because they are typically summoned to get rid of a conjurer's enemies. They are depicted as mere beasts ravaging innocent people.
Through Lord Sikode and Lady Shiobe, we know a bit more about these beings, though still not much. They have familial bonds with their siblings, and they can wield powerful magicks. Stchn healed Lady Shiobe of a terrible fall in the Glass Volcano, so his abilities are not minute.

Appearance

Imps superficially resemble humans, and are approximately the same height. They possess black fur, pointed ears, and double-kneed legs. They have four fingers and toes, and white claws on each. Their incisors are long and sharp. Most have a full head of hair, which can be a variety of dark colors that look black in dim light. Hair styles vary widely, and depend on individual taste rather than cultural popularity.
The feature most humans remember is their lack of exterior eyes. They have depressions where the eyes should be. Those are covered by a membrane, which protects against harsh light.
They are no stronger than a human, but can maneuver much faster.
Imps dress in bright clothing and jewels that contrast their black fur. They love bling and flaunt what they have. Kykini Cede says it is possible for conjurers to lure an Imp, and especially children, to them with bright, shiny things.

Kshn

Imps called Closers conduct hunting parties that search for conjurer traps and destroy them before they can harm them or another twilight being. So many are placed, however, it is a losing battle.
How conjurers create these traps and employ them is unknown. We have been told the traps trigger a kick-portal that uses a hook to send the Imps to a location in the sunlit realm the summoner has prepared to cage them. According to Felzhelthijed, our Rubirijk friend, spells are cast to hide the hooks from magickal view, so the study of them is extremely limited.

We have an opportunity here, not just to learn more about Imps, but to provide help to them concerning summoning.
Imps do not want to be summoned, as I'm certain is obvious. While the bloodmage techniques to summon the twilight beings they capture may or may not reflect other conjuration procedures, we can provide the Imps a direction of inquiry. Holding them as allies may well be to the benefit of Illena.

Now that Felzhelthijed is able to speak with us using Kykini Cede's language amulet, we shall see what he can tell us of twilight. The opportunity to interview a native is exciting, and perhaps he can shed more light on Imps as well.

Magick

Imps can wield great magick. One of the reasons conjurers continually summon them is because, if they trap one with such abilities, they have an extraordinary servant at their call. They are capable of learning intricate spells and techniques, and if the summoner is not careful in their bindings, they will escape confinement.
Twilight magick feels darker than sunlit realm magick, so humans fear it. Some call Imps evil due to it. We must be cautious in such sentiments because captured Imps will not behave in the same manner as those not enslaved.

Summary

Conjurers want the average human to think of Imps as monstrous beasts, and view them as they would a large, vicious cat or canine.
This is simply not the case, as Kykini Cede and Felzhelthijed can attest. Our knowledge is sparse, as it is concerning most twilight beings, but we have an opportunity to find out more about Imps. We will hopefully be making several addenda to this report concerning them, with more authentic research than what can be found in the haphazard conjurer's manual.