Kushtaka

Kushtaka, or "land otters" as they are sometimes known, are devious shapeshifters. They propagate by luring a humanoid away from the shelter of their home and slowly transforming the kidnapped creature into a new kushtaka. Kushtaka have an easier time transforming willing prey, so they prefer to use their shapeshifting ability and innate magical powers to convince their chosen targets to follow them away to a kushtaka village.

Once a humanoid has been lured to a kushtaka village, they slowly begin to change, a bit at a time, until their body transforms fully into that of a kushtaka and ejects their mortal soul. These ejected souls often linger before giving rise to ghosts or haunts, though the kushtaka themselves are unaware of the souls' presence, having completely forgotten who they once were due to the magic that transformed them.

Kushtaka can be a scourge to small human villages, slowly pilfering villagers away one person at a time. This might mean the kushtaka village displaces the human one, or leaves the human village unable to survive with too small a population to hunt, fish, defend against threats, or raise the next generation.