Tikbalang

Tikbalangs are forest creatures that delight in leading travelers astray. They deceive and mislead with their formidable magic, leaping from tree to tree while laughing or neighing uncontrollably. While not malicious, neither are they empathetic to the plight of their victims. Tikbalangs would sooner forget about those whom they've tricked and leave these unfortunate souls to die than lead them back to their intended path through guilty altruism.

Tikbalangs' occult magic stems from the esoteric mystery of believing a lie. In the moment of crafting illusions or conjuring extradimensional spaces, tikbalangs themselves believe that what they're creating is real. This conviction makes their spells harder to resist, and this same principle also makes them very effective liars. But this readiness to believe also makes them susceptible to deceptions and illusions in turn, and they're particularly vulnerable to mind games. Lone travelers without magic of their own are advised to learn riddles, sleight of hand, or other tricks to defend against tikbalangs' oft-deadly entertainment. Other whispers suggest wearing one's shirt inside out to confuse the creatures, or passing by a tikbalang's forest quietly to avoid drawing their attention.

Unlike some illusionists, tikbalangs can also rely on their physical prowess should the need arise. They have unusually long legs that end in cloven hooves and stand as tall as ogres when upright. Skilled climbers and leapers, they're also well known as master wrestlers, where their long limbs put them at a distinct advantage over their foes. They have elongated faces that, when combined with their well-kept hair, suggest an equine appearance—although some tikbalangs have saurian or birdlike faces instead.