Gloss

Description:
Gloss are radiant, hyper-fragile creatures resembling floating glass sculptures, barely visible under normal conditions. Their bodies are forged from a lattice of magically-bonded crystal fibers, forming moth-like wings and a delicately carved thorax that glimmers only in the right light. Most of the time, a Gloss is nearly invisible, refracting its surroundings like a wandering mirage—but when preparing an attack, it ignites with internal energy, exposing kaleidoscopic fractals of firelight pulsing through its body.

A Gloss is as sharp as it is beautiful. Its wings are made of jagged, crystalline shards that can slice flesh with the gentlest brush. When it dives, it doesn’t just attack—it shatters the silence.

Visual Design & Behavior:

• Body:

  • Crafted from smooth, curved crystal panes, resembling blown glass

  • Fragile-looking, but magically reinforced from within—each one reflecting the world around it like living stained glass

  • Internal veins remain dormant until charged, at which point fractal lines of molten orange, violet, or white flame streak through the frame

• Wings:

  • Razor-edged and shaped like elongated diamond panes

  • Translucent and shifting; the edges shimmer like broken sun rays

  • In motion, the wings blur into arcs of light, barely visible but dangerously sharp

Visibility Mechanism:

• Default State: Invisible or translucent unless disturbed or charging

• Fire Charge: Begins glowing from within—filling its body and wings with refracted magical energy, like fire trapped in a prism

• Full Reveal: Becomes fully visible only during attack—burning bright enough to cast its shadow in fractured color on the terrain

Abilities:

• #Fractal Ignite: Channels radiant fire magic through its crystalline body, then releases it in a searing pulse of light and heat

• #Glass Shard Dive: A cutting aerial attack—slashes with its wings, often leaving deep, glowing lacerations

• #Mirror Veil: Refracts the environment across its body; returns to near-invisibility when not charging

• #Overglow Burst: If killed while fully charged, explodes into a violent spray of magical glass, causing AoE burn and bleed

Behavior & Combat Style:

• Silent Hovering: Completely soundless while gliding. You’ll feel the heat before you see it.

• Light-Seeking: Drawn to torchlight, magical auras, or reflective surfaces—possibly mistaking them for potential mates or threats

Weaknesses:

• Blunt damage: If struck before charging, their glass structure is vulnerable to high-impact force

• Shadow Magic: Disrupts their refractive camouflage

• Sudden Darkness: Causes confusion and may cause them to crash, like birds into glass