Appearance. Imps are small, magically created beings, mainly used as helpers for their creators, the mages. There are many different types of Imps as it depends on the powers of the mage who created them, how he created them and for which purpose he did it.

Image description: Three magically created imps who escaped their creator and now are making fuss in the woods. Picture drawn by Igino.

Mostly the skin color of the Imps depends on the land they inhabit and which elements predominate there, but for the rest they're mostly all the same: Imps are somewhat smaller than halflings, but they've got large heads and remarkable pointy ears, a flat nose and mean eyes. Their bodies are small, sometimes even fragile looking, but their arms are muscular and end in hands with four fingers. Imps don't grow hair and have a reptile-like skin. Because they're sexless, there're no real differences between the Imps created by the same mage. One might say that Imps could be seen as the halfling version of golems, with some noteable differences: Imps are usually not used in destructive ways, but only in order to assist the mage. Furthermore an Imp has a free will on its own (unlike golems have), or at least they have so much of a free will on their own that they can be off every now and then making fuss.

Special Abilities. Generally, Imps don't have any special abilities. However, they're excellently adapted to their territory and can be equipped with some spell power by the mage who created them. Also, they're always resistant to extreme temperatures and certain circumstances of their territory, but they can't survive long in any other environment. For Example: Fire Imps are fire resistant and can endure beimg burnt, however, they almost die when they're exposed to water.

Territory. Imps are bound to the territory of their master. As long as they're there, Imps can draw strength from their creator, but if they're forced to leave it, they can only survive by staying close to their master and feed from his mana. As a result of this, Imps can never be used as attackers, only for defending purposes.

Habitat/Behaviour. Imps are smart, helpful and mean creatures. They are smart as a quality of their being, they are helpful concerning their master and mean against all other creatures/people who are not their master. Put together these three properties can be fatal for objects or even persons within their reach if Imps are left alone. It has been reported that Imps love to hunt down people and to torture them, but they are real cowards when they think they're going to lose. An Imp will always calculate his chances and will always choose the most profitable way. Because of this treacherous nature, it lies in the responsibilty of the mage to keep a firm grip on them. Imps are not affected by any "nice" approach. If you e.g. try to get past an Imp by offering him something, he'll grant you access and may backstab you when you've passed.

This is why they're always badly treated: a badly treated Imp will always make the calculation: "If I fight against enemies, they'll hurt me. But if I don't, master will hurt me more." This calculation does however only work if the master is near, because when he isn't, an Imp thinks his enemies more dangerous and stops fighting. When there are no other creatures around at all, Imps love to tease other Imps or to create any other form of chaos.

Diet. Imps can be fed by mana only, but they prefer real, fresh meat. They have an appetite for little birds and small animals and they seem to think that everything helpless and scared tastes even better (strange, but true). Some forest Imps can also be seen eating fruits and vegetables, but they usually distaste them and won't eat them when it isn't necessary. If an Imp hasn't caught anything, it will just steal it from somebody else or start throwing another Imps food around.

Mating. Imps are genderless and don't mate. They can only be created by mages. Imps usually become up to 20 years, but this also depends on the mage and the mana used to create it. Very often mages simply cut their mana resources supporting the Imp's life, thus killing it. A mage won't feel any pity about the death of such a creature as Imps are created on purpose and can be done away with if they're not needed anymore. Stronger mages can create Imps that live 25 years, but not much more. When an Imp is created, he's already grown-up and can be set to work immediately if he's directed by his master. Imps by the way don't get weaker when they age, the only difference between old Imps and young Imps is that the older ones are always meaner and that at some time they will lose their ability to live from mana, dying a more or less "natural" death.

"The Imp", composed and performed by Vladeptus Format: MP3, Length: 3:11 from the album "What the Dragon Heard", Track #13. Click here to download the song, use right-click and "Save as..." (2.92 MB).