Spectral Moose
Throughout the temperate forests and wetlands of the largest continental mass can be found the Spectral Moose, called many things in the languages of sentient beings who live in its range, but feared by all.
The Spectral Moose in many ways closely resembles the moose of Earth and biologically are in fact a closely related species, a fact that would immediately stand out to a visitor from Earth but which is completely lost on the people of our world, who only appreciate that the Spectral Moose is a uniquely alien creature from their perspective.
A bull moose stands about 2.5 m tall at the shoulder and weighs anywhere from 600-1000 kg. It has jet black fur, glowing red forward-facing eyes, and razor-sharp hooves and antlers, as well as a mixed omnivorous dentition featuring signature 2 cm long fangs. The antlers can have a spread of over 2 m. The female is somewhat smaller in stature, weighing 450-800 kg and lacking the characteristic antlers of the male. However, they fully share the males' vicious and bloodthirsty disposition and sharp cunning.
The Spectral Moose's glowing red eyes allow it to see into the infrared, greatly assisting its nocturnal lifestyle. The eyes also channel the moose's psychokinetic powers, which it uses to dominate the weaker minds of its prey. The prey of the moose can in fact include plants, which sounds like herbivory, but the word "prey" is used advisedly. The moose also has a kind of "future vision," allowing it to have visions of its future and that of entities around it when it chooses to "look" (it doesn't just automatically know everything, meaning it is possible to sneak up on a Spectral Moose, but just barely).
Spectral Moose are relatively solitary creatures who normally only congregate during mating season. They are sentient beings and wickedly intelligent, although they don't use language. Many moose hunters have a superstitious belief that the moose can understand the speech of other species and take care not to be overheard on the hunt, instead relying on hand signals.
The Spectral Moose are hunted by other species despite the extreme danger of doing so because the parts of the moose have a number of unique uses. The hemoglobin in the blood preferentially concentrates aetherial iron, meaning that the blood is particularly useful for aetheric applications, especially that of older individuals. When the thrown into the fire and allowed to crack, like the classic divinatory technique, the bones grant actual visions of the future. The meat is delicious, and the antlers look very handsome mounted on a wall, and are said to grant invulnerability to the home from enemy attacks.
Spectral Moose have souls, and hunting parties always bring along an exorcist, because the moose's last line of defense is that its ghost is exceptionally vindictive, and will remain bound to the world by its thirst for revenge until it has destroyed the life of its killer(s). As strongly magical beings in life, a Moose Spectre has an unusually large ability to continue to affect the world, continuing to have its ability to see the future and dominate weaker minds, and gaining a larger than usual telekinetic ability as well.
The challenge for the exorcist is to drive the spectre into a rift against its will. The Spectral Moose can perceive rifts, and unlike other animals tend to avoid them just to counter this move, since haunting their killers to death is an important part of their evolutionary defences.
All in all, if you should be so fortunate as to see this majestic forest denizen in person, run away as fast as you can and pray the moose has fed recently.
