Cloaker

Cloakers are fiendish horrors that dwell in dark places far beneath the surface of the earth. They generally seek to kill those who enter their lairs, unless they can think up some other, more amusing way to punish interlopers.

When a cloaker is first seen, it is almost impossible to distinguish this monster from a common black cloak. The monster's back has two rows of black eye spots running down it that look much like buttons, and the two ivory-colored claws on its upper edge can easily be mistaken for bone clasps.

When it unfurls itself and moves to attack, however, its true nature becomes all too obvious. At this point, its white underside is clear and the monster's face is fully visible. This face, with the glow of its two piercing, red eyes and the needle-like fangs that line its mouth, is a truly horrible sight. At this point, the monster also uncurls the whip-like tail at its trailing edge and begins to swish it back and forth in anticipation.

Note: Cloakers originally appeared in this form in the 2nd Edition Monstrous Manual for the AD&D game from TSR. Their use here is for the purposes of providing context for the campaign only.